New Archbishop of Canterbury plunges into controversy

DR ROWAN WILLIAMS was yesterday named as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury and was immediately at the centre of key controversial issues.

The current Archbishop of Wales will take over as the leader of the Church of England, and 70 million Anglicans worldwide, when Dr George Carey steps down in October.

He said despite his appointment being well publicised in advance he was still shocked to find himself in the Anglican Church’s most senior position and felt a sense of inadequacy.

But even before this morning’s official announcement, Dr Williams was already embroiled in various heated debates including potential war with Iraq, the commercial exploitation of children and gay rights.

He warned the British government not to attack Saddam Hussein without United Nations’ clearance and criticised the global Disney Corporation for the intrusion of consumerism on childhoods.

His appointment has been widely applauded within the country and the church but some have expressed concerns over his more controversial stances.

Dr Williams, 52, addressed a press conference at Church House in London moments after his official appointment by the Queen was announced by Downing Street.

With his wife, Jane, at his side, Dr Williams said to reporters: “It is still something of a shock to find myself here, coming to terms with an enormous trust placed in my hands and with the inevitable sense of inadequacy that goes with that.”

Praising the outgoing Archbishop, he added: “Archbishop Carey has set a very high standard in his selfless work for unity and understanding within the Anglican Communion. I shall have a fine example to follow as I learn how to approach this task.”

Dr Williams spoke of his desire to take the church forward and lose some of society’s scepticism of Christianity but was soon back in the centre of more sensitive issues.

The Archbishop recently signed an open letter to the government expressing concern over any potential military strike on Iraq.

Quizzed on the issue, he said: “By signing the open letter I was not trying to give a signal of any kind but to express convincing debates, if you like, about the possible futures that have been discussed in some circles.

“Any Christian, pastor or priest is going to ask awkward questions in certain circumstances.”

He added: “I would only support military action which the United Nations had called.

“I want to contribute to discussions before any decisions are finally made.”

Dr Williams also reiterated his priority for the concerns of children.

In a book serialised in The Times yesterday, Dr Williams attacked what he called the corruption and premature sexualisation of children by a consumer society and singled out the Disney Corporation as one of the worst offenders.

Criticising “tie-ins” of sweets and toys with films he wrote: “The Disney empire has developed this to an unprecedented degree of professionalism.”

Dr Williams has also criticised the bombing of Afghanistan, condemned school league tables and admitted to being “slightly disappointed” with New Labour.