Catholic bishops call for end to fighting in Sudan
Catholic bishops in Sudan and South Sudan have called for an end to the fighting and a return to dialogue. Thousands of people have already fled to South Sudan because of the war and humanitarian agencies are warning of a severe food emergency. The Rev Dr Gibson Ezekiel Lesmore, director of Programmes at the All Africa Conference of Churches, said “the needless bombardment and destruction of a nation with such a rich history has completely devastated African churches”. The World Council of Churches has also called for and end to hostilities, described as “unconscionable violence”, especially in civilian areas and said places of worship should be protected. A rocket has struck the Catholic cathedral in El Obeid, south west of Khartoum, and armed men targeted the Anglican Cathedral in Khartoum
Coronation Liturgy to be unveiled this weekend
The Liturgy for the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla will be published by Lambeth Palace this weekend – on Saturday at 2200 BST. The Liturgy is all of the written, spoken and sung aspects of the coronation service including the prayers, readings, hymns and other words to be used. In addition, Lambeth Palace will also publish a commentary on the liturgy, which will offer a guide to the Christian meaning and symbolism of the key elements of the service. The liturgy and commentary will be available from Saturday night on the Church of England website www.churchofengland.org.
Government faith engagement report – the reaction:
… National Secular Society says report is biased and flawed
The National Secular Society has criticised the government’s faith engagement report as fundamentally flawed, because its “clear pro-faith bias distorts its conclusions”. The head of campaigns, Megan Manson, said: “Several of the recommendations would lead to more division and more imposition of religion on the public, supported by public money. We’ve already seen this through the government’s discriminatory and misguided ‘faith new deal’ pilot fund. If the government wants a more objective and accurate picture of religion in UK society, it needs to commission a review that isn’t designed from the outset to pander to religious interests.”
.. Humanists UK says report hasn’t recognised growth of non-religion
Humanists UK say the report puts religion and religious groups on a pedestal, explicitly focussing on faith groups to the detriment of the non-religious . It “simply hasn’t recognised the UK for what it is: a largely non-religious nation whose non-religious population contribute just as much to society as the religious”. However, Humanists UK welcomed the recommendation to regulate religious schools which aim to teach children about their faith.
…Catholic Union says report “lacks teeth”
The Catholic Union says: “The fact that there are only two mentions of Catholics in a document of almost 160 pages is grounds for concern”. James Somerville-Meikle, Deputy Director of the Catholic Union, says the report is simply blue skies thinking: “We are concerned that this report doesn’t have the teeth to bring forward meaningful reform and without continuing to engage with all faiths and beliefs, will gather dust”. Reported in Independent Catholic News here
CofE “capitulated” to modern times with report celebrating diverse families
The charity “Marriage Foundation”, which campaigns for strong lifelong marriage as offering stability for society, has come out robustly against the Church of England’s report on families and households “Love Matters”. The report said loving family relationships come in all shapes and sizes, including single divorced parents, group parenting and traditional couples. Harry Benson, Marriage Foundation’s research director, said the church had capitulated “to the times in which we live” . In a blog on their website, he says celebrating diversity in family live is a departure for the traditional Christian message. The command to love one another “should not affirm behaviours that might be harmful or not in our best interests”.
£6.6 million repair project for 39 Catholic churches in England
Thirty-nine repair projects to Grade 1 and 2 Catholic churches in England have been undertaken thanks to grants from the Catholic Bishops Conference and £6.6 million from Historic England’s Heritage Stimulus Fund. George Stack, Archbishop Emeritus of Cardiff, told a reception in parliament that “the heritage of Catholic churches in this country is not as well-known as it deserves to be, yet it is a wonderfully rich and varied heritage”. A booklet has been produced with illustrations showing the range of projects and it makes the case for a dedicated grants scheme for the repair of historic churches.
UK wide antisemitism survey
The Institute for Jewish Policy Research is launching its 2023 Antisemitism in the UK Survey this week, giving Jews across the UK an opportunity to voice their concerns and opinions, for the benefit of policymakers tackling the problem. Similar studies have taken place in the past under the auspices of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, but since Brexit the UK is no longer included, so the Institute has stepped in. It is inviting anyone who self-identifies as Jewish, is at least 16 years old and currently lives in the UK to join its panel and complete the survey. This is the fourth survey run using the JPR Research Panel, originally launched during the Covid19 pandemic, to provide essential information to help Jewish charities navigate the crisis.
New Baha’i temple in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Religion Unplugged reports that the Baha’is have opened a new temple in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the third temple in Africa. The faith is said to be fast growing on the continent, especially in Uganda and Rwanda. The Bahai’s have produced a film showing the temple complex and the colourful opening ceremony, attended by 2,000 people.
