Church ‘should offer objectives for life’

Press, 31 October 1981, Page 1

Church ‘should offer objectives for life’

The most pressing role of the Church was to offer objectives for human life and society, said the Archbishop of York, the Most Rev. Stuart Blanch,, at a news conference in Christchurch yesterday.

He is in Christchurch as guest of honour for the Christchurch Cathedral centennial celebrations.

He said that' a sense of national objective was lacking in Britain, and that people there were asking what sort of society they wanted.

He said, “Political parties do not have the answers. If the Church cannot answer

the question, I do not know who can.”

Archbishop Blanch said that although everybody would profit from a society based on the rule of God, he did not advocate a theocracy such as that prevailing in Iran.

Archbishop Blanch was enthroned as the ninety-fourth Archbishop of York in 1975. He has a special interest in broadcasting and the mass news media, has appeared frequently on British television and radio, and has written several books. •

He said that he was opposed to Church newspapers, which were “as bad as anyone else.” He preferred

churches to “Bike their chance” in the secular news media. <

He said, "If yo?i broadcast in the Christian pedia, only Christians listen: the aim is to get the others interested.” One of the Church’s roles was to influence society and the decisions of its leaders. He favoured the involvement of the Church in politics. Government in Britain acknowledged the influence the Church had on society and on votes.

Archbishop Blanch said, “No Government in England would like to go wholly against the Church of England. They know we have a lot of muscle and support.”