Priest warns Christian community in northern West Bank is under increasing pressure
A Catholic priest has warned that the Christian community in Zababdeh, near Jenin in the northern West Bank, is under increasing pressure from settlement expansion, restrictions on movement and worsening poverty. Fr Firas Khoury, the Melkite Catholic priest in Zababdeh, said new settlements were being established on agricultural land belonging to Palestinian families, while roads and checkpoints made travel difficult. He said that “while these settlements receive water, electricity, roads and other services, our people continue to face shortages of water and extremely difficult economic conditions”. The town is also accommodating people displaced from Jenin and its refugee camp, placing further pressure on the community. Fr Khoury warned that the pressures were leading people to consider leaving one of the last Christian communities in the northern West Bank and appealed for prayer and support. Independent Catholic News story here.
Ukrainian church leader warns that freedom cannot be taken for granted
Ukraine’s Greek Catholic leader, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, has warned that freedom must never be taken for granted, as the country marked 35 years of independence. In an interview with Vatican News, he reflected on Ukraine’s history under Soviet rule, and said freedom was not simply external liberty but a spiritual and moral responsibility. He said July had been the bloodiest month of the war since March 2022, with 437 civilians killed and 2,610 injured, according to UN figures. He condemned the use of increasingly sophisticated drones and missiles against civilians, saying that AI means the operators can see the people about to be killed. This is a very serious moral problem, he said, and Russia is “seeking to use the suffering of civilians, and even fear itself, as a weapon”. Interview is here
Ayaan Institute launches campaign to ‘stop hate against halal’
The Ayaan Institute, a Muslim think tank, has launched a campaign to “Stop Hate Against Halal”, countering the view that killing animals in this way for food is cruel because the animals are not stunned in advance. It says 88 per cent of halal meat is from stunned animals and adds: the halal meat and food industry contributes £1.7 billion annually to the British economy, the wider halal products and food market is worth £4.5 billion plus, and the halal industry employs between 55,000 and 80,000 people. The campaign follows calls by the Restore MP, Rupert Lowe, to ban halal meat altogether.
Bishops to discuss ‘seal of confessional’ in October
The Church of England’s House of Bishops will discuss the “seal of confessional” at their meeting in October. This follows clarity that priests told about child sex abuse during confession will be exempt from new “mandatory reporting” set out in the Crime and Policing Act. It will apply only when an adult is undertaking relevant activity with children, and will not extend to confession. At the synod in July, the lead bishop on safeguarding, Robert Springett, acknowledged this and said he was “acutely aware that the continued use of the seal is seen by many as fatally undermining our credibility in our commitment to mandatory reporting”. He said the ball was very firmly in the church’s court. The Telegraph’s report on the issue includes a CofE spokesperson confirming that the matter will come before the bishops this autumn.
Sarah Mullally preaches at installation of new Archbishop of Burundi
The Archbishop of Canterbury Dame Sarah Mullally has preached at the installation of the new archbishop of the church in Burundi, Eraste Bigirimana. He has been a bishop since 2005 and is also coordinator of the Anglican Francophone Network and a member of the country’s National Security Council. The church is part of the Anglican Communion but also joined the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans this year. Dame Sarah said in her sermon that the new archbishop should “contend for and uphold the unity of the church” and that the church would build deeper and closer relationships with its neighbours across the Province and the Anglican Communion.
Finnish Christian MP granted UK visa — too late for conference
Päivi Räsänen, a politician from Finland who was convicted of hate speech after expressing conservative Cristian views on marriage and sexuality, has finally been given a visa to enter the UK, but too late to allow her to speak in person at an event in Northern Ireland. Her travel authorisation was cancelled in July following her conviction and the Alliance for Defending Freedom took up her case. She was due to speak about free speech at the Bangor Worldwide Missionary Convention, a long-running evangelical Christian gathering, last week, but only got the visa on Friday evening, meaning she could only contribute to the meeting remotely. Räsänen is a member of the Christian Democrats and a former Minister of the Interior.
Cast of ‘The Chosen’ put through their paces by Bear Grylls
The cast of “The Chosen”, the US television drama on the life of Christ, are taking part in a series with Bear Grylls, testing their physical and mental resolve. In a six part docu series, the actors playing Jesus, Matthew, Mary Magdalene, Andrew and Judas will face physical challenges such as skydiving and cliff climbing, interspersed with conversations about their spiritual journeys and how the Chosen has changed them. Bear Grylls served in the army and has become known as an explorer, adventurer and TV presenter, who was converted via Holy Trinity Brompton and speaks publicly of his faith. “In the Wild with Bear Grylls” premiered on Prime Video this month.
