Many typically strange sights could be witnessed in the inaugural copy of the latest addition to Murdoch’s media empire, The Sun on Sunday. On page three there was the ubiquitous naked female, in this case Kelly Rowland, captioned by characteristically hilarious puns. Further inside, there was a photo of popular BBC children’s presenter Holly Willoughby in a leather studded catsuit.
The main piece, meanwhile, concerned Amanda Holden’s recent “birth ordeal”. Understandably, the editor decided this warranted five pages of coverage, and that it should run with the headline: “I heard a splash … it was Amanda’s blood hitting the floor”. Quite a beautiful image to have on a quiet Sunday morning.
The strangest sight of all, however, arrives on page 13. In the comment section, alongside pieces by political editor Tom Newton Dunn and intellectual Katie Price, was a column by another new member of The Sun on Sunday’s team, none other than local celebrity and man of God, Dr John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York.
In his column, he announces that “Lent is not the time to point the finger at each other”. Unfortunately for Sentamu, I have decided that his decision to become a weekly columnist for a paper and establishment linked with phone-hacking, illegal police payments and general sleazy behaviour does in fact warrant the finger-pointing treatment.
First of all, there seems an intrinsic hypocrisy in such a high ranking cleric – one supposedly standing for moral values such as unity, compassion and equality – wishing to associate himself with an establishment that incites hostilities against minority groups, objectifies women and foments prejudice.
As early as page two there is a piece headlined “BRITS FAIL TEST OF BRITISHNESS”. On reading the article, it emerges that one could also read this as “TOO MANY FOREIGNERS HERE”.
Hailing from Uganda, I am sure Sentamu agrees with these views wholeheartedly. The encouragement of such views can only be a good thing as well.
The rest of the paper includes de-bodiced women, celebrity gossip and patriotism verging on xenophobia…all very holy.
Perhaps it was on hearing Sentamu’s strong anti-gay marriage rhetoric in an interview with the Daily Telegraph earlier this year that The Sun decided he was the missing piece from their dream columnist team.
The fact that all the money he makes from writing these articles goes to charity is beside the point.
Were it simply that he was writing for The Sun with a neutral voice, using it simply to give people his religious advice, then perhaps forgiveness could be granted out of respect for freedom of speech.
Instead, however, he chooses to deliberately endorse The Sun, in what can only be described as a less-than-subtle manner. In the first section of his article, for instance, he praises the power of God’s forgiveness and the value of honesty and humility. Fair enough for an archbishop, but he then goes on to conclude with these words: “with that in mind, live in hope, free from fear. Embrace every day that God puts before you with confidence.. And if you can buy the Sun seven days a week, even better!”. Celestial praise there.
Is he implying that God endorses The Sun as well? This is unclear and unfortunately something we will probably never know. What is clear, however, is that The Sun’s questionable ethics are becoming increasingly exposed. The recent resignation of James Murdoch from News International illustrates this.
If Sentamu wishes to lay claim to any sort of moral integrity, he must be more discerning about the company he keeps. He must protect himself from The Sun or risk succumbing to the cancer of hypocrisy.