© Reuters/Thomas MukoyaArchbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Anglican Church of Kenya St. Stephen's Cathedral
In a scathing speech on Tuesday, Justin Welby, who is England's most senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England — a Christian church — claimed they had failed over many decades on the issue of race equality.
Welby's intervention came as the General Synod voted to back a motion to "lament" and apologize for both conscious and unconscious racism in relation to black and ethnic minorities since the arrival of the Windrush generation in the UK between the late 1940s and 1970.
Welby told the church's national assembly that there is no doubt that the Church was "still deeply institutionally racist," and opened up about his own personal shame. "Personally, I am sorry and ashamed. I'm ashamed of our history and I'm ashamed of our failure."
The senior bishop also appeared to suggest that the Church of England had become susceptible to the UK government's "hostile environment" in so much as not providing a welcoming space for minorities.
Welby called for "radical and decisive" progress on the issue to end the scourge of institutional racism, otherwise "we will still be having this conversation in 20 years' time and still doing injustice — the few of us that remain, deservedly."
Reader Comments
He needs to read up on how psychopathy has affected the world in which we live.
He, is himself is ashamed, rather a shallow thought for a religious leader. His personal thoughts are more relevant than his followers?
What a sham.
Has it occured to this complete prick that the so-called Windrush Generation were adults capable of making their own choices who came here because they fancied a piece of British Empire ass?
Damn sure they didn't come here for the weather.
No, I dare say they came because it's easy livin'. RC
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