Jonathon Petre, writing in the Telegraph, uses a disconcerting image to describe the atmosphere at the Primate’s meeting this week. He goes on to explain why it feels like a “ring of steel” in the place where the leaders of the Anglican Church are meeting:

“The burgeoning bunker mentality can, perhaps, be explained by the palpable anxiety of the organizers that the meeting could be derailed before it has even started by the powerful conservative group of Global South primates, who are determined to seize control of events.

They have set up their own headquarters a hundred yards up the road in the Beachcomber hotel, where they are holding strategy meetings before moving en masse to the White Sands for the official five-day meeting beginning on Thursday, where a bloody showdown is looming.

When I mentioned to one of the conservative primates that there was consternation among Anglican Communion staff about what is effectively an alternative headquarters, he replied: ‘This isn’t the alternative headquarters. It is THE headquarters.’ With that sort of attitude to contend with, Dr Williams will have his work cut out.”

That last statement by the unnamed Primate speaks volumes.

Sigh.

Read the rest here: Telegraph Blogs: UK: Jonathan Petre: February 2007: Ring of steel around the archbishops\