I have mixed feelings about ‘the Reverend Richard Coles’, whose new memoir I have just read. It’s great that a vicar has such high visibility – and why shouldn’t there be one or two luvvie-priests, who mix smoothly with celebs? And I have no doubt that he combines this with being an excellent parish priest, preaching great sermons, patiently attending to the needy (in a way that the rest of us don’t).
And yet…how shall I put this? It’s not totally ideal that the most famous vicar of our day represents the camp-smug-gossipy wing of the church. His love of vestments and incense and saucy humour is in a long and venerable-ish Anglican tradition. And he is a nice, gentle, wise face of this tradition: he’s well aware of its potential ghastliness. And yet, he exemplifies its air of complacency.
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