Headlines featuring archbishops and cover-ups of child sex abuse were once largely the province of the Catholic Church, but last month it was the Anglican Church's turn. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has succumbed to immense pressure from within and outside the church. resigned from the position.
A look back at the church's response to serial sexual offenders. John Smithfound that Welby showed a “clear lack of curiosity” when informed of the abuse allegations in 2013 and did not ensure the matter was handed over to police. Ten years later, this apparent mistake brought the archbishop's career to an abrupt end.
To think of this as a solemn but essentially internal matter for the Episcopal Communion, a worldwide denomination of 85 million people that includes the Episcopal Church in the United States and the Anglican Communion in Canada, Mexico, and Latin America. It would be easy. Although the Archbishop of Canterbury has no legal jurisdiction beyond England, he is regarded by other states as an equal number one and serves as the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church.
In Britain, where the archbishop holds the helm, the church is in decline. Weekly attendance at religious services in 2022 will be just 654,000 people, half of what it was 20 years ago. On its current trajectory, the Church of England will be all but extinct in its birthplace by the 2060s.
But Mr Welby's resignation has had wider repercussions. First, this is a very rare event. He became the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury in 597 AD, succeeding St. Augustine, but was the first man to be removed from office in more than 300 years. William Sancroft It was revoked in 1690 for refusing allegiance to the new monarchs William III and Mary II. Since then, archbishops have died in office or recently retired. Welby would have reached retirement age in 14 months.
The Church of England is in decline in terms of membership. However, it retains a distinct identity as it is an established church (in England, not Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland) and the King is its supreme governor. Britain's constitutional arrangements are the antithesis of the separation of church and state. Twenty-six of the most senior bishops sit in the House of Lords, where they debate and vote on public legislation. All prisons in England are required by law to have an Anglican chaplain, and a quarter of public primary schools are run by the Church of England.
The King is required by law to take an oath at his coronation, which includes vows to “maintain in England the Reformed Protestant religion as established by law” and “to maintain the settlement of the Church of England, its doctrines and worship.” It includes a promise to maintain and preserve inviolably. Discipline and govern in accordance with the established laws of Great Britain. ”
Although this privileged position in society is not unique, the only legislative body in the world with a seat reserved for clerics is the Guardian Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Since the 19th century, there have been movements to strip the church of its privileged status. The Church of Ireland was dissolved in 1871, while the Welsh branch of the Church of England lost its official status in 1920. Support for abolition grew from within the Church of England in the late 1920s, but at that time Parliament refused to approve the changes to the church. Book of Common Prayer.
According to opinion polls, about half of the population is satisfied with the current situation. However, the last census in 2021 showed that less than half (46.2 per cent) of people in England and Wales identified themselves as some kind of Christian. That number has fallen by 13 points in just 10 years, falling below 50 percent for the first time. This historic development has sparked a new debate about the established status of the Church of England, and Archbishop Justin's overthrow could reignite that debate.
This is not unique to Britain, but also applies to the role of religion, especially Christianity, in public life. British socialist writer George Orwell was the first to refer to the “Judeo-Christian moral system” in 1939, drawing on the sensibilities that had underpinned British and American politics for centuries. It was a label. It is a religious belief, shared by the majority of people, and therefore outlines the concept of society.
America remains highly religious. Two-thirds of Americans still consider themselves Christians, but that percentage is decreasing. This time, Britain may be a harbinger of where America is headed. But 50 years from now, historians may look back from a largely godless society and see the Archbishop of Canterbury's downfall as a milestone.
Time is running out if we are to stop Christianity and then turn the tide. It may be too late in Britain, but Christians in America must consider how to revitalize their faith.
Elliott Wilson is a freelance writer on politics and international issues and co-founder of Pivot Point Group. He was a senior member of the UK House of Commons from 2005 to 2016, including Secretary of the Defense Committee and Secretary of the UK Delegation to NATO Parliament.
