Brody's Scribbles... Homosexuality in Uganda - Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury Comes Out

By Tim Trent (Bracknell, UK) Dec 16 | Well, obviously not as homosexual. I mean, whoever heard of a homosexual bishop? Ah wait, there are loads, aren't there!

I got thoroughly fed up with waiting for Rowan Williams to get of the fence over Uganda. After all he lambasted the Episcopalians fast enough for electing a Lesbian Bishop! So I used the Canterbury website and posed him a question: 

"When are you going to make a public statement against Uganda's Anti Homosexuality bill? There is a petition about it, there is worldwide condemnation of you for not having spoken about it, and we see serious ambivalence in your views. You are fast to condemn the Episcopal Church for election of a gay Bishop, but say nothing about a proposed law that will imprison not only homosexuals, but their friends and family. Are you the HEAD of this church or not? It's time for you to represent the civilised world. God is Love, but not in Uganda."

I admit it. I was not gentle. But the time for being gentle was long past. I sent it on 10 December 2009, so the delay until 16 December 2009 is par for the course, but I have a reply:

Political Cartoon of Rowan Williams by the guardian.co.uk

Dear Mr Trent,

Thank you for your message and for taking the trouble to write about this deeply painful issue.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is very clear that the Private Member’s Bill being discussed in Uganda as drafted is entirely unacceptable from a pastoral, moral and legal point of view. It is a cause of deep concern, fear and, to many, outrage. The Archbishop has publicly stated that “the proposed legislation is of shocking severity and I can’t see how it can be supported by any Anglican who is committed to what the Communion has said in recent decades”.

For its part the Church of Uganda has clearly restated its opposition to the death penalty. As the Ugandan Church continues to formulate its position on the bill as a whole, the Archbishop has been working intensively behind the scenes (over the past weeks) to ensure that there is clarity on how the proposed bill is contrary to Anglican teaching.

Marie Papworth
Press Secretary to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Lambeth Palace, London, SE1 7JU,
www.archbishopofcanterbury.org 

Ah, so thats all right then. All cosy again, no harm done, just a few homosexual Ugandans to be imprisoned. It's unacceptable as drafted. I suppose we could draft it another way? Maybe water down DEATH in some way?

I also love the way these people ignore what you ask them, so I've pressed my point. There will be no reply, of course. And no comment on the Episcopalian lesbian Bishop, it seems?

How dare The Archbishop of Canterbury be so fast on one hand and so woefully and culpably slow on the other hand?

I know, I know. It's like asking that Liberal Democrat MEP to expand on her answer. But at least she responded. I'm still waiting for the others.

So, back to Canterbury. Doesn't seem to be much of a leader, does he?