Heavens above! Welby in £950 Canterbury ‘cash for access’ storm

THE Archbishop of Canterbury has been drawn into a cash for access row over a ‘crass’ £950-a-head Holy Week Retreat.

Promotional material for the stay at Canterbury Cathedral offers an ‘intimate gathering’ in the run-up to Easter, including Good Friday.

It is billed as a chance ‘ to go behind the scenes’ to meet staff and ‘experience the inner workings of the cathedral’.

The brochure adds that ‘there may also be opportunities to interact’ with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the Dean, Dr David Monteith.

But the Church of England’s fundraising initiative has sparked a backlash, with critics saying it offers VIP access to the archbishop at a time when Christians are entering a period of reflection.

The Reverend Dr Ian Paul, a member of the Archbishops’ Council, which coordinates the Church’s work, and the General Synod national assembly, said: ‘We are focusing on Jesus’s death and resurrection and the idea you can fork out £1,000 to have a personal audience with the archbishop is ridiculous.

‘I think it is really crass. The idea that this piece of Christian heritage and the leader of the Anglican Communion are accessible by the financial elite of the country is truly shocking.

‘I can see there’s a case for creative ways of fundraising. But those have surely got to be within the parameters of basic Christian discipleship.’

The brochure for Canterbury Cathedral’s Holy Week Retreat is peppered with references to ‘exclusive’ and ‘ unique’ access. The £950 ‘residential package’ includes a four-night stay in its plush on-site hotel.

It says: ‘Immerse yourself in the experience of Holy Week, through the darkness of Good Friday to the joy of Easter morning, with this intimate gathering at Canterbury Cathedral.

‘ This includes our full programme of services, special activities and unique access... Enjoy Bible Studies, reflective talks and join our many liturgical events.’ A non- residential option is also available for £300 per person.

But Prudence Dailey, former chairman of the Prayer Book Society and a General Synod member, said: ‘A sumptuous three-course dinner and a Holy Week retreat do not go together. I can’t get my head around the type of person who would want to do those two things at the same time. It is not what Holy Week is about.

‘They use the word “access” in a nod, nod, wink, wink way. I think that’s badly worded.’

The row is the latest in a series of embarrassments for the Church as cathedrals struggle to keep up with running costs. Canterbury alone has running costs of an estimated £30,000 a day. Its ‘Rave in the Nave’ event earlier this month was denounced as ‘sacrilege’. Up to 3,000 clubbers paid £28.57 to attend the 90s-themed ‘ silent’ disco where revellers wore headphones to dance to hits.

A spokesman for Canterbury Cathedral said: ‘[Our] Holy Week Retreat is an opportunity for people to take time out from the busyness and pressures of everyday life and to have the space to think deeply about their faith.

‘It is not a “luxury break” and there is no suggestion of privileged paid-for access to the Archbishop of Canterbury or to any member of cathedral clergy.’