Archbishop of Canterbury reaffirms £100m slavery reparations fund
The Archbishop of Canterbury has reaffirmed her support for the Church of England’s controversial £100 million reparations fund established in response to the Church’s historical involvement in the transatlantic slave trade.
Speaking during a visit to Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, where enslaved Africans were detained before being transported across the Atlantic, Dame Sarah Mullally said the experience reinforced the need for the Church to acknowledge its past and take meaningful action.
She said the visit highlighted the institution’s role in the slave trade and underscored the importance of repentance through concrete measures.
“We played a part in the transatlantic slave trade. That is clear. Part of the Christian belief in repentance is about action, so we are putting in place action to support those communities that feel the legacy of the slave trade,” she said.
The trip marks Dame Sarah’s first pastoral visit to Africa since she became head of the Church of England in March.
During her tour of Cape Coast Castle, which came under British control in the 1660s, she visited the dungeons where enslaved Africans were confined and the infamous “Door of No Return,” through which captives were forced onto ships bound for the Americas.
She described the visit as deeply emotional, saying the harsh conditions endured by enslaved people served as a powerful reminder of the cruelty of the transatlantic slave trade.
Dame Sarah also pointed to the chapel built directly above the dungeons as a stark symbol of the Church’s historical connection to slavery.
The Church of England has previously apologised for its links to the slave trade. Historical records show that its missionary arm operated slave-worked plantations in the Caribbean to finance Anglican missions, while some clergy owned enslaved people and the Church received substantial donations from slave traders.
Three years ago, the Church approved the creation of the £100 million reparative justice fund following an audit that found its historic endowment had invested heavily in a company involved in the slave trade.
The fund is intended to finance investment, research and community engagement initiatives that support communities still affected by the legacy of the enslavement of African people.
However, the initiative has drawn criticism from some groups, who have challenged the extent of the Church’s historical involvement, questioned the legal basis for the fund, or opposed it on ideological grounds.
Ghana has been at the forefront of international calls for reparations from institutions and countries that profited from the transatlantic slave trade.
Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, welcomed Dame Sarah’s stance, saying her visit sends an important message and could influence critics of the reparations initiative within the Church of England.
He added that acknowledging historical wrongdoing is consistent with Christian teachings on repentance and forgiveness.
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