Christian Revolution

Ever since suave Cosmo Gordon Lang retired from the see of Canterbury last spring, Britons have become increasingly aware that their traditionally staid and conservative Church of England is now headed by a pair of Christian revolutionaries. Last week both of these Anglican prelates--joke-loving William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of All England, and hike-loving Cyril Garbett, Archbishop of York and Primate of England--got up on the same platform in smoky Birmingham and spoke words that put the Church on the side of Socialism, if not of revolution.

"The Christian aim," said Canterbury, "leads to emphasis upon a life ordered in the public interest, and this involves in our day definite attack upon a number of so-called vested interests." Then, echoing his Albert Hall speech of two months ago, he denounced private ownership of land and private control of credit. Said he:

"The question of ownership is becoming steadily less important compared with that of direction and management. . . . Those who direct and manage should regard themselves as servants of the public and partners of all others, rather than as agents for the owners. . . . We will insist that children henceforth be born in houses that are fit homes, receive education to the age of 18, and that everybody have enough of the right foods."

Canterbury failed to attack the vested interest closest to his own miter--the established Church of England. He mentioned its possible disestablishment, but said that, while drastic reforms were needed, this was not a time to get involved in that particular issue.

But Christian Revolutionist York attacked even this sacred cow. In the Church as it is today, said he, "the whole setup of administrative and financial reforms is overdue; the incomes of bishops, especially archbishops, apparently are very high. So long as bishops are looked on as rich men, their spiritual influence will be hindered. Both the Archbishop of Canterbury and I* are most anxious that as soon as possible this cause of offense should be removed."

* Present salaries of Canterbury and York: -L-15,000 and -L-9,000 ($60,000 and $36,000) respectively. Nearly all of this goes for income tax and upkeep of their official palaces--the kind of expenditure which the Bishop of Ely, when vainly trying to get rid of his palace in 1939, called keeping "too many gardeners to grow too many vegetables to feed too many servants to make too many beds."

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