Easter protests outside Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s
‘Christ was arrested for standing up to oppressive powers of his time. Fossil fuel companies are the oppressive power of now and they need to be stopped before they destroy humanity.'
A group of Christians held a protest outside Westminster Abbey in London during its Good Friday service, calling on the Church of England to take its investments out of fossil fuels. As worshippers left Westminster Abbey, the protestors from Christian Climate Action handed out leaflets outlining why the Church of England should divest from fossil fuel companies. The group – which included a vicar – also held prayers and sang hymns, to mark Good Friday.
Hilary Bond, a curate from Dorset who took part, said: ‘Christ was arrested for standing up to oppressive powers of his time. Fossil fuel companies are the oppressive power of now and they need to be stopped before they destroy humanity. The Church should not be funding these companies to spread destruction.’
After the cathedral witness, the group moved on to the office of the church commissioners. According to the group, the Church of England dioceses, church commissioners and pensions board ‘hold investments worth around £70 million in fossil fuel companies. Some key individuals linked to the Church Commissioners and Pensions Board have also been found to have either current or previous roles in the fossil fuel industry. For example, Richard Hubbard, the chair of the board’s pensions committee, worked for BP for nearly 30 years, ending as director of the oil giant’s European cross-border pension plan before retiring in 2020. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, also has a background in the fossil fuel industry, having worked for oil companies for more than a decade before ordination’.
In a linked protest on Maundy Thursday on 14 April, Anglican clergy and other Christians protested outside St Paul’s Cathedral and Southwark Cathedral calling on the dioceses of London and Southwark to take their investments out of fossil fuel companies.
The two cathedrals were carrying out the annual Chrism mass, which saw clergy attending from across the diocese. Some of the clergy attending the service joined members of Christian Climate Action – an organisation supported by a number of Friends – in holding their banner. One of them, Robert Thompson, vicar at St Marys and St James, later tweeted that the action was a ‘dignified, peaceful and justice inspiring demonstration’. Another member of clergy, Suzanne Vernon-Yorke, said that she ‘felt quite emotional coming out of the Chrism service at St Paul’s Cathedral and seeing these lovelies staging a peaceful protest encouraging a more ethical church. Thanks be to God for their care of the earth and the church. So grateful for them’.
Britain Yearly Meeting agreed in 2013 that its centrally-held funds should not be invested in fossil fuel extraction companies. Area and Local Meetings have since been following suit.
You need to login to read subscriber-only content and/or comment on articles.