Critics have attacked a new version of the Church of England’s christening service, which in early January was reported as being trialled. It was claimed to be ‘dumbing down’ the service.
Parents and godparents will no longer be asked to ‘reject the devil’, ‘repent of sins’ or ‘submit’ to Christ. Under the new alternative the vicar will ask godparents and parents: ‘Do you reject evil? And all its many forms? And all its empty promises?’
Weak and woolly
Former Bishop of Rochester Michael Nazir-Ali said: ‘It is best to call a halt to this perhaps well-meant effort before it further reduces the fullness of the church’s faith to easily-swallowed soundbites.’ And Alison Ruoff, a lay member of the General Synod, said the new wording is ‘weak and woolly’ and lacked conviction. ‘By removing all mention of the devil and rebellion against God, we are left to our own vague understanding of what evil might or might not mean’, she said.
