Deputy Premier Dr. Ewart Brown applauded the decision of Britain?s governing body of the Church of England to apologise for its role in the slave trade and questioned if Bermuda?s Anglican Church would do the same in the House of Assembly on Friday.

?Recently, I read that the Church of England apologised for its historic role in slavery and its involvement in it,? he said. ?They discussed the dehumanising and shameful aspects of it, and I quote, ?the damage done to those who are heirs of those who were enslaved?.

?I have not yet heard anything from the Church of England in Bermuda. It is important for the Church of England everywhere to join hands in this and make public statements.?

He urged Bishop Ewen Ratteray, the head of Bermuda?s Anglican Church, to make a statement acknowledging the institution?s role in the slave trade and said such a statement could possibly lead to an increase in the congregation.

He congratulated the English Archbishops for making such a decision and said other institutions ? religious and non-religious ? should make similar statements.

?It is high time for those institutions to come forward because before we can move forward we need reconciliation.?

Bishop Ratteray said he could not say if Bermuda?s Anglican Church would make statements regarding the church?s involvement in the slave trade.

?I cannot answer that because the synod does not meet until next month,? he said.

Bishop Ratteray also said he did not wish to discuss whether the issue would be brought up during the upcoming meeting. The next meeting of the synod is June 24.

In February, the governing body of the English Church of England met in London to debate the motion. The BBC reported that Rev Simon Bessant, from Pleckgate, Blackburn, said of the Church?s involvement in the slave trade: ?We were at the heart of it.?

He said the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts owned a plantation in Barbados and that slaves had the words ?society? branded on their backs.

?We were directly responsible for what happened,? he said.

?In the sense of inheriting our history, we can say we owned slaves, we branded slaves, that is why I believe we must actually recognise our history and offer an apology.?