One vote could decide next Archbishop as church seeks unifying leader
Later this month, the Crown Nominations Commission is expected to decide the name of the next Archbishop of Canterbury, who will be the spiritual leader of the Church of England and head of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The new archbishop will inherit a church wrestling with disputes over sexuality, safeguarding failures, financial shortfalls, declining congregations and a fractious global fellowship of churches. Panellists at our media briefing agreed that the appointment must be a unifying figure, someone whom each warring faction in the church can live with, and someone not obsessed with internal church matters, but able to address social, economic and political challenges in wider society. There are 17 people able to vote on the Commission and agreement has to be reached by two thirds, but the group is said to be finely balanced and there is speculation the final decision may rest on just one vote. For the record, the frontrunners were named as the Bishops of Bath and Wells, Chelmsford and London. But speculation over this appointment is traditionally a fool’s errand, with outsiders often pulling through, and among those names so far are Gloucester, Sheffield, Liverpool, Dover, Lancaster, Salisbury, Leicester, and St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. View the briefing again on our YouTube channel and listen to the podcast through links here
Pope honours Duchess of Kent’s ‘legacy of Christian goodness’
The King and other members of the Royal Family attended the Requiem Mass for the Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral yesterday, the first time that a monarch has attended a Catholic Mass in this country in modern times. The Tablet reports that the Duchess converted to Catholicism in 1994 and the Mass was led by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, including a message from the Pope, read by the Papal Nuncio, who associated himself “with all those offering thanksgiving to Almighty God for the Duchess’s legacy of Christian goodness, seen in her many years of dedication to official duties, patronage of charities, and devoted care for vulnerable people in society.” The report says that the bidding prayers included prayers for Pope Leo, the King, for the Duchess of Kent and other deceased relatives and friends “that they may rest in the eternal peace of God’s presence”. It explains that prayers for the dead are not typical of the Church of England, observing that if the King “joined in the prayers, or knelt during the consecration, or received a blessing from Cardinal Nicholas during the distribution of Holy Communion, it will have been little noted”. Tablet article here
Reports that Tommy Robinson was converted in prison
There are reports that the far right activist, Tommy Robinson, was converted when he was visited by Pastor Rikki Doolan while serving time at HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes. In an interview with Premier Christian Radio, Pastor Doolan said: “Three weeks before his release, I went to visit him in prison. I know he took a Bible into prison, and he was also being visited by the prison chaplain three times a week. I had a two-hour visit, we spoke about the gospel, and he received Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour, right there in the prison.” Rikki Doolan is a minister at Spirit Embassy Pentecostal church in Tottenham, part of an international movement founded in 2008. He is a singer, who played the Unite the Kingdom Official theme song at the demonstration last weekend.
Christian magazine journalist assaulted for reporting on free speech march
Premier Christian magazine reporter, David Campanale, followed the Unite the Kingdom demonstration to find out more about the Christians on the march. He reports on the hopes and fears of Christians, disturbing themes of immigration, incendiary rhetoric from speakers on the platform, and the moment when someone shouted “He’s a leftie”, told him to stop recording and punched and chased him away.
Churches ‘have power to change narrative on asylum seekers’
The Bishop of Dover, Rose Hudson-Wilkin has been appointed chair of the Churches’ Refugee Network, an ecumenical group advocating for the dignity and rights of refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants within Christian churches. She said: “I believe this network’s work – rooted in compassion, justice, and faith – has the power to bring real and lasting change to the current narrative.” The Network says 109,000 people are currently awaiting an initial decision, in limbo. In a society where there is a “cynical weaponisation of asylum and refugee issues by some politicians, the CRN’s work has never been more vital”. It adds: “The importance of churches and Christians being a voice of compassion, mercy and hope in this situation aims to counter the hostility and negativity that is ever present”.
CAFOD & Christian Aid join campaign to stop trade with Israeli settlements
Christian Aid and CAFOD are among an alliance of more than 80 civil society organisations which have launched a campaign, Stop Trade with Settlements, urging governments to ban trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory. The campaign targets multinational companies and financial institutions accused of sustaining settlement expansion, which the International Court of Justice has ruled illegal under international law. They include JCB, Barclays Bank, Siemens, Carrefour and TUI. Building in the settlements has increased to more than 30,000 housing units in 2023, the highest level since the Oslo Accords. Campaigners say ending settlement trade is essential to uphold human rights, protect Palestinian livelihoods and prevent further expansion.
Reform UK councillor calls for RE to be limited to Christianity
A Reform UK county councillor has urged Northumberland schools to limit religious education lessons to Christianity and not include other faiths. Councillor David Fitzgerald, a member of Northumberland County Council’s SACRE advisory board, told a county council meeting: “My concern is these children could be brainwashed into other things… We are a Christian country and have been for centuries, and we must remain so.” Four Labour MPs have since written to the council, calling for Councillor Fitzgerald’s removal from the SACRE (Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education), saying members must uphold inclusion, adding that divisive comments “cause real harm.” Reform UK won 23 seats in the May county council elections, having previously held nothing. They are in second place to the Tories with 26. Labour is a distant third.
Three men jailed for seven years after Islamophobic hate crime
Three men have been jailed after they left pig heads outside buildings used by Muslim groups in Rainham, east London, and sprayed messages of religious hostility on concrete around a mosque and educational facilities. Snaresbrook Crown Court was told the incidents were “treated as Islamophobic hate crimes” and the men were sent down for more than seven years in total.
