I am sure he is a good man at heart trying to apply democratic principles to a subject like religion that by dint of its nature requires utter faith and a blind almost fanatical devotion to its leader. (With apologies to Monty Python, the Archbishop and the Pope).
One of the many archbishops that I never shook hands with. (Did I tell you that I once shook the hand of the one who crowned the Queen? Oh yes, I did ..... )
Dr Williams gave a very good impression of a man wanting to be either a politician or an academic, with a sort of sideline hobby of being top C of E "man of the cloth". So it's no surprise that he is now to be the Master of Magdalene, at last the round peg meets the round hole. Maybe he could persuade them to pronounce the college name in the same manner as most people pronounce Mary Magdalene, instead of that affected nonsense of "Maudlin"?
people pronounce Mary Magdalene, instead of that affected nonsense of "Maudlin"
When Caco first arrived in Britain from the colonies he dated a very attractive young () English girl whose sister was "reading" something or other at Cambridge. Caco was chastised for not using the Maudlin approach. Nobody there appeared sad or depressed!
Yet another example of the outrageous intellectual snobbery associated with "going up" to certain Universities in the UK. There is a sort of self-styled "Ivy League" of supposedly elite colleges Caco, who perpetuate their assumed superiority by clinging to these quaint terms and pronunciations. Gonville & Caius college is another pretentious one; "Keys" indeed!!
And yes, I'm aware of the irony of knocking these silly habits, despite being a graduate of a leading "Russell Group" establishment (UCL) myself. I must have slipped through the cracks ...
He's a good man and an excellent ABof C. I'll be sorry to see him go.
He isn't popular with certain groups of people, because he stands up firmly for what he believes, and is extremely intelligent. Both of those traits are unpopular in some quarters.
Finding a successor to step into his shoes will be difficult - John Sentamu looks to be front runner.
Hopefully his departure will prompt a debate as to the relevance of the Church of England to society today. Personally I think the time is ripe for its entire apparatus to be 'streamlined', much like the monarchy. Both are throwbacks of Britain of old, and deeply anachronistic in this day and age.
Sentamu has always come across as a very decent man as has Williams. The problem with being the Arch Bishop is that on the one hand people complain if you make supposedly political statements and say that the church should keep their noses out and on the other they complain if the church says nothing about political decisions that have an adverse effect on peoples lives. The poor bloke can't really win. Speaking as an Atheist I think that Williams had the qualities necessary to be the head of the Church of England. He is a decent man and he seems to care about the peoples moral well being. What else would you want from the Archbishop of Canterbury?
His voice really irritated me for some reason,as annoying to me as the Peston cove. They used to end their carreers at the block or the stake int olden days.
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