2008 news archive

December 2008

31 December 2008
Archbishop's statement on Gaza
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has made the following statement regarding the current situation in Gaza:

09 December 2008
Churches urge Europe's leaders to build a greener economy
In advance of the EU summit this month, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of the Church of Sweden and the Presiding Bishop of EKD have written to the President of the Council of the European Union, HE Nicolas Sarkozy, urging him to ensure that "that climate considerations are not marginalised in the search to find short and medium term solutions to immediate economic pressures."

05 December 2008
Archbishop expresses sadness at the death of Patriarch Aleksii II of Moscow
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has expressed his sadness on being informed of the death of Patriarch Aleksii II of Moscow.

03 December 2008
Archbishop's response to the catastrophe in Congo
The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, Commissioner Betty Matear of the Salvation Army and Bishop Nathan Hovhanissian of the Armenian Church, have released a statement in response to the humanitarian catastrophe in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

November 2008

27 November 2008
Archbishop expresses shock and outrage at atrocities in Mumbai

14 November 2008
Archbishop's letter to Moderators of the Churches of North India and South India
The Archbishop wrote earlier this week to the Moderators of the Church of North India and the Church of South India to express his solidarity with Christians during the current troubles.

12 November 2008
Archbishop to visit Birmingham diocese
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams is visiting the diocese of Birmingham on 15th and 16th November.

12 November 2008
UK Faith leaders join students on visit to former Nazi death camp in Poland
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams with the Chief Rabbi, Sir Jonathan Sacks, has invited representatives from all the religious communities to join the Holocaust Educational Trust's Lessons from Auschwitz Project tomorrow on their one day visit to the former Nazi camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland.

05 November 2008
Cross of St Augustine awarded to members of the 2008 Lambeth Conference Design Group
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has awarded the Cross of St Augustine to members of the 2008 Lambeth Conference Design Group at a ceremony at Lambeth Palace.

October 2008

28 October 2008
Archbishop's Diwali message
The Archbishop of Canterbury today sent his annual message to Hindu communities for the festival of Diwali.

17 October 2008
Archbishop awards Cross of St Augustine
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has today awarded the Cross of St Augustine to thirteen recipients at a ceremony in the Chapel at Lambeth Palace.

15 October 2008
Communiqué from A Common Word conference
At a press conference today, The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and His Excellency Dr Ali Gomaa, presented the communiqué from 'A Common Word' conference, a meeting of leading Muslim and Christian clerics and scholars.

01 October 2008
Archbishop's Eid message for 2008
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.

September 2008

29 September 2008
Hopes and Prayers at the Start of the Jewish New Year
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, sent a greeting to Jewish leaders and communities for the festival of Rosh Hashanah, marking the start of the Jewish New Year.

24 September 2008
Archbishop calls for greater co-operation to meet MDGs
On the eve of the United Nations General Assembly meeting on Millennium Development Goals in New York, the Archbishop of Canterbury has underlined the commitment of the Anglican Church to continue to work for the eradication of poverty.

24 September 2008
Archbishop of Canterbury's sermon for the International Mass at Lourdes
The Archbishop of Canterbury's sermon at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes at the International Mass of 24 September 2008 (the feast of Our Lady of Walsingham).

18 September 2008
Archbishop preaches about John Milton
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, yesterday preached at a service to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the birth of the poet John Milton.

18 September 2008
Archbishop of Canterbury to preach in Lourdes for 150th anniversary of the visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Archbishop of Canterbury will participate in anniversary celebrations at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, at the invitation of the Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes, Monsignor Jacques Perrier.

10 September 2008
Archbishop of Canterbury meets with Chief Rabbis of Israel
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, yesterday met with the Chief Rabbis of Israel, Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar and Chief Rabbi Yonah Metzger.

02 September 2008
Archbishop calls for end to violence in Orissa
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Willams, has expressed profound distress at the extreme violence being used in Orissa following the murder of Hindu leader, Swami Lakshmananda Saraswati.

August 2008

26 August 2008
Archbishop's Pastoral Letter to Bishops of the Anglican Communion
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has today sent a letter to the bishops of the Anglican Communion, setting out his personal reflections on the Lambeth Conference. The full text of the letter can be found below:

19 August 2008
Young Working Mum to Help Judge Michael Ramsey Prize
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is pleased to announce that the Revd Alison Fulford has been appointed as a judge for the 2009 Michael Ramsey Prize for Theological Writing.

13 August 2008
Archbishop praises Lambeth Palace Library's 'Back-a-Book' scheme
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams has praised the generosity of contributors to the 'Back-a-Book' scheme.

08 August 2008
Press reports on the Archbishop's correspondence
In response to the recent coverage of the correspondence dated back to 2000, The Archbishop Canterbury has made the following statement:

July 2008

30 July 2008
Archbishop to award Cross of St Augustine
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has announced the award of the Cross of St Augustine to thirteen recipients.

26 July 2008
Archbishop explores 'reason' in New Scientist
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams explores the concept of 'reason' as part of a feature '7 reasons why people hate reason' in the latest issue of New Scientist magazine.

15 July 2008
A Common Word for the Common Good
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has written a letter of response to Muslim religious leaders and scholars in which he welcomes A Common Word

09 July 2008
Archbishop Supports Calls for End to Detention of Children Seeking Asylum
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has today supported the findings of the Independent Asylum Commission, which calls for more humane and dignified treatment of those seeking sanctuary in the UK.

08 July 2008
Archbishop of Canterbury to Visit Diocese of Bradford
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams and his wife Jane are visiting the Diocese of Bradford on 8 and 9 July.

04 July 2008
Welcome for Lord Chief Justice Remarks on Sharia Law
Lambeth Palace has welcomed the speech given yesterday by the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, Rt Hon Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, on 'Equality Before the Law'.

02 July 2008
Archbishop Welcomes Government Announcement on Credit Unions
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has today welcomed an announcement by the Treasury that legislation will be brought forward to assist Credit Unions.

01 July 2008
Archbishop of Canterbury awards Lambeth Degrees
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, will today preside over a Lambeth Degree award ceremony in Lambeth Palace Chapel. On this occasion he will award ten degrees.

June 2008

25 June 2008
Archbishop of Canterbury welcomes release of pastor from five-year detention
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has welcomed the release of a pastor who had been detained for five years without charge or trial in Equatorial Guinea.

09 June 2008
Archbishop and Religious Leaders call for Cooperation to Combat Poverty and Achieve Millennium Development Goals
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, today hosted religious leaders of different faiths to discuss the power of multi-religious cooperation to combat poverty and achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

03 June 2008
Archbishop - Christian-Muslim engagement 'for the sake of peace in our common home'
The Archbishop of Canterbury yesterday convened an ecumenical gathering to discuss ways in which Christian-Muslim engagement might be strengthened and deepened.

May 2008

29 May 2008
Archbishops call on UN for mediation and protection in Zimbabwe
The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of Cape Town yesterday spoke to Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations, to express their grave concern about the increasing violence of what appears to be a sustained campaign against the Anglican Church in Zimbabwe.

29 May 2008
Archbishop unveils plans for London event to challenge global governments to reach targets on tackling poverty
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has today announced plans to mount an unprecedented mass walk of bishops and other faith leaders through central London during the forthcoming Lambeth Conference to demonstrate the Anglican Communion's determination to help end extreme poverty across the globe.

20 May 2008
Archbishop of Canterbury awards Lambeth Degrees
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is to award ten Lambeth Degrees this summer.

15 May 2008
Archbishop presents Diploma and MA degrees
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has this afternoon presented two Lambeth Diplomas and one Lambeth degree to three recipients.

13 May 2008
Government and business leaders talk climate change at Lambeth Palace
The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams and the Bishop of London the Rt. Revd Richard Chartres welcomed leaders from business, government and civil society to Lambeth Palace today for a Climate Change round table.

12 May 2008
Archbishop of Canterbury's Pentecost Letter to the Bishops of the Anglican Communion
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has today sent an open letter to the bishops of the Anglican Communion, in advance of the Lambeth Conference.

02 May 2008
Archbishop to convene the 7th Building Bridges seminar in Rome
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is to convene the 7th Building Bridges Seminar in Rome next week. This is a unique annual series which brings together a range of internationally recognised Christian and Muslim scholars for an intensive study of relevant Biblical and Qur'anic texts.

June 2008

30 June 2008
Archbishop responds to GAFCON statement
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has responded to the final declaration of the Global Anglican Future Conference with the following statement:

24 June 2008
Archbishop preaches at 400th Anniversary of the Granting of the Royal Charter
The Archbishop of Canterbury preached at a service to mark the 400th Anniversary of the Granting of the Royal Charter to the Inns of Court, at the Temple Church in London. Read the full text of the sermon.

17 June 2008
Joint statement by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York regarding St Bartholomew-the-Great

06 June 2008
Archbishop and Church Leaders call for worshippers to make 'Time for God's Creation'
Church leaders have called upon Christians throughout England to use the period from 1st September until 4th October as an opportunity to put the environment at the heart of their worship.

May 2008

29 May 2008
Archbishop Attends Opening of Goldsmiths' Exhibition
The Archbishop attended, as patron, the opening of the Goldsmiths' Summer Exhibition: Treasures of the English Church: Sacred Gold and Silver 800-2000

23 May 2008
Archbishop welcomes His Holiness, the Dalai Lama to Lambeth Palace for meeting of Faith Leaders
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, welcomed His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Lambeth Palace today as part of his visit to Britain.

07 May 2008
Archbishop - Prayers for Burma
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has written to the Anglican church in Burma following the devastation of Cyclone Nargis in the area of the Irrawaddy River Delta.

06 May 2008
Archbishop - 'friendly meeting' with Pope Benedict
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has described his private meeting with Pope Benedict XVI yesterday in the Vatican as 'friendly and informal'. They spent almost half an hour in the Pope's study discussing matters of common interest.

01 May 2008
Archbishop - Religious Faith and Human Rights
Tonight the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams will give a lecture at the London School of Economics entitled 'Religious Faith and Human Rights'.

April 2008

28 April 2008
Lambeth Palace Garden Open Days
Lambeth Palace Garden is one of the oldest and largest private gardens in London. It is a historic site and a significant piece of English heritage. Visitors can view the garden on one of the 2009 open days.

25 April 2008
Archbishop - Protect the Poorest From the Effects of Economic Downturn
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has today called on the government to do more to protect the poorest and most vulnerable from the likely consequences of an economic downturn.

24 April 2008
Archbishops' issue joint statement on Zimbabwe
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have today issued a joint statement in support of the strong voice of fellow bishops in Zimbabwe.

24 April 2008
Archbishop Pays Visit to The Deptford Churches Centre and 999 Club Homeless Centres
The Archbishop of Canterbury is Patron to both homeless charities in Deptford and paid visit to them to meet staff, supporters and the homeless.

22 April 2008
Crisis Homeless Charity Celebrates 40th Anniversary
Crisis charity aims to fight homelessness and empower people to fulfil their potential and transform their lives. The Archbishop and HRH Princess Alexandra are patrons of the charity. They held a reception at Lambeth Palace to celebrate 40 years of success.

17 April 2008
Archbishop's Lecture - Society Still Needs Religion
The Archbishop of Canterbury gave a lecture in which he acknowledges the rise in interest in spirituality, particularly in the Western World, but underlines the crucial role traditional religious allegiance continues to play in a genuinely plural society.

16 April 2008
Archbishop - 'more dramatic and more costly' change for Christians in the Middle East
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, hosted and addressed a conference at Lambeth Palace for the charity BibleLands examining the challenges facing Christian communities in the Middle East.

15 April 2008
Archbishop Awarded Medal from the Honorary Society of Cymmrodorion
The Archbishop and his family welcomed guests to the event, held in the Guard Room at Lambeth Palace, including Professor Prys Morgan who presented the Archbishop with the medal. Listen to the presentation and view the pictures.

09 April 2008
Archbishop condemns recent violence against lesbian and gay people
In response to reports of violence and threats towards Christians involved in the debate on human sexuality, the Archbishop has given the following statement:

08 April 2008
Archbishop Welcomes Good Childhood Inquiry to Lambeth
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, yesterday welcomed the members of the Good Childhood Inquiry panel to Lambeth Palace for a discussion about the emerging themes of the Inquiry's work.

03 April 2008
Archbishop Visits Johanna Primary School
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams visited the Johanna primary school in Lower Marsh, Lambeth to attend their open day as the guest of honour.

02 April 2008
Archbishop's Press Secretary to serve as Parish Priest
Lambeth Palace has announced that the Revd Jonathan Jennings, Press Secretary to the Archbishop of Canterbury since 2001, will leave in the summer to take up appointment as Priest in Charge at St Augustine's, Gillingham in the diocese of Rochester.

March 2008

22 March 2008
Death is Real; Death is Overcome
The celebration of Easter challenges us to accept death, but also seeks to challenge our acceptance that death is without hope and the end to all meaning.

20 March 2008
Archbishop in Holy Week
On Thursday 20th March the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, observed the Passiontide celebrations of Maundy Thursday at traditional services held at Canterbury Cathedral.

19 March 2008
Archbishop gives Holy Week lectures at Westminster Abbey
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams gave a series of three lectures on the theme 'A Question of Faith' during Holy Week at Westminster Abbey.

19 March 2008
Archbishop's Easter Message
Radio 2's Pause for Thought

14 March 2008
Archbishop Visits Redeveloped St Martin in the Fields Church
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams visited the redeveloped St Martin in the Fields Church - ahead of its official reopening on 28 April - to view the significantly improved facilities for the community, visitors and homeless and to meet the individuals contributing to the project and the ministry of the Parish.

14 March 2008
Judges to help Archbishop of Canterbury choose Winner of Theology Prize
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is pleased to announce the judging panel for the 2009 Michael Ramsey Prize for Theological Writing.

14 March 2008
Archbishop's tribute to Chiara Lubich
The Archbishop of Canterbury paid tribute Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement, whose death was announced today.

13 March 2008
Archbishop's shock and sorrow at murder of Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho

11 March 2008
Archbishop Welcomes Landmark Report on Faith Communities' Big Contributions
A landmark report published today suggests that the contribution of faith community congregations to the UK economy is well in excess of £2.1 billion.

01 March 2008
Archbishop Calls for Release of Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahno
The Archbishop of Canterbury spoke of his concern for the prompt release of Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho, the Chaldean Archbishop of Mosul, who was kidnapped after a church service on Friday.

February 2008

29 February 2008
Archbishops' response to Government consultation on blasphemy
As the Government publishes its amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill to abolish the blasphemy laws, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, have made public their response to the Government's consultation.

25 February 2008
Archbishop of Canterbury Officiates at Opening of Manormead Supported Housing
The Church of England Pensions Board's new showpiece retirement home Manormead Supported Housing was opened by the Archbishop at a special ceremony. It was also attended by the Bishop of Guildford, Rt Revd Christopher Hill, and the Mayor and Mayoress of Waverley, Councillor Maurice and Mrs Mary Byham.

18 February 2008
Archbishops to visit Cambridge
The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York will be making a joint visit to Cambridge on 20 -22 February 2008. During the visit Dr Williams and Dr Sentamu will visit the Oakington Immigration Detention Centre and the Emmaus Community at Landbeach.

13 February 2008
Debate on a Covenant for the Anglican Communion
Archbishop's Contribution at the General Synod

13 February 2008
The Archbishop's Speech on Gambling, at the General Synod
Video and full transcript.

12 February 2008
Archbishop Hosts China-UK Seminar on Religion and Society
The Archbishop of Canterbury hosted a study day with Chinese and British academics to consider the topic of "Religion and the Public Square".

12 February 2008
Archbishop appoints Windsor Continuation Group
The Archbishop of Canterbury announced the formation of the Windsor Continuation Group (WCG), as proposed in his Advent Letter.

12 February 2008
Archbishop Praises Mission-Shaped Questions Book
Podcast with transcript

11 February 2008
Presidential Address to the Opening of General Synod
Videos and transcripts of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams' presidential address at the opening of the General Synod.

07 February 2008
Archbishop Criticises 'Indefensible' Treatment of Young People in Prison
The Archbishop of Canterbury has called upon the government to look critically at the use of strip-searching and prison segregation units for children in the criminal justice system.

07 February 2008
Archbishop gives foundation lecture at the Royal Courts of Justice

07 February 2008
Archbishop - UK law needs to find accommodation with religious law codes
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has said that UK law needs to continue to find accommodation with religious legal codes such as the Islamic system of Sharia if community cohesion and development are to be achieved.

06 February 2008
Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent Book
The Archbishop's Foreword for this year's Lent Book

January 2008

30 January 2008
Archbishop's tribute to His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All Greece
The Archbishop of Canterbury has paid tribute to His Beatitude Archbishop Christodoulos, the Archbishop of Athens, following his death on Monday. In a letter to the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, the Archbishop said:

29 January 2008
Archbishop - society should not leave the sacred unprotected
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, will today give the James Callaghan Memorial lecture entitled "Religious Hatred and Religious Offence". In his lecture Dr Williams outlines the problems with the present blasphemy laws, and also looks at the problems that society could face without any protection from religious offence. He questions the liberal argument of free speech that some writers and artists use to defend their right to portray religion offensively, ignoring the hurt that their actions may cause and their lack of imagination in refusing to see people's belief choices from any other perspective but their own.

24 January 2008
Archbishop to visit Liverpool
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is to visit Liverpool this weekend. During his visit Dr Williams will give a lecture at the Anglican Cathedral, attend the Holocaust Memorial Day at the at the Philharmonic Hall and preach at Choral Evening Prayer at the Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. He will also be the guest of the Lord Mayor, Councillor Paul Clark, at a Town Hall Reception, visit the ecumenical community L'Arche, and meet with Diocesan staff and volunteers.

22 January 2008
Archbishops of Canterbury and York to Reach New Audiences Through Website Revamp
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, Dr Rowan Williams and Dr John Sentamu,have launched new websites to help project the Archbishops' beliefs, activities and personalities to a wider audience, with the aim of creating sites that utilise the best in web technology and design.

21 January 2008
Launch of Lambeth Conference 2008
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams launched the official programme for the Lambeth Conference 2008: Equipping Bishops for Mission, at Lambeth Palace

14 January 2008
Statement on Zimbabwe
Lambeth Palace's statement in response to reports that some Anglican church services in Harare have been disrupted by state officials