CofE Vicar Likens Eco Protestors to Jesus

A Church of England clergyman has likened the eco protestors causing havoc in London to Jesus Christ.

Reverend Canon Giles Goddard of St John’s Church, Waterloo, London, had agreed three weeks ago to allow the eco-extremists to use the church crypt to sleep in between shifts whilst blocking traffic on Waterloo Bridge.

Mr Goddard, who is a member of the Church of England’s legislative body the General Synod, told the newspaper that he was “very committed” to tackling alleged man-made climate change and wanted to give “all the support that we can to Extinction Rebellion,” which brought London to standstill over the past week and resulted in nearly 1,000 arrests so far.

In comments made during Holy Week, the left-wing vicar said, “I think there is recognition that the time to act globally is now for the sake of populations across the world. Here we are in Holy Week.

“Jesus went to Jerusalem knowing he was going to be arrested and believing that he had to be to bring about the change that was necessary.”

The far-left environmentalist group — which wants to halt all greenhouse gas emissions in six years, hand over political decision making to a “citizens’ assembly” devoted to climate justice, and for the government to declare an “ecological emergency” — also used the church’s toilets, showers,  and kitchen, and accessed the church’s electricity for charging phones used for coordinating the illegal activity.

The churchyard was also used as a storage area for potted trees which were later erected in a “garden bridge” blockade.

Rev Canon Goddard denied he had “facilitated” the illegal protest, saying, “They think we have facilitated [the blockade] but I don’t think we have really. I think we have made it easier.”

The Shropshire Star reports that another Church of England clergyman, Reverend Helen Burnett, also joined the protest to “bring about change for the entire planet.” 

The vicars are not the only church figures to back the extreme actions of the protestors — with support coming from former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams.