They probably admitted this a long time ago, but this admission on Anglicans Unscripted about Justin Welby’s unsuitability for his position is gratifying:
There are some of us who saw this early on. The problem isn’t as much with Welby–although he certainly has his issues–but his church and the fact that he is appointed by the state. This is the same state which enacted the Equalities Act along with same-sex civil marriage. It was unrealistic to expect such a state to appoint a truly orthodox Archbishop of Canterbury, which is one reason why I’ve felt for a long time that North American Anglicans’ desire for reunion with Canterbury was, to use a good Islamic term, a mirage.
The church is also an extension of the UK’s foreign policy as well, and the same comment applies there too, especially with his relationship with GAFCON. Rowan Williams tried very hard to put the “Humpty Dumpty” Communion back together, but he failed. I think some in the government–and Welby himself–thought that someone with some negotiating skills could do better. But the problem wasn’t the negotiation but the substance, coupled with the fact that the UK’s ability to sway its formal colonials isn’t what it used to be. So Welby has failed at this.
What the neocolonialist Anglican Communion needs more than anything else is a well-executed parting of the ways. Canterbury would probably end up with most of the provinces it has in number but not in membership. It would give birth to a truly non-Western centred part of Christianity, which is the shape of things to come anyway. Whether Welby’s successor will attempt this or continue to demonstrate that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result remains to be seen.
Positive Infinity 