The Spectator

Barometer | 20 August 2011

issue 20 August 2011

Bishops and rioters

From the Scarman report to ‘Faith in the City’, no British riot is complete without politicians and churchmen weighing in with the answers. It was no different in the 13th century. In 1272 the townsmen of Norwich rioted after the prior to the city’s monastery refused to allow the arrest of monastic servants charged with murder. The cathedral was burned down. In response, the bishop excommunicated the townsfolk, but two years later the Pope was asked to pass judgment. He deferred to Edward I, who besides ordering the townsmen to pay 3,000 marks towards rebuilding the cathedral, produced an agreement with a phrase worthy of a primary school headmistress: ‘That all parties should be real friends.’

National service

David Cameron floated the idea of non-military national service in response to the riots. Only seven European countries retain national service for men.

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