What is the church’s role in politics?

Apr 29, 2022 by

from The Week:

Archbishop of Canterbury doubles down on criticism of the government’s Rwanda plan.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has warned that the Church of England is “not a passive observer of migration policy” after Boris Johnson criticised him for speaking out against government plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was accused by Conservative MPs of “misguided moralising” after using his Easter Sunday address to criticise the controversial proposal, while Boris Johnson is reported to have said that senior clergy had been “less vociferous” in criticism of Vladimir Putin than the government and its plans to process refugees in Rwanda.

‘Ethical questions’ over Rwanda plan

In a comment piece for The Telegraph, Welby addressed the criticism levelled at him by the government and parliamentarians, writing: “The Church of England is not a passive observer of migration policy. Some of my fellow bishops, clergy and worshippers came to the UK escaping persecution or conflict.

“We welcome and serve asylum seekers at every level of society – from providing housing, food banks, social support and friendship, to scrutinising legislation in the Lords.”

He added that there were “serious ethical questions about using ‘deterrence’ to stop asylum seekers trying to reach our shores”, adding that the government’s hostile environment policy “does not lead to better or fairer outcomes for anyone. We can and must do better.”

Separating church from state

Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg told The Telegraph that while the Church is “authoritative in all matters that pertain to God”, the same cannot be said for “day-to-day practical solutions”. Conservative MP Ben Bradley added: “I think we separated the church from the state a long time ago, so as I’ve said before, commenting on government policy is not Justin Welby’s job.”

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