Letter: Secrets and lies

The Rev Dr Kenneth Leech St Botolph's Church,London Ec3

Saturday 15 May 1999 23:02 BST

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RACHEL SYLVESTER ("Church and state discuss parting of ways", 9 May) gets to the heart of the establishment problem in her first sentence: "Plans to loosen the historic and exclusive bond between the Church of England and the state were discussed at a secret meeting" (my italics).

Central to the critique of the whole establishment set-up is the issue of secrecy: secrecy about how bishops are appointed, secrecy about so many decisions affecting the common life of the Body of Christ, secrecy even about discussions (perhaps) to end the secrecy! As long as major decisions are made in secret by people who were appointed secretly, there will never be that trust and confidence in the Church of England which is necessary for its health.

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Letter: Secrets and lies

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