Chief Rabbi tells Archbishop Synod’s Kairos II decision is ‘deplorable’
The Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, has met the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, to express concern about the general synod’s recent decision to “hear” a document from Palestinian Christians about their plight – a decision he described as “deplorable”. The document Kairos II (A Moment of Truth: Faith in a Time of Genocide) said Palestinians are living through a time of “genocide, ethnic cleansing and forced displacement”. It described Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank as genocide, apartheid and settler colonialism, and called on churches worldwide to stand in solidarity with Palestinians through non-violent resistance. The Chief Rabbi said at the time that the document was one-sided, contained falsehoods and risked damaging Jewish-Christian relations.
Sir Ephraim and Dame Sarah met last week, two weeks after the synod decision. In a post on Twitter / X, the Chief Rabbi said: “I shared with her the deep pain felt by many in the Jewish community on account of the Synod’s most deplorable decision and emphasised the need for the Church to seek ways to repair the damage that has been caused to Christian-Jewish relations”.
The Archbishop, also writing on Twitter / X, said she was “deeply saddened by the hurt and distress that so many in the Jewish community are feeling” and recognised “the profound connection that the Jewish people have to the State of Israel”. Her statement said she stood in solidarity with the Jewish community in this country: “Every person – Christian, Jewish and Muslim; Palestinian and Israeli – deserves to live in safety, dignity and peace … The Church of England’s vocation is to value and protect every faith in our shared national life, including the Jewish community who are an integral and essential part of our society”.
Pope makes another urgent appeal for peace in the Middle East
Pope Leo has renewed his urgent appeal for peace in the Holy Land and across the Middle East. Speaking on Sunday in an address delivered at the papal summer palace in Castel Gandolfo, he expressed deep concern over the escalating violence and called for an immediate return to dialogue. Noting that civilians continue to be killed and live in “grave danger with worsening shortages of drinking water and electricity”, he called for a return to negotiations to achieve a just political solution and for the rejection of further military actions and unilateral decisions, “particularly those that violate the respect due to and the status quo of the holy sites of every religious faith.”
Ann Widdecombe’s funeral will be held at Buckfast Abbey
The funeral of Ann Widdecombe, murdered in her home in Devon, will be held at Buckfast Abbey where she regularly attended Mass. The Abbey is home to a community of Benedictine monks and welcomes visitors. The Father Abbot of Buckfast Abbey has issued a statement saying the Abbey is liaising “closely with the family regarding funeral arrangements” and that further details would be shared in due course. He said the community is holding Ann, her family and friends in prayer at this difficult time: “Ann was a woman of profound faith, a faith which found expression in the public forum of politics. Ann was unafraid to express her unwavering convictions, formed through her Roman Catholic faith. She had a sharp intellect and was a dedicated public servant”. The Monastic Community extended their heartfelt condolences to her family and friends. Ann Widdecombe died after 21 blows to the head. Joshua Kerry, from Rotherham, is in custody charged with her murder.
Commission warns global conflicts straining UK faith relations
Leaders of the “Commission on Interfaith Relations: UK Faith Groups and Global Conflict”, which was set up by the Woolf Institute in January, have issued an update on the progress of their work to date. The Commission’s aim is to discover the impact of global conflicts on faith communities, and its findings suggest that “both faith and non-faith communities are feeling the impacts of these conflicts more quickly and more directly than in previous decades”, and the impact can damage inter and intra-faith relations. The Commission has held four public sessions, in London, Leicester, Leeds and Edinburgh, alongside further meetings with national and local policy makers. The chair, Ed Kessler, and vice-chair, Bishop Lusa Nsenga-Ngoy, say there are recurring themes emerging: many young people feel their voices are not heard, which can lead to violence or disorder, and teachers and academics are reticent to engage with contentious issues. Politicians are perceived to have little idea of what is happening at grass roots level in communities. Later this year, further sessions will be held in six towns. The report will be published next year.
Social justice or culture wars – how Catholicism shapes politics in US and UK
Andy Burnham’s appointment as Britain’s first lifelong Roman Catholic prime minister, means that Catholicism is now prominent in politics on both sides of the Atlantic, with the US vice-president, JD Vance, vocal in how his faith affects his political ideas. But Aamna Mohdin reports in The Guardian that Burnham’s Catholic shaping since childhood, has produced beliefs around the common good, strength of community and social justice, in contrast to the way religion in the US has been used to fuel culture wars, with a hard line on social issues. Her report is here
Jesse Jackson’s daughter converts to Judaism
Jesse Jackson’s daughter Ashley, has revealed that she has converted to Judaism, saying she found in the faith an “enduring expression” of the belief that faith must lead to action. Her father, a Baptist minister and civil rights leader, supported the decision and joined her for a service at her synagogue two years before he died, where he danced to prayers in a language he did not speak. The rabbi offered him a blessing and the congregation gave him a standing ovation. Ashley is a writer, producer and founder of the charity “Push the Next Generation” and she wrote about her conversion in an article in The Washington Post. She said her identity is both Black and Jewish, describing this as a “meeting of two diasporas”, twin memories of an exodus from slavery, where both communities share traditions rooted in the pursuit of justice and human dignity.
University hall for Muslim students in Dundee
Rose House, a university hall in Dundee with space for 20 male students, is appealing to Muslim students with rules of only halal food being allowed, respect for prayer times, an alcohol free environment and overnight guests only permitted with permission. The website says the hall will provide a supportive community founded on values of safety, inclusion and academic excellence. Mark Simpson, a Reform MSP for North East Scotland, wrote on Twitter / X: “I am completely opposed to this & will fight to get it cancelled. Let me know when the debate is scheduled for & I’ll be there @reformparty_uk will try to stop this & ensure this never happens again.” The Telegraph reports that there are Catholic and Jewish student accommodation buildings in the UK, for example with a kosher kitchen and respect for religious practices.
TikTok Christian influencer outranks JD Vance in book sales
Zacharias Uribarri, known to his hundreds of thousands of TikTok followers as Zack Ubi, has written a book which reached number one in Amazon UK’s Christian Testimony and Inspiration category on the first day of release, and remained at the top for five consecutive days. “Faith in the Modern World: Navigating Emotions Through Scripture” eclipsed JD Vance’s new faith memoir in its launch week. The book explores 18 core human emotions, from anxiety, fear and grief to hope, joy and peace, drawing on Bible readings and Christian inspiration for practical guidance. Zack, aged 27, studied marketing at university and was a semi-professional footballer for Hadley FC in Hertfordshire, before embarking on a career as a social media influencer. He has 210,000 followers on TikTok and has amassed 18.7million likes. On Instagram he has 71,500 followers. He is also the founder of the charity “Souls & Soles”, practical activities to enhance well-being.
