Archbishop Michael Peers, the former primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, will receive an honorary doctor of divinity degree and deliver the commencement address at the Episcopal Divinity School on May 20 in Cambridge, Mass.

In an announcement, the school said Archbishop Peers encouraged "greater inclusiveness in the life of the church and addressed major issues facing Canada and the world from a Christian perspective."

Also among the four people scheduled to receive honorary degrees was Bishop V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. Currently the centre of controversy as the first openly-gay bishop in the Episcopal Church of the United States, he was cited for his study of "congregational dynamics, conflict and mediation" and his work for affordable housing and access to health care.