wfn.org | Archbishop George Carey says goodbye to Compass Rose Society

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

ACNS 3173 - ACO - 23 OCTOBER 2002

Archbishop George Carey says goodbye to Compass Rose Society

In an evening marked by joy and laughter and some emotional moments, the
Archbishop of Canterbury bid goodbye to nearly 100 members of the Compass
Rose Society at Lambeth Palace on 9 October in London.

Dr Carey reflected on his 11 and half years as Archbishop of Canterbury and
said that it had been his pleasure and privilege to serve in that position
but his time had been marked by many "joys and sadnesses." Among the events
that have shaped the life of the world he cited the fall of the Berlin wall
and the end of Communism, the Gulf War, Bosnia, Kosovo and the terrorist
attacks of September 11. "We certainly live in a dangerous and unsafe
world," Dr Carey said.

In terms of the life of the church in the Anglican Communion, the Archbishop
said that his trips throughout 90 countries had made him more aware of the
great disparities in resources among nations and churches. "We in the West
take many things for granted without realizing the plight of our brothers
and sisters in the developing world," he said. Dr Carey mentioned Sudan and
Rwanda as turning points in his life. "I never have seen so much misery,
destruction and pain in my life," he said. "If I had not have been there, I
would not have believed it."

Dr Carey also said that during his time he had to deal with the issue of the
ordination of women and the considerable loss of millions of pounds in
investments, both in the Church of England. He added that one of his most
difficult tasks had been to maintain the unity of the church. "We need to
understand that we are a broad church which needs to live with different
points of view and different forms of mission," he said.

Dr Carey pointed out that one of the things which was made evident in his
mission trips to the provinces was the lack of resources in many of them.
"When I saw the tragedy of the Sudan, I said to some people, we need to do
something and right away." He said that this was the beginning of the
Anglican Investment Agency which has provided money for urgent human needs.
He thanked the people who trust the church and are generous in their giving.

He reminded the Society that the debt burden of the poorest countries had
become one of the most pressing issues of his time as Archbishop. Dr Carey
reported that he has been able to forge a partnership with the President of
the World Bank, James Wolfenson, and leaders of other faiths, to tackle
issues of debt and development. Such a partnership between religions and
world bankers would have been unthinkable a decade or so ago, he said.

The Archbishop confessed that at the beginning of his term he was hesitant
to ask people for money, but that soon he learned that people were grateful
when asked to help. The work of the Compass Rose Society has been
tremendous, he said. The idea of the Society was conceived in October 1994
to provide much-needed financial support for the work of the Communion. At
present is has 130 members mainly from western countries. The present plan
is to expand its membership. The Society will help to raise an endowment of
US$30 million in the next three years.

During dinner several members of the Society thanked the Archbishop for his
leadership, vision and commitment. A word of thanks was also extended to
Mrs. Carey for her gentleness and her devotion to the work of her husband.
The Careys received several gifts including a carpet with the seal of the
Anglican Communion made in China. He was also presented with a personal
letter from the President of the United States, George W. Bush, for his
pastoral support, his presence and prayers during the tragedy of 11
September.

The night ended with Compline at the Lambeth Palace Chapel, the place where
Archbishop Thomas Cranmer composed the Book of Common Prayer.
_________________________________________________________
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