According to Jim Naughton at the Episcopal Cafe, "The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, will spend much of his summer sabbatical at Georgetown University sources in England and Washington confirmed today." Georgetown is a Jesuit university in Washington, DC, for those not in the know about this sort of thing, therefore the ABC will be in virtual Roman territory while he's there.
ABC Williams has previously spent time at Georgetown. He is a friend of the president of the university. According to Naughton, "Williams has not visited Episcopal churches during his previous visits, although he has held breakfast meetings with prominent local church leaders. He has refused numerous requests to participate in Episcopal Church events."
Well, we're simple former colonials, so I suppose I can understand that he would meet only "with prominent local church leaders". He is from the great mother country, the United Kingdom, after all, and we are mere states. Besides, if he visited Episcopal Churches, he might not like us, and then what?
Perhaps during his upcoming visit, he will not remain completely - shall we say - "closeted" for the entire time. We shall see.
Jim Naughton is an excellent and serious reporter on events in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion, but I sometimes detect a trace of tongue-in-cheekiness in his reporting. Of course, I could be wrong.
Interesting about the abp. We'll see. Had some sport this a'noon, did we not? I have just posted a couple of extra thoughts to Doxy's page. Got the feeling that welcomes might have been wearing a little thin elsewhere. I only raised the matter because I had written "you all" in my post and reckoned that it needed explanation for the uninitiated.
ReplyDeleteLapin, the only way you can wear out your welcome at MadPriest's place is if you get ugly with the other commenters. Outrageous is fine. Fun is fine. MP loves the attention.
ReplyDeleteIf leaving lots of comments did it, I would have worn out my welcome long ago. It was good sport today.
Sometimes we have our crazy times at his site while he's sleeping, and we know he can't answer back.
I left a pretty good SC colloquialism over at Doxy's site. Check it out sometime.
ReplyDeleteSo, if the ABC is head of the Anglican Communion, why is he spending his sabbatical at a Roman Catholic place and ignoring the worship of the surrounding Anglican Communion churches? Why didn't he just go sit on the beach? Maybe the sun would help him renew his thinking and inspire his spirituality (which we know is there).
ReplyDeleteShare Cropper, I wonder about that, too. He is an enigma. And why isolate himself from ordinary folks in the Episcopal Church?
ReplyDeleteperhaps it is time for a little civil disobedience - people lying down in front of him on sidewalks and such to get his attention....
ReplyDeleteDennis, if he doesn't get out and about, how will that happen?
ReplyDeleteEqually to the point, why is he spending it in the US at at this point in time?
ReplyDeleteLB---if no one commented, what would be the point of blogging?
ReplyDeleteAs for Jim Naughton---Mimi, I can attest that he is, indeed, a cheeky monkey. ;-)
if no one commented, what would be the point of blogging?
ReplyDeleteDoxy, Lapin, exactly. Not for me to lay my thoughts (or someone else's) out just to hang there.
why is he spending it in the US at at this point in time?
Maybe because they don't like him "over there". However, he's not much liked "over here" either. He pleases neither "side" in the Communion, so he goes to a Roman enclave. Just a guess, as he's an enigma to me.
Georgetown? Come on folks, we can do better than that... Mary Clara has a wonderful place for him to visit over here in the U.S. for stop number one on his tour of America. Now we need your ideas over at the kennel that's number one in your hearts and number two out in the back yard....
ReplyDeleteIt appears from some reports that the Archbishop is going to Georgetown in order to work on his book on Dostoevsky--which is kind of interesting, given Dostoevsky's opinion of Jesuits.
ReplyDeletePerhaps, in Mimi's absence, we can make a game of suggesting what authors he might better be studying? Isaak Dineson, for example ("Out of Africa")? Or, in light of the surrounding Jesuits, Choderlos de Laclos ("Les Liaisons Dangereuse"?).
Rick, no one else took you up on your game, but I will. I like your suggestion of "Out Of Africa". Pertinent and timely, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteMimi, I can tell you are a Southern lady, because you always go out of your way to respond to any of your guests not otherwise spoken-to.
ReplyDeleteAs an expatriot Southerner I am the first to acknowledge the region's many pathologies. But it has some virtues as well, like tact, and attention to guests.
Whether my silly game is taken up or not, I am surprised that no one seems much interested, here or elsewhere, in Archbishop Williams' apparent propensity for Dostoevsky, a writer fiercely devoted to a Christian ethic of redemptive suffering, with some disdain for Western juridical or "reforming" approaches.
There has always been among Anglicans some "longing" for the East, and I wonder if the good Archbishop, faced with seemingly insurmountable dilemmas in the communion, isn't looking for some third way.
Or maybe he's just suffering, too.
Rick, I do think he's suffering. The idea of the Anglican Communion splitting on his watch is painful to him, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how Dostoevsky fits into all of this. Perhaps it's simply an escape. Perhaps he wants to exercise his academic muscles. As I said, he is an enigma to me.