Letters: Immunity passports are nothing new

Too many bishops

Sir: As a former Anglican clergyman, I have been following your articles about the current state of the Church of England with interest and sadness. I note that the recent article by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York is strong on modish phrases, such as a ‘mixed ecology church’, but it ignores two of the large elephants in the room (‘A Christian vision’, 13 February).

The number of bishops over the past century has more or less doubled, in spite of the diminishing number of worshippers and parish clergy. Likewise, while archdeacons used commonly to run their own parishes in addition to their archdiaconal duties, they are now separately housed and paid, along with an army of administrators and advisers.

While the government outrageously prohibited church services during the first lockdown, it has seen reason subsequently to permit them within social distancing rules. However, I see that most Anglican churches remain closed, or without public worship. By contrast, my local Catholic church is open for prayer and mass is offered at least once a day with social distancing in place. It has been a tremendous comfort during these times.
Richard Martin
Oxford

Higher calling?

Most popular

Ameer Kotecha

Lindt has cheapened itself

Sir: I don’t suppose I’m alone in hoping that the Archbishop of Canterbury read the Letters page in your 13 February issue and that he takes urgent and practical action accordingly. Does he have any idea of the near-contempt in which the church’s ‘higher management’ is held? Substantial cuts and other economies at diocesan levels are clearly called for, and far greater support given to front line parish ministry.
Bryan Samain
Halesworth, Suffolk

I am no Janus

James Hawes’s magnificently eccentric review of my book This Sovereign Isle (23 January) accuses me of changing my mind about the Glorious Revolution — a subject that occupies some four lines of my text, much less than Hawes devotes to it in his.