Church leaders tell government to abandon migration bill
Leaders of the United Reformed Church, Baptist Union and the Methodist Church have signed a joint letter calling on the UK government to abandon the bill for tackling immigration across the Channel. They say those fleeing persecution should have safe access to the UK asylum process and the solution to people seeking safety is not deterrence and punishment. They are appalled at the proposals “to detain, punish and reject thousands of people seeking safety. They are completely incompatible with our Christian conviction that all human beings are made in the image of God and are therefore inherently worthy of treatment which honours their dignity.” The letter goes on to say that the plans will cause immeasurable harm to vulnerable people and it is unthinkable to reject asylum seekers before their claims have been heard. “If ever there was a contemporary example of ignoring our neighbour and walking by on the other side, this is it.” Signatories are: the Rev Fiona Bennett, URC general assembly moderator; the Rev Lynn Green, general secretary of the Baptist Union; the Rev Graham Thompson, president of the Methodist Conference; and Anthony Boateng, vice-president of the Methodist Conference.
Pope Francis prepares to mark 10 years in office
Pope Francis is preparing to mark 10 years in office, since being elected in March 2013. His leadership of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics has won him the reputation of humility, simplicity and servant leadership. Referring to his first pastoral visit to Lampedusa to pray for refugees, a panel of speakers at a RMC briefing spoke of his determination to highlight the marginalised and tackle issues of social justice and inequality. They said his “synodality” initiative, engaging the grassroots in consultation on the future of the church, was a potentially transformative event. And they explained his contribution to international campaigns on climate change, poverty and migration. They also reflected on venomous opposition especially from the United States, with a ferocity unprecedented against a Pope. The briefing is on our YouTube channel here.
Vatican increases number of women employees
On International Women’s Day, the Vatican released data on the number of women working there, showing the proportion had risen from 19.2 to 23.4 per cent of all staff. In the Holy See, one in four employees are women — 812 out of 3,114 — and most are in professions requiring an academic degree.
Princess Lilibet baptised by Episcopalian bishop
Lilibet Diana, the daughter of Prince Harry and Meghan, has been baptised in a ceremony at the couple’s home by the Episcopalian bishop of Los Angeles, John Harvey Taylor. The bishop confirmed the news in a Facebook post saying he did so on behalf of presiding bishop Michael B. Curry, and at the invitation of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The BBC reports that the announcement calls her Princess Lilibet, the first time she has been publicly called a princess and confirms that the duke and duchess will use the royal titles for their children. It quotes Buckingham Palace saying the royal website will be updated in due course to reflect the title.
Census results show suicide rates higher for Buddhists than other faiths
The Office of National Statistics has ranked the rates of suicide against religious affiliation. The 2021 census results show the lowest rates of suicide were among Muslims (men: 5.14 per 100,000, women: 2.15 per 100,000). The rates of suicide were highest in the Buddhist group (men: 26.58 per 100,000, women: 8.88 per 100,000). Rates of suicide were lower across the Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, Christian and Sikh groups compared with the group who reported no religion.
Vicar barred from ministry for failing to disclose husband’s sex abuse crimes
The Rev Helen Greenham, vicar of St Helen’s Church in Solihull, has been barred from the ministry after failing to disclose to the Church of England her husband’s sexual abuse of children. Peter Jenkins, a former teacher, was jailed for 13 years in August last year over sex offences, including rape, committed between 1984 and 2005. The BBC report says the offences predate the pair’s association with St Helen’s and there is no evidence of any criminal behaviour connected to the church. The couple separated in 2019 after criminal proceedings began.
Holi celebrations around the world
Millions of people celebrated the Hindu festival of Holi yesterday, marking the end of winter and the triumph of good over evil. The festival of colours includes throwing brightly coloured powder, celebrating in colourful clothes and holding festivals with special food and music. Leicester is said to have had the largest Holi celebrations outside India, with a public bonfire party in the city.
First Hijab-wearing model in Miss GB final
A former TV news anchor in Kuwait is set to be the first Hijab-wearing Muslim to compete in the Miss Great Britain final. Taslimah Rassool, from Epsom, Surrey, is competing in the 31-44 age category and is donating her earnings to charity Human Appeal. She told The Sun: “It doesn’t matter that I’m the first woman in hijab to compete, what matters is that all women are beautiful and we are all humankind.”
