Anglican leaders from United Kingdom and Ireland gather for regional Primates’ Meeting

Posted on: March 1, 2019 1:48 PM

Archbishop Richard Clarke, Church of Ireland; Primus Mark Strange, Scottish Episcopal Church; Archbishop John Davies, Church in Wales; and Archbishop Justin Welby, Church of England; outside St Patrick’s Cathedral in Armagh at the close of this week’s European Regional Primates’ Meeting.

Photo Credit: Church of Ireland

Related Categories: Abp Clarke, Abp John Davies, Abp Welby, Anglican Communion, Bp Mark Strange, England, Ireland, Lambeth Conference 2020, Primates, Primates Meeting, Scotland, Wales

The latest in a series of regional Primates’ Meetings took place this week in Armagh, Northern Ireland. The European regional meeting, dubbed the Celtic Primates, took place in the Ecclesiastical capital of Ireland on Wednesday and Thursday. The host, Archbishop Richard Clarke, was joined by the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, Bishop Mark Strange; the Archbishop of Wales, John Davies; and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.

“The Primates enjoyed the pleasure of each other’s company and the meeting was conducted with informality and in friendship”, the Primates said in a communiqué. “Discussion took place on issues affecting the Anglican Communion, Provinces, the UK and Ireland, the mission of the Church in these islands.

“The Primates prayed and shared Holy Communion together and with optimism look to the future and to further opportunities to meet again.”

During the meeting, the Primates discussed next year’s Lambeth Conference with Phil George, Chief Executive of the Lambeth Conference Company. It was the fifth six regional Primates’ Meetings taking place in the run-up to the Lambeth Conference. The final regional meeting, for Primates from Asia, will take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in October 2019. A full global Primates’ Meeting will take place in the Jordanian capital Amman in January 2020, ahead of the Lambeth Conference in August next year.