The Political Hypocrite and the Mancunian Episcopate
from The English Churchman:
The collective societal gasp at CCTV images of the Health Secretary and his paramour was quite understandable. There for all the world to see, was Matt Hancock engaged in behaviour that he had criminalised for the rest of the country. Hands, Face, Space? His hands were certainly out of place, as indeed was his face, and as for space—there was just no daylight between where the two stood on the matter, to put it politely.
[…] Most surprising were the public comments on the affair du jour by the Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Revd David Walker. Interviewed on GBNews on Sunday, 27 June, he gave his opinion.
“I’m actually feeling quite sorry for Mr Hancock this morning – a middle aged man, struggling a little in his job, he has a fling in the workplace – it’s hardly that controversial at that level is it? And I think…had he not been the health secretary then maybe the matter should have been left entirely private – something for the families to sort out between themselves”.
The bishop continued, “I think I’m more worried about the fact that he failed to keep the social distancing than I am about the fact that here is a middle-aged bloke having a bit of a fling”.
For Christians, Walker’s description of Hancock’s sin as ‘a bit of a fling’ probably brought more of a gasp than the photos of Hancock and his mistress elicited from the general populace. The bishop’s response is emblematic of many problems faced by the Church of England. The Church has a clearly defined set of divinely revealed theological doctrines that it expects its clergy to believe, teach, and confess. The teaching on marriage is expressed particularly in the Articles, the canons and the wedding service—Adultery isn’t a fling. Adultery isn’t a distraction. Adultery is clearly contrary to God’s Word. Adultery is a sin.
Read also: The strange religiosity of Covid compliance by Daniel French, Spectator (£)
Please right-click links to open in a new window.
Related Posts
Tags
Share This
