2006 news archive

December 2006

31 December 2006
New Year Message - 'Hunger for Justice Will Change the World'.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has said that we need to feel the same hunger for justice that ended the slave trade if the world is to be changed for the better. Speaking in his New Year message, broadcast on BBC Television in the UK on New Year's Eve [2006] and repeated on New Year's Day, he drew on the example of William Wilberforce to urge people to act to change the world.

25 December 2006
The Poorest Deserve the Best - Archbishop's 2006 Christmas Sermon
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams says that the care he saw being given to a baby in Bethlehem was a shining reminder of the Christmas message - that God's love comes to us as a gift. In his sermon for Christmas Day, Dr Williams tells how, whilst visiting a crèche attached to Bethlehem's Holy Family Hospital funded by international donations, he cradled an abandoned new born child in his arms. He recounts asking the hospital's director, Robert Tabash why the standard of care was so good, despite the harsh economic conditions in the town:

22 December 2006
Bethlehem's Troubles Remembered
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has reassured the people of Bethlehem that neither they, nor the pressures that they live under are forgotten in the West. During a pilgrimage to Bethlehem with other English church leaders, Dr Williams [on 22nd December 2006] addressed the city's civic representatives, stressing that problems had to be solved by people working together. One-sided solutions would not deliver justice, he said:

19 December 2006
Comments on 'Spurious' Holocaust Conference in Tehran
On the eve of his pilgrimage to Bethlehem with other English Church leaders [19th December 2006], the Archbishop of Canterbury commented on the Holocaust Conference which took place last week in Teheran.

19 December 2006
Archbishop Outlines 'Hopes for 2007'
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has outlined some of his personal hopes for the coming year in an article written for the Big Issue Magazine [published December 18th, 2006]. In his article, the Archbishop identifies three particular areas of hope for change for 2007 - the hope for an end to the crisis in Israel/Palestine, for a full and proper debate on Britain's nuclear weapons systems and for more reasoned debate about the value and place of faith in public life.

13 December 2006
Pilgrims Urge Prayer for the 'Little Town of Bethlehem'
Church leaders in England are today [13th December 2006] asking parish churches and congregations throughout the country to pray for 'the little town of Bethlehem' as they approach the final week of Advent - the Church's season of preparation for the celebration of the birth of the Christ child.

07 December 2006
Rights of Christian Unions Should be Defended
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has defended the rights of university Christian Unions, saying that Student Union bodies should not discriminate against them simply because they don't approve of their views.

05 December 2006
Church Leaders to Make Pilgrimage to Bethlehem
Christian leaders have called today [6th December, 2006] for prayers throughout Advent for Christians in the Holy Land as they prepare for a pilgrimage to the birthplace of Jesus Christ. The four heads of Churches will undertake the pilgrimage in solidarity with Christians living in the Holy Land in the week leading up to Christmas. The pilgrimage is in response to invitations from Christian Churches in the Holy Land.

04 December 2006
Trident White Paper Must Provoke Wider Debate
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has said that the Government White Paper on the future of Trident requires the widest possible consultation and should start and not close down public debate on the issue. In a statement issued this evening [4th December 2006], Dr Williams underlined the grave ethical questions posed by manufacture and use of such weapons:

01 December 2006
Statement on HIV/AIDS for World AIDS Day 2006
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has warned of the alarming impact of the AIDS / HIV pandemic and its growing potential effect on women and young people. In a message issued to mark World AIDS Day [1st December 2006] Dr Williams also paid tribute to development work by churches in the face of the effects of the disease.

01 December 2006
Cautious Welcome for TEC Proposals
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has given a cautious welcome to proposals outlined by The Episcopal Church in the United States (TEC) to offer alternative forms of oversight to dissenting parishes and dioceses. Dr Williams said [Friday 1st December 2006] that the proposals would contribute to the process of determining future relationships.

November 2006

23 November 2006
Archbishop and Pope: 'Our Churches Share Witness and Service'
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI and the Archbishop of Canterbury today [23rd November 2006] shared worship together at the Redemptoris Mater Chapel in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. The worship followed a formal Audience in the Papal Library.

23 November 2006
Society Needs Religious Perspectives to Flourish - Archbishop
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has argued that a society can best flourish when debates about its nature and purpose - even in a strictly secular context - encompass 'larger commitments and visions' of the kind found in religious debates.

16 November 2006
Archbishop Presents Top Award to Archbishop Eames
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, made a presentation of the highest award in the Anglican Communion to Archbishop Robin Eames at the service of thanksgiving for the Archbishop's twenty-year Primacy, in St Patrick's Cathedral Armagh on 16 November 2006.

16 November 2006
Archbishop Dismisses Newspaper Reports on Female Ordination as 'Wilful Misinterpretation'
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has dismissed as 'wilfully misleading' newspaper reports that he is doubtful over the ordination of women to the priesthood, has ever felt that the ordination of women priests had been 'wrong' or believes that a revisiting of the question is likely, necessary or desirable. Speaking during a visit to Manchester [16th November 2006], Dr Williams declared his continuing support for the ordination of women to the priesthood.

08 November 2006
Archbishops Appoint New Chairman of the Hospital Chaplaincies Council
The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York have appointed the Bishop of Gloucester, The Right Reverend Michael Perham, to be Chairman of the Hospital Chaplaincies Council and also lead Bishop for matters concerning the National Health Service, in succession to the Bishop of St Albans. Bishop Michael will also be a Vice Chairman of the Mission and Public Affairs Council. He takes up these additional responsibilities in January 2007.

08 November 2006
Archbishop's Rome Visit Itinerary - 21st-26th November 2006
The Archbishop of Canterbury and Pope Benedict XVI will have their first meeting later this month since the two met briefly following the Pope's Inauguration Mass in 2005. The private Papal Audience, on Thursday 23rd November, will be the centrepiece of Dr Williams' visit to Rome, which runs from 21st-26th November. The visit coincides with the 40th anniversary of the historic meeting between Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey in 1966.

07 November 2006
Archbishop Invests in Immunisation Bond Scheme
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has become one of the first holders of an international finance bond designed to raise money to provide immunisation for up to 500 million of the world's poorest children. The bond has been issued by HM Treasury and is expected to raise $1 billion out of a total of $4 billion being raised over the next ten years.

04 November 2006
Archbishop's Greeting to Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori on her Installation as Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, sent the following message of greeting to the new Presiding Bishop of the United States Episcopal Church on 4th November 2006.

02 November 2006
Archbishop of Canterbury Meets Former President of Iran
Dr Williams received HE Mr Seyyed Muhammad Khatami, at Lambeth Palace this morning [2nd November 2006] and the two discussed developing relationships between Christian and Muslim Institutions, especially the developing dialogue between the Church of England and Iranian Islamic organisations. The conversation explored a growing perception that peoples' spiritual needs were more urgent than ever and required a more comprehensive response than modern society and culture seemed able to offer.

October 2006

26 October 2006
Archbishop Praises the Long March of the 'Eco-Mad' Youngsters
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has expressed his personal support for a party of children from Exeter Cathedral School, who yesterday [25th October 2006] completed a 90-mile pilgrimage to highlight their concerns about the environment.

24 October 2006
Sunday Schools Change and Death Penalty Concession Amongst 'Signs of Hope' for China
The Archbishop of Canterbury has spoken of his encouragement at the changing context of church life in China. Speaking the day after he returned from a two-week visit to the country, Dr Williams said that there were enough signs of change and development to make him hopeful for the future.

13 October 2006
China -Universities Have 'Essential Role' in Public Life
Universities fulfil an essential role and responsibility in building up a healthy society, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has argued.

10 October 2006
Archbishop - China Emerging as Senior Partner in the Fellowship of Nations
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has spoken of China's immense potential in working to solve the world's problems. Speaking at a reception for a Chevening scholars reunion in Nanjing earlier today [10th October 2006], Dr Williams emphasised that China had its place in a future which will require nations to work together more than ever:

06 October 2006
Archbishop Calls for Secure Future for Hospital Chaplaincies
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has given his strong support today [6th October 2006] to the work of hospital chaplains and has stressed the need for a commitment to securing effective chaplaincy services across the National Health Service at a time of job cutbacks and financial restraint.

06 October 2006
Archbishop's China Itinerary - Further Details
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams is to begin a two-week visit to China this weekend [8th October 2006]. The visit is at the invitation of the senior leadership of the post-denominational Protestant Churches in China and is being hosted jointly by the Three Self Patriotic Movement/China Christian Council and the State Administration of Religious Affairs (SARA). Dr and Mrs Williams will be accompanied by the Rt Revd David Urquhart, Bishop of Birmingham, who has recently succeeded Bishop John Austin as the Archbishop of Canterbury's Episcopal Link with China.

September 2006

15 September 2006
Prayers for the 'Ordinary People of God' as Covenant Plans Progress: Letter to Primates and Presiding Bishops
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has spoken today [15th September 2006] of his prayers for ordinary churchgoers who are 'puzzled, wearied, or disoriented' by the present controversies within the Anglican Communion. In a Pastoral Letter to the Anglican Communion' s Primates and Presiding Bishops, Dr Williams says that the 'ordinary people of God' do not want to see division as the consequence of the Anglican Communion's difficulties:

15 September 2006
Prayer for Darfur
The Archbishop of Canterbury has joined other faith leaders in expressing renewed concern for Darfur and has published a prayer for Sunday 17th September [2006], designated as an International Day of Prayer for the region.

13 September 2006
Archbishop's Response to New York Statement by TEC
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has responded today [13th September 2006] to the statement issued earlier today from the meeting of bishops of The Episcopal Church (TEC) being held in New York.

05 September 2006
Archbishop and Chief Rabbis Sign Historic Agreement
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams and the Chief Rabbis of Israel, Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar and Chief Rabbi Yonah Metzger today [5th September 2006] signed a joint Declaration which sets out a framework for continuing dialogue between them.

August 2006

01 August 2006
Archbishop to Visit China
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has announced today [1st August 2006] that he is to visit China this autumn. The visit is at the invitation of the senior leadership of the post-denominational Protestant Churches in China. It will take in five cities, including the capital, Beijing.

July 2006

27 July 2006
Archbishop to Welcome Chief Rabbinate to Lambeth
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has announced today [27th July 2006] that he is to welcome the Chief Rabbinate of Israel to Lambeth Palace in September. Chief Rabbis Amar and Metzger will travel to London for a special meeting with Dr Williams, during which a joint declaration will be signed, establishing a new joint dialogue process.

18 July 2006
Archbishop Receives Pakistan Minister of Religious Affairs
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, received Pakistan's Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and minorities, HE Mohammad Ijaz-ul-Haq, at Lambeth Palace this morning, [18th July 2006].

14 July 2006
Message of Sympathy for Mumbai Victims
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has today [14th July 2006] sent a message of sympathy for victims of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai earlier this week. In a message to be read at an inter faith memorial gathering this evening, Dr Williams says that the anniversary of the 7/7 attacks have led people in the UK to a determination to stand with victims and assured all involved of his continuing prayers.

09 July 2006
Trust in God is Faith's Answer to 7/7 Attacks
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams said today [9th July 2006] that faith communities can best counter extremist terrorism by demonstrating extreme confidence in God.

June 2006

27 June 2006
'Challenge and Hope' for the Anglican Communion
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has today [27th June 2006] set out his thinking on the future of the Anglican Communion in the wake of the deliberations in the United States on the Windsor Report and the Anglican Communion at the 75th General Convention of The Episcopal Church (USA).

27 June 2006
Archbishop's Gift to Bethlehem
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has today [27th June 2006] responded to an urgent appeal from secular and religious authorities for assistance to meet a deepening humanitarian crisis in Bethlehem.

19 June 2006
'Greetings and Prayers' for New U.S Presiding Bishop
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has today [Monday 19th June 2006] issued a statement on the election of the Rt Revd Katharine Jefferts Schori as the next Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America, in succession to the Most Revd Frank Griswold.

13 June 2006
Archbishop of Canterbury's Greeting to the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America
The following is the text of a greeting from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, given to the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies of the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America meeting in Colombus Ohio [13th June 2006]. The message was read by the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu.

06 June 2006
Cardinal's Address on Women Bishops 'A Clear and Helpful Contribution' - Archbishop
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has today [Tuesday 6th June 2006] welcomed an address given by the Roman Catholic Cardinal Walter Kasper as a 'clear and helpful contribution' to the debate on women in the episcopate.

05 June 2006
Coekin Appeal Allowed
The Archbishop of Canterbury has today [Monday 5th June 2006] allowed an appeal by the Revd Richard Coekin against the summary revocation of his Licence by the Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Revd Tom Butler. The decision reinstates Mr Coekin to his role as a minister in the diocese of Southwark, in collaboration with its Bishop and in partnership with its clergy.

May 2006

10 May 2006
NHS Must Treat Patients With Respect
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has said that respect for the individual needs to be at the heart of the NHS in its care for patients. In a sermon preached [Wednesday 10th May 2006] at Westminster Abbey for the annual Florence Nightingale Commemoration he said that, like Mother Theresa, Florence Nightingale had understood that care and compassion sprang from the understanding of the patient as an individual, entitled to respect and dignity:

09 May 2006
Tribute to Retiring Archbishop, Robin Eames
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has said today [Tuesday 9th May 2006] that Archbishop Robin Eames, Archbishop of Armagh, Primate of All Ireland and Metropolitan will be missed 'very deeply' when he steps down at the end of this year.

April 2006

18 April 2006
Sudan Shows Easter Message Not Getting Through
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has said today [Tuesday 18th April 2006] that the ongoing suffering in Darfur and in Southern Sudan show how much Christians have still to do in order to bring the reality of Easter to the world.

16 April 2006
Conspiracy Theories Don't Match Up to the Truth of the Gospel
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has dismissed claims that newly-discovered ancient texts and fascinating conspiracy theories can undermine the truth of the Gospel. In his Easter Sunday sermon, delivered at Canterbury Cathedral this morning [16th April 2006], Dr Williams says that the discovery of the Coptic text of a 'Gospel of Judas' and the excitement generated by the publication of The Da Vinci Code might appeal to people's sense of mystery but don't match up to the real challenges posed by the truth of the resurrection or the evidence of transformed lives across the world.

March 2006

29 March 2006
Archbishop - Faith Communities Can't Solve Problems On Their Own
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has said that faith communities need to promote confidence and earn trust in order to face the common problems that confront the world. Speaking at a dinner in Washington [29th March 2006] during a Christian-Muslim conference, Dr Williams told the guests that coming together meant addressing their differences seriously, but always in the context of their shared challenges.

23 March 2006
Archbishop of Canterbury to visit Rome
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is to visit His Holiness Pope Benedict XVIth in Rome later this year. The visit will mark the fortieth anniversary of the Archbishop Michael Ramsey's meeting with Pope Paul VIth in 1966 and the founding of the Anglican Centre in Rome in the same year. Dr Williams met the Holy Father's predecessor, Pope John Paul II, in the autumn of 2003; he travelled to Rome in April 2005 for the funeral of Pope John Paul II and returned for the Inaugural Mass of his successor. Dr Williams and Pope Benedict met briefly the following day.

23 March 2006
Christian-Muslim Building Bridges Forum to Tackle Justice and Rights
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is to convene the fifth 'Building Bridges' seminar in Washington DC next week. More than thirty Christian and Muslim scholars from across the world will hold detailed discussions over three days. The theme of this year's seminar is 'Justice and Rights: Christian and Muslim Perspectives'.

14 March 2006
Faith Schools Provide An Essential Education
The Archbishop of Canterbury has launched a strong defence of faith schools as helping to provide the 'broadest possible access to ideas' for young minds. In a speech given at the National Church Schools Conference in London, Dr Williams argued that faith schools offer an essential contribution to the development of strong and integrated communities and rejected accusations that they encourage divisiveness, exclusivity and irrationality. Rejecting the misconception that faith schools offer mostly middle class families an alternative to paying for private education, Dr Williams said that the Church of England educates children from a diversity of social backgrounds and regularly provides a faith based education for those living in deprived areas:

09 March 2006
Archbishop Sets Out Thinking on Lambeth Conference 2008
The Archbishop of Canterbury has written a pastoral letter to the 38 Primates of the Anglican Communion and Moderators of the United Churches, setting out some thinking on the Lambeth Conference in 2008 and asking them to use Lent as a period of reflection about their own journeys and the challenges facing the worldwide Anglican Communion.

February 2006

27 February 2006
Archbishop: Sudan 'is Not Forgotten'
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has begun an 8 day visit to Sudan by telling the Christian community that they have been very much in his prayers. "Day by day we remember you in our prayers. You are not forgotten here and when I return it will be a joy to share with fellow Christians in Britain what I have seen here and what I have learnt from you."

27 February 2006
Archbishop in Sudan: Religions of Peace Have to Show Trust in Each Other
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has said that the claims of both Christianity and Islam to be religions of peace need to be demonstrated through practical trust. Addressing the Sudan Inter-Religious Council in Khartoum, Dr Williams said that trust was essential when people with different views had to work together for peace. Both religions, he said, pointed to peace with God as a necessary starting point.

17 February 2006
Archbishop to Encourage Peace and Development in Sudan
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is to visit Sudan next week and will mark the start of Lent - a season of fasting and penitence for the Church - by visiting UN World Food Programme locations on the White Nile. The Archbishop has been invited by the Primate of the Province of the Episcopal Church of Sudan, the Most Revd Dr Joseph Marona. During the course of the visit, Dr Williams will meet with the Government of National Unity in Sudan as well as Muslim and Christian faith leaders in both Khartoum and Southern Sudan. He will spend Ash Wednesday - a day of fasting - by taking part in barge and school distribution projects in Malakal.

13 February 2006
We Are 'Dependent on Christ': Message to World Council of Churches
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has sent a greeting to the opening of the 9th World Council of Churches Assembly, which formally begins in Porto Alegre, Brazil, tomorrow [14th February 2006].

10 February 2006
Archbishop: Synod Call Was Expression Of 'Concern'
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has written to England's Chief Rabbi, Dr Jonathan Sacks, offering his personal reassurances following the vote on Ethical Investment in the Church of England's General Synod earlier this week.

January 2006

27 January 2006
Archbishop to visit Germany and Poland
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is to visit Germany and Poland next week (31st Jan - 5th Feb 2006) to attend a major ecumenical theological conference and to take part in the celebrations marking the centenary of the birth of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

26 January 2006
Archbishop - Faith communities must abhor anti-Semitism
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has called on faith communities to demonstrate their abhorrence of anti-Semitism and take steps to ensure that it does not appear in religious institutions.

24 January 2006
Archbishop - Muslim leader was 'uniquely effective interpreter'
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has described Sheikh Dr Zaki Badawi, who died today, as a 'uniquely effective interpreter of Islam'.

20 January 2006
Archbishop to host launch of Christian Muslim Forum
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is to host the inaugural meeting and formal launch of the Christian Muslim Forum next Tuesday [24th January, 2006]. Dr Williams will address the first meeting of the Forum, which brings a wide range of Christians and Muslims involved in community life together with specialist members.

08 January 2006
Archbishop - Christians should visit 'struggling' Bethlehem
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has urged Christians throughout the world to make efforts to visit Bethlehem as a place of pilgrimage and to remember the 'struggling' town in their prayers.