George Carey cast himself in the role of hardline traditionalist in 1992, when he forced a church publishing house to drop a prayer book for gay and lesbian Christians.
Clerics are none too good at apologising.
It took the Popes several centuries to admit that Galileo had been wrongly accused and persecuted by the Inquisition. Jews are still waiting for an unreserved expression of regret at their mistreatment by Christians. The Marriage of Likeness, he may find himself driven to utter the odd mea culpa. He quotes eight different versions of such services dating from before the 12th century, and 17 after. Basil I, the ninth-century founder of the Macedonian dynasty that ruled the Byzantine Empire, underwent two such blessings.