Former bishop jailed for sex abuse
Anthony Pierce, the former bishop of Swansea and Brecon, has been jailed for sexually abusing a boy over a five-year period while he was a priest in Swansea. Pierce, aged 84, pleaded guilty and will serve half the time inside prison and half on licence. The current bishop of the diocese said he would ask a church tribunal to consider deposing Pierce from Holy Orders. The victim said he had “an overwhelming sense of embarrassment” and had suffered from alcohol addiction, low self worth and was unable to move past the trauma of what happened.
Assisted Dying bill removes need for judge approval
The committee considering the Assisted Dying Bill has voted to remove the need for a High Court judge to approve assisted dying requests, by 15 votes to seven. It follows concerns that the judicial system has no spare capacity to deal with requests. The bill’s promoter, Kim Leadbeater MP, has proposed that the judge’s role be replaced with a panel of a psychiatrist, social worker and lawyer. Opponents suggest this change removes a necessary safeguard and could affect the bill’s chances of being supported by MPs when it comes back for further votes.
Pope’s x-ray shows continued improvement
The Vatican’s latest health bulletin on Pope Francis says an x-ray shows his improvement in recent days. The statement says: “The clinical condition of the Holy Father has remained stable, in the context of a complex overall medical picture. The chest X-ray performed yesterday has radiologically confirmed the improvements observed in the previous days. The Holy Father continues to undergo high-flow oxygen therapy during the day and non-invasive mechanical ventilation during nighttime rest”. Pope Francis has joined spiritual exercises, prayed, rested and had ongoing physical therapies.
Joyous Purim festival takes place today
It’s the Jewish festival of Purim today, when the story of Esther is celebrated with loud parties, fancy dress, wearing masks and eating special foods such as sweet pastry deserts. Esther saved Jews from persecution during the Persian Period (539-330 BCE) and the festival is a joyous occasion. Dr Jonathan Boyd, writing in Jewish News, points to research suggesting that rising antisemitism means British Jews are inclined to hide their Jewishness, and he wonders how this will affect Purim. Our Purim factsheet is here
Methodists hand over Torah and Esther scrolls to the Jewish community
A Torah scroll and two Esther scrolls, which were kept at the now closed Methodist Wesley College in Bristol, have been handed over to the Federation of Synagogues (pictured). Ahead of Purim, the two scrolls tell the story of Esther, and had probably been used for teaching students at the college. The Torah scroll was written in Baghdad and dates from the early 19th century, possibly coming over to England via Methodist missionaries, or travellers who delivered it to the college. It arrived in a sorry state, damaged by fire and water, and a decision was taken to bury it. In another story, Jewish News reports that a 17th century Purim scroll telling the story of Esther, is on display at an exhibition in Italy until June.
MP raises shocking case of antisemitism in NHS
Labour MP Tulip Siddiq told the Commons of a case reported to her, where an NHS worker called a Jewish colleague a baby killer, and she sought assurances that the government would ensure her Jewish constituents were safe at work. The Prime Minister replied that the report was deeply concerning, and expected all NHS trusts and healthcare providers to take action against any staff who expressed views that do not reflect the values of the NHS.
US evangelical protest against aid cuts
Evangelicals in America have protested on Capitol Hill against US foreign aid cuts, saying this will hurt millions of people around the world. White evangelicals have been staunch Trump supporters and helped get him elected. The Religion News Service says speakers called the cuts an assault on vulnerable people and a policy and moral failure. It quotes Matthew Soerens, from World Relief, the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals, saying he was glad that aid had been re-instated for their work in Sudan, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but pointed out that the grants are up for renewal this month and there has been no promise on their future.
Call for churches to support new local publications replacing defunct newspapers
The former CofE director of communications, the Rev Peter Crumpler, has called on churches and other faith groups to play a key role in supporting new media titles which are replacing local newspapers that have gone out of business. Writing in the Church Times, he says loss of advertising revenue, rising costs and online news consumption replacing papers, has led to “news deserts”, with local communities without any publication giving the news or holding people to account. He points to new forms of local publications such as a current affairs magazine in St Albans, independent titles and paid subscription models in many cities, and describes positive examples of churches working together with local new titles to make them a success. Article is here
Government cap on church repair grants is “cruel”
The Church Times reports that the parish church of St Mary Magdalene, Newark-on-Trent, faces a shortfall of £600,000 on a £4-million restoration project, because of government changes which cap the amount of VAT that can be reclaimed. The church needs repairs to the roof and crumbling external stonework. The rector, Rev Christopher Lion, told the paper that one of his churchwardens branded the government decision as cruel to churches where projects are already in progress. They are lobbying the government reverse the change. Story is here
Parish priest celebrates his horse’s shock win at Cheltenham
Jubilant scenes at Cheltenham yesterday, as the parish priest of Portlaoise in Ireland celebrated his horse romping over the finishing line to win the Brown Advisory Novices Chase at odds of 20/1. Monsignor John Byrne is part of the Slaneyville Syndicate, comprising eight members of his family, who own the unlikely winner, Lecky Watson, and he was at the festival to see the win. He told The Times the £112,540 prize money might affect next Sunday’s collection. Laois Today report here
