Episcopal News Service has a comprehensive report: Church ‘cannot, will not walk away’ from reconciling role in global conflict, Archbishop of Canterbury tells UN.
Churches are the on the front line of mediation efforts across the world, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby told the United Nations Security Council on Aug. 29, in part because they are often “the only functioning institutions in a fragile or pre-conflict situation.”
He said that churches and other faith communities are “intimately present where there are conflicts; we cannot and will not walk away from them.” He cited the role of Sudanese Anglican Primate and Archbishop Justin Badi Arama in peace efforts in South Sudan.
Welby repeatedly stressed that mediation must take place within the context of reconciliation.
“Where mediation is about resolving conflict, reconciliation is the process of transforming violent conflict into non-violent co-existence where communities have come to terms with history and are learning to disagree well,” he said during a briefing that made him the first archbishop of Canterbury to address the Security Council. “Mediation by itself, however skilled, is like using a garden hose to put out a forest fire, when what you need is rain over the whole area to let new life grow and sustain itself.”
The full text of his speech is available here.
A video recording of it is over here.
Regarding “pre-emptive reconciliation”, may I suggest Archbishop Justin Welby practises what he preaches with an apology for his “significant cloud” remark against Bishop George Bell, before the latter’s 60th Anniversary this October.
Richard: whatever anyone thinks of Justin Welby’s “significant cloud” remark (made on publication of the Carlile report on 15 December 2017), as I’ve commented previously, we cannot reasonably expect the archbishop to withdraw (or apologise for) that remark while the outcome of the ‘Bell 2’ investigation into the ‘fresh information’ received by the National Safeguarding Team remains pending. An adjudication on that is now to be made by Tim Briden (a barrister and chancellor of the dioceses of Bath and Wells, and Truro.) I understand that Mr Briden has recently given directions about the progress of the investigation and for… Read more »
The Archbishop’s remarks was made on the basis of the Bell 1 investigation. He claimed it left a cloud. If his insinuations were not justified on the basis of the Bell 1 investigation, then they cannot be excused retrospectively by the Bell 2 investigation, whatever its outcome.
The Church hierarchy has never been interested in mediation or reconciliation whenever it has had the strength and power to impose its will regardless. Why talk to the bellringers if you can change the belfry locks?
“to a truly inclusive approach to participation in mediation and reconciliation,”
So that means that people who are open about their LGBT* status will be involved in the House of Bishops’ discussions on same sex marriage and re-Baptism (if requested) following gender reassignment? No? While the Church of England works so hard to silence LGBT voices in decision making, the Archbishop of Canterbury is comfortable on the international stage promoting full inclusion during dispute resolution. Can he really not see how that looks and how offensive it is to the LGBT people whom the church is marginalising?
A good spoeech by the ABC. He needs now to ne encouraged to put his principles into practice in dealing with LGBTI people in the Church if England and throughout the Anglican Communion.
I too was struck by the same line in the address.
If the typical Anglican is a poor, oppressed woman, why is the worldwide episcopate predominantly male, safe and privileged in terms of both status and stipendiary support?
Of course none are questioning it. Just as we have seen *NO* bishop turn down an appointment on grounds of conscience that LGBT people are effectively barred from the office (if out).
I think that those women who make up 70 percent of the Anglican Communion would rather work on the Gospel of love and justice than the primates grievances.
It will be exclusively male if it’s all primates.
It can be done. I was part of the Church of England group that attended a conference in Johannesburg in 2007 called “Towards Effective Anglican Mission (TEAM)”. It was hosted by the South African Anglicans when Ndungane was Archbishop of Cape Town and based on the Five Marks of Mission and the Millennium Development Goals. It included representatives from almost every Anglican Province – bishops, clergy, laity, youth, NGOs, health practitioners, theologians, musicians and singers and more. The talks and workshops were inspirational, and the worship, led each day by groups from a different continent, was some of the most… Read more »
It is neither meet nor right for the Archbishop of Canterbury to begin his speech to the United Nations Security Council with a pernicious lie about governance. The Archbishop said, “Anglicanism is a global Church in which the average member….” That is false. Anglicanism is not a global church. It is a global family of independent churches. This being so, there is no “average member” of global Anglicanism. We all know why the Archbishop uttered this lie. He wanted to aggrandise his own role, and to portray himself as more important than he really is. He also may have wanted… Read more »