Archbishop urges bishops to give a lead
Date: Feb 17

By Jonathan Wynne-JonesTHE Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, has criticised his colleagues for failing to provide leadership to the Church, which has meant that it has been weakened in its mission to society. In a thinly veiled reference to the war over homosexuality that has torn the Church apart, he said that there was a need to get away from “an all-or-nothing attitude” and to learn how to hold dialogue with opponents.

Presenting the report, Into the New Quinquennium, Dr Sentamu (pictured) delivered a rallying call to General Synod to find a common language. “We can’t go on as we are,” he said, stressing that the Church needs to recover its corporate belonging and identity. “It’s about building truthful relationships with one another. It’s by finding common ground with those with whom we come into contact; avoiding a know-it-all attitude; making others feel accepted.” He said that there needed to be a change in tone: “Our conversation, like our behaviour, should be holy – where we know clearly that we will not agree but are committed to a wider need to keep the conversation going.” The rest