King Charles and Queen Camilla meet the Pope in Rome
King Charles and Queen Camilla had a brief, private meeting with Pope Francis in Rome yesterday, their 20th wedding anniversary, despite an announcement last month that the meeting would have to be cancelled because of the Pope’s ill health. In a statement, Buckingham Palace said the King and Queen were “delighted the Pope was well enough to host them – and to have had the opportunity to share their best wishes in person”. The BBC reports that the meeting was only confirmed yesterday morning and took place at the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta, where the Pope is convalescing after hospital treatment for double pneumonia. According to the Vatican, the King and Queen gave the Pope “best wishes for a speedy recovery of his health”.
Catholic priest in Gaza says it is like ‘living in a cage’
Father Gabriel Romanelli, pastor of the only Catholic church in Gaza, has described living in Gaza as like “living in a big cage”. In an interview with Vatican News, he thanked the Pope for continuing to make nightly phone calls, checking on how the people are in the compound of the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza. He said: “Pope Francis’ calls mean so much to us”, describing how he asks about the people, and sends blessings and prayers. When the people know he is phoning, they are happy and the children shout “Viva il Papa”. Fr Romanelli told reporters that living conditions in the Gaza Strip were “unimaginable” and supplies were starting to run out. Problems cannot be solved, he said, unless there is a ceasefire. Earlier, Fr Romanelli said Trump’s proposal to remove the people and turn Gaza into a holiday resort constitutes a violation of human rights and is tantamount to treating human beings like objects. “People are subjects of rights. They are not objects. You cannot move and deprive people of their rights, the right to life and to live in their land, and to have assistance and property, affection and their business. True peace must be built on justice, not injustice,” he said.
Bishop Anne Dyer ‘restoring trust’ after suspension
The Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney, Anne Dyer, has given an interview to BBC Radio Shetland on how she is restoring trust following her suspension amid accusations of bullying.She returned after bullying charges were dropped and carried on despite an open letter from four other bishops suggesting she reconsider her role. She said the whole process was “extremely prolonged” and stressful for all involved. But she had received a warm welcome, was visiting priests and people, turning a corner and moving forward. Conversations were taking place towards reconciliation, but “when any relationship is strained you can’t just automatically snap back to how things were previously” and she wanted to respect differences. BBC report here
Bishop Beverley Mason appointed to new role at St Asaph in north Wales
The Bishop of Warrington, Beverley Mason, is to become an honorary assistant bishop in St Asaph diocese, in north Wales. She withdrew from her duties in 2023 after complaining of harassment against the then Bishop of Liverpool, John Perumbalath, who subsequently retired. In a statement, she said that she has not acted as a bishop for more than 18 months. She said: “I remain Bishop of Warrington as I continue to wait and push for a proper resolution to my unhappy situation. Today, it is 574 days since I exercised an episcopal ministry. It feels interminable – as I imagine it does for you. Thank you for your kind support, resilience and patience”. Bishop Beverley will take on the new role at a service on Maundy Thursday. She said: “I am humbled and deeply grateful to Bishop Gregory and colleagues in St Asaph for their warm welcome, love and affirmation. St Asaph has opened the door upon a new vista and I look forward with hope to a restored and renewed ministry in the Province of the Church in Wales”.
Only three out of eight religious mother and baby homes in Ireland offer compensation
The Irish government has released a report showing that only three of the eight Religious Orders linked to a historical mother and baby scandal in Ireland have offered money to a compensation scheme. Ministers say they are deeply disappointed, and much more could have been done by the other religious bodies, who should “reflect further” on their responsibilities. The Bon Secours Sisters gave €13m (£11.1m), described as a meaningful contribution. The Sisters of St John of God offered a conditional donation of €75,000 (£64,000). The Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul. Have made an offer which is being considered. The remaining bodies – The Congregation of Lady of the Good Shepherd, The Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, The Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy, The Legion of Mary, and The Church of Ireland (Representative Church Body), did not offer any contribution. BBC report here
Methodist Church apology for Mother and Baby Homes and forced adoptions
The Methodist Church in Britain has issued a formal apology “to anyone who has been hurt or abused” in any of its Mother and Baby Homes. In a statement it explains that its aim in providing homes was to care for single mothers who had no support. It says: “We are deeply saddened and ashamed that some mothers who lived in these Homes, and some children who started their lives there, have shared with us that they experienced poor or abusive care and were denied control and decision making over their own lives”. It has been told that vulnerable individuals were subjected to harsh conditions, neglect and abuse over decades and says “We deeply regret any pain and trauma which may have been caused by our actions and the systemic failures that allowed such injustice to occur”. It thanks those who have come forward and says going public may encourage more to tell their stories. It adds: “We recognise the profound impact these experiences have had on survivors and their families and we are committed to supporting the healing process and ensuring that such injustices are never repeated. To those who were affected, we offer our sincerest apologies. There are no Methodist Mother and Baby homes now, but they were in London, Leicester, Essex, Hampshire, Lancashire, Huddersfield, Carnavon, Dublin, Co Armagh and Co Down.
The legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer 80 years on
There are many tributes to the German Lutheran minister, theologian and anti-Nazi, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was hanged 80 years ago on 9 April, charged with plotting to assassinate Hitler. Regarded as a modern-day martyr, his statue is placed above the west entrance of Westminster Abbey, alongside Mother Elizabeth of Russia, Martin Luther King Jr. and Óscar Romero. From 1933 – 35 he was a pastor at two German speaking London churches, the German Evangelical Church in Sydenham and the German Reformed Church of St Paul’s in Whitechapel. But his life and legacy is of current debate today. The Church Times carries an explanation of how he has become a hero of right wing Christian nationalists in the US. Last year, a film about his life “Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin”, was appropriated by right wing nationalists picking up its theme: “How far will you go to stand up for what’s right?”, an association of ideas condemned by the cast and film writer who said the film was anti-fascist in intent. There is an ongoing appeal to sign the Bonhoeffer Declaration against hatred of Jews. And in Germany, journalist Ralf Bosen writing in Die Welt, sticks to the facts, and says Bonhoeffer is an inspiration for his responsibility to those who are weaker.
Coat on a pilgrimage carries a patchwork of hopes for a greener earth
A patchwork coat with a long train, carrying prayers and hopes for the environment, is on a pilgrimage though the UK, resting overnight in churches and religious centres. To date it has travelled more than 1,500 miles, borne on the shoulders of hundreds of people as a way of highlighting faith imperatives on environmental issues. It began as a pilgrimage to Cop26 in Glasgow and this week is on its way to Ipswich, then Felixstowe and then Colchester, where it will stay during Easter week and until 7 May. Organisers say they are committed to keep the coat walking while the climate and ecological situation remains an emergency. Read Angela Youngman’s report here.
Correction:
In our earlier bulletin sent at 0700 this morning, we ran a story from The Guardian, in which Baroness Gohir called for an inquiry into how Tell Mama spent taxpayers’ money in its work to monitor anti-Muslim hatred. We have been asked to make clear that the Faith Minister, Lord Khan, issued a statement saying that “MHCLG and its ministers do not have concerns about financial structural or governance issues in respect of Tell MAMA”. We apologise for the error.
