One of the most dispiriting reflections of the state of the Church of England has been the spectacle of ancient cathedrals hosting what critics call “raves in the nave” – silent discos. A recent event at Canterbury Cathedral was especially repugnant; people danced to the music of Eminem and the Spice Girls in the nave of the cathedral and alcoholic drinks were served; all in the place where Thomas Becket was murdered at the behest of Henry II for his defence of the rights of the Church. At least in the 11th century Becket’s enemies were clearly identifiable. Those who now allow the use of these ancient places of Christian worship for profane purposes are those responsible for them: the deans and canons who run them.
The use of sacred space for entertainment that belongs in nightclubs is in fact already condemned by Anglican canon law, which states: “When any church or chapel is to be used for a play, concert or exhibition of films or pictures, the minister should take care that the words, music and pictures are such as befit the house of God, are consonant with sound doctrine, and make for the edifying of the people.” What edification results from dancing to Eminem’s lyrics, and how is the prostitution of a venerable place of worship for money consonant with sound doctrine? The real representatives of the Church at these gatherings are those assembled outside in prayer vigils, protesting against them. What measures will be taken against the senior clergy who are blatantly violating Anglican canon law?
Canterbury is not alone in hosting these events. Among the other ancient cathedrals whose guardians have turned them into nightclubs on an ad hoc basis are Hereford, Exeter, St Albans and Ely; Guildford, Chelmsford and Coventry have joined them. Many of the buildings were once places of Catholic worship, sanctified by prayer over centuries and the celebration of countless Masses. Catholics can justifiably express their indignation at the use to which they are being put.
Among the justifications of these events is that they raise money for the preservation of the buildings. To state the obvious, it is no great merit to save the fabric of cathedrals if they are not to be preserved for reverent worship. Christ did not accept that the moneychangers in the Temple were conducting perfectly legitimate activities; He drove them from His Father’s house with whips. Gavin Ashenden points out in this edition that the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury may have been influenced by the prospect of these events raising up to £50,000 a night. If so, surely there is a case for going to donors to ask for funding to ensure that the entertainment events do not happen. A money-raising drive to keep cathedrals as sacred spaces has something to be said for it.
The other justification for turning cathedrals into entertainment venues – advanced by, among other people, the Dean of St Albans, the Very Revd Joanne Kelly-Moore – is that these buildings have always been community hubs. Certainly they were. Granted, in pre-Reformation days, the conduct of people in church was often different from the atmosphere of quiet reverence we consider appropriate. Canterbury Cathedral, for instance, was formerly the second-most-popular pilgrimage destination in Europe after Santiago de Compostela; the monks certainly made a good living from pilgrims.
But there is a gulf between lively popular piety and the recasting of cathedrals as secular entertainment venues, and medieval Christians would have known the difference. We all have a stake in the way medieval churches are used and misused. And silent discos are misuse.
This article first appeared in the March 2024 issue of the Catholic Herald. To subscribe to our multiple-award-winning magazine and have it delivered to your door anywhere in the world, go here.
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