'TAKE A STAND ON GAY CLERGY' - TRADITIONALISTS URGE SUCCESSOR

By Pat Hurst, PA News. 8/1/2004

A new Archbishop of York must stand firm on the divisive issue of gay clergy, traditionalists in the Church of England said today.

The present Archbishop David Hope famously described his own sexuality as a "grey area" when confronted by Peter Tatchell's gay right's group Outrage. Crucially for the church he also said he led a celibate life.

At the time he was the Bishop of London and the leading opponent of women priests. He went on to become the Archbishop of York.

Today Reverend Rod Thomas, a spokesman for Reform, an evangelical group on the traditional wing of the Church opposed to gay priests, said: "He was someone who played to different parts of the church. He has a slightly mixed history. What is crucial is not looking back but looking forwards. In many ways the out going Archbishop has been a friend to evangelicals and to anybody that believes in orthodox Christian church. The question for the future is, who will succeed him? It is vital the person who succeeds him clearly stands by the authority of the bible."

Richard Kirker, a spokesman for Lesbian and Gay Christians, said: "I think his contribution has been ambiguous at best."

Mr Kirker, a former curate in the Church of England, said the appointment of the next archbishop may be a liberal in the same way of thinking as the current Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.

"It is widely believed that David Hope was largely responsible for Rowan Williams' appointment and got his way. I think that if Rowan Williams were now to find that his number two was antagonistic towards opening up these issues then he would be put in a very difficult position. The Archbishop of Canterbury would not be well served by David Hope's successor being a person with any homophobic views. He would have to be a masochist to wish to have as his closest working colleague someone who fundamentally disagreed with him."