A New Ark for a New Age: Emma Thompson and Stephen Fry Urge Archbishop-Elect to Champion Creation
British icons Dame Emma Thompson and Stephen Fry have joined forces with conservationists and clergy to urge incoming Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, to make wildlife protection a cornerstone of her leadership. In a striking demonstration outside St Paul’s Cathedral, environmental group Wild Card—joined by broadcaster Chris Packham—unveiled a handcrafted model of Noah’s Ark beneath a banner declaring, “Nature needs a new ark.” The group delivered a petition of over 130,000 signatures, calling on the Church of England to use its vast land holdings for rewilding and environmental restoration. Thompson, radiant yet resolute, said, “With the Church’s first female leader, I am hopeful she will also be the first to truly lead on behalf of all creation.”
The Church of England’s property empire spans more than 200,000 acres, from rolling farmlands to the Metrocentre shopping complex—making it one of Britain’s most influential landowners. Campaigners argue that such scale brings sacred responsibility. “We are as much a part of nature as any other living creature,” Thompson said, echoing the biblical stewardship ethos. While Mullally has not yet commented on land-use policy, her record as Bishop of London reveals a deep commitment to public health, air quality, and biodiversity. Her earlier words now ring prophetic: “If we think of humanity as a family, and work towards our common good, we could find ourselves living in a very different world.” As March approaches, many hope that her era as Archbishop will indeed become that “different world”—one where faith and ecology walk hand in hand toward a greener Gospel.
