Ukraine Catholic leader says no deal with Russia in ‘colonial‘ war
As Russia withdraws from the city of Kherson, the head of Ukraine’s Byzantine-rite Catholic Church has told Pope Francis there can be no dialogue with Russia as long as Moscow considers Ukraine to be a colony. Reuters reports that Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk visited the Pope at the Vatican this week before the withdrawal announcement, his first trip outside the country since the invasion began in February. Afterwards he said: “The war in Ukraine is a colonial war and peace proposals by Russia are proposals of colonial pacification.”
Charity Commission issues official warning to Christ Church College, Oxford
The Charity Commission has told Christ Church College, Oxford, that it is guilty of either mismanagement or misconduct, or both, in its handling of the dispute with the dean, Canon Martyn Percy. It has issued an official warning to the college, saying the governing body did not manage resources responsibly. Its report said the cost of legal and public relations advice ran to £6.5m, £5.3m of which had not been budgeted for and appeared to have been approved retrospectively. In a statement, the college said the Charity Commission had repeatedly been asked to help to resolve the dispute. Trustees made decisions which, having taken professional advice, they judged to be in the best interests of Christ Church. Dean Percy said he sincerely hoped Christ Church could come to terms with what had taken place and take remedial steps to reform its present and future operation.
Methodists encouraged to forge links with armed forces on Remembrance Sunday
This morning, 11 November, at 11 o’clock the country will be asked to observe a two-minute silence marking the time when the First World War ended. The Methodist Church has published a set of resources to help clergy and congregations to observe this time of remembrance. Six Methodist chaplains to the armed forces have given an account of their work and approach to Remembrance Day in a set of filmed interviews and reflections. The resources include their written stories, readings, hymns, reflections and prayers. The introduction says the intention is to encourage Methodists to deepen their links with the armed forces, as congregations are “more than likely” to have veterans and family members of service personnel living in their community.
British Sikh military to be given a daily prayer book
A Sikh daily prayer book is to be given to British military personnel to keep them close to their faith in a move inspired by the image of a Sikh soldier with a prayer book in the trenches during the First World War. The Nitnem Gutka Sahib, a collection of Sikh hymns and prayers, comes with waterproof and tear-proof covers, one of which is bound in a camouflage design. Major Daljinder Singh Virdee, said Christian prayer books had been distributed for many years, but this is a recognition of the 0.1 per cent of the forces who are Sikh.
Senior leaders at Ravi Zacharias ministries ‘unfit to be in the ministry‘
Another investigation has reported back into behaviour and employee relations at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, after Zacharias, who has since died, was found to have committed sexual and spiritual abuse of several women over years. This latest report by senior Christian academics and church leaders found that staff were intimidated and mistreated after they raised concerns, and victims were blamed. It says the senior leadership team and the board failed to hold Zacharias to account and team members Sarah (Davis) Philips (Zacharias’s daughter), Michael Ramsden and Abdu Murray were unfit to be in ministry or leadership positions, with the report authors saying they would not work with them.
