Thinking Anglicans

Archbishop of Canterbury meets Duncan

Episcopal News Service reports:

ENGLAND: Archbishop of Canterbury, deposed Pittsburgh bishop meet at Lambeth Palace

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and deposed Diocese of Pittsburgh Bishop Bob Duncan met privately in London last week.

The Lambeth Palace press office confirmed that the meeting took place on October 15, but would not disclose details of the conversation between Williams and Duncan, saying it was “one of many private meetings” the archbishop hosts at his London residence…

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JCF
JCF
15 years ago

Our fab political pundit Rachel Maddow, in her eponymous show, has a segment called “Talk Me Down.”

I hope somebody can “talk me down” on the good that could come from such a meeting—‘cuz I’m not seeing it. :-/

Robert Ian williams
Robert Ian williams
15 years ago

I do hope the Archbishop will be as charitable if Reform or FIF attempt to take the Church of England assets. After all the Pittsburgh Diocese has an endowment fund of $48 million dollars.

Eric Osborne
Eric Osborne
15 years ago

I think this shows the “disconnect” involved right now.

Leonardo Ricardo
15 years ago

Oh well, perhaps ++Rowan is doing some MORE listening…+Duncan, formerly of Pittsburgh was at Lambeth Conference…unfortunately, when ++Rowan ¨listens¨ (as suggested in Lambeth 1.10 which he refused to have discussed at Lambeth Conference) he only listens to high pitched screams and victimized destructionist pouts.

Where did this man learn his version of common sense?

Cynthia Gilliatt
Cynthia Gilliatt
15 years ago

I just find this amazing.

The ABC won’t invite a duly elected, consented to, consecrated Bp to Lambeth, but will chat with a schismatic deposed Bp who has abandoned the TEC and is attempting to steal its property. What planet does the ABC live on? Why should anyone pay any attention to him?

kieran crichton
kieran crichton
15 years ago

So, Duncan still considers himself a bishop-in-good-standing of the Anglican Communion — his deposition from the ranks of TEC bishops suggests otherwise.

What WAS +Rowan thinking?!?!?

Viriato da Silva
Viriato da Silva
15 years ago

“I do hope the Archbishop will be as charitable if Reform or FIF attempt to take the Church of England assets. After all the Pittsburgh Diocese has an endowment fund of $48 million dollars.” Exactly!!! And that he will be as charitable if +Gene Robinson ever swings through England and ++Rowan is nearby. Oh, wait, what’s that you say? +Gene has already been on English soil a couple of times, near ++Rowan, yet ++Rowan failed to invite +Gene over for the same private tea and crumpet blessings he bestowed upon +Bob??? Well, I’m sure it was just an oversight. But… Read more »

thomas bushnell, bsg
15 years ago

meeting with the Bishop of New Hampshire, no, can’t happen. meeting with the deposed and disgraced ex-bishop of Pittsburgh, who is earnestly desiring schism and the dismantling of the Anglican Communion, all good. feh.

John-Julian, OJN
John-Julian, OJN
15 years ago

Was he planning to be meeting with +Gene next week?

Göran Koch-Swahne
15 years ago

Why does +Rowan do these things? One can only imagine how this will be used against him by the deposed Bishop. How come he oesn’t se that?

(Not to mention that +Rowan never met with the Bishop of New Hampshire at Lambeth).

Malcolm+
Malcolm+
15 years ago

So, if some bishop in the C of E set out to destroy the C of E, and the C of E deposed him, and the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church were to conduct a formal meeting with such a rogue bishop, what would Lambeth Palace do?

Lynn
Lynn
15 years ago

Before too much is made of this in the context of a second North American province, remember that Cantuar had a private meeting with Bishop Gene Robinson on November 3, 2005. The statement from Lambeth Palace at that time was “…The encounter came as part of the Archbishop’s commitment to listening to the voices of all concerned in the current challenges facing the Anglican Communion.”

That’s not much different that the official comment about the meeting with Moderator Duncan.

Spirit of Vatican II
15 years ago

Note that as Archbishop, Rowan Williams has had Gene Robinson to tea at Lambeth Palace. Of course Duncan, now, would be uninvitable to the Lambeth Conference.

Father Ron Smith
15 years ago

Perhaps this news – of the meeting of the ABC and the deposed Bp.Duncan – will make American and Canadian Anglicans more determined not to go along with the proposed ‘Covenant’ Treaty.

Nor would it encourage them to observe the proposed Communion Moratoria – which are not about to be observed by Duncan, Akinola, Cana or Foca, in any case. —

UNLESS, of course, the ABC is taking this opportunity to give Duncan his marching orders from the Anglican Communion! That would not please Venables, Orombi, Akinola or the Global South – but it might please everyone else.

dmitri
dmitri
15 years ago

It was after this meeting that former Bishop Duncan made all those remarks about how Canterbury was finished as the center of the Anglican Communion and power would now move to Gafcon. I think this means that Rowan met with him and disappointed him mightily concerning the new province in North America.

Ford Elms
Ford Elms
15 years ago

“That’s not much different that the official comment about the meeting with Moderator Duncan.” Well, exactly. Bp. Duncan is one of the authors of schism. As such, the ABpofC ought, I think, to meet with him and try to pour oil on the waters, try to find common ground, try to assuage his rabid anger born of fear. Gene Robinson has done none of the schismatic things Duncan has, has not plotted against his fellow Christians, has not fomented schism, has not schemed behind anyone’s back to exert his power, has not misrepresented his opponents, did not create a situation… Read more »

poppy tupper
poppy tupper
15 years ago

As far as I can see, Rowan Williams just takes the shape of the last person who sat on him.

Neil
Neil
15 years ago

Please pay attention to what Lynn reminded us of – namely the similar meeting with Bishop Gene Robinson.

Robert Ian Williams
Robert Ian Williams
15 years ago

In all fairness to Rowan, Bishop Robinson has also been graciously received at Lambeth Palace, as will the new authentic Anglican Bishop of Pittsburgh in due course.

cryptogram
cryptogram
15 years ago

dmitri reminds us that this meeting took place before the press conference set up by Anglican Mainstream on 17th October. At that conference Duncan said that the Archbishop was “aware of his presence” in the UK. He did not say that he had seen him. This suggests that he didn’t get the affirmation he was looking for, and that if he had admitted to having seen the Archbishop he would have faced some questions more difficult than he was prepared to answer. All of which suggests that some of the cries at the top of this thread, as well as… Read more »

bob in swpa
bob in swpa
15 years ago

I wonder if this won’t help bolster his court case. It’s possible he could use this to say, “see, I’m still a bishop in good standing and Pittsburgh is connected to the AC.” I wonder if there is a plan to abscond with the endowments?

Göran Koch-Swahne
15 years ago

This doesn’t quite square with “one of many private meetings” the archbishop hosts at his London residence…”, does it?

“Just a meeting – of no particular consequence”

… that is hardly how anti TEC propaganda will portrait it…

… but maybe there are revolving doors at Lambeth Palace…

Ford Elms
Ford Elms
15 years ago

“see, I’m still a bishop in good standing and Pittsburgh is connected to the AC.”

Well, given the rather loose definition of ‘orthodoxy’ these people have, I’m sure they would consider meeting an Archbishop to be sufficient contact to confer legitimate episcopacy on a person.

drdanfee
drdanfee
15 years ago

Thanks dimitri for the encouraging dates comparison and inference. I do hope and pray that new conservatively realigned provinces, invading the provincial churches which comprise our global Anglican fellowship of churches will not go through Canterbury. Regardless. If Duncan The Deposed wishes to carry on, apart from Canterbury, God speed. He has so far been able to connect with several other leave-taking groups, and one guesses that a test of this new unity (which mirrors typical Anglican big tent traditions by permitting yet again a range of doctrines and liturgies and so forth?) will be whether DTDs carrot (forming a… Read more »

Tobias Haller
15 years ago

As far as I can see, the ABoC has made it clear on any number of occasions that all must be according to due process in this communion business. He may, and it is a very big may, recognize another province in the US if – and only if – TEC does not sign on to whatever Anglican Covenant is developed over the next decade, and assuming that England itself signs on, of course. Only then is there an outside chance for a different Anglican province in NA. Rowan has indicated this clearly time and again. Duncan, however, lives in… Read more »

Prior Aelred
15 years ago

Tobias —

Interesting that you should say “assuming that England itself signs on” rather than “The Church of England”, since (as long as the C of E is established) the C of E can’t sign on to any Covenant that disregards HM Govt’s control of the church (a point that was made at Synod, IIRC).

Tobias Haller
15 years ago

Precisely, good Prior A. Unless the moves at disestablishment succeed, there’ll always be a [Church of] England!

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