Prayer breakfast sermon on integrity forced Sajid Javid to resign
Tory leadership hopeful Sajid Javid has revealed that he made his decision to resign as health secretary after the national prayer breakfast last week in parliament, when the street preacher the Rev Les Isaac spoke about the need for integrity in public life. He told Sophie Raworth on BBC TV yesterday that he had been struggling with the decision for some time, giving Boris Johnson the benefit of the doubt, and the prayer breakfast made up his mind. He went back to his office and wrote a letter of resignation. He has previously spoken of his Muslim heritage but says he professes no faith while living in a predominantly Christian household. The breakfast ended with the prayer: “Lord please do something amazing in our nation.”
Birmingham hosts one of the largest European Eid al Adha festivals
Thousands of Muslims attended a festival this weekend to celebrate Eid al Adha, at Small Heath Park in Birmingham, said to be one of the largest gatherings for the festival in Europe. It commemorates the story of Abraham being willing to sacrifice his son Isaac, but Allah intervened and a ram was sacrificed instead. The festival lasts four days and is a time for social gatherings, religious observances and celebration.
Muslims in Ukraine remember members dispersed and mosques destroyed
Dozens of Ukrainian Muslims gathered in Kostiantynivka, at the last remaining operational mosque in Donbas, to mark Eid al-Adha. Mufti Said Ismahilov told the Associated Press that there are about 30 mosques in the region in total but that most are now in the hands of the Russians. In his sermon, Ismahilov asked the congregation to remember Muslims living in occupied territories, where many have lost their homes and several mosques have been destroyed. He said Muslims in occupied territories do not feel safe. Read our factsheet on Muslims in Ukraine here
Police charge London church official over £5m fraud
Martin Sargeant, a former church official in London, has been charged with fraud by false representation and money-laundering involving about £5m over a decade. He held the job title head of operations in the Two Cities, but left his post in 2019 after a review. A statement from the Diocese of London said the money did not relate to the present-day funding of parishes. The Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, said the London Diocesan Fund was supporting the police investigation.
Bishop demands end to two-child Universal Credit limit
The Bishop of Durham, Paul Butler, has tabled a bill in the Lords seeking to abolish the two-child limit for Universal Credit. He said the policy was driving more children into poverty and there was no evidence that its goals, to push people into work, had been achieved. His move was backed by all opposition groups in the Lords. The government spokesman Baroness Stedman-Scott disagreed, saying working families had to manage a growing number of children on the same income. She said there was evidence that the number of couples in employment had increased in recent years. The bishop vowed to continue his campaign until the policy is revoked.
Songs of Praise budget ‘to be cut’
The Times reports that the BBC1 programme Songs of Praise has been warned that its budget may be cut from £4m to £3.5m as part of economies forced by freezing the licence fee. Production companies are being asked to bid for rights to make the show after its deal with Avanti Media and Nine Lives Media expired. A document to producers is reported to suggest that money could be saved by using archive material.
Australian Catholics vote for landmark changes for women and governance
The Catholic church in Australia has agreed a series of reforms following a four-year consultation process. Women would be allowed to be deacons, if the universal church allowed it, and be part of decision making in the church. Christopher Lamb, writing in The Tablet, said the motion on women deacons made Australia the second local church, along with the Amazon, to have indicated openness to the possibility of a female diaconate. The plenary council meeting also called for a new English translation of the Roman Missal — liturgy — in Australia.
Headlines from the Church of England’s general synod — the church’s parliament
The global Anglican church is to have a greater say in the appointment of the future Archbishop of Canterbury. It is to have five representatives on the selection committee, not just one, with the numbers from the Canterbury diocese reduced.
The Archbishop of York told the Save the Parish conference, on the eve of synod, that he shared concerns about the amalgamation of parishes and piecemeal cuts to clergy post.
A plan for the CofE to reach net zero in carbon emissions by 2030 was approved after a debate when Christian climate protesters unfurled a banner demanding the church disinvest from fossil fuels.
Synod approved a motion simply pointing out existing work on safeguarding. A new national director of safeguarding, Alexander Kubeyinje, was appointed last week.
First woman BAME moderator for the United Reformed Church
The United Reformed Church has elected its first woman BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) moderator. The Rev Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson, minister of four churches in the Wanstead area of north London, will take office in 2023. She is a “womanist” practical theologian and author, who worked in education until she was ordained in 2018. She is a founding member of Cascades of Grace, formed within the URC to network and empower BAME women in churches.
Stained glass window features millenial saint with mobile phone
A stained glass window dedicated to the “Millennial Saint” Blessed Carlo Acutis, has been installed in St Aldhelm’s Roman Catholic church in Malmesbury, Wiltshire. Carlo, 15, died from leukaemia in 2006 and his dedication to the faith, through documenting miracles on a website, has put him on the path to sainthood. The stained glass, by artist Michael Vincent, shows him with a mobile phone in the strap of his rucksack, a watch on his left arm and the IHS symbol on his top. Carlo was born in England but grew up in Italy. One of his most popular quotes is written under the image: “The Eucharist is the highway to heaven.”
