Shropshire Star

Peter Rhodes on bullied vicars, a stalemate war and the decline and fall of nookie

A report to the General Synod tells of bullying of clergy by lay office-holders, such as churchwardens or members of the parochial church council. No surprises there.

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As you may recall from The Barchester Chronicles, doing God's work has always attracted some fine people, but also some stinkers. According to the report, a number of priests have been hounded out of parishes which have a reputation for “breaking clergy".

Clearly, priests need to be protected from small-minded prats of the parish. On the other hand, some may be too sensitive for the job. For instance, one “bullying” complaint from a vicar involved a lay person who hid the key to the cupboard where the children's play materials were kept. Hardly a mortal sin, is it? I was reminded of the priest who described hearing confessions from nuns as “like being stoned to death with popcorn".