May 23, 2008

LAMBETH PALACE – The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, welcomed His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Lambeth Palace on May 23 as part of the Tibetan spiritual leader's 11-day visit to Britain.

Williams held a private meeting with the Dalai Lama before they joined other religious leaders from the main faith traditions for discussions on the priority of compassion. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown also had a private meeting with the Dalai Lama at Lambeth Palace.

"The religious leaders who had gathered to welcome His Holiness the Dalai Lama listened with great appreciation to what he had to say about the priority of compassion in all our religious traditions," said Williams. "He also spoke about the need for all of us to engage with our culture not only in the vocabulary of our specific convictions but out of a recognition of a common humanity – a ‘secular ethics' alongside the doctrines and disciplines of faith. A warm and searching discussion took place, and the meeting ended with a time of shared silence. It was a privilege to have this opportunity of engaging with a great spiritual teacher."

The visit was the second time Williams has received the Dalai Lama at Lambeth Palace. Prior to this, the Dalai Lama met Archbishop Robert Runcie in 1981, 1984 and 1988 and Archbishop George Carey in 1993 & 1999 – all at Lambeth Palace.

Episcopal News Service