Displaying items by tag: John Sentamu

John Sentamu, the former archbishop, said, ‘There was an unbelievable depth of Prince Philip’s rootedness in Christ, and Her Majesty is exactly the same. I have not met a couple that are so free.’ He said he had prayed with them both; their prayers were never said aloud, but they would say amen. The royal family are proving they are no ‘different in grief from anybody else. They want to be part of the grieving for the nation, for the many people who died from Covid-19, and for those who have not been able to be present when their loved one is being buried.’ Dr Sentamu joked that Philip would have appreciated his shortened funeral service, because ‘the duke could not stand what he called “long church”'.

280,000 social care workers are in insecure and low-paid work, leaving them vulnerable to Covid-19. A petition has been launched appealing for Matthew Hancock to provide funding so that all social care sector staff can be paid the Real Living Wage of £10.75 an hour in London and £9.30 in the rest of the UK. Dr John Sentamu said, ‘It is morally wrong to put our care workers on the front line in the face of infection and potential death, with limited personal protective equipment, and to do that for poverty pay. I hope that if this epidemic teaches us anything, it will be to draw us back to justice, compassion and love. That is why I am proud to support the campaign for the Government to prioritise the proper funding of social care, ensuring that every care worker will get paid a Real Living Wage.’

Time to ‘leave our echo chambers’ and listen to others, said the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. ‘Stand up for the truth and challenge falsehoods when we hear them’. They are urging voters to ‘honour the gift of truth’ as they engage in political debate in the run-up to the general election. Their letter calls people to engage responsibly on social media and uphold the Christian values of truth, humility and love. ‘People who hold different political views are not our enemies,’ they say. The message also calls on Christians to reject the ‘language of prejudice’, particularly at a time when several groups - especially in Jewish and Muslim communities - feel threatened. Pray that debates will unite rather than divide, and bring us together to trust our institutions, politicians and our politics. See also the next article, on Anti-Semitism, politics and prayer.

The Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, wrote in the Yorkshire Post, ‘It is five years since Universal Credit was launched to simplify the UK welfare system. Had everything gone to plan, it would have been up and running across the country by now. Instead, the policy remains a source of ongoing controversy. As a follower of Jesus Christ, my greatest concern is how this policy affects the poorest members of our community. In the Bible, we are called to uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. It is right that we look at the impact which Universal Credit, in its current form, is having on our poorest neighbours. We must listen to them, pay heed to what they are telling us, and add our voices to theirs in pointing out where improvements might be made. For it is the person who wears the shoe who knows where it is pinching.’

UK’s trading relationships will soon no longer be tied to the EU. Dr John Sentamu reflected on future trading relationships with the world's poorest countries. Millions still live in poverty, lacking access to clean water, education, decent jobs and opportunities. Global economic growth has delivered prosperity for some, leaving others behind. But international trade, when done the right way, is an opportunity for the poor - creating jobs, livelihoods, and hope for the future - while generating national wealth to pay for education, training, roads, clinics and hospitals. Recently experts in these countries highlighted a straightforward agenda for what they believe trade with the UK should look like after Brexit. They want their countries to be able to develop their own economies, to be able to trade more closely with their nearest geographical neighbours, and to industrialise and add value to what they produce.

The Church of England's General Synod recently took place. On 7 July, the Archbishop of York John Sentamu rejected the authority of the Bible in response to an amendment proposed by Andrea Williams, to insert the words ‘as revealed in the Bible and taught by the Church’ to a motion calling for politicians to ‘prioritise the common good of all people.’ Andrea spoke on the need for the Bible to inform our understanding of the common good. The archbishop said, ‘If you’re going to serve the whole community please don’t limit our language. The Word became flesh and sadly we are now making it Word, Word and Word again. Resist the amendments.’ On 8 July the Synod passed a private member’s motion by an LGBT activist to ban therapy for unwanted same-sex attraction. Sentamu spoke in favour of the motion. Also rejected were the protection of life, the promotion of marriage and family, and the maintaining of Christian freedoms.