Mounting speculation that Cardinal Vincent Nichols’ successor will soon be announced
Catherine Pepinster reports on speculation that a successor to Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Catholic Archbishop of Westminster and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, may soon be announced. The usual retirement age for Catholic bishops is 75, but according to canon law, a bishop can go on past that age if the Pope asks them to do so. Cardinal Vincent Nichols was asked to stay and is now heading for his 80th birthday in November. Her report says that there are signs that he might soon be retiring – his diary is almost empty for October – and speculation is growing about a potential successor. The process to name his successor is lengthy and involves considerable consultation. It’s reported that possible names are: John Wilson, 57, Archbishop of Southwark; Bernard Longley, 70, Archbishop of Birmingham; Mark O’Toole, 62, Archbishop of Cardiff-Menevia; Nicholas Hudson, 66, auxiliary bishop of Westminster; Marcus Stock, 63, Bishop of Leeds; and Hugh Gilbert, 73, Bishop of Aberdeen. Read Catherine Pepinster’s report here
Jewish organisations condemn UK decision to recognise a Palestinian state
British Jewish organisations have condemned Keir Starmer’s announcement that the UK is formally recognising a Palestinian state, “to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis”. In a statement he said that with Israel’s push into Gaza and among settlements in the West Bank, “the hope of a two-state solution is fading” but “we cannot let that light go out”. The Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said the recognition “will prove to be a historic error of foreign policy, which will only impede the cause of peace. It is a reward for terrorism, while the hostages remain in chains, and has been celebrated by Hamas as ‘one of the fruits of 7th October’”. The Jewish Leadership Council said: “This is nothing short of a betrayal of the hostages and a reward for terrorism.” The Board of Deputies said there was deep dismay among the Jewish community, and the recognition “has done nothing to advance a ceasefire, free the hostages, stop the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, or advance long-term peace”. Sir Keir Starmer said: “This solution is not a reward for Hamas, because it means Hamas can have no future, no role in government, no role in security. We have already prescribed and sanctioned Hamas, and we will go further. I have directed work to sanction other Hamas figures in the coming weeks”.
Cardinal and Archbishop lead church leaders in call for end to war in Gaza
Cardinal Vincent Nichols has joined the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, and other church leaders in calling for an end to the war in Gaza and the release of all hostages and prisoners, after Israel launched its major ground offensive in Gaza City. In a joint statement, they say the “deadly escalation is futile and must stop”, urging the international community to ensure that Israel upholds its legal responsibility to protect civilians. The leaders applaud the work of the Churches of the Holy Land and pray for the clergy and nuns who have remained in Gaza City to care for civilians seeking refuge in their church buildings. The joint statement was released ahead of the United Nations’ International Day of Peace on Sunday, also a day of prayer for an end to war, violence and suffering in the Holy Land.
‘Old Time Revival’ of Charlie Kirk’s memorial service
Around 100,000 people attended the memorial service of Charlie Kirk, the US Christian patriot and Maga supporting influencer, who was assassinated while answering questions at a campus event at a university in Utah. The service, at State Farm Stadium in Arizona and in a nearby overflow area, was described by President Trump as like “an old time revival”. The marathon five hour event was preceded by hours of singing praise songs, led by a Christian band. The crowd held placards with Turning Point USA on one side and Isaiah 6:8 “Here I am Lord send me” on the reverse – Kirk’s favourite verse. A procession of speakers paid tribute to the way he influenced a massive national movement in favour of Trump, especially among young people, which is said to have been decisive in the presidential campaign. Charlie Kirk’s pastor, Rob McCoy, said Kirk’s motivation for his message of conservative values and centrality of Christianity, was his faith, and described him as a martyr, while others said he was a prophet. There were some strident speeches to continue Kirk’s work, describing spiritual warfare and defeating evil, and others declaring the Holy Spirit was in the room and the revival was a turning point for the nation. Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika, who will take over his role at Turning Point USA, said she forgave his killer and appealed for love not hate, and for people to “turn to Christ” and attend church. President Trump said he wanted God and religion “back in America”, and declared Charlie Kirk “our greatest evangelist for American liberty”, a great American hero and a martyr, awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and apologised to Erika for not loving his opponents: “I hate my opponents and I don’t want the best for them,” adding that perhaps she might convince him otherwise.
Clergy say Christianity was ‘mis-used’ at Unite the Kingdom march
British church leaders across denominations have signed an open letter warning against the “misuse of Christianity”, after people held aloft wooden crosses, said prayers, sang Christian songs and quoted scripture on the Unite the Kingdom march in London a week ago. The signatories include Lord Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of Winchester, Bishop Mike Royal general secretary of Churches Together in England, Baptist minister the Rev Steve Chalke, and Gavin Calver, chief executive of the Evangelical Alliance. The Times reports the letter says: “The Cross is the ultimate sign of sacrifice for the other. Jesus calls us to love both our neighbours and our enemies and to welcome the stranger. Any co-opting or corrupting of the Christian faith to exclude others is unacceptable.” They acknowledged many on the march felt unheard and forgotten: “However, this rally included racist, anti-Muslim and far-right elements. As Christians from different theological and political backgrounds we stand together against the misuse of Christianity.” Times report here
Church Times journalists ponder the inbox of the new Archbishop of Canterbury
As the Church of England awaits an announcement as to who will be the next Archbishop of Canterbury, writers at The Church Times explain the major shifts over the last ten years under Justin Welby, and the state of the church the new leader will take over. Madeleine Davies writes about the way money has been poured into mission projects and the setting up of church plants which has seen the growth of the Holy Trinity Brompton network, while on the other hand clergy in poorer parishes with older congregations are dispirited, as parishes are grouped together creating a more stressful workload, fewer people are coming forward to be ordained and many dioceses are verging on bankruptcy. Andrew Brown reviews the inexorable decline of the Church of England over his lifetime, from Archbishop Geoffrey Fisher in the 50s to Justin Welby, a time which has seen infighting over same sex relationships, the role of women, and clashes amid political turmoil, ending with a decline in worshippers and the standing of the church in the country. He concludes that Welby’s departure has left “as a problem for his successor, an unmanageable and leaderless Church of England, stripped at last of pretension, to match its loss of power.” Francis Martin identifies four quadrants of responsibility for the new incumbent: church politics, national politics, faith in the context of the Church, and faith in the public sphere. He suggest that the ability of the next Archbishop to be a pastor to the nation will depend on how they navigate the political issues, such as safeguarding, same sex relationships, reparation for slavery and the place of women.
Archbishop warns assisted dying will herald ‘fundamental change’ in society
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, has warned that the assisted dying legislation would herald a “fundamental” change in society, with vulnerable people put at risk of feeling they have a “duty to die”. He was speaking on the second and last day of debate in the Lords as the bill moved through its second reading. The private members bill, which would allow terminally ill adults with a life expectancy of six months or less to receive assistance in ending their own life subject to safeguards, was passed to the next stage. It now goes before a Lords select committee, for detailed scrutiny including from government health and justice ministers, and health experts. The bill has been criticised for insufficient safeguards for the vulnerable. The Archbishop said: “If we do this, we unleash into our society a fundamental change in our relationships: the relationship between death and life, between doctor and patient, between parent and child, between citizen and state”. During its passage, several bishops spoke against the bill, but the former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey, spoke in support of the bill, saying that the Lords risked its legitimacy by voting against a bill already supported by the Commons. Kaya Burgess, in The Times, charts its likely next steps.
Exploring religion ‘sets you up for the real world’
First class St Andrew’s Theology graduate Phoebe Davies, who now finds herself training to be a journalist while working as a price reporter covering the liquid gas market, has written a compelling piece advocating for the study of theology at university. Writing for Credo in The Times, she says religion is highly important in the current geopolitical and financial climate, and exploring the depths of religion is critically important: “As someone who is not training for ordination, and is agnostic about the existence of God[s], I am vouching for the case that theology is a well-rounded, challenging, and a ‘set you up for the real world’ starter pack. ‘Jesus-freaks’ and ‘basement Bible bashers’ is how my subject has been described, to my face, by my peers. Yet the study of God is enlightening and allows one to think about how we approach life, and ultimately death. What other subject encourages young people to create a community with great, juicy debates about morality? You can’t leave a theology seminar without being shocked by the way people used to — and still do — think, both good and bad.” Read the whole article here
