York Minster’s statue of Roman emperor Constantine could be torn down after complaints that he supported slavery
The statue of a Roman Emperor outside York Minster because he ended the persecution of Christians could be torn down after a review into whether it celebrates slavery.
Emperor Constantine’s likeness has been in the south side of the cathedral for over 20 years but is now under the spotlight. He is at the place of worship because he declared an end to the persecution of Christians. He was also the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity.
It comes in the wake of the Most Rev Justin Welby saying last week said that statues in Canterbury Cathedral and Westminster Abbey would be looked at ‘very carefully’ to see if they should stay.
He spoke out amid Black Lives Matter protests that saw the sculpture of slave Edward Colston brought to the ground in Bristol earlier this month.
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