The statue of Roman Emperor Constantine outside the Minister, of which one of the University’s own colleges is named after, is not under threat despite reports in national media.
A spokesperson for the Minster confirms this, dismissing complaints reported by the Telegraph and Daily Mail stating that the statue ‘celebrates slavery’.
This comes in the wake of other statues across the country being removed or destroyed, due to their commemoration of racist, historical figures.
The statue of Edward Colston, located in Bristol, was torn down during Black Lives Matter protests, due to the figure’s involvement in and the profiteering from the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
The University of Oxford have also confirmed they will remove monument of imperialist Cecil Rhodes.
The Church of England has declared that they will review statues, with the Most Rev Justin Welby stating last week that statues located in Canterbury Cathedral would be looked at ‘very carefully’ in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests across the country.
The statue of Constantine, located at the south side of the Minster, has been allowed to stay by Minster officials.
The Roman Emperor decriminalised Christianity, presaging the era of the Christian Empire. Created by sculptor Philip Jackson, this statue was commissioned by the York Civic Trust, and handed to the Minster in 1988.