Vehicle rammed into synagogue in Detroit, setting it ablaze
A man drove his truck into a synagogue in Detroit, then through the hallway where it caught fire and set the building a blaze. Officials said security officers fired at him “neutralising the threat” and he was declared dead at the scene. One officer was injured but there were no other casualties. The Temple Israel synagogue is one of the largest Reform synagogues in America and has a school with children from pre-school through to 18. Dozens of children had to be rescued and evacuated from the building. The Detroit News says the driver was Lebanese with US citizenship and there are reports that his relatives were killed in a recent strike against Lebanon. The FBI says the incident is being treated as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.
Catholic university backs away from Peter Thiel’s lectures on the Antichrist
The Pontifical St. Thomas Aquinas University in Rome, known as the Angelicum, has distanced itself from a four-lecture series on the Antichrist being given by Silicon Valley tech billionaire Peter Thiel from Sunday to Wednesday next week. It has issued a statement saying “We would like to clarify that this event is not organized by the University, will not take place at the Angelicum, and is not part of any of our institutional initiatives”. The location of the lectures is now unknown. Thiel co-founded PayPal and Palantir Technologies, a software and data analytics company used by governments, intelligence agencies, the military, and large corporations. He believes the Antichrist is likely to appear as a system which promises peace and solutions to the world’s crises, but creates a controlling world order.
Vatican study group calls for expansion of women’s leadership
A Vatican study group has called for a significant expansion of women’s leadership in the Catholic Church, while leaving unresolved the question of women’s ordination as deacons. The report, published by the Synod on Synodality process on 10 March, says women’s gifts and “charisms” remain insufficiently recognised despite their central role in Catholic communities. It urges wider participation for women in decision-making, governance and pastoral leadership at diocesan and Vatican level, and calls on the Church to confront cultural barriers, including clericalism and forms of “machismo”, that restrict women’s roles. However, the document does not address women’s access to the diaconate, a question being examined separately by other Vatican study groups and theological commissions established as part of the synodal process. Report is here.
CofE ‘needs local partners’ to tackle persecution of Christians in Holy Land
A professor who founded a university department in Haifa to establish inter-religious and inter-cultural relations in cities around the world, has suggested a partnership with the Church of England in order to tackle the persecution of Christians in the Holy Land. CofE bishops have visited Christians on the West Bank frequently since 7 October and advocate on behalf of the Episcopalian church there. Professor Uriel Simonsohn, senior lecturer in the Department of Middle Eastern History at the University of Haifa, told the Church Times that the CofE should not work in isolation and needed a “local and trustworthy partner”. Story is here
Ramadan ‘boosts local economies and strengthens community cohesion’
A report from the think tank Equi, says Ramadan has a positive impact beyond Muslims who fast, strengthening communities, boosting local economies, and encouraging healthier lifestyles. For policymakers, it says Ramadan offers an opportunity to support social cohesion, civic participation and national wellbeing. Research suggests Ramadan contributes an estimated £1.3 billion a year to the UK economy. Around £350 million is generated from charitable and community activity, including volunteering, interfaith iftars and donations supporting people in the UK and overseas. Household spending during Ramadan also rises, with about £640 million generated in retail, as families host meals, buy Eid clothing and exchange gifts. Researchers say the “Ramadan economy” demonstrates the growing contribution of Britain’s four million Muslims, while warning that rising Islamophobia could risk losing skilled professionals and investment if communities feel unwelcome.
The war against Iran and prophecies of the end times
The Conversation has an article on how the US / Israel war against Iran has led to some American Christians interpreting it as a sign of the end times. Shalom Goldman, professor emeritus of religion at Middlebury College in Vermont, maps recent pronouncements of people and organisations linking the war to Bible verses about the apocalypse, the Holy Land and Zion. Article is here
