Commenting on the court battle over a memorial plaque to Tobias Rust, a 17th-century benefactor who invested in slavery, Justin Welby gave his full support to those seeking her removal and suggested that the Church of England still has a long way to go. her journey to tribal justice. The archbishop intervened after Jesus College applied to the local diocese, requesting the removal of the monument from the chapel because his presence had a negative impact on the mission and ministry of the church. The college said the plaque would be moved elsewhere to the college, where it would not interfere with worship, but could be studied as an important historical monument. Last month, however, an ecclesiastical court rejected the petition, saying the opposition to the monument was based on a “false account” of the amount of financial rewards Rustat had earned from slavery and ordered that the monument remain in the chapel. Welby said he had no doubt that the law had been obeyed and that he had used the controversial guidance of the Church of England for inheritance, but added: “But if we are content with a situation where people of color are excluded from places of worship because of the pain caused by such memorials, then clearly we still have a lot to do on our journey to tribal justice. “ This is not the first time the archbishop has felt compelled to intervene in the dispute. Earlier this year, speaking at the General Assembly, he wondered why it turned out to be so difficult to move the monument to Rustat when it caused distress to people whose ancestors had been sold as slaves. “I insist on these comments,” he said on Tuesday. “The Church of England has a dark history where slavery must be tackled. “Racial injustice, inside the church and outside, is an issue that still exists today,” Welby said. “Since the end of 2019, the church commissioners, of which I am president and the Archbishop of York is a member of the board, have begun the process of revealing and confronting this dark past, with the aim of restoring, repairing and promoting a better future for all of us. They will report on their findings in the coming months. “ Earlier this week, Jesus College rejected an appeal against the editorial court ruling. College teacher Sonita Alleyne, who is the first black teacher at an Oxbridge college, warned, however, that the Church of England’s procedures for dealing with racial injustice and disputed inheritance were inadequate and inappropriate.
