You go into Wells Cathedral Church of St. Andrew, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture once described as the "most beautiful" and "most poetic" of English cathedrals, and what do you see hanging above its knave altar? A giant inflatable rainbow dragon, hanging gleefully above the grey-haired heads of the few people daring to attend the church's Eucharist.
So you flee in terror from the dragon, hoping to find peace in the contemplative, monastic stillness of a former Chapter House, but no. There's an inflatable blue snake waiting for you, coiled around the pillar upholding the minimalist fan vaulting of this once sacred space.
Why have they done this? Ostensibly, to bring mythical beasts drawn by long ago monastics in the books of the cathedral library to life, and so encourage people, especially children, to go to the church. Because, you know, every kid loves a giant inflatable dragon or a big blue blow up snake. Snake's the word, the people behind this are desecrating a sacred space in the pretend hope of winning converts to a God they don't believe in, much less his architecture.
Moving on, we travel from bucolic Somerset to Chester and the North West, where "people aren't afraid to get their hands dirty." But they have, installing Islamic "kiosks" in the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
This used to be a Benedictine abbey before Henry VIII decided to loot the Church and create a whole new breed of millionaire. That heinous crime aside, why put up these monuments to Islam in the cathedral? Baffling, ain't it, but fortunately the internet tells us:
Design & Concept: The structure draws on the visual language of traditional Persian garden pavilions (or "kiosks") associated with Islamic architecture, which were historically used for quiet thought and community gathering. [
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Materials: The installation's walls are uniquely constructed out of recycled, reclaimed wooden pews sourced from English churches and chapels, bridging different religious traditions and architectural histories. [
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Purpose: It serves as a contemplative space meant to spark conversations regarding social inclusion, diversity, and common ground among various communities. [
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We must thank God that the "installation's walls are uniquely constructed out of recycled, reclaimed wooden pews sourced from English churches and chapels." Excuse me, scoured from churches, because they're shut? Wow, at the very time the people of England need their national Church to stand up bravely for the Faith they get this, inflatable dragons and outworn, exhausting, Cultural Marxist DEI slop.
In the meanwhile, their diversity hire leaderene's in Ghana, tearfully lamenting the trans Atlantic slave trade. What a good thing, then, that she's all about committing a £million of her Church's money to slavery reparations. What a preposterous use of the laity's money, money which could be used to fund clergy, parishes and churches. But no, blown off on yesteryear's BLM Leftist fad; no wonder the few people actually left in the pews are thinking of cancelling their giving.
So, is the venerable if decidedly shrinking Church of England past the point of no return? If nothing changes, surely yes. The Apostates, mountebanks and imposters have won, they're in charge. Yes indeed, but God, per Chesterton, has a way of cheating the prophets. What if, dare we imagine, that Christianity's great enemy, Islam, was to convert, in the UK and everywhere else.
There's a divine logic in that, and we can imagine the overthrow and consternation of our Western Hierarchs as it occurs. Well, one way or another the pendulum's going to swing, much to the discomfiture of the grifters and jobsworths currently in power. Not unlike Capitol Hill, when you think on it.
LSP
