Church in row over plan to show Pride flag on altar over claims it politicises place of worship and will lead to ‘moral anarchy’

Jan 30, 2023 by Jill

by Andrew Levy, Mailonline:

A historic church’s controversial plan to display a gay Pride flag on its altar is to be ruled on in a landmark legal case after protesters complained that it was ‘politicising’ a place of worship.

St Nicholas Church in Leicester had hung the colourful flags at weekend services but then last year switched them for a much larger permanent version.

Church reverend Canon Karen Rooms claims the huge fabric Progress Pride Flag is merely a way of letting visitors know they are ‘welcome and safe’.

But opponents, including parishioners and General Synod members have accused the church, parts of which date from around 900AD, of ‘woke’ virtue signalling.

A test case will now be heard by the Church of England’s consistory court, with campaigners warning it will ‘open the floodgates’ to ideological imagery in other churches if given the go-ahead.

Sam Margrave, of the Synod, the CofE’s governing council, told The Sunday Telegraph that the ‘infiltration’ was allowing ‘moral anarchy’.

Canon Rooms wrote in her submission for the faculty that the flag ‘is a simple statement of welcome and safety’.

The Diocese of Leicester said: ‘All new altar frontals require permission… The application… is with the Diocesan Chancellor’s office and will be decided in due course.’

Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern, said: ‘Placing a Pride flag on the altar, which symbolises a political sexual ideology completely at odds with the gospel, must be challenged.’

Read here