Archbishop's visit to North Africa

On Wednesday 28^th January the Archbishop will arrive in Libya, where he will meet with local Christian and Muslim leaders and Government officials. The following day he will visit a primary school and a church-run community project in Tripoli, as well as viewing the historical site of Sabratha.

Dr Williams will then visit the campus of the World Islamic Call Society, giving a lecture titled 'How does God reveal himself?  A Christian perspective'.  Following the lecture, the Archbishop will answer questions.  A transcript of the lecture will be available shortly afterwards at: www.archbishopofcanterbury.org

On Friday 30^th January, the Archbishop will visit an historic mosque, before preaching at an Ecumenical service at the Anglican Church Christ the King (Santa Maria) and meeting local Christians. He will then travel to Egypt where he will meet with heads of Diocese and institutional leaders at All Saints Cathedral, in Cairo.

On 31^st January he will meet with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar University, before undertaking a retreat at a Coptic Monastery. The Archbishop will then meet with His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church, who will offer a welcoming reception for the Archbishop and Primates of the Anglican Communion.  On 1^st February the Archbishop and Primates will visit the Alexandria School of Theology and afterwards preach at a service dedicating the historic St Marks Church as a pro-cathedral.

From 1^st to 5^th February the Archbishop will chair a meeting of the Primates of the Anglican Communion being held in Alexandria, Egypt.

Following the Primates Meeting, the Archbishop will undertake a number of pastoral engagements including returning to the Harpur Community Health Centre, for which he laid the foundation stone in September 2004.  On this visit Dr Williams will lay the foundation stone for a Centre for the Deaf in the 6^th of October City in the presence of the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Dr Ali Goma'a.  The Archbishop will then visit the School for Deaf Children and the Deaf Training Unit in Cairo.

· The World Islamic Call Society (WICS) is an Islamic benevolent organisation with members from around the world.  Its mandate is to work with Muslim and non-Muslim organisations to relieve the suffering of millions in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Caribbean.

· The Deaf Unit is part of the work of the Anglican Diocese of Egypt, and provides an educational and social service to hearing-impaired people in Cairo. There are three main areas of work at The Deaf Unit. The first is a school, the second is a vocational training centre and the third is a deaf club.

· Further details about the meeting of the Primates of the Anglican Communion in Alexandria can be found at the Anglican Communion website: http://www.anglicancommunion.org/communion/primates/