Archbishop of Canterbury – Incompetent? Inconsequential?

I watched the ABC’s address to the Global South Gathering and sat amazed.  Amazed that this palaver came from the same man whose lectures on the Gospel of John I watched as a part of the St. Paul’s Theological Centre’s “Bible Track.”  In the latter he was brilliant.  In the former . . . ???

The crisis provoked by TEC within the Anglican Communion extends much further than pastoral practice and matters of interpretation.  There must be, conjoined to our continual submission to primacy and normative role of Scripture, discussions and reformation of our church order.  What is essential?  What is nice but unnecessary?  Are there, and should there be, mechanisms that bind us nationally and internationally?  Should fidelity to the apostolic message and a demonstration of apostolic success be the defining marks of apostolic succession?   Thoughts like these have been more frequent of late as have questions regarding the seeming failure by design of our church structures.

So, this morning I run across this brilliant piece (brilliant because I agree with it) by Canon Gary L’Hommedieu critiquing the ABC’s Global South Address – and the ABC, himself, as the leader of the Anglican Communion.  Here are my favorite quotes:

As always, we will be wondering what Dr. Williams said for days, if not for the rest of our natural lives.

In spite of his remarkable intelligence, he may really have nothing to say. There may be no reality upon which to fix his eloquence.

Here is the pathos of Rowan Williams: there is more gravitas communicated through his Tolkienesque visage than through his pained erudition.

Pep talks like these are understood to promise something while delivering nothing, except the next round of promises. This is the recognized form of an address by a professional diplomat, particularly one of rank. Some acknowledge it as being quintessentially British, others as quintessentially rubbish.

Dr. Williams’ address to the Global Encounter is a study in theology as platitude.

It is Dr. Williams’ pastoral arithmetic that reveals the vacuity of his position as Archbishop. His domain is one that has ceased to exist. His theology has nothing to attach itself too. It is pure calculation–not the shrewd calculation of a political gamesman, but the mechanical calculation of a pastoral logician. He is trying to conjure spiritual reality through “true” statements based on echoes of a religious past. His hope is that the Conference attendees will give weight to his office out of politeness and propriety, since his position and person no longer carry weight.

The sociological reality of the Archbishop of Canterbury is that of a ghost.

The sun set long ago on the Church of England as the priesthood of an empire that lies in ruins. Her power structure exists now for no purpose, and this vacuity of purpose is manifest. The Global South to South Encounter is puzzling over a number of questions: among them, whether the Mother Church must soon be confined to assisted living, while an adult in the prime of life assumes the role of parent.

Read it all.