The Fraying Fabric of the Church of England

St. Paul’s Cathedral in London has entered an agreement with the nightclub Fabric to serve as the exclusive partner for contemporary music events at the cathedral. The partnership follows a 2024 concert by Australian artist RY X organized by the nightclub.

Sandra Lynes Timbrell, the cathedral’s director of visitor engagement, told Church Times that the plan involves seated concerts with minimal amplification to ensure events are conducted respectfully.

The arrangement has drawn criticism from Robert Barron, the Roman Catholic bishop of Winona–Rochester in Minnesota, who stated that the Church of England leadership has lost the distinction between the sacred and the secular. Marcus Walker, the rector of St. Bartholomew the Great in London, noted that God uses beauty to draw people to him.