January
A REQUIEM mass for the former Archbishop of Cape Town and Nobel Prize Laureate, Desmond Mpilo Tutu, was celebrated in St George’s Cathedral, Cape Town, on the morning of New Year’s Day. The present Archbishop, Dr Thabo Makgoba, presided at the service, which was conducted in English, Afrikaans, and Xhosa.
The Levelling Up Secretary, Michael Gove, said that the UK needed to learn to “live with Covid”, and that the country could “look forward to the progressive lifting of restrictions”. The Archbishop of Canterbury said that people who chose not to be vaccinated should be encouraged to change their minds — but not compelled by law to do so.
Later in the month, Plan B restrictions were lifted in England; in light of this, C of E guidance was updated to say that the common cup might be used once again at holy communion, although, “given continued potential risks to health”, it remained permissible for only the celebrant to receive in both kinds.
Bishops criticised government plans, set out in the Nationality and Borders Bill, for tackling the asylum-seeker crisis. The Bishop of Chelmsford, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, said: “We need a policy framework that gives future citizens the chance to contribute in meaningful ways.”
AlamyOwen Morrison, aged 15, receives a dose of a Covid-19 vaccine in a clinic at the Glasgow Central Mosque, in January. Second vaccinations for 12-15-year-olds, plus mask-wearing, had been advised in the UK to combat the spread of the virus in schools
An international consultation began to ask whether Anglicans around the world should have a greater say in the choice of the next Archbishop of Canterbury. The Archbishops’ Council had proposed reducing the diocese of Canterbury’s quota on the Crown Nominations Commission for the see of Canterbury from six voting members to three, and to increase the number of voting Anglican Communion members from one to five.
An independent review concluded that a former chairman of the Iwerne Trust, John Smyth QC, gained “unfettered access” to Winchester College from the early 1970s until 1982, which “allowed him to groom boys and created opportunities for abuse”.
Mixed progress had been made on implementing the recommendations of the Archbishops’ Anti-Racism Taskforce, a Synod paper said. It referred to “significant obstacles”, including a lack of money and the fact that many of the recommendations were beyond the remit of the national church institutions.
Church leaders in Ukraine urged international support for their country, as a Russian military build-up continued on its borders, prompting Western warnings of an imminent invasion.
February
RUSSIA invaded Ukraine, prompting condemnation from political and religious leaders around the world. Church leaders in Ukraine urged citizens to resist. Bishops criticised the UK Government’s response to the resulting refugee crisis. Cathedrals and churches were lit in the blue and yellow colours of the Ukrainian flag.
AlamyUS Episcopalians in Boulder County are among those affected by a wildfire in Colorado, in January
The Government published a White Paper, Levelling Up, which sought to address inequality in areas such as wealth, employment, education, and training. The Bishop of Sheffield, Dr Pete Wilcox, said that the paper “barely begins to address the chronic under-investment of recent decades”.
Church leaders in the UK wrote to the Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, calling on the Government to do more for the people of Myanmar, where violence continued to be reported a year after the military coup.
The House of Bishops in Ghana said that sections of the draft Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill before the Ghanaian Parliament — a Bill that would criminalise LGBTQ people and their allies — were “severe and must be reviewed”.
A reduction in the number of dioceses and other changes to the pattern of episcopal ministry were part of the “significant change” to which “God is calling” the Church of England, A Consultation Document: Bishops and their ministry fit for a new context, presented to the College of Bishops, suggested. The paper had been produced by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally.
The General Synod, meeting in Church House, Westminster, was addressed by Lord Boateng, who chairs the Archbishops’ Racial Justice Commission. He described the decades-long failure to address racism and a lack of diversity in the Church of England as “chilling”, “wounding”, and “a scandal”. During the sessions, the C of E was also reprimanded for slow progress in dealing with safeguarding failures.
It was announced that the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, the Very Revd Dr Martyn Percy, would quit as part of a comprehensive agreement with the college, which ended a bitter four-year dispute. The settlement included “a substantial sum in compensation and the payment of the Dean’s outstanding legal fees”.
The Pope delegated greater authority to national bishops’ conferences under a reform of canon law, in an effort to boost “a sense of collegiality and pastoral responsibility” in the Roman Catholic Church.
March
AS THE war in Ukraine continued, and civilian casualties mounted, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow disregarded worldwide pleas for him to urge a halt in the fighting. Church leaders in Ukraine called for a no-fly zone over their country, and the United Nations confirmed that more than two million refugees had now fled Ukraine: the largest exodus of refugees in Europe since the end of the Second World War. Christian charities and churches were among those seeking to help refugees in Eastern Europe. The UK Government launched a scheme, “Homes for Ukraine”, to enable private citizens to host refugees in their homes.
The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Pope spoke with Patriarch Kirill and urged him to speak publicly about the need for peace.
AlamyNazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori, released from prison in Iran, arrive at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, in March
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who had been held in Iran since 2016, was released and arrived back in the UK. Her family had been supported by their parish church in Hampstead.
In the Spring Statement, the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, announced a one-per-cent cut to income tax, and a reduction in fuel duty of 5p per litre. Charities working with disadvantaged people criticised the Government’s response to the cost-of-living crisis as inadequate.
After a hearing, Ely Consistory Court declined to grant a faculty for Jesus College, Cambridge, to remove a memorial to a benefactor of the college, Tobias Rustat (1608-94), from the west wall of the Grade I listed college chapel. The removal was desired on the grounds of his association with slavery.
April
IN A speech to the UN, President Zelensky reported that civilians were being shot in the streets, thrown into wells, and crushed by tanks in a list of alleged Russian war crimes. The leader of Ukraine’s Greek Catholic Church, Major Archbishop Svetoslav Shevchuk, said that “macabre scenes” of people “tortured and killed simply for being Ukrainians and speaking Ukrainian” in towns close to the capital had been displayed “before the eyes of the world” in the run-up to Easter. He counted on the international community, he said, to ensure that the perpetrators would “face their Nuremberg trials”.
The former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Williams backed pressure for the Russian Orthodox Church to be excluded from the World Council of Churches, as Patriarch Kirill of Moscow praised his country’s armed forces for acting in accordance with the gospel and Christian teaching. Later in the month, Lord Williams joined other faith leaders in a “friendship and solidarity” visit to Ukraine, to comfort war victims and help to sustain morale.
AlamyResidents fleeing the town of Irpin walk past a damaged church in March, as the Russian military close in
President Putin refused to agree a truce for the celebration of Easter, prompting the Primate of Ukraine’s independent Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Epiphany (Dumenko), to call for the removal of the Russian Orthodox presence in his country.
The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, accused the Archbishop of Canterbury and other senior clergy of misconstruing the Government’s proposal to deport asylum-seekers to Rwanda for processing and resettlement. In his Easter Day sermon, Archbishop Welby said that the plan raised “serious ethical questions” and “cannot stand the judgement of God”.
Anglican clergy joined protests organised by the Just Stop Oil campaign. They included blocking oil terminals. A report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said that the world was not on track to keep the global temperature rise to below the agreed goal of 1.5°C, and that emissions needed to have peaked by 2025.
The Roman Catholic Church in France cautiously welcomed the election of President Emmanuel Macron for a second five-year term, while echoing calls for action to tackle growing division and discontent in the country.
May
THE Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, insisted that economic growth was the only way out of the cost-of-living crisis, after the Prince of Wales, accompanied by the Duke of Cambridge as a fellow Counsellor of State, delivered the Queen’s Speech in the absence of the monarch, for the first and only time.
Holy communion should now be offered in both kinds “unless there are clear and objective reasons not to” do so, updated Church of England guidance stated.
During a four-day visit to Canada, the Archbishop of Canterbury apologised for the Church of England’s part in the “structural sins of racism and discrimination” committed against the country’s indigenous peoples over decades.
Dr Martyn Percy, who had the previous month left his post as Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, announced that he was leaving the Church of England.
Leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church took part in Russia’s annual Victory Day celebrations. “We must all work to ensure that our Fatherland becomes strong and invincible,” Patriarch Kirill said at a wreath-laying ceremony near the Kremlin.
Later in the month, the Primate of the Ukrainian Ortho dox Church urged believers in his country to cut their ties with the Moscow Patriarchate and place themselves under his Church’s jurisdiction.
June
CATHEDRALS and churches celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with special services and events over an extended holiday weekend. A national thanksgiving service was held in St Paul’s, which, owing to her health, the Queen did not attend, although it was understood that she watched it on television. The Archbishop of York preached in place of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who had tested positive for Covid, as had Prince Andrew, on whom the Archbishop had lately commented.
Archbishop Cottrell said: “With endurance, through times of change and challenge, joy and sorrow, you continue to offer yourself in the service of our country and the Commonwealth. Your Majesty, we’re sorry you’re not with us this morning in person, but we are so glad you are still in the saddle. And we are all glad that there is still more to come.”
The US Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade judgment, which had recognised access to abortion as a constitutional right. President Biden described it as “a sad day for the court and for the country”. The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the US, the Most Revd Michael Curry, described himself as “deeply grieved” by the court’s decision. Pope Francis said that he respected the decision.
AlamyTwo student pro-lifers, Rebecca Parma and Jerry Sharp III, pray in Austin, Texas, in June, among a group of supporters of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade judgment
The Moscow Patriarchate sought to reassert its jurisdiction over the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) and rebutted claims that the Church had recently severed ties with Moscow. The statement came as church leaders warned of a growing threat to world food supplies from the continuing war.
Patriarch Kirill’s name was removed from an EU list of Kremlin associates to be sanctioned. This followed a last-minute intervention by the Hungarian government during a meeting in Brussels of EU ambassadors.
The Church Commissioners acknowledged that their £10.1-billion fund had had early links with the transatlantic slave trade. Both the Commissioners and the Archbishop of Canterbury apologised.
The first flight that was due to deport asylum-seekers to Rwanda was cancelled at the eleventh hour after a successful legal challenge by the European Court of Human Rights. In a letter in The Times, the full complement of Lords Spiritual wrote that the “offshoring” policy “should shame us as a nation”.
The former Conservative Cabinet minister Dominic Grieve, QC, was appointed by Christ Church, Oxford, to lead an independent review of the governance of its Foundation.
Routemap to Net Zero Carbon by 2030 was published, setting out a plan for the Church of England to reduce its emissions and prevent its activities contributing to the climate crisis by the end of the decade.
July
THE Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, resigned after losing the support of dozens of his ministers over the preceding days. He had been under pressure from MPs and the public for months, after being fined for breaking his own lockdown rules. The Archbishop of Canterbury said that he would be praying for Mr Johnson and his family, and called for the country to be “united around a vision of the common good where every person can flourish”.
AlamyBoris Johnson makes his resignation statement in Downing Street, in July
Emotions, as well as the temperature, ran high at the General Synod, which was held at the University of York for the first time since the pandemic began. Climate protesters halted proceedings briefly by unfurling a banner that called on the C of E to disinvest from fossil fuels immediately. Proposals were carried to increase Anglican Communion representatives from one to five on the Crown Nominations Commission for choosing the next Archbishop of Canterbury. A motion from the Bishop of Leeds, the Rt Revd Nick Baines, on the Russian invasion of Ukraine was amended to reflect calls for justice as well as peace, and was carried.
As the heatwave continued around the UK, and temperatures broke records, churches offered sanctuary to those seeking to cool down.
The Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, and the Archbishop of Canterbury apologised unreservedly after an independent review of the circumstances when Fr Alan Griffin, a former Anglican priest in the diocese, had taken his own life. The review found “significant areas of learning” for the diocese and the C of E.
The Law Commission proposed sweeping reforms that would enable the legal elements of weddings to take place in any location — from fields and forests to village halls and private homes.
Disharmony was reported at the start of the Lambeth Conference, in the final week of the month, when it emerged that bishops would be asked to affirm the 1998 Lambeth Resolution 1.10. Confusion had stemmed from an earlier announcement that resolutions — definitive announcements — were not to be carried at this Conference. Instead, after a plenary on a particular topic, the bishops would be invited to assent to “Calls”. A booklet that found its way into the public domain said that each bishop could affirm either that “This call speaks for me. I add my voice to it and commit myself to take the action I can to implement it,” or that “This call requires further discernment. I commit my voice to the ongoing process.” There was no provision for voting against. The reaffirmation of Lambeth 1.10 was contained in a Call on Human Dignity. After criticism by some bishops, the organisers announced that some revisions would be made to the call, and that bishops would now be able to reject Calls.
Neil Turner/Lambeth ConferenceMandy Marshall, the Anglican Communion’s director for gender justice, is greeted during a photocall for women bishops at the Lambeth Conference
On the opening day, however, the leadership of the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) announced that it would press for a reaffirmation of 1.10, press for sanctions against Provinces that had approved same-sex marriage, and decline to take communion at the opening eucharist because of the presence of bishops in same-sex unions. The Archbishop of Canterbury subsequently had a meeting with the GSFA leaders, and it was reported that his office had “offered to write a letter re-affirming the Anglican Communion’s view that marriage should be between a man and a woman”.
Two days later, at the Sunday eucharist, some of the bishops did not communicate, but there was no demonstration. Later that day, Archbishop Welby announced that using electronic devices to record bishops’ responses to the Lambeth “Calls” was being discontinued, and that the sessions would end with “a verbal indication of agreement”.
After further manoeuverings from the GSFA, and behind-the-scenes negotiations by Archbishop Welby’s office, when the discussions on the Call on Human Dignity finally came round, on Tuesday afternoon, the atmosphere was calmer. In his opening remarks, Archbishop Welby acknowledged that, “for the vast majority of the Anglican Communion”, to question traditional teaching on marriage was “unthinkable”; but the minority who questioned the teaching “do not reject Christ”.
His speech was greeted warmly by many present, although he expressed caution afterwards on whether the Communion was “out of the woods” on the subject.
August
MOST topics discussed at the Lambeth Conference had nothing to do with sexuality. Voices from the global South were prominent in discussions about reconciliation, gender justice, Christian unity, mission and evangelism, and the environment, to name a few. A day was spent in the middle of the Conference at Lambeth Palace, when environmental questions were the focus, and the first tree of the Anglican Communion Forest was planted.
Archbishop Welby, writing in the Church Times, at the close of the Conference, said that he had witnessed “a series of remarkable surprises”. “Solidarity” between Provinces had been emphasised, as had “subsidiarity: the principle that we should be as local as possible”. “Justice” was another key theme, he said. “I believe the Conference was a success: not because it produced a great outburst of agreement, but because it showed, in a very fractured world, that disagreement without hatred is possible, diversity is a gain not a problem, and that we can find greater organic unity if we look outwards and give ourselves to the missio dei.”
ANDREW BAKER/LAMBETH CONFERENCE The blessing of the first tree in the Anglican Communion Forest, in the grounds of Lambeth Palace, on 3 August
Four days after the Conference ended, the author Salman Rushdie was stabbed repeatedly during a public event in New York. Archbishop Welby said that he was appalled by the attack, and defended free speech.
Churches and charities said that record numbers were seeking support as the cost-of-living crisis began to bite. Churches themselves also reported that soaring energy costs were leaving them with a choice between keeping their buildings open for community groups, or paying their fuel bills during the forthcoming winter.
The Australian Primate, the Archbishop of Adelaide, the Most Revd Geoffrey Smith, responded firmly to the creation of an Australian GAFCON diocese, describing it as “effectively a new denomination”. The diocese of the Southern Cross was created in response to the refusal of 12 Australian diocesan bishops at the recent General Synod to declare same-sex marriage and the blessing of same-sex unions contrary to the teaching of Christ.
Greenbelt returned to the grounds of Boughton House, Northamptonshire, over the Bank Holiday weekend, for the first time since pre-Covid 2019. The Sunday eucharist was supposedly set in 2052: the first half imagined what the world would be like if humans did nothing and the planet heated by an additional three degrees; after a pause — and turning the service sheet over on to its greener side — the service became more hopeful, on the assumption that the people back in 2022 had been more active in combating climate change.
An open letter from 44 Anglican bishops in South Sudan and Kenya called for more funding to tackle the worsening food crisis in East Africa. A report published by Christian Aid branded the international response to the crisis as “hugely inadequate”.
Aid agencies scrambled to reach the 33 million people affected by deadly flooding in Pakistan, which had reportedly submerged one third of the country, destroying infrastructure and livelihoods.
September
LIZ TRUSS was elected Leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party, beating the former Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, after a summer of hustings among party members. Church leaders called on Ms Truss to act quickly to address the cost-of-living crisis. The next day, Ms Truss became Prime Minister in an audience with the Queen at Balmoral.
Two days later, on 8 September, the Queen died peacefully at Balmoral, aged 96. Tributes poured in quickly, speaking of her humble service and deep Christian faith. The next day, cathedrals and churches rang muffled bells for an hour at noon, flew flags at half mast, and kept their doors open for an influx of visitors seeking solace. In the evening, St Paul’s was filled for a national service, to which the new King’s first broadcast was relayed.
AlamyMembers of the congregation at the Service of Prayer and Reflection in memory of Queen Elizabeth II, in St Paul’s Cathedral, on 9 September
On 10 September, the Accession Council approved the text of the proclamation naming King Charles III as the undoubted successor to the Crown. The following week, in the days leading up the funeral, the King and the Queen Consort attended memorial services in cathedrals in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales.
Before the funeral, Her Late Majesty lay in state in Westminster Hall. Chaplains ministered to the queuing crowds.
A resplendent state funeral, clothed in royal, heraldic, and military traditions, was held in Westminster Abbey on 19 September, which had been declared a national holiday. The essence of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s sermon was “Service in life, hope in death.” A procession of religious figures included 11 representatives of other faiths in the UK, as well as 19 representatives of various Churches in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and England, as well as the six senior ecclesiastics of the royal household.
Afterwards, the coffin made its journey, through crowd-lined roads, to the Wellington Arch in Hyde Park, and from there by hearse to Windsor, the Queen’s childhood home. There, a more intimate service of commital was held in St George’s, Windsor, before a congregation of 800. The Dean of Windsor, the Rt Revd David Conner, delivered a bidding, which spoke of Queen Elizabeth’s “uncomplicated yet profound Christian faith” and her “life of unstinting service”. The only private part was the final interment in the King George VI Memorial Chapel.
AlamyAfter Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral service, her coffin, draped in the royal standard, and with the imperial state crown and the orb and sceptre on it, leaves the Abbey. The King, the Princess Royal, and other members of the royal family follow behind
Once the funeral and burial were over, politics resumed: the Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, unveiled an economic “Growth Plan” in the House of Commons, which included abolishing the cap on bonuses for bankers; overturning the planned rise in National Insurance contributions and corporation tax; a single higher rate of income tax at 40 per cent; and a reduction of one per cent in the general rate from April 2023. The markets were unhappy, and, after his speech, the pound fell to a record low against the dollar. Charities said that the measures fell far short of what was needed to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.
October
CRITICISM of the Government’s economic plan grew. Charities implored the Government to increase benefits in line with inflation for the sake of the 200,000 children on the brink of poverty. The Bishop of Durham, the Rt Revd Paul Butler, said that “a policy of trickle-down economics renders those in poverty invisible”.
On 20 October, Ms Truss resigned, after only 44 days in office. Four days later, her former leadership rival, Rishi Sunak, was chosen unopposed as the new Conservative leader, and became the new Prime Minister the next morning. Archbishop Welby and his immediate predecessor, Lord Williams, both expressed hope for stability after a tumultuous few months.
Buckingham Palace announced that the Coronation of the King and the Queen Consort would be held in Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6 May 2023.
More than 380 cases of church-related abuse, almost half of which involved children, were newly identified in a long-awaited national review of the files of every living cleric and church officer in the Church of England. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have issued a formal apology to victims of abuse and their families.
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) published its final report, which made 20 recommendations, including a new law of mandatory reporting, which would make the reporting of known or suspected child sexual abuse a legal requirement of personnel who work in regulated activities (for example, churches, hospitals, schools, colleges, and nurseries). Survivors of abuse gave the report a cautious welcome, but warned that some of its recommendations did not go far enough to protect children now and in the future.
November
THE Bishop of Oxford, Dr Steven Croft, called for the Church of England to lift its ban on the marriage of same-sex couples. Several bishops endorsed this, including those of Worcester and Dudley. Dr Croft’s statement was made in a booklet, published at the end of three days of College of Bishops discussions of the way forward on C of E teaching about sexuality.
At the opening of the COP27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, the United Nations’ secretary-general, António Guterres, said: “We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator.” Mr Sunak attended, despite having said that he would not. In the end, a decision was taken to establish a “loss-and-damage” fund to compensate victims of climate change. While this was welcomed, campaigners said that much needed to be done.
AlamyThe Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, addresses the COP27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in November
The new Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, delivering his Autumn Statement, acknowledged that the country was entering recession. The statement included tax increases and spending cuts, as well as some investment in public services, and support for vulnerable people. In particular, bishops and campaigners welcomed the decision to increase benefits in line with inflation; but some said that Mr Hunt had not done enough to address the cost-of-living crisis.
A new scientific study suggested that the ban on choral singing that had been imposed throughout the pandemic was based on flawed evidence and a misguided risk analysis.
December
THE Archbishop of Canterbury, beginning a three-day visit to Kyiv, said: “The people of Ukraine have shown extraordinary courage in the face of Russia’s illegal, unjust, and brutal invasion.”
Lambeth PalaceArchbishop Welby visits the “Bridge of Hope” in Irpin, at the start of December. It was destroyed by the Ukrainians to stop the Russian advance on Kyiv, and formed a perilous escape route for civilians during that failed advance
The 2021 Census figures were released, suggesting that, for the first time, fewer than half the population of England and Wales — 46.2 per cent — described themselves as Christians, down from 59.3 per cent in 2011.
Figures for 2021, released by the C of E’s data-analysis team, suggested that the pandemic had had a devastating effect on church attendance. Although weekly in-person attendance at services was up more than one third from 2020, it remained almost one third lower than before the pandemic.
The Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, said that the Schools Bill — which, the Government had said, would “raise education standards across the country” — would not progress to a Third Reading. The C of E’s Chief Education Officer, the Revd Nigel Genders, expressed disappointment at the decision.