The Archbishop of Canterbury is preparing to defend himself from the furious reaction to his comments on sharia law.Dr Rowan Williams is thought likely to mention the row during his presidential address to the General Synod in London.
He has been embroiled in controversy since Thursday for claiming the adoption of elements of Islamic legal codes in the UK "seems unavoidable".
The Synod has powers to hold emergency debates over matters of concern within the Church, but sources have said these are rare and there was no indication the Archbishop's position would be discussed.
Criticism of his comments continues to mount.
His predecessor Lord (George) Carey wrote in the News of the World: "He has in my opinion overstated the case for accommodating Islamic legal codes. His conclusion that Britain will eventually have to concede some place in law for aspects of sharia is a view I cannot share."
But Lord Carey also defended the Archbishop, saying: "This is not a matter upon which Dr Williams should resign. He is a great leader in the Anglican tradition and he has a very important role to play in the Church. He has my full support. I telephoned him to say this to him and to tell him he is in my prayers. I understand he is horrified by what has happened."
Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, the leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, told the Sunday Telegraph: "When people come into this country they have to obey the laws of the land. There are aspects of sharia that are practised that we certainly wouldn't want in this country. The laws of this country don't allow forced marriages or polygamy. It seems to me a government and a country has a right to make sure that those laws are kept."
Tory former chancellor Ken Clarke said of the Archbishop: "He's just one of the most unworldly men I have ever met, together with being one of the most intelligent and plainly one of the most saintly and he has got himself into an absolutely classic British row and has angered a lot of people because they have all been persuaded that he has been talking about bringing back the stoning of women for various moral offences, and so on, which plainly he is just about the last person on earth to contemplate."
Dr Williams defended himself on his website, saying he had made no proposals for sharia, and "certainly did not call for its introduction as some kind of parallel jurisdiction to the civil law".
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