John Sentamu
Encyclopedia
John Tucker Mugabi Sentamu is the 97th Archbishop of York
, Metropolitan of the province of York, and Primate
of England. He is the second most senior cleric in the Church of England
, after the Archbishop of Canterbury
, Rowan Williams
.
, Uganda, the sixth of thirteen children. He read law (LL.B.) at Makerere University
, Kampala
, and practised as an advocate
of the High Court of Uganda. Sentamu practised both law at the Bar and at the Bench until 1974. He incurred the wrath of the dictator Idi Amin
because of his judicial independence and was locked up for 90 days, three weeks after his marriage. In a speech in 2007, he described how during that time he had been "kicked around like a football and beaten terribly", saying "the temptation to give up hope of release was always present". In 1974 he fled to the United Kingdom
.
He read theology at Selwyn College, Cambridge
(BA 1976, MA
1979, PhD 1984). He trained for the priesthood at Ridley Hall, Cambridge
, being ordained a priest in 1979. His doctoral thesis is entitled Some aspects of soteriology
, with particular reference to the thought of J.K. Mozley, from an African perspective. He worked as assistant chaplain at Selwyn College, as chaplain at a remand centre and as curate
and vicar
in a series of parish appointments before his consecration
, in 1996, as Bishop of Stepney
(a suffragan see in the Diocese of London
). It was during this time that he served as advisor to the Stephen Lawrence
Judicial Enquiry. In 2002 he chaired the Damilola Taylor
review. That same year he was appointed Bishop of Birmingham
where his ministry, according to the Archbishop of Canterbury
, Rowan Williams
, was praised by "Christians of all backgrounds". Sentamu became President of Youth for Christ in 2004 and President of the YMCA in April 2005.
On 17 June 2005 the prime minister's
office announced his translation to York
as the 97th archbishop. He was formally elected by the chapter of York Minster
on 21 July, legally confirmed as archbishop in London on 5 October, and enthroned at York Minster on 30 November 2005 (the feast of Saint Andrew
), at a ceremony with African singing and dancing and contemporary music, with Sentamu himself playing African drums during the service. In the same year, Sentamu was admitted, as a matter of course, to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
.
On 7 March 2007 he was installed as the first Chancellor of York St John University
.
On 16 July 2007, Sentamu was presented with an honorary degree from the University of Hull
by the chancellor of the university, Virginia Bottomley
, at Hull
City Hall during the graduation ceremony for graduands of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
On 19 July 2007 he was presented with an honorary degree (Doctor of Letters) from the University of Sheffield
in recognition of his distinguished career as a scholar and theologian.
In October 2007 Sentamu was awarded the Yorkshireman of the Year title by the Black Sheep Brewery
. In his acceptance speech Sentamu praised the welcome he had received from the people of Yorkshire
and made reference to the African-Yorkshire DNA connection, joking that perhaps his parents had this in mind when they gave him the name Mugabi, which, spelled backwards, is Ibagum ('ee-by-gum', a stock phrase popularly supposed to be used to express shock or disbelief in northern England).
On 15 July 2010, Sentamu was presented with an honorary degree from the University of York
by the Provost of Vanbrugh College, the Reverend David Efird of the Department of Philosophy.
On 16 July 2010, Sentamu was presented with an honorary degree from the University of Leeds
by the chancellor of the university, Melvyn Bragg
.
had sometimes "seemed to imply, wrongly for me, 'let other cultures be allowed to express themselves but do not let the majority culture at all tell us its glories, its struggles, its joys, its pains'." Just as at Birmingham
, Sentamu has expressed a desire to be known informally as Archbishop for York (rather than of).
near to St Paul's Cathedral
and his car was searched under police stop and search powers. Sentamu claimed it was the eighth time that he had been questioned by police in eight years, and that he was the only Church of England bishop to have been stopped by police in this way. In a 2010 debate in the House of Lords
, Sentamu was critical of the standards of "reasonable grounds to suspect" applied by police.
.
For a week, starting 14 August 2006, Sentamu pitched a tent and camped in York Minster, foregoing food in solidarity with those impacted by the Middle East conflict, especially the children and other civilians killed and injured during the 2006 Lebanon War, which featured prominently the use of cluster bombs by Israeli forces.
In 2006 he claimed that the BBC
is frightened of criticising Islam
.
, saying "Celebrity can be malign in that it becomes a form of idolatry, and people live their lives vicariously through the rich and famous rather than attending to their own lives."
As of October 2010, United Kingdom bookmakers have converged on Sentamu as the most likely bishop to become the next Archbishop of Canterbury.
on BBC One
, Sentamu made a protest against Zimbabwe
an president Robert Mugabe
. Sentamu ripped off his clerical collar
and cut it up stating that His protest followed criticism against Mugabe at the EU –Africa summit in Lisbon
.
In December 2008, Sentamu again spoke out against Robert Mugabe
, saying "The time has come for Robert Mugabe to answer for his crimes against humanity, against his countrymen and women and for justice to be done".
article in February 2009, Sentamu criticised the treatment of British Christians in the workplace in the public sector. Referring to the cases of Caroline Petrie, a visiting nurse investigated for religious approaches to patients, and Jennie Cain, a school receptionist who claimed she was disciplined for sending an email asking her friends to pray for her when her daughter was reprimanded for telling a friend she would burn in hell, Archbishop Sentamu said "Asking someone to leave their belief in God at the door of their workplace is akin to asking them to remove their skin colour before coming into the office," and emphasised that"Christianity is the tapestry upon which our country's heritage was woven."
from his captors in Palestine. He led prayers of thanks at Bishopthorpe Palace after Mr Johnston was freed two months later and the pair met up in December 2007.
regarding their HBOS
shares, driving the share prices down, as being "clearly bank robbers".
article in October 2008, Sentamu defended the role of church schools against what he characterised as an "an attack of unusual and sustained ferocity" mounted by "a number of influential commentators" whom he did not name.
: an attempt in 1999 to find agreement on affirming certain human rights of homosexuals, notwithstanding differences within the church on the morality of homosexual behaviour.
He also said, “For some people that’s where their journeys are. But what is important, actually, is not to simply look at the past because they are going to be standing in the Abbey taking these wonderful vows: 'for better for worse; for richer for poorer; in sickness and in health; till death us do part.’”
, with Sentamu aiming to raise £50,000 for the Afghanistan Trust. Yorkshire businessman Guy Brudenell had challenged Sentamu to do the jump at a charity dinner and Brudenell also took part in the jump on the day. In recognition of what was described as his "pluck", Sentamu was later given honorary membership of the Parachute Regimental Association.
Sentamu and Brudenell managed to exceed the amount of money which they aimed to raise, with the figure thus far totalling approximately £75,000.
and Wigan Warriors
. He asked the crowd to join him in prayer extoling the virtues of teamwork and harmony in sport. Afterwards he was presented with his very own Hull KR shirt.
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
, Metropolitan of the province of York, and Primate
Primate (religion)
Primate is a title or rank bestowed on some bishops in certain Christian churches. Depending on the particular tradition, it can denote either jurisdictional authority or ceremonial precedence ....
of England. He is the second most senior cleric in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, after the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
, Rowan Williams
Rowan Williams
Rowan Douglas Williams FRSL, FBA, FLSW is an Anglican bishop, poet and theologian. He is the 104th and current Archbishop of Canterbury, Metropolitan of the Province of Canterbury and Primate of All England, offices he has held since early 2003.Williams was previously Bishop of Monmouth and...
.
Life and career
Sentamu was born in 1949 in a village near KampalaKampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
, Uganda, the sixth of thirteen children. He read law (LL.B.) at Makerere University
Makerere University
Makerere University , Uganda's largest and second-oldest higher institution of learning, , was first established as a technical school in 1922. In 1963 it became the University of East Africa, offering courses leading to general degrees from the University of London...
, Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
, and practised as an advocate
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
of the High Court of Uganda. Sentamu practised both law at the Bar and at the Bench until 1974. He incurred the wrath of the dictator Idi Amin
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
because of his judicial independence and was locked up for 90 days, three weeks after his marriage. In a speech in 2007, he described how during that time he had been "kicked around like a football and beaten terribly", saying "the temptation to give up hope of release was always present". In 1974 he fled to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
He read theology at Selwyn College, Cambridge
Selwyn College, Cambridge
Selwyn College is a constituent college in the University of Cambridge in England, United Kingdom.The college was founded by the Selwyn Memorial Committee in memory of the Rt Reverend George Selwyn , who rowed on the Cambridge crew in the first Varsity Boat Race in 1829, and went on to become the...
(BA 1976, MA
Master of Arts (Oxbridge)
In the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin, Bachelors of Arts of these universities are admitted to the degree of Master of Arts or Master in Arts on application after six or seven years' seniority as members of the university .There is no examination or study required for the degree...
1979, PhD 1984). He trained for the priesthood at Ridley Hall, Cambridge
Ridley Hall, Cambridge
Ridley Hall is a theological college located in Sidgwick Avenue in Cambridge in the United Kingdom, which trains intending ministers for the Church of England and other churches. It was founded in 1881 and named in memory of Nicholas Ridley, a leading protestant theologian of the sixteenth century...
, being ordained a priest in 1979. His doctoral thesis is entitled Some aspects of soteriology
Soteriology
The branch of Christian theology that deals with salvation and redemption is called Soteriology. It is derived from the Greek sōtērion + English -logy....
, with particular reference to the thought of J.K. Mozley, from an African perspective. He worked as assistant chaplain at Selwyn College, as chaplain at a remand centre and as curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
and vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
in a series of parish appointments before his consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
, in 1996, as Bishop of Stepney
Bishop of Stepney
The Bishop of Stepney is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of London, in the Province of Canterbury, England. The title takes its name after Stepney, an inner-city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets...
(a suffragan see in the Diocese of London
Diocese of London
The Anglican Diocese of London forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England.Historically the diocese covered a large area north of the Thames and bordered the dioceses of Norwich and Lincoln to the north and west. The present diocese covers and 17 London boroughs, covering most of Greater...
). It was during this time that he served as advisor to the Stephen Lawrence
Stephen Lawrence
Stephen Lawrence was a black British teenager from Eltham, southeast London, who was stabbed to death while waiting for a bus on the evening of 22 April 1993....
Judicial Enquiry. In 2002 he chaired the Damilola Taylor
Damilola Taylor
Damilola Taylor was a ten-year-old Nigerian schoolboy who died in the United Kingdom. Several young boys were cleared of murder charges after a lengthy trial, and later two brothers were convicted of manslaughter....
review. That same year he was appointed Bishop of Birmingham
Bishop of Birmingham
The Bishop of Birmingham heads the Church of England diocese of Birmingham, in the Province of Canterbury, in England.The diocese covers the North West of the historical county of Warwickshire and has its see in the City of Birmingham, West Midlands, where the seat of the diocese is located at the...
where his ministry, according to the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
, Rowan Williams
Rowan Williams
Rowan Douglas Williams FRSL, FBA, FLSW is an Anglican bishop, poet and theologian. He is the 104th and current Archbishop of Canterbury, Metropolitan of the Province of Canterbury and Primate of All England, offices he has held since early 2003.Williams was previously Bishop of Monmouth and...
, was praised by "Christians of all backgrounds". Sentamu became President of Youth for Christ in 2004 and President of the YMCA in April 2005.
On 17 June 2005 the prime minister's
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
office announced his translation to York
Diocese of York
The Diocese of York is an administrative division of the Church of England, part of the Province of York. It covers the city of York, the eastern part of North Yorkshire, and most of the East Riding of Yorkshire....
as the 97th archbishop. He was formally elected by the chapter of York Minster
York Minster
York Minster is a Gothic cathedral in York, England and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe alongside Cologne Cathedral. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England, and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York; it is run by...
on 21 July, legally confirmed as archbishop in London on 5 October, and enthroned at York Minster on 30 November 2005 (the feast of Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him...
), at a ceremony with African singing and dancing and contemporary music, with Sentamu himself playing African drums during the service. In the same year, Sentamu was admitted, as a matter of course, to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
.
On 7 March 2007 he was installed as the first Chancellor of York St John University
York St John University
York St John University York St John University York St John University (formerly known variously as York St John University College (2004), York St John College (2001), Ripon and York St John: a College of the University of Leeds (c. 1996), University College of Ripon and York St John...
.
On 16 July 2007, Sentamu was presented with an honorary degree from the University of Hull
University of Hull
The University of Hull, known informally as Hull University, is an English university, founded in 1927, located in Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire...
by the chancellor of the university, Virginia Bottomley
Virginia Bottomley
Virginia Bottomley, Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone, PC, DL is a British Conservative Party politician. She was a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons from 1984 to 2005. She was raised to the peerage in 2005...
, at Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
City Hall during the graduation ceremony for graduands of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
On 19 July 2007 he was presented with an honorary degree (Doctor of Letters) from the University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
in recognition of his distinguished career as a scholar and theologian.
In October 2007 Sentamu was awarded the Yorkshireman of the Year title by the Black Sheep Brewery
Black Sheep Brewery
The Black Sheep Brewery is a brewery in Masham in the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England.-History:The Black Sheep Brewery was established by Paul Theakston in 1991. Following a successful launch as a Business Expansion Scheme, it became a public limited company in 1992. Paul...
. In his acceptance speech Sentamu praised the welcome he had received from the people of Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
and made reference to the African-Yorkshire DNA connection, joking that perhaps his parents had this in mind when they gave him the name Mugabi, which, spelled backwards, is Ibagum ('ee-by-gum', a stock phrase popularly supposed to be used to express shock or disbelief in northern England).
On 15 July 2010, Sentamu was presented with an honorary degree from the University of York
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
by the Provost of Vanbrugh College, the Reverend David Efird of the Department of Philosophy.
On 16 July 2010, Sentamu was presented with an honorary degree from the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
by the chancellor of the university, Melvyn Bragg
Melvyn Bragg
Melvyn Bragg, Baron Bragg FRSL FRTS FBA, FRS FRSA is an English broadcaster and author best known for his work with the BBC and for presenting the The South Bank Show...
.
Views
Sentamu has spoken out on a range of issues. The plight of young people, the importance of the family, freedom from slavery, and injustice and conflict abroad are particularly close to his heart. In an interview a week before his enthronement he, among other things, called for a re-discovery of English pride and cultural identity, warning that zeal for multiculturalismMulticulturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
had sometimes "seemed to imply, wrongly for me, 'let other cultures be allowed to express themselves but do not let the majority culture at all tell us its glories, its struggles, its joys, its pains'." Just as at Birmingham
Anglican Diocese of Birmingham
The Anglican Diocese of Birmingham is a diocese in the Church of England's Province of Canterbury, covering the north west of the traditional county of Warwickshire in England....
, Sentamu has expressed a desire to be known informally as Archbishop for York (rather than of).
Stop and Search
In 2000, when still Bishop of Stepney, Sentamu was stopped by an officer of the Metropolitan PoliceMetropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
near to St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
and his car was searched under police stop and search powers. Sentamu claimed it was the eighth time that he had been questioned by police in eight years, and that he was the only Church of England bishop to have been stopped by police in this way. In a 2010 debate in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, Sentamu was critical of the standards of "reasonable grounds to suspect" applied by police.
Middle East
Early in 2006, Sentamu was featured prominently in the British press for his comments on what he saw as injustices over the treatment of prisoners of war in Guantanamo Bay Naval BaseGuantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
.
For a week, starting 14 August 2006, Sentamu pitched a tent and camped in York Minster, foregoing food in solidarity with those impacted by the Middle East conflict, especially the children and other civilians killed and injured during the 2006 Lebanon War, which featured prominently the use of cluster bombs by Israeli forces.
In 2006 he claimed that the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
is frightened of criticising Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
.
"Chocolate Trinity" comments
One of Sentamu's favourite references is to "The Chocolate Trinity" of God-fearing Quaker capitalists who were involved in developing the chocolate industry:- George CadburyGeorge CadburyGeorge Cadbury was the third son of John Cadbury, a Quaker who founded Cadbury's cocoa and chocolate company.-Background:...
: "More than just a sweet man" - Joseph RowntreeJoseph Rowntree (philanthropist)Joseph Rowntree was a Quaker philanthropist and businessman from York, England. Rowntree is perhaps best known for being a champion of social reform and his time as a chocolatier at family business Rowntree's, one of the most important in Britain...
: "…an adventurer to the end of life, forever peering forward, never content with what had been achieved." - Joseph Storrs Fry IIJoseph Storrs Fry IIJoseph Storrs Fry was a member of the Bristol Fry family, head of the family chocolate firm of J. S. Fry & Sons and a philanthropist....
(J. S. Fry): "…the very model of the pre-1860 Quaker, with his plain dress a relic of the past and a reflection of his narrow conservative approach to both religion and business."
Celebrity
In 2006, he turned down the chance to appear in the reality TV show Celebrity Big BrotherBig Brother (UK)
Big Brother UK is the British version of the Dutch Big Brother television format, which takes its name from the character in George Orwell's 1948 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four...
, saying "Celebrity can be malign in that it becomes a form of idolatry, and people live their lives vicariously through the rich and famous rather than attending to their own lives."
As of October 2010, United Kingdom bookmakers have converged on Sentamu as the most likely bishop to become the next Archbishop of Canterbury.
Fertility
In a speech to the House of Lords on 19 November 2007, he opposed elements of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill for seeking to remove a child’s “need for a father” in the IVF process. He said: “We are now faced with a Bill which is seeking to formalise the situation where the need for the ultimate male role model – that of the father – is removed in entirety.”Robert Mugabe
On 9 December 2007, during a live television interview with Andrew MarrAndrew Marr
Andrew William Stevenson Marr is a Scottish journalist and political commentator. He edited The Independent for two years until May 1998, and was political editor of BBC News from 2000 until 2005....
on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
, Sentamu made a protest against Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
an president Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
. Sentamu ripped off his clerical collar
Clerical collar
A clerical collar is an item of Christian clerical clothing. It is a detachable collar that buttons onto a clergy shirt or rabbat , being fastened by two metal studs, one attached at the front and one at the back to hold the collar to the shirt. The collar closes at the back of the neck, presenting...
and cut it up stating that His protest followed criticism against Mugabe at the EU –Africa summit in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
.
In December 2008, Sentamu again spoke out against Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
, saying "The time has come for Robert Mugabe to answer for his crimes against humanity, against his countrymen and women and for justice to be done".
Faith and the workplace
In a Daily MailDaily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
article in February 2009, Sentamu criticised the treatment of British Christians in the workplace in the public sector. Referring to the cases of Caroline Petrie, a visiting nurse investigated for religious approaches to patients, and Jennie Cain, a school receptionist who claimed she was disciplined for sending an email asking her friends to pray for her when her daughter was reprimanded for telling a friend she would burn in hell, Archbishop Sentamu said "Asking someone to leave their belief in God at the door of their workplace is akin to asking them to remove their skin colour before coming into the office," and emphasised that"Christianity is the tapestry upon which our country's heritage was woven."
Alan Johnston kidnapping
In April and May 2007, Sentamu campaigned for the release of BBC journalist Alan JohnstonAlan Johnston
Alan Graham Johnston is a British journalist working for the BBC. He has been the BBC's correspondent in Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and the Gaza Strip, and is currently the correspondent in Rome...
from his captors in Palestine. He led prayers of thanks at Bishopthorpe Palace after Mr Johnston was freed two months later and the pair met up in December 2007.
Madeleine McCann
In September 2007, Sentamu called for an end to the “whispering campaign” against the parents of missing child Madeleine McCann who disappeared in Portugal, and said that energies should be concentrated on finding her.Kenya crisis
Sentamu met church leaders in Kenya following post-election conflict there in February 2008.Financial crisis
In September 2008, Sentamu and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, spoke out against opportunistic stock market trading. Sentamu compared those who practiced short sellingShort selling
In finance, short selling is the practice of selling assets, usually securities, that have been borrowed from a third party with the intention of buying identical assets back at a later date to return to that third party...
regarding their HBOS
HBOS
HBOS plc is a banking and insurance company in the United Kingdom, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Lloyds Banking Group having been taken over in January 2009...
shares, driving the share prices down, as being "clearly bank robbers".
Church schools
In a Daily MailDaily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
article in October 2008, Sentamu defended the role of church schools against what he characterised as an "an attack of unusual and sustained ferocity" mounted by "a number of influential commentators" whom he did not name.
Ugandan anti-homosexuality law
Sentamu, born in Uganda, said laws being debated in Uganda which would impose the death penalty on homosexuals and on those supporting them were "victimising". He told the BBC that the proposed law "tends to confuse all of homosexual relationships with what you call aggravated stuff and that’s the problem” but that the Anglican communion was committed to recognising that gay people were valued by God. Previously, as Bishop of Stepney, he was one of four English bishops who refused to sign the Cambridge AccordCambridge Accord
The Cambridge Accord was an attempt to reach agreement on at least the human rights of homosexual people, notwithstanding controversy within the Anglican Communion about Anglican views of homosexuality....
: an attempt in 1999 to find agreement on affirming certain human rights of homosexuals, notwithstanding differences within the church on the morality of homosexual behaviour.
Premarital sex
Commenting on Prince William and Kate Middleton’s decision to live together before their marriage, Sentamu said that many modern couples want to “test whether the milk is good before they buy the cow.” He said that the royal couple’s public commitment to live their lives together today would be more important than their past. Some Anglican traditionalists criticised Sentamu, the second most senior cleric in the Church of England, for failing to reinforce traditional Christian teaching prohibiting sex outside marriage. Sentamu said that he had conducted wedding services for “many cohabiting couples” during his time as a vicar in south London and that “We are living at a time where some people, as my daughter used to say, they want to test whether the milk is good before they buy the cow.”He also said, “For some people that’s where their journeys are. But what is important, actually, is not to simply look at the past because they are going to be standing in the Abbey taking these wonderful vows: 'for better for worse; for richer for poorer; in sickness and in health; till death us do part.’”
York City FC
Sentamu has become a season ticket holder at York City FC, and has attended as many games as his busy schedule allowed during the 2007/08 season.Public baptisms
On Easter Sunday 2008, Sentamu baptised 20 people by full immersion in a tank of water outside St Michael-le-Belfrey Church in York. Hundreds of people watched the yearly ceremony which involves a network of churches in the city.Skydive for the Afghanistan Trust
On 6 June 2008, Sentamu completed a charity skydive from 12,500 feet with a member of the Red Devils parachute team. The dive took place over Langar Airfield in NottinghamshireNottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
, with Sentamu aiming to raise £50,000 for the Afghanistan Trust. Yorkshire businessman Guy Brudenell had challenged Sentamu to do the jump at a charity dinner and Brudenell also took part in the jump on the day. In recognition of what was described as his "pluck", Sentamu was later given honorary membership of the Parachute Regimental Association.
Sentamu and Brudenell managed to exceed the amount of money which they aimed to raise, with the figure thus far totalling approximately £75,000.
Hull Kingston Rovers
On 15 April 2011 Sentamu addressed the crowd at Craven Park before the engage Super League clash between Hull Kingston RoversHull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers or Hull KR is an English professional rugby league football club based in Hull, England. The club formed in 1882 and currently competes in Super League, having won promotion from National League One in 2006...
and Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
. He asked the crowd to join him in prayer extoling the virtues of teamwork and harmony in sport. Afterwards he was presented with his very own Hull KR shirt.
Styles
- Mr John Sentamu (1949–1979)
- The Revd John Sentamu (1979–1984)
- The Revd Dr John Sentamu (1984–1993)
- The Revd Canon Dr John Sentamu (1993–1996)
- The Rt Revd Dr John Sentamu (1996–2005)
- The Most Revd and Rt Hon Dr John Sentamu (2005—present)