Chief Rabbi’s profound impact on Prince Harry after Nazi uniform “mistake“
The first three episodes of the Netflix series “Harry & Meghan” have been released with repeated claims of racism in the royal family, as Harry claims a “huge level of unconscious bias” has to be made right. Jewish News picks up Harry’s comments that he felt “so ashamed” after wearing a Nazi uniform to a private party, when he was aged 20, calling it “one of the biggest mistakes” of his life. He explained that he met the then Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks to discuss the error and this had a profound impact on him.
Meanwhile, the King visits inner city community church which promotes racial justice
Hours after the films were published, King Charles visited King’s Cross Church, a new Anglican church in King’s Cross north London, created from a former billiards hall in a shopping street near housing estates. It is a community hub offering worship, community and mission in the neighbourhood, such as five-a-side-football for refugees and asylum seekers. He officially opened the church by unveiling a plaque and met community leaders whom he thanked for their work. The church has a racial justice team which “seeks to change the prevailing culture of system racism”. Greeted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London and other Christian leaders, he attended an Advent Service at The Ethiopian Christian Fellowship Church with a gospel band version of O Come All Ye Faithful and enthusiastic singing.
Warm places and food banks at full tilt
Warm places across the UK are advertising their presence on social media and through two websites which have maps locating every place able to offer help – churches, libraries, community centres and other faith group buildings. Warm Spaces was set up by volunteers in Norwich who could see a location map was needed, so they built their own website for the purpose. Warm Welcome has been set up by churches working together, initiated by the ChurchWorks Commission in partnership with a wide variety of organisations, and lists warm spaces whatever their origin. It says 16.4 million people will be in fuel poverty this winter and calculates there is an estimated £800 gap between the cost of living and the government help for families on means-tested benefits, meaning many will have to look to their local community and churches for support.
The Archbishop of Wales, Andrew John, has visited a foodbank in Canaerfon where there has been a 76 per cent increase in the number of people seeking help for basic food supplies. In a film of the visit, volunteer Arwel Jones said they were “going deeper” to help with the causes of the problems which led people to need basic food to survive.
Parents complain at lack of prayer room in Bingley school
Parents of Muslim students at Bingley Grammar School in west Yorkshire, have gone public with complaints about the lack of prayer room facilities. The Telegraph and Argus reports that a parent has complained students have been told to pray in the corridors during lunchtime , after it became too cold to pray outside. Previously the school said there was no available space and a future building project might provide this facility. The local MP for Bradford West, Naz Shah, says she has been pursuing the parents’ case for five years but her constituents feel they are no nearer a solution. The Telegraph and Argus reports that they approached Bingley Grammar School and Bradford Council, but both chose not to comment.
Trial continues of Hillsong founder Brian Houston
The trial continues in Australia, in the case of Brian Houston, founder of the global Hillsong church movement, who is charged with concealing a serious indictable offence committed by his father, Frank. Hillsong began with the merger of the Hills Christian Life Centre run by Brian Houston, with another centre run by his father. George Aghajanian, a former business manager of the Hills Christian Life Centre, told the court that abuse committed by Frank Houston was not reported to authorities because it wasn’t a “current matter”, with cases occurring decades earlier. Australian Associated Press report is in The Guardian.
Reports on how world religion is dealing with LGBT rights
The Associated Press, Religion News Service and The Conversation have teamed up to produce a series of reports and comment on the way faith groups are responding to the rights of LGBTQ people amid rapid social change. They say the issue is a “thorny area” for religious denominations around the world and is leading to divisions within some faith groups. Reports consider the Anglican communion, the Muslim world, students in theological colleges and the issue in Buddhism, Orthodox Judaism, India and Indonesia. The reports are collated here
How engineers put up a Cathedral Christmas tree
Salisbury Cathedral has installed a 32ft Christmas tree in an engineering feat involving hoists and cranes. For Richard Pike, the Cathedral’s ecclesiastical joiner, this is his 32nd tree. A team from the works yard was filmed heaving it into position and by the afternoon it was glowing with over 1,000 LED lights.
