Pope Francis extends hospital stay due to ‘complex clinical picture’
The Holy See Press Office has issued a statement saying that the Pope is stable and does not have a fever, but his “complex clinical picture” requires more treatment in hospital, and his Wednesday general audience has been cancelled. It says: “The results of the medical tests carried out over the past few days and today have shown a polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract, which has led to a further change in therapy. All tests carried out to date are indicative of a complex clinical picture that will require appropriate hospitalization.” The Pope was admitted into Rome’s Gemelli Hospital last Friday, with bronchitis. He is said to be in good spirits and has kept up his nightly routine phoning the parish priest in Gaza, who said the Pope seemed more tired, but had a clear voice.
Nominee for Bishop of Durham withdraws from process
The person nominated to be the next Bishop of Durham, the fourth most senior appointment in the Church of England, has withdrawn from the process. A statement from the CofE says the appointments committee, the Crown Nominations Commission, interviewed candidates in November last year and nominated someone, but yesterday they withdrew. The name of the person and the reasons are unknown. There was no fall-back candidate, so now the process has to start all over again and the Bishop of Jarrow, Sarah Clark, will look after the diocese in the meantime. In a letter to the diocese, she said this was disappointing and unexpected and announced there will be a prayer service tomorrow night. This failure in Durham means there remain eight bishops’ vacancies out of 42 – a fifth of the total.
Antisemitic incidents in 2024 the second highest annual total
The Community Security Trust has recorded 3,528 antisemitic incidents in Britain in 2024 — the second highest annual total ever recorded. The figure is 18 per cent lower than the worst year on record in 2023, when 4,296 incidents were recorded. But the report says the continuing high iincidence in 2024 is a reflection of the sustained levels of antisemitism after the 7 October Hamas attack, as the war in Gaza continued and commanded public attention. CST chief executive Mark Gardner said: “We welcome the defiance and pride that our community has shown, despite everything it has been through.”
‘Split’ Ramadan start date again in Britain
Moonsighters in the Midlands have told Birmingham Live that there could be a “split” Ramadan start date again this year, with the festival starting on different dates depending on when and where the new moon is sighted. Saudi Arabia, the UK, Morocco, and Pakistan all declared that Shaban, the eighth month in the Islamic calendar, would start on Friday, January 31, meaning Ramadan would start 30 days later on 1 March. However, all eyes are on the sighting of the crescent moon at the end of February, and this alone will determine the start of Ramadan, which could shift by 24 hours, depending on local sightings. Article is here
World’s first openly gay imam shot dead in South Africa
Muhsin Hendricks, known as the world’s first openly gay imam, has been shot dead in South Africa. The BBC reports that Hendricks was killed in an ambush, while he was sitting in the back seat of a car, after he had officiated at a lesbian wedding. Hendricks aged 57, came out as gay in 1996 and founded a support organisation for gay Muslims and then established the inclusive Masjidul Ghurbaah mosque. He spoke publicly about the trauma faced by LGBTQ+ individuals within religious communities and is mourned across the world.
‘Why Labour needs to think about religion’
Former Labour MP John Cruddas, writes in the Spectator that UK politics is shifting towards religion, with rising nationalist and faith-based movements seeking certainty and identity. He critiques liberalism for failing to deliver economic fairness and political renewal, while society becomes more polarised. He says new religious trends are ignored by technocratic politicians. Catholic by tradition, he sees religion emerging in UK politics, with aggressive Catholicism likely to emerge “in the slipstream” of figures such as JD Vance; the possible emergence of a Muslim UK party; a muscular Hindu nationalist political movement; urban centres witnessing intra religious conflict and the Conservatives chasing moral certainty in defence of the sacred. He warns that a largely secular Labour government is asking the wrong questions. “Their utilitarian milestones with their suspension of the ethical, are not the answer to those seeking spiritual renewal: politics of a different order”. His article is here
Water and solar power – the benefits of having a new Mormon church in your village
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been building new churches in cities, towns, and villages of the South Pacific, which provide a source of water and solar power, “a little benefit of having a Latter-day Saint church in the village”. Many new church buildings have water collection systems, where rain flows off the roof to tanks, because they say, in this part of the world, “you not only have sunshine, but you have lots of rain, so the tanks fill up quickly.” They say that another benefit that comes with many new buildings is a solar power system, replacing diesel generators with a sustainable energy source, vital in this region where 85 per cent of the population does not have access to electricity. There are more than half a million church members in the South Pacific. The church says its commitment to sustainability aligns with its belief in stewardship of the earth.
Plans withdrawn for controversial annexe next to Ripon Cathedral
A multi-million-pound scheme to build an annexe next to Ripon Cathedral to create a “Cathedral Corner”, with visitor loos, a refectory and a song school, have been withdrawn by the Cathedral chapter. The plans were controversial, involving the loss of more than a dozen trees, and a compromise was rejected again by Ripon City Council in December, over the future of one beech tree. The Dean, John Dobson, said the chapter remains committed to a Cathedral Quarter and will continue to talk to local councillors on the best way forward. Church Times story here
