Ruth Gledhill Weblog: Jefferts Schori to Pope 'We're more intelligent than you!'
Tuesday, 21 November 2006

Asked in a New York Times interview how many episcopalians there are, new TEC Primate Katharine Jefferts Schori ressonded: "About 2.2 million. It used to be larger percentagewise, but Episcopalians tend to be better-educated and tend to reproduce at lower rates than some other denominations. Roman Catholics and Mormons both have theological reasons for producing lots of children." I am indebted to StandFirm for this gem. As a former oceanographer, she'll know all about fishy reasons for reproduction. But is this really what Rowan Williams needs as he prepares to meet Benedect XVI in Rome on Thursday? Amy Welborn has picked this up in characteristically robust style, in a post titled 'an interview that will go down in infamy'. Peter Ould also highlights the questions that maybe one journalist might like to ask her one day. For more on the subject of religious reproduction, see the recent Breeding for God paper in Prospect magazine. I am indebted to Squaring the Boston Globe for this marvellous picture of the Anglican Communion's first woman Primate.

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