Lord Carey hits back at critics' open letter

Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has accused critics within the Anglican church of un-Christian behaviour and called on them to repent of their attacks on him following the circulation of an open letter claiming he has been undermining his successor, Dr Rowan Williams.

Originating in Australia, the letter has attracted more than 130 signatures, mainly from liberal factions within the communion. It has yet, however, to attract high-profile signatures from senior clerics willing to put their heads above the parapet and may have backfired.

The charges centre on the former archbishop's sometimes open criticism of events in the church since his retirement, particularly over the issue of homosexuality but also following the Church of England general synod vote last February against the church's investment in suppliers of military equipment to Israel, which was supported by Archbishop Williams, but which Lord Carey said made him feel ashamed to be an Anglican.

The former archbishop, who retired in 2002 after 11 years at Lambeth Palace, has also been rebuked by the leadership of the US Episcopal Church for meddling in their affairs after he endorsed an initiative by a conservative pressure group to shame bishops who voted in favour of Gene Robinson, the openly gay bishop of New Hampshire, in 2003. Lord Carey gave his "enthusiastic commendation" to the move following a brief meeting lasting less than a minute with its organiser.

Lord Carey told BBC Radio Four's Sunday programme: "I think this is a mischievous letter from Australia and I hope the authors will reflect and repent on what is most unfair. It is ill founded and the authors did not have the courtesy to consult me first. This is un-Christian and to send it out at Easter damages our whole unity and what we are trying to do."

It is an open secret that there is little personal warmth between the Lord Carey and the archbishop. He rejected Dr Williams for promotion to an English diocesan bishopric four years before the latter's appointment to succeed him.

Lord Carey hits back at critics' open letter
Guardian Unlimited, UK