Oh yeah? We’ll show YOU!
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“we adore our little black children, but of course, they must mind their betters.” Justin, “Call me marky” Welby, in drag
Robinson entered training to become a priest in the Church of England, including classes at Oxford University. But he noticed that when other trainee vicars in his class were receiving assignments at congregations throughout England, he remained in ministry limbo. A conversation with the Bishop of London revealed that Robinson’s conservatism, particularly when it comes to issues of race, was the reason.
“Sitting in an ornate study in the Old Deanery – a 17th Century mansion house opposite St Paul’s Cathedral – the Bishop of London put her hand on my arm and quietly said something that left me astounded,” Robinson writes in an op-ed at the Daily Mail. “‘Calvin, as a white woman I can tell you that the Church IS institutionally racist,’ the Rt Rev Sarah Mullally told me.”
We had been discussing the Church’s race policy, which I had been vocally objecting to for some time. The Bishop could not understand that as a black man, I simply did not share her – and the Church hierarchy’s – view on this contentious issue.
The Bishop of London’s hushed condescension during our meeting made me realise that any dissent from the Church’s ingrained view, which to me seems like nothing more than virtue-signalling, is not welcomed. The Church claims it wants to listen to the perspectives of minorities – well, I am one of them but it doesn’t appear to want to hear my view because it also happens to be a conservative one.
“The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has proclaimed that the Church of England is ‘deeply institutionally racist’ and called for ‘radical and decisive’ action,” Robinson explains. “Last year an Anti-Racism Task Force recommended using quotas to boost the number of black and ethnic-minority senior clergy, introducing salaried ‘racial justice officers’ in all 42 dioceses and launching ‘racial justice Sunday’ once a year.”
The Daily Mail also revealed some emails between senior clergy that expressed concerns over Robinson’s political views.
Rev. Rob Wickham, the Bishop of Edmonton, told other clergy members in an email that “Calvin’s comments concern me about denying institutional racism in this country.”
Senior clergy also expressed concern over Robinson’s 2015 tweet that “misguided bleeding-heart liberal vicars could be complicit in [a] recent terror attack,” with Wickham saying that the tweet was “highly irresponsible.”
“These are clear examples as to why, in my opinion, his ordination should be looked at very closely indeed,” Wickham expressed in an email.
