Church of England bishops who publicly criticised Dominic Cummings over his breach of lockdown rules have come under fire from members of the C of E’s governing body over their use of social media during the controversy.
Members of the general synod, which meets online this weekend, have tabled a series of questions asking whether senior bishops adhered to C of E guidance on the use of social media.
Only two of the nine questions named the No 10 adviser, though others appear to have indirectly referred to criticism of Cummings’ trip to Durham in April.
The questions ask whether it is appropriate for senior C of E clergy to comment on such matters; whether social media posts are monitored for compliance with guidelines; whether bishops’ comments on social media are the views of the church or the individual; if additional training is needed; and whether bishops are “creating a perception that they are simply using their office to promote their own political views”.
In the aftermath of the Guardian’s revelations that Cummings had travelled with his family to his parents’ home in Durham and had taken a day trip to Barnard Castle, more than a dozen bishops criticised the adviser and Boris Johnson.
Nick Baines, the bishop of Leeds, tweeted: “The question now is: do we accept being lied to, patronised and treated by a PM as mugs? The moral question is not for Cummings – it is for PM and ministers/MPs who find this behaviour acceptable.”
The bishop of Ripon, Helen-Ann Hartley, said: “Integrity, trust and leadership were never there; just a driven misguided ideology of power that has total disregard for the most weak and vulnerable, and those who work to protect and care for us with relatively low pay.”
John Inge, the bishop of Worcester, said: “The PM’s risible defence of Cummings is an insult to all those who have made such sacrifices to ensure the safety of others.”
Responding to the written questions on behalf of the House of Bishops, David Walker, the bishop of Manchester, repeatedly refers to the C of E’s digital charter and social media guidelines, which call for constructive engagement and “fair and factual posts”.
Walker was among the bishops strongly criticising Cummings on social media. He tweeted: “Unless very soon we see clear repentance, including the sacking of Cummings, I no longer know how we can trust what ministers say sufficiently for @churchofengland to work together with them on the pandemic.”
Several bishops received death threats over their comments in the following days.
Synod questions have also been tabled on whether the decision by the archbishops of Canterbury and York to close churches even to clergy at the start of lockdown was warranted. Many clergy were dismayed at the advice.
One synod member asked whether Christmas carol services were expected to take place in churches later this year. In response, Sarah Mullally, the bishop of London, said: “Advent and Christmas are inevitably going to look very different … Churches which have traditionally welcomed large numbers to a carol service may find that they need to offer several.”
