22-04-11, 02:44 PM
|
 |
Moderator
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 9,038
|
|
Archbishop: make the rich and powerful help the poor
|
Quote:
|
Dr Rowan Williams said the public would benefit from a return to the medieval tradition of monarchs ritually washing the feet of the poor, as it would remind politicians and bankers of the purpose of their privileged positions.
Speaking on Thought for the Day during BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Dr Williams also used his pre-Easter message to wish Prince William and Kate Middleton the "courage and clarity" to live their life together "in the full glare" of popular interest.
Dr Williams said the Bible made clear it was the duty of the powerful to ensure ordinary people were "treasured and looked after", particularly those without the resources to look after themselves.
"What about having a new law that made all Cabinet members and leaders of political parties, editors of national papers and the hundred most successful financiers in the UK spend a couple of hours every year serving dinners in a primary school on a council estate, or cleaning bathrooms in a residential home?" he suggested.
Alternatively, he said, they could spend a night working in town centres as street pastors "ready to pick up and absorb something of the chaos and human mess you will find there, especially among young people".
Because the duty to serve would be compulsory, those involved would not be able to make political or personal capital from doing it, he added.
Dr Williams acknowledged that it might just be "a nice fantasy to mull over during the holiday weekend", but insisted that it could bring genuine benefits.
"It might do two things: reminding our leaders of what the needs really are at grassroots level so that those needs can never again just be remote statistics, and reminding the rest of us what politics and government are really for," he said.
In a video message filmed by Lambeth Palace, Dr Williams shared his thoughts on next week's royal wedding, when he will perform the marriage service for Prince William and Kate Middleton.
He described the couple as "deeply unpretentious" and said: "William and Catherine are making this commitment very much in the public eye and they're sensible, realistic young people.
"They know what the cost of that might be. They've thought that through. And because of that they will need the support, the solidarity and the prayers of all those who are watching today."
He added: "I want to wish William and Catherine every richest blessing in their life together.
"But I want to wish them especially the courage and clarity they'll need to live out this big commitment in the full glare – to live it out for the rest of us.
"I hope they'll be given the strength and the persistence to go on showing the rest of us what's possible for the whole of their life together."
The Archbishop added: "We have to be witnesses in an active sense, the kind of witnesses who really support what's going on. To be a witness is to be more than a spectator and I hope that will be part of people's experience at the time of the wedding."
On a more personal note, he said: "It has been a real pleasure to get to know the couple. I have been very struck by the way William and Catherine have approached this great event.
"They have thought through what they want for themselves but also what they want to say. They have had a very simple, very direct picture of what really matters about this event.
"I think they have a clear sense of what they believe they're responsible to. Responsibility to the whole society, responsible to God for their relationship, and I think it's impressive that they have had that simplicity about it, they know what matters, what's at the heart of all this.
"That message about taking that responsibility, sensibly, realistically, courageously, that comes over very strongly in conversation with them."
Dr Williams said he felt "very privileged" to be part of the couple's wedding, and to be able to "bless them in the name of God and send them on their way".
|
Archbishop: make the rich and powerful help the poor - Telegraph
Nice British expression of schadenfreude there. Nothing succeeds like failure.
__________________
Standard disclaimer: the disgusting statements contained in this post are the views of the poster, and unless specified do not represent the views of the moderators or the site's owners.
|
Linear Mode
