Methodists ‘strongly condemn’ any attempt to inflame tensions in Northern Ireland
Houses, cars and a bus were set on fire and rioting broke out in Northern Ireland last night, after a man was stabbed in a street in North Belfast. A 30 year old man, described by the Home Office as a Sudanese national granted asylum, has been charged with attempted murder, possession of an article with blade or point in a public place and threats to kill, and is due to appear in court today. The police and politicians have appealed for calm as people took to the streets to protest.
The Methodist Church in Ireland issued a statement yesterday in response to the attack, appealing for calm. It said: “The thoughts and prayers of the Methodist people in Ireland are with the victim, his family, and those affected by or who witnessed this traumatic incident. We urge everyone to act with calmness and responsibility and to allow the PSNI to continue their investigation. We strongly condemn any attempt to inflame tensions, spread misinformation or sow division in our communities. Rather, we encourage community leadership at all levels to help calm any tensions and provide forums in which genuine concerns can be expressed. Events like this can heighten anxiety and fear for minority groups who are an integral part of our communities. Every human being is made in God’s image and we continue to pray for a society in which everyone feels safe.”
Pope Leo speaks in Catalan and welcomes young people in Barcelona
Pope Leo has continued his visit to Spain with an address at Barcelona’s Cathedral of the Holy Cross and St. Eulalia, where he spoke in Catalan as well as Spanish, seen as a significant gesture in a nationalist region. At a prayer vigil last night in Lluís Companys Olympic stadium, with tens of thousands of young people present, he spoke about depression, family violence, loneliness and hope, encouraging greater support for mental health and victims of abuse. Today (Wednesday) Pope Leo will inaugurate the newly completed Tower of Jesus Christ at the Basilica de la Sagrada Família, the tallest church in the world, whose construction has taken 144 years.
Bishops protest at Palestinian Christian student snatched at gunpoint by Israeli forces
A Christian university student, Natalie Abuddayeh, was snatched at gunpoint by Israeli forces, along with three other women, from their student flat in the West Bank. She is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Reformation in Beit Jala, a graduate of Talitha Kumi Lutheran School, and a media and journalism student at Birzeit University. Bishop Dr Imad Haddad from the Evangelical Lutheran-Church in Jordan and the Holy Land said in a statement that he is calling for her immediate release and the whole church is “deeply shocked and horrified by this news”. He said she joins “the thousands of Palestinians in Israeli detention without charge or trial”. The Church Times reports that the CofE Bishops of Chelmsford, Gloucester, Norwich, and Southwark wrote to Bishop Haddad to express their solidarity and concern. They said that the arrest was in breach of the United Nations Geneva Convention, and that they had raised it in the UK Parliament.
Southern Baptists consider banning churches with women pastors
Southern Baptists are considering a constitutional amendment that would formally ban churches with women pastors. This is the fourth consecutive year in which such a proposal has been tabled, but it has always failed to get a two thirds majority. The church relies on Biblical texts to believe that only men can hold positions of leadership, leaving women with complementary roles. It is a contested theological point and some Baptist churches have appointed women as associate children’s pastors, or women’s pastors, in an attempt to bring them into pastoral roles. The amendment would ban churches that do this or allow women to preach. Several churches have already been removed from the Southern Baptist Convention under existing procedures, but supporters of the amendment say it would remove any ambiguity. Opponents argue that existing rules are sufficient. Yesterday, the convention elected the Rev Willy Rice, from Floria, as the new president. He has argued that the church has become too woke and liberal, and believes that the SBC’s sexual abuse crisis was more hoax than reality.
LDS church clearly identified as Christian in revised US list of recognised religions
The US Department of Defense has revised its controversial list of recognised religions in the military, which it has reduced from more than 200 down to 30. The revision means that the categorisation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or Mormons, which was listed separately to those labelled Christian, is now clearly identified as a Christian church. The Department said there had been a mistake in labelling. It maintains that the list does not make claims on the legitimacy of faiths but seeks to assist chaplains providing spiritual care. The Religion News Service reports there have been angry responses from groups excluded from the list including Wiccans and New Age groups. It quotes Nick Fish, president of American Atheists, saying the cut of 180 faith traditions was an attempt to impose Christian nationalism on the military. US Secretary for War Pete Hegseth is a member of the conservative Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, and runs weekly worship services in the Pentagon.
Sir Paul Marshall criticised over climate change views
The Rev Dr Darrell Hannah, chair of the Christian climate charity Operation Noah, has criticised hedge fund millionaire Sir Paul Marshall for funding GB News, which has been accused of giving airtime to climate-change scepticism, while he also supports the Church of England, whose environmental policies take a different position. Speaking to The Guardian, Dr Hannah said they were increasingly concerned that a Christian is sharing “problematic and highly influential views on the most important issue of our time”. The article highlights Sir Paul’s multi-million-pound donations to Holy Trinity Brompton and the Church Revitalisation Trust, alongside his ownership of The Spectator and UnHerd. His spokesperson said he generally agrees with the CofE on the environment and climate change, but “he simply does not support achieving net zero by 2050 because of what he sees as the serious negative impact this would have on poorer people, their communities and the wider economy.”
