- Judy Molland
- October 27, 2011
- 9:20 pm
If you haven’t heard, Occupy Wall Street has gone international – and London is one of its destinations.
Occupy London has a strong supporter, in the figure of Reverend Canon Dr. Giles Fraser. However, Dr. Fraser, the canon chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral, has resigned, citing concerns that to evict protesters would lead to “violence in the name of the Church”.
Dr Fraser, who pledged his support for the Occupy London protest camp, had warned that he would resign if the Church took legal action to remove the activists.
The Church Of England Takes A Stand
On October 27, just hours after the Corporation of London confirmed that it would seek a High Court injunction to remove them, he acted on his word. Just after 9am, Fraser tweeted: “It is with great regret and sadness that I have handed in my notice at St Paul’s Cathedral.”
In a statement to the Guardian, Fraser, who was appointed canon in May 2009, confirmed his resignation, saying: “I resigned because I believe that the chapter has set on a course of action that could mean there will be violence in the name of the church.”
“Very Sorry To See Fraser Leave”
From The Guardian:
The dean of St Paul’s, the Right Rev Graeme Knowles, said he was “very sorry” to see Fraser leave.”Giles has brought a unique contribution to the life and ministry of St Paul’s and we will be very sorry to see him go. He has developed the work of the St Paul’s Institute and has raised the profile of our work in the City.
“We are obviously disappointed that he is not able to continue to his work with Chapter during these challenging days. We will miss his humour and humanity and wish Giles and his family every good wish into the future.”
Fraser quickly became a hero figure among the Occupy the London Stock Exchange (LSX) movement, clearing police officers off the steps of St Paul’s and supporting the group’s right to peaceful protest after a court injunction stopped it from setting up camp in nearby Paternoster Square. He also delivered a Sunday sermon decrying corporate greed, which was seen as another sign of his endorsement of the protest.
Reverend Dr. Giles Fraser Is Our Hero
Occupy the London Stock Exchange protestors were quick to express dismay at Fraser’s resignation. As first reported in The Daily Telegraph, “I think he’s always given us a sense that he values this kind of protest,” one protester said. He added, “the fact that he is standing by his values, shown through his resignation, is really so important to us. We have a lot of respect for him. He’s an honourable man.”
Dr Fraser joined St Paul’s as canon chancellor in 2009 from his post at St Mary’s church in Putney.
He is expected to take part in a service at St Paul’s on Friday afternoon, the first since the cathedral closed its doors a week ago for health and safety reasons.
Late Wednesday, the bishop of London, Richard Chartres, offered to organize a debate between protesters and figures from “across the political and business spectrum”. But the offer came with a caveat. “If the protesters disband peacefully, I will join the dean and chapter in organising a debate on the real issues here under the dome,” he wrote in the Evening Standard. “We will convene a panel from across the political and business spectrum and will invite protesters to be represented. The Dean and I will be available on Sunday morning, outside St Paul’s. Our message will be simple: pack up your tents voluntarily and let us make you heard.”
Occupy London Stock Exchange Has Not Responded
Occupy London Stock Exchange has yet to formally respond to the invitation or ultimatum. It is unlikely to accede to the demand.
Kudos to Reverend Dr. Giles Fraser for standing by his beliefs, and standing up for true Christian values. This is what religion really means.
Related Stories
Read more: church of england, occupy london stock exchange, occupy wall street, reverend giles fraser,st pauls cathedral london
Photo Credit:Michael Elftheriades
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
Breaking Stories
![How The White House Celebrates Halloween [VIDEO]](http://1.2.3.10/bmi/dingo.care2.com/pictures/causes/2880/2879896.medium.jpg)
![House Speaker John Boehner Ignores The 99% [Video]](http://1.2.3.13/bmi/dingo.care2.com/pictures/causes/2880/2879919.medium.jpg)
Most Popular
- 1 of 3
Follow Us
Recent Comments from Causes
What a wonderful story!
Dogs save many lives.
so true
meet our writers
Judy Molland An award-winning writer and teacher, Judy Molland is also an avid hiker, backpacker, and nature... more
Read more:http://www.care2.com/causes/occupy-london-stock-exchange-canon-of-st-pauls-cathedral-quits.html#ixzz1cDXGbf3J
Stop thumping and start acting, responsibly, and not by the Old, Very Old Testament.
It is passee, i.e. outdated. It will only lead to religious fanaticism. See the Middle East..