It’s time we reclaimed our patron saint, says Dr Michael Nazir-Ali
By Ruth Gledhill, Timesonline
A Pakistani-born bishop is calling for celebrations to mark St George’s Day to be held throughout England today, led by flag-flying clergy.
The Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, who announced recently that he is to step down early to work for persecuted Christians, called on churches across the land to ring their bells and fly the flag of St George. A service to commemorate the saint is being held at Rochester Cathedral today.
Warning against the danger of “collective amnesia” about national identity in the name of multiculturalism, he also urged clergy to hold dedicated services to celebrate the “glorious heritage” of St George, with prayers for the nation and the Forces.
His call follows a speech from the Ugandan-born Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, at The Sunday Times Literary Festival in Oxford, in which he argued for a new form of English identity that would take into account cultural changes and for St George’s Day to be marked by formal celebrations.
In Northern Ireland St Patrick’s Day is a holiday, the Scottish Parliament has introduced a voluntary holiday on St Andrew’s Day and the Welsh Assembly has agreed that St David’s Day should be a holiday. The Government has so far resisted calls for similar recognition for St George’s Day.
Dr Nazir-Ali said: “George became important for England because of his courage in refusing to deny his faith and in his acceptance of martyrdom. He came to personify the importance of conscience at precisely the time that people in England were beginning to emphasise the value of liberty.
“George is a Christian saint and these are characteristically Christian values and virtues. In reclaiming St George we are making sure that his name is not abandoned to a narrow nationalistic chauvinism.”
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