Dean responds to St George's Cathedral backlash after hosting 'Rise and Rave'

CapeTalk's Lester Kiewit speaks to Terry Lester, the Dean of the St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town. 

Listen below:

The St George's Cathedral in Cape Town is in hot water for hosting a Rise and Rave event that saw youth, parents, and families gather on Youth Day, 16 June.

Some described it as a "wholesome" daytime dance party.

The event aimed to avail a safe space for young people, families, and parents - some with babies - to have fun and be positive. For example, posters were put up for attendees to write affirming messages while a live DJ performed. 

However, feedback from the public was not positive.

The church’s Facebook account was flooded with comments of outrage from the public, after photographs and videos of the rave were posted on social media.

The event has ignited outrage and shock among clergymen from across the Western Cape, who labelled it an "abomination" and a "blasphemous act in a sacred space." 

"This was a day event, decent hours of 10am to 2pm where families could come and be safe and parents could dance and children could learn from their parents how they danced 40 years ago. The idea that people could come into this incredible space which has seen so many different events, many of which had to do with a lament for our nation which brought about so much sadness and tears... to come together and just have fun and be joyful in that space, I thought that in and of itself, was an idea I could endorse and support."

- Terry Lester, Dean - St George’s Cathedral

Desmond Tutu's life and ministry were deeply intertwined with St. George's Cathedral in Cape Town. 

Tutu served as the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town and led numerous anti-apartheid marches and protests from the cathedral steps. 

Tutu's ashes are interred within the cathedral, and he is commemorated with a stained glass window at the Wale Street entrance. 

Because of Tutu's legacy with the Church, his granddaughter also weighed in on the controversy, saying her grandpa "would've loved it", says Lester.

"Desmond's granddaughter commented on the post to say that he would've loved it. At a toyi-toyi where people were singing and dancing, he didn't exactly stand still and look down his nose at what was going on in this space. If anything, Desmond laughed with his entire being and he danced with his entire being, because he was passionate about the things of God..."

- Terry Lester, Dean - St George’s Cathedral

"... and I can't imagine God looking down on us with a very stern, disproving and dismissive kind of a grimace on God's face... I don't really see why only repentance, remorse and beating our breast mea culpa should be our only emotions we bring into this space. God made us humans with all the range of emotions and loves us for all that we are."

- Terry Lester, Dean - St George’s Cathedral

"I'd arranged it to be on Youth Day... this is another way of celebrating of what is an incredible journey that our country has been on. Things we've prayed for have been realised."

- Terry Lester, Dean - St George’s Cathedral

"Having young people come into this, not to cry about young people who died in war and not to cry about people who are doing things against their will, but just to do something because they feel like celebrating and dancing and being together in a space that is holy... and it's made holy by the sacrifices of others, by the joy we have of the journey we've travelled as a nation, so I don't understand the words of 'desecration' and things."

- Terry Lester, Dean - St George’s Cathedral

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