People feel ‘anxious, fearful and uncertain’ in Church in Wales
The Archbishop of Wales, Cherry Vann, has said people feel “anxious, fearful, and uncertain of their future within our church”. She told the church’s governing body, meeting in Llandudno, that people from both the catholic and evangelical wings had told her they feared being excluded and she urged people to love one another and build trust and respect, saying: “There’s a tendency to try and score points, to play out our own little wars, to seek our own interests rather than those of our sisters and brothers in Christ”. Turning to the Senedd elections in May, where Reform and Plaid Cymru are front runners, she urged people to vote on values informed by faith, such as “Loving our neighbour, welcoming the stranger, caring for the widow and the orphan and those who are in need of the support of others.” Her address is here.
Another attempt to appoint a Bishop of Bangor
Another attempt to appoint the next Bishop of Bangor is to be made by the Church in Wales electoral college at a meeting on 16 – 18 June. The last bishop, Andy John, left in July 2025 after the publication of two reports into Bangor Cathedral which described weak governance of finances, a culture where “sexual boundaries seemed blurred” and excessive drinking. A process to choose an interim bishop failed to appoint, and the church will now select a permanent replacement.
Arrests after arson attempt on synagogue in north London
A 47-year-old woman and a 46-year-old man have been arrested on suspicion of arson endangering life, after two bottles thought to contain petrol were hurled at Finchley Reform Synagogue in the early hours of yesterday morning. The Metropolitan Police are treating the incident as an antisemitic hate crime. The Jewish Leadership Council says it is horrified and the local MP said British Jews should be allowed to go about their lives without fear. It follows an incident in nearby Golders Green where four ambulances operated by a Jewish charity were firebombed. The police say there is no evidence to link the two crimes
Pope calls for peace and justice in Cameroon
Pope Leo has continued his trip to Africa with a visit to Cameroon, where he spoke to politicians and diplomats about the need for peace, justice and commitment to the common good. He said “hopelessness is rampant” in the world, but there is a hunger for justice and peace especially among the young. And he said authority is a form of service, with those who govern “not from a love of power, but from a sense of the duty they owe to others.” Story here.
Report says China increasing pressure on Christians
A report from Human Rights Watch says China is increasing pressure on Christians to join the state controlled official church. It says this follows recent tightening of control and surveillance on the country’s 12 million Catholics over ideology and travel. Places of worship and religious teachings are expected to reflect Chinese culture and Communist Party ideology, under President Xi Jinping’s “Sinicization” of religion campaign, which began in April 2016. Human Rights Watch says this amounts to repression and intimidation, and urges the Vatican to press for religious freedom.
Aid agencies and church press for more action on forgotten disaster in Sudan
The Sudanese government said the international conference on Sudan held yesterday in Berlin, was a “surprising and unacceptable” interference in its internal affairs. The meeting followed similar events in London and Paris over the past few years to bring more pressure for an end to the war, but it did not include the Sudanese army or the paramilitary RSF group, the two sides in the conflict. Millions of people have been displaced and aid agencies are warning of hunger and malnutrition, with difficulties distributing aid, as the conflict goes into its fourh year. Diplomatic initiatives by “The Quad” – Saudia Arabia, the United States, UAE and Egypt – have failed to broker peace. Yesterday the Religion Media Centre held a briefing on Sudan, the concerns of aid agencies and the need for the world to take notice of a conflict that is largely forgotten. View the briefing again or listen to the podcast via links here.
Fundraising for church tower leaning more than the Tower of Pisa
Parishioners in the village of Dry Doddington, Lincolnshire, are raising £100,000 to repair the tower of their parish church, which is leaning further west than the Tower of Pisa. The building dates from the 12th century and the tower has been shifting in the past 200 years, now standing at an angle of 5.1 degrees, as compared to 3.97 degrees for the Towe of Pisa. Guardian story here
