GAFCON Press Conference

Thinking Anglicans has a transcript of a GAFCON press conference last night. Archbishop Peter Akinola responded to a question about violence against gays and lesbians in Africa:

OK. Every community, every society, has its own standards of life. In ancient African societies we had what are called “taboos”, things you should not do, and if you break the taboos there are consequences. Alright, so in your Western society many of these have arisen but in some of our African societies many things have not arisen and this happens to be one of them. In fact the word in our language does not exist in our language. So if the practice is now found to be in our society it is of service to be against it. Alright, and to that extent what my understanding is, is that those that are responsible for law and order will want to prevent wholesale importation of foreign practices and traditions, that are not consistent with native standards, native way of life.

I would have preferred a stronger condemnation of violence. Especially with Archbishop Akinola's past remarks that Muslims do "not have a monopoly on violence". Archbishop Henry Orombi fielded the next question and somehow still failed to condemn violence against homosexuals.

Finally, Archbishop Jensen of Australia stepped in:

I certainly have public condemned and will continue to publicly condemn any violence against any people and in particular gay and lesbian people. I am certain that this is, I understand, what Archbishop Orombi says and that is exactly the position and I am very glad that this opportunity has arisen for the question to be raised again because I thought it was not answered in the answers which were being given to the others side of the question. But I think I am right in speaking for all of us here and, indeed, if that were not the case I would certainly stand alone here and say it but I am sure I speak for all in saying that any such violence, any such behaviour within the prison system, for Christians of another variety, or whatever, is condemned by us.

Hopefully, Archbishop Jensen. But I'd still like to hear it from thier mouths.