King heckled outside Lichfield Cathedral
King Charles was heckled about his brother, Prince Andrew, during a visit to Lichfield Cathedral yesterday. A man in the crowd outside shouted “How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?” and “Have you asked the police to cover up for Andrew?”. The King ignored the heckler and carried on shaking hands, while the crowd booed and told the man to be quiet. Inside the cathedral, it was a different story. The Dean, Jan McFarlane, said they were thrilled to welcome the King, and showed him the Fenland Black Table, carved from a 5,000-year-old fossilised black oak tree, discovered in 2012 and known as the “Jubilee Oak”. It was completed and unveiled in 2022, the year of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, and is on display at various English cathedrals, Lichfield being the latest. There was music from a schools’ singing programme “MusicShare” and Lichfield Cathedral Choir, and presentations on the work of the Cathedral Workshop Fellowship, training young people on heritage crafts such as stonemasonry.
No 10 ‘concerned’ over Tower Hamlets protest chant ‘Zionist scum, off our streets‘
Jewish News reports that Downing Street has expressed concern over a demonstration in Tower Hamlets when masked men gathered outside the Town Hall, waving Bangladeshi, Pakistani, and Palestinian flags, setting off flares and chanting “Zionist scum, off our streets”; “We will honour all our martyrs! From the river to the sea! Allahu akbar!”. They were forming a counter protest against a planned UKIP march through the East End of London, which was, in the end, diverted to another route. Jewish News reports a Number Ten spokesperson saying: “The Prime Minister has been very clear on the need to tackle antisemitism. As he has said before, the police already have extensive public order powers to address the incidents you mentioned. .. We would expect the police to respond robustly.”
Call for Sarah Mullaly to make natural world her ‘defining mission’
The next Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, has been urged to make protecting the natural world a defining mission of her tenure. The call came in an open letter to her, coordinated by the green campaign group Wild Card, and signed by 50 public figures including Lord Rowan Williams, Zack Polanski, Caroline Lucas and Stephen Fry. It says England is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world and the church should lead by example, arguing that the Church Commissioners’ 100,000 acres of woodland, should protect 30 per cent of it for nature by 2030.
Independent review into church fly posting dispute in Cheshire village
The Bishop of Birkenhead has initiated an independent review into a row at St Oswald’s church in Malpas, Cheshire, when parishioners protested against the vicar the Rev Dr Janine Arnott, leading to “libellous” fly posting and the involvement of the local police. and the bishop. There was disagreement over the prayers, readings, choir and bellringers, but the escalation led to police investigating allegations of harassment and the Bishop of Chester issuing a furious response to leaflets which “sought by forgery to impersonate a bishop”. The Bishop of Birkenhead, Julie Conalty, said an independent reviewer has been invited to carry out a church health check: “The aim is to build a clear picture of how things are going, and to offer constructive recommendations that will help shape and support the ongoing ministry in Malpas, Threapwood and Bickerton.” BBC report here
Vatican publishes Pope’s Turkey – Lebanon schedule
The programme for Pope Leo’s first journey to Turkey and Lebanon, from 27 November – 2 December, has been released by the Vatican. In Turkey, he will first visit Ankara to meet President Erdogan and address dignitaries, then he will move to Istanbul visiting the cathedral, meeting bishops and church leaders, then on to Iznik, formerly Nicaea, where he will mark the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which formulated the creed and early Christian thought on the Trinity. Other visits will be made to the Blue Mosque, the Syriac Orthodox Church and the Patriarchal Church of Saint George, where he will meet the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and together, they will sign a declaration. Moving on to Beirut, he will meet the president, prime minister and diplomats, followed by Catholic patriarchs, and ecumenical church leaders. On his final day, he will observe silent prayer at the site of the 2020 Beirut Port explosion and celebrate Mass at the Beirut waterfront.
The world’s biggest Orthodox church opens in Bucharest
In Bucharest, the world’s largest Orthodox church known as the “People’s Salvation Cathedral”, which cost €313 million and took 15 years to build, has opened in a lavish ceremony. It is regarded as the country’s national cathedral and stands more than 125 metres high, with space for 5,000 people. There are multiple gilded domes, a feature of eastern orthodox architecture, and inside, the walls are decorated with mosaics, frescoes and gold leaf. Thousands of people attended the opening on Sunday. The Associated Press quotes Claudiu Tufis, an associate professor of political science at the University of Bucharest, saying the project was a “waste of public money” taken from communities that needed it: “Economically, it might be OK in the long term as it will be a tourist attraction.”
Sale of Hindu temple in Peterborough sparks community tension
A dispute over a council owned building in Peterborough, which houses theBharat Hindu Samaj Mandir temple, has created community tensions in the city.The temple was established in 1986 and Hindus say they feel devastated and let down at the prospect of the sale. Hindus worship there from a wide area in the east of England including Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk. The council says it has to sell the building and other assets to reduce debts. The Peterborough Telegraph reports that two councillors, both Muslims,Cllr Mohammed Jamila and council leader Shabina Qayyum, have been targeted with abuse over the sale, with Peterborough’s Joint Mosques Council issuing a statement condemning “intolerable Islamophobia”. Councillor Qayyum told a council meeting that “no elected official should have to face a hate crime such as racism, calling their safety into question, for simply doing their job”. The report says that “multiple community organisations are believed to have expressed interest in the site, as well as the Hindu community itself. It quotes Councillor Jamil saying it is intended that the property will continue to be used for community purposes: “If Bharat Hindu Samaj is not the preferred bidder, responsibility for its tenancy would transfer to the new owner, and they would continue to have rights and protections under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954.”
US evangelical missionary pilot kidnapped in Niger
American missionary pilot Kevin Rideout is reported to have been kidnapped from his home in the neighbourhood of Niamey, the capital of Niger, in West Africa. He was reportedly abducted by three armed men near the grand Bravia Hotel, in the city centre near the presidential palace. Mr Rideout is 48 with a young family and works with “Serving In Mission”. The Associated Press says no armed group has claimed responsibility for the abduction, but adds: “Niger has long faced attacks from armed groups including jihadis linked to al-Qaida and Islamic State”.
Four day Hindu Chhath festival ends in India
Thousands of Hindu devotees in India gathered beside rivers and waterways for the four day Chhath festival. Prayers were said to the solar god Lord Surya, giving thanks for life on Earth and appealing for personal desires to be fulfilled. The Hindu goddess Chhathi Maiya, Surya’s sister, is also worshipped during the festival. There is holy bathing in the waterways, abstaining from drinking water, standing in water, fasting, and the offering of food and water to the deity as a prayer. Yesterday was a public holiday Delhi, with schools and colleges shut. The Associated Press has published a photo gallery of the festival in India.
Sarah Mullaly, the safe pair of hands who babysat writer Jack Guinness
Jack Guiness, model, LGBTQ+ campaigner and author of The Queer Bible, has written a warm tribute to the next Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullaly, who he reveals was his babysitter in his early years. He is the son of a vicar and Dame Sarah was a member of his father’s congregation in Lambeth in the early 1980s. In an article in The Times, he says his mother wanted someone reliable to help her with her family of small children in the summer holiday, and chose Sarah Mullaly because she was a “very reliable, safe pair of hands” – and a nurse. His mother says: “Sarah, like many others, was steady and grounded and willing to get stuck in and just be. All qualities she will no doubt give in bucketloads to the drama of the Anglican Communion.” Jack reflects: “Isn’t there something quite wonderful about the Church of England being led by a former chief nurse — someone who has been a hands-on carer for the young?.. As a gay man, I feel hugely encouraged by Mullally’s progressive views on same-sex couples. Calling the church’s decision to bless these relationships ‘a moment of hope for the church’, while not far enough, is a definite step in the right direction.”
