Yogi Berra once said of certain events, "It's too coincidental to be coincidental." Just one day after Prime Minister David Cameron's government announced it would press ahead for same-sex marriage, Archbishop Rowan Williams, head of the entire Anglican Communion, has announced he will step down at age 61.
Williams has been the Archbishop of Canterbury for 10 years and has been centers of controversy before over liberalization of the Church, such as permitting appointment of women bishops, which he favors. However, he has consistently opposed legalization of same-sex marriage, although in typical style he has insisted that SSM should be a matter decided by society rather than law. In my observing of Williams over the years, he seems constitutionally incapable of taking a clear, unambiguous position on any issue, least of all one he would claim has unequivocal scriptural support.
Which makes his resignation over SSM puzzling. Has Williams at last found a principle he will not yield? After all, neither Parliament nor the PM's office may mandate that Church of England priests perform any marriage at all, SSM or not. Besides, because constitutionally the monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, is the head of the C of E, she would have the authority to veto any such decision by Parliament (one of the very few monarchical powers remaining her. I don't mean power of general veto, but over matters affecting the Church Also, Britain's constitution is not a single document as we have here in the former colonies, but the entire body of Parliamentary enactments over the centuries and the interweave of sovereign declarations and powers).
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Williams, right, is shown with the present Archbishop of York, Dr. John Sentamu, who is widely expected to take Williams' place as head the Anglican Communion when Williams steps down later this year. Sentamu would become the first black head of the Communion and is known to be strongly opposed to same-sex marriage.
David Cameron would be acting like a ‘dictator’ and overruling the Bible if he legalises gay marriage, Dr John Sentamu also warned.Other possible candidates:
He told the prime minister in January that he will face a rebellion if he pushes ahead with plans to allow fully-fledged gay marriages.
Other possible contenders to replace Dr Williams include Richard Chartres, the Bishop of London (5/2).
Dr Chartres, 64, who is close to members of the Royal Family, gave the address at the marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge last year and is known for campaigning on environmental issues.
Liverpool-born the Rt Rev Nick Baines, 54, Bishop of Bradford, is also viewed as a contender for the post (8/1).
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