Should the Church pay £100m as slavery apology?

WHEN the country is in such dire straits, it beggars belief to give £100 million to a fund to address the wrongs of historic slavery. We can’t change history. People are deserting the pews because of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Left-wing agenda. He should stay out of politics.

TREVOR PIPER, Winchester, Hants. I AM touched that the Church of England is putting its money where its mouth is and has set up a £100 million fund for communities affected by past slavery. The Church Commissioners discovered that in the 18th century, an Anglican investment fund called Queen Anne’s Bounty put £406,942 (equivalent to £724 million today) in the South Sea Company that transported 34,000 slaves. The Archbishop of Canterbury has made an apology, but realises that is not enough.

M. SPRINGER, Reading, Berks.

WHY can’t some of the £100 million be spent on ending modern-day slavery?

J. BOWDITCH, Shepton Mallet, Somerset. THE Church of England will waste millions on research into which parishes have a connection to the slave trade. Instead of claiming the moral high ground, Archbishop Welby would achieve far more by spending the money on a plan to reconnect people with the Church.

PETER RICKABY, Selby, N. Yorks. HOW can the Church spend £100 million to atone for slavery when many churches are in dire need of large sums to keep them open? I know of a beautiful 13th century church in need of repair after a large chunk of stone fell from its roof.

Mrs A. FOWLER, Stotfold, Beds. WHY can’t the Church use this enormous sum to help the homeless and families struggling to pay fuel and food bills? People suffering today is what matters.

A. HOLMES, Sheffield. I AM of the Windrush generation from Jamaica. How can I and my family benefit from the Church’s fund? Or is it just for a select few? All black people suffer from the effects of slavery. N. F. STONE, Colchester, Essex.