Vatican peace mission to Ukraine
The Vatican has announced that Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna and President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, is to lead a peace mission to Ukraine. The time and agenda of the mission are still being considered. Last month, the Pope told journalists that the Vatican was involved in a peace mission which was not yet public. Last Saturday, President Zelensky met the Pope in Rome. The public announcement of the peace mission was made this weekend as G7 leaders meeting in Hiroshima, renewed their support for Ukraine.
Soul Survivor founder Mike Pilavachi suspended with immediate effect
Soul Survivor Watford has suspended Mike Pilavachi “with immediate effect” while a safeguarding investigation is underway into allegations against him. He stepped back when the allegations came to light, but in a statement, Soul Survivor trustees said it had become clear that “this more decisive action should have been made earlier and we have acted to correct this now”. The investigation is being conducted by the Church of England’s National Safeguarding Team and the Diocese of St Albans, but there is a campaign developing for an independent investigation instead. Soul Survivor is an organisation within the Church of England with ordained clergy as its leaders. Read our explainer here for more information and background to the story.
Influential US evangelical pastor, Tim Keller, has died
Tim Keller, founder and pastor of the Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City and one of the most influential evangelicals in the United States, has died aged 72. He was known to many evangelical leaders in the UK and warm tributes have been paid. The author of more than 20 books about the Christian faith, selling three million copies in all, his “The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Scepticism,” became a best seller. The Religion News Service tribute explains that unlike other evangelical pastors, Keller was sceptical of Donald Trump and in a gathering of evangelical leaders he decried polarisation in the church: “There’s now a red evangelicalism and a blue evangelicalism”, he said, urging the church to be different to society. He died from pancreatic cancer and leaves his wife, three sons and seven grandchildren.
Laudato Si week encouraging Catholics to campaign for the planet
Laudato Si’ Week 2023 is celebrated this week, 21-28 May, marking the eighth anniversary of Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical on care for creation. Catholics around the world are invited to watch a specially produced film “The Letter”, outlining the problem and the initiatives started since the encyclical was published, and reporting the impact of climate change on migration as people seek safety. Churches are encouraged to put on public screenings of the film or stage other events to raise awareness of the campaign.
Muslims in Canada fight ban on prayers rooms in schools in Quebec
Muslim organisations in Canada are taking legal action against a proclamation in Quebec that bans religious activities in schools. Islam Channel reports that the ban on prayers in schools was introduced by Quebec education minister Bernard Drainville last month, saying prayer rooms go against Quebec’s policy of secularism. The Muslim Association of Canada and the Canadian Muslim Forum, along with four other local organisations, say this violates freedom of religion: “as this is a complete ban on all forms of prayer and prayer is an essential component of Muslim religious practice, this prohibition discriminates against a group of individuals to the detriment of other groups” . They have taken their cases to the Quebec Superior Court.
Merging parishes in Leicester leads to lively exchange
Plans to merge 23 parishes in Leicester into one group, the Launde Minster Community, with three clergy has led to a robust exchange of views. There are 600 church attenders and a total population of 7,800 in the new area. The plans are part of a scheme envisaging that all Leicester’s 234 parishes will be turned into around 25 “minster communities”, following a prediction of a financial shortfall. Writing in the Church Times, Canon Angela Tilby was concerned the new model would lead to decline: “cutting the numbers of clergy usually means a loss in both numbers and giving”. The diocese has rebutted her argument saying there will also be lay leaders and priests with other jobs working part time. It is working towards parishes being financially self sustaining, as very few parishes currently cover the cost of their own ministry.
Martyn Percy and Jayne Ozanne back disestablishment of the Church of England
Jayne Ozanne, LGBT campaigner, and the Rev Martyn Percy, former dean of Christ Church College Oxford, argued for the disestablishment of the Church of England at an event organised by the National Secular Society in parliament. They were joined by other supporters for the cause, journalist Polly Toynbee and SNP MP Tommy Sheppard. The event was held in the wake of the coronation, when the King’s link to the Church of England was under the world’s full glare. Jayne Ozanne, a gay evangelical and member of the CofE general synod, said trust levels in clergy had plummeted, there was institutional homophobia in church culture and bishops should not automatically sit in the Lords. Dr Martyn Percy, who left his job as Dean after a protracted dispute with the College, said bishops in the Lords are “highly problematic” as they should be there on merit rather than appointed by right. The NSS reports him saying the CofE is like an old, dusty “vestry cupboard” overcrammed with things no longer needed. Quoting Michael Caine in The Italian Job, he said the solution to the vestry cupboard of the established church was to “blow the bloody doors off”.
ISKCON leader hosting “Deity bootcamp” in New York
A British leader of ISKCON, The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, is hosting a “Deity Worship Bootcamp” in New York from 23 June to 2 July. Murli Manohara Dasa, Deity worship ministry representative for the UK, will join an American colleague to give an introduction to the knowledge, skills, and values of deity worship and assist the attendees in carrying out the essential elements of daily temple worship. Another ISKCON leader, Srila Prabhupada, said, “This is very important business, Deity worship. The more the Deity is decorated, the more your heart will be decorated with Krishna consciousness.”
Soul tourism in Powys courtesy of Charlotte Church
Charlotte Church, child prodigy with “the voice of an angel” has put her life savings into a wellness retreat in Wales called “The Dreaming”, in the large house with 47 acres of grounds that was once the home of Laura Ashley. Over a four-day retreat, visitors can take part in activities such as standing barefoot in a stream and “manifesting”; hearing about and experiencing the elemental powers in the rural landscape surrounding the house; collecting the moon rays in water; mythic story telling; and a sound journey with lilting sounds that transported a reporter for The Times, into a hypnagogic, utterly blissful state. He emerges describing himself as a soul tourist.
