CofE bishops’ recommendation on same sex marriage to be decided today
Church of England bishops meet today (Tuesday) to decide recommendations on same sex marriage, which the general synod will vote on in February. It is expected that this will be published later this week in advance of the synod meeting. Meanwhile, Penny Mordaunt MP, leader of the House of Commons, has urged the bishops to back same-sex marriage saying the current position will otherwise fester and detract from the CofE’s positive contribution to society.
Appeal to build The Islamic Centre of Britain
A one million brick appeal has been launched to build a six storey mosque and community centre in Birmingham, to be known as The Islamic Centre of Britain. It will include an Islamic school for 500 children, a community centre open to all, a commercial Centre, an iconic mosque and a garden for contemplation. The project director Mohammad Ramzan Dabbagh told the Islam Channel that the process to find the land, develop plans and get them approved had taken 12 years, but it would be an iconic building in the heart of the city.
A sermon written by Artificial Intelligence delivered in New York
A New York rabbi has delivered a sermon written by Artificial Intelligence. Rabbi Josh Franklin, at the Jewish Centre of the Hamptons, told his congregation that he asked the ChatGPT app to write a sermon in the voice of a rabbi in about 1000 words, on the theme of vulnerability and intimacy. It came up with a sermon based on the story of Joseph who forgave his family despite betrayal. The delivery of the sermon left the rabbi afraid of the future with Artificial Intelligence, but he was re-assured that AI cannot be empathetic or build relationships or communities – yet. View the sermon and the rabbi’s thoughts on YouTube here
Scotland Catholic bishops show grave concern at report on banning conversion therapy
Scotland’s Catholic Bishops have issued a statement saying the conclusions of the Scottish Government’s expert advisory group on “Ending Conversion Practices” are gravely concerning. It says that in a free society, the state recognises and respects the right of religious bodies and organisations to be free to teach their beliefs and to support their members who wish to live in accordance with those beliefs. But they say that, if accepted, the views of the expert group would outlaw pastoral care relating to sexual orientation and gender identity and criminalise mainstream religious pastoral care unless it was approved by the State as acceptable. It urges the Scottish government to reject the report
CofE’s £100m for past slave trade wrongs defended by bishop
The Bishop of Manchester, David Walker, has defended the Church Commissioner’s decision to launch a £100-million investment fund to respond to the past wrongs of the church’s involvement in the slave trade. A recent report traced the origin of an endowment fund back to “Queen Anne’s Bounty” in 1704, which invested funds in slavery. The Rev Marcus Walker, chairman of the campaign group Save the Parish said the CofE needed to fund its front line in the parish before thinking of this new project. But the Bishop said visibly showing the church is for all will demonstrate its commitment to justice.
Video series on Jesuits as they prepare for 400th anniversary in Britain
The Jesuits in Britain (the Society of Jesus) have launched a series of videos focusing on vocations, which show members of the Order living out their calling in pastoral, community and educational settings across the UK. They are designed to attract men who may be considering a vocation and those interested in the work of the Order. The series is being launched as the Jesuits prepare to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of the British Province on 21 January 2023.
Archbishop joins campaign for football to go green
The Archbishop of Canterbury’s football team is joining a national campaign with 80 top flight England teams, to make games green friendly, highlighting the challenge of climate change. For the next 20 days, fans will compete for the Green Football Cup by taking climate-friendly actions, such as eating a vegetarian meal, turning the thermostat down one degree or taking a shorter shower. The competition will culminate in Green Football Weekend on 3-5 February, when clubs will make their fixtures “greener games”, with some players wearing green armbands. The Archbishop’s team, led by former Iranian pro now a vicar, the Rev Pouya Heidari, will host a green football match on Saturday 21 January against the Heaven Help Us interfaith team. The campaign is set to become an annual event and is backed by more than 30 organisations including the Football Association.
