ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY 

TO SAME-SEX SPOUSES:  STAY AWAY

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, is wringing his hands these days ahead of next year's Lambeth Conference which GAFCON is threatening to sabotage. The bishops of two of the largest provinces of the Anglican Communion have committed themselves to boycotting the Conference, Uganda and Nigeria. GAFCON will hold a conference later this month, "G19," in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 25 February to 1 March. The attendees are sure to discuss whether to attend the Lambeth Conference. The chairman of GAFCON has already signaled the fierce response of GAFCON. We can expect more boycotts.

In an apparent carrot gesture to GAFCON, the Archbishop of Canterbury has privately communicated to the Anglican bishops with same-sex spouses that the spouses are not invited to the Conference. All opposite-sex spouses are invited.

This was actually announced not by the Archbishop, but by Josiah Idowu-Fearon, the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion. Find his statement here . He wrote:

It would be inappropriate for same-sex spouses to be invited to the conference. The Archbishop of Canterbury has had a series of private conversations by phone or by exchanges of letter with the few individuals to whom this applies.

There are several aspects of this that are disappointing. In the first place, why cannot the Archbishop make his own announcements instead of hiding behind others? ABC, show some courage. You are the ABC. In the second place, what is the purpose of this? Does the ABC seriously think this will attract more anti-gay rights bishops to attend? Absurd. In the third place, this is appeasement. The ABC, as a student of British history, should know better than most the danger of appeasement. It only emboldens the aggressor.

As hurtful as this is to the same-sex spouses, this kind of shameful discrimination certainly cannot be new to them. However, this does not excuse it or make it any better. The ABC should be ashamed.

The ABC is trying to have it both ways on a highly contentious issue. This will not work. He either stands for the human rights of homosexual persons or he does not. He is not going to keep the Anglican Communion together by trying to straddle the fence. The Anglicans who condemn homosexuality are not going to meet the other side half way. They are not going to meet at all. As an old, white southerner, I can tell you about the hold that deep-seated prejudice and discrimination can have on people. 

The Archbishop of Canterbury should seize the moment and do the morally right thing, become a champion of democratic rights, preside over the Lambeth Conference, and declare victory. Banning same-sex spouses from the Lambeth Conference makes him look, well, to be charitable, petty and weak.