US Episcopal leaders call for Congress investigation into Venezuela action
The US Episcopal Church has issued a statement urging Congress to call for an investigation and accountability for US action in Venezuela. It says that the church’s General Convention has a long-standing policy condemning the first use of armed force and discourages “the abuse of this norm to rationalize military actions in sovereign states for political ends.” It continues: “We urge Congress to call for an investigation and accountability for this most recent unauthorized operation, as well as the related military actions carried out in recent months. We urge all regional parties to support a peaceful transition that respects the rule of law and the will of the Venezuelan people. Join us in praying for our siblings in the Diocese of Venezuela and the Venezuelan people.” The Episcopal news service explains that the Episcopal Diocese of Venezuela, based in the capital, Caracas, has 10 parishes, 14 missions and four preaching stations. It reports that vigils have been held and prayers said for Venezuelans, with clergy reporting fear and anxiety among the diaspora in the US.
Templeton money for ‘AI physicist’ to answer deep questions of the universe
FirstPrinciples, a Canadian research organization building systems to understand the nature of reality, has announced that it has been awarded a grant from the John Templeton Foundation to build an AI Physicist “capable of developing a new theoretical framework that unifies (or transcends) quantum mechanics and general relativity by 2035 through the collaboration of human and machine intelligence”. The John Templeton Foundation said this is an initiative which addresses “the deepest and most perplexing questions of our universe” and will help scientists answer the questions. Ildar Shar, Founder of FirstPrinciples, said: “The questions facing modern physics – from the nature of dark matter and dark energy to the unification of our fundamental theories – are increasingly complex and may require new approaches to make progress.” The grant will develop theAI Physicist’s core reasoning engine, refining the autonomous feedback loops that allow the system to formulate questions and test hypotheses at scale.
33.5 million pilgrims visited Rome during Year of Jubilee
Today marks the end of the Catholic Year of Jubilee of Hope, when around 33.5 million pilgrims visited Rome during 2025, seeking restoration, freedom, and forgiveness. The Vatican says that pilgrims came from 185 countries, and the number exceeded expectations. Most – 62 per cent – came from Europe, followed by the United States, Spain, Brazil and Poland. The Pope will officially close the Year of Jubilee with the closing of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica today.
US Islamic preacher ‘banned from speaking’ in England
The Jewish Representative Council (JRC) of Greater Manchester and Region has issued a statement saying that the Home Secretary has banned Dr Shadee Elmasry, an Islamic preacher, from entering the United Kingdom. He was due to address public meetings in Birmingham on Sunday, Bolton last night and Ilford tonight. Messages on Eventbrite say he could not attend last night’s Bolton meeting due to “unforeseen visa issues”, and the event in Ilford has been cancelled. The JRC said Dr Elmasry had spread division and hate on social media, and it was grateful to the Home Secretary for “recognising the serious risks posed by this individual”. Dr Elmasry was born and raised in New Jersey and is currently director of education and community affairs at the New Brunswick Islamic Centre in New Jersey. The visit was organised by the Muslim aid charity, the Global Relief Trust.
Teenager educated in Britain confirmed among those who died at ski resort fire
It’s been confirmed that Charlotte Niddam, aged15, who was among those listed as missing after the ski resort fire in Switzerland last week, has been named as among those who died. She was formerly a pupil at the Jewish Free School in north-west Londo, and Immanuel College, a private school in Hertfordshire.
Jewish leaders demand Royal Commission into Bondi Beach killings
Jewish leaders in Australia have criticised the government’s decision to mount a security agency review into the Bondi beach mass killing of Jews, insisting that a Royal Commission would be more appropriate. The Australian Associated Press reports that Australian Jewry leader, Alex Ryvchin, said the government’s response was insulting. He, along with families of those who died, have described the review process as an “ineffective half-measure”. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended the government’s response, saying his job as leader was to unite Australians and he did not want to politicise a moment of national grief. AAP says “Retired intelligence head and former diplomat Dennis Richardson will lead the review, which will examine the actions of Australia’s federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies leading up to the Bondi attack on December 14 that left 15 people dead.”
Conscientious objection in UK assisted dying laws
Peter Edge, Professor of Law at the School of Social Sciences and Law, Oxford Brookes University, has written a blog comparing the provision of conscientious objector clauses in assisted dying legislation in crown dependencies. He considered The Manx Assisted Dying Bill, which has completed its parliamentary journey and is awaiting Royal Assent; Jersey, on course to have a draft assisted dying bill debated in 2026; and Guernsey, which rejected the proposal in 2018 but considered the provision in its debate. He concludes that there were important differences in relation to conscientious objection, with efforts to protect conscientious objectors from harm by a much broader right not to participate. His blog is reproduced by Law and Religion UK here
The great unchurching of America and widening partisan ‘God gap’
The US based Axios news website carries a story analysing the “fastest religious shift in modern history, marked by a rapid increase in the religiously unaffiliated and numerous church closures nationwide”. The article, by reporter Russell Contreras, says identity and reality are increasingly shaped by non-institutional spiritual sources — YouTube mystics, TikTok tarot, digital sceptics, folk saints and AI-generated prayer bots. He says: “It’s a tectonic transformation that has profound implications for race, civic identity, political persuasion and the ability to govern a fracturing moral landscape”. The article pulls together research from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), showing a 33 per cent rise in religiously unaffiliated people over the past 13 years; Gallup data showing that around 57 per cent of Americans today seldom or never attend religious services; The National Council of Churches estimate that 100,000 US churches across denominations will close during the next several years – a quarter of all churches. Axios was set up a decade ago to offer considered journalism to aid understanding of rapid social change, especially on the impact of AI, changes to politics and governance, and the access to and delivery of information. The article is here
Month of non-stop prayer for UK spiritual renewal
The pastor who led the “Shine the Light” weekend of public carol singing, is now organising a month of non-stop prayer for the UK in a call for “renewal, unity and divine direction” in a lasting spiritual awakening. Pastor Jonathan Oloyede says his vision is for “every hour, every day, every believer in every church to flood heaven with prayer – believing the Holy Spirit for renewal, peace, and healing across the UK and Ireland throughout 2026.” It builds on previous events including daily prayer online at 7am and 7pm attracting hundreds of people, two sessions of 72 hour prayer over Pentecost and Halloween, and the Shine the Light weekend. Dr Oloyede is a medical doctor from Nigeria, a convert from Islam, who came to England as a missionary in 1991. He runs City Chapel in Plaistow. The National Day of Prayer and Worship is inviting churches to sign up for a day or even an hour or prayer in a rota. The month began on Sunday 4 January and will end at midnight on Thursday 5 February.
