It’s somehow not that surprising to find that the Bishop of London has gone on Twitter to suggest that churches should consider closing. Sarah Mullally wrote:
‘The situation is serious in @dioceseoflondon do read the request from @londoncouncils and consider the seriousness of the situation as you take your local decisions.’
Well, thanks for that. Her observation is plainly intended to push for closures; it’s the only possible way of interpreting her contribution. And duly, she led the news this morning. She’s following Sadiq Khan here, mayor of London, who, when he declared a state of emergency yesterday, called for places of worship to close.
It’s one thing for a politician to want to be seen to be closing things down; quite another for a senior member of the Anglican hierarchy. But then Mullally is a former chief nursing officer and it’s surely the nurse who’s speaking here, not an actual cleric, even if you accept the validity of her orders.
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