Alfie Evans and the Invisible Church of England
by Caleb Acker, The College Conservative:
As Alfie Evans dies under the government of England, the Church of England remains (un)mysteriously silent and invisible.
Alfie is a toddler with an undiagnosed but devastating neurological disease. After his doctors decided that it was best for Alfie to die, the UK Court of Appeals ruled in their favor and against Alfie’s parents. On April 25th, Alfie was barred from leaving the country. Over the past few days, an outpouring of support and prayer has come from all parts of the world, including from the Pope himself and Vatican doctors. Meanwhile, the Church of England and its leadership say nothing.
A STATE CHURCH
How could any church stay quiet on this issue? Simply answered, the Church of England belongs to the State of England. As a state church, the Church of England answers ultimately to the government, a government that has just condemned Alfie Evans to the verdict of a hospital. But is the church’s obligation to the state the only reason for its silence?
A STATE ARCHBISHOP
Currently, the Church of England is led by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Welby rose quickly in the Anglican ranks to become Archbishop after only a short time as a bishop. Soon, Welby will preside over the celebration of marriage. At the same time, he fails to celebrate the life of Alfie Evans.
A writer on ethics, Welby has presided over a divisive time in the Church of England. A 2014 survey of Anglican clergy shows wide diversity of thought on various hot-button theological issues like same-sex marriage, religious pluralism, and the sanctity of life. Twenty-two percent of the clergy believe that the government should legalize assisted suicide. Astoundingly, only sixteen percent of the clergy believe that abortion should be illegal.
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