Updated again Monday morning
Ruth Gledhill reports in The Times about an article to be published on Saturday by Rowan Williams.
Her blog entry: Archbishop of Canterbury: ‘Stop humiliating our MPs.’
Her preview article, with video: Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams: humiliation of MPs must stop
Here is the article itself: Enough humiliation. We must move on by Rowan Williams.
Updates Saturday
The Independent has a leader agreeing with the archbishop, The pursuit of MPs is becoming a witch-hunt.
The Telegraph has an article headlined MPs’ expenses: politicians and church leaders defend Telegraph’s investigation which reports the opinions others, including Lord Carey and the Bishop of Rochester, and opening with:
There was strong opposition to a call from Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, for an end to the “systematic humiliation” of MPs, which he claimed was undermining democracy…
Ekklesia has published Poll challenges Archbishop’s idea that expenses scandal is bad for democracy and You’re missing the point, archbishop told over scandal-hit MPs. And also Public backs independent candidates to challenge failing system.
Update Monday morning
George Pitcher has some interesting comments about all this, in the Telegraph. See MPs’ expenses: Things the Archbishops never told us.
…unbeknown to either of us, as we were talking a column by his successor to the See of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, was being put to bed by The Times, along with the headline: “Archbishop appeals for end to MPs’ humiliation”.
When I relayed the headline to Lord Carey later, he said he was “surprised that Rowan is taking this approach”. So, presumably, was Dr Williams. Because actually he had said nothing of the sort.
Would that Rowan would apply the same principles to church leaders who think it is okay to insult the occupants of this planet and its mother (Eve). “The question “What can I get away with without technically breaching the regulations?” is not a good basis for any professional behaviour that has real integrity.” One of the problems with the convenant with Jesus is that a whole lot of nasty Christians have determined they can get away with insults, genocide, tyranny, lies, deceit and abuse because they technically have not breached the regulations. They consider that songs of praise to Jesus… Read more »
I thought RW’s combination of (1) scepticism about the bloodthirstiness of the public’s attack on the politicians with (2) exposing the problem of going by regulations rather than integrity or virtue – was exactly right.
As always, Cheryl, you speak the most sense on this blog. Perhaps I have not reviewed the whole gamut of reporting on the Westminster debacle but I am not sure this is humiliation, or if it is, then Jesus was merely humiliating all those he denounced as hypocrites. This state has increasingly criminalised breaches of its regulations and rules, anything from TV licences to car tax. The state is swift and uncaring in its application of the strictures it has laid down in relation to fraud, especially benefit fraud. It has failed in its own covenant with the people; it… Read more »
It’s hard to imagine how an Archbishop of Canterbury at the beginning of the 21st century could be worse than Rowan williams. He sides with oppressors at every opportunity, within the Church and outside it. He gives help and succour to homophobes and those who oppress women within the Anglican Communion, and now he sides with crooks and frauds. Please can he stand down?
The Archbishop says stop, it endangers democracy, but goes on about a culture of rules. Rather, the danger to democracy is if this is not fully exposed, because what is needed is full scale root and branch reform. MPs are part of a cynicism of rules based activity and need their own professionalism and decision making to return.
http://pluralistspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/05/rot-of-culture-of-rules.html
I think that Rowan Williams is voicing concerns that many have about the media circus surrounding the issues raised, quite genuinely regarding the misuse of public funds by some individuals in a position of trust. The hysteria and anger that it has provoked, reminds me very much of the treatment of Diana Princess of Wales following her seperation and divorce from Prince Charles. The media circus would not let her alone, and whatever they might say, were part of the cause of her unfortunate demise. whatever Rowan Williams does is open to criticism as is the actions of all prominent… Read more »
One finds virtue in the most unexpected places. The ‘Telegraph’ has performed signal service over the last two weeks. Had they not done what they did, little of this would have surfaced. As for RW’s comments, (a) the responsibility is those corrupt politicians’;(b) the exposure is necessary and therapeutic. Even David Cameron understands this (virtue etc.). This latest instance is yet another illustration of the dangers of Church leaders pontificating outside their area.
What about the perks and expenses in the House of Bishops and the rest of the Church of England… reduced Public school fees, Clergy Hospital and no rates on the Vicararge. Parishes in some cases paying utility bills etc. Remember this is the same Church that forced a Warwickshire couple to maintain their parish church. I think Private Eye summed up the Parliament scandal well with its cover… The house of Commons… with a caption saying we are ashamed (we got found out)…. But there again Rowan like the Church of England is the result of Parliament , who remains… Read more »
Can I implore everyone to take a deep breath and read Cantuar’s article again? We desperately need a mature debate on the matter of public morality, and +Rowan’s article seems to me to be a good place to begin. It helps, of course, that +Carey and +Nazir-Ali have set themselves against him; that, in my book, means he must be right. (That’s my conditioned reflex out of the way.) Much more importantly, the article itself clearly and helpfully distinguishes between the pillorying of MPs for their disgraceful venality and the need to base the conduct of public life on something… Read more »
“Would that Rowan would apply the same principles to church leaders who think it is okay to insult the occupants of this planet and its mother (Eve).” – Cheryl, on Saturday – Cheryl, I don’t know whether you read Abp. Rowan Williams’ final speech to AC14 in Jamaica, where he outlined the wounds caused by the Churches’ attitude towards the LGBT community, but if you had you would not have been able to say what you have said here. Abp. Ropwan is too often criticised by the very community he knows to be vulnerable – simply because as the Archbishop… Read more »
The Archbishop seems to me quite right about the importance of trust and how, at a fundamental level, you can’t regulate it into existence. But I couldn’t help thinking how fundamentally the Church of England is failing on this very issue in the in the debate over women bishops and the demands for strict regulations to ‘protect’ opponents? Are we criticizing society in general for a lack of a standard of trust that the Church of England cannot muster among our own members?
When I wrote my blog entry at around 4 am Saturday (i.e. late Friday) I wrote: Saturday, 23 May 2009 The Rot of a Culture of Rules The Archbishop of Canterbury’s commentary on British political culture in The Times is entitled Enough humiliation. We must move on, but this particular point is not pursued. In other words, the title was there, he said something, but pursued a different tack. I stopped trusting newspaper splashes by headlines and journalistic spin a long time ago. He does say: the continuing systematic humiliation of politicians itself threatens to carry a heavy price in… Read more »
“clear the wrongdoers out” A near impossible task. The only honest politician is one who hasn’t been caught. Increased clarity in these things is desirable, the strings on the public purse should be as tight as possible. But the outrage about this is kind of funny, just like it was here a couple of years ago when our politicians were caught doing the same thing. I really thought people here knew better. It’s not like our politicians have shown themselves bastions of honour and honesty in the past few centuries. Sure, get rid of ’em, punish ’em, make ’em pay… Read more »