God’s faithfulness in the face of conflict and its horrors was a key theme of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s address at the opening of the General Synod in Westminster on Friday afternoon.
Archbishop Welby began his presidential address by quoting United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres: “The world is coming off its hinges.”
He cited conflicts and resulting humanitarian crises in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Myanmar, as well as tensions in Pakistan, the Philippines, Mozambique, the Korean Peninsula, and the United States’ southern border. .
“We live in a world of suffering,” he said, but suggested that the church should not shy away from action, including internal struggles, in the face of such suffering.
He quoted the former Bishop of Chichester, George Bell, who said on the eve of World War II that in times like this the church should become “more like a church”.
“God will not abandon the church today, no matter where it wanders. He will seek, find and bring back,” the archbishop said. “Suffering is normal, but God is faithful and we are called to be faithful people.”
Earlier this month, Archbishop Welby quoted Bell at a meeting of church leaders in Kiev during a five-day pastoral visit to Ukraine (News, February 14).
“In Europe, the Ukraine-Russia war has been frozen… and especially because it has been replaced as a major concern by the devastation and horrors in the Levant and everything that is happening in that region. The suffering of the people of Ukraine is increasing,” the archbishop said on Friday, referring to a synod debate on the war scheduled for next Tuesday afternoon.
The lack of a similar discussion on Gaza was underlined by protesters standing outside the church building where members of the synod had arrived for the opening session. Protesters criticized the archbishop for failing to meet with Palestinian pastor Munter Isaac, who is currently visiting the UK from Bethlehem (News, February 21).
Archbishop Welby said criticism of the church and people within it was often vocal, and “speech of hate” frequently came from within the church. “We need to plan for the best, not the worst,” he suggested. “Suffering and enemies are best faced not by groups that protect and strengthen themselves, but by communities of trust that transcend divisions.”
At the end of his speech, which was met with applause, Archbishop Welby presented the Cross of Canterbury for services to the Church of England to Tom Joy, Chief Investment Officer of the Church Commission, who is being transferred overseas (Interview, 23rd ) February; News, January 19).