Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, at ‘secret’ gay ceremony
Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent
November 30, 2007

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, presided at a “secret” Eucharist yesterday for lesbian and gay clergy in the Church of England.

At the service, in London, he gave a talk on “present realities and future possibilities for lesbians and gay men in the Church”. Conservative church members condemned the Archbishop, claiming that the service would make him the “focus of division”.

The venue, originally scheduled to be St Peter’s, Eaton Square, Belgravia, was changed to avoid media attention after news of the meeting emerged on the Church Society website this year. The meeting was organised by the Clergy Consultation, a support group for gay clergy, ordinands and Anglican monks and nuns. Secrecy was so tight that a list of names attending was sent to Lambeth Palace with orders that it be shredded as soon as Dr Williams had read it. the rest