Melanie McDonagh Melanie McDonagh

The desecration of Canterbury cathedral

Canterbury Cathedral (Credit: Getty images)

According to canon 1220 of the Catholic church’s code of canon law, ‘all those responsible are to take care that in churches such cleanliness and beauty are preserved as befit a house of God and that whatever is inappropriate to the holiness of the place is excluded’. So, if Canterbury cathedral were still Catholic, as it was for 900 years before the discordant event of the Reformation, it is fair to say that the ghost of Thomas Becket would not have been disturbed by the rave in the nave which took place last night and is repeated tonight.

People wanting to visit the cathedral – and just possibly say their prayers there, which is the entire purpose of the building – yesterday encountered a notice saying: ‘Please note: the cathedral precincts will be closed to visitors from 17:00 today in preparation for the silent disco’.

The event is in fact a repeat of the grisly silent disco held there in February which brought Britney and Eminem into the cathedral.

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