Archbishop Ian Ernest is the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Personal Representative to the Holy See and Director of the Anglican Centre in Rome. He was Primate of the Anglican Province of the Indian Ocean. He spoke to the ACO about the themes in the Lambeth Call on Human Dignity.
How does discrimination, racism and prejudice threaten human dignity and human rights?
When I reflect on the prevalence of certain attitudes and situations that threaten human dignity and baffle human rights, three questions arise. How do we relate with others whom we meet on the road, at work? How do we treat people who are different from us? How much do we actually reach out to those who are from other social and cultural backgrounds?
Today, as lots of emphasis is laid on the need to embrace and to respect the other, we tend to believe that we good people are doing the right things. But, as we assess with integrity our own lifestyle, we will note that we continue to live with attitudes that lead to suffering and make life worse for the poor and weak. This is where it all starts. So, we all do have a responsibility in the way the rights and dignity of some people are being jeopardised.
Out of these attitudes, the behaviours of some of us may lead to the denial of respect for the other and this can be reflected in the way a nation, a corporation or any other institution nurture a spirit of suspicion that alienates one from the other.
So, discrimination, racism and prejudice emerge when we judge the other on the grounds of colour, race, creed, gender, economic capacity and ethnic origin. These unfortunate realities are then used to shame the other. In consequence, if feelings are not challenged properly and guided, they become fertile soil for social unrest and the harsh prevalence of unjust structures.
How can the Anglican Communion promote justice, locally and globally and challenge unjust structures with regard to human dignity?
As part of the Body of Christ professing one Church, one Faith, one baptism, we are all called as a Communion of Churches to pay attention to the foundational ways of God. We have to be reminded that we belong to each other as children of God. In the Sermon of the Mount, (The Beatitudes), Jesus clearly points out that as children of God, we are to exercise our role as peacemakers.
These notions can be conveyed to all who constitute the Church through Sunday School programmes, youth work and lay training at local level. These should highlight the need for us to bring in the light of God to expose the darkness of our world and to point out the way to God.
At local, regional and global levels, encouragement should be given to those who are working diligently on projects that cater for the alleviation of poverty, for all, through a fair sharing of resources and wealth. Encouragement should also be given to those who seem indifferent to the cause of justice and equity. The Church, in its prophetic role at all levels, should therefore call on all people irrespective of age, economic status and background to develop a greater sense of sacrifice and a spirit of generosity as it would urge a nation to recognise the potential of one and all irrespective of cultural, racial, economic and religious differences.
What are your hopes for how the Anglican Communion can be a voice for hope, justice and equality in the world?
I am very hopeful as through its institutions, whether locally or internationally, the Anglican Communion is already working with people at grassroots levels. But there is a need for these voices to be heard. The sharing of stories should be part and parcel of our life together. The Indaba process has to be ignited again and through it, young people of diverse origins could meet more often and in an informal manner. Too many conferences, symposiums or webinars can only become intellectual exercises which produce documents which are then put in a drawer.
There is also a possibility to look for a positive interaction with other stakeholders of society to work on specific projects such as the empowerment of children and young people. This is a way by which potentials are unlocked. Potentials for societal transformation can then be used to foster a greater spirit of solidarity that will bring about solidarity, hope and justice.
From my past experience in the Indian Ocean and my present experience in Rome, confronting differences have helped me and continue to help me in realising that diversity is a gift from God that we need to cherish. It is easier to judge, condemn and discard than to love, to forgive, to embrace and to deny myself so that the other may enjoy the richness of God’s beauty expressed in creation and what it offers so graciously to all of us.
The poverty I experienced in the Province of the Indian Ocean emerged because of greed and human exploitation. This cannot be tolerated and the Church has to continue to be the mouthpiece of the most vulnerable or else there is no proclamation of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. We always need to be attentive to the longing of Jesus the Son of God, “that they all may be One.” The Ecumenical experience in Rome serves as a model to be hospitable and considerate towards the person who has a different outlook on life.