William Oddie makes very hostile comments about York Minster in protest at the entry charge, and many other things. He does not say how otherwise we are to maintain this gigantic building, which is not subsidised by the state, and which employs (proudly) numerous skilled workers in stone and glass, and music and teaching, to maintain York Minster for the nation and the world at large. We are not profiteers, but a charity. We take pains to make our references to our constant worship and Christian witness such that non-Christians will not be put off, but his sneers fail to mention that we give free entry to acts of worship or the fact that hundreds attend Evensong each day….
A well-written letter, including the deft parry at the end and the eirenic reference to the papacy. However, I was left wondering about the broader accuracy of the statement this gigantic building which is not subsidised by the state. Well, yes, its day-to-day activities are not subsidised, but Anglican and Catholic cathedrals from time to time benefit from the largesse of the government Department of the Environment, which, responding to appeals, gives large capital sums towards big repair or restoration projects. This is because the state recognises the heritage value of such buildings. In addition, a major appeal will usually elicit help from city council, county council, and then there are big corporations where the leadership will often feel obliged to help. In such ways the ties of the C of E to the establishment can bear useful fruit. Cathedral congregations are rising throughout the country, bucking the trend. Even so, it does raise the question of whether a larger worshipping community would not help to meet the costs of such maintenance. The idea of cathedral sharing with Catholics is, no doubt, beyond the pale and possibly even illegal, given the way that statute law covers the C of E, sometimes unexpectedly. Still, it would be a sensible way forward. Finally: I sympathise. I have (until the end of September – I am on the move to a north London parish) a beautiful 19th C neo-gothic church and the maintenance seems never-ending.