Archbishop Desmond Tutu has pleaded for unity in the worldwide Anglican Communion, as the Church's first openly gay bishop said it was a ''mistake'' to bar him from the communion's 10-yearly conference.
The Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops, which begins today in Canterbury, south-east England, comes amid heightened wrangling over issues of both homosexual and female clergy.
Archbishop Tutu, a 76-year-old veteran of South Africa's anti-apartheid struggle and the winner of the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize, said he felt the Anglican Church should move together on the topic of homosexuality.
''The Anglican Church prides itself and this is one of its greatest attributes it prides itself on being the church that is comprehensive, meaning it includes all kinds of points of view,'' Archbishop Tutu told Sky News television.
''One of the sadnesses about the current crisis is that we seem to be jettisoning this wonderful inclusivity that is a characteristic of our church.''
Liberal and conservative Anglicans have been at odds since the Episcopal church in the United States consecrated an openly gay priest, Gene Robinson, as Bishop of New Hampshire in 2003.
While giving a sermon at a church in south London at the weekend, Bishop Robinson was interrupted by a lone protester, who stood up, denounced him as a heretic and repeatedly called on him to ''Repent, repent, repent'' as supporters of Bishop Robinson began to clap to drown out the protester's voice.
The protester was escorted out of the church and no action was taken against him by police who were stationed outside.
Earlier, Bishop Robinson said the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, who is leader of the world's Anglicans, was in a difficult position over whether to invite him to the Lambeth Conference.
However, the lack of an invitation meant the gathering would not benefit from the inclusion of a gay voice. ''I think a mistake was made in not including me in those conversations,'' Bishop Robinson told BBC television.
''I was the only openly gay voice that might have been at the table. But I will do all I can from the fringe.
''God is leading us to the full inclusion of gay and lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people.
''I'm doing everything I can to hold the Anglican Communion together. We need each other.''
Archbishop Williams was in ''an almost untenable position,'' Bishop Robinson said.
''No matter what he does, he makes someone mad ... and sometimes everyone mad. And there is no doubt in my mind that his intention is to hold our beloved church together. We ought not to be fearful about the Church. The Church is not ours to win or lose. The Church is God's, and God will take care of the Church.'' AFP