A senior figure in the Church of England (CoE) has said that the massacre of thousands during the vicious suppression of a Cornish rebellion more than 450 years ago was an "enormous mistake" which the Church should be ashamed of.
Bill Ind Bishop of Truro apparently acknowledging the "brutality and stupidity" of the atrocities on behalf of the Church said:
"I am often asked about my attitude to the Prayerbook Rebellion and in my opinion, there is no doubt that the English Government behaved brutally and stupidly and killed many Cornish people. I don't think apologising for something that happened over 500 years ago helps, but I am sorry about what happened and I think it was an enormous mistake"
Three years ago the Celtic League urged the Church to accept its culpability for a period in history which saw one in ten of the indigenous Cornish population massacred.
At the Celtic League AGM in October 2004 at Perranporth, Cornwall delegates from the sic Celtic countries unanimously backed a motion on the Church which included a call for the CoE to acknowledge "its part in provoking and suppressing the 1549 Prayer Book Uprising" and "for all it has done since 1549 and continues to do to suppress Cornwall's national identity, political freedom, language and culture".
Speaking at a ceremony at Pelynt in south east Cornwall on Friday (29/06/07) where he was presented with the prestigious Trelawny Plate, the Bishop also said:
"Everything about Cornwall marks it as a place to be treasured and loved," he said. "It has never been an English shire, it has its own language and it reminds us, by its history, of links to Ireland, Wales, Brittany and a Celtic past."
J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League
30/06/07
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