Rabbi Jonathan Romain’s son drowns on honeymoon
The son of Rabbi Jonathan Romain has died in a drowning accident while on honeymoon in the Philippines. Jewish News reports that Benedict Romain, 34, was caught in a rip tide when the weather turned. He was a sculptor, married to Stella, one of four brothers, and an active member of the Reform Judaism youth movement. Rabbi Romain, a campaigner, broadcaster and rabbi at Maidenhead Synagogue, told the Jewish News that his role as a rabbi was helping him, having grieved with many congregants over the years.
‘Ordinary people’ must ensure genocide never happens again
During a memorial event at St John’s Smith Square, to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day, the Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis urged “ordinary people” to ensure such genocide never happens again. He drew attention to current atrocities against Uyghurs in China, the Rohingya in Myanmar and innocent people in Ukraine and said “societies stand and fall not primarily on the choices that are taken by tyrants or by knights in shining armour, but rather by ordinary people, just like you and me”. Politicians from all parties were present and shared the common theme that education and stories of survivors will immortalise the memory of the holocaust, ensuring it cannot be repeated.
‘Essential role’ of faith groups in levelling-up initiatives
The government’s levelling up ambitions are more likely to succeed if they harness the contribution of faith leaders, organisations, networks and buildings, according to the national director of Faith Action, Daniel Singleton. His comments were made in a submission to an inquiry into whether the government’s levelling-up white paper aligns with the needs and aspirations of people living in “left behind” neighbourhoods across England. He said there was an essential role for faith-based social action in this initiative “to truly enact sustainable, equitable change across the nation”. Submission in full here
Call for boycott of Swedish and Dutch goods over Quran desecration
The Associated Press reports that Egypt’s Al-Azhar, the Sunni Muslim world’s foremost religious institution, has called on Muslims to boycott Swedish and Dutch products over the desecration of the Quran in both countries. Last weekend, the Quran was burnt outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm; and pages were torn out of the Quran near the Dutch parliament in The Hague and stamped on. In both cases far right activists were involved. Egypt’s Al-Azhar said a boycott of both countries would be an appropriate response to governments that protect “barbaric crimes under the inhuman and immoral banner they call freedom of expression.″
CofE safeguarding head reveals that staff are abused and threatened
The Church of England’s national director of safeguarding, Alexander Kubeyinje, says he has been “taken aback with the amount of abuse, bullying and harassment that colleagues receive and threat to life on occasions. This has predominately been from a small number of survivors, advocates and others who have concerns with regards to safeguarding across the wider church community”. His observations are in a report to the CofE’s parliament, the General Synod, which meets in London next month. The Telegraph reports that his comments have been challenged by survivors’ groups who say people damaged by abuse need careful handling. Mr Kubeyinje was appointed six months ago and is the fifth person to hold the position in five years. The Guardian‘s story here
Sandi Toksvig says Anglican approach to LGBTQ+ people is untenable
The TV presenter and comedian Sandi Toksvig had a cup of tea with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, this week to discuss the Anglican church’s response to same sex relationships — and she emerged to condemn its approach as untenable. The meeting was suggested after she vented fury at the Lambeth Conference’s decision last summer, to affirm a 1998 declaration that gay sex is a sin. In a filmed statement on Twitter she said: “From our very calm and considered conversation, it is very clear that the state’s Church of England and the society it purports to represent are not remotely in step. Justin was keen for me to see that they are moving forward, but conceded that any progress as I would see it, if it happens at all will be glacial”. She asked the Archbishop to come out as a gay ally, rejecting the current “Orwellian position”, where some are more equal than others, but she will not wait: “In the next few weeks, I will be reaching out to the LGBT+ community and all our allies to see what can be done.”
Ban on trans conversion therapy ‘risks criminalising Christians‘
1,400 evangelical church leaders have written an open letter to the prime minister and the equalities minister Kemi Badenoch, saying Christians are at risk of being criminalised by the proposed ban on trans conversion therapy. The letter, written by the Rev Dr Matthew Roberts of Trinity Church in York, on behalf of the group Greater Love Declaration, says church teachings are at risk of being outlawed by the proposed legislation: “We trust you are well aware of the harm being caused to children by the inappropriate promotion of questionable ideologies. Children are left confused about what it means to be male or female, what constitutes appropriate sexual behaviour, and the basic question of who they are. We fear that the proposed legislation could far worsen the situation by stifling the voices of loving parents and pastoral carers.” Ms Badenoch has previously vowed to protect parents from prosecution.
US National Prayer Breakfast under new management
The National Prayer Breakfast in America is under new management. Five years ago, a 29-year-old Russian woman was convicted of spying in the United States, partly by using the prayer breakfasts as a way of creating alliances with people of influence. The Religion News Service explains that the breakfast had been run by the International Foundation, also known as “The Family”, which was criticised for being a secretive fundamentalist organisation. The new management is called the National Prayer Breakfast Foundation, whose president is the former Arkansas senator Mark Pryor. It will go back to basics as an event for Congress and the president, with a “gathering” taking place with “significant international participation”.
