The Amnesty candle stands in the chapel of St John the Evangelist. It was lit in July 2010 by Livvy Parsons, a young Amnesty supporter from Simon Langton school, in the presence of Terry Waite, former special envoy to Archbishop Robert Runcie. Terry Waite had himself been held captive in Lebanon between 1987 and 1991 when seeking the release of four hostages.
The candle, wrapped in barbed wire, burns as a sign of hope for prisoners of conscience throughout the world. The stand was created by Julian Coode of Nailbourne Forge, Littlebourne.
What to see:
- the chapel of St John the Evangelist – ship’s bell on left, Buff’s Book of Remembrance on the right, and the Amnesty candle between them (Image 1)
- the (gas fuelled) candle itself (Image 2)
Sources: see Canterbury Cathedral Outlook magazine Summer 2011
DL
