Religion news 12 July 2022

Adam Mohamad in Mecca for the Hajj, after 4,000 mile journey on foot. Image credit : Social Tarka

Moscow Chief Rabbi resigns over war in Ukraine

The Chief Rabbi of Moscow, Pinchas Goldschmidt, has resigned after speaking out against the war on Ukraine. He left Russia weeks after the war broke out and was reported to be “in exile” in Israel looking after his parents in law. The Jewish community of Moscow recently re-elected him, but in a statement issued through the Conference of European Rabbis, which he leads as president, he said he must resign as it had become clear “that the Jewish community of Moscow would be endangered by me remaining in my position”. He oversaw the renaissance of Jewry in Russia for 33 years, but he said as “the terrible war against Ukraine unfolded”, under “an increasingly authoritarian regime”,  he could not remain silent.

Religious leaders in Sri Lanka united in appeal for change of government

Pope Francis has joined the Sri Lankan Catholic bishops in an “appeal for peace”. They were among a large group of religious and civil society leaders who signed the “Senkadagala Statement”,  a six-point resolution calling on the president to resign immediately and a new government to be formed, allowing aid to reach the country. The president has said he will resign tomorrow (13 July), but his whereabouts are unknown after protestors stormed the palace. The Ven. Dr. Omalpe Sobhitha Thero, Buddhist monk and leader, told journalists the government had divided people by ethnicity and religion.

Church of England to consider definition of a woman

A one line answer to written question at the CofE’s General Synod, that the church has no definition of a woman, has stirred a transgender debate. In reply to the question: “What is the Church of England’s definition of a woman?”, the Bishop in Europe, Robert Innes, said: “There is no official definition, which reflects the fact that until fairly recently definitions of that kind were thought to be self-evident, as reflected in the marriage liturgy.” He added that a church process to consider issues of sexuality, “Living in Love and Faith” will “explore the marriage complexities associated with gender identity”. The conclusion is likely to be voted upon in February next year.

Other synod headlines

Synod urged the Government to secure a negotiated peace in Ukraine and for churches and dioceses to work towards providing long term refuge and hospitality for people fleeing the war. 

It accepted a call for more disabled people to work in the church, with better data collection and more inclusive language during services enabling greater participation.

A GP from Chichester successfully pushed for synod to  affirm that the law on assisted dying should not be changed and paid tribute to  health professionals working in end of life care.    

Why are progressives incapable of funding a Catholic media empire?

Thomas Reese, Jesuit journalist and commentator, has lamented the demise of the Catholic News Agency CNS, which is closing its US offices in December after 100 years of reporting the news. It is owned by the US Catholic Bishops Conference, which announced the decision to re-organise its communications function at a meeting on 4 May. Thomas Reese writes in an article for the Religion News Service that the decision leaves the field wide open for the conservative “EWTN empire”, sometimes described as the Fox News of Catholicism and this is a challenge to Catholic progressives: “Why are they incapable of running and funding an equivalent media empire?”, he asks.

BBC Bitesize religious studies guide withdrawn in row over abortion

A BBC Bitesize religious studies revision guide has been removed after controversy over the way the anti abortion argument was portrayed, the Guardian reports. Critics said that the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child was included uncritically, the guide failed to list contraception as an alternative to abortion and the impression was given that all Christians are against abortion. The BBC said it was reviewing the materials.

Online weddings from Utah legally recognised in Israel

Online wedding services have become a burgeoning massive business for the state of Utah in the US. They took off during Covid in 2020, but have become popular in countries with restrictive wedding laws. In Israel, the courts have decided that such weddings will be legally recognised but, according to the Jewish Chronicle, the move has provoked a furious reaction from orthodox leaders. Interfaith, non Orthodox and LGBT couples are making the most of the new system. The article explains that civil ceremonies in Israel are not currently recognised, but foreign ceremonies can be registered legal.

Electrical engineer walks 4000 miles from Wolverhampton to Mecca for the Hajj

Electrical engineer Adam Mohamad, has just completed a 4,000 mile walk from his home in Wolverhampton to Mecca, in order to observe the Hajj. He set off in August last year and made a cart to carry his possessions, allowing him to eat, sleep and cook en route. In an interview for Al Jazeera, filmed in Mecca, he said he cried when he arrived and the experience had given him a sense of serenity and closeness to God.

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