The Church of England’s power struggle

Blimey, who’s going to resign next? Chartres? Williams? The Queen? God maybe? What’s going on here?

A high-profile branch of the C of E has been put in the media spotlight in a way that it cannot cope with. It is being cast as stooge of the System, bankers’ poodle. It wants desperately to communicate its sympathy with liberal opinion, with the concerns of the protesters. It feels that it is being cornered into looking like their antagonist, even like some sort of tyrannical regime, hiding in a big domed palace. No C of E cleric wants to be the focus of this. Giles Fraser sensed that the episode might result in violent scenes — such scenes must not be risked at any cost, he implied; it would be too disastrous for the Church. This increased the focus on the Dean. He realised that he might have to be the face of the powerful Church, in cahoots with police force. He very sensibly decided that this was not part of his career plan. Why should radical Giles be sainted by the media, and he demonised?

The Church of England, though still a powerful institution, has become deeply averse to the exercise of power. Normally, its close relationship with power is muted, hidden. Yes, it happens to own some massive buildings, and to be involved in royal weddings and so on, but surely there is no longer any involvement in state power in any negative sense — that’s all in the past. But of course a powerful institution cannot also be a complete pussycat. It has interests to defend, money to raise, and so on. Seemingly by accident, the protesters have exposed this — they have raised the question of whether the established Church can avoid complicity in the dominant forces of the world.

What we are seeing — please remember that you heard it here first — is the beginning of the death throes of the established Church. Really. For when the worldly power of the institution needs defending, in a way that isn’t particularly pretty, the clergy sense that they will be crucified rather than thanked by public opinion for doing so, and jump ship. When the downside of being an established Church is brought to the surface, it is found to be literally indefensible.