October 31, 2011

The dean of St. Paul's Cathedral, London, has resigned saying his position "was becoming untenable" due to mounting criticism of the way the cathedral has responded to some 200 anti-capitalist protestors who've been camped outside since Oct. 16.

Dean Graeme Knowles, who made the announcement during an Oct. 31 press conference, said that the last two weeks have "been a testing time" for the chapter (senior cathedral clergy) "and for me personally." He said that he believes he is no longer the right person to lead the cathedral.

Knowles' resignation comes four days after the Rev. Giles Fraser left his post as canon chancellor because the cathedral had decided to support legal action to remove the protestors.

Fraser said he could not support what he said might be "a course of action that could mean there will be violence in the name of the church."

Since the arrival of the Occupy London protesters, Knowles said that the cathedral staff has "been put under a great deal of strain and ... faced what would appear to be some insurmountable issues. I hope and pray that under new leadership these issues might continue to be addressed and that there might be a swift and peaceful resolution."

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, speaking for the first time since the protestors arrived outside the cathedral, said Oct. 31 that the resignations are "very sad news. The events of the last couple of weeks have shown very clearly how decisions made in good faith by good people under unusual pressure can have utterly unforeseen and unwelcome consequences, and the clergy of St. Paul's deserve our understanding in these circumstances."

Williams also said that "the urgent larger issues raised by the protesters at St. Paul's remain very much on the table and we need – as a church and as society as a whole – to work to make sure that they are properly addressed."

In light of Knowles' resignation, the cathedral chapter has asked Diocese of London Bishop Richard Chartres "to assist them in providing an independent voice on the ongoing situation at St. Paul's," according to a cathedral press release.

Chartres said he believes Knowles has "acted honorably in a very difficult situation" and noted that while St. Paul's "is not on any particular political side ... it does have an important part to play in providing a place for reasoned debate within a moral and spiritual context."

Citing health and safety concerns, the cathedral closed its doors on Oct. 21 to visitors and worshipers for the first time since World War II but reopened Oct. 28 after the protestors complied with requests to move tents to ensure the building's entrances and exits were not obstructed.

But on Oct. 26, the City of London Corporation, the city's governing body, issued a statement saying that it was seeking "the full range of options – including court action" to clear protestors, a move senior cathedral staff have supported.

The London protest, calling itself the Occupy London Stock Exchange, is part of a worldwide demonstration of anger against economic injustice and greed. The campaign originated in New York, where Trinity Wall Street posted a statement on its website Oct. 5 inviting Occupy Wall Street protestors to use the congregation's facilities and staff for rest, revitalization and pastoral care. On Oct. 20, Trinity hosted a meeting of interfaith leaders, including Episcopal Diocese of Long Island Bishop Lawrence Provenzano, discussing ways to support the movement.

The protests, begun in New York on Sept. 17 and inspired by the Arab Spring movement, have spread to more than 2,100 locations, including other major cities such as Chicago, Miami, Vienna, Paris, Berlin, Rome and Tokyo.

Episcopal News Service