NIGERIA: PRIMATE BLASTS NEW ANGLICAN COMMUNION APPOINTMENT — WORLD EXCLUSIVE

By David W. Virtue

ABUJA, NIGERIA (7/30/2004) — The Primate of the Anglican Church of Nigeria has written a scathing letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury blasting the appointment of the new general secretary for the Anglican Consultative Council, Irish-born Canon Kenneth Kearon.

In a stiffly worded letter to Dr. Rowan Williams and all the Primates and Moderators of the Anglican Communion, The Most Revd. Peter Akinola wrote saying he was "disappointed at the action that fails to take cognizance of the feelings and yearnings of those of us in the global south."

Primate Akinola noted that non-Western faces at the Secretariat are either interns or support staff. "It is vital that we have staff, at the most senior as well as junior levels, which represent the viewpoint of the Global South of the church."

"We see in this latest appointment that nothing has changed and that what we thought and believe to be a world-wide Communion is actually now being portrayed to be no more than a 'western section communion,'" Akinola wrote.

In an interview with the BBC, Canon Kearon refused to commit himself when pressed for his views on homosexuality. He did not publicly repudiate homosexual behavior, a failure that could rebound on both him and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Dr. Williams said he was "delighted with the appointment," noting that Canon Kearon would bring "a superb knowledge of the worldwide church and invaluable experience, especially in the field of church and community relationships and in mediation and conflict resolution."

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