Pope meets migrants in Gran Canaria and calls for legal and safe migration pathways
Pope Leo travelled to Gran Canaria on the last day of his visit to Spain, meeting migrants and the organisations that help them, in the port of Arguineguín, named the “Port of Shame” for the squalid condiitons facing migrants.. The Canary Islands are a gateway to Europe for people from across Africa, who arrive on overcrowded wooden boats. The Pope urged the world not to grow indifferent to their suffering and called for legal and safe migration pathways, denouncing human trafficking and exploitation, and insisting that “human dignity has no passport and does not lose its value when crossing a border.”
Archbishop: World Cup ‘draws communities together in surprising ways’
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, has pointed to positive benefits of the World Cup, saying that it “draws communities together in ways that can be surprising”. Writing in The Yorkshire Post, he said that beyond the drama on the pitch, the World Cup “reminds us that, despite our differences, we can still come together. People who might never otherwise meet find common ground. A goal celebrated in Buenos Aires or Cape Town can spark the same elation in Leeds or Sheffield. We sing together, we embrace the stranger next to us when a goal is scored. It is as if football speaks a universal language.” Many national stars speak openly about their faith to their fan base on social media, as Catherine Pepinster explains here.
World Cup in Mexico ‘will not bring profound change’ to challenges in society
The Anglican Archbishop of Mexico, Alba Sally Sue Hernández Garcia, has warned that challenges in society will be overlooked while the World Cup is on. She told a USPG conference in England, that these included drug cartels, forced disappearances, violence against girls and women, the exclusion of indigenous communities, and armed attacks to seize territory from displaced people. An estimated five million people will visit Mexico for matches but the Archbishop said that the new economic activity” will not bring profound changes or answers to the true needs of the Mexican people”. Premier Christian News story here.
Keep children playing sport even in disaster zones, says World Vision
The World Cup started yesterday, which was also the United Nations International Day of Play, a campaign designed to ensure everyone, especially children, can continue to play even in conflict or natural disasters. The Christian aid agency World Vision says one in five children are living in such circumstances and it’s drawing attention to humanitarian support for children across 70 countries, with activities including arts and crafts, play, education and sport.
78-year-old Quaker sues Ministry of Justice for false imprisonment
A 78 year old Quaker and former teacher, Gaie Delap, is suing the Ministry of Justice for false imprisonment, after she was sent to prison because Serco ran out of electronic tags the right size for her wrist. Quakers in Criminal Justice and the Good Law Project are taking up her case, including a claim under the Human Rights Act. She was sentenced to 20 months in prison for climbing gantries over the M25 during a Just Stop Oil protest in 2022. She was later released on home curfew with a tagging requirement but was recalled to prison when Serco could not provide a suitable tag, spending Christmas in jail.
Muslim Tech festival gathers hundreds of professionals in London
The fourth Muslim Tech Fest draws to a close today, after a four day festival in London where hundreds of founders, engineers, academics and investors met to network and exchange ideas. Their discussions included the impact of Artificial Intelligence on teams, how wealth grows and capital flows, and where in the world new industry should be based. The website says “In every era, we have been the builders .. Two-thirds of the stars we named. The world is shifting from bricks to bytes, factories to platforms — and we’re here to lead again”.
