Anglican Communion News Service

In a wide-ranging address to the General Synod in London, the Archbishop of Canterbury discusses the nature of human freedom and the value of listening and learning from one another, in both national and international debates, as well as those occurring during Synod this week.

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The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have written to Bishops in the Church of England recommending the suspension of the sharing of the chalice at communion. The Archbishops’ letter follows advice from the Department of Health not to share “common vessels” for food or drink. For those who wish still to offer both bread and wine, the Archbishops have recommended use of “personal intinction by the presiding minister”

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Clergy from the Church of England are being invited to provide respite for Sri Lankan priests in the war-torn country. CoE clergy will be asked to take over from Sri Lankan clergy in safe regions, so that those clergy can provide respite for their countrymen in conflict zones.

 

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On Friday 6 March over 3 million people worldwide will be praying and worshipping together during an annual day of prayer, using a service prepared by Christian Women in Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea is a land of many ethnic groups and over 800 distinct languages of which more than half are unrelated. As a result, there is great cultural diversity, yet the women of Papua New Guinea have emphasised the oneness there is in Christ.

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The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams and The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, have launched a joint appeal to help counter the humanitarian crisis and deteriorating political situation in Zimbabwe. The Archbishops’ appeal for Zimbabwe highlights the support needed by churches, which are struggling to feed the hungry and heal the sick, and are suffering alongside their communities.

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The Save Canterbury Cathedral Appeal has now reached the £9 million mark. The Appeal, established to fund an extensive £50 million conservation and development programme, has made good progress during the two years since its launch enabling critical conservation work to be carried out.

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Web users looking for support during the current financial situation have boosted traffic to a Church of England website section focusing on debt advice by over 70 per cent, and increased visitor numbers to the Church’s online prayer page by more than a quarter.

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The Archbishop of York launched the "Education For All" initiative during a session of the UN's emergency summit on Millennium Development Goals yesterday.

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The Bishop of Middleton, the Rt Revd Mark Davies, is launching the first ever poll to find the UK’s ‘most heroic job’ according to the nation’s children. The online survey, at www.HeroVote.org, was launched at a school in Manchester today.

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The Archbishop of York has given a cautious welcome to the news of the power sharing deal formally announced today in Zimbabwe between ZANU PF and the Movement for Democratic Change.

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The Archbishop of York has called upon the Government to give fuller recognition to the work carried out by faith groups in the delivery of social services in England. Speaking at Westminster Central Hall event organised by Youth for Christ

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Bishop of Gloucester moved: ‘That this Synod: (a) affirm that the wish of its majority is for women to be admitted to the episcopate; (b) affirm its view that special arrangements be available, within the existing structures of the Church of England, for those who as a matter of theological conviction will not be able to receive the ministry of women as bishops or priests

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Any congregation might be forgiven for wondering what are we going to hear about this morning. Members of Synod in particular (but perhaps members of the Church of England in general) may have the slight sense that there's rather too much to be hearing about, that we're suffering somewhat from issue fatigue.

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The four bishops in the Diocese of Lichfield have issued an emergency appeal for prayers and money in response to the disaster in Myanmar (Burma). They say: Like us, you are no doubt watching the pictures from Myanmar (Burma) with a feeling of helplessness and asking 'What can I do to help?' 

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The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have issued a joint statement this morning concerning the deteriorating situation of ordinary people in Zimbabwe calling for “a civil society movement that both gives voice to those who demand an end to the mayhem that grows out of injustice, poverty, exclusion and violence”.

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Community groups, even governments, are increasingly turning to Mothers’ Union worldwide to provide grassroots HIV/AIDS awareness, education, home-care, anti-stigma campaigns and HIV status-related poverty issues.

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Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary with a service at Westminster Abbey today. They were married on Thursday 20th November 1947 and the service of celebration for their diamond anniversary was held a day early to allow them to leave for a return visit to Malta – their first home as a married couple.

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Just over a year after its public launch, the Save Canterbury Cathedral Appeal has reached the £7 million mark. The Appeal, established to fund an extensive conservation and development programme, has made good progress during its first year enabling the first phases of critical conservation work to be carried out.

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HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Bishop of London, joined the Dean and Chapter of St Paul’s Cathedral this morning (October 18) for a service to mark the Centenary of St Luke’s Hospital for the Clergy.

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The Church of England has published two prayers on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. The prayers, written by the Archbishop of Canterbury, will be used at the memorial service at the Guards Chapel on August 31st. They will also be available for use in churches around the country.

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The Most Revd Josiah Idowu-Fearon, the Anglican Archbishop of the Province of Kaduna and Bishop of Kaduna diocese, was installed as a Six Preacher yesterday during Evensong by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Rowan Williams, and the Very Revd Robert Willis, the Dean of Canterbury. The appointment is for five years and may be renewed. Archbishop Idowu-Fearon replaces Canon Dr John Polkinghorne, who has retired as a Six Preacher.

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Members of the Church of England General Synod have carried a motion to 'engage positively' with the Anglican Communion Covenant process. The motion was 'clearly carried', according to Archdeacon Clive Mansell, who estimated that the vote in favour of the motion was as high as two to one.

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The Most Revd and Rt. Hon. Dr. John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, has welcomed the announcement by the Prime Minister regarding changes to the process by which diocesan bishops are appointed. The Archbishop of Canterbury, who is on study leave, was made aware at the outset of the Government's wish to talk to the Church about its intentions announced today. Archbishop Williams agreed that the Archbishop of York was to deal with the matter

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Brothers and sisters in Christ, I greet you in the precious name of our Lord. It is a great joy to be with you this morning. Had King David lived today, there is no doubt that the popular press would have had a field day with his eventful life. Those who gave us the books of Samuel and Kings may not have had the same journalistic freedom as today's tabloids, but they still give us some pretty juicy material to work with.

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Archbishop of York tells of his own captivity in repeated call for release of Alan Johnston

Standing among you all, I feel like the youngest, the put upon and the most inexperienced lion in Daniel’s den of lions!

According to recent statistics, the increasing number of people who use the internet for obtaining their news means that the last newspaper will be published sometime between 2034 – 2043. There are similar statistics which claim that the decline in church going over recent years means that at around about the same time we will be holding our last service in the Church of England.

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The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, spoke yesterday in the debate on gambling and super casinos in the House of Lords. The Archbishop of Canterbury, along with the Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham and the Bishop of Peterborough, voted for an amendment tabled by Lord Clement Jones to reject the order to grant casino licences in their proposed form.

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Historic Westminster Abbey hosted a service today to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the Slave Trade Act. The occasion spoke of the reality of how Britain was a "major beneficiary of slavery," yet it was also the British who "led the struggle to abolish the system." The opening words of the service were offered by the Very Revd John Hall in the "bidding" - he said, "We have come to remember the commitment and courage of a group of abolitionists, black and white, male and female

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As the Procession of Witness reached Lambeth Bridge, London, as part of a commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade in England, a large choir sang Amazing Grace, the hymn written by John Newton, himself a reformed slavemaster

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Intervention from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, during the General Synod debate on lesbian and gay Christians.

[Note: The debate was initiated by the Revd Mary Gilbert from the Lichfield diocese in the form of a private motion. The intervention came when amendments to the main motion were being debated; the Archbishop’s contribution was intended to address the possibility that, if both amendments and the substantive motion were all defeated, the Synod would end up being heard to say nothing on this subject.]

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Monday 26th February 2007

After the debates at the American General Convention last summer, I wrote directly to all the primates of the Communion to ask about their reaction and the likely reaction of their provinces as to whether the resolutions of Convention had met the proposals of the Windsor Report for restoring something like normal relations between the Episcopal Church and others in the Communion. The answers were instructive. About eleven provinces were fairly satisfied; about eleven were totally dissatisfied. The rest displayed varying levels of optimism or pessimism, but were not eager to see this as a life and death issue for the Communion. Of those who took one or the other of the more pronounced view, several on both sides nonetheless expressed real exasperation that this question and the affairs of one province should be taking up energy to the near-exclusion of other matters.

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