Marie Curie, the charity for the terminally ill, has apologised to a Christian chaplain who was ordered by a Methodist minister to remove a small cross badge pin – or ‘face consequences’.
David Timms, who is 73, had worn the cross for years at the Solihull branch of the charity without complaint. In September, the branch decided to change chaplains’ job titles to ‘spiritual advisors’ as part of a re-emphasise on an interfaith approach.
He said following a meeting, the Methodist minister emailed him and expressed surprise that he was wearing crosses and should ‘refrain’ from doing to; and that the cross may offend others.
She wrote: ‘In line with the ethos of hospice and healthcare chaplaincy, no religious symbols should be worn by those engaged in spiritual care. We need to be there for people of all faiths and none. Whilst I recognised you shared a story about one patient liking the cross you wore, it can create a barrier to others. The idea is that we should appear neutral and that enables a spiritual encounter that is about what the person we are visiting needs.’ She later told him he could no longer work there as a chaplain if he did not remove the cross.
Timms questioned why crosses were prohibited and asked whether this applied to Sikhs with turbans and Muslims wearing a burqa or prayer dress. The minister responded with a suggested compromise – that he put his cross ‘in your pocket’ and only put it on if going into a Christian’s room. Rather than remove the cross, Timms left the building with his belongings.
Unreserved apology
He then wrote to the minister concerned. The charity’s regional head office became involved and wrote to him apologising ‘unreservedly for the distress that we have caused’ and confirmed there was no policy supporting the request to remove his cross.
Timms said: ‘There was and is no need to suppress the symbol of the cross and in so doing send a message that the Christian faith needs to be neutralised or removed entirely from a chaplaincy frontline service … If I had given in, I believe I would have been saying that I am embarrassed to be a Christian.’
‘I would possibly understand if it was a huge cross but it’s the size of a thumbnail. It’s just bonkers.’
The widowed grandfather of eight told the Daily Mail: ‘They definitely would not have behaved in this way if it was another religion.’
Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, which has supported Timms, said: ‘We call on chaplaincy teams and leaders across the UK to not be ashamed of the Christian faith, but to uphold and cherish the crucial role Christian chaplains play in supporting people at the most vulnerable moments in their lives.’
