It is ironic that the focus of the graffiti is questions about basic religious matters such as death and the afterlife. Had Canterbury remained faithful to its core documents—the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer, the Thirty-Nine Articles—it would have answers to give people on such things.

The Church of England’s long suicide note continued apace recently with the announcement of a new exhibition at Canterbury Cathedral where members of “marginalized communities” could pose questions to God in the form of graffiti on the walls of the cathedral. The official website declared that “the project highlights graffiti as a means of reclaiming public spaces, preserving cultural heritage, and affirming identity.”

Of course, those who enjoy the privilege of the Canterbury establishment considering them “marginalized communities” are a rather exclusive set, consisting of identity categories “such as Punjabi, black and brown diaspora, neurodivergent, and LGBTQIA+ groups.” Whether other culturally and politically “marginalized communities”—for example, Elvis impersonators, fans of Status Quo, stay-at-home mothers—were represented is not clear, but I would guess that the odds are not high. In fact, the project panders to the cultural tastes of 2020-21. Even the poet who was central to its execution, Alex Villis (they/them) is a poster child for the silly identity fantasies of our day.

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