PEOPLE

Campaigners turn up the heat on Archbishop
06/09/12, Bunmi Akpata-Ohohe

John Sentamu, the Ugandan-born charismatic Archbishop of York, known for his human rights and equal rights politicking, has come under renewed attack from feminists as well as pro-gay groups for his insistence that "marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman. Lord Sentamu is clinging to an archaic conception of marriage by opposing plans by the UK government to give same-sex couples the right to wed in church," says opposition groups. It's also been disclosed that the senior Church of England cleric has been sent several 'abusive and threatening' racist emails prompting a police investigation. It seems the bishop a well-known rights avant-garde patriarch likes the idea of equality, but not for women and gays.

Sentamu and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams have been criticised for dragging their feet on a legislation that would introduce women bishops in the Anglican Church. On the subject of gay marriage in the church Sentamu said: "marriage must remain a union between a man and a woman," arguing that Prime Minister David Cameron or the state, has no business imposing a contrary view on the church and that the Prime Minister would be acting like a "dictator" if he allowed homosexuals to wed, rather than just have a civil partnerships. The former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey has launched a campaign to oppose the legislation.