The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, who last week met Pope Benedict in England, has invited senior bishops from more than 160 countries to attend the primates’ meeting.It will take place at the Emmaus retreat and conference centre in Swords, Dublin, between January 25 and 31, 2011.
The late Archbishop Donald Coggan of Canterbury established the primates’ meeting in 1978 as an opportunity for ‘‘leisurely thought, prayer and deep consultation’’.
Recent primates’ meetings have been held in Dares Salaam, Tanzania, in 2007 and Alexandria, Egypt, in 2009.
The last time Anglican leaders met in Ireland, some primates refused to take communion with others because of their deep divisions over issues such as the ordination of women bishops, the appointment of practising homosexuals as bishops and the blessing of same sex relationships.
Since the last meeting, the Episcopal Church of the United States has approved the election of a lesbian bishop in California, and several North American dioceses have authorised rites for the blessing of same-sex unions.
SIC: SBP/IE