Archbishops to Embark on 'Walk of Witness'

The Archbishop of Canterbury and York will embark on a “walk of witness” in March, to express repentance for the Church of England’s complicity in the slave trade.

Carrying a giant cross through London, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York are to lead thousands in a march, while moments of quiet reflection will be held as African drummers beat a sombre lament.

The event, which takes place on March 24, coincides with the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade. It is the latest stage in the Church’s commemorations since February last year, when the General Synod voted to apologise for its involvement in slavery.

The vote at Synod was supported by the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams and the Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu, who has linked slavery with modern-day discrimination and racism.

Churches across Britain are being encouraged to bus up to 8,000 parishioners to London for the “act of public witness”, according to draft plans.

Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, who grew up in Uganda and has described how his forebears were among those enslaved, hope the event will signal the “beginning of a healing process”. Read more