The incoming Archbishop of Canterbury and current Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, pointed out in her Christmas sermon on Thursday that the national debate over immigration is dividing British society. This was reported by the AFP agency, writes TASR.
Sixty-three-year-old Mullally is due on January 28 to become the first woman to head the Diocese of Canterbury. Her nomination was approved by the British King Charles III at the beginning of October. After the British monarch, it will happen the second highest-ranking representative of the Church of England, which brings together a total of 85 million members.
In the Christmas sermon she delivered in the Cathedral of St. Pavla in London, expressed concern over the sensitive the issue of immigration, which has become a central political issue in Great Britain.
“Our national immigration debates continue to divide us, even though our common humanity should unite us,” Mullally said. She added that “we Christians cling to joy as a form of resistance – the kind of joy that does not pretend that suffering does not exist, but faces it with courage”.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who promised to “destroy the gangs” of smugglers, has so far tried in vain to reduce the number of migrants arriving on British soil. This situation leads to the growth in popularity of the anti-immigration party Reform UK.
In an effort to curb illegal migration, London concluded an agreement with Paris in the summer, according to which it has Britain to send undocumented migrants sailing across the English Channel in small boats back to the continent. In return, it will accept an equal number of legitimate asylum seekers from France who already have family ties to the UK.
Mullally will replace Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury in January, who resigned in November last year after it was discovered that the Church of England covered up a case of sexual abuse of boys and young men in the 1970swrites AFP.
According to the agency, the Church of England has been trying for years clear accusations of long-term cover-up of sexual abuse and failure to protect children and vulnerable people. It is currently investigating a 2020 complaint against Mullally’s handling of allegations made by a person identified as “N”.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is considered the spiritual leader of the Church of England throughout the world. He also sits in the House of Lords of the British Parliament. Mullally will be the 106th person to head the Diocese of Canterbury.
