The announcement of Rowan Williams

On March 16 the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, revealed that he will resign from his post at the end of the year. The decision arrives after 10 years of service, and after having accepted the post of dean at the “Magdalene College” in Cambridge. In a statement released by the “Lambeth Palace”, the primate of All England said: “It has been an immense privilege to serve as Archbishop of Canterbury over the past decade, and moving on has not been an easy decision. During the time remaining there is much to do, and I ask your prayers and support in this period and beyond”. “I am abidingly grateful to all those friends and colleagues who have so generously supported Jane and myself in these years, and all the many diverse parishes and communities in the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion that have brought vision, hope and excitement to my own ministry”, he said. “I look forward, with that same support and inspiration, to continuing to serve the Church’s mission and witness as best I can in the years ahead”.A difficult time for the Anglican Communion. The Archbishop of Canterbury has a unifying role within the Anglican Communion. He chairs the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC), and serves as the president of the Assembly of Primates. In these capacities he travelled in many places of the Anglican Communion, visiting provinces and dioceses. His mission is to encourage and support Church witness in very different environments. As the “primus inter pares” of the bishops, he has a special attention for those who perform the Episcopal ministry. These have been very difficult years for the Anglican Communion and Most Rev. Rowan Williams devoted much energy in seeking to prevent a schism between conservatives and reformists on hot issues regarding women bishops and same-sex marriages. The reactions. After the announcement, the secretary general of the Anglican Communion, Canon Kenneth Kearon , wrote to the members of the Permanent Committee to inform them about the decision. He asked them to remember Williams and his family in their prayers during this time of transition. He added that the primate’s time in office had “coincided with a period of turmoil, change and development in the Anglican Communion” and that “his careful leadership, deeply rooted in spirituality and theology, has strengthened and inspired us all in the Communion during this time”. The Archbishop of York John Sentamu said he was saddened to hear the news: “Our partnership in the gospel over the past six years has been the most creative period of my ministry. It has been life-giving to haveled missions together, gone on retreats and prayed together. In his company I have drunk deeply from the wells of God’s mercy and love and it has all been joyful. He is a real brother to me in Christ. “The last decade has been a challenging time for the Church of England and the Anglican Communion. Thankfully, Archbishop Rowan is a remarkable and gifted leader who has strengthened the bonds of affection”. Catholics’ appreciation. One of the first personalities of the Catholic world who paid a tribute to Rowan Williams was the Archbishop of Westminster, Msgr. Vincent Nichols . “In the last three years I have grown to appreciate more and more the fine qualities of Archbishop Rowan: his kindness, his sharp intellect, his dedication to striving for harmony between peoples, especially within the Christian family, his courage and his friendship”, Archbishop Nichols said. “These will be much missed when he steps down from his demanding office in December. I will miss him. I thank him for all the service he has given, recalling particularly his warm welcome to Pope Benedict at Lambeth Palace, a visit reciprocated with similar joy just last week. I now look forward to nine months of continuing work together”. The last meeting of Archbishop Williams with Pope Benedict XVI took place last week, when both took part in the celebration of Vespers on the occasion of the 1000th anniversary of the Camaldolese Benedictine monastic family, at the Church of San Gregorio al Celio. At the end of that meeting the Archbishop expressed words of hope for the future of ecumenical dialogue with Rome. “We’re working together for the Kingdom, we’re praying together. We have a demanding institutional agenda and we don’t know to solve it. In the meantime we go on, to work and pray with great affection”. Elections. Since Henry VIII broke the ties with Rome the Archbishop of Canterbury is appointed by English Monarchs (now British). Today he is nominated on behalf of the sovereign by the prime minister who chooses from a list 2 names selected by an ad hoc committee (the Crown Nominations Commission). Since the present Archbishop, Rowan Douglas Williams, 104th Lord Archbishop of Canterbury and primate of All England was invested in the Cathedral of Canterbury on February 27 2003, he signs himself as Rowan Cantuar. He had previously been Archbishop of Wales and bishop of Monmouth.