Assisted Dying: “Don’t ram religious ideas down my throat”
MPs passed the Assisted Dying bill on Friday with a majority of 55, following a sombre debate with multiple personal stories told in detail. The vote in favour followed vigorous debate in the days beforehand with religious leaders all coming out against. There was also a public spat on the legitimacy of religious belief, with Lord Falconer doubliing down on his comment that the Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood shouldn’t impose her religious beliefs on the public on assisted dying. In an interview with Newsnight on BBC2, after the bill was passed, he said he did not regret making the comments because the decision to die is everybody’s individual choice. The theme was picked up on BBC Radio 4’s Sunday programme, by Mark Mardell, former BBC broadcaster who now suffers from Parkinsons. He said that he was pleased MPs didn’t listen to religious leaders, and he didn’t like having religious ideas rammed down his throat. Chine McDonald, Director of the think tank Theos, said this hadn’t happened in the Commons debate and it was nonsensical to imagine people could switch off their religious views when dealing with such a monumental issue. She pointed out that the majority of ethnic minority MPs voted against. In Islam, assisted dying is forbidden. Zara Mohammed, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, told The New Arab: “One must ask whether his (Lord Falconer’s) position that religious views should be excluded from the debate applies only to Muslim public figures or to all MPs whose faith informs their stance on the Assisted Dying Bill”. Selection of quotes from Friday’s debate here
Bishop of Newcastle ‘frozen out’ by fellow bishops for speaking out on safeguarding
The Bishop of Newcastle, Helen Ann Hartley, who has called for all bishops named in the Makin review who have failed on safeguarding, to step back, told Radio 4’s Sunday programme that she had been frozen out by fellow bishops. She did not have a relationship at the moment with either the Archbishop of York or Canterbury. But her office was full of supportive cards and flowers, including from abuse survivors, and she was sure she had done the right thing in speaking out. She repeated her view that some bishops have failed to speak publicly because they wanted the Archbishop of Canterbury’s job and that the Church of England needs a complete review of safeguarding processes, saying the church should be in special measures for its current failings. She said: “The credibility of the church has been shattered by this.” Radio 4 Sunday interview here
Top politicians urged to intervene in CofE safeguarding process
Gavin Drake, former Church of England synod member and campaigner on safeguarding issues, has written an open letter to six top politicians who are automatically church commissioners, urging them to investigate the use of CofE charitable money to defend bishops in safeguarding cases, while victims get no support. The letter asks them to do all in their power to bring about equality between “victims of church-related abuse and those who fail them”. Mr Drake says the overwhelming majority of complaints against bishops are rejected without referral for investigation and he believes this is because complaints may be poorly drafted, while replies by bishops “are carefully crafted with the help of lawyers paid for by the Church Commissioners”. He says: “It is outrageous that that charitable funds can be spent in this way without any need for disclosure – especially by a charitable body that is legally accountable directly to Parliament”. He urges the commissioners to use their influence to change this “unfair approach”. His letter has gone to the six commissioners: the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer; Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood; Lord Speaker, Lord McFall of Alcluith; Lord President of the Council, Lucy Powell; Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle; and Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy
Humanists UK poll on bishops in the Lords
Humanists UK has commissioned a poll from YouGov, which suggests that 52 per cent of the British public want Church of England bishops to be removed from the Lords, with 22 per cent continuing to back their presence there. The poll of 2,109 people conducted between 6-9 September, found 59 per cent admitting to knowing not very much or nothing at all about how the House of Lords operates and what its role is in British politics. 62 per cent said they objected to hereditary peers, and 55 per cent wanted a House of Lords that was entirely elected. The poll was published on Friday 29 November.
World gets first glimpse of restored Notre Dame cathedral
The dramatic restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, following a fire in 2019, has been revealed in a public tour of works. The BBC reports, with before and after images, the dramatic like for like reconstruction of the spire which burned and crashed in the fire, the cleaning of 40,000 square metres of limestone, completely new wood roof timbers replacing 800 year old oak which was all destroyed. Stained glass windows have been cleaned, bells restored, the organ cleared of lead dust, gargoyles and statues repaired or rebuilt, a new altar created and 1500 wooden chairs replaced. President Macron thanked all involved in the €700 million restoration, as he led a tour of the building. Notre Dame will be opened officially with a ceremony on Saturday 7 December.
Pope confirms desire to attend 1700th anniversary of Council of Nicaea
Pope Francis has proposed celebrating the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, with Orthodox church leaders at an event in Turkey next year. His suggestion was in a personal letter to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, leader of most of the world’s Orthodox Christians, who had already spoken of his desire for the two men to attend the event together. The Council of Nicaea in 325 AD is said to be the first ecumenical conference bringing different church views together, to broker peace over a dispute on the nature of Jesus Christ. The outcome was the Nicene Creed which emphasised his divinity, such as in this version: “ We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father”.
New global organisation for leaders of peace initiatives
A new global organisation has been set up to foster the work of leaders in peace initiatives. The Peace Leadership Collaborative, which includes academics and charity workers from around the world especially the US and UK, aims to encourage people to collaborate, share ideas and work together. In its inaugural magazine, it highlights structural models of peace building leadership and gives examples from Nigeria and Sri Lanka.
