Millions join the Arbaeen pilgrimage in Iraq, the biggest annual gathering on earth
Up to 21.5 million people flocked to the shrine of Imam Husayn bin Ali, the third Imam in Shia history, for the annual Arbaeen pilgrimage, from Najaf to Karbala, south west of Baghdad. The numbers have increased by 50 per cent in the last five years, and the city of Karbala welcomes the pilgrims with free food, drink, medical care and sleeping mats. The pilgrimage marks the 40th day of mourning for the martyrdom of Imam Husayn bin Ali, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who died a martyr and is buried in the city. Pilgrims in endless cycles over several days, visit his tomb, touch it, pray and weep. There are environmental concerns over ever increasing temperatures – this year 48C was recorded on one day – waste management and the provision of water in plastic bottles, as there is no drinkable water mains supply. The issues have been addressed by Iraqi and Iranian officials in collaboration. Neighbouring Iran is 95 per cent Shia and many millions make the journey to Iraq for this annual event. Read Michael Wakelin’s report here
Ekklesia to cease its work as a think tank on religion in public life
Twenty-two years after its founding, the organisation Ekklesia has announced it will cease its work as a think-tank on religion in public life, from the end of this week. It will continue to run a book publishing operation, provide a newsletter and an informal network via social media “for the time being”. In a statement, the director Simon Barrow said people involved with Ekklesia will continue to speak out on issues of “injustice, war, economic and political domination and environmental destruction.” He said: “Lack of resources and time are obviously a major factor in the current need to wind down the main part of our operation”. They had hoped an academic institution or NGO might be in a position to continue the think-tank dimension of its work and they are open to approaches from interested parties. Ekklesia was founded in 2002 by Jonathan Bartley, who went on to become a co-leader of the Green Party. The statement is here
Church leaders in Jerusalem urge rapid agreement for a ceasefire
Church leaders in Jerusalem have voiced grave concern that the situation in the Holy Land has continued to deteriorate and the region now stands on the precipice of a regional war. In a statement issued yesterday, the patriarchs and heads of the churches in Jerusalem despair at the plight of millions of refugees, hundreds killed and wounded in the war, and hunger, thirst, and infectious disease affecting those that remain. They say repeated delays in ceasefire negotiations have heightened tensions, but “the leaders of the warring parties seemingly more concerned with political considerations than bringing an end to the pursuit of death and destruction”. They implore leaders to reach a rapid agreement for a ceasefire, discuss longstanding grievances, and adopt an internationally legitimate two-state solution.
Bishop takes issue with excessive use of prison sentences
The Bishop of Gloucester, Rachel Treweek, has expressed disquiet about the treatment of young people jailed after the riots across England this month. The bishop, who is the Church of England’s lead on prisons, says there must be consequences for actions, but jailing people for social media offences in the riots is not right. Interviewed by the Sunday programme on Radio 4, she said that sending offenders to prison for months or years, if no appropriate intervention is made, is foolish. To ensure people change and contribute to their communities, society must look at creative and appropriate punishments, such as community orders and probation. She added that there’s no evidence that locking people up does transform people, as the re-offending rate is very high, and she urged more consideration on what kind of intervention will transform people on the wrong side of the law.
CofE racial justice commission has encountered resistance and obstruction to its work
The Archbishops’ Commission for Racial Justice has released the fifth of its bi-annual racial justice reports. Its chair, Lord Paul Boateng, voiced concern about the degree to which they have encountered active resistance or obstruction to their work. The Commission was set up to report on initiatives to combat racism and to make recommendations to “root out systemic racism in the Church”. Its last report is due in November and Lord Boateng has highlighted the need for a body within the Archbishops Council to continue to audit racial justice in the governance of the Church of England.
Pope criticises Ukraine’s ban on Moscow aligned orthodox church
Pope Francis has criticised Ukraine’s decision to ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has historical ties to Russia, saying that Christians should be allowed to pray freely and that churches should not be abolished. Speaking on Sunday, he urged Ukrainian leaders to “let those who want to pray be allowed to pray in what they consider their Church.” The Moscow aligned church has been regarded with suspicion by the Ukraine authorities, because its head, Patriarch Kirill, has supported Russia’s invasion. Churches and a monastery have been raided by police on suspicion that clergy were spies and more than 30 have been arrested. Ukraine has an alternative Orthodox church aligned to Constantinople.
Environment group campaigns for CofE to plant more trees on its land
The environment campaign group Wild Card has launched a petition calling on the Church Commissioners to plant more trees on its 105,000 acres across England. It says only four per cent of this is woodland, compared to 13 per cent of land in the UK. Wild Card’s campaign is wider than the Church of England. It says the diversity of wildlife in Britain has dwindled to a new low with pollinator numbers falling, ecosystems collapsing and species dying out fast. “Everyday citizens have lost control of the land”, it says, with billionaires, aristocrats, royalty and corporations owning and deciding its future. It is calling for other landowners such as the Crown Estates and the Ministry of Defence, to restore natural environments into “abundant wildness that our ancestors would have known”. The petition has already gained 50,000 signatures.
Singing Amazing Grace improves heart blood flow
Premier Christian News reports a study by researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin, who have found that singing Amazing Grace for 10 minutes a day can help reverse the effects of heart disease. The findings are based on research with 65 participants, mostly in their sixties, who were being treated for heart issues or had previously had a heart attack. They sang four songs — Amazing Grace, Hey Jude, Jolene, and This Land is Your Land — while researchers measured changes in blood flow. For 22 per cent, this improved while singing Amazing Grace, while other songs only scored below 10 per cent. The study suggested that “singing should be considered as an accessible and safe therapeutic intervention in an older population who otherwise may have physical or orthopaedic limitations hindering participation in traditional exercise”.
