THE Bishop of Bristol, the Rt Revd Vivienne Faull, has refused a retired priest, the Revd Sue Parfitt, permission to officiate (PTO) after she was charged with causing criminal damage during a climate protest.
Ms Parfitt, who’s 82, is awaiting trial after she chipped the glass case surrounding a duplicate of Magna Carta housed within the British Library (News, 17 May). She had targeted the document to make the purpose that the Government had been present in breach of its own climate policy by the High Court.
At the time of the protest, she said: “There might be no freedom, no lawfulness, no rights, if we allow climate breakdown to turn out to be the catastrophe that’s now threatened.”
Ms Parfitt and Bishop Faull were among the many first women to be ordained in 1994. Bishop Faull is now accountable for making Ms Parfitt the primary person to be stopped from having her licence renewed due to a climate protest. Ms Parfitt said: “Although I do, naturally, find the Bishop’s motion personally painful, especially on this thirtieth anniversary yr after we are celebrating women’s first ordination to the priesthood . . . that shouldn’t be the essential issue.
“Those of us who participate in acts of civil disobedience, accomplish that as a way to tell the reality in regards to the uniquely catastrophic emergency which humanity faces and to spotlight the determination of the powerful forces of opposition to shut down this truth-telling. Courts, skilled associations, government, the press and, sadly it seems, the Church are what we are actually up against.”
Ms Parfitt said that Bishop Faull had been supportive of her climate-change protests previously, including once they led to arrests; and he or she was instrumental in pushing the Church of England to succeed in its goal of going net zero by 2030. “So it has come as a shock to find that she shouldn’t be now capable of proceed her support, regardless that nothing has modified, and has given me no reason why that is so,” she said.
Bristol diocese declined to offer any comment from Bishop Faull, or to make clear whether Ms Parfitt could have her licence renewed if she desisted from such actions in future.
A spokesperson said: “We would really like to offer clarification that the Revd Dr Sue Parfitt has not held Permission to Officiate [PTO] within the Diocese of Bristol since 31 December 2022. She is retired and lives throughout the diocese and stays a Clerk in Holy Orders. The Revd Dr Sue Parfitt recently applied for a recent PTO throughout the Diocese. PTO shouldn’t be being issued presently based on the incontrovertible fact that Ms Parfitt is facing criminal charges in ongoing court proceedings.
“The Diocese recognises everyone’s legal right to protest. We support the decision for more urgent motion to combat the environmental crisis and advocate for the changes in peaceful and lawful ways.”
Joe Ware is senior climate journalist at Christian Aid.
