Archbishop blesses Christian climate activists on her way to Canterbury
Christian Climate Action, a nonviolent climate protest group, received a blessing from Sarah Mullally, the new Archbishop of Canterbury.
Members of the group met the Archbishop in Chartham, Kent, on the final day of her pilgrimage to Canterbury. They asked her to bless their work to protect the climate and nature, which includes acts of protest and civil disobedience.
As part of its Stop Crucifying Creation campaign, Christian Climate Action (CCA) is calling on the Church of England to speak out publicly against the forces driving the climate crisis.
Exchange of blessings
Rev Sue Parfitt asked the Archbishop to stop and to bless the group. Archbishop Mullally did so, using the Old Testament blessing from the book of Numbers:
May the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you and grant you peace.
Rev Parfitt, then gave a blessing to Archbishop Sarah, saying:
We pray for you, Sarah, as Archbishop; that you will know the love of God, the company of the Spirit and the light of Christ as you meet him, crucified and risen, in people and places along your pilgrim way. Amen.
Christian Climate Action continue to mobilise
Members of CCA will be on the streets on Wednesday 25 March, when the Archbishop will be officially installed at the cathedral.
Rev Parfitt said:
We were delighted to take part in lining the route as Archbishop Sarah ended her pilgrimage to Canterbury on Passion Sunday. Christian Climate Action received a blessing from her on their continuing work to have the Church prioritise the Climate and Nature Emergency.
Rev James Grote, who was also present, said:
We wanted Bishop Sarah to bless Christian Climate Action in its work of giving voice to all those who struggle hard and painfully for justice in the climate and nature emergency where people are losing their lives, homes, communities and work because of flood, drought and fire.
We pray that, under the leadership of the new Archbishop of Canterbury, the Church of England will speak out and set things right as it calls the government to act, challenges the fossil fuel industry and the banks which fund it, and the media which is complicit.
More than 70 members of CCA have also written to the Archbishop urging her to back Stop Crucifying Creation. Action proposed in the document includes a switch to ethical investments and banking, re-wilding Church land, lobbying for positive climate and nature action, and caring for victims of the crisis.
Featured image via Christian Climate Action
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FFI —Extracted from Dr Google (UHBP)
Women played significant, active leadership roles in early Christianity (1st–5th centuries), serving as house church leaders, deacons, and sometimes as recognized presbyters (priests) or apostles. Evidence from Paul’s letters, archaeological artifacts like mosaics and frescoes, and early writings points to women holding authority, particularly in eastern Mediterranean regions, before a more restrictive male hierarchy became dominant.
Key evidence of women in early Christian leadership includes:
Biblical Mentions: Paul mentions Phoebe as a diakonos (deacon) of the church in Cenchreae, Junia as a prominent apostle, and leaders like Prisca and Chloe, who hosted house churches.
Archaeological Findings: Mosaics and inscriptions in churches and catacombs, dating up to the 9th century, feature women with titles like presbytera (priest) or episkopa (bishop). A notable 5th-century inscription found in Gaul mentions a woman named Martia as a presbyteria.
Ministry Functions: Women played roles in baptisms, teaching, and administering the Eucharist, especially in early centuries before clerical restrictions tightened.
Diverse Movements: While mainstream church structures became more restrictive, certain early sects like the Montanists (2nd–3rd century) and other groups recognized female clergy, as mentioned in Wikipedia’s entry on women in the patristic age and CBE International.
The move toward an all-male priesthood was influenced by a shift toward Old Testament models, the rise of infant baptism (reducing the need for women to baptize other women due to modesty), and patriarchal influences from the broader culture, say Marg Mowczko. Although some early traditions honored women leaders, their official standing was gradually marginalized.
Women have been ordained as ministerial leaders in the early Church. The letters of St. Paul name more than eight women as leaders of small house churches,….
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