Anglican Communion worth working together for, says Archbishop

|PIC1|The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has urged Anglicans not to give up on the Anglican Communion as it gears up for a week of intensive discussion on divisive issues including human sexuality and the Anglican Covenant document on unity.

The Archbishop told reporters at the Lambeth Conference on Friday, "What I hope will have emerged from this week is a sense that it is worth working and staying together, that relationships confirmed and deepened during this week will have made people see that the unity and cooperation of the Communion is not a small thing and its loss is not to be taken lightly."

He responded to an address earlier in the Conference by the Roman Catholic Church's top official on evangelisation, Cardinal Ivan Dias, who likened letting go of apostolic traditions to suffering from "spiritual Alzheimer's".

Dr Williams said the Cardinal's comments were a "timely" reminder that the Church cannot do without the past.

"Our past is not an embarrassment we have to put behind us. It is a resource out of which we grow."

The Archbishop also revealed that some of the ecumenical partners present at the once-in-a-decade Conference, including representatives of The Salvation Army and the Roman Catholic Church, had come forward to reassure him that they were grappling with the same issues as the Anglican Communion.

"Your issues, they say, are everyone's issues," said the Archbishop. "It has been helpful and encouraging for some of us to hear."

Today marks the end of the first week of official business at Lambeth, taking place at the University of Kent, in Canterbury. Dr Williams said that a reflection group would work over the weekend to process feedback from the 'indaba' groups, which take their name from a Zulu model of discussion and dialogue.

Dr Williams said that the reflection group would present its findings on Monday before the indaba groups tackle the "sensitive" issues of human sexuality and the draft Anglican Covenant.