Bishops in the Lords: ‘In the Name of God, Go!’

26 Anglican bishops have automatic seats in the House of Lords. Once, we non-conformists would have objected to this special privilege afforded to the Church of England, but these ‘lords spiritual’ provide an antidote to the aggressive secularism which pervades much of Parliament. I have my doubts about some of their theology, but their presence at Westminster is something of a relief. Until, that is, they are actually needed.

In July this year, the government rushed through new abortion regulations in Northern Ireland, making it far easier for Ulster’s unborn to perish in the womb. All 26 of those bishops were absent from the debate. When the Archbishop of Canterbury was challenged on the issue, he said that English Bishops did not contribute to debates exclusively affecting other nations of the Union. The Catholic Church Militant website, which exposed this outrage, contacted the Church of Ireland, the Anglican church which covers the province. Spokesmen responded by saying they knew of no such convention that prevented English bishops from speaking on matters affecting Ireland. While the abortion debate was taking place, Archbishop Welby was in India, saying how he looked forward to "visiting other faith communities and places of worship." He certainly knows how to prioritise.

It would also seem that the bishops’ reluctance to speak out on non-English affairs is somewhat selective. 24 of them signed an ‘open letter’ objecting to a No-Deal Brexit, claiming "We also recognise that our obligations go beyond England and impact on relations with the wider UK and our neighbours in the EU”. So when it comes to political campaigning, these men and women of God see no borders; when it comes to protecting the unborn, their jurisdiction goes no further than England. I wonder if it’s time to dispense with the charade of having ‘Christian’ representatives in the upper chamber. They meddle in politics but won’t face the ballot box; their red benches remain silent and empty while immoral laws are passed.

In the civil war, many a puritan raged against the bishops of his own day. Those prelates were often just agents of the state, neglecting spiritual matters for government business and fine living. Colonel Cooke, of Gloucestershire, is shown here on his regimental banner removing the corners of a Canterbury Cap. This was a square-shaped black hat worn by bishops, the corners of which his sword is hacking in some petty gesture of anti-episcopal defiance. His moto is muto quadrata rotundis: ‘change squares into circles’. Today’s bishops are square pegs in round holes, enjoying the power but scarcely honouring their calling. The cheerful-looking Colonel Cooke is long gone, but those wily bishops remain. To that chorus calling for their removal from Parliament, I now reluctantly add my own voice.

“You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately... Depart, I say; and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!”

-Oliver Cromwell dissolving Parliament, 1653.

Photo credit: British Library