After having read the preceeding, I am reminded of one of the beatitudes that did not make it into the bible: blessed are the big wheels for they shall go round in circles.

R. Marcley, alb. ny, USA

If these steps are taken by the Orthodox, ABC should retire, leaving the chair to a man who can be trusted. Even so Canterbury can no longer be the first among equals. Williams with ECUSA have destroyed that for all who follow him in Lambeth Palace. TEC Presiding Bishop?Unimportant.

Steven Anderson, Louisville, USA

The venerable ++Gregory Venables is technically the Presiding Bishop of the Province of the Southern Cone. So everyone is right. He is the primate; but in that province there is no "archbishop."

David Handy, Newport News, VA, USA

Thank the Lord of Higg's Boson that I will have nothing further to do with any of the homo sapiens religious dogmas, and their reliance on ancient, unknowing texts.
What? Homo is in there, amongst the words of an atheist?

Paul Dickins, Ottawa, Canada

The Arch. of C is too quick to embrace the trendy or even the intellectually self satisfying concept. That is probably fine for an ordinary church, but not the leader of the Anglicans. Religion includes many other often complex beliefs & traditions and leadership means respecting these beliefs.

JJ, Epsom, England

I pity the people of Nigeria. Such ambition, arrogance and aggression. A disgrace to episcopacy.

Greg, London,

How can a bishop who is faithful to the Christian message be a 'rebel'? And it is the Anglican Church in the West which is criticised, not the Church in the West, there are a great many Christians who are not Anglicans.

Peter, Maidstone,

Thanks Anglican Archbishop Peter Akinola: for saying: The political slavery, the developing world economic enslavement...destructive modern cultural & politcal dictates.
These are what African Leaders are suffering from western Politicans Today. build college for our leaders to know.

Miss IROKA Joyce, Paris, FR

Akinola & Co. cannot see through their own hypocrisy. They condemn "innovations" in the Church, yet the ordination of people of colour was once one of those "innovations," as was the ordination of women. The Holy Spirit is doing great and wonderful things via Canterbury! Let the bigots leave.

Mark, Surrey, UK

Who cares? A pointless argument about something inconsequential. Why are religions and the religious so hung up on sex? It's just sex. Why are the private activities of consenting adults any concern of anyone else? I've never understood it. It's why so many people have turned away from religion.

Paul Owen, Birmingham, UK

The stench of evil and hypocrisy rises high from the words of Akinonla and his comrades. While children starve and women are raped and beaten in Africa they find nothing better to be obsessed with than gays and women bishops. May God's judgement be swift and just.

Ivan Stevenson, London, UK

I am surprised these Archbishops haven’t blamed homosexuality for the rise of Mugabe (give it time)
There is nothing quite so nasty in this world than monotheistic religions spouting bigotry in the quest for power over the gullible. Taliban thinking is not just the province of Islam.

Barry, London, UK

Religions should stay true to their core values...superstition, blind prejudice, thought processes unrelated to modern scientific and secular reality, spurious authority, indoctrination of the young and innocent, devaluation of this brief existence we share, and spiritual sterility!

paul freeman, London, England

Orthodox Anglicans?? All Anglicans are heretics since the 16th century. If these people want to be "Orthodox" christians they should join the Roman Catholic or one of the Eastern Orthodox churches.

Brian O Cinneide, eThekwini, Afrika Borwa

archbishop akinola is no rebel-he is the authentic anglican voice!

rev.dr.peter long, newquay,cornwall, uk

The church condemns homosexuality. Well, the church once condemned Galileo. Hands up, all youi Flat Earthers!

Adele Paul, Barnet, UK

Venables' title is presiding bishop -- just like Katherine Jefferts Schori. Check out the Anglican Communion website under Southern Cone.

John B. Chilton, Orkney Springs, USA

The Blair appointed state puppet Rowan Williams, couldn't run a bath!!.
The Ford Anglican church members want to look beyond their clerical leaders and not subject themselves to their every utterance.

Sean Hamerton , York., England.

i have worked closely with with an arch-bishop in Africa a few years ago and we all saw the signs, he said, 'but you gave us the Bible' in response to homosexuality, and in this i agree.

but African churches are very much far from perfect and indeed have major problems, this is about power, sadly.

matt, cheltenham, uk

OMG!
When will people stop worrying about nothing -- religion?
Do the research and you'll be embarrassed to learn how much wasted time you've spent on the Bible and other such spurious books.
Help others on our planet while you have time, and stop proselytizing age-old myths and superstitions!

Nick, London, UK

Well something has to be done Rowan Williams seems to have abrogated all responsibility, given up & accepted Shariah is unavoidable.
With him as head of the church , it probably would be.

I say 'do something' before it is too late !

maggie millington, brittany, france

The fact is that the Christian Church always condemned homosexual acts as sinful. The new bodies founded at the reformation started by being tougher than the Catholic Church but have gradually arrived at a situation where anything goes. Now, a number of bishops are saying enough is enough.

George, Bolton, England

Venables title is Presiding Bishop, not Archbishop.

Lapinbizarre, Columbia, SC, USA

Gregory Venables is most certainly the Archbishop of the Southern Cone, and we, in the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, are blessed to be soon coming under his jurisdiction. We are thankful for his wonderful Christian leadership, and that of our bishop, Jack Iker, as we endeavor to remain faithful.

Sue Seibert, Mineral Wells, Texas, USA

Greg is not an Archbishop, no such position exists in the province of the Southern Cone

Philip Osbourne, Ipswich,

Just a question really, you (Ruth) refer to Archbishop Orombi and Bishop Venables. As I understand it Greg is Archbishop of the Southern Cone. Is this not so?

Graham Swindley, Canterbury, UK