Archbishop fights ‘immoral’ illegal migration bill
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, is tabling two amendments to the illegal migration bill which enters the committee stage in the Lords today (Wednesday). The bill would mean that people arriving by small boats without permission would not be able to claim asylum, but would be detained and removed back home or to a safe third country. The Archbishop says this is morally unacceptable and proposes a ten year strategy for tackling human trafficking and an international collaboration to solve the refugee crisis. In a signed article in The Times, he urges action to reduce the backlog of asylum claims, create safe routes for asylum seekers, agree a global response and mitigate climate change and conflict. The Guardian reports that in addition to the amendments, bishops in the Lords have also tabled and supported amendments on victims of modern slavery and sexual exploitation, protection for children and pregnant women, and asylum seekers’ right to work.
Campaign for Sudanese refugees to settle in UK
The Christian refugee campaigner Dr Krish Kandiah, is spearheading an initiative to help Sudanese refugees with family in the UK to find refuge here. He has recently visited Egypt, where many Sudanese people have fled, and said a small minority who have relatives in the UK are looking for help to join them. He says their situation is similar to families from Ukraine who wanted to join family here. Tomorrow (Thursday) at 4.30pm, a petition will be presented to Downing Street with signatures of hundreds of Sudanese, Ukrainian and British people asking the government to extend their hospitality to Sudanese people, creating a safe and legal route for family reunification.
King praises Church of Scotland’s work with asylum seekers
In a letter to the Church of Scotland general assembly in Edinburgh, King Charles has said he is inspired by the way the church and other faith communities have provided care to the poor and asylum seekers, expressing a ”gospel imperative”. He said it was heartening to learn about the historic peace pilgrimage to South Sudan by the moderator, with the Pope and Archbishop of Canterbury, in a bid to broker and end t the conflict. And he welcomed the signing of the St Margaret’s Declaration of Friendship between the Church and the Catholic Bishops Conference of Scotland, as well as with the Church’s continued commitment to inter-faith dialogue saying the work is vital to support and strengthen local communities.
2,000 children abused by Catholic clergy in Illinois since 1950
Chicago’s state attorney, Kwame Raoul, has said that 451 Catholic clergy in Illinois have sexually abused nearly 2,000 children since 1950. His report describes Illinois church leaders as slow to acknowledge the extent of the abuse and accuses them of dragging their feet both to confront accused clergy and to warn parishioners about possible abusers in their midst. Many may never be brought to book because of the statute of limitations. The report examined 100,000 documents provided by the diocese and names the abusers. It says before this investigation, the Catholic dioceses of Illinois publicly listed only 103 substantiated child sex abusers. By comparison, the report reveals names and detailed information of 451 Catholic clerics and religious brothers who abused at least 1,997 children across all of the dioceses in Illinois.
Jolyon Mitchell becomes principal of St John’s College Durham
Professor Jolyon Mitchell has been appointed as the new principal of St John’s College, Durham, succeeding the Rev Professor David Wilkinson who retires this summer. St John’s is home to 500 undergraduates and 160 postgraduates from all disciplines and backgrounds, and includes 80 members of Cranmer Hall, a theological college. Prof Mitchell is moving from the University of Edinburgh where he is Director of the Centre for Theology and Public Issues. He was formerly a producer and journalist with the BBC World Service, a prime mover in the setting up of the Religion Media Centre and a member of our advisory board.
Religion ‘helps people cope’ with chronic pain
Academics from universities in Leuven, Belgium, and Florida have published research suggesting that patients suffering chronic pain found that a central “religious meaning system” helped them adjust to and cope with the pain. People who simply held religious beliefs, but where religion was not central to their lives, found that severe pain affected their satisfaction with life. The research involved people from a Flemish patients’ association, who tested earlier research that prayer was the second most frequent response to pain and religiosity was associated with lower levels of pain and fatigue.
Archbishop of York meets the Pope
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, is visiting Rome this week for his first official visit to the Anglican Centre and the Vatican. He will meet Vatican officials involved in evangelism, ecumenism and interfaith work. He said that he hoped Christians of all denominations could be united in mission, service and proclamation of the gospel. He has met Pope Francis and is due to speak at an event today (Wednesday) furthering ecumenical mission.
Dorset church removes racist plaque
A memorial to John Gordon, a plantation owner who died in 1774, which hails his bravery in quelling an uprising by slaves in Jamaica, is to be removed from St Peter’s church in Dorchester, after a campaign by Stand Up To Racism. The memorial stone commemorates an uprising in which 500 slaves were killed by colonial forces and was described by campaigners as a “blatant and explicit glorification of white domination and the suppression of enslaved people”. It will be removed to Dorset museum and replaced with a simple plaque.
First wedding at the Chelsea Flower Show
The Chelsea Flower Show hosted its first wedding, a traditional Hindu Indian ceremony, for the RHS ambassador for inclusivity and diversity, Manoj Malde, and his husband, Clive Gillmor. It was held in the RHS and Eastern Eye Garden of Unity, which Mr Malde designed himself, amidst Japanese cherry, floral beads and decorations to the sound of a sitar and flute.
