Articles, Interviews & Speeches
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- Archbishop - Religious Faith and Human Rights
- The Spiritual and the Religious: Is the Territory Changing?
- Archbishop's Easter Message
- Archbishop's Holy Week Lecture: Faith & History
- Holy Week: Faith and History Questions & Answers Session
- Archbishop's Holy Week Lecture: Faith & Politics
- Holy Week: Faith & Politics Questions & Answers Session
- Archbishop's Holy Week Lecture: Faith & Science
- Holy Week: Faith and Science Questions & Answers Session
- 'Risen Indeed': The Resurrection in the Gospels
- Questions & Answers: 'Risen Indeed', the Resurrection in the Gospels
- 'Risen Today': The Resurrection as Good News Now
- Questions & Answers: 'Risen Today', the Resurrection as Good News now
- Archbishop speaks to Scientists at Sanger Institute
- Faith in the Future
- 'Faith, Reason and Quality Assurance - Having Faith in Academic Life'
- 'Faith, Reason and Quality Assurance - Having Faith in Academic Life' Questions & Answers Session
- 'What Difference Does it Make?' - The Gospel in Contemporary Culture
- What Difference Does it Make? - The Gospel in Contemporary Culture Questions & Answers Session
- Archbishop introduces Professor Bernard McGinn
- Archbishop's farewell tribute to Bishop of Truro
- Archbishop's farewell tribute - Bishop of Sheffield
- The Archbishop's Speech on Gambling, at the General Synod
- Presidential Address to the opening of General Synod
- Archbishop's Lecture - Civil and Religious Law in England: a Religious Perspective
- Archbishop's lecture - Religious Hatred and Religious Offence
- Archbishop's Holocaust Memorial Day Statement
- Archbishop's Liverpool lecture: Europe, Faith and Culture
- 2007 speeches archive
- 2006 speeches archive
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2005 speeches archive »
- Archbishop of Canterbury's New Year Message
- Archbishop on 'Pause for Thought' - Terry Wogan Radio 2 »
- Transcript of radio contribution given for a Fresh expressions feature on the BBC local radio circuit
- Archbishop - 'Christmas tells us why people matter'.
- General Synod - London Sessions, 15-16 November 2005 Archbishop's contribution during the debate on The Review of Clergy Terms of Service: property issues and progress report
- General Synod London Sessions, 15-16 November 2005 Archbishop of Canterbury's farewell tribute to the Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Revd Richard Harries
- General Synod London Sessions, 15-16 November 2005 Archbishop's Presidential Address
- General Synod London Sessions, 15-16 November 2005 Archbishop's speech moving the Loyal Address
- General Synod, London Sessions, 15-16 November 2005 Archbishop's contribution during the presentation on 'Episcopacy in the Church of England'
- General Synod London Sessions, 15-16 November 2005 Archbishop's remarks at opening session
- General Synod London Sessions, 15-16 November 2005 Archbishop's contribution in debate on terrorism
- Temple Address: "Becoming Trustworthy: Respect and Self-Respect" Church House
- 'Religion culture diversity and tolerance - shaping the new Europe': address at the European Policy Centre, Brussels
- One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church
- Archbishop on 'Pause for Thought' - Terry Wogan Radio 2
- David Nicholls Memorial Lecture: 'Law, Power and Peace: Christian Perspectives on Sovereignty' - The University Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford
- Forum debate: Is Europe at its end? Sant'Egidio International Meeting of Prayer for Peace - Palais de Congress, Lyons
- Address at opening ceremony Sant'Egidio International Meeting of Prayer for Peace - Palais de Congress, Lyons
- 'The gifts reserved for age: perceptions of the elderly' A lecture to mark the Centenary of Friends of the Elderly, Church House, Westminster
- Presidential Address - General Synod, York
- Radio 4 'Thought for the Day' after London Terrorist bombs
- Archbishop's Presidential Address 13th Meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council, Nottingham 18-28 June 2005
- The Media: Public Interest and Common Good: lecture delivered at Lambeth Palace
- 'The Mission for L'Arche Today' - Address at L'Arche International Federation Meeting, Assisi, Italy
- Speech given at a reception at the conclusion of the 4th Building Bridges Christian-Muslim Dialogue
- Christianity, Islam and the Challenge of Poverty Bosniak Institute, Sarajevo
- Formation: Who's bringing up our children?
- Archbishop's Thought for the Day on Radio 4
- An Easter Message to the Anglican Communion
- Lecture at Chatham: Sustainable Communities
- Lecture: Ecology and Economy - University of Kent, Canterbury
- General Synod: Speech in debate on the environment
- General Synod: Speech in debate on the Windsor Report
- General Synod: Speech in Take Note debate on the theology of Women in the Episcopate
- General Synod: Speech Moving Motion on Women in the Episcopate
- General Synod: Speech Moving Motion on Women in the Episcopate
- Address by the Archbishop of Canterbury on the occasion of the installation of the Revd Canon Kenneth Kearon as Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Anglican Communion Office London
- 2004 speeches archive
- 2003 speeches archive
- 2002 speeches archive
Archbishop on 'Pause for Thought' - Terry Wogan Radio 2
Monday 19 December 2005
I always find at about this point before Christmas that I seem to be getting a lot of cards from people I've forgotten to send cards to. You know the sort of thing – 'Who's this one from? Frank and Gladys? No, I think it's Peter and Sylvia. Oh no, we didn't send one to them. And didn't they move two years ago? And where did I put the new address? And anyway it's past the last date for posting...'
One of the little trials of the pre-Christmas season. But why do we - or why do I, anyway - worry quite so much about this? Of course I don't want my friends to think I'm rude or something. But I suspect we feel at a bit of a disadvantage. Someone's given us something, and we feel we have to keep our end up, otherwise we're in their debt and that feels uncomfortable. When we were in Pakistan a couple of weeks ago, we were so weighed down with generous gifts that we could hardly get on the plane coming back – and we felt a bit awkward about handing out the rather modest little presents we'd brought.
But actually this is one thing I find Christmas helps me with. The story we tell at Christmas is about a gift so enormous that we could never keep our end up or pay it back, the gift of a complete love and forgiveness that we haven't earned or deserved and never could. It's God's gift. Don't even think about finding something equivalent to give in return. Just be glad to be loved like that. It might even help with the Christmas card from Peter and Sylvia and the lost addresses. They think you're worth bothering with; just be glad of it.
© Rowan Williams 2005