Feed the Birds, er, the Protesters!
Posted by Peter Ould on Oct 22, 2011 in Church of England, Frontpage, News | 9 commentsWhat Goering and the Luftwaffe couldn’t manage over several years, a bunch of protesters have achieved in a matter of days! St Paul’s Cathedral is shut and the Dean is out of pocket for £20,000 a day (if not more, for we are about to go into a week’s holiday time here in Blighty).
It all started with the Canon Chancellor Giles Fraser (technically the Chapter member who keeps hold of the purse strings – think Judas Iscariot) telling the police that, no, the protesters didn’t need to move and it was quite all right for them to pitch up tents (bit hard getting the pegs into the concrete slabs, but never-mind) and hang around for a few days. Right to free speech and all that. Fast forward those few days and the Dean of the Cathedral, Bishop Graeme Knowles (Judas Iscariot’s Giles Fraser’s boss) declares that far from being welcome, the protesters are a health and safety hazard (and not to mention causing a massive downturn in the income for the Cathedral).
And so, St Paul’s is shut. Cue a wonderful rewriting of some marvellous Mary Poppins lyrics from the highly esteemed Archbishop Cranmer who has provided us with mirth and amusement this Saturday morning.
Early each day to the steps of Saint Paul’s
The Occupy hordes hoist their tents.
And the Canon Giles Fraser welcomes and calls,
“Come, gather at our great expense.
Come curse the capitalist world, show them you care,
And you’ll be glad if you do.
As you queue for your Starbucks,
We’ll grant you a prayer;
Though our flock is kept out of the pew.”Feed the hordes, £20k a day,
£20k, £20k, £20k a day.
“Feed the hordes,” that’s what he cries,
While the Dean and Chapter are forced to economise.All around the cathedral the saints and apostles
Look down as the protest grows.
But the doors are locked shut as the tourists all jostle
While the hordes force the cathedral to close.Though his words are simple and few,
Listen, listen, he’s calling to you:
“Feed the hordes, £20k a day,
£20k, £20k, £20k a day.”
Frankly, we prefer the original – “Feed the Birds”. After all, our Lord himself said, “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” (Matthew 6:26). We’re not sure where the protesters are getting their daily bread from, but they’re probably working very hard for it. So hard they have time to sit outside a house of God blocking all access (a house of God with which they apparently have absolutely no complaint), close down worship services and drive them economically into the ground.
Bless.
Perhaps this will cheer us all up?
Either way, at the end of all this we’ll never quite see Julie Andrews in the same light again…
Want to subscribe to the 
Such an establishment response to the protestors! Typically saying “You’re all really welcome as long as you do it our way!”
The protestors are not blocking every entrance. They are in full compliance with the fire brigade and city of London H&S people. Where they get their funding is surely their issue.
Why does the TwurchofEngland decide to make such a snide comment about the camp – have you been there? Have you talked to the protestors? Have you tried to understand them? Or were you the priest walking by on the other side of the road?
Yours in a bit of a strop
Pete
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Actually, I was the priest almost breaking his leg because of a badly laid out guy rope.
And now the serious bit – this blog post pokes fun at the protesters and it also has a little side-swipe at the Cathedral as well (or at least, some in the cathedral). You might not agree with the decision of the Cathedral, we might not agree with the decision of the Cathedral, but none of that stops us highlighting it in the way that only the Twurch can do.
And the opportunity to show “Expialidocious” makes it all worth while…
let’s keep this nice! the church has been gracious, and nobody’s turned fire on the billionnaire COE http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1930027/Church-of-England-to-announce-record-assets.html
Yet…
First liking the website, flows well.
Let’s be clear where the sentiments of your loyalty perhaps lie, in investment banking, Pete. It is OK I know a few very well healed Christians whom vote Tory, and many are in the the Church of England, and support the very fabric of such.
Also remember that there are many people whom have watched these said bankers show little remorse in taking public coffers to maintain the economy, and giving themselves good handouts. Public services are being squeezed. Redundancies, pay freezes, downgradings (ie do the same job for less money , status, and be grateful). The councils etc cannot afford to pay the redundancies, so are scheming to overcome it, and so people being unlawfully unpaid their due monies.
Let us remember the children out of Mary Poppins whom saw past the greed of the establishment and took their two-penneth to the old bird woman to feed the birds. The birds of the air are only fed by compassion, and sharing.
God Bless,
Lorraine
I have no sympathy with investment bankers. I have lots of sympathy with the multitudes who can’t get into St Paul’s Cathedral safely.
I see your true colours.
Despite the BBC (and others?) deliberately referring the protestors as ‘anti-capitalist’ (cue: images of running street battles accompanying many a G20 summit) they are anti-corruption and are speaking up for the oppressed. Why is the church not supporting this movement? Why does the church feel threatened by this movement? Are the church and the establishent one?
Are they shining through?
And that’s why you love us?
Don’t be afraid, to let them show.
Your true colours, your true colours,
Are beautiful,
Like a rainbow…
At this point the membership of the church all join hands and sing the next verse. At the end, the following antiphon is sung:
V: Girls?
R: They just wanna have fun.
Having been one of the protestors outside St Paul’s, I fail to see how much of a fire/health and safety risk the encampment poses to the Cathedral. The church is duty bound to support those that suffer iniquity, to quote psalm 109 “For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor”, These people are stating that our system is corrupt and the church should be shoulder to shoulder with them.
Incidentally the board of trustees of St Paul’s Cathedral Foundation makes interesting reading.
Chairman
Sir John Stuttard – former Lord Mayor of the City of London; Chartered Accountant; former partner of PriceWaterhouse
Trustees
The Right Reverend Graeme Knowles, Dean of St Paul’s
Dame Helen Alexander DBE – deputy Chair of the Confederation of British Industry; Chair of the Port of London Authority; adviser to Bain Capital, a global asset management company.
Lord Blair of Boughton – former Chief of the Metropolitan Police
Roger Gifford – UK head of SEB, a major Swedish-based bank
John Harvey – American entrepreneur in the media field; founder of the Personalized Media Communications Group
Joyce Hytner OBE – London Theatre Director & Arts patron
Gavin Ralston – Head of Product at Schroder’s Bank
Carol Sergeant CBE – senior financier; former head of risk at Lloyd’s Bank (to 2010)
John Spence OBE – senior banker; has occupied various key roles with Lloyd’s Bank; senior member of the British Bankers’ Association; Chair of the Audit Committee of HMRC