Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Sunday pleaded for unity in the worldwide Anglican Communion as its first openly gay bishop said it was a ”mistake” to bar him from their 10-yearly conference.
Due to begin on Tuesday, the Lambeth Conference meeting of Anglican bishops, being held in Canterbury, south-east England, comes amid heightened wrangling over issues of homosexual and female clergy.
South African 1984 Nobel Peace Prize winner Tutu (76) said he felt the church should move together on the topic of homosexuality.
”The Anglican church prides itself — and this is one of its greatest attributes — it prides itself on being the church that is comprehensive, meaning that it includes all kinds of points of view,” he told Sky News television.
”One of the sadnesses about the current crisis is that we seem to be jettisoning this wonderful inclusivity that is a characteristic of our church.”
Liberals and conservatives have been at odds since the United States Episcopal Church consecrated an openly gay priest, Gene Robinson, as Bishop of New Hampshire in 2003.
Robinson said Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury who is leader of the world’s Anglicans, was in a difficult position over whether to invite him to the Lambeth Conference.
However, the lack of an invite meant the gathering would not benefit from the inclusion of a gay voice.
”I think a mistake was made in not including me in those conversations,” Robinson told BBC television.
”I was the only openly gay voice that might have been at the table. But I will do all I can from the fringe. God is leading us to the full inclusion of gay and lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people.
”I’m doing everything I can to hold the Anglican communion together. We need each other.”
Williams was in ”an almost untenable position,” he added.
”No matter what he does he makes someone mad and, and sometimes everyone mad. And there is no doubt in my mind that his intention is to hold our beloved church together.
”We ought not to be fearful about the church. The church is not ours to win or lose. The church is God’s, and God will take care of the church.” – AFP
