Fresh from a day and a half of closed-door talks in New Orleans with American and overseas Anglican bishops, the archbishop of Canterbury on Friday downplayed the risk that the Episcopal church faces imminent expulsion from the Anglican Communion over its inclusion of gay and lesbian Christians.<\/p>\n
But the depth of overseas Anglicans’ displeasure was evident in remarks by a Middle Eastern bishop, who told the Americans that “some (Anglicans) say you are a different church; others even think that you are a different religion.”<\/p>\n
Archbishop Rowan Williams said talks with U.S. bishops had helped him understand their theological reasons for wishing to sanctify faithful homosexual behavior. But closed-door exchanges between the liberal Americans and a delegation representing some conservative Anglican provinces overseas were often “uncomfortably hard,” he said.<\/p>\n