Christian human rights organization Voice for Justice UK has raised serious concerns about the National Trust after a Catholic filmmaker was denied filming permission at a Christian site.
Tensions arose after Christian Holden requested permission to film at St Cuthbert’s Cave near Belford, Northumberland. St Cuthbert is the patron saint of Northumbria and is traditionally believed to have been laid to rest in the cave in 875 AD. The National Trust, a heritage organization, manages the site.
Holden was producing a film titled "The Way of St Cuthbert," a historic path that follows St Cuthbert’s journey from Melrose Abbey in Scotland to Lindisfarne, off the coast of Northumberland, England.
For reasons that remain unclear, Voice for Justice UK said the National Trust refused to give Holden permission to film in the historic cave.
Initially, Holden was told the Trust had a policy against filming with “religious affiliation,” Voice for Justice UK said. However, subsequently, a Trust spokesperson said the group does “not have a formal policy about religious filming at our places.”
Voice for Justice UK has raised concerns that the National Trust might have discriminated against Holden on the basis of faith.
The group said in a statement, “Voice for Justice UK warns that the wording indicates discrimination and raises troubling questions. The refusal comes in the wake of wider public debate about the Trust’s direction and priorities.
“The organization has been criticized in recent years for sidelining Christian heritage in its public programming and internal culture.”
Voice for Justice UK said that the National Trust’s actions could fall foul of the Equality Act 2010 and that it had written to its Director-General, Hilary McGrady, asking for an explanation and an apology for Holden, as well as “appropriate reparation for the discriminatory decision.”
Commenting on the matter, a National Trust spokesperson said, “We are reviewing what has happened in this case. We welcome everyone to the places in our care and provide space for people to come together and celebrate their culture and heritage.
“We are also proud to look after historic chapels and churches, some of which are still used for worship today, as well as other sites of religious significance. We do not have a formal policy about religious filming at our places.”
