Church has failed to keep up with changing attitudes to death and funerals
Religion is less central to funerals in Britain as people create their own ceremonies based around the life of the person, with their own choice of songs, readings and tributes. The changes were outlined in a Religion Media Centre briefing which considered a report from the think tank Theos, “Ashes to Ashes”, charting the changes in attitudes towards death, dying and the afterlife. A funeral director told the briefing that religious funerals are in the minority, but those wanting humanist ceremonies want to reflect spirituality not tied to a particular belief. There are requests for example, for the Lord’s Prayer or a committal blessing referring to an afterlife. The report concluded that there is scope for churches and faith communities to reclaim a role, dealing with complexities of emotion and belief, and providing a community to support the bereaved. But the panel discussed the challenge that liturgy needs to catch up with societal trends. View the briefing again here and read our report here.
The Green Man on the coronation invitation a Christian and ecological emblem
“Green Man” is a term frequently applied to images of a man’s head, surrounded by leaves, or disgorging leaves and vegetation from its mouth. There are examples of the motif to be found all over Britain, in cathedrals and parish churches, dating from the 11th century and there are stories that see it as a symbol of new life and Christ’s resurrection. However, theories from last century associated it with pre-Christian paganism and folklore and this has stirred wild ideas that in the coronation invitation, the church is being subverted as a pagan revival beckons. In our factsheet, Jennifer Uzzell charts the history of the story of the Green Man, explains the ideas as to what it represents and concludes that its modern meaning ignites the vital relationship between humans and nature, “restoring a connected and meaningful life”. Factsheet is here >>
Senior faith and community leaders get behind a day of volunteering for coronation weekend
Senior faith leaders in Britain visited The Passage homelessness charity in central London yesterday to encourage their communities to take part in “The Big Help Out” over the coronation weekend on Monday 8 May. Statements of support have come from all major UK faith communities, the Interfaith Network and other initiatives throughout the UK. The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said the day will follow the theme of service, which the King will commit himself to at his coronation. Brendan Cox, Co-Founder of the Together Coalition, which is organising the Big Help Out, said the UK’s faith communities excel at volunteering and bringing people together. The leaders’ presence at The Passage was “a call to action for the faith communities to build the next generation of volunteers.”
Dispute over whether Eid ul Fitr marking the end of Ramadan happens today
Ramadan is due to end after the new crescent moon is sighted today, but the weather conditions mean that it may not be visible in Britain. There is no national system to determine the date in the UK, which means some may go with the sighting of the moon in Saudi Arabia today and others will wait til clear skies on Friday, meaning there could be two Eid ul Fitr dates. Birmingham Live reports Dr Raja Zahid Nawaz speaking on Noor TV saying: “Unfortunately this year it is very likely that we will have a divided Eid within the UK. This stems from following external countries blindly without even realising or understanding what their moon-sighting systems are. Also there is a failure to correctly interpret astronomical data which leads to confusion”.
Dissenting Church of England clergy attend Gafcon conference
The Church Times reports that the Global Anglican Future Conference in Rwanda is preparing a statement expected to reject the Archbishop of Canterbury as spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion. Its chair, Dr Foley Beach, said on Monday that “with broken hearts, we must say that until the Archbishop of Canterbury repents we can no longer recognise him as the first among equals”. Gafcon has set up an alternative structure in opposition to the Anglican Communion over same sex relationships. It has support from provinces in Africa, south America and dissenting dioceses elsewhere. Francis Martin, writing in the Church Times, reports that attendees at the Gafcon conference include the Bishop of Ebbsfleet, Dr Rob Munro; the rectors of All Souls Church Langham Place, St Helen’s Bishopsgate and Buckingham; and the vicar of St Botolphs without Aldersgate.
Gay church leader prevented from leadership role because of same sex objections
Hannah Brock Womack, a gay married Quaker, is coming to the end of a four-year term as a president for Churches Together in England (CTE). But in all that time she has been prevented from taking up her full role after objections from the CTE Enabling Group over her same sex relationship. She had been elected as the fourth CTE president, representing six churches, a position which she kept but without being able to exercise full authority. She was represented in meetings by an empty chair. In a press statement issued by Quakers in Britain, Hannah Brock Womack said Churches Together in England must evolve or else history will be repeated.
The chequered history of chess in the Catholic church
As the World Chess Championship is underway in Kazakhstan, the Catholic Herald publishes a long view of how the game has been variously banned and praised within Catholicism. Karl Gustel Wärnberg tells the story of how, in 1125, Bishop Guy of Paris banned chess in his diocese and excommunicated some priests who were caught playing the game, which was considered frivolous and relied on luck. In 1420, all that changed when it was regarded as being based on skill. The article quotes the German philosopher Thomist Josef Pieper, who suggests that leisure is an end in itself where we rest in God.
