Dame Sarah Mullally legally becomes Archbishop of Canterbury today
Dame Sarah Mullally will take part in a legal ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral today, where she will legally become the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, the first woman to hold this role. The “Confirmation of Election” ceremony sits within a religious service which starts at 11am and involves the Archbishop of York and other bishops appointed by the King deciding whether the procedural steps have been properly carried out to confirm the election of the new Archbishop. Although she will be legally confirmed today, it is not until her enthronement in Canterbury Cathedral on 28 March, that her ministry as Archbishop formally starts. Last Sunday, the King was pictured with the incoming Archbishop of Canterbury after she delivered her first sermon at St Peter’s Church in Wolferton, on the Sandringham Estate. Read Tim Wyatt’s report on the challenges which await in her in-tray. Article is here >>
Study finds that Bible chatbots are biased towards evangelical theology
A study from the Bible Society has found that Bible chatbots are biased toward US evangelical theology and may not reflect wider understandings of biblical interpretation. Its report “AI, Bible apps and theological bias” involved researchers posing questions to five different AI chatbots and analysing their answers. One of the authors, Dr Jonas Kurlberg, chair of the Global Network for Digital Theology, said: “‘Overall, we see that these AI models promote evangelical approaches to reading and interpreting the Bible.. There was no acknowledgement that there are different traditions, no recognition of allegorical, or spiritual interpretations, or interpreting the Bible through the lens of tradition”. But he noted that chatbots had an almost priestly role, offering conversations “with grace and no judgment”. Another researcher, independent theologian Zoltan Schwab, suggested AI chatbots should be developed to expose users to a variety of views: “It would be nice if the chatbots had the user dig deeper.’ The apps analysed were: Bible GPT, Bible Chat, Cross Talk, Biblia Chat and ChatGPT. Report is here
Holocaust survivor warns cabinet: ‘remembering the past is not enough’
Holocaust survivor Mala Tribich, aged 95, addressed a cabinet meeting yesterday, marking Holocaust Memorial Day. She warned ministers that amid rising antisemitism, “remembering the past is no longer enough.” The Prime Minister is understood to have personally ensured the meeting took place and the event was coordinated with the Holocaust Educational Trust. Jewish News reports that she was given a standing ovation as she walked into the room, and again at the end of her speech. She is one of the last survivors of the Holocaust and warned that soon “no eye-witnesses will be left”. She told how her mother and sister were shot dead in a forest, her father and brother were taken to a camp and her father was murdered while trying to escape a death march, her brother survived. She was taken with her five year old cousin to two concentration camps, where she became seriously ill. The report says that several cabinet members were visibly moved as she spoke. Last night, the Houses of Parliament and other public buildings were lit in purple to remember victims of the Holocaust and genocides since then.
US churches ‘share common thread’ of collective organisation to resist ICE raids
The nationwide mobilisation of grassroots Christians in the United States, warning others of the presence of immigration patrol ICE agents and helping families living in fear, was outlined in an online briefing yesterday. Hosted by the US based Religion News Service, its reporter Jack Jenkins described what he had seen in Los Angeles, Chicago, Maine and Minnesota since ICE agents began raiding cities to round up illegal immigrants. He said a common thread is that faith leaders from across the religious spectrum are collectively organising to help vulnerable communities. In Charlotte, North Carolina, Christians travelled there from Chicago to support the churches, and hundreds attended training sessions on how to take part as “ICE Watch” volunteers, who sound the alarm when agents appear. Even Trump supporting conservative evangelical churches have members joining protests, he said, despite their leaders not being prominent in the movement. He said religious people were attached to every part of the immigration system, writing to detainees, accompanying them to court, protesting outside detention centres and feeding families whose breadwinners have been detained. The Rev Ingrid Rasmussen, a Lutheran pastor from the centre of Minneapolis, described the sense of outrage, the fear and lack of safety affecting everyone in the city. Her church’s response is to be a good neighbour, showing up in neighbourhoods and offering help, keeping worship going and even helping local businesses to pay rent so that the local economy can survive. She said the issue was much larger than replacing just one person – Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino: “We are talking about the posture of an administration, a posture of a paramilitary force that is terrorising a community”.
US church campaign against Homeland Security funding bill
Churches have lobbied their representatives and senators to oppose the $64.4 billion Department of Homeland Security funding bill, which includes $10 billion for ICE and border security. Despite their efforts, the bill passed the House, with seven Democrats joining Republicans in support. It now moves to the Senate, where campaigners hope to block it. Story here
Methodist and Episcopalian bishops deplore violence and support resistance
The United Methodist Council of Bishops has issued a statement condemning the violence in Minnesota, saying the church “deplores the use of violence, fear, separation, and intimidation as a means of creating social order”. The Minnesota Conference has set up an emergency fund to provide practical support. Episcopalian bishops have also appealed to Congress to block new Homeland Security spending and have called on the Trump administration to de-escalate. Last night he told reporters that he pledged to do so. Minnesota Bishop Craig Loya said in a written statement that people were doing everything possible to resist, and highlighted grassroots action “mobilizing for revolutionary love.” Other bishops expressed solidarity with him and people “acting for justice” in Minnesota. Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe said “the deadly power” of division is seen in Minneapolis and the church must speak up and stand with immigrants.
Civil Society Covenant needs action across UK government and charities
The charities minister, Stephanie Peacock, has said that making the Civil Society Covenant a reality will require sustained action across government and the voluntary sector. The Covenant is a framework for local community groups to collaborate with government on projects benefitting society. It is an extension of a successful scheme engaging faith groups and local authorities, now widened out to include all community organisations. Speaking to the Institute of Chartered Accountants conference, she said change cannot be delivered by government alone and depends on engagement with civil society. The government is investing £440m in dormant assets funding and £500m from the Better Futures Fund to support the initiative. She said work was underway to reform charity administration, updating financial thresholds and removing barriers to growth. Story in Third Sector here
Isle of Man parliament votes to strip the bishop of voting rights
The House of Keys, the Isle of Man’s directly elected parliament, has taken a final vote to remove the right of the Bishop to vote in the Tynwald, the legislature of the island. The bishop will still be a member of the upper house, the Legislature, but will not be allowed to vote. The new rule will come into force either when the current bishop’s tenure ends, or five years from the bill gaining royal assent, whichever comes earlier. The National Secular Society has praised the move and said the bishops’ privileges in the House of Lords should end next. The current Bishop of Sodor and Man, Patricia Hillis, was installed in November 2024, when the process was already underway. The BBC reports her view that the implications are far reaching, as the role of the bishop had been “woven into Manx law and identity for centuries”. A committee report suggested that the island could be incorporated into a larger diocese should the vote be removed, something Bishop Patricia said was a “serious expression of risk”. Manx radio report here.
Interim bishop of Durham, Sarah Clark, moving to Ely
Bishop Sarah Clark, currently the acting Bishop of Durham, is to become the next Bishop of Ely. Her departure comes while the Diocese of Durham is still awaiting the appointment of a permanent bishop, following the retirement of Bishop Paul Butler two years ago. In a letter to the Durham Diocese, she said work is ongoing to make interim arrangements for the remainder of the vacancy in Durham. It is expected she will be installed in the summer.
Muslim football fans plan charity matches with Palestinian refugees
Hyphen Online reports that Muslim members of the Manchester United Muslim Supporters’ Club, together with supporters from Chelsea and Liverpool, are planning a trip to Jordan during Ramadan, to participate in charity football matches with Palestinian refugee communities. The team of 17 men are liaising with the charity Action for Humanity and hopes to raise £100,000 in aid of the refugees in Jordan. The players will visit two of the country’s largest Palestinian refugee camps, play two friendly matches, distribute donations, share iftars with families and run coaching sessions for orphans. They hope to offer continuing support, raising funds to cover living costs for the children and returning every year.
Note: The Welsh Senedd debate on Assisted Dying, reported in yesterday’s bulletin, has been postponed until 24 February.
