Hymn writer Timothy Dudley-Smith dies aged 97
The death of the renowned hymn-writer Bishop Timothy Dudley-Smith is reported in the Church Times with the news that he passed away in Cambridge in the early hours of yesterday morning, aged 97. He wrote the lyrics of around 400 hymns, among the most familiar of which are “Lord, for the years” (1967) and “Tell out, my soul” (1962). Timothy Dudley-Smith was an evangelical who edited the magazine “Crusade” in the 1950s and was a close friend of the Rev Dr John Stott, rector of All Souls Langham Place. He served as Archdeacon of Norwich and as Bishop of Thetford from 1981 -1991. In these last years, he was chair of the Evangelical Alliance 1987 to 1992 and after his retirement, became chair of the governors of Monkton Combe School from 1992 to 1997. In 1993, he was awarded an OBE for services to hymnody, creating new hymns alongside an emerging new wave of church musicians from the 1950s, including Norman Warren and Michael Baughen. The Church Times quotes an article to mark Bishop Dudley-Smith’s 90th birthday in 2016, where Canon David Winter described him as “one of the outstanding hymn-writers of our generation. His hymns are to be found in books of every denomination and tradition throughout the English-speaking world and translated into a dozen other languages.”
European Union Apostolic Nuncio dies suddenly aged 73
Archbishop Noel Treanor, Apostolic Nuncio to the European Union and formerly Bishop of Down and Connor, has died of a heart attack in Brussels aged 73. He was first sent to the city in 1989, to work with the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union, with a vision to “project Christian values into the European process”. During this time, he published and lectured widely on the church and Europe. In 2008 he returned to Northern Ireland to become a bishop and then in 2022, was appointed Apostolic Nuncio, the Vatican’s diplomat to the EU. Tributes speak of his wisdom and grace, eloquence and friendship and profound shock at his death.
Cardinal warns Iran not to escalate Middle East conflict
The Vatican’s secretary of state has called on Iran’s new president to avoid escalating the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Cardinal Pietro Parolin spoke on the phone yesterday to President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a conversation that underlined the need for dialogue, negotiation, and peace, the Catholic News Agency reports. Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, says the cardinal “expressed the state’s serious concern about what is happening in the Middle East, reiterating the need to avoid in any way the widening of the very serious ongoing conflict and preferring instead dialogue, negotiation, and peace.” The Guardian reports that the US Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin, has ordered a guided missile submarine to the Middle East amid reports that Iran may launch an attack. The Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement on his official website that revenge is “our duty” following the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on 31 July.
Match funding scheme to help CofE churches reach net zero
The Church of England has launched a match funding project “Give To Go Green”, to double locally raised donations to help pay for carbon reducing projects. Churches raisingup to £10,000 to fund small projects such as LED light installations, insulation or a new heating control system, will have their funds matched by the Church of England’s Net Zero Programme. An initial pilot in Leeds and Exeter helped 27 churches raise £162,155, with 70 per cent raising more than their target amount, some by 200 per cent. The second pilot is taking place in seven further dioceses. The Net Zero Carbon Programme which aims to reduce carbon emissions from the energy used in its churches, schools, cathedrals, houses and other buildings by 2030.
Author tells story of losing her family when she left the Plymouth Brethren
The Times features an interview with the author Maria Compton, whose new book “Out of Faith” reveals some horrific experiences from her time in the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, during which she says she endured a violent marriage for more than twenty years and “bore numerous children before she escaped”. Compton (not her real name) stresses that she does not speak for others in the Brethren, which started as a religious movement in 1829 and has an estimated 46,000 members worldwide, about 16,000 of whom are in Britain. One of the hardest aspects has been the estrangement from her children, who chose to cut themselves off from her when she left: “I’ll never see them or any of my grandchildren or my parents or siblings again,” she says. “I do carry this deep sadness with me but I can’t put a price on freedom”. She adds: “My hope is that we’ll be reunited. Giving up on that hope will be giving up on them.” She maintains her story is “not about exposing the Plymouth Brethren” but about “giving others strength to find the freedom” to get out “of whatever you’re in that you don’t want to be in.
Catholic activist in Hong Kong loses appeal against detention
The High Court in Hong Kong has rejected the appeal of the Catholic democracy activist Jimmy Lai and six other people, to overturn their sentences for having participated in protests in 2019, reports the Catholic News Agency. The group had been convicted in 2021 of taking part in what the Hong Kong said was an “unauthorized assembly” at Victoria Park in Hong Kong, demonstrating against police abuse. Several of the defendants including Lai were sentenced to jail terms of varying lengths and argued on appeal that the sentences were disproportionate to their human rights. In its ruling yesterday the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal said their argument was “unsustainable.” Lai is an outspoken pro-democracy activist who has cited his Catholic faith as a source of strength and inspiration, and has been found guilty on various charges including fraud and attending a vigil, since August 2020. He is the former owner of the Apple Daily, which was Hong Kong’s most popular Chinese-language newspaper until it was closed in 2021. A petition signed last November by 10 Catholic bishops and archbishops, called on the Hong Kong government to immediately and unconditionally release him.
Zimbabwe’s Catholic bishops condemn pro-democracy crackdown
Zimbabwe’s Catholic bishops have condemned the government’s harsh measures against pro-democracy activists. Scores of people have been detained by state security agents, and many of them allegedly tortured, ahead of a Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit to be held in Zimbabwe at the weekend. Activists began protests against the country’s poor human rights records ahead of the summit but faced a severe response from the authorities, according to The Tablet. The Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC) issued a statement saying there have been “wanton arrests of citizens under frivolous charges”, but the government should protect freedom of association and freedom of speech..As Catholic bishops, we are worried and saddened that to silence the dissenting voices and to quell possible demonstrations, violence, torture, and abductions seem to be the only options deployed. Why not try dialogue with those who feel aggrieved by the present state of our country?”. The SADC is a regional organization of 16 African countries that aims to promote economic cooperation and integration between member states.
Iranian mother of two left paraplegic after hijab violation punishment
The BBC reports on the story of an Iranian mother of two who has been left paraplegic after being shot by police over an alleged violation of the country’s strict hijab rules. 31-year-old Arezoo Badri was driving home in the city of Noor in July when police attempted to pull her over to confiscate the car. The driver did not comply with the order to stop, prompting the officers to shoot. An unnamed source told the BBC: “She is paralysed from the waist down, and doctors have said it will take months to determine whether she will be permanently paraplegic or not”. Badri. This comes after Iranian police announced a clampdown in 2023 on women defying the nation’s compulsory dress code., which came in despite a prolonged public outcry over the law in the wake of the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022, who died while being detained by Iran’s morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab “improperly”.
Two Israeli audience members booed out of Edinburgh Fringe show
The Telegraph reports that two Israeli audience members were booed out of the comedian Reginald D Hunter’s comedy gig at the Edinburgh Fringe after they objected to a joke comparing the Jewish state to an abusive spouse. According to the Telegraph, the incident began when the 55 year old American stand-up referenced a Channel 5 documentary,”My Wife, My Abuser”, about an abusive partner who publicly claimed that her victim was guilty of abusing her. Witnesses said Hunter told the audience: “When I saw that, I thought, my God, it’s like being married to Israel.” Two people in the audience, who said they were Israeli, objected to the joke, saying it was “not funny”. An exchange then followed in which Hunter asked the pair to leave, while they faced boos and calls to go from other members of the audience. The Assembly Festival, which runs the venue where the incident took place, stated: “We are aware of an audience member choosing to leave Reginald D Hunter’s performance on Sunday 11 August. The venue front of house team attended and supported the member of the public upon exiting.” Jewish Chronicle report is here
Sikh Games feature snooker and billiards to make “cue sports” more diverse
Snooker, billiards and other cue sports will be showcased at the UK’s first ever Sikh Games in which starts this Friday 17 August at Loughborough University. The Sikh Games is a not-for-profit organisation created to open up more opportunities for ethnic minority participation in sport, whilst bringing communities together, worldwide. The Sikh Games “represents a dynamic sporting celebration of sport powered by values of Equality, Excellence and Collaboration”, according to its website . The World Professional Billiards & Snooker Association (WPBSA) and the English Partnership for Snooker & Billiards (EPSB) will be supporting the festival which takes place on 16-18 August. Mandeep Moore, Chair of the Sikh Games, said they were delighted to include cue sports as creating opportunities, education, and awareness was a step towards making the sport more diverse. Read Hardeep Singh’s report here
