Archbishop of
Canterbury meets with Robinson

The archbishop of Canterbury, who is struggling to hold the Anglican Communion together despite an acrimonious split over homosexuality, met Thursday with Bishop V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, the Episcopal Church's first openly gay bishop. The meeting between Archbishop Rowan Williams and Robinson was described as "friendly but candid." No details of their discussion were released. Robinson is in England to address the Oxford Union debating society at Oxford University and to participate in events celebrating the 10th anniversary of Changing Attitude, a U.K. group that promotes the acceptance of gay clergy within the Anglican Church. Williams has criticized the U.S. Episcopal Church for going ahead with Robinson's election despite vehement opposition from conservative Anglicans in the United States and elsewhere in the global Anglican Communion. (AP)