From Stand Firm:
Press Briefing Live: “We cannot tell you which bishops are here…it’s a privacy issue”
Wednesday, July 23, 2008 • 4:21 am
I'm sitting in the Lambeth Conference Press Briefing Room. At the front are two tables separated by a speaker's stand. Behind each table is a wide-screen television monitor for playing video. There is room, and chairs, here for about 30 journalists to sit. Behind the chairs, there is a platform for camera tripods to see over the heads of the seated press.
Journalists and reporters are starting to file in. The briefing is set to start in about five minutes. I'll do my best to take notes and cover it live.
Now the room is filling up. Neva Ray Fox was is to my right. She must have been here about 20 minutes before the briefing. I do not recognize anyone else right off the bat...oh, well, no I see David Virtue now and Cherie Wetzel, both seated in the front row.
Canon Rosenthal just walked in flanked by a number of people wearing red lanyards.
The people with red-lanyards exercise tight control here...I don't know who they are but they are checking everyone out. I notice that one of the journalists asked whether it was permissible to video this briefing. He is turned down.
The video screens are now feeding a propaganda video about indaba groups...."we are sitting down and listening to one another. It is marvelous" an African bishop exclaims rapturously.
John Chane is now on talking about his experience playing football, "The gospel of Jesus Christ is the playbook. When we are talking about social justice, he says, we do not need another playbook. The playbook is the gospel of Jesus..." heh
The Rev. Paul Feely, press officer for the Lambeth Conference steps up to the speakers stand.
1. Tomorrow we will not ahve a meeting. IT is the London Day.
2. We are going to hear about the spouses program
3. We'll go over the events for the day
4. And we'll here questions
Sarah (didn't get her last name...will now give the briefing for the bishops' spouses' conference): For the spouses it is the second session looking at vocation. There will be presentations by Margaret Setamu. Patsy MacGregor, Cheryl Herft, Richard Schori, Alice Chung, Susan Byrd, Betty Florence and (someone else I missed) will be sharing their stories.
one thing that is happening in the spouses venue is the building of a vine and all the spouses are going to create textile leaves to express their stories and sit around doing their needle work together. The male spouses are playing along
There will be some access to the self select session for the spouses.
Paul Feely: The theme for today is transforming society. The bishops have had their bible study and are moving into the indaba press conference. At 1:30pm we will be having the press conference.
At 2:00pm the Windsor Continuation group is having a presentation that will be closed to the press. Fringe events tonight will be going on.
The speech from Cardinal Diaz is on line.
The press conference at 1:30pm will include the ABC
About the Fringe events, we've handed out a sheet that clarifies access to the fringe events. we do not have much to do with them. You are asked to contact the organizer and express interest and it is their decision to put your name on the list. They give that list to a door steward and the organizer. Your name must be on that list at a minimum of 45 minutes before the start of the event.
It may seem cumbersome but it is as straightforward as we could get it.
You asked yesterday about a list of bishops. There are some privacy issues involved. The attorney, John Reece, advised us that he material in the list, the names included, might compromise the legal rights of certain bishops under an act (I think of Parliament but did not catch the particular name of the Act...something to do with privacy). We are working hard to get some sort of list to you and will as soon as possible
Q: the lists, what will they include
A: These are the lists of bishops who give us permission to enter their names.
We need to apologize. We thought you would have access to the intra-net upstairs in the press room. The internet is for the internal use of the delegates. What we are doing is moving the info on the intra net onto the internet so that you will have access to it. There is a piece on that called Campus News that has been moved over to the internet. There is a bishops list on the intra-net that will not be given to the internet because of the advice of Mr. Reece.
Conger: The bishops are here in their capacity as bishops of a specific diocese. I do not believe John Reece is an expert in international(?) law. If the bishops were here in private capacity your argument would have merit, but since they are here in their public or corporate capacity, your rules are somewhat ridiculous.
A: I have answered that question...
Conger: I am not trying to argue with you I know you are doing what you must do, but it is looking pretty foolish
Q: There is nothing to stop a bishop who is attending from giving us a list of those bishops on the list, so why don't you simply give it to us. I'm speaking hypothetically.
A: We do not answer hypothetical questions
Q: well it is a question then
A: certainly there is nothing we can do to stop another bishop from giving you that list.
More argument from other reporters...they are clearly upset.
Q: The official figure is 670
A: that is the working figure. There is always an ebb and flow to that.
Conger: Can you tell us the number of bishops who have left?
A: I can try to get that for you,
Q: Is there concern about the bishops who are here apart from the permission or presence of hteir primates
A: The issue is one of privacy. We are workign to produce a list that meets the privacy requirements. AB Philips addressed hte privacy issue yesterday. He made the point there is some privacy issues that we must worry about.
Conger: In 2005 the ACC met in Nottingham, the privacy act came in in 2000. It has taken 8 years for the ACO to figure out that this law applies. Is this sloppy legal work or are you hiding something.
A: I am not an expert in privacy laws. Certainly we can check on the ACC meeting from 2005. I'll ask Peter to check on that.
DV: Can we get a list of those who are not here because they are boycotting
A: that is somewhat unreasonable. WE cannot know who is boycotting.
DV: You seem to be accepting that whoever is not here is boycotting.
A: We have accepted nothing of the sort. I am not sure why anyone is not here accept for those who have said so. I'll check for you
Another man comes to the pulpit:
So why are bishops and primates leaving the campus to trudge through London tomorrow? Apparently there is to be a "march" of some sort tomorrow. It is called, "keep the promise--halve poverty by 2015". We will be there to give public witness to social justice and challenge world leaders to keep their promises to the developing world in particular with regard to the MDG's.
Coaches are leaving here with bishops at 7:15 am. You are encouraged to get there yourself
We are referred to a sheet that we are not permitted to publish but that says in part, "The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, will lead around 600 archbishops and bishops from across the world-wide Anglican Communion, their spouses, and leaders and representatives from other UK faith groups in the high profile call on global leaders to keep their promises to deliver the MDG's by 2015."
Q: Are the faith groups mentioned only Abrahamic faiths.
A: There will be other faith groups. You will get a list
Q: You have mentioned that spouses are there. Do they join in?
A: yes, about 1500 in the streets
Q: Will the bishops wear their purple cassocks.
A: yes.
More logistical questions
Closes.
Press briefing over.
No comments:
Post a Comment