Sentamu rebukes Williams critics

The Archbishop of York said there must be 'attentive listening'

The Archbishop of York has told the Church of England's governing body that a new Anglican traditionalist movement had been "ungracious" in its actions.

Dr John Sentamu said he was "deeply grieved" at criticism of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, by the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans.

The fellowship has created a global network to combat trends in the church like the ordination of gay clergy.

Dr Sentamu said there needed to be a culture of "appreciative conversation".

'Ungenerous'

The Archbishop, dressed in an African shirt, said Dr Williams was a "model of attentive listening" and "interpretative charity" on issues such as the church's teaching on homosexuality.

"The accusations and inferences of what has been said by some are not only ungenerous and unwarranted but they describe a person I don't recognise as Rowan," he added.

The Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans - set up by the Global Anglican Future conference (Gafcon) in Jerusalem at the end of June - has published a 14-point declaration of their aims.

The Archbishop of York says Dr Rowan Williams should not be made a "scapegoat"

It has attacked Dr Williams for allegedly failing to discipline US bishops responsible for the consecration of a gay man, Gene Robinson, as bishop of New Hampshire in 2003.

The group has decided to break its relationship with the liberal wings of the US and Canadian Churches.

It will operate independently of the Archbishop of Canterbury, but will stay inside the Anglican Communion. The traditionalists say they are fighting a "false Gospel" and the rift in the Church cannot be patched up.

They say the international alliance will emphasise a more orthodox reading of the Bible.

Many Gafcon-linked bishops plan to boycott this month's Lambeth Conference - a meeting of the Anglican Communion held every 10 years.

'Tough talk'

In his address, Dr Sentamu also said reaching out to young people was key to tackling knife crime.

"When crime involving the use of knives by young people is on the increase, we can stem the tide by our outreach to young people," he said.

He recounted how he had recently met a youngster at a Bringing Hope event in Birmingham.

"He said to me: 'What you must do is to get us, young people, to feel better about ourselves.

"'Help us to achieve confidence about ourselves without needing the dangerous prop of a knife. Help us not to judge ourselves in the eyes of others."

Meanwhile there was also a key Synod debate over the introduction of women bishops.

The Church of England has already approved the principle of women bishops but faces a crunch vote on Monday on how to accommodate those who object on grounds of religious conscience.

Some speakers called for a delay in bringing in reforms in case it created a church split, but others called for legislation now.