Friday 01 January 2010
In his BBC New Year Message the Archbishop of Canterbury sets out that in this global society we now inhabit "risk and suffering are everybody's problem, the needs of our neighbours are the needs of the whole human family."
From Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop of Congo and Bishop of Winchester
The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of the Anglican Province of Congo and the Bishop of Winchester today voiced their concerns over the continuing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Today marks the centenary of the Great Congo Demonstration led by the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Randall Davidson, to protest against violence and oppression in the Congo Free State. Speaking at the Royal Albert Hall on 19 November 1909, Archbishop Davidson condemned the “great wrong” perpetrated against the people of Congo, claiming, “we are ourselves in part responsible for the past, and, if that wrong be allowed to continue, by whomsoever carried out, we shall be answerable to God and man for its continuance.”
The sermon given today by the Archbishop of Canterbury at a service of commemoration to mark the end of military operations in Iraq, held at St Paul’s Cathedral London:
Readings: Ecclesiastes 3: 1—8; Ephesians 6.10—17
‘There is a time for every matter under heaven’. Today is a time for reflecting on the human cost of seeking for justice; on the generosity of so many people, young and not so young, in facing and meeting that cost; and on the countless mysterious ways in which such people have been equipped to meet the cost, through their relationships, through the quiet support and inspiration of those who love them and have shaped who they are. A time to reflect on the unexpected qualities of people like ourselves who, caught up in the confusions of a great international upheaval, simply got on with the task they were given because they believed that order and justice mattered.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has today preached at a service attended by over 2000 people, celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Anglican Church in Japan (Nippon Sei Ko Kai).
The Eucharist took place at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St Mary in Tokyo. Presiding at the Eucharist was the Most Revd Nathaniel Makoto Uematsu, Primate of NSKK and Bishop of Hokkaido, along with other bishops from NSKK.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has sent his greetings to Muslim communities for the festival of Eid ul Fitr, marking the end of Ramadhan. The Archbishop’s greeting celebrates the many positive examples of Christian Muslim encounter and engagement with the wider common good in the past year.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has sent his greetings to the Jewish Communities at the start of the festival of Rosh Hashanah. In his message Dr Williams recalls his visit to Auschwitz and Birkenau with the Chief Rabbi and Rabbi Tony Bayfield, and looks ahead to the presence of the Chief Rabbi in the House of Lords, as well as his meeting with the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.
As part the150th anniversary celebrations of the Anglican Church in Japan, the Archbishop of Canterbury will be making a week-long visit to Japan during which he will visit Anglican churches, universities and schools, as well as the city of Nagasaki.
Dr Williams will preach at the service to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Anglican Church in Japan (known as Nippon Sei Ko Kai) and will be joined by other bishops and Primates from around the Anglican Communion.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has today given a greeting to Archbishop Vincent Nichols at his Installation Mass as the new Archbishop of Westminster.
A sermon by the Archbishop of Canterbury at a Eucharist held at Canterbury Cathedral, on Thursday 23rd April, attended by the Abbot and Mother Prioress of the Abbey of Notre Dame du Bec, to celebrate the 900th anniversary of the death of Saint Anselm of Canterbury, 1109—2009.
The Archbishop of Canterbury will today use his Ebor Lecture in York Minster to spell out why respect for the environment is not an optional extra, particularly for Christians. Getting our relationship with the rest of the created order into proper perspective is both a responsibility and a necessity. Failure could have disastrous consequences especially for some of the poorest and most vulnerable. “There is no way of manipulating our environment that is without cost or consequence … we are inextricably bound up with the destiny of our world.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is delighted to appoint the Revd Rachel Carnegie to serve as Secretary for International Development, based at Lambeth Palace.
The Revd Rachel Carnegie has worked in international development since 1985. Her main focus has been on the health and development of children and young people and on responses to HIV, working with both secular and faith-based organisations. She has worked extensively in Asia and Africa, with organisations including UNICEF, Save the Children, the Child-to-Child Trust, and, most recently, Tearfund. Her role at Tearfund has been to support church responses to HIV, developing the role of the local church as well as promoting the global church’s voice in advocacy. This has also involved collaborating with a range of Anglican partners at provincial and diocesan levels.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is pleased to appoint the Revd Canon Joanna Udal to serve as the Secretary for Anglican Communion Affairs, based at Lambeth Palace.
She said: "It's an exciting time to be involved as we try to build on the positive encounters of the Lambeth Conference and to rebuild mutual trust and recognition. We're challenged to keep uppermost that God's mission is for the world, as together we seek to be conformed to Christ in our identity and in our common life."
Impressions from the Lambeth Conference; Archbishops' appeal for Zimbabwe and women in the episcopate. General Synod, London
The experiences of last summer's Lambeth Conference and last week's Primates' Meeting have left me with one or two strong impressions which seem worth sharing with Synod as it prepares for further discussion of some sensitive matters this week.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has awarded the Cross of St Augustine to Monsignor Donald Bolen for his service to Anglican - Roman Catholic relations.
In a private audience at Lambeth Palace, the Archbishop paid warm tribute to the theological acumen and spiritual discernment that Monsignor Bolen had put unreservedly at the service of Anglican – Roman Catholic relations during his seven-year assignment to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in Rome.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, will visit North Africa from Wednesday 28th January until Friday 6th February 2009
On Wednesday 28th January the Archbishop will arrive in Libya, where he will meet with local Christian and Muslim leaders and Government officials. The following day he will visit a primary school and a church-run community project in Tripoli, as well as viewing the historical site of Sabratha.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, met last week with an invited group of relief and development practitioners and professionals at Lambeth Palace.
The consultation followed on from recommendations made by bishops at the Lambeth Conference for a more collaborative approach to existing relief, development and advocacy activities in the Anglican Communion.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams will pay a pastoral visit to the Diocese of Ely as it launches its 900th anniversary celebrations this weekend, 23–25 January.
During his visit, Dr Williams will meet with all the clergy of the Diocese, and visit communities reflecting its diversity, before taking part in the inaugural Eucharist of the 900th anniversary celebrations at Ely Cathedral on Saturday 24th January. The visit will end on Sunday at Great St Mary’s Church, Cambridge, where he will preach the Hulsean Sermon before the Vice-Chancellor and University.
The Archbishop of Canterbury today announced the shortlist for the 2009 Michael Ramsey Prize (MRP). The prize will be awarded at Guardian Hay festival in May.
“I am delighted both with the quality and variety of the shortlisted work and at the prospect of joining with an extremely distinguished panel to judge and then award the Prize this year at the Hay Festival. What better way to make sure that the best of contemporary theological writing gets into the mainstream of critical thinking and reflection – exactly where it should be found.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has expressed his sadness on being informed of the death of Patriarch Aleksii II of Moscow.
