King Charles and Ukraine First Lady visit Ukraine Catholic Cathedral in Mayfair
King Charles and the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, visited the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile in Mayfair, to officially open the Ukrainian Welcome Centre, which offers practical help to refugees making a new home in the UK. Its work began soon after the King visited in March 2022, when war had just broken out. Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski said the visit was a powerful sign of solidarity between the peoples of both countries. The King was given an icon of Mary the mother of Jesus, created on fragments of a munitions box from the front line.
Justin Welby visits Ukraine
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby is on a three-day visit to Ukraine, meeting leaders of Ukraine churches and offering support, especially for the work with refugees and people who have been forced from their homes as winter sets in. On his way to the country, he visited a centre for migrants in Warsaw where he heard about the Roman Catholic Church’s work supporting Ukrainian refugees. He will also visit Anglican churches in Warsaw and Kyiv and said he hoped to learn more about how the Church of England can support relief work in Ukraine “amidst the ongoing devastation, loss and destruction of this war”.
Buddhist principles lower risk of depression
A research study of 600 people in Thailand has found that people who observe the five precepts of Buddhism may be less likely to experience depression. The study found that refraining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, telling bad-intentioned lies, and using intoxicants limited stress, which reduced the risk of depression.
Welsh ballet performance changed after Hindu leader’s complaint
The New Theatre in Cardiff has announced that a ballet production has been changed after complaints from the President of the Universal Society of Hinduism, Rajan Zed, based in Nevada. Wales Online explains the company was intending to perform Kingdom of the Shades, from La Bayadère, a representation of a love story involving a temple dancer and a princely warrior. But Rajan Zed said the excerpt belittled a rich civilisation by exhibiting 19th-century orientalist attitudes. The producers said it was never the intention to cause offence and the company will find an alternative piece.
Continuing comment on the 2021 census
The 2021 census, published on Tuesday, showed that the number of Christians in England and Wales is 46 per cent – the first time it has gone below the halfway mark. Non religion was only 9 percentage points behind, at 37 per cent. The blizzard of statistics has produced more detailed insights on religion in society and its diverse, complex nature. View our census briefing on our YouTube channel here; read our report here.
King Charles really should be Defender of Faith … Rabbi Jonathan Romain, from Maidenhead Synagogue, suggested: “The census results – showing that less than half the population identifies as Christian – means that it would be appropriate for King Charles to revert to his original declaration that he should be “defender of faith” rather than “of the faith”. We have a Christian heritage, but Britain is now thoroughly multi-faith, and both aspects need to be acknowledged”.
Calls for disestablishment … The Guardian reports immediate calls for the disestablishment of the Church of England, as it represents less than half the population, but retains privileges. It quotes Vernon Bogdanor, professor of government at King’s College London, saying the place of bishops in the Lords is now more difficult to justify and raises the issue of disestablishment.
Shamanism explored ….The fastest growing religious group outside organised world religion, is Shamanism, up from 650 in 2011 to 8,000. The Metro explains that it is a loose collection of beliefs around capturing the spirits and energy from worlds beyond to effect healing and positive change. Distinctive ceremonies, trances and various folk traditions are the common ways of engaging with deeper power, going back to ancient times in many cultures.
Declining religion is worrying … David Aaronovitch, writing in The Times, says that as an atheist, declining religion worries him. He was struck by the idea that the church had seen its mission as serving people and bringing “hope to a troubled world”. He said life would not be better if churches closed and people stopped meeting to chant, sing and collect for good causes: “Should we be thinking harder about what we do to replace the communal function of declining religion? To mitigate the loss from this change?”
Ticking the CofE box suits people with doubts .. Janice Turner, writing in The Times, says she would fill in a medical form as C of E, because it is the mildest, most doubt-ridden Christian strand. Non-believers from Muslim or Sikh or Jewish traditions might still tick their box because of shared heritage, culture and food. But Christianity “is blandly everywhere and therefore nowhere” and young people prefer to identify as more interesting things.
Bishops discuss same sex marriage consultation again .. On the day that the census 2021 results for religion were released, the bishops of the Church of England met for a routine meeting. They discussed the Living in Love and Faith consultation on same sex marriage, which is due to be voted on in February, alongside internal governance issues of safeguarding, clergy discipline, buildings and cost of living grants to dioceses. There is no public announcement of any decisions taken.
