The media’s “huge responsibility” to appreciate sacred coronation
With the coronation service one day away, the media is being encouraged to pause and stop talking, in order to allow the spiritual nature of the ceremony to be fully experienced by people watching at home. Royal commentators the Rev Prof Ian Bradley and Catherine Pepinster, together with liturgist Canon Prof Alison Milbank, took part in a Religion Media Centre podcast, pointing to the stand out moments in the coronation service. Their list included all references to the word “service”, the prayers of blessing by non-Anglican church leaders, the nature of the greeting from other faith representatives and the high expectations for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new composition. For Prof Ian Bradley, the key moment is the anointing of the king, which takes place behind a canopy, and he warned the media to watch out for it too: “There’s a huge responsibility on the broadcasters, because they can either play up the sacred spiritual aspects, or they could just turn it into a kind of celebrity show. Are they actually going to let us really appreciate the spiritual sacred nature with that wonderful canopy around the anointing, that beautifully woven tapestry, which will surround the king. It’s an icon and I think if we’re allowed to linger, and we don’t have some commentators talking all the time, we will actually have a very profound sacred moment”. Listen to the commentators’ conversation, or watch it on YouTube – links on our website here.
“Remarkable moment” as Cardinal joins coronation service
Cardinal Vincent Nichols is among a group of Christian leaders of many denominations who will take part in the coronation service. He is the first Catholic bishop to play a formal role in the coronation of a British monarch since the reformation, and in an interview for The Tablet, he told Christopher Lamb that the coronation is a remarkable moment for ecumenical relations. Christopher has written a commentary on the significance of the moment, in an article on our website here.
Multi faith coronation postage stamp
The Royal Mail is issuing four coronation postage stamps, including one labelled “diversity” depicting Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims and their places of worship. The four stamps themes are the coronation, diversity and community, the Commonwealth, and sustainability. The Royal Mail says the stamps celebrate some of the causes the King has championed.
How the coronation could end
Caroline Davies, writing in the Guardian records previous coronations that have met unexpected ends. There was the 1066 coronation when the loud acclamation of William the Conqueror led to panic that a riot was underway, resulting in buildings set on fire and people attacked as insurgents. The arrival of Jewish people at Richard I’s coronation in 1189 led to antisemitic riots. And in 1307, the abbey altar collapsed due to the weight of the crowds. More on this story and subsequent disasters in The Guardian here
Other news
Soul Survivor stories are “snowballing”
Twitter is awash with comment and testimony from people associated with Soul Survivor who are shocked at the stories emerging which are the subject of a safeguarding investigation into Mike Pilavachi, the movement’s founder. Allegations include whole body massages and wrestling on the floor with young men in his inn er circle. The Church Times describes the story as “snowballing”. Pilavachi ran evangelical charismatic summer festivals attracting thousands of young people and founded a church plant, associated with the Church of England, in Watford. It is reported that he himself was ordained in 2012 to regularise his role as leader of this plant church. Current evangelical church leaders who were associated with Soul Survivor as teenagers have expressed their shock, reported in detail by the Church Times. Some deeply regret taking young people to the festivals, others describe being deep impacted, wounded filled with anxiety.
No lewd parties at St Mary’s Catholic cathedral in Newcastle
A Catholic church investigation into allegations of lewd parties at St Mary’s Cathedral, Newcastle, during the pandemic concludes the reports “are simply untrue”. The inquiry looked at events leading up to the resignation of Bishop Robert Byrne in December last year, saying he felt “unable to carry out the dues of his office”. It outlines details of social events at the Cathedral while Covid restrictions were in place, but confirmed the police are taking no action. It concludes that the bishop ignored advice not to fraternise with a convicted paedophile and wrongly promoted Michael McCoy as Dean despite safeguarding concerns. It also criticised the decision to move the bishop’s residence to the middle-class area of Gosforth. The report author, Archbishop Malcolm McMahon, said a succession of errors of judgement by Bishop Byrne exacerbated the key issues investigated and “his failure to see his part in these situations made clear his inability to cope with the demands of his role”. The report is here
Research debunks theory that Islamic tradition is anti-science
A research study has been published into Islamophobic prejudice against Muslims working in STEMM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Medicine – professions, with accusations that they are ignored in discussions of diversity and inclusion. The authors of “Science Communication, Islam and Muslim Communities”, including Dr Stephen Jones of the University of Birmingham, explore the assumption behind the prejudice, that Islamic tradition is incompatible with scientific reasoning. They debunk several “myths” that Muslim leaders resisted covid lockdown measures, are anti-evolution, believe the Quran miraculously anticipates scientific discoveries and are opposed to organ donation. The study appeals for academic research on religious discrimination in STEMM educational and workplace settings, and for religion to be included in STEMM diversity policy literature. They say: “It is emphatically not the case that Muslim leaders overwhelmingly and actively promote anti-science viewpoints. Indeed, sometimes they argue within their communities against scepticism of scientific theories and medical procedures”.
PM hosts Eid event at Number Ten
The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hosted an Eid reception at Downing Street on Wednesday, two weeks after the actual festival date. The Eastern Eye reports that he acknowledged the Muslim community’s “incredible contribution” to the UK in business, sport, the NHS and armed forces. He also praised community giving during Ramadan for causes in the UK and abroad. The first iftar event was held in Downing Street this year on 29 March.
New leader of Jesuits in Britain
Fr Peter Gallagher SJ is to be the next Provincial Superior of the Jesuits in Britain with effect from 1 September. Fr Gallagher, aged 66, is from Coatbridge in Scotland, and was Dean of philosophy at Heythrop College and Centre Sèvres in Paris, while also acting as a spiritual director and as an assisting priest in a number of parishes. He takes over from the current Provincial, Fr Damian Howard SJ, who has been in post since 2017.
Scottish congregation heartbroken at the end of Latin mass
The church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in the Balornock area of Glasgow, has been ordered to cancel its public Latin masses after the Vatican decided that only one church should be allowed to continue with the traditional mas in the area, and it selected St Brigid’s, 6 miles away. Local parishioners are heartbroken, according to the Glasgow Herald. Restrictions on the Latin mass were imposed by the Pope two years ago, who said the spread of the Tridentine Mass had become a source of division and been exploited by Catholics opposed to the Second Vatican Council which modernised the church and its liturgy.
