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Rowan Williams of Wales appointed 104th archbishop of Canterbury
By James Solheim
2002-182
7/23/2002
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[Episcopal News Service]
In a decision that was predicted over a month ago, Prime Minister Tony Blair announced July 23 that Queen Elizabeth II has officially appointed Archbishop Rowan Williams of Wales as the 104th archbishop of Canterbury.
Williams will succeed Archbishop George L. Carey, who will retire at the end of October. The enthronement ceremony in the historic cathedral in Canterbury will take place in the spring of 2003. Williams is the first Welshman in at least a thousand years to assume the post--and the first in over 300 years to come from outside the Church of England.
'Recent months and recent weeks have been a strange time; it is a curious experience to have your future discussed, your personality, childhood influences and facial hair solemnly examined in the media, and opinions you didn't know you held expounded on your behalf,' Williams commented in an opening statement presented at a news conference and posted on the Church of England's website. 'But in spite of the haze of speculation, it is still something of a shock to find myself here, coming to terms with an enormous trust placed in my hands and with the inevitable sense of inadequacy that goes with that.
'But the primary job for me remains what it has long been: I have to go on being a priest and bishop, that is, to celebrate God and what God has done in Jesus, and to offer in God's name whatever I can discern of God's perspective on the world around--something which involves both challenge and comfort,' he continued.
A turbulent cleric
'I am very pleased with the appointment of Rowan Williams to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury. He is well known and highly respected across the Anglican Communion, in ecumenical circles, and here in the United States,' said Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold of the announcement. 'The combination of a keen mind and a contemplative heart, together with an ability to relate classical Christian tradition to the needs and struggles of our world, make him eminently qualified to take up this important and challenging ministry of service.'
The Times of London made the unprecedented announcement on June 20 that the Crown Appointments Commission, which is charged in a very secret procedure to send two names to the prime minister who then forwards a single choice to the queen, had chosen Williams. Later it was reported that Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali of Rochester was the second choice.
'As a supporter of women priests and homosexuals, Dr. Williams was felt to have the charisma and the catholicity necessary to lead the Church of England in the 21st century,' said the article. It also mentioned strong support in the Labour Party and said that Blair 'is very impressed by Rowan and thinks he is a terrific theologian.'
Blair may be less comfortable with Williams' willingness to criticize government policy, however. He has denounced plans to attack Iraq, labeling them 'immoral and illegal,' and as a pacifist he has deplored all military action that takes innocent lives. Last January he also described the assault on Afghanistan as morally tainted. Yet the Independent said in an editorial, 'We welcome Dr. Williams' stance on a matter of principle. We look forward to this turbulent cleric being appointed archbishop of Canterbury.'
A choice that splits the church?
Not everyone expressed such enthusiasm. Reaction to the possibility of the appointment was swift and, in many ways, predictable. Leading evangelicals and conservatives warned of a split in the church and some African bishops made a similar warning about strong reaction against the choice and a split in the worldwide Anglican Communion.
The strongest objection seemed to stem from support by Williams for the ordination of homosexuals. 'Such actions and views fly in the face of the clear teaching of Holy Scripture,' conservatives said in a letter to the Prime Minister. They also charged that 'Williams would not have the confidence of the vast majority of Anglicans in the world who, as loyal Anglicans, take the Holy Scriptures as their supreme authority. His appointment would lead to a major split in the Anglican Communion.'
Yet supporters point out that Williams is an unusual combination of humility and intellect, one who listens carefully to the opinion of others but is also able to put forward strong and often convincing opinions of his own. He is also held in high regard as a theologian. 'He's the best theologian in Britain and thoroughly orthodox,' said Dr. Nicholas Lash, a retired professor of theology at Cambridge in comments reported in the Independent. 'But society has been dechristianized so rapidly very few people recognize what an orthodox Christian is and believe what a few noisy evangelicals tell them.'
Writing in the Independent, Paul Vallely said that Williams has 'a rare combination of an unpious personal holiness with an impressive theological intelligence which does not lose touch with the reality of everyday life. More than that, he has a personal warmth which enables him to deal easily with people of all backgrounds.'
When it was apparent that he was a candidate, Williams said that 'the archbishopric of Canterbury is an intimidating, enormous job and it would be a very foolish man who thought he was adequate to its demands.'
Pastoral principle on sexuality issues
Even his opinions on sexuality carry both deep theological conviction and considerable nuance. During a series of lectures in Australia in May he discussed his position on homosexuality. He did not support the resolution at the 1998 Lambeth Conference that condemned homosexual activity and the ordination of gays and lesbians. When asked about a news story where he acknowledged that he ordained a man who 'had a homosexual partner in the background,' Williams said that it was part of his job to make sure that 'someone who is going to be a priest in the church is taking full responsibility for all that means.'
His 'pastoral principle,' Williams said, is to 'ask someone at ordination if they will conform their lives, and that of their household, to Christ. I have to assure myself, as far as possible, that someone knows what they are undertaking, knows what the responsibility is, and is accountable to somebody in the church for what they do.'
Based on that principle, Williams said, 'I am not convinced that a homosexual has to be celibate in every imaginable circumstance. But if that were the case, I would also want to be sure that their attitude to their sexual habits is a responsible, prayerful and theologically informed one.'
Clarity and integrity
'He never thinks in cliches,' said Bishop Barry Morgan of Llandaff, a colleague in Wales. 'He looks at the issues of the day and then comes at them from a different angle, with clarity and integrity. He always has something pertinent to say, which is measured, well thought out and original. What he says is accessible and stems from his deep spirituality and a deep reflection on gospel values.'
Williams was just 200 feet from the World Trade Center during the September 11 terrorist attacks, filming a video at Trinity Church. He wrote two days later that he 'had to face the real possibility of sudden and violent death as buildings collapsed and the streets filled with choking dust, fumes and falling debris.' As a result, he said that he came to 'know just a little of what it is like for so many human beings, Israelis and Palestinians now, and Iraqis a few years ago,' because they would have been addressed in 'the language of terror and hate.'
Yet, he concluded that 'the closer you were to facing and accepting death, the harder it was to wish the fear on anyone else. The prospect of death elbows aside thoughts of power and revenge. The unspeakable tragedy of thousands of innocent dead cannot be made 'better' by more deaths.' He added, 'When we speak to God in the language of hatred and rejection, nails and spears, nail-bombs and air strikes, terror attacks and the bleeding bodies of children, in Ireland, Baghdad, Jerusalem or New York, God refuses to answer in that language. He can only speak his own Word which, in the incarnation, is a Word shared with us.'
Williams has also questioned the ties of church and state. Coming from a church that broke its ties with the state in 1920, Williams has said, 'The notion of the monarch as supreme governor has outlived its usefulness.' Yet he recognizes that any move to disestablish the Church of England will be a long and delicate one, not sudden but done 'by a thousand cuts.'
A son of Wales
Williams was born June 14, 1950 as the only child of a Welsh-speaking family in Swansea, Wales. Originally Presbyterians, the family joined the Church in Wales when Rowan was in his early teens. He attended Christ College at Cambridge University, receiving his degree in theology. He did research in Russian Christianity, speaks seven languages and lectures in five. He was ordained deacon in 1977 and priest in 1978.
After nine years at Cambridge as tutor, dean and chaplain, he moved to Oxford where, at the age of 36, he was the youngest professor. He was chosen bishop of Monmouth in 1992 and archbishop and primate of the Church in Wales in 2000.
He and his wife Jane Paul, who lectures in theology at an evangelical college in Bristol, have two children--Rhiannon, who is 14, and Pip, who is six. He admits that he enjoys watching 'The Simpsons' and describes the program as 'one of the most subtle pieces of propaganda around in the cause of sense, humility and virtue.'
For photos see: www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/special/abc104/index.html
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