Catholic Reactions To Archbishop Williams' Lecture

(11 Feb 08 - RV) The Archbishop of Canterbury opened the Church of England’s General Synod today amid the ongoing controversy over comments he made regarding the use of Sharia law in Britain.

In a lecture to legal experts and again in a radio interview, Archbishop Rowan Williams raised the possibility of British law recognizing the religious culture of citizens, including allowing the use of some Islamic law.

Several British newspapers and several politicians complained the Archbishop was asking that strict Islamic law be imposed on British subjects.

Philippa Hitchen spoke to Jesuit Father Michael Barnes, a former professor at Rome’s Gregorian University and current head of the Centre for Christianity and Interreligious Dialogue at London's Heythrop college.

He says the Archbishop’s speech was misunderstood, and this was made worse by rising fears of Islamic terrorism...