Catholic archbishop urges urgent protest at ‘deeply flawed’ assisted dying bill
A leading Catholic archbishop is calling on people to contact their Member of Parliament as a matter of urgency, and ask them to vote against the “deeply flawed” assisted dying bill when it returns to the Commons on 11 September. Archbishop John Sherrington, lead bishop for life issues for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, said in a statement: “Assisted suicide is a matter of life and death, and it is wholly unsatisfactory that this divisive and flawed bill is being put to parliament again as a Private Members’ Bill without the key issues being addressed”. He said the bill is wrong in principle and would “fundamentally alter the founding principles of the National Health Service and undermine the trust which is central to the relationship between patient and clinician”. Full statement here.
Woman stabbed during Mass in Ireland
A woman in her fifties has been seriously injured in a stabbing attack during Mass at a Catholic church in Tramore, Ireland. The incident happened around 10am on Tuesday morning during the recitation of the rosary. She has been treated for serious but not life-threatening injuries in hospital. A man in his thirties has been arrested at a nearby house in connection with the incident. The church said this was a “distressing incident”.
British man becomes ‘first foreign born supreme monk in Thailand’
A 68 year old man from the Isle of Wight has become the first foreign-born supreme monk in Thailand, The Telegraph reports. It says Ajahn Jayasaro, born Shaun Michael Chiverton, has been appointed to the second-highest rank in Thai Buddhism by a decree in the Royal Gazette. He started studying Buddhism in England while a teenager and became a monk at 22. The article says his new title is awarded to people who have demonstrated exemplary conduct and made significant contributions to Buddhism. He lives alone in a forest hermitage close to Khao Yai national park.
Police arrest two people in investigation into Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light group
Cheshire Police say that detectives investigating reports of serious offences involving members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light group in Crewe have arrested two further suspects. On Monday 20 July, a 53-year-old Mexican woman was arrested in Middlewich on suspicion of human trafficking offences and child neglect, while a 43-year-old British man, was arrested in the Wilmslow area on suspicion of child neglect offences and attempting to pervert the course of justice. In addition, a 43-year-old American woman who was arrested following the warrant at Webb House on Wednesday 29 April, was also rearrested on suspicion of attempting to pervert the course of justice. All three suspects have since been released on bail pending further enquiries. The police say that the arrests form part of an ongoing investigation which began in March 2026 when Cheshire Police were made aware of allegations of serious sexual offences, forced marriage and modern slavery, involving members of the group. They say this has since raised concerns in relation to the welfare of children who were members of the group. Twelve other suspects have been arrested as part of the overall investigation; they are all currently on conditional bail which prevents them from entering Crewe.
Bristol Quakers apologise for role in enslavement
Bristol Quakers have apologised for their role in trafficking enslaved African people. More than half a million people were forcibly carried across the Atlantic in Bristol ships. It says the impact of the economy of trafficking and enslaving African people is still felt in Bristol today, in the trauma and inequality suffered by descendants of enslaved people and in the city’s wealth. Bristol’s apology follows a similar one from Lancashire Quakers in 2025 and comes as a national Quaker working group reports on reparation to the Yearly Meeting of Quakers in Britain. Full statement is here
Persecuted Ahmadiyya Muslims back Catholic campaign for freedom of religion
Aid to the Church in Need’s national director, Dr Caroline Hull, will speak at the annual convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, near Alton this weekend. She will address the charity’s call to the United Nations and governments worldwide, to step up action to uphold religious freedom and stop persecution of faith minorities. The UK Ahmadiyya Muslim community has given its official support to the charity’s campaign calling for full enforcement of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which protects freedom of religion and belief. The movement was founded in 1889 by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who is regarded by followers as the Messiah, though subservient to the Prophet Mohammed. It is not recognised by mainstream Islam and there is widespread persecution of its members, particularly in Muslim-majority countries like Pakistan.
Roof beams of Solomon’s Temple found in Jerusalem
Wooden beams believed to have formed the roof of Solomon’s Temple, destroyed in 586 BCE have been uncovered in a car park in Jerusalem. The discovery was made during excavations carried out by the Israel Antiques Authority and Tel Aviv University in an area within the Jerusalem Walls National Park. The charred beams of sycamore wood, are well preserved, having been sealed beneath the wall’s melted plaster. Jewish Chronicle report here.
Muslim Council of Britain leadership re-elected unopposed
The Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, Dr Mohammed Wajid Akhter, and deputy Secretary General, Maswood Ahmed, have been elected to serve a further two years in office. They stood for election unopposed.
Andy Burnham’s views on issues affecting Muslims
Hyphen Online has republished an article about Andy Burnham and the positions he holds on issues affecting Muslims, such as health care, Gaza, immigration, Prevent and social cohesion. It was first published in May and indicates his popularity among faith leaders in Manchester.
New pilgrimage routes in the north of England
The Church of England has announced new pilgrimage routes across the north of England, from the Lake District through the Yorkshire Dales, encouraging people to walk and pray. St Bega’s Way north of Keswick, is a 36-mile route in Cumbria linking the Norman Priory Church of St Mary and St Bega at St Bees, with the pre-Norman church of St Bega near Bassenthwaite Lake. Spurn Point Way, east of Hull, celebrates the life of Wilgils, a 7th-century hermit devoted to prayer, and runs from the Yorkshire Wildlife Discovery Centre at Kilnsea along a narrow sand and shingle promontory to Spurn Head. The Kent Estuary Pilgrim Way, in the Lake District, links churches from Levens to Arnside in South Cumbria. Fountains Ways in the Yorkshire Dales includes three circular pilgrimage trails linking eight village churches around Masham. And the Paulinus Pilgrim Trail in west Yorkshire, traces the footsteps of the first Bishop of York, St Paulinus, beginning in Todmorden through to York, on a new route created as part of the anniversary celebrations in 2027 of 1400 years since the baptism of King Edwin by St Paulinus. The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said the new pilgrimage routes across the North “invite people to discover afresh the beauty, history and spirituality of this extraordinary part of the country”.
