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Remove the Confederate Windows

Remove the Confederate Windows

OPINION

By Robert. B. Hunter
www.virtueonline.org
July 15, 2016

"This will be a Memorial, not only to {Lee}, to the Confederate Government and the principles for which it stood, but in the years to come, a Memorial to the [United Daughters of the Confederacy] in America's Westminster Abbey, among the nation's Great and Good and will attest to the world our interest in things spiritual and that we passed this way, the Way of Truth and Light...."
(1949 entry in Appendix 1 of the Cathedral Chapter's Task Force Report)

The Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul
COMMONLY KNOWN AS

THE WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL
MOUNT SAINT ALBAN

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 20016-5094

Last June. 2015 after the murder of nine persons attending Bible Study at the Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, the Very Reverend Gary Hall, Cathedral Dean, called attention to the existence of confederate windows at the Cathedral, installed in 1953 by the Daughters of the Confederacy, in memoriam to Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. He called these memorials inappropriate to exist in the Cathedral, that seeks to be known as a "House of Prayer For All People. His statement generated a lot of anger and a member of the Cathedral Chapter was reported as saying that this Dean put forth too many issues. Shortly thereafter Dean Hall put forth his resignation as Cathedral Dean effective at the end of December 2015.

The Bishop of the Diocese of Washington and the Cathedral Chapter appointed a Task Force Committee to bring forth some solution on how to deal with the controversy of removing the confederate windows. At the same time the Cathedral Chapter began the search process of choosing a new Dean. In the unusual short time of five months the Cathedral Chapter had reached and made the decision to call the new Dean.

On May 23rd, the Cathedral Chapter announced that the Reverend Randolph Hollerith, the Rector of St. James Episcopal Church, Richmond, Virginia, had been called to serve as the new Dean. It is to be noted that the Reverend Hollerith's entire ministry has been to serve and to be among those who have suffered long time grief for the "Lost Cause" of the confederacy. He has told of how his grandmother would bring him to visit the Cathedral and how greatly he admired its grandeur. As a young child, a native Virginian, he had the opportunity to view with pride the windows of Lee and Jackson's they glowed in the light of the exposure of the southern sun. At his present church St. James, Richmond, quietly as rector, he has been a faithful watchman of a window donated in 1951 by the Daughters of the Confederacy, in memoriam to J.E.B. Stuart. The Reverend Mr. Hollerith may have stood out clearly to be viewed by the Cathedral Chapter as a prospective Dean, worthy as a custodian, to continue holding in the cathedral the memorial of the Cathedral confederate windows.

Just after the announcing of the new Dean, the Task Force Committee on June 8 recommended to the Cathedral Chapter that the confederate flags be removed from the windows; that the figures of Lee and Jackson remain; that the windows may seek to begin a new narrative discussion "What The White Church Must Do on Race and Racial Justice at the Cathedral and Perhaps For Our Nation". This quote continues the arrogance to see the Cathedral as "the White Church"-to seek to tell such a church "What It Must Do".

To be involved in such discussion, is to be trapped in a pathological hole of quick sand, that in the world of the Game of Thrones, can be described as "white talk"! The compromised solution of removing the confederate flags and sponsored two year discussion period of rigged conversation, is just a tactic to balk, and divert removing the windows of two figures who led men to follow to the death, the confederate flag of a nation, in treason, dedicated to building an empire of slavery.

During the two year discussion period there is also proposed (with financed liberality) the increased use of more Black choirs, dancers, singers and preachers. It is perceived that more Black presence seen participating at the Cathedral, may placate those who resent the presence of the confederate windows.

As long as the windows remain standing firmly grounded in the stone walls of the Cathedral, then there is no affirming that the Cathedral is a National Cathedral, there must also be claimed that the Cathedral has also been reconciled to be known as a National Confederate Cathedral .Now the retaining of the windows may bring financial benefit to the Cathedral from those who are sympathetic to the confederacy of southern rebellion. However over the course of time, the retaining of the confederate windows will be of no positive benefit to the Cathedral. The two men memorialized, were corrupted by a demon operating under the guise of secessionist patriotism. This corruption is a cancer that diminishes the Cathedral as a House of Prayer for all people"; where in Jesus, there is no East, West, North or South.

March 31,1968 one week before his death, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King preached then the most controversial sermon from the pulpit of the Washington National Cathedral ; The theme "Remaining Awake Through A Great Revolution ",spoke of the disease of racism. In that sermon he announced the initiation of the "Poor Peoples Campaign", he called the war in Vietnam " a most unjust war that has ever been fought", he claimed that he was not "a consensus leader, he was a molder of consensus". Dr. King being paid a generous honorarium then departed from the Cathedral and met his death in Memphis as he related to the strike of the sanitation workers.

June 28th, 2015, The Very Rev. Gary Hall received a standing ovation as he preached the most controversial sermon as a sitting Dean from the cathedral pulpit. His theme was that the Cathedral leadership must remove the confederate windows and commission replacement windows. His issues on gun control, gay rights. Inter religious services had raised Dean Hall's stature as a moral spokesperson; but when he put forward the removal of the confederate windows, this was an issue that could not be tolerated.

The coming of the Reverend Randolph Hollerith as the new Dean of the Cathedral may now bring forth a time of quietude. He in his own words, he has said that he "will not focus on specific social issues". He stated that "he is not an issue driven person, I'm a gospel driven person." Further, " I don't approach things from the point of hot button issues". It appears that Reverend Hollerith is promising the Bishop and the Cathedral Chapter that he will be a PREP Chaplain (privileged, responsible, episcopal, parson) with a good spiel.

I am grateful to be joined in this action to "Remove The Confederate Windows" from the Cathedral, with the Rev. Vincent P. Harris retired rector of St. George's Episcopal Church, Diocese of Washington. The stand of Dean Hall was a courageous decision that he found himself alone. We both are thankful to add our voices to his voice, to the removal of the windows. We do appeal to you to assist us in the demand to the Bishop of the Diocese of Washington, the Rt. Rev. Mariann Budde and to the incoming Cathedral Dean, the Reverend Randolph M. Hollerith, that they give forthright leadership to the Cathedral Chapter; to remove these odious windows that continues today, to celebrate the exceptionality cause of protestant, Christian, militant white supremacy.

There are those who may claim that we are attempting to remove history; the windows as they exist do not display history. The windows continue to portray what I call "thistory"; the ongoing presence of the disease of "white racism" and class superiority.

Thank you,

Robert. B. Hunter is Retired Rector, The Episcopal Church of the Atonement, Diocese of Washington

VOL invites anyone with a contra point of view to send it to david@virtueonline.org

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