Earlier this week, The Most Reverend Drexel Wellington Gomez, Archbishop of the West Indies, Primate and Metropolitan, conducted a two-day workshop for the clergy of Trinidad and Tobago at Bishop Anstey High School, on worship and the West Indian Prayer Book. He had been Chairman of the Committee that produced the book in 1995.
One may wonder about the titles "Primate and Metropolitan." Primate means Chief Bishop of a Province and Metropolitan describes the authority to function as Archbishop of a Metropolis. Since an Archbishop must function as a Bishop, Reverend Gomez also retains the title and position as Bishop of Nassau, the place of his birth 65 years ago,
Seemingly, one of few people in the area who personally knew The Most Reverend Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury (designate), our interview was mostly about Dr Williams, the first Archbishop of Canterbury to have been selected from outside the Church of England since the Reformation. Born in Swansea, Wales, in 1950, Dr Williams was elected Bishop of Monmouth in 1991 and enthroned as Archbishop of Wales in 2000. He now succeeds Dr George Carey as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury. Archbishop Gomez, who has known Dr Williams since 1978, says "I met him at my first Lambeth Conference where he was one of the Theological Consultants."
"Dr Williams was the first choice of a Committee on which the Church of England has the majority of representatives and the Prime Minister's office also has representation. It is the job of this committee to determine the needs of the Church, examine possible candidates, submit two names to the Prime Minister in order of preferences. The Prime Minister can accept or he can choose No 2 or send it back and tell them have another go at it" explained Archbishop Gomez.
This Committee sought widespread consultation in and out of England to ensure that the person selected would not only relate to the Church of England but to current worldwide situations. At a meeting in April in England, two secretaries from the Committee spent an afternoon with Archbishops from all over the world discussing the kind of person needed to head the Anglican Church. "Of overriding importance" says Archbishop Gomez "was the need to find someone acceptable to all of the Anglican communion and to give the necessary leadership in the present world situation."
Archbishop Williams was appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of Prime Minister Tony Blair, a tradition which began with a statute passed in 1536 by which King Henry VII wrested control from the Pope as the appointer of his bishops. Over the past two centuries the power has moved to the Prime Ministers.
Although the Archbishop designate has attraced a lot of media attention in relation to his radical views on both homosexuals in the church and church/state relations, there has been widespread support for the respected theologian, who before his appointment admitted during a speaking tour in Australia that he had ordained a gay man who was living in a committed relationship.
Says Archbishop Gomez: "It is true. But my understanding of the situation is that only happened once and that was during the period that the policy in the Church of England was if they don't ask, don't tell, so that if the question is not raised explicitly no explanation is needed."
"However, since his appointment as Archbishop of Canterbury was announced on July 23, Dr Williams has written to all of the Archbishops and dealt with that issue and given a very clear position on it. He is himself bound by the position of the church. Since at the Lambeth Conference in 1998 a very clear resolution was passed on human sexuality which confirms that homosexual practice was contrary to the teachings of the Bible and the Church. The resolution also called for more dialogue and consultation on all aspects of homosexual practice."
"Dr Williams has made a commitment to work within the bounds of the 1998 Resolution. His action took place three years before that. He has written his Archbishops a letter where he makes his position absolutely clear."
In connection with the subject of the established church in England, there are a lot of Bishops who feel it is time for the Anglican Church to be dis-established and Dr Williams has supported those who have called for this.
On a third issue which relates to certain social positions, he is totally opposed to the war in Iraq, and has spoken against war in Afghanistan, and has questioned the way in which political power is used to achieve national and international objectives. Archbishop Gomez sees Dr Williams as essentially a Theologian. "He is a real scholar, a brilliant theologian, a man of deep spirituality and prayer."
The new Archbishop will automatically become Bishop of Canterbury at the time of his installation as Archbishop of Canterbury in Canterbury Cathedral, early in the New Year. He will at some point in time be invited to visit the Province of the West Indies by Archbishop Gomez, who plans to continue in office once he remains in good health.
On the regional front, Archbishop Gomez spoke about the planned opening of a Provincial Secretariat in Barbados, hopefully at the end of this year. "The reason for that is to discontinue moving the administration of the Province from diocese to diocese everytime an Archbishop is elected. As a result of that practice, there are records in Belize, Guyana, scattered all over the Province so that with the new arrangement we will have everything in one place."
Archbishop Gomez came to Trinidad to conduct the workshop after a five day visit to Barbados where he had served as Bishop for 21 years from January 1973. While there he had been working on the new Secretariat, officiated at the wedding of someone he had confirmed as a youngster, and assisted in the celebration of the 175th anniversary of St Mary's Church in the city of Bridgetown.