Archbishop celebrates St George's Day

Archbishop bowling

The Archbishop of York proudly waved his St George's flag as local school children played kwik-cricket on the lawn of Bishopthorpe Palace. The Archbishop encouraged all of us to "rejoice in the land that we live in" and called again for the feast of St George, the patron saint of England to be a day of celebration.

The Archbishop said: "To be patriotic, is to appreciate and be grateful for all that is valuable in the country you live in. It does not require you to be a xenophobe or a blinkered nationalist.

"The failure to recognize and to appreciate the goodly heritage of one's country of residence is a sign of an all-round ingratitude. Ingratitude in turn breeds cynicism.

Archbishop with children

"We should be proud of our country and not be afraid to show it! I was shocked by the results of recent report commissioned by 'This England' magazine. This report stated that forty per cent of English people felt England had completely lost its national identity and twenty five per cent said political correctness had left them feeling ashamed of their nationality. It also seems that only ten per cent of those questioned in England would happily fly the national flag. Well, I will be part of that group today as I will have the St George's Flag flying from Bishopthorpe Palace!

"One of the great traditions of this country is our hospitality and we should invite others to join us today in celebrating St George!"