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Carey Calls for UN Reform, Lifting of Iraqi Sanctions in New York Visit

Episcopal News Service. October 3, 2000 [2000-148]

(ENS) In a whirlwind fall visit to New York, Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey called for new approaches to the ongoing sanctions against Iraq and for a fresh look at the UN's mission in the light of the Sermon on the Mount.

Addressing the Church Club of New York on September 14, Carey praised the "signal role" of the Episcopal Church in the Anglican Communion, citing its support and that of such parishes as Trinity, Wall Street, in New York and agencies such as Episcopal Relief and Development for initiatives important to the entire communion. But he indicated that there are "changed priorities ahead" for the Anglican Communion in the 21st century in the areas of communion, poverty, and mission.

"Many of our Christian brothers and sisters -- including many Anglicans -- find themselves living and working in situations of bitter civil conflicts, violence, war, and persecution," said Carey, citing conflicts in the Sudan, Rwanda, South Asia, Nigeria, Uganda and the Middle East. "One of my major concerns has been: How do we show that we are standing alongside members of our Communion when we are not actually with them, experiencing their pain? Where does the personal and local meet with the international?" He asked wealthier churches in the United States to "consider putting a small proportion of their stewardship" into the Anglican Investment Agency to help address the needs of Christians in troubled areas.

Human need transcends politics

Another changed priority, declared Carey, should include a shift in attitudes towards sanctions against Iraq. "I need no persuading that Saddam Hussein and the regime he runs is deeply and morally repugnant," he stated. "But the problem is that those who suffer most are the ordinary people of Iraq... From a Christian perspective, humanitarian considerations should become the principle informing any sanctions policy. This suggests at the very least that they need to be reconfigured to impact on those they are intended to target."

Carey also called for concrete action by Christians and other faith communities to address the second challenge, that of poverty generated by international debt.

Anglicans have a theology of mission that is incarnational, sacramental, and holistic, Carey explained. "I am proud to be an Anglican because it remains catholic and reformed -- open to new ideas but thoroughly earthed in the life changing events of the gospel."

Yet that should not be taken for granted, he added. "We need to work as a Communion towards closer understanding on some important theological issues," said Carey. "We all have views. But in advancing our individual perspectives, we must also protect the fundamental integrity of our Communion. Where disagreement persists, we must treat each other with dignity and respect. And none of this must be allowed to divert our primary focus."

Mission statement of peace and justice

At the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on September 15, speaking to a congregation that included many UN staff members, Carey compared the message of the Sermon on the Mount to the UN's mission statement in calling for reform of the UN Security Council.

"Reform," he said, " would be both symbol and expression of a different way of visualising the world and of working to meet its challenges -- the challenges of peace and justice for all."

"Compromise is often regarded as a dirty word," he explained. "[But] the question is not whether there has to be compromise, but the basis for that compromise. Does it represent the best available way of tackling the real issue, or is it a deal cut for the convenience of those at the table?"

Carey also expressed concern over the United States' unpaid dues to the UN. "There may be things the United States does not like about the UN -- it wouldn't be unique in that regard -- but withholding payment may not be the best way of making the point," he observed. "Indeed it can be counterproductive for everyone involved -- including those most in need round the world."

Earlier in the week, Carey joined UN Assistant Secretary General Angela King at St Peter's Lutheran Church in Manhattan for a noon forum on the topic, "The Fate of Women and Children Globally." King, herself an Anglican, is the UN's special advisor on gender issues and the advancement of women, and chairs the Inter-Agency Committee on Women and Gender and Equality.

The conversation was originally to include US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, but just hours before the forum, her office informed the organizers that she would be unable to attend. The discussion was intended to raise awareness of the suffering caused by poverty, human rights violations targeting women and children, and armed conflicts, and to explore how the church and civil government might cooperate to help prevent such tragedies.

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