It's a bit rich. And I'm not talking about a fruit cake.

Church of England bishops have said they are praying for “courage, integrity and clarity for our politicians” after a week of turmoil over Brexit.   In a joint statement issued today the bishops also urged the country to “consider the nature of our public conversation” and called for more “grace and generosity”.   

The statement echoes concerns raised by the Rt Rev Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury in the House of Lords yesterday when he stressed the need for reconciliation after a “week of deep division” over Brexit.  He also said it was “central to our future” as a country that the divisions were healed.   

And Amen to that I hear you all say.   

There is however, one slight problem.  It is this Archbishop of Canterbury himself who is the one who, in 2017, compared those who voted leave with those who voted to elect Donald Trump and the rise of Marine Le Pen and Geert Wilders.  Indeed, in his opening address at the Church of England’s Synod in 2017 the Archbishop said: “There are a thousand ways to explain the Brexit vote, or the election of President Trump, or the strength in the polls in Holland of Geert Wilders or in France of Madame Le Pen and many other leaders in a nationalist, populist or even fascist tradition of politics.”   In one sentence he demonised leave voters.   He of all people should know that words matter.

Add that to a joint statement from the Archbishop and the leader of the Evangelical Church in Germany, Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm: “We witness the rise of populism and the emergence of extremist political parties which are being successful at the ballot box. Some of the old certainties are not so certain any more. European relationships are changing, not least as a result of Brexit [Britain’s decision to withdraw from the EU]”.   Again a direct link in one paragraph between extremist political parties and the 17,410,742  people in the UK who voted Leave.   

Now he calls us to pray for healing of division.  Considering he is one of the people who created some of the division with his words, it’s a bit rich.