FAITHFILLED RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF COLOR: The Archbishop of York may fail to be nominated as the next Archbishop of Canterbury -- ¨not because he is black¨

Archbishop Desmond Tutu and His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Archbishop of York, John Sentamu

George Pitcher, Archbishop Williams’ former public affairs secretary, writing in his Daily Mail blog, said if Sentamu failed to be elected, it would not be because he is black.

“Lately, it’s true that some of his critics have concluded that their views are as valid and innocent as if he were a white man,” he wrote. “And so I’ve heard these words: capricious, impulsive, vain with the media and quick to temper (as well, I might add, as words such as prophetic, inspirational, generous and kind). None of these words has anything to do with Dr Sentamu’s ethnicity.”  HERE

HOLY SMOKE/POST:

My first disappointing memory of ++John was when he visited the Episcopal Church -- TEC -- General Convention in Minneapolis 2003.  The Archbishop of York was very busy campaigning/lobbying against LGBT people who aspired to participate at all levels of Churchlife and he even made up little unattractive/nasty ¨smearing¨ song lyrics against Gay people while accompaning himself at the piano...such a hurtful and childish bully of a foolish kidder is he. 

Fast forward and he was documented, by The Very Reverend Colin Slee, R.I.P., to have had behind the scenes (mens toilet meet-ups with members of the Crown Nominations Commission) to campaign against The Very Reverend Jeffrey John who had been shortlisted for elevation to Bishop of Southwark.  HERE

Archbishop Sentamu ought know better but it seems he and his ¨promoters¨ do not have a clear understanding of equality.  John Sentamu became a naturalized citizen of the United Kingdom after rushing from Uganda and the persecution of Idi Amin.  John Sentamu became a priest, a  bishop (something he denied Jeffrey John+) and the Archbishop of York at the Church of England. 

I see NO discrimination against him at the Church of England but I do see that the Lord of York has, by fact and real acts, discriminates against others.  My hope is that he will not be enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury and it won´t be because he is a person of color, Ugandan born and black...it will because ++York has failed us as a gracious human being and failed to love all *others* at the body of Christ.  Dr. Sentamu does not love all others equally as he has been loved and his race has continously been embraced (he even says so HERE)...not equally in England, not in The United Kingdom, not in Uganda, not in the Americas or beyond. John Sentamu harms others with his well known prejudice.  
 
The very first thing I read this morning was an article from Reuters covering the ¨Race for new Church of England leader stirs up accusations of racism¨ Avril Ormsby, Reuters May 2, 2012 – 12:55 PM ET  HERE ...the ¨propaganda¨ of the pot calling the kettle black.

Leonardo Ricardo