LONDON (Reuters) – St Paul’s Cathedral, in the heart of London’s financial district, has for centuries occupied a delicate position between God and Mammon, benefiting from the generosity of rich financiers while supporting the more numerous poor.
The tents erected on its doorstep by protesters against the excesses of modern capitalism and its huge inequalities in wealth have presented the Church with an excruciating dilemma — should it side with them or the bankers they criticize?
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the head of the Church of England, stepped into the debate Tuesday, backing calls by the Vatican last month for sweeping reforms of the world economic system and the creation of ethical regulation of financial markets.
“The best outcome from the unhappy controversies at St Paul’s will be if the issues raised by the Pontifical Council can focus a concerted effort to move the debate on and effect credible change in the financial world,” said Williams, spiritual leader of the world’s 80 million Anglicans.
The domed church, which was badly damaged but survived the blitz while London burned in World War Two, has lost two senior clergy over its handling of the anti-capitalist protesters who set up camp over two weeks ago, after
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