King’s birthday honours for service to religion and society
Among the recipients of honours in the King’s birthday honours list are: Sir Terry Waite, knighted for exceptional services overseas after a lifetime of charity working to free hostages; Laura Marks CBE, founder of Mitzvah Day, for services to interfaith relations, to Holocaust education and commemoration and to women’s empowerment; Nigel Genders CBE, Church of England’s chief education officer for services to education; the Rev Dr Richard John Sudworth OBE, secretary for inter religious affairs to the Archbishop of Canterbury and national inter religious affairs adviser for the Church of England; Harvinder Singh Rai MBE, President of the National Police Sikh Association UK, for services to policing and the Sikh community; Jawahir Roble MBE, first black female, Muslim, hijab-wearing referee in the UK; Mouhssin Ismail OBE, founding principal of Newham Collegiate Sixth Form Centre which sends almost all pupils to top universities. Further awards listed Sikhs here: Jewish list here; Christian list here; Muslim list here; full list is here.
In addition, among Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list is Colin Bloom, now CBE, former faith engagement adviser to the Prime Minister, for political and public service.
Pope back before the people two days after leaving hospital
Pope Francis delivered his Sunday Agnellus address as usual, two days after leaving hospital for major abdominal surgery. He expressed his “profound gratitude” for the affection and care received at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital and for the prayers and spiritual closeness of people around him. He expressed his concern for the hundreds of migrants missing off the coast of Greece after their ship sank and urged that everything possible should be done to prevent similar tragedies.
Vicars demand pay rise of 9.5 per cent
The Guardian reports that vicars in the Unite union are demanding a pay rise of 9.5 per cent in view of the cost of living crisis. It quotes Unison’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, saying vicars are among the “working poor”. The report says the C of E’s remuneration and conditions of service committee is scheduled to meet today (Monday) and has invited Unite to make a submission about its members’ pay. It says the union represents more than 2,000 clergy and lay staff.
First transgender archdeacon in CofE
Canon Dr Rachel Mann has become the first transgender archdeacon to be appointed in the Church of England. She is currently area dean of Bury and Rossendale and she will become Archdeacon of Bolton and Salford. She is known to many through her broadcasts on BBC Radio 4’s Thought for the Day and is also a novelist and poet. The Telegraph quotes her LGBT supporters saying the appointment is “a beacon of light and hope”.
John Smyth review statement on progress
The independent reviewer into the case of the late John Smyth, a retired QC and member of the Church of England, whose sadistic abuse of boys and young men became public knowledge in 2017, has said the review is making progress to the next stage. Reviewer Keith Makin has issued a statement saying it had been delayed while a matter was reported to the police. “Relevant extracts from the draft report” will be shared with victims and those who are named and criticised in the report. He said this was to ensure that the draft report was factually accurate and based on verifiable evidence. After this it will be handed to the Archbishops’ Council for subsequent publication. Survivors and their representatives have complained the review is too slow. It started work three years ago and there is still no date for publication.
Kenya starvation cult followers still refusing to eat
Dozens of followers of the Good News International Church in Kenya, whose leader told them to starve so they could meet Jesus soon, are refusing to eat weeks after being rescued. The Telegraph reports that police have found 320 bodies in mass graves in a forest near the church, but there are a further 600 people missing. Some people were rescued in the church but the 65 who have refused to eat are being charged with attempting to commit suicide, which is a crime in Kenya. The report describes them looking emaciated in court, too weak to stand or stay awake.
Teenagers singing gospel songs in Uganda, mercilessly burned or hacked to death
Forty-two people including 38 school students, were hacked or burned to death at the Mpondwe Lhubiriha Secondary School in western Uganda this weekend. They could be heard singing Christian gospel songs before screaming broke out. Islamic State militants are blamed for the attack, with ADF forces based in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a short distance from the school. The minister of education said a petrol bomb was thrown into the school. Some of the girls tried to run away but six are missing, believed to have been kidnapped.
Measure to ban boycott óf Israeli goods, in the Commons today
The Communities Secretary Michael Gove, is expected to introduced legislation today, banning councils from imposing boycotts on Israeli goods. Jewish News quotes Michael Gove saying the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) bill will stop public bodies effectively creating their own foreign policy agenda, which is disruptive: “The UK must have a consistent approach to foreign policy, set by the UK government”. Critics fear it will stifle social justice movements.
