CAPE TOWN, South Africa, May 15 (UPI) -- South African Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane says it is time for his church to stop discriminating against homosexuals.
Ndungane has been an anomaly in Africa for voicing support of openly gay Episcopal Bishop V. Gene Robinson, who was ordained in 2003, The Washington Post reported.
"The Anglican Communion should be on the forefront of fighting social ills and not bothering about what Gene Robinson may be doing or not doing," Ndungane said in an interview with the Post. "He has been elected by his people and the people are comfortable with that."
The archbishop of the Church of the Province of Southern Africa estimates that 70 percent of the world's 77 million Anglicans have grown tired of discussing the divisive topic and wish to discuss instead the alleviation of severe poverty, the HIV-AIDS epidemic and educational inequalities.
The newspaper said the turmoil that now embroils the Anglican Communion threatens to reach a critical peak this summer when Episcopalians meet in June at their triennial General Convention in Columbus, Ohio.
