An 82-year-old retired priest has spoken of her pain at losing her right to conduct religious ceremonies because of her participation in Just Stop Oil protests.
The Rev Sue Parfitt was arrested in May after allegedly causing damage to the glass around Magna Carta at the British Library in London as part of a protest with the climate action group. She is still awaiting trial.
After her arrest in May, she was told by the diocese of Bristol and the city's bishop, Vivienne Faull, that she would be denied permission to officiate (PTO) because of the charges she is facing.
PTO is a licence granted by the Church of England, typically to retired priests or deacons, that allows them to conduct religious ceremonies. It has to be renewed every three years and renewal is usually only refused for severe wrongdoing.
Parfitt, who lives in Bristol, said she has been negotiating with the diocese for her PTO renewal since the start of 2023. She was subject to a safeguarding check that recommended she should be granted the permission.
"It's painful – I would be foolish to deny it," she said. "And the irony is it's the 30th anniversary year of women being ordained as priests."
Parfitt said that she believed the climate crisis was a "spiritual issue", adding: "This is God's creation, and we need to be doing all we can to save it. I don't want to sound too pious, but it's part of the sacrifice I've been called to make."
Parfitt said "the biggest thing" was that she would never be able to preside over a eucharist again. "That is a big deal. But if it came to the point where [Faull] said to me: 'You can have your licence back if you commit to never take any illegal action again,' I wouldn't agree to that."
A spokesperson for the Bristol diocese said: "PTO is not being issued at this time based on the fact that Ms Parfitt is facing criminal charges in ongoing court proceedings."