Religious leaders in France appeal for peace after a week of riots
The Muslim community in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris, gathered on Saturday for the funeral of Nahel Merzouk, aged 17, who was shot dead by a police officer during a traffic stop last week. Hundreds lined the route to the cemetery as the hearse processed through the streets. His death has triggered days of rioting and looting across France which have left hundreds injured and arrested. The shooting has reignited complaints of police violence and systemic racism, which President Emmanuel Macron has denied. The leaders of the Conference of Religious Leaders in France, representing Muslim, Jewish, Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant and Buddhist communities, have issued a statement condemning the violence and appealing for justice and peace.
Hajj 2023 numbers confirmed with praise for security and health record
Hajj 2023 was a success, according to the Saudi Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Hajj Supreme Committee Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif. He confirmed that 1,845,045 pilgrims made the journey and there were no issues that affected the safety and security of the pilgrims, nor diseases or quarantine cases. Arab News reports the Prince saying that artificial intelligence was used to manage and organise crowds at the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the holy sites, which helped maintain the security and safety of pilgrims.
Rabbi Jonathan Romain to chair assisted dying charity
Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain has been appointed chair of Dignity in Dying, which campaigns for assisted dying. He has been involved in the movement for several years and already chairs the Religious Alliance for Dignity in Dying, a campaign resisted by the Chief Rabbi, the Archbishop of Canterbury and Cardinal Nichols. In a statement Rabbi Romain said: “I am deeply aware of the value of life. But having seen people die in pain from terminal illnesses, often begging doctors or relatives to help them end their life early, I also know that letting go of life can be the right and moral decision”. He takes up his new role as the first Commons inquiry into assisted dying prepares to issue a report later this year. The outgoing chair, Baroness Meacher, becomes honorary president.
Water cremation introduced into the UK
Co-op funeralcare is the first funeral company in the UK to offer water cremation, known as resomation, where potassium hydroxide and water breaks down human remains. It’s the first new way to dispose of a body in Britain since cremation was legalised in 1902, but is already in use in Canada, South Africa and parts of the USA. Co-op Funeralcare says the process is greener than cremation, which produces CO2 and is a welcome new process, as land for burials is running out. BBC report here
Pope Francis appoints key ally to safeguard the faith
Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernández, of La Plata, Argentina, to be the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Faith, a role which safeguards the faith, promotes theological dialogue and handles sex abuse allegations against clergy. The archbishop is nicknamed the “pope’s theologian″ because he is widely believed to have helped write some of Francis’ most important documents. In his letter to the archbishop, the Pope said that in the past the department pursued doctrinal errors, but he sees the role as guarding the faith while forging a dialogue between theology and current world issues. He said the Dicastery should become an instrument of evangelisation, helping the church to enter into conversation with people, acknowledging that it needs to grow in its understanding of the truth, “without imposing a single way of expressing it”. The Archbishop will also serve as president of the Pontifical Biblical Commission. He will take up his duties in mid-September 2023.
Charity Commission considering Church of England safeguarding sacking
The Archbishops’ Council has reported “a serious incident”, the sacking of its independent safeguarding board, to the Charity Commission, which has confirmed the move and issued a statement saying: “We will engage with the trustees to determine whether a regulatory response is required”. Earlier, the National Secular Society said it had raised the matter with the Commission and called on them to intervene to ensure a fully independent safeguarding body is achieved speedily.
The Archbishops’ Council has called two meetings today and tomorrow, to meet survivors and victims of abuse in the church, in order to explain the recent moves regarding the independent safeguarding board. But there is already criticism of the makeup of the group meeting the survivors and the rules of engagement regarding data.
Church of England’s General Synod to discuss sacking clergy guilty of abuse
The General Synod of the Church of England meets in York for four days starting on Friday. The Telegraph reports it will debate changes to clergy discipline. including defrocking archbishops, bishops and priests found guilty of abuse or serious misconduct. The Independent Investigation into Child Sexual Abuse recommended this be introduced as important for victims and survivors.
The Telegraph also reports synod will debate a proposal to allow church buildings to lie “fallow” , perhaps renting them out or offering to other denominations in a shared ownership deal, with the option to reopen them in the future.
Sweden condemns burning of Quran outside a mosque in Stockholm
The Swedish government has condemned the burning of a Quran outside Stockholm’s main mosque last week. The Guardian reports that their response followed an attack on their embassy in Baghdad and a statement from the Saudi-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation which called for action to avoid future similar incidents. The Swedish government said the incident was an Islamophobic act which it strongly condemned and fully understood such actions could be offensive to Muslims and had no place in Sweden or Europe. It added that Sweden had a “constitutionally protected right to freedom of assembly, expression and demonstration”.
US Supreme Court rules in favour of conservative Christian designer
The US Supreme Court has ruled that a conservative Christian graphic artist can refuse to work with same-sex couples in designing wedding websites. Lorie Smith said she could not serve same-sex couples because of her Christian faith. Colorado state law prohibits businesses from refusing service because of sexual orientation. But the Supreme Court ruled that artists cannot be compelled to express messages against their religious beliefs. Forcing her to do so would violate her free speech rights under the Constitution’s First Amendment. Lorie Smith was represented by the faith-based legal organisation Alliance Defending Freedom.
US Supreme Court backs evangelical Christian refusing to work Sundays
The Supreme Court has also acted in favour of evangelical Christian Gerald Groff, a postal worker, who said he had to resign because he wasn’t allowed to have Sundays off. The court ruled that employers must now grant religious accommodation requests unless they can prove it’s a significant imposition to the business — whereas before companies only had to show a minimal impact.
Silent discos a feature of Cathedral life
The Times sent a reporter to Ely Cathedral on Friday, where 800 people turned up for a 1990s themed silent disco. It was a first for Ely, but apparently a feature at several other cathedrals in England, explained by the Dean of Ely, Mark Bonney, as an event that bridges the gap between a generation lost to church attendance and a centuries old sacred place. Cathedrals are renowned for events which help raise essential cash for maintenance, from helter skelters, to crazy golf, to filming blockbusters and local corporate events. The Dean didn’t make the disco, the Times explains, as he was hosting a “strawberries and fizz” evening in the bishop’s garden for the Friends of Ely Cathedral. But he hoped that visitors might find the “wow factor” just by being in the building and that visitors might then perhaps start to think about life in a different sort of way.
