Archbishop praises ‘heroic’ terror attack police officers

THE Archbishop of Canterbury praised the “heroic” police officers who tackled the London Bridge terrorists in his New Year message.

Justin Welby said he would “never forget the image of a group of unarmed police officers sprinting towards Borough Market, as so many were running in the opposite direction” and praised the “heroism” of the emergency services as a “light” amid the darkness.

The Anglican leader used his message – broadcast on the BBC – to say that as well as the attacks in London and Manchester, “all over the world we witnessed the horror and devastation caused by terrorism”.

There had been other “terrible tragedies”, he said, adding that he visited Grenfell Tower when the west London block was still burning and “I remember the desperation and sorrow”.

“Then there are those whose suffering will never make the news,” he said. “People who are struggling to find work or relying on food banks. Those who are bereaved, or coping with poor mental health or physical illness. When things feel unrelentingly difficult, there are often questions which hang in the air: Is there any light at all? Does anyone care?”

The Archbishop highlighted a Biblical passage from the Gospel of John – “the light shone in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it”.

That “light” was seen in the “resilience of Borough Market” which was now as vibrant and welcoming as before the June attack, it was “in the faces of the hundreds of volunteers” who helped in the aftermath of the Grenfell blaze, and in the heroism of the emergency workers who responded to the events. “So often in 2017, the depth of suffering was matched by a depth of compassion as communities came together,” he said.