by Julia Lopez, Spectator
There was a unique focus on life and death in parliament last week, with critical votes on the decriminalisation of abortion and legalisation of assisted dying. Both propositions affect the interests of the most vulnerable. So what, I wondered, was the Established Church’s take on them?
In recalling the now-retired Archbishop of Canterbury’s strident interventions on matters for elected politicians – from benefit cuts and border control to a ‘no deal’ Brexit – not to mention the Church’s costly self-flagellation over reparations, one might expect its leadership to be equally robust in defending the unborn, the sick, and the welfare of mothers. But truth be told, as I began my search, I was actually seeking confirmation. Confirmation of a suspicion I have had since the pandemic (when church doors stayed closed rather too enthusiastically) that on the crunchiest spiritual and moral issues of the day, the Church of England’s leadership finds it all a bit uncomfortable.
On decriminalisation, I looked for public proclamations emanating from the offices of both Canterbury and York – since we are currently in an archbishop interregnum. There were prayers for Ahmedabad, the Middle East and Father’s Day. There was a daily exploration of the Lord’s Prayer, and a post heralding Refugee Week 2025. In advance of last week’s votes, however, there was not even a gentle, opinion-free prayer for parliamentarians ahead of some challenging decisions.