Assisted Dying Bill faces opposition in Commons today
The Assisted Dying Bill will come back to the Commons today for votes on 44 amendments which have been proposed during its committee stage in parliament. The bill will allow people over 18, diagnosed with a terminal illness and expected to die within six months, to declare their wish to die and be given medication to do so. The amendments include allowing expert panels to approve cases, rather than the High Court, a change which has attracted opposition. It’s reported that the bill faces difficulties being passed, with at least 15 MPs from different parties who originally backed the bill, now having second thoughts. The final vote will be made on 20 June. A majority of faith leaders have come out against the bill, including a coalition of faith leaders from Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, and other traditions, warning that it could inadvertently pressure vulnerable people to opt for assisted dying. Esther Rantzen, who has stage four lung cancer, has urged MPs to vote in favour of the bill.
World Council of Churches condemns ‘atrocities being perpetrated in Gaza’
The World Council of Churches executive committee has issued a statement saying it “unequivocally condemns the atrocities being perpetrated in Gaza by the State of Israel, recognizing that the current government is pursuing extremist policies that are not supported by many Israelis”. At its meeting in Geneva, it said the scale of devastation of lives and communities in Gaza has “reached unspeakable levels”, with serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law constituting war crimes and crimes against humanity. It continues: “The now openly-stated intention to re-occupy Gaza and permanently displace the Palestinian population, including refugees from 1948, amounts to a policy of ethnic cleansing that must be firmly denounced by all members of the international community who have committed themselves to international law and morality”. It calls for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, humanitarian access to all those in need in Gaza and action to “bring perpetrators of crimes under international law to justice”. Full statement is here
‘Migrants are not strangers, but friends’ says Bishop of Chelmsford
The Bishop of Chelmsford, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, has expressed concern over the Prime Minister’s speech on immigration, where he said that the UK risked “becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together.” In a statement, the Bishop, who came to the UK from Iran as a refugee, said: “In the churches and different communities I am a part of, we are not an ‘island of strangers’. Migrants are not ‘strangers’ but friends who fully participate and contribute as we worship, serve, and live life together. The vast majority have applied through official routes to come here to the UK to live, work, and study, and their contributions go far beyond a simple binary GDP evaluation. Political leaders must acknowledge that words matter because they influence how people perceive and treat vulnerable people. It can never be acceptable to dehumanise migrants as if they are not deserving of dignity, compassion, and rights”. The Prime Minister made the comments as he unveiled proposals to crack down on immigration, bringing levels down and enforcing rules. The Bishop commented that sensible policy conversations were needed to help encourage integration, but the migration system should “reflect the values we hold as a nation – fairness, opportunity, tolerance and respect. Because how we do things and how we communicate them is equally important”.
South African cleric supports US church refusal to resettle white refugees
The Archbishop of Cape Town, Thabo Makgoba, has praised the leader of the US Episcopalian Church for refusing to work with the US government on the resettling of white South African refugees and ending its relationship with the government on resettlement from September. In a letter sent to ECUSA’s Presiding Bishop Sean W. Rowe yesterday, Ap Makgoba thanked him and rejected the Trump administration’s arguments for accepting white Afrikaners, as targets of genocide. Religion News Service story here
Dignitaries line up for Pope Leo’s inauguration
Civic and religious dignitaries are assembling in Rome to see Pope Leo XIV installed as the head of the Catholic Church on Sunday. Vice President JD Vance, First Lady Usha Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will represent the United States. The Duke of Edinburgh is representing the King.
Pope Leo’s safeguarding record defended
Supporters of Pope Leo XIV have come out to back his record on safeguarding, which has been criticised by survivors’ groups. Two US networks, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests and Bishop Accountability, have criticised his action in Peru for failing to investigate allegations that two priests sexually abused children, and criticised his action as a bishop in Chicago for not acting against an alleged victim. The survivors say they are hoping the Pope will bring justice and healing. A Jesuit and top expert on combating sexual abuse, told the Religion News Service that Leo was among few leaders of religious orders to attend a conference on safeguarding and he was willing to learn and be engaged
Calvin Robinson has license to officiate as a priest revoked again
The Rev Calvin Robinson, whose right-wing views catapulted him to fame in the UK, has had his license to officiate as a priest revoked again, by an Anglican organisation in the United States. His chequered ecclesiastical career has seen him unable to secure a curacy in London, ordained by the Nordic Catholic Church, operating as a priest in Michigan in the Anglican Catholic Church, dismissed for making a seemingly Nazi salute at a rally, re-instated into a branch of the denomination, the Reformed Episcopal Church, but now that license has been revoked. Archbishop Ray Sutton said he revoked the license after “much prayer and counsel from fellow bishops”. Robinson wrote on social media: “Bp Ray Sutton is a good man. One of the best Anglican bishops I know. If even he cannot find a place for me, even temporarily, perhaps God is sending me a message.”
