Churches in war and peace
SINCE it was built in the early decades of the 11th century, St Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine, has witnessed more than its fair share of death and destruction—at the hands of the Mongols in 1240, Crimean Tatars in 1482 and the Nazis in 1941. Images of the gleaming onion domes of Ukrainian cathedrals and churches standing proud amid the devastation bring to mind those of St Paul’s after the ravages of the Luftwaffe bombing of London, offering the same poignant reminder of the normality swept away by war.
Churches, synagogues, mosques and temples offer comfort in troubled times. This Easter, the themes of sacrifice and renewal will resonate more loudly than ever as congregations consider the magnitude of what is happening in Ukraine. In peacetime, churches play an important role, not only as places of worship, but also as quiet oases, sequestered from the freneticism and anxiety of daily life. Equally, the clergy’s presence in our communities serves as a reminder of the importance of the spiritual, as well as the temporal, and offers pastoral care to believers and unbelievers alike. Despite the creeping secularisation of society, it is to the clergy that many still turn for baptisms, marriages and funerals, not least because they give meaning to those momentous milestones.
Despite this vital role of the Church, the clergy are no strangers to the criticism of parishioners; it’s a rare Anglican priest who isn’t dismissed as too high church, low church, happy clappy, meddling or distant, as if failing to fulfil some elusive ideal of priestly virtue. Few doctors, lawyers or teachers please all of the people all of the time. Nor should they; a GP’S primary function is to facilitate access to healthcare, a solicitor to a legal process and a teacher to education. The clergy’s role is to act as a conduit to spiritual enrichment. For people of any creed, the most important relationship in their spiritual life is not with the celebrant, but with their own faith.
Fifteen years ago, Caroline Chartres, a contributing editor to the Church Times, interviewed prominent people in all walks of life including a politician, a scientist, and a satirical journalist for her book Why I am Still an Anglican, in which they describe the appeal of the encompassing nature of Anglicanism. The Church of England is a broad church indeed and, although members of the Anglican clergy may appear a disparate group with little in common, the characteristic they share is a commitment, not only to their ministry, but also to a liberal interpretation of doctrine. What events in Ukraine have demonstrated in recent weeks is that a strong established church is central to the life of a nation in both war and peace.