Anglican Head to Offer Hope in Televised New Year’s Message

|TOP|The Spiritual head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, Dr Rowan Williams will address the UK public on BBC television to end 2005. The address will look to bring hope to the Church as well as the general public as the world greets the new year.

Even though across the globe in 2005 there have been numerous devastating natural disasters, as well as widespread persecution in a number of countries. However, despite this the Archbishop of Canterbury will look to offer a new hope for the coming 12 months.

Dr Williams, himself has had a very challenging year, with the Anglican Communion being strained to breaking point over the issues of homosexuality in the Church as well as women bishops.

To conclude the year, the UK has seen the introduction of the Civil Partnership Act, which will allow homosexual couples to take part in civil ceremonies to gain similar legal rights as traditional heterosexual married couples. |AD| The issue has drawn the Communion to continue the debate, and has intensified the pressure on Dr Williams.

Last week the Archbishop gave his Christmas message in which he spoke about the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, as well as the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, and terrorism and unrest across the world.

Speaking about Jesus’ impact on the world he said, “God has overthrown the empire of numbers and calculations, mass movements and majority interests: ‘The story of a human life became the life story of God and filled the universe.’ Remember this day; this was when the new creation began.”

The Archbishop’s New Year’s message will be broadcast on BBC2 at 19.55 GMT.