Archbishop Sarah Mullally completes six day pilgrimage to Canterbury
Archbishop Sarah Mullally completed her six day pilgrimage to Canterbury yesterday, in preparation for her installation as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, in the cathedral on Wednesday. She arrived in time for evensong where she, along with her husband Eamonn, her chaplain, and the cathedral’s pilgrimage officer, received a pilgrims’ token to remind them of their journey. They were congratulated by the congregation and greeted with applause. The 87 mile walk took them from St Paul’s Cathedral via Rochester, Aylesford, Faverham and Chartham, visiting churches and meeting parishioners along the way.
Archbishop Sarah says: “Our world needs love, healing and hope”
More than 2,000 people are expected to attend the installation, including the Prince and Princess of Wales. There will be bishops and clergy from the Church of England and at least 32 provinces from the Anglican Communion, politicians including Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch and representatives of all major denominations and faiths, in the congregation. Archbishop Sarah is the first woman to hold the office, and the service marks the start of her ministry. In a message this weekend, she said: “Our world today needs the love, healing and hope that we find in Jesus Christ. I continue to pray that we renew our confidence in this good news and recommit ourselves to sharing the joy of the Gospel.” The installation will be broadcast live on BBC and on the Church of England’s YouTube channel.
Prince of Wales wishes for a “strong and meaningful bond” with the CofE
The Prince of Wales has revealed his quiet faith and commitment to the Church of England. In an exclusive for the Sunday Times, he let it be known that his feeling is: “I might not be at church every day but I believe in it, I want to support it and this is an important aspect of my role and the next role and I will take it very seriously, in my own way”. The paper said he wished to draw a line in the sand and make clear where he stood, as his faith, beliefs and practice have not been known in public. But the Prince, who will become the Church of England’s Supreme Governor when he accedes to the throne, said he wished to establish “a strong and meaningful bond with the church and its leadership”. Last month, the Prince and Princess of Wales met Sarah Mullally at Lambeth Palace and were given a tour. It is normal practice for the monarch not to attend the installation of the archbishop of Canterbury and to be represented by a senior royal. The King attended the last three installations when he was heir to the throne.
Pope Leo says wars are a scandal to the entire human family
Pope Leo has expressed his deep concern for the ongoing situation in the Middle East and other areas of the world “torn apart by war and violence.” Addressing crowds at the Angelus prayer in St Peter’s Square, he said pain, death, and suffering in wars “are a scandal to the entire human family and a cry before God.” He said: “We cannot remain silent in the face of the suffering of so many people, innocent victims of these conflicts” and he encouraged people to pray that “hostilities may cease and paths of peace, based on sincere dialogue and respect for the dignity of every human being, may finally open.” In the three weeks of war in the Middle East, estimates suggest more than 1,000 people are believed to have been killed in Lebanon, 1,444 in Iran with more than 18,000 injured and 160 people injured in Israel.
Bishop says public iftar in Trafalgar Square “a moment of hospitality”
The Bishop of Willesden, Lusa Nsenga-Ngoy, the Church of England’s lead bishop for interfaith engagement, has said that the public iftar in Trafalgar Square “was not an act of cultural imposition, nor a signal of division. It was, rather, a moment of hospitality: an invitation to share in the breaking of the fast during Ramadan, extended by one community to the wider public.” In a statement he said it reflected “something profoundly British; the instinct to gather, to mark significant moments together, and to make space in our common life for the traditions that shape our neighbours.” This is in response to criticism led by the shadow justice minister, Nick Timothy, that “mass ritual prayer in public places is an act of domination” and “straight out of the Islamist playbook”. A week ago, thousands assembled in Trafalgar Square as the sun set for an open iftar. There was a call to prayer and many walked to the top piazza in front of the National Gallery where prayer mats had been laid out facing Mecca and took part in communal prayer. The bishop said public debate is entirely right, “but such conversations must be conducted with care, with accuracy, and with a commitment to the dignity of all. They must resist the temptation to single out particular groups as emblematic of wider anxieties”. The Bishop of Leicester, Martyn Snow, said: “I live alongside many Muslims, I don’t see this as a competitive show – I see sincere people expressing their faith.” Sir James Cleverley, shadow communities’ secretary, said on BBC One that Nick Timothy’s stance that it was an act of domination, “wouldn’t be my personal take”.
Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations throughout the weekend as Ramadan ends
Muslims around the world celebrated the end of Ramadan this weekend, marked by community gatherings and parties. Ramadan is a holy month where Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, observe prayer times and study the Quran. It is also a time where the community comes together for meals at the end of the day and for parties at the end of the month. Hyphen OnLine has a gallery of Eid events from New York, Kyiv, Africa and the Netherlands. Al Jazeera reports on how Eid is marked but not celebrated in Gaza and Lebanon, as families struggle to buy food and meet in their homes of makeshift tents. In Gulf countries, prayers were allowed only in mosques not in the open air, over security concerns. Dubai co-ordinated Eid prayers at 6:40 am across over 900 mosques on Friday. Here, BBC Radio Wales broadcast a radio programme this weekend, explaining the Eid prayers used to mark the end of Ramadan and the Eid-ul-Fitr community celebration that follows. Presenters Jason Mohammad and Dr Azim Ahmed broadcast live from the South Wales Islamic Centre in Cardiff, guiding listeners with translations of the prayers and the Imam’s sermon, which were spoken in Arabic. The service emphasised how the values and teaching of Ramadan can be carried forward into the rest of the year.
New hearings in Vatican Becciu case after court declares partial mistrial
The Vatican appeals court has declared a partial mistrial in the case of Cardinal Angelo Becciu and eight other defendants convicted over a €350 million London property deal. Judges found procedural irregularities, including failures to disclose evidence to the defence, and ordered a partial retrial. Becciu, who was sentenced in 2023 to five and a half years in prison for embezzlement, denies wrongdoing, as do the other defendants. Parts of the original judgment remain in force, and the new hearings are due to begin on 22 June
CofE bishop appointments
Two more CofE bishop appointments – Bishop Andrew Rumsey, currently bishop of Ramsbury, will be the next Bishop of St Albans; and the Ven Rod Green, currently the Archdeacon of Llandaff, is to be the next Bishop of Stepney.
World premier for Sir James MacMillan’s ‘Angels Unawares’ at the Sistine Chapel
‘Angels Unawares’, a work commissioned by the Genesis Foundation, has been performed in a world premiere at the Sistine Chapel. The work, by Scottish composer Sir James McMillan, was performed by Harry Christophers, The Sixteen and the Britten Sinfonia. This was the first time that a concert work has received a world premiere in The Chapel and is said to mark a reawakening of the tradition of commissioned sacred music in the church. ‘Angels Unawares’ is set to poetry by the late Robert Willis, former Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, based on the Epistle to the Hebrews, appealing to treat every stranger with dignity and compassion. The concert can be seen on YouTube here. Telegraph story here.
