Artificial Intelligence and the role of the church in society as jobs disappear
A leading expert in Artificial Intelligence, Matthew Sanders, who has founded and built several Catholic AI systems, has urged bishops and priests to understand the significance of AI and its impact on society. Speaking at the London Jesuit Centre this week, at an event organised by Together for the Common Good, he said the church should focus especially on young people at risk of losing work, as AI takes over increasing amounts of processing and analysis. Meanwhile people should “treat the parish as an important anchor” as loss of work could cause the fragmentation of communities when “the link between human work and survival is severed”. There is growing interest within the Roman Catholic Church in the impact of AI on society. Pope Leo has said this is one of his priorities and on Monday, he will publish his first encyclical, or teaching document, on Artificial Intelligence. He has warned that the real threat to humanity is its willingness to offload the ability to listen and think critically, giving this instead to AI and social-media algorithms. Read Catherine Pepinster’s report on Matthew Sanders’ lecture here. Crux Now primer on what to expect in the encyclical is here
Billionaire hedge fund manager donates to spiritual awareness charity ‘LightEn’
Sir Christopher Hohn, who runs the £57.4 billion hedge fund TCI, is investing in a new spiritual charity LightEn, offering an introduction to ideas about life, the soul, consciousness and peace. He gave an interview to the Financial Times, saying the project was inspired by his wife, Lady Kylie Hohn, a Harvard academic. He summed up his ideas as: “God is not a man in the sky with a white beard. Close your eyes, and in the darkness, you can know God, and God is consciousness”. LightEn is based in London and says it is “a growing global community dedicated to living the principles of Consciousness through education, collaboration, and Service. We support those who seek to bring spiritual awareness into dailylife, fostering wholeness and heart-centred ways of being in the world.” It recommends literature in an online “Library of Light” listed on its website, including books by such authors as Rudolf Steiner, Kahil Gibran, John Donohue and Louise Hay. LightEn has a retreat in Majorca and is building another in north California. Sir Christopher donated £1.4bn to charity last year, including climate change causes, and has publicly acknowledged donating to Extinction Rebellion. Telegraph report here.
Bishop and Imam appeal for withdrawal of Oxford Union invitation to Tommy Robinson
The Bishop of Oxford Dr Steven Croft and Imam Monawar Hussain have written a joint letter saying the invitation to far right leader Tommy Robinson (Stephen Yaxley-Lennon), to speak at the Oxford Union next Thursday is “untimely and divisive” and it should be withdrawn for the sake of the city and its peace. The title of the debate is “This house believes the West is right to be suspicious of Islam”. The opposing speakers are not yet publicly known. The faith leaders are co-chairs of the Oxfordshire Faith and Civic Leaders Forum and the Thames Valley Faith and Civic Leaders Forum, and their letter says they are “disturbed and saddened” that Tommy Robinson has been invited at a time of rising community tensions, Islamophobia and antisemitism. The invitation to Tommy Robinson was issued by the president of the Oxford Union, Arwa Elrayess, a Muslim student of Palestinian origin. She told The Middle East Eye that by inviting polarising figures to debate, “we don’t confer moral legitimacy on them. What we are saying is that their views are influential and consequential enough that they deserve to be scrutinised.”
CofE churches offered resources to help community cohesion
The Church of England has set up a working group to provide resources for parishes trying to understand and respond to political and social polarisation in England. Bishops meeting this week, said they were keen to support parishes wanting to respond to division pastorally, practically and theologically, as well as equipping church leaders to participate constructively in the national debate. They encouraged local churches “to offer spaces to listen, to be courageous in speaking truth to power and naming injustice, as well as actively seeking opportunities for community cohesion.” The working group is chaired by the Bishop of Leicester Martyn Snow.
Deans to meet MPs to discuss financial sustainability of English cathedrals
The Church Times reports that deans of Church of England cathedrals are meeting MPs next month to discuss financial sustainability of cathedrals, after a report said three quarters of them operate in deficit. The details were announced by the chair of the Association of English Cathedrals, the Dean of St Albans, Jo Kelly-Moore, speaking at the National Cathedrals conference in Bristol this week. The Church Times says she told the conference that the structural funding gap for repairs and maintenance is becoming “an ever greater burden”, with no government support and the Church Commissioners not having the ability to fund fabric work. Church Times article here
Court overturns conviction in abortion buffer zone case
Claire Brennan, who was accused of praying and speaking to women outside Causeway Hospital in Coleraine, within an abortion buffer zone, has had her conviction overturned after the case collapsed in court. Coleraine Magistrates’ Court quashed the conviction after key witnesses failed to appear and the remaining evidence was ruled insufficient to support the charge that she had approached a complainant. She had always protested her innocence, saying she was acting peacefully and offering prayer and support. Earlier this month, retired pastor Clive Johnston was convicted under the same law after reading a Bible verse and preaching near the same hospital. Claire Brennan was supported by the Christian Legal Centre.
Campaign for Manchester student to be declared a saint
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford has announced that it has started the process for Pedro Ballester, an engineering student who died of cancer aged 21, to become a saint. Pedro was born into a devout Catholic family and became a member of Opus Dei aged 16. He died at the organisation’s Greygarth Hall in Manchester in 2018, and his grave has become a pilgrimage site, after people prayed to him for healing. The steps towards canonisation as a saint include testimonies from people on his life of faith, and a review of his writings.
Resurgence in Biblical food diet
The New York Times reports a resurgence in “Biblical eating”, a diet which removes ultra processed foods and is similar to Mediterranean diets rich in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, olive oil, nuts, seeds and fish. Scientists have found such diets lead to lower cardiovascular disease risk, reduced stroke risk, lower rates of type 2 diabetes and lower mortality. In the US, the trend has been turned into a business, with books by for example Jordan Rubin and Josh Axe, and digital guides and coaching offered by, for example, Kayla Bundy, a former dancer now influencer. She says she turned to Biblical eating after asking herself: “What did God design our bodies to run on?”. There are also Christian fitness and diet websites for men and a 21 day “Daniel fasts” programme of vegetables and water. Guardian report here, New York Times article here.
