Issue 695 Archbishop to bless 'pagan project' By Jonathan Petre AN environmental project which involves less conventional faiths and several neo-pagans is to be blessed by the Archbishop of Canterbury this week, much to the alarm of fellow evangelicals. The Sacred Land Project, a five-year scheme for the millennium to restore sites of spiritual significance from standing stones to medieval abbeys, has its English launch on Wednesday at a church in London. At Wednesday's launch, Dr George Carey will lead a group of eight religious leaders representing faiths from Baha'i to Jainism in blessing an ancient spring credited with healing powers at St Mary's church in Willesden, north London. Several pagan guests will be present. The Rev Michael Cole, a Canon of Chelmsford Cathedral and Area Dean of Redbridge, who is co-author of a book about New Age religions, said Dr Carey's involvement was dangerous.
Christians are concerned with conservation.
That's why the Archbishop wants to be involved. But others want to take it further and worship Mother Earth rather than Father God. The Archbishop would be wiser not to be involved at all. How the public perceive what he does is crucial. This is the sort of situation which those of us at Church level are working to prevent.