Lord Sentamu resigns as chair of Christian Aid
The former Archbishop of York, Lord John Sentamu, has resigned as chair of Christian Aid, following the recent controversy over his actions in relation to a safeguarding issue. In his resignation letter to trustees, he expressed his concern that recent events could “become a distraction from the vital work of Christian Aid.” He had held the role for just 18 months. The news was broken by the Church Times, which also ran a statement from organisers of the Greenbelt Festival, saying it had withdrawn the speaking invitation to Lord Sentamu , saying it would be wrong to give him a platform while he is challenging the findings of the report. Last month, Lord Sentamu was “required to step back” from ministry after a review found he failed to act on a disclosure of child sexual abuse and said that “safeguarding is very important, but it does not trump Church Law”. He had rejected the findings of the safeguarding review, saying there had been a “fundamental misunderstanding” of the responsibilities of bishops and archbishops.
London Jewish museum building in Camden closes down
The trustees of the Jewish Museum in Camden, London, have announced that the building is closing while they consider the future of the museum’s work. The Grade II listed Georgian town house and adjoining warehouse will be sold and money used to continue the museum’s conservation work while providing seed money for a “more modern, engaging and inspiring visitor experience in a new, more prominent location a more central location”. The trustees say unanticipated rising costs and the Covid pandemic have affected its operations and prevented temporary exhibitions. The current building is also not big enough for the schools educational programme, which welcomes 20,000 students a year. Artefacts such as collections from the Jewish Military Museum and United Synagogue, will be stored for safe keeping and work will continue on conservation and educational programmes while the future is mapped.
CofE safeguarding support scheme failures under BBC spotlight
The BBC reports recommendations in a recently published safeguarding review from the Church of England, calling for a more co-ordinated approach to survivors of abuse, whose needs have not been met in an interim support compensation scheme. The review tells the story of a man abused in 2001 who still needs help for ongoing trauma and who was let down by the church multiple times. Among the recommendations is the need for a national, as well as local, coordinated response to people who need ongoing support. The review says that if their needs are not properly managed this can result in repeated re-traumatisation. BBC report here
Peace efforts forged in the ethnic cauldron of Manipur
The Indian Home Minister, Amit Shah, has announced measures to bring the conflict in Manipur to an end. Two factions, the Hindu Meitei and the Christian Kukis have been at war for a month, with an estimated 70 people dead, churches and homes destroyed and thousands displaced and injured. The Archbishop of Canterbury has raised concerns and appealed for peace. Following the minister’s four day visit to the region, it was agreed that a committee of different communities will steer the peace effort starting with a push to find ammunition. Compensation will be paid to families of the bereaved, petrol will once more become available, eight medical teams will be brought in and food supplies will arrive soon.
Catholic bishop resigns after being acquitted of rape
The Catholic bishop of the Jalandhar Diocese in the northern state of Punjab, Franco Mulakkal, has resigned after being acquitted of raping a nun. He is 59 – the normal retirement age for bishops is 75. The Associated Press reports that he was accused of raping the nun multiple times during his visits to her convent and was charged with rape, illegal confinement and intimidation. He was acquitted in January 2022 and the nun is appealing against the verdict
Row over Pride flag on The Chosen set is “purity death spiral politics”
A Twitter storm has blown up over an appearance of a tiny Pride flag on the set of “The Chosen”, the crowd funded American production film about the life of Jesus, which has racked up more than 500 million views. The flag appears for four seconds stuck on a camera, in a promotional film about how an episode of “The Chosen” was made. Social media blogger Joe Root called on Christians to boycott the show saying in a tweet, which has been seen 648,000 times: “the promotion of the Pride Flag is never acceptable in church or any form of ministry”. The show’s creator, Dallas Jenkins, told the Religion News Service it was no secret that the cast and crew come from all different beliefs and backgrounds. The story was picked up by The Daily Wire, whose founder Jeremy Boreing took exception to running the article, saying it was “purity death spiral politics” in its demand for perfection.
94 year old former diplomat buys ancient Hebrew Bible for £30million
Retired 94 year old diplomat and lawyer, Alfred Moses, has emerged as the man who bought the Codex Sasson, the world’s oldest nearly-complete copy of the Hebrew Bible, for £30 million at an auction in New York. He bid on behalf of the American Friends of ANU as a gift for their Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv. The manuscript has been owned by several people in the last 100 years and got its name from the Jewish book collector David Solomon Sassoon. Jewish News story here
