King Charles and the Catholic ‘hand of history’: his journey and timeline
The state visit of the King and Queen Camilla to the Vatican to meet Pope Leo on Thursday (23 October) will be an historic occasion – the monarch and the leader of the Roman Catholic Church will pray together in the Sistine Chapel, the first time a British monarch and pontiff have prayed alongside one another since the Reformation. The King, who is Supreme Governor of the Church of England, will participate in an ecumenical service jointly led by Pope Leo and the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, with choristers from the Chapel Royal and St George’s Chapel in Windsor. Later, King Charles and Queen Camilla will visit the Papal Basilica of St Paul’s Outside the Walls, long associated with the week of Christian Unity, with the Pope and leading Anglican clergy officiating. The King will be given the title of Royal Confrater of St Paul and a special chair has been made for him which will be used by him and his successors when they visit the Basilica. Catherine Pepinster reports for us on the visit, and charts in a timeline the stages in Anglican / Catholic relations since 1500 which have led to this point. This historic moment follows King Charles’ public and personal journey of engagement with Catholicism, attending a funeral mass for his aunt, visiting Cardinal Newman’s home in Birmingham, and frequent support of the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need. Catherine charts King Charles’ spiritual journey for us here
CofE clergy vow to offer same-sex blessing services despite bishops’ decision
A number of clergy in the Church of England are resisting a decision by the House of Bishops which put the brakes on moves to allow stand-alone services for same-sex blessings and to allow clergy to be in same-sex marriages. Canon Simon Butler, an influential vicar in “Inclusive Evangelicals”, says the Canons of the Church of England do, in fact, permit stand-alone services. He has officiated at two in his church, Holy Trinity & St Mary’s, Guildford, and has used Prayers of Love and Faith, saying “They have been simple occasions of quiet joy”. Writing for the organisation’s website, he says that in granting his licence, the bishop gave him “the liberty to exercise my ministry within the bounds of the doctrine and Canons of the Church of England”, and he quotes Canon B5 saying ministers have discretion to use forms of service for occasions “for which no provision is made”. Separately, the Rev Dr Charlie Bavzyk-Bell and Canon Giles Fraser also said they would perform stand-alone services of blessing. In his article, Canon Butler said the bishops’ decision was “deeply disillusioning” and “an illegitimate piece of overreach .. that clergy are at liberty to ignore”. He warned: “It would be an illegitimate use of episcopal power, if not a matter of discipline, for a bishop to threaten those who do with any repercussions. It is time to challenge the bishops here, especially as they have so clearly buckled to the threats and deep pockets of The Alliance.” This is a reference to churches opposed to same-sex relationships who formed “The Alliance”, saying they would withdraw funds if the measure went through, requiring another set of bishops in agreement with them and separate ordination training. The Church Times reports that The Alliance has called for a day of action on 1 December, for clergy and PCCs to contact their bishop saying they will withdraw from CofE structures if stand alone same-sex blessing services or married gay clergy are allowed.
Anglican leader urges unity after threat of Gafcon split
The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Bishop Anthony Poggo, has urged the worldwide church to remain united after Gafcon leaders issued a statement signalling a break from the Communion following the appointment of Dame Sarah Mullaly as archbishop. In a pastoral letter, the bishop called for “patience and love” amid divisions, and said disagreements over doctrine and leadership should be addressed “through every instrument available to us”. He asked provinces to engage with the “Nairobi-Cairo Proposals”, which suggest changes to organisational structures in order to aid unity, and to attend next year’s Anglican Consultative Council meeting in Belfast, warning that only those who take part “help shape the future” of the Communion. He hoped Anglicans would “walk together, to the highest degree possible, in Christ’s footsteps.” Susie Leafe, director of Anglican Futures which supports the founding document of Gafcon, the Jerusalem Declaration, told Premier Christian News that it had been a failure to try to hold the Communion together through institutions, instead of looking at the fundamentals of the faith.
Former Methodist president faces multiple charges of sexual assault
A former president of the Methodist Conference, Steven Wild, has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges of sexual assault on a number of women between 2004 to 2019. Appearing at Truro Crown Court on Friday, he faced ten charges of sexual assault and one of indecent assault, over five different locations. Mr Wild, aged 71, of St Ives, was chair of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Methodist District from 2008 until 2022 and President of the Conference in 2015/16. The trial date was set for 2 November 2026, with the judge saying the delay was due to a backlog of cases. It is expected to last three weeks. A review hearing is scheduled for 18 September 2026 and he has been remanded on unconditional bail until then. BBC report here.
Two arrested after rape of Sikh woman in West Midlands
A 49-year-old man and 65-year-old woman are being questioned by police in connection with the rape of a Sikh woman in Oldbury, Birmingham, last month, which police say was racially motivated. They were also arrested in connection with another rape in Halesowen last Thursday, which police say was not racially aggravated. The attack on the Sikh woman, who is in her 20s, sparked protests by the Sikh community. The local MP, Preet Gill, spoke out against the “horrific attack” and expressed concern at an increase in hate crimes with racial aggravation.
New book argues: science shows God is more alive than ever
“God, the science the evidence”, written by a French computer engineer Michael Yves Bollore, and the French entrepreneur and creator of the Catholic Aleteia website, Olivier Bonnassies, reviews latest scientific knowledge of the universe and says belief in God has solid rational evidence. The idea of God it seeks to prove, is in a footnote on page one: “a prime cause for everything that is”, and “one whose existence is described as independent and self-subsisting, ie as not being contingent upon anything else”. The book argues that significant scientific discoveries in recent years, such as the Big Bang, quantum mechanics and fine-tuning of the universe, point to a creator God beyond “space, time, matter and energy” and concludes “in science today, God is more alive than ever”. The book is a number one best seller in France and Spain and has been widely publicised, attracting a share of criticism. A Telegraph review repeats critics who say this is a re-worked theory of “God of the gaps”, where things not explained by science are put down to God. The authors say their conclusion is based on rational foundations based on evidence. The book is published by Palomar.
German bishop says AfD use of Christian language is ‘hypocritical’
The Catholic bishop of Magdeburg in Germany, Gerhard Feige, has accused the far-right AfD party of ‘disguising’ its political position as Christian, which he said was hypocritical. AfD has accused the church of “not being passionate” about abortion, and in once case an AfD politician said representatives of the Catholic church were evil, sent by the devil, and people should leave the church. The bishop said those who want to divide and gain power by sowing discord won’t listen to arguments. Being concerned about the dignity of human beings is not just about abortion, but about affording dignity to every person including refugees. Political campaigning is underway for state elections in 2026.
Armenian bishop and 12 priests detained over anti-government protests
The Associated Press reports that Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, of the Armenian Apostolic Church, has been charged with coercing citizens into taking part in public gatherings, and using his office to commit large-scale theft and obstruct electoral rights. Twelve other clergymen from the same diocese were detained with him. Their detention follows a series of arrests against critics of Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The police investigation into the bishop began last month after a member of the clergy accused the church of pressuring its members to take part in anti-government rallies in 2021, and of corruption and misconduct. Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan, who was arrested in June, has been sentenced to two years in prison after being found guilty of calling for an overthrow of the government. More detail here
Unification church calls for release of its 82-year-old leader from South Korean jail
The Unification church is lobbying for the release of its 82-year-old leader Dr Hak Ja Han, the wife of the late Sun Myung Moon, who founded the church in 1954 which became known as “The Moonies”. She has been detained for 21 days after being arrested on bribery charges, involving the payment of two Chanel bags and a diamond necklace, together worth £42,500, to the former South Korea first lady Kim Keon Hee, who is herself in prison on corruption charges. The church says Dr Hak Ja Han is “fighting for her life in a freezing South Korean cell after 21 days of detention. Legally blind. Diabetic. Recent heart surgery. Forced to sleep on the floor in a 6-meter cell with no heat, no chairs, no bed. Her family warns of imminent health collapse.”
Diwali Day in Leicester scaled back this year
Diwali Day celebrations in Leicester, once one of the largest celebrations outside India, are being scaled back this year due to safety concerns following last year’s event which attracted 50,000 people. The festivities will focus on Belgrave Road, the “Golden Mile”, today, with the road closing between 5pm and 9.30pm. More than 6,000 decorative lights will illuminate the road and there will be a Wheel of Light, a large, Ferris wheel. But there will not be a stage entertainment show this year, fireworks, or a “Diwali Village” of food stalls and funfair rides. The city’s Safety Advisory Group of police, fire service, ambulance service, NHS and event safety experts, advised that the event in its previous format was no longer safe without major changes. Budget pressures and rising costs of managing large public events such as traffic management and crowd control, have also been cited as reasons for scaling back. The cutbacks have disappointed some community and business leaders, but the council said safety must come first.
