Broad welcome for under 16’s social media ban
The Church Times reports that the Children’s Society has cautiously welcomed the government’s ban on social media platforms for under 16’s. The proposal will ban Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, but not WhatsApp and Signal, and is similar to the policy pursued by Australia. There, Christian advocacy groups broadly supported the ban because it would improve mental health of young people and protect them from harmful content. Here the Children’s Society CEO, Mark Russell, said they welcomed the government taking children’s safety seriously, but the real problem of harmful algorithms remained.
Bishop decries Russian attack on Kyiv’s Dormition Cathedral
Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski, of the Ukrainian Eparchy of the Holy Family of London, has decried the Russian attack on Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, monastery of the caves, which set the 11th-century Dormition Cathedral ablaze on Sunday night. In a statement, he said the attack represented a direct assault on the spiritual soul and cultural heritage of the Ukrainian people. He said: “To target a UNESCO World Heritage site of such universal spiritual significance is an affront not only to people of faith but to global human civilisation itself”. The systematic attempt to erase Ukrainian identity, language, and spiritual heritage must fail, he said. Reuters reports that the roof of cathedral is badly burned but the structure is still intact, and most valuable items had been evacuated. Russia denies striking the cathedral, blaming a US made Patriot air defence missile.
World Council of Churches calls for immediate end to ‘illegal invasion of Ukraine’
The World Council of Churches is calling on Russia to immediately end “illegal, immoral invasion of Ukraine”, after a wave of missiles severely damaged the cathedral in Kyiv, but in the same massive wave of strikes, hit residential buildings killing at least ten people and injuring more than 30. The WCC’s general secretary, Rev Prof Jerry Pillay, called for “full legal accountability for the perpetrators of all such criminal attacks on civilians, humanitarians, and civilian infrastructure” and demanded new efforts towards a just and sustainable peace,
Bishop says concerns over assisted dying bill remain despite plan to reintroduce it
The Bishop of Newcastle, Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, has told the Church Times that the issues which defeated the assisted dying bill in April, remain, even though it is to be brought back in the same form. Backbencher Labour MP Lauren Edwards, has vowed to re-introduce the same private members bill in this parliamentary session. Bishop Helen-Ann said: “The issues around workability and safety remain, as do the issues around the funding of palliative and social care”. The bill ran out of time after the Lords put forward more than 1000 amendments. Supporters vowed to bring it back and use the parliament act to force it through the Lords, but the Church Times quotes the Bishop saying last week that this would mean “using a procedure never used for a Bill of this kind and acting against the advice of medical professionals, disability groups, and the concerns of all those who want to see legislation that is safe and workable.” Church Times story here
JD Vance tells his faith story in new memoir ‘Communion: Finding My Way back to Faith‘
US Vice-President JD Vance has published a new memoir, Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, charting his journey from evangelical Christianity to atheism and ultimately to Catholicism. The book describes how the death of his grandmother contributed to his loss of faith, while later experiences, including military service, intellectual influences and family life, prompted a spiritual re-evaluation. He describes a meeting with Peter Thiel, Silicon valley billionaire technology entrepreneur, who was both smart and a Christian, and a subsequent visit to a Cathedral in France where he felt a spiritual presence. Vance credits Catholicism with giving him a sense of purpose that neither elite education nor a career in finance could provide, and recounts being received into the Church in 2019. The book reflects on religion’s role in public life and is likely to fuel speculation about a possible presidential bid in 2028. The book is published in the UK on 7 July. Associated Press review here.
More news of birthday honours
More news from the King’s birthday honours list – Kamal Jit Sharma, managing director, Hindu Cultural Society of Bradford was awarded the MBE for services to the community in Bradford, West Yorkshire; and Javid Soli Canteenwala, trustee and honorary treasurer, the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe and trustee and chair of the audit, finance and investment committee, The Coutts Foundation, has been awarded the OBE for services to philanthropy and charity.
Council orders Buddhist group to stop worship at former pub
Waltham Forest council has ordered that the Buddhist group, the Confucius & Tao Association, must stop using the Lord Brooke former pub in Walthamstow, saying it is carrying on activities there despite a rejected planning application from a decade ago. The Buddhist association bought the building in June 2014 but was refused planning permission to convert it into a place of worship, only allowing informal meetings. But six weeks ago, the council demanded that the association stop its “unauthorised use of the land and buildings as a place of worship, associated community centre, and ancillary café” and said fixtures and fittings associated with the temple must be removed. The association is appealing the decision. Waltham Forest Echo report here. Times report here.
Guardian investigates lack of church action against sex abuser priest in Texas
The Guardian carries a lengthy investigation into the case of Catholic priest Anthony Odiong, sentenced to life in Texas, for sexually assaulting two women. It concludes that church authorities knew about allegations against him for more than a decade but failed to act decisively. The report says that church leaders in New Orleans were alerted in 2018, but Odiong, aged 57, was extended as a pastor until 2027. He was suspended in 2023 after complaints that he made racist remarks about LGBTQ+ people, and following an investigation, he stood trial and was sentenced to life on 2 June. Guardian story is here and here.
