The Hypocrisy of Rowan Williams

The Archbishop of Canterbury spoke about the Roman Catholic abuse scandal in an interview with the BBC about the beating the Roman Catholic Church is taking in Ireland. According to the Daily Telegraph:

"In an unusual intervention, the leader of the Anglican communion said that the controversy had been a "colossal trauma" for Ireland."

Note the words "unusual intervention:" a leader of another Christian Church does not usually comment on the trials of another Church gratuitously. Even the Telegraph knows that. The story continues:

"Dr Rowan Williams, speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Start the Week, to be broadcast on Monday, said: "I was speaking to an Irish friend recently who was saying that it’s quite difficult in some parts of Ireland to go down the street wearing a clerical collar now.

"An institution so deeply bound into the life of a society suddenly becoming, suddenly losing all credibility — that’s not just a problem for the Church, it is a problem for everybody in Ireland."

Damian Thompson, in his blog Holy Smoke, comments that Williams might want to think twice before saying much more. Why?

"… because there are plenty of unexploded bombs lying around his own back yard in the shape of sexual relationships between Church of England priests and teenage boys that have never come to light. Believe me. I am not planning to reveal any names or pass them on to colleagues: it would not be fair on the victims, who do not need this sort of miserable disruption to their lives. But when I run through my mental checklist of Anglican clergy who used their status to pressure boys and young men into sex in the 1970s, 80 and 90s, I realise that it is quite a long one. Also, that some of the prelates who chose to ignore these goings-on are still alive and highly respected retired bishops. As it happens, I agree with every word that the Archbishop of Canterbury has said about the Irish Church, and I do not suspect his motives in making those comments. It’s just a bit rich, coming from the leader of a Church in which traditions of English reserve have managed to keep so many scandals politely concealed."

Father Z at "What Does the Prayer Really Say" notes that in the same interview Williams slams the Traditional Anglican Communion for deciding to go over to Rome:

"It seems that Archbishop Williams has finally found someone in his own communion he can lash out at publicly. Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams has withdrawn his "blessing" from those Traditional Anglicans who want to be united with Rome.

Williams made this move with a fairly stern statement: ‘God bless them, I don’t.’

I am sure that will panic them."

Father Z has an update in which he states that, according to a SkyNews story, Archbishop Williams now has phoned Archbishop Martin in Ireland to apologize for his remarks. He says that he did not intend to criticize the Catholic Church as a whole. Well, it's good that he cleared that up because it sure sounded like that was what he meant.

Maybe he is just bitter because groups seem to be lining up to re-unite with Rome just as the Anglican Communion is fracturing over sodomy and heresy. Whereas the Roman Catholics at least have the grace to be embarrassed by the scandal and are doing all that they can to root out sin from the clergy, the Anglicans seem intent on normalizing homosexuality as the latest step in breaking down all sexual restraint in the name of modern individualism (aka, "human rights").