So goodbye, Rowan. The Archbishop of Canterbury has announced that he
will stand down at the end of the year (leaving Britain bereft of bearded authority figures). Inevitably, people will say he failed. The
Anglican Communion is at war with itself over gays and women bishops and the place of religion in a secular multi-cultural society, and he has been unable to broker any kind of peace.
But it is important to acknowledge that — even if, for all his intelligence, he often struggled to express himself clearly — Dr Williams is widely respected as a good and graceful man.
I interviewed him a few years ago, and he was kind and lacking in self-importance.
He may have failed, but, when it comes to the Anglican Communion in the modern world, perhaps nobody could have succeeded — and that his kindness under pressure has shielded Lambeth Palace from many conflicts. As he said in his resignation letter, his successor will need ‘the constitution of an ox and the skin of a rhinoceros.’
Speculation as to who that successor will be gathers pace. In a recent edition of the Spectator, Jonathan Wynne-Jones put together a runners and riders list. Here it is again:
Richard Chartres, Bishop of London: 6/4
If archbishops were appointed on the basis of looking the part, he would be a shoo-in. With his fastidiously groomed beard and stentorian voice, he offers unrivalled gravitas for the big occasions. A friend of Prince Charles since their time at Cambridge University, he would no doubt be the establishment choice. But he views women clergy with the same fondness as an unclipped whisker, and the Church is about to make them bishops.
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