From Dr Phillip Rice
Sir, — By an accident of history, the Stock Market and St Paul’s Cathedral are next to each other. Until the past few weeks, it was quite possible that the worshippers in St Paul’s were unaware of how close they were to their very near neighbour across the square. And quite possibly each side lived largely unaware of the other; but not now, as the square is full of protesters and their tents.
While the anti-capitalist protes-ters may have set out to burn with dissatisfaction over taxes, about the unfair way in which the poor are paying for the sins of the rich bankers, and to close down the Stock Market, the surprise is that they have instead closed down St Paul’s Cathedral for the first time since the Second World War.
What started as a friendly gesture to the “Saturday-only demo” in the City of London around St Paul’s has now turned into a first-rate public-relations disaster as soon as the cathedral closed to daily worshippers. But there are more historical parallels than the protesters and church authorities might realise.
The big closure was occasioned by the enormous damage to the City of London and the economy of the Kingdom after the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the destruction of the old St Paul’s. It may be a surprise to learn how the austerity was tackled then. The tax issue of the late 17th century was tax on sea-borne coal into the London area. This tax was unjust and partial, in that only the south paid it. But then this tax was used as public expend-iture to revive the City of London economy, and in particular it paid for the rebuilding of St Paul’s between 1670 and 1711.
There is more. John Evelyn, the diarist, complained: “the air of London is polluted by clouds of sea-coal,” and wanted a regulatory fix to the problems in the City. So there was environmental economics here, too. And it was only in June 2011 that St Paul’s celebrated the completion, with generous City support, of a 15-year programme to clean and renew the cathedral stone damaged by air pollution. This is all beginning to sound rather contemporary.
I trust that St Paul’s will continue to have an incarnational ministry at the centre of the City, and the church authorities will find a way to reopen if the tents continue.
PHILLIP RICE
(Tax economist and Friend of St Paul’s Cathedral)
23 Christchurch Square
London E9 7HU
From Canon Richard Ames-Lewis
Sir, — The closure of St Paul’s Cathedral in the face of the anti-capitalist protest camp presents us with some disturbing contrasts.
The iconic west front of the cathedral provides an unlikely backdrop for the assembled tents, and sets up a visual contrast between wealth and poverty, the permanent and the provisional, and, of course, between the Church and the dispossessed.
All of this would be dynamic and loaded with missionary potential were it not for the fact that the Dean and Chapter chose to lock the doors of the cathedral.
The lock-out builds an impenetrable wall between the cathedral and the protesters. It demonstrates the caving-in of the cathedral to issues of health and safety, showing greater concern for the security of the building than for solidarity with their new neighbours. It also provides the protesters with huge publicity: they may not have occupied Paternoster Square, but they have chanced upon an opportunity to force the hand of another city institution, St Paul’s.
Whose side is the cathedral on? Earlier in the week, the Canon Chancellor had asked the police to move on because “the cathedral can look after itself.” That sounds like a gospel policy of risk and solidarity. But later in the week we were disturbingly reminded that the cathedral cannot look after itself without the help of lock and key.
There must be some way in which dialogue can continue, and cathedral and protesters can co-exist, allowing St Paul’s to remain open for worshippers and tourists, and the protesters to be treated by the cathedral as honoured guests like everyone else.
RICHARD AMES-LEWIS
21 Victoria Street
Cambridge CB1 1JP
From Mr Matthew Robertson
Sir, — The closure of St Paul’s Cathedral is a depressing development for all concerned, but it is the irony that strikes me as particularly cutting.
For all their sentiments, the protesters have put forward no coherent alternative to the capitalist system that they are seeking to overthrow, while many City workers (though by no means all) see this economic turmoil as an unavoidable product of the capitalist system, and wish to carry on with business as usual.
As part of a religious institution that has its roots in subversion, St Paul’s Cathedral has much to offer this battle between idealism and pragmatism. Throughout the centuries, Christians have straddled both worlds, trying to live out the ideals of their moral calling amid the ambiguities of day-to-day life. It is this spirit in which the St Paul’s Institute serves, working as an offshoot of the cathedral to promote dialogue with the financial sector about how the economic system can be ethically reformed.
It is my sincere hope that this message of compromise and balance can be heard over the loud and often unconsidered statements made by the zealots on both sides.
MATTHEW ROBERTSON
10 Bell Mead, Sawbridgeworth
Hertfordshire CM21 9ES
From the Revd John Ray
Sir, — The campers outside St Paul’s unwittingly force on the Church’s attention our identification with Western — now globalised — culture, or at least our cultural captivity to it. We must be alert, lest Jesus be found in those chilly tents rather than within the closed doors behind them.
The matter is vital and urgent. We have not very much time left.
JOHN RAY
190 Sarehole Road
Birmingham B28 8EF
From the Bishop of St Asaph
Sir, — I am sure the protesters meant well, but doesn’t it rather defeat the purpose if Occupy the London Stock Exchange turns into Occupy St Paul’s Cathedral? Has the Church suffered from being the softest target as usual, while the Stock Exchange carries on with a wry smile on its face?
GREGORY K. CAMERON
Esgobty, Upper Denbigh Road
St Asaph LL17 0TW
From the Revd John Collins
Sir, — As one who is against cathedral entry charges and proud to worship in one that does not so charge, I am not sure how to feel about St Paul’s Cathedral’s reported loss of £16,000 a day, owing to its closure by the finance protesters.
I cannot see why the church should be closed to regular Sunday worshippers, however. Surely there are other entrances for this purpose. How did the clergy and choir get in? This action is only playing into the hands of the protesters, who can now well see their way to staying until Christmas.
JOHN COLLINS
12 Exeter Road
Chichester PO19 5EF
From Mr John Ewington
Sir, — What a lot of wimps they are at St Paul’s! Fancy allowing these demonstrators to be the excuse for closing the capital’s cathedral.
The church in places like Baghdad remains open for worship in spite of bombings and threats to worshippers and clergy. It rather make the situation at St Paul’s pale into insignificance.
I agree that the cathedral has shown these demonstrators great patience, but perhaps now is the time for the police to move them on. If I so much as parked my car outside St Paul’s for a couple of hours, it would be towed away.
JOHN EWINGTON
Hillbrow, Bletchingley
Surrey RH1 4PJ