From London-
It is a national icon, rebuilt by Wren after the Great Fire of London, which became a symbol of British resolve during the Blitz, but the clergy of St Paul's Cathedral have through their bizarre and indecisive handling of the protest on their doorstep conspired to create a crisis unprecedented in the institution's history.
Two leading figures in the clergy have stepped down in less than a week along with a part-timer, another member of staff is off sick with stress and there is the possibility of a violent Dale Farm-style eviction from the steps of the cathedral.
Even if that can be avoided, as all parties say they want, the decision to start legal proceedings against the Occupy the London Stock Exchange movement will almost certainly lead to an expensive and lengthy court battle.
Paul Handley, editor of the Church Times since 1995, cannot remember a crisis to have engulfed an Anglican cathedral on such a scale or with such publicity. "It's not just about the Church, it's the Church and a political event. The Church is capable of shooting itself in the foot. All those rows about gay sex that occupy it, we're used to it. But when it's something that touches the life of the nation, it's on a different scale altogether. It's beyond their ken.
"St Paul's is a place where many different forces collide, it is a national icon, it is in the City of London. The dean has had the mayor of London, the home secretary and David Cameron all on his back. There's been a huge amount of pressure."
More here-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/oct/31/st-pauls-knees-confusion-indecision?newsfeed=true
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