Archbishop prays for miracle in gay rights row
Jonathan Wynne Jones in New Orleans
23/09/2007

Excerpt: "American bishops at the summit have been quick to declare their support for Bishop Robinson, who had been so upset by an earlier call from Dr Williams for a choice to be made between gays and the communion that he accused the archbishop of "dehumanising" homosexuals.

In a document seen by The Sunday Telegraph, the US bishops have rejected plans for an Anglican covenant — or rulebook — that Dr Williams had hoped could keep the communion together and which dictated a tougher line on homosexuality.

The Americans' document, The Constitutional Crisis, says that "if the Anglican Communion decides to read scripture literally or impose conformity to a single interpretation without attempting objective regard for critical scholarship, it will be a different church".

Africans and their conservative allies will be dismayed to learn that, rather than using his final speech to deliver an ultimatum to the US bishops, Dr Williams offered support and understanding." the rest