Archbishop accused of marginalising homosexuals

Riazat Butt, religious affairs correspondent
The Guardian
Friday September 5 2008

The Archbishop of Canterbury has pandered to conservatives in the Anglican communion by scapegoating and marginalising homosexual Christians, a senior cleric claimed yesterday.

The Right Rev John Bryson Chane, Bishop of Washington and one of the most influential figures in the liberal-majority wing of the US Episcopal church, made the remarks about the Lambeth conference, the 10-yearly gathering of the world's Anglican bishops that took place in Canterbury in July and August this year.

The three-week summit saw Rowan Williams attempting to avoid schism by reinforcing a ban on gay bishops and same-sex blessings, moratoriums aimed at appeasing conservative evangelicals who were infuriated at the inclusive nature of some US and Canadian churches.

Chane said: "There was far too much recognition of those who chose not to participate in this Lambeth conference and far too little recognition of those bishops who chose to come." the rest