It is difficult to think of any Archbishop of Canterbury of modern times who in coming to office will have found civic society in such as state of disarray as the Bishop of Durham will when he assumes his new responsibilities.
The situation is one which affects Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom, and where a majority of the membership of the Church of Ireland are citizens.
The Archbishop elect is worthy of our prayers and especially in his responsibilities in respect of influencing his church’s role in the public affairs of the nation. The challenge at present is not to identify these issues. Rather, because there are so many, the challenge is to identify a small number which can be highlighted in a short comment such as this.
Policing is currently making the headlines due to an incident involving the former Tory Chief Whip and the police on duty at Downing Street. Apart from the power play with the Police Federation, and the internal dynamics of the Tory Party, the question needs to be addressed, as to why society should be surprised at an attempt to ‘fit up’ an MP, coming as it does on the heels of the reports highlighting the fixing of the original police accounts of the Hillsborough disaster. This too was another addition to a sad history of low standards in policing including the framing of people arrested wrongly for IRA mainland bombings and the illegal activities of specialist police squads such as the West Midlands task force which had to be disbanded to name but a few. A major question of ‘who polices the police’ faces UK society and it is to be doubted that the recent elections of local police authority chairs will affect matters where the bobbies boots hit the road. Truth and justice cannot be ignored by a diligent and faithful church.
The fall out of the activities associated with the illegal activities of major media groups is another unresolved issue, never mind the ultimate consequences of the Levinson report. That police collaborated on a paid basis with journalists would appear to be a given. That a senior head in the Metropolitan police resigned is sufficient comment on that aspect of shortcomings in public life. The essential protection of the privacy of individuals needs to be defined more clearly by law. This is more important than the composition and powers of any proposed press council. What needs to be examined effectively is the accessibility to justice in such civil matters. Too often people cannot afford the costs and risks of accessing justice. Likewise, such basic human rights as truth and justice must be of concern to the church.
From his own background and recent experience the Archbishop-elect will not need reminding that the ethics which are essential for banking to operate responsibly have been neglected and indeed deliberately ignored at the highest levels in UK banking. The recent judgments given against British based banks in USA courts and the swingeing penalties Imposed leave no room for complacency, inaction or silence. The Mary of the Magnificat and the Christ of the Sermon on the Mount still cry out for a responsible and caring society with an effective concern for the poor. The banks’ actions, whilst rewarding major perpetrators of malpractice, have sentenced thousands of people to financial captivity. Their actions coupled with state over-borrowing have imprisoned the futures of our children and grandchildren. The church must have ‘A Word from The Lord’ – a word of judgment and stating clearly the need of effective repentance to both the individuals and institutions involved, as well as a word of compassion to those who have been affected by these unwarranted outcomes.
The negative aspects of social communication also need to be addressed. Fundamental to a society based on Judaeo-Christian values is a cardinal statement, “Thous shalt not bear false witness”. The transmission of this basic value could have saved lives in the past year, and the lives of vulnerable young people especially.
Exposing and challenging the privately owned media and the banks from a position of assured impartiality is an onus placed on the BBC. The state and license payers funds are meant to secure that. The recent fallout from the handling of news concerning the late Jimmy Saville undercuts the consumers’ confidence in those journalists and news editors who over the years have shaped the public’s awareness and responses to situations both at home and abroad. Truth and the related effective management responsibility for the same in public service broadcasting are non-negotiable. The voice of the church must be heard in this debate.
Mercifully the Church of England has access to influence. The duties and contacts of those bishops who serve in the House of Lords should not be underestimated. It is an influence which is exercised in corridors and social contact even more so than the specific contributions by bishops to debate which tend to be of a high quality. The capability of government being absorbed with the next days headlines needs to be challenged. The encouragement of consensus amongst political parties on long term goals needs to be a priority in the church’s discussions with the state.
In such strategies as indicated above, the church needs to model to civic society how standards are achieved and maintained, and how communication on matters of serious and legitimate disagreement is undertaken.
That there will be new leaders at the Bank and the BBC as well as Lambeth is surely opportune.
At the end of the day, and based on the Gospel premise, the church is an agent of the one who came to lighten the Gentiles; one who came to ensure that the light of justice and truth would shine in the corridors of power as well as the stable in Bethlehem.
Houston McKelvey