ANGLICAN CHURCH APOLOGISES FOR ITS ROLE IN SLAVERY
One archbishop, the Most Rev Thomas Secker, wrote to a fellow bishop in 1760: "I have long wondered and lamented that the Negroes in our plantation decrease and new supplies become necessary continually.
"Surely this proceeds from some defect, both of humanity and even of good policy. But we must take things as they are at present."
Church offers apology for its role in slavery
By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent
(Filed: 09/02/2006)
Two hundred years after Anglican reformers helped to abolish the slave trade, the Church of England has apologised for profiting from it.
Last night the General Synod acknowledged complicity in the trade after hearing that the Church had run a slave plantation in the West Indies and that individual bishops had owned hundreds of slaves.
Dr Rowan Williams: Apology 'necessary'
It voted unanimously to apologise to the descendents of the slaves after an emotional debate in which the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, urged the Church to share the "shame and sinfulness of our predecessors".
The Church's missionary arm, the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in Foreign Parts, owned the Codrington plantation in Barbados and slaves had the word "Society" branded on their chests with red-hot irons.
The Synod was told that the society's governing body included archbishops of Canterbury. Bishops of London and archbishops of York were involved in its management.
One archbishop, the Most Rev Thomas Secker, wrote to a fellow bishop in 1760: "I have long wondered and lamented that the Negroes in our plantation decrease and new supplies become necessary continually.
"Surely this proceeds from some defect, both of humanity and even of good policy. But we must take things as they are at present."
The bishop of Exeter and three business colleagues were paid nearly £13,000 to compensate them for the loss of 665 slaves in 1833.
The Rev Simon Bessant, of Blackburn, told the Synod: "We were at the heart of it; we were directly responsible for what happened." He said that, despite the efforts of Anglican reformers such as William Wilberforce, the Church was "part of the problem as well as part of the solution".
Mr Bessant amended a motion by the Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Rev Tom Butler, urging the Church to mark the bicentenary next year of the Slave Trade Act in 1807.
Bishop Butler said that a Synod apology could result in the Church becoming the "national scapegoat" for slavery when the whole country should share the guilt.
But the amendment was supported by speaker after speaker, including Dr Williams and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu.
Dr Williams said the apology was not political correctness but "necessary".
He was criticised in November after saying that missionaries "sinned" by imposing Hymns Ancient and Modern on places such as Africa.
8 February 2006: General Synod tries to smooth path for first woman bishop
Information appearing on telegraph.co.uk is the copyright of Telegraph Group Limited and must not be reproduced in any medium without licence. For the full copyright statement see Copyright
"Surely this proceeds from some defect, both of humanity and even of good policy. But we must take things as they are at present."
Church offers apology for its role in slavery
By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent
(Filed: 09/02/2006)
Two hundred years after Anglican reformers helped to abolish the slave trade, the Church of England has apologised for profiting from it.
Last night the General Synod acknowledged complicity in the trade after hearing that the Church had run a slave plantation in the West Indies and that individual bishops had owned hundreds of slaves.
Dr Rowan Williams: Apology 'necessary'
It voted unanimously to apologise to the descendents of the slaves after an emotional debate in which the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, urged the Church to share the "shame and sinfulness of our predecessors".
The Church's missionary arm, the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in Foreign Parts, owned the Codrington plantation in Barbados and slaves had the word "Society" branded on their chests with red-hot irons.
The Synod was told that the society's governing body included archbishops of Canterbury. Bishops of London and archbishops of York were involved in its management.
One archbishop, the Most Rev Thomas Secker, wrote to a fellow bishop in 1760: "I have long wondered and lamented that the Negroes in our plantation decrease and new supplies become necessary continually.
"Surely this proceeds from some defect, both of humanity and even of good policy. But we must take things as they are at present."
The bishop of Exeter and three business colleagues were paid nearly £13,000 to compensate them for the loss of 665 slaves in 1833.
The Rev Simon Bessant, of Blackburn, told the Synod: "We were at the heart of it; we were directly responsible for what happened." He said that, despite the efforts of Anglican reformers such as William Wilberforce, the Church was "part of the problem as well as part of the solution".
Mr Bessant amended a motion by the Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Rev Tom Butler, urging the Church to mark the bicentenary next year of the Slave Trade Act in 1807.
Bishop Butler said that a Synod apology could result in the Church becoming the "national scapegoat" for slavery when the whole country should share the guilt.
But the amendment was supported by speaker after speaker, including Dr Williams and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu.
Dr Williams said the apology was not political correctness but "necessary".
He was criticised in November after saying that missionaries "sinned" by imposing Hymns Ancient and Modern on places such as Africa.
8 February 2006: General Synod tries to smooth path for first woman bishop
Information appearing on telegraph.co.uk is the copyright of Telegraph Group Limited and must not be reproduced in any medium without licence. For the full copyright statement see Copyright
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