Archbishop of Canterbury committed to £100m slavery fund

What the report says

BBC Africa reports that Archbishop of Canterbury Dame Sarah Mullally has reaffirmed support for a £100m Church of England fund connected to the institution’s historic role in the transatlantic slave trade. She made the comments during a visit to Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, a former holding site for enslaved Africans before they were transported across the Atlantic.

The visit formed part of Dame Sarah’s first pastoral trip to Africa since her installation as head of the Church of England in March, according to the BBC. At the castle, she was shown the dungeons and the “door of no return,” and reflected on the Church’s involvement in slavery, including the symbolism of a chapel situated above the holding cells. She said repentance in Christian belief required practical action for communities still affected by slavery’s legacy.

The Church of England has previously apologised for links to the slave trade. The BBC notes that its missionary arm operated plantations worked by enslaved people in the Caribbean, some clergy owned enslaved people, and the Church received donations from slave traders. The reparative justice fund was agreed three years ago after an audit of a historic endowment identified investments in a company involved in trafficking enslaved Africans. It is intended to support investment, research and engagement in affected communities.

The fund remains contested, with critics challenging aspects of the historical case, raising legal questions or objecting ideologically. Ghana has been prominent in calls for reparations from institutions and countries that profited from slavery. The BBC reported that Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa welcomed Dame Sarah’s visit and said it could influence opponents within the Church.