The Archbishop of Canterbury paused between synod and evensong this week to tweet. “The Rwanda policy being scrapped is a very welcome decision,” he said, adding profligacy to his many talents.
I wonder how he might like to spend the £270 million the Rwanda state won’t be paying back to the British government.
“The Church of England will keep calling for an effective system that treats people with dignity, prevents dangerous crossings and tackles criminal gangs,” he added, sounding like a politician at the rostrum during an election campaign; calling for an effective system but not offering any idea of what that might be. And, of course, then saying that “we pray for them [the new government]” as they try to figure out, and have as yet offered absolutely no new ideas of, what that might be.
Indeed, we’re all praying like mad that someone, somewhere, will come up with something to stop the madness of illegal and dangerous channel crossings. But since the Tories’ Rwanda idea wasn’t good enough for Welby, or anyone other than Tories (remember them?), we’ll all just have to keep on praying while Rwanda says, “thank you very much for the £270 million and the oven-ready, clean and new migrant rooms we can now offer another country.”
Welby’s intervention is typically infuriating; grandstanding on political issues without offering solutions while not addressing his own fundamental and existential problem of the rapid emptying and disintegration of his churches.
He is, of course, an intelligent, deeply spiritual and caring person – who can also speak in tongues – and, given his wide reach, I would welcome his thoughts on the following:
Should women be fast-tracked to membership of the Garrick? Fizzy or still? Should smartphones be banned from teenagers? Is Lucy Letby innocent? Where is Lord Lucan? Should Biden quit the US presidential race? Indian or Chinese? Should men wear shorts to the office? Aloe vera or original Vaseline? Marmite or Bovril? Can you be a true Catholic if you don’t believe in the infallibility of the Pope or transubstantiation? Do you believe in the principles of a boarding school? Is it time Coldplay did something other than Fix You as their encore? Why don’t they sell Bonjela in the US? Where is it more acceptable for a man to cut his toenails, over the bathtub or loo? Do you like getting squiffy on sake? Breaking Bad or Vikings? And who do you think should buy The Telegraph?
