One of our General Synod Reps, Lynn Nichol from Pedmore has been hitting the headlines this week with her proposal that we should all try to have meat-free Fridays during Lent.
Lynn asked a question at General Synod last week as to whether the House of Bishops would commit to not eating meat on Fridays as part of the Church of England’s commitment to reducing
Carbon emissions. This idea has then been picked up in a number of national newspapers. She said:
“Our churchwarden and Eco Church Lead, Pauline Rollason had recently passed me a study from Cambridge University indicating that not eating meat on one day a week could ‘bring about a major reduction in global carbon emissions’ and suggested that we promote the idea during Lent in our two churches – Pedmore and Wollescote. As General Synod was coming up, I thought I’d use one of my two allowed questions to raise the profile of the idea a bit wider!”
A written answer to Lynn’s question was given by the Bishop of Norwich, Graham Usher, who is Chair of the Church of England’s environmental working group. He said:
“I am very happy to commend the practice of having a meat-free Friday during Lent. It is, after all, entirely in line with the long-established Christian practice in many churches of avoiding meat on Fridays, and not only during Lent. And I am sure members can be more imaginative than the soggy fishfingers we used to get on Fridays for school dinners!”
Bishop Graham has gone on to write this blog about the idea on the Church of England’s website.
Lynn continued: “I was really pleased with the response, but didn’t expect it to be picked up by the national press with articles in the Telegraph, Daily Mail and Times! I normally do eat meat, although have tried to go fully vegetarian during Lent since 2020 for environmental reasons. Giving up meat for just one day a week is something that we could all try to do which could make a real difference. We’re planning a meat-free lunch at Pedmore as well as a meat-free event in Wollescote during Lent as part of our Eco Church commitments and it would be great if other parishes might also take the idea on!”
Lynn’s question to General Synod and Bishop Graham’s response:
Professor Lynn Nichol (Worcester) to ask the Chair of the House of Bishops: In the light of a recently published study by Cambridge University indicating that not eating meat on one day a week could ‘bring about a major reduction in global carbon emissions’, would the House of Bishops in line with the Church of England’s commitment to Carbon Net Zero by 2030 commend to the Church and Nation the practice of committing to Meat-free Friday this Lent?
The Bishop of Norwich to reply on behalf of the Chair of the House of Bishops: A I am very happy to commend the practice of having a meat-free Friday during Lent. It is, after all, entirely in line with the long-established Christian practice in many churches of avoiding meat on Fridays, and not only during Lent. And I am sure members can be more imaginative than the soggy fishfingers we used to get on Fridays for school dinners! I propose that this proposal might be best promulgated through the Environmental Working Group which I chair, rather than the House of Bishops as such, since the EWG has good links to dioceses through the network of Diocesan Environmental Officers and can locate the proposal within the wider context of our multi-faceted strategy for reaching Net Zero Carbon.
Photo by Jo Sonn on Unsplash
