Church of England bishops 'to boycott key conference'

0 Comments | AFP, June, 2008

LONDON (AFP) — A leading British Church of England bishop will boycott a key conference of his peers from around the world next month because of an ongoing row over homosexual priests, The Sunday Telegraph said.

The weekly said the Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali, was one of at least three British bishops who will shun the Lambeth Conference because of the presence of US supporters of gay bishops.

Up to six other British bishops were considering similar action, it added, assessing that a boycott by senior church leaders from Britain risked undermining the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.

There was no immediate response from Nazir-Ali when contacted by AFP.

But an unnamed friend of the bishop, who was born in Pakistan...