The suggestion is viewed as a positive and pragmatic step by many, but there is no question it represents a significant retreat for the Church of England.
Rooms from £140 (marrakech-riad.co.uk/riad-star-homepage/) Le Palais Paysan This modern retreat opened in the foothills of the Atlas mountains this summer, offering respite from the heat and hustle of Marrakech, 25km away.
But if they don't back up their words with action and continue to deploy the filibuster and retreat of the old politics in the face of social inequality then they too will reap a bitter harvest.
"The UK is one of the most open and globally engaged cultures in the world; DfID (the Department for International Development) is a world leader in aid programming but politically we are in retreat," he said.
Instead I booked myself on a 10-day silent meditation retreat run by a Burmese monk in Thailand.
There are about 120 of us doing the Gujarat retreat, all but 10 of whom are Indian.
But this breezy resort on Holland's North Sea coast is better known as an artists' retreat, its moody seascapes, endless dunes and extraordinary light attracting painters, writers and architects who have been leaving their mark on this laid-back and likable village since the 1900s.
The US has agreed to a package of military assistance for countries in the Arab Gulf, as escalating tensions with Iran serve as an ominous backdrop to their joint summit at the Camp David presidential retreat outside Washington.
He made the proposal in a wide ranging speech to the press gallery in which he also urged the Tories not to focus too much on Europe, and not to retreat into a "core vote" strategy.
Unsurprisingly, Number 10 beat a hasty retreat on this idea later in the day.
Where to stay The Landmark Trust has two stunning rooftop self-catering apartments in the beautiful Villa dei Vescovi, once a summer retreat for the bishops of Padua (from £603 for four nights, sleeps four, landmarktrust.org.uk).uk
