£150 million redress scheme for survivors of CofE related abuse
The Church of England has approved a “redress” scheme for survivors of church abuse, with £150 million set aside by the Church Commissioners to fund claims. The church’s general synod voted the package through yesterday, after a day long debate in which the Bishop of Winchester, Philip Mounstephen, who is chair of the Redress Project Board, said it was a source of shame that such a scheme was ever necessary, but the church needed it as a “proper, survivor focussed expression of our corporate shame and repentance”. It took four years to create the legal documents through a process that began after the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse and the Makin review into serial abuser John Smyth, revealed abuse in the church which had not been addressed or stopped. Survivor Phil Johnson said he was relieved the proposal had finally gone through. The scheme will attract applications from some people whose abuse took place years ago and whose trauma has not been resolved or dealt with by the church, often resulting in mental health issues and involvement of lawyers. The church has made some interim payments in these cases, which will be honoured in addition to additional sums offered under the redress scheme. The general synod was told that the scheme is not just financial – it includes issuing a formal apology, acknowledgment and therapeutic support, and it was made clear that the administration of the scheme is independent of the church. The measure must now be approved by parliament before coming into effect, but a public website will open this Friday, 18 July, where people can register their interest and be advised of the date when applications can be made.
New Dean for Bangor Cathedral
Bangor cathedral, at the centre of reports of excessive drinking, weak financial controls and a culture where “sexual boundaries seemed blurred”, has appointed a new Dean. She is Canon Dr Manon Ceridwen James, currently Dean for Initial Ministerial Training at the St Padarn’s Institute, a theological training college in Cardiff. She grew up in north Wales, in the town of Nefyn on the Llŷn Peninsula, and was ordained as a deacon and priest at Bangor cathedral 30 years ago. She said she was looking forward to addressing the current challenges and rebuilding trust: “The people of Bangor, and indeed the people of the diocese who look to the Cathedral as a mother church, deserve a Cathedral which embodies all that is good about the city and the diocese”.
Gay man wins damages after conversion therapy ‘exorcism’
The Times reports that Matthew Drapper, a gay man now aged 37, has won a five-figure settlement from St Thomas Philadelphia, a joint Anglican-Baptist congregation in Sheffield, after an exorcism was performed on him because of his sexuality. The report says that he was a volunteer at the church ten years ago, when he attended a church weekend and was told by a married couple praying over him, that sexual impurity had allowed demons to enter his body and he should “break agreements with Hollywood and the media” that led him into an ungodly lifestyle. He recalled seeing someone standing over him saying they could see demons leaving his body. He was left distressed, vulnerable and depressed. His lawyer, Richard Scorer, said he believed this was the first ever payment of damages in respect of harm caused by conversion or exorcism practices. The incident was investigated by the Barnardo’s charity which upheld his account, after which the church sincerely apologised for the distress caused.
Board of Deputies concern and alarm at BBC Gaza film verdict
The Board of Deputies of British Jews has “acknowledged” the BBC report that the documentary “Gaza: How to survive a warzone” failed to meet the BBC’s accuracy standards, by failing to disclose that its 13-year‑old narrator was the son of a Hamas official. The programme was pulled by the BBC while an investigation took place. Andrew Gilbert, the board’s vice president for security, resilience and cohesion, said the Board remained concerned about why flaws in the production were not identified earlier. In a statement released on X, he said: “Wider patterns of failure within the corporation continue to cause considerable alarm among British Jews, most recently highlighted by the Glastonbury coverage. He pledged that the Board would “continue high level engagement with BBC executives” to bring necessary urgent changes.
Pay gap reports ‘should take religion’ as well as ethnicity into account
Hyphen Online reports that the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) is among faith groups which have urged the government to track data on religion in its mandatory pay gap reporting. Its report says the calls have been made in response to a consultation launched in March by the Office for Equality and Opportunity, which is expected to be producing a bill aiming to extend mandatory pay gap reporting to include ethnicity and disability. It quotes a MCB spokesperson saying that it is essential to that different factors like religion, gender, and taking maternity leave are properly taken into account in mandatory pay gap reporting. The report says Sikh Council UK has made similar calls. Article is here
EU Catholic bishops to visit Ukraine on fact finding mission
A delegation of Catholic bishops from the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), will take part in an official visit to Ukraine this week. The aim is to create closer links between the Roman and the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine, which have recently both obtained observer status in the COMECE Assembly. The bishops will hold talks and visit projects to hear about support offered to people who have lost family members in the war, and to see for themselves the destruction of infrastructure and society. They will report back to COMECE which holds regular talks with European Union leaders.
