Fry an Spyrys

Fry an Spyrys (Cornish for "Free the Spirit") is a group based in Cornwall, UK, who are campaigning for the disestablishment of the Church of England there. It claims that there is a growing threat of merger between the Truro and Exeter dioceses and is campaigning against what it describes as the remorseless drive towards greater centralisation in the Church resulting in less and less local accountability, authority and focus.

In November 2005 Fry an Spyrys released a statement informing local people that the Church of England's General Synod had voted on draft legislation which, if passed by Parliament, would grant it the power to dissolve forcibly the Diocese of Truro. It added that the Diocese of Truro is the second smallest and there have already been several calls by senior clergy for it to be merged with that of Exeter. If this were to happen, Truro Cathedral would lose its cathedral status to become just a large parish church and any Bishop of Truro would be demoted to being an assistant of the Bishop of Exeter.

Many people in Cornwall consider it important that the Church in Cornwall is committed to Cornwall and that means ensuring that the Diocese of Cornwall is not abolished or merged out of existence.

Such matters may seem unimportant to some, but local government reorganisation consultations in the 1970s nearly resulted in Truro losing its city status. It was the defence mounted by the then Bishop of Truro, Graham Leonard, which helped save the day. This was based on the argument that cathedrals were always based in cities.

It has also made complaints about such issues as the flying of the St George's Cross from Cornish churches.

ee also

*List of topics related to Cornwall
* Cornish nationalism
* Politics of Cornwall
* Antidisestablishmentarianism

External links

* [http://www.freethespirit.org.uk/indexr.htm Fry an Spyrys Official Site]
* [http://www.mebyonkernow.org/Public/Stories/196-1.shtml MK backs Fry an Spyrys campaign]