Credit: Aaron Burden, Unsplash
Stephen has welcomed comments by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, after he spoke out about government plans to send migrants and asylum seekers to Rwanda whilst their claims are processed.
During his Easter Sunday sermon, Archbishop Welby accused Ministers of "subcontracting our responsibilities" over its plans. He said the idea was "opposite to the nature of God."
In a letter to The Times, Stephen said the Archbishop’s interventions were nothing new. He noted that Many of Archbishop Welby’s predecessors had spoken out about government policies. He wrote:
“Political interventions by Archbishops are nothing new. Rowan Williams criticised the Labour Government of which I was a member. He was outspoken about the Iraq war and the Equality Bill. His predecessors, George Carey and Robert Runcie, were not afraid to speak out against governments whilst they were in Lambeth Palace. The modern welfare state — perhaps Labour’s greatest achievement—owes much to the efforts of wartime Archbishop William Temple. As leader of a worldwide church, Justin Welby is appointed to speak up for those who cannot speak themselves. He is right to speak out.”