War, unity of communion are (George) Carey's final concerns.

London

Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey officially retired Oct. 31, using his last days in office to warn against the dangers of war with Iraq and of "internal quarrels" within the Anglican Communion.

His successor, Archbishop Rowan Williams of Wales, is seen as a liberal on homosexuality, the most contentious issue facing the church, but Archbishop Carey reiterated his traditionalist view.

"The Church of England is poised with the rest of the Anglican Communion in standing firm on traditional morality and ... it's my view that we shift from that at our peril," he said.

One of Archbishop Carey's last trips abroad was to Toronto where he reiterated his concerns that the issue of blessing same-sex unions could tear the communion apart.

Archbishop Carey also hosted a two-day meeting in London to build on the Alexandria Declaration, issued last January, in which leaders of the three main faiths in the Holy Land rejected violence and supported a religiously sanctioned cease-fire.

The Times reported that the archbishop would spend six months finishing his autobiography and would then become religious consultant to the Swiss-based World Economic Forum which organizes an annual gathering of business leaders and political figures.

There was little media fanfare over the departure of Archbishop Carey, 66, after 11 years as Archbishop of Canterbury. Archbishop Williams will be enthroned on Feb. 27.