The Archbishop of Canterbury has written to the primates concerning the primates meeting in late January 2011 in Dublin. The letter, dated October 7, calls for subgroups of the primates to meet prior to the meeting, and also proposes changing the structure of future primates meetings. The full content of the letter has not been made public, but George Conger has this report:
In a letter to the primates dated Oct 7, Dr. Rowan Williams suggested that given the “number of difficult conversations” and the threat of a boycott of its meetings, a regime of separate but equal facilitated small groups sessions might better serve the primates’ “diverse” perspectives and forestall the substantial “damage” to the communion a full-fledged boycott would entail.
Dr. Williams also called for a reform of the structure of the meetings, suggesting that an elected standing committee be created and the powers and responsibility of the meeting of the communion’s 38 archbishops, presiding bishops and moderators be delineated.
Conger asserts, further, that – in Conger’s words – “”The Archbishop of Canterbury has proposed suspending the Primates Meeting … in favour of holding multiple small group gatherings of like minded archbishops”. However, that assertion is at odds with what other primates have said, subsequent to October, about the forthcoming Dublin meeting. On Tuesday, Archbishop Ian Ernest, Chairman of the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa (CAPA) revealed he had been asked by the ABC to serve on a planning committee for the Dublin meeting. And, on October 24th, Archbishop Fred Hiltz of Canada indicated the ABC might arrange meetings of smaller groups of like-minded primates prior to the Dublin meeting. The host of the Dublin meeting, Archbishop Alan Harper of Armagh, “has said he welcomes the opportunity to provide hospitality to the primates at the ‘‘important meeting’’ in Ireland” reports the Post.