afrol News, 24 July - The Archbishop of Canterbury, head of the church's worldwide communion, yesterday arrived in Accra, Ghana, starting his West Africa roundtrip. The "Anglican pope" is believed to try to mend relations with the West African churches after a recent north-south dispute in the Church.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Douglas Williams - the spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Church community - and his wife, Jane Williams, where well received at Accra International Airport when arriving yesterday. His 24-30 July visit to the Church Province of West Africa will take him to Ghana, Sierra Leone and The Gambia.

- Bands, flowers, singing and dancing, and a crowd of photographers, greeted the Archbishop of Canterbury, at Accra Airport, reported the Anglican Communion News Service today.

Choirs, Mothers' Union and others wearing Archbishop Williams T-shirts, gave the president of the Anglican Communion a warm welcome. Several hundred Anglicans were led by the Most Revd Robert Okine, the Archbishop of West Africa.

In an opening press conference Archbishop Rowan spoke of the beauty and hopes of Africans and called on the "church and state to work together for the good of the people". He said that he looked forward to "learning from the experience" of being in the Province of West Africa.

Mr Williams today was received by Ghanaian President John Kufuor. President Kufuor (64) and his wife are both devoted Christians, although belonging to the Roman Catholic Church. Meeting with the Ghanaian President, Mr Williams commended Ghana for its efforts in conflict resolution and for being "a beacon of democracy and economic stability" in the region.

President Kufuor answered by saying the Anglican Church had contributed positively to Ghana's development. But he noted that Ghana should not be "too proud about being the only place in the sub-region that is calm, and perhaps developing economically." Rather, Ghanaians "would wish that the entire sub-region would be at peace and that everybody is making progress economically for the good of people."

Mr Williams is accompanied by his wife and several top advisers, including Herman Browne, the Archbishop's Secretary for Anglican Communion Affairs; the Jonathan Jennings, the Archbishop's Press Secretary; and James Rosenthal, Director of Communications for the Anglican Communion. The Archbishop, who only took office in February this year, is on his first Episcopal pastoral visit outside Britain.

His motives for heading to West Africa on his first Episcopal pastoral visit are largely seen as a gesture during the ongoing north-south split in the Anglican Church over the issue of homosexuality.

Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria has led the campaign against northern church provinces liberalising their views on homosexuality. While the Nigerian Archbishop found several conservative supporters in church provinces in developing countries, neighbouring Archbishop Okine of West Africa has remained diplomatically silent on the matter.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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