Archbishop Justin Welby’s appearance on The Rest is Politics has caused quite a stir in Anglican circles.
For the most part, the Archbishop came across well and gave some very insightful answers when questioned, for example, about original sin and peace-making in war-torn nations. But these good things are inevitably going to be overshadowed by Welby’s answer to Alistair Campbell’s question about gay sex.
Campbell asked Welby whether he had a ‘better answer’ to the one he gave Campbell in 2017, on whether gay sex is a sin. Welby essentially refused to reply, saying he didn’t have a good answer. In this most recent interview, however, he says that he has thought about it and has improved his take.
What followed, however, did not demonstrate much forethought. Instead of answering the question from an individual perspective (‘I’ve come to the view that gay sex is not a sin in these circumstances,’ or something similar), he began by talking about the views of himself, the Archbishop of York, and that of ‘a majority’ of bishops. From then on, he spoke as though he was representing the bishops of the Church of England. And what were those views? ‘Where we’ve come to is to say that all sexual activity should be within a committed relationship, whether it’s straight or gay. In other words, we’re not giving up on the idea that sex is within a marriage or a civil partnership.’
There are all sorts of things that could be said about the missteps that Welby made in his answer, but the most worrying is that he appears to be misrepresenting the views of the bishops, particularly in relation to the so-called Prayers of Love and Faith (‘blessings for gay couples’, in normal-speak). This has all been summarised by the Rev’d Dr Andrew Goddard, who points out that at the November 2023 General Synod, it was clearly stated as a result of discussion at the House of Bishops that the Church’s doctrine remains as set out in Canons of the Church of England. There is no intention of changing that doctrine and there is also no proposal to change the Church’s teaching on sexual relations.
What’s going on? Is Welby misrepresenting the bishops, willingly or otherwise? Or are the bishops lying when they say that they have no intention of changing the Church’s teaching on Holy Matrimony? My hope – I’m sad to say – is the former. But really, who knows these days?
Then, a further twist in the tale: a statement from Lambeth Palace specifically about Welby’s appearance on The Rest is Politics. The statement itself is disingenuous. What it could’ve and should’ve said is that Welby was wrong to have attributed his personal view on this matter to the majority of bishops and given the impression that the Church has changed its teaching or intends to change its teaching. Then it could have said that he’d made a mistake and he’s sorry. But it doesn’t say that. Instead it says, ‘Archbishop Justin was giving a personal view that reflects the position now held by himself, the Archbishop of York and many other bishops regarding sexual intimacy’.
The problem is that on The Rest is Politics he did not say he was giving just a personal view. It might have been what he meant, but it is not what was said. And to imply that it was what was said is dishonest.
The statement goes on: ‘there is no consensus among the bishops on this question’. That may be true, but it is not what Welby said on the podcast. He said that ‘a majority of bishops’ share his view. The word ‘consensus’ means ‘a generally accepted opinion’, which obviously implies a majority. Why not instead just apologise and say, ‘I misspoke’?
Again, it’s so sad because the interview is mostly good and Welby came across as relaxed, knowledgeable, and insightful. That’s why it is so galling to be left feeling once again that folks in the Church of England are being gaslit and lied to by our leaders.
I finish with some apt words from the Master: ‘Let your “yes” be “yes” and your “no”, “no”. Anything more than this comes from evil.’ (Matthew 5:37).
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