Pile on!!!
Never seeing a modern style he wouldn’t wardrobe himself in, the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has joined the trendy company of Sinead O’ Connor and Christopher Hitchens in attacking the Catholic Church. Apparently, it’s quite the rage nowadays.
Williams said in an interview with the BBC that the Catholic Church has “lost all credibility” in Ireland. These kinds of things must be taken somewhat seriously as Williams is the foremost expert in credibility loss as he’s successfully steered the Anglican Church away from scripture based to newspaper headline based.
Poor Williams never saw a cultural zeitgeist he didn’t want to grab on to the tail of and champion. He gets so caught up in whatever the elites are mouthing at the moment that he sometimes forgets little things like core convictions. Just last year he daringly agreed with the cultural elites by calling for aspects of Sharia law to be adopted in Britain.
Note to Williams: Newspaper headlines are not primers for core convictions.
The AP reports:
The Roman Catholic Church in Ireland has lost all credibility because of its mishandling of abuse by priests, the leader of the Anglican church said in remarks released Saturday. A leading Catholic archbishop said he was “stunned” by the comments.
The remarks released Saturday marked the first time Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has spoken publicly on the crisis engulfing the Catholic Church. The comments come ahead of a planned visit to England and Scotland by Pope Benedict XVI later this year.
“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,” Williams told the BBC. “And 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, I think.”
…Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin said he had “rarely felt personally so discouraged” as when he heard Williams’ opinions.
“I have been more than forthright in addressing the failures of the Catholic Church in Ireland. I still shudder when I think of the harm that was caused to abused children. I recognize that their church failed them,” a statement, posted on the archdiocese’s Web site, said. “Those working for renewal in the Catholic Church in Ireland did not need this comment on this Easter weekend and do not deserve it.”
Archbishop Martin said Williams called him later and expressed regret for the “difficulties which may have been created.” That doesn’t sound like an apology, does it?
Anyone think this has anything to do with Williams’ anger over Pope Benedict’s invitation to the Traditional Anglican Communion.
The truth is that Pope Benedict XVI has gained the ire of secularists and liberals because in him they see an enemy who can do great things to revive the Church and bring people throughout the world to Christ. In Williams, however, they see a fellow traveler.
April 4, 2010 at 1:16 am
Please lets not forget that the eighth commandment requires us to avoid jumping to the worst conclusions about what someone intended and actually said before exploring the possibility of a more charitable interpretation.
I have searched for the rest of Williams' conversation, or even the question he was responding to on the BBC program but can't find anyone prepared to share the context so we can better interpret what he is getting at. (The BBC hasn't posted a transcript of that show as yet). Secondly, he attributes the Church with a significant status and observes the profound change in local respect for the Church after a string of horrid mismanagement and perhaps even criminal neglect. What did he go on to say about the situation? Was he attempting, somewhat clumsily, to empathise with clergy in Ireland? Who knows, we don't have the text.
Lastly, it is important to distinguish between what Williams said/meant and the way his words are being used by the media. I kno at least two bishops who had sentences deliberately taken out of context and twisted to say evil things in their name, and STILL have the same lies quoted back at them any time their names appear in the press. Cheap sensationalistic journalism works wonders for ratings, web hits and ensures that blogs such as this pick up the sensational comments, where a more balanced article suggesting Williams made some clumsy observations about the situation would never be picked up, except perhaps by a discerning editor concerned not only for the good name of his friends, but also his enemies (as Christ taught us).
For the record, I am a convert Catholic who thinks Rowan Williams has a lot wrong, but then so does his communion.
April 4, 2010 at 2:20 am
I should have added a proper "mea culpa" to the previous comment. Please forgive me for transposing my guilt for past uncharity to an uncharitable interpretation of your article.
April 4, 2010 at 4:56 am
Dear Anonymous 9:36(which will probably soon be deleted),
Your sweeping generalization of all Catholics is unfair, your comment on the Pope is not true, and your grammar is terrible.
April 4, 2010 at 5:32 am
I've never seen so many incorrect assumptions in just three sentences. Wow. Colour me impressed, Anonymous 9:36.
April 4, 2010 at 11:23 am
He's just glad to make a diversion from his own church!
April 4, 2010 at 5:41 pm
I guess the Grand Druid forgot that the Anglican church lost all credibility the day it was founded. For an Anglican to speak about credibility or legitimacy is just plain wrong.
April 5, 2010 at 1:30 am
This attack on the Pope is orchestrated to undermine the hierarchical authority and condemnation of traitorous Catholics like Pelosi, Biden, Stupak, Sr. Keehan and all those who sold out the unborn Jesus for Obama's favor. The godless Scoialist government has let lose its inbred dogs to mouth out hackneyed talking points that are so trite and worn out. It the administration thinks its winning the hearts and minds of Catholics by their lies, then they underestimate the intelligence and faith of the Church. All week I heard the mantra of indignation over the radio against this bogus scandal. It is just laughable. So, this Angelican twerp is just one predictable puppet that does not need to be taken seriously.