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The Flying Archbishop
Cranmer publishes the speech Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu gave to the Institute of Jewish Policy Research last week.
It's an excellent and incisive piece on the role of religion in public life. Extraordinarily, this subject has quickly become one of the biggest issues in British politics in recent years; the Archbishop's thoughtful words on responsibility, service and liberty are likely to keep it this way, and we recommend you read the entire speech. The Archbishop has harsh words for the government's attacks on liberty in the name of "human rights", but is equally tough on rapacious capitalism and the "consumer society."
Where the speech was delivered was of importance. Dr Sentamu was invited to receive a gold medal from the Institute of Jewish Policy Research; there seems to be much support for the Archbishop's defence of the established religion's role in public life among Britain's other faith communities, particularly among Jews and Roman Catholics.
This echoes Daniel Finkelstein's thoughts on the same subject, which we noted on EURSOC in February:
"Immigrants and their children in this country receive a fantastic deal. We are able to practise our religion in peace. We can openly enjoy our culture. Our colleagues tolerate our taking vacations on holy days and they even let their children be taught about some of our practices, which is most courteous, I must say (...)
"Why should the mild, gentle culture of the Anglicans not deserve the same preservation and respect as any other ancient culture? I regard the Jewish tradition as something I hold in trust for my children. What of the culture and sights and sounds of this country and its heritage?
"I'm not calling for a retreat from the tolerance and mutual respect of this country. That's the last thing I want. I depend on it, don't I?
"It's just that I don't think tolerance and mutual respect come from nowhere. There's a reason why this country shows it, why we have fought for it, and died for it. I am just saying that if this country doesn't protect its own heritage and culture, how can I expect it to protect mine?"
There is an understanding in some quarters that if Anglican Christianity is removed from the scene, a dangerous vacuum will be created. The Archbishop of York is one of the few leading churchmen to recognise this fact which is apparent to Christians, non-believers and those of other faiths alike.
The Archbishop was also in the news over the weekend for taking part in a charity parachute jump to raise awareness of Afghanistan Army veterans:
"It's important for citizens of this country to value those who risk their lives for the sake of this country, so I'm doing my part," he said.
