Independent Christian schools win right to appeal against VAT on school fees
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom has granted permission for a group of independent Christian schools, parents and pupils to appeal the Government’s decision to impose VAT on independent school fees. The case is supported by the Christian Legal Centre and brought by independent Christian schools across the UK, arguing that the policy “disproportionately impacts Christian schools and the families who choose them, particularly those of modest means”. Central to the case is whether the Government’s policy strikes a fair balance between its stated objectives and the real-world consequences including financial strain on families, disruption to children’s education, and risks to the viability of schools. The Independent Schools Council (ISC) says independent schools have lost about 30,000 pupils since VAT was added to fees in January 2025, a larger decline than ministers originally forecast.
Pope tells Spanish Parliament that life must be protected from conception to its natural end
Pope Leo XIV became the first pope to address the Spanish Parliament, using a landmark speech in Madrid to call for the protection of human life, greater support for migrants, and a renewed commitment to peace and human dignity. Pope Leo said every human life must be recognised and safeguarded from conception to its natural end, in every circumstance of its existence. He asked what future our societies can have if life ceases to be recognized as a fundamental value, and if a community leaves in the shadows the unborn child, the elderly, the sick, those who suffer in silence, or those entirely dependent on the care of others. Defence of human life is, he said, neither a matter of private interest nor confessional concern, but a goal of civilization. In a meeting with six survivors of clerical sexual abuse, he promised that the Church would make additional efforts to change. Spain’s Ombudsman published a report in 2023 estimating that hundreds of thousands of people may have experienced abuse in a church setting over many decades. The Pope assured survivors of his commitment to ensure the church becomes “a safe and spiritually healthy place”. He told bishops the church should respond to this scourge with “listening, truth, justice, reparation and an ever more determined commitment to prevention and a culture of care”. Later, speaking to church members at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, he invited Catholics to become a “symphony of hope” capable of speaking to the heart of a rapidly changing city. “Numbers, data and facts alone are insufficient for building community,” the Pope said. “Our hearts must sing.”
Sikh Federation calls for public inquiry into Henry Nowak’s death
The Sikh Federation is calling for a public inquiry into the “systemic failures” surrounding the death of Henry Nowak, an 18 year old student stabbed to death by a Sikh man in Southampton. In a statement, it said that Digwa was “well known to law enforcement and on the police radar” and an inquiry should “establish why this critical intelligence failed to inform the responding officers’ risk assessments, and whether systemic biases contributed to the immediate criminalisation of a dying victim”. It criticised the “state apparatus” for wrongly categorising the murder weapon as a Kirpan, a ceremonial Sikh dagger, which it says was unchallenged in court, facilitating “a highly damaging wave of misinformation”. It said this “triggered inappropriate political commentary, brought a sacred article of the Sikh faith into disrepute, and directly resulted in a surge of targeted hate speech, verbal abuse, and violent physical attacks against the visible Sikh community across the UK”. An inquiry has already been announced by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, but the Federation says this is “entirely insufficient”.
Catholic bishop shot dead in his own home in Mozambique
Catholic priests in Mozambique have condemned the murder of Bishop Osório Citora Afonso, who was shot dead in his chest at his home in the early hours of Saturday morning. Bishop Osório, of the coastal region of Quelimane, was a project partner of the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need. The National Criminal Investigation Service suggests the killers scaled the wall around the building, disabled the security system and fired shots using AK-M assault rifles. The Bishop was shot in the chest, near his heart, in a hallway of his home. The Bishops’ conference in Africa and Madagascar has condemned the murder as an act of barbarism and an assault on the fundamental values of peace, justice, human dignity, and religious freedom. Since 2017, Mozambique has seen more than 6,300 people killed because of jihadist violence and one million people have been displaced. Tablet story here.
French Assembly withdraws plan to break seal of confession
A proposal to compel priests to break the sacramental seal of confession in cases involving child abuse has been withdrawn from a French parliamentary bill after heated debate. The original proposal was put forward by the parliamentary group of the former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, following cases of clerical abuse. But the French Bishops’ Conference was vehemently against. The Seal of Confession has been formally codified in church law since 1215 and is regarded as inviolable, with a penalty of excommunication. However, the National Assembly removed the clause in a vote on 1 June.
Church in Beddgelert wins online competition
St Mary’s Church, Beddgelert, in Eryri (Snowdonia) has won a Reddit competition where people have to eliminate areas on a world map which they dislike, until only a small location is left. By a process of elimination over 29 rounds, continents, countries, regions and towns were gradually removed until the contest narrowed to a small area around Beddgelert, a place known to tourists exploring Eryri and the walk up to Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). One described Beddgelert as “a gorgeous place”, while another wrote: “Beautiful Church. No wonder it won.” As the contest drew to a close, supporters rallied around the church and encouraged people to visit. The vicar, Rev Kim Williams, said: “I might be biased saying this, but it definitely deserved to win! St Mary’s has served the local community for generations. We are always pleased to welcome visitors who come to enjoy the village, the landscape and the church.”
