Occupy London: St Paul's Cathedral faces closure threat

[dipsydoodle]

Source: BBC News

St Paul's Cathedral could be forced to close by the presence of activists in the churchyard staging an anti-capitalist protest, officials say.

The increased "scale and nature of the protest camp" since Saturday had forced the authorities to review its policy of remaining open, a spokesman said.

The activists are said to be from the Occupy London Stock Exchange movement.

A rise in their numbers was now posing "a risk to the life of the cathedral", the statement said.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-15380205

[sk2020]

1. Good.

I for one hope that it closes and stays closed. Churches/mosques or what have you are like prisons for the mind and just as much a part of the "system" as anything else like the banks or corporations.

In fact the Catholic Church is very much like a multinational corporation. We cannot fight one without fighting the other.

[dipsydoodle]

2. St Pauls Cathederal - Catholic ?

Get a life.

[LeftishBrit]

4. St Pauls is Church of England, not Catholic

And the Canon, Giles Fraser, is quite sympathetic to the protesters and has allowed them to stay in the church and grounds so far. There are now getting to be pressures from those concerned about its being open for use as a church (some genuinely concerned about that, some no doubt using it as an excuse to complain about the protesters).

[dipsydoodle]

5. It would be pretty mean spirited / unchristian

for the churchgoers to have complained. I can only assume that complaints have been made by those concerned with any loss of the church's income given its high maintenance costs.

They have not actually asked the protesters to leave :
Occupy London Stock Exchange: St Paul's denies asking protesters to leave.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/oct/19/occupy-london-...

Its also sad state of affairs that this is more or less the only mention by the media of the protest since Monday.

[mwooldri]

9. I'm glad you found that article. Refutes a good number of points.

That the clergy have been supportive of OccupyLSX, they have asked for the occupiers to be considerate, and that OccupyLSX is planning a fundraiser for St. Paul's. Also the clergy have asked the police to *stay away*. Normally, when the Church asks, it gets - considering that it *is* a State Established Church.

[Ken Burch]

6. It's an Anglican cathedral....and it wasn't built until AFTER the Reformation

So St. Paul's was never Catholic.

Most likely, it's the right-wing coalition government led by Cameron that's putting pressure on to force the cathedral closed.

[mwooldri]

7. I'm sorry but I have to disagree with you here.

1. St. Paul's is part of the Church of England (C of E), and it is most definitely NOT Catholic.

2. A prison of the mind? Hardly, quite the reverse actually - examine what the C of E and the wider Anglican Communion actually does. Gay marriages, and women bishops? Wouldn't see those in any Catholic or Baptist church. Has happed in the Anglican Communion.

3. St. Paul's, as well as being a place to worship, is a major London tourist attraction. The clergy are basically trying to balance the needs of Occupy LSE with the needs of tourists and worshippers. Occupiers have not been asked to leave, but to be considerate. Others have jumped to this conclusion, and the clergy has refuted this.

[sk2020]

8. Sorry

Sorry, I was confusing St. Paul's with something else.

However while the Anglican church is more progressive as a strong atheist, I prefer to do away with religion entirely. We can have gay marriages and women in places of power without a religious structure behind it.

[RantinRavin]

16. This athiest thinks there is no reason to do away with religion

A rather fascist attitude to think that just because you do not believe in a higher power that nobody else should have the right to do so.

[LanternWaste]

17. I imagine many people want to "do away" with ideas and philosophies

"I prefer to do away with religion entirely..."

I imagine many people want to "do away" with ideas and philosophies they don't like. Luckily, there has yet to be a mechanism found that prevents us from believing or disbelieving in what we ourselves want to either believe or disbelieve.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Odin2005]

14. This Atheist thinks you are ignorant on the difference between Catholics and Anglicans.

[Kolesar]

3. So, social justice activism should be left to the Communists

And has NO place in church. :sarcasm

[ChazII]

13. Great reply. :)

St. Paul's is a beautiful cathedral and one of Christopher Wren's finest work.

[Kolesar]

20. English baroque, 1710

What fun http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Paul%27s_Cathedral

[McCamy Taylor]

10. All we have to do to get rid of Churches is occupy them?

[formercia]

11. The Churchyards have always been a place of refuge.

The Clearings and Famines are a good example of historical precedent.

[tawadi]

15. I for one hope it is not vandalized

Beautiful artwork which is irreplaceable.

[dipsydoodle]

19. Awesome picture

[Fire Walk With Me]

18. And we see yet another section of the 99% brought into conflict with the 1% and their

robot lackeys. Good. Change occurs when a majority oppose what is wrong. All you have to do is motivate a majority, and the police and rich are doing that through each and every action against the #Occupy movement!

[dipsydoodle]

21. St Pauls has now been closed to the public.

Just breaking now.