The Corporation of London and their representatives in the Church of England look all set to evict the Occupy London encampment sometime this week. For anyone approaching the Occupy London protest from the east along St Paul’s Churchyard, the sight of the tents with a branch of camping equipment shop Blacks also in clear view is probably enough to raise a chuckle. The manager of Blacks couldn’t have arranged a better advert for the store’s winter sale. Less hilarious is the effect of The Church of England on the protest. When I was down there on Saturday, some religious nutcase was banging on and on about how she’d become a more effective activist after finding Jesus five years earlier. Rather than concentrating on real issues, Occupy London has at times been diverted into debates that are about as relevant to the working class as theological hair-splitting about ‘how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?’
That said, these arguments are not simply turning the focus away from how the City of London operates, they’re also causing splits in the utterly repugnant Church of England. First Dr Giles Fraser resigned from his post at St Paul’s Cathedral (canon chancellor), and he’s now been followed by the Rt Rev Graeme Knowles (the dean). Despite their insane religious delusions, these characters are apparently more sympathetic to anti-capitalist protests than the likes of the power mad and equally bonkers Richard Chartres (Bishop of London). Chartres may claim he is sympathetic to Occupy London’s views but he remains hard-line about removing their camp from outside St Paul’s precisely because his interests are completely aligned to those of both the City of London and the parasitic House of Windsor. Understanding that Chartres’ manoeuvres are necessary if he is to retain the support of his influential City backers goes a long way towards explaining the actions of this establishment toady. The City operates through unofficial ambassadors like Chartres, who it seeks to place in positions of power.
Richard Chartres (born 11 July 1947) has been Bishop of London since 1995. Before this appointment he was Bishop of Stepney (1992–1995) and Gresham Professor of Divinity (1987–1992). Gresham College is ‘an institution of higher learning’ located at Barnard’s Inn Hall off Holborn in the City of London. It was founded in 1597 under the will of Sir Thomas Gresham (the founder of the stock exchange). Gresham professorships are handed out to City of London insiders. During a lecture Chartres gave on the History of Gresham College at Barnard’s Inn Hall, he described the institution as a ‘magical island like Atlantis’ which disappeared and re-emerged from the ocean. This was a reference both to the Invisible College of the Rosicrucians and Francis Bacon’s New Atlantis. In a non-Gresham lecture in east London a few years later, Chartres let slip he wanted to build a church in the pyramid at the top of Canary Wharf. Chartres may or may not be a genuine ‘Christian’, but he’s clearly influenced by barking mad occult ideas, and will invoke them to please his influential City of London friends.
Chartres was born in Ware, Hertfordshire and educated at Hertford Grammar School and Trinity College, Cambridge (where he read history). After that he went on to study at Cuddesdon and Lincoln theological colleges. Chartres was ordained as a priest in 1973. He was chaplain to Robert Runcie, then Bishop of St Albans and later Archbishop of Canterbury. Subsequently he’s sucked up to the British royal family, and his faux ‘green’ church campaigns seem designed to make him attractive to ultra-reactionary tossers like Prince Charles. In 1997 he was one of the executors of the will of Princess Diana and he also delivered the address at her memorial service in 2007. He confirmed Prince William. On 12 September 2009 he presided at the marriage of Lord Frederick Windsor to actress Sophie Winkleman at the Chapel Royal in Hampton Court Palace. More recently he preached the sermon at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Here’s how Wikipedia describes Chartres in relation to Occupy London: “In October 2011, the Occupy London group camped in front of St Paul’s Cathedral in order to protest at the use of taxpayers’ money to reward bankers who were perceived to have initiated the financial crises leading to draconian cuts in public spending which had affected the poorest hardest. Canon Giles Fraser requested the police to withdraw and condoned the actions of the demonstrators. This was in stark contrast to Chartres who wanted the protesters to leave – he offered to mediate between the demonstrators and a panel of representatives from the financial sector but only if the protesters disbanded – he also stated he was considering asking the police to evict the demonstrators – this prompted Canon Fraser to resign on the grounds that he could not condone violence against peaceful demonstrators.”
From the above it should be obvious that Richard Chartres is a greedy and ambitious toe-rag who is acting in the interests of the City of London and the British establishment. His offer to mediate between protesters and the financial sector is a sick joke. Anti-capitalists shouldn’t trust Chartres any further than they can throw him. He’s a City of London puppet. It’s high time some real pressure was put on wankers like Chartres who act as secret ambassadors for The City. If we really want to Occupy London then we need to bash this bishop!
And while you’re at it don’t forget to check – www.stewarthomesociety.org – you know it makes (no) sense!
Comments
Comment by Ivor Bigun on 2011-11-01 15:30:01 +0000
You’re very restrained in this post – given your track record I’d imagine it must have been really difficult for you not to refer to Richard Chartres as Dick at least once in this piece
Comment by mistertrippy on 2011-11-01 16:46:13 +0000
I did the Dick/Robin jokes on my recent blog about Richard Grayson.
And ain’t it amazing – minutes after I posted this The Guardian posted a story suggesting Chartres may break ranks with the City and pull the Church of England out of the legal action against Occupy London. Chartres is doing the splits… can he remain on track for top job as Archbishop of Canterbury and keep in with his city mates and backers? Hard to know but regardless we need to keep up the pressure on this establishment goon and remember that if he does pull the CofE out of getting the eviction order he’s still a two-faced dickhead – and even if he’s turned around on that for the benefit of his own career, he’d still sell any radical movement down the river at the first opportunity.
Comment by Sid Snot on 2011-11-01 17:23:44 +0000
I bashed my bishop this morning and he spat all over my tummy!
Comment by Dick Serota on 2011-11-01 18:02:10 +0000
Occupy Tate Modern: A small group of Occupy London protesters have set up camp on the green in front of the Tate Modern. Until now, the demonstrators’ headquarters have been located outside St. Paul’s Cathedral. The Tate is located just across the Millennium Bridge from the cathedral, on the other side of the River Thames. Perhaps the museum will be their new HQ if they are evicted from the St Paul’s camp? The Tate has yet to release a statement.
Comment by Jérôme Sans on 2011-11-02 00:26:23 +0000
I thought Richard Chartres was a chain of estate agents until I read this blog….
Comment by Owen Johns on 2011-11-02 00:54:46 +0000
A global community of activists is emerging, aware that there is no national solution to this crisis. They know that the only answers are theft, the destruction of scholarship, the abolition of work, total subversion, and a world-wide proletarian revolution with ‘unlicensed pleasure’ as its only aim.
Comment by Mary H. Magdalene on 2011-11-02 01:51:27 +0000
It seems to me that something probably went wrong with Richard Chartres’ toilet training – and he seems to love himself to much to love the world or act like a compassionate and caring human being.
Comment by Rank & File Mike on 2011-11-02 10:57:51 +0000
Richard Chartres is obviously a complete arsehole – but then so are The Queen and The Pope!
Comment by Curtis Knight on 2011-11-02 11:17:59 +0000
I’ll take the bishop.
Comment by Sexy Sadie on 2011-11-02 11:31:12 +0000
Forget about walking on water, who ever heard of a Christian who could levitate?
Comment by q on 2011-11-02 15:22:36 +0000
so how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?
Comment by South London Steve on 2011-11-02 16:07:16 +0000
Let’s Occupy Croydon!
Comment by John Wilkes on 2011-11-02 16:31:49 +0000
A “Defrock The Bishop Of London” campaign sounds like a good idea to me!
Comment by Alex Head on 2011-11-02 21:08:44 +0000
I heard when Richard Chartres became Bishop of London he was looking into consecratng a church on a ship so that he could move it along the river and bend the city’s leylines.
Comment by mistertrippy on 2011-11-02 22:47:44 +0000
You’re right about the church on the ship, Chartres was talking about that during some of his lectures at the same time as saying he wanted a church in the pyramid at the top of Canary Wharf!
Comment by Cross Dressing Dick on 2011-11-02 23:47:52 +0000
Maybe we could Occupy The Bishop of London – there looks to be an awful lot of room under those stupid ecclesiastical garments he wears….
Comment by Benjamin Peret on 2011-11-03 00:34:33 +0000
I spit on every priest that crosses my path, bishops are the scum of the earth!
Comment by Peter Wright on 2011-11-03 09:22:07 +0000
And don’t forget that old truism – The Church of England is the Tory Party at prayer.
Comment by Tessie Talk on 2011-11-03 14:06:01 +0000
In the old days when you were blogging on MySpace there used to be euphoria when the comments reached page 3 and they’d always end up going to 10 pages or beyond… Why’s that not happening any longer?
Comment by Elron Hubbard on 2011-11-22 23:10:00 +0000
Due to a schism in the Church of Scientology which led to the formation of the breakaway Church of Bitchslapping with myself as Snoop Dogg, I am no longer able to assist in the creation of an erm…I’ve forgotten
Comment by mistertrippy on 2011-11-22 23:32:30 +0000
“euphoria”
Comment by Michael Roth on 2011-11-27 04:38:00 +0000
I object to his statements! I live on the real magical island of Atlantis and his comparison of my homeland with his decrepit institution is an insult. An insult! If I ever run into this obviously deranged gentleman (so called), I have some very strong words for him. Now good day. I said, good day!
Comment by Michael Roth on 2011-11-27 05:37:36 +0000
Woo Hoo! We’ve rolled over to page 4 of comments!
Comment by mistertrippy on 2011-11-27 12:13:04 +0000
Nearly!