Britain's black Archbishop hopes to revitalise the Church of England

[Nerthus]

EXCLUSIVE: RACISM IS NOT BLACK VERSUS WHITE


Archbishop speaks out


By Rod Chaytor

BRITAIN'S first black Archbishop has vowed to fight against racism and says he will join in efforts to revitalise the Church of England.

The Ugandan-born Bishop for Birmingham Dr John Sentamu becomes Archbishop of York this autumn.

The straight-talking churchman admits the Church took a risk appointing him as second-in-command, but is determined to preach a message of hope.

Dr Sentamu, himself a frequent victim of racism, said: "It is no longer about black versus white".

He added: "It now has many different faces. We have to find a way of acknowledging that there is only one human race. It doesn't matter if we are black or white, from Pakistan, Wales, Scotland or England, what is important is we all belong to the United Kingdom and our contribution is not for our own kind, but for everybody.

"We mustn't allow rhetoric about immigration and asylum to skew the cohesion of Britain."

The father-of-two, 56, said revitalising the Church was a crucial challenge. "People may not want to believe in God, but when there is a crisis - or things to celebrate - where do they turn? The Church of England."

He said in Birmingham his cathedral was the focus for protest against the war in Iraq.

And the city's gangland murders of Charlene Ellis and Letisha Shakespeare taught him "policing is too important to be left to the police".

He said: "The ordinary citizen has to see policing as part of their responsibility."

Source

[Carnyx]

"It now has many different faces. We have to find a way of acknowledging that there is only one human race. It doesn't matter if we are black or white, from Pakistan, Wales, Scotland or England, what is important is we all belong to the United Kingdom and our contribution is not for our own kind, but for everybody.

The contribution of the natives benefit to all the others without distinction of their race, that's for sure. However I failed to understand what that Black or Pakistan contribution is supposed to be...

"We mustn't allow rhetoric about immigration and asylum to skew the cohesion of Britain."

Cohesion without homogeneity, well rather "interesting" if I can say... Oh great! This is the alliance of the white wizard and the great Marabout : "Occus Pocus Homogeneity with immigration!"

[Nerthus]

Corruption of the Church. Not revitalisation.