King Charles to show commitment to all faiths in coronation
The royal correspondent of The Telegraph, Victoria Ward, reports that the King is expected to recognise his commitment to honour all religions at his coronation. The coronation oath pledging to be “Defender of the Faith” will not change, but words may be added to show his respect of faith in a diverse society. In the past, he said he would choose to be defender of faith, rather than the faith, reflecting his spiritual journey and interest. Soon after he acceded to the throne, he met religious leaders at Buckingham Palace promising to uphold the many traditions of faith and in the past few tumultuous days of family strife, he has visited both a Sikh gurdwara and new Anglican church and community centre in London.
Bishop deeply concerned at executions in Iran over hijab protest
The bishop of Chelmsford, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, has spoken of her deep concern at the news of execution in Ian following months of protests after a woman arrested for not wearing a hijab correctly, died in police custody. The bishop is of Iranian heritage – her father was the Anglican Bishop in Iran – but the family fled after an attempted assassination and the murder of her brother. She told the Lords that she still has friends and loved ones in Iran and she fears there are more executions to come. Two Iranian protestors have been hanged in the last week and eleven more are reported to have been sentenced to death after taking part in the ongoing unrest. The bishop sought assurances that the government would support Iranians in the UK who are seeking to ensure the safety of loved ones in Iran.
University says replace “Christmas” with “winter closure period”
The Daily Mail reports that the University of Brighton has advised staff to not say the word Christmas as it is too Christian-centric. Instead they should call the forthcoming holiday the winter closure period. They have also been advised not to use the term “Christian name”, but use the term “first name” or “given name”. The advice was in n inclusive language guidance document sent to lecturers. A university spokesperson said no word has been banned and the document was only guidance. Brighton is identified in the 2021 census as one of the places with the highest number of people identifying as non-religious, in England and Wales.
Vatican appeals for more diplomatic effort to end war in Ukraine
The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, has spoken of the need to find new diplomatic ways to end the war in Ukraine by drawing inspiration from the historic “Helsinki Conference” in the Seventies, which brokered improvement in east-west relations during the Cold War. Speaking at a conference hosted by the Italian Embassy to the Vatican, he said the continuing destruction, death and devastation had become habitual and met with indifference. The accelerated arms race was worrying and talk of using nuclear weapons terrifying. All diplomatic efforts must be made to attain a ceasefire and a just peace: “We need a verbal military de-escalation”, he said.
Biden forms group to tackle antisemitism and Islamophobia
President Joe Biden has formed a new inter-agency group to develop a national strategy to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia. The Associated Press reports that the group will be led by the White House domestic policy and national security councils and will consult community leaders, government officials, lawmakers and activists to create a national strategy to raise understanding about antisemitism and the threat it poses, address antisemitic harassment and abuse online and offline, seek to prevent antisemitic attacks and incidents and encourage efforts to build a more inclusive nation.
G20 Interfaith Forum meets for two days in Abu Dhabi
The G20 Interfaith Forum Association, IF20, has concluded a two day meeting in the United Arab Emirates, a month after the G20 met in Indonesia. The Forum has been going since 2014, a gathering of world religious leaders considering the agenda of the G20 and offering wisdom from religious traditions. Usually it is held to coincide with the G20, but this year another religious organisation was set up called the R20, Religion Forum, which was held at the same time instead, so the IF20 shifted it meeting back and met in a different country. The IF20 under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, was jointly hosted with the Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities. Around 100 delegates discussed world issues such as climate change, food supply, refugees, racism and conflict. It stated its intention to meet in 2023 when the G20 moves to the presidency of India.
Hillsong founder trial continues in Australia
The trial of Brian Houston, founder of the global Hillsong church, continues in Australia, where he is charged with concealing a serious indictable offence of another person, in a case relating to his father, Frank. The court in Sydney heard that Frank Houston, also a pastor, admitted to other executives of the Pentecostal church network that he had sexually abused children, after his son raised allegations with him. Brian Houston is pleading not guilty. Australian Associated Press report in The Guardian here
Grave stones dispute in Gloucestershire
The vicar of St George’s church Brockworth, near Gloucester, has apologised for laying down gravestones considered a health and safety risk, without fist consulting relatives of the deceased. Kath Green told the BBC that she was really upset when she went to lay poppies at the grave of her faither, to ding the stone on the ground. The Rev Mike Smith apologised by email, said he laid the stone in a careful and respectful way and gave the reason as the risk that an unstable headstone could cause injury.
In church during the bleak mid-winter
Ecclesiastical Insurance has produced guidance for churches opening their doors to Christmas worshippers. In a litany of caution they say lights can be a trip and safety hazard, trees can be a fire risk, candles must be handled with caution, people should be careful up ladders, visitors need to have clear de-iced paths and in advance of everything, risk assessments need to be filled out. It commissioned research suggesting slightly more in person services would be organised this year and fewer online versions.
