Chris Brain, leader of the ‘Nine O’Clock Service’, guilty of 17 cases of indecent assault
Christopher Brain, the former Church of England priest and leader of the “Nine O’Clock Service”, a nightclub style worship service based at an Anglican church in Sheffield in the 80s and 90s, has been found guilty of 17 counts of indecent assault against nine women. He was found not guilty of another 15 charges of indecent assault, and the jury is continuing deliberations on a further four counts of indecent assault and one charge of rape. Now aged 68 and living in Wilmslow, he led a movement which at the time was hailed as a significant new way of attracting young people into the church, with music, lights and a nightclub atmosphere, intertwined with liturgy. During a six week trial at Inner London Crown Court, witnesses gave evidence about a team of young women known as the “Lycra lovelies” who carried out household chores at his home and gave him massages. He denied all the charges against him. Chris Brain was fast tracked into ordination but resigned holy orders in 1995 when complaints were made, and the group was dissolved. The jury is expected to continue its deliberations today.
The timber Kiruna Church in northern Sweden has arrived at its new home
The red timber building of Kiruna Church has completed its move to a new home 3 km away, where it was transported on rollers in a risky and ambitious engineering feat. The building was one of 25 moved to a new position in the town after ground fissures appeared due to iron ore mining. Sky News reports there are plans to mine to a new depth in the area and buildings were shifted to avoid them being swallowed up. The removal was a global event, with mmillions tuning in to see live film of the slow journey, choreographed by the mining company, moving at snail’s pace along the road to its destination.
Church treasurer jailed for four years for stealing £285,000
A church treasurer has been jailed for four years for defrauding St Laurence’s church, Winslow, and the Rogers Free Educational Trust, out of more than £285,000. Terence Capstick, aged 75, a former Maths teacher, stole £163,600 from St Laurence’s, Winslow, and £122,052 from the Rogers Free Educational Trust, which assists pupils resident in the parish to attend places of higher education. The crimes took place over a period of four years from 2019-2023. Capstick, of Park Road, Winslow, in Buckinghamshire, pleaded guilty in May and was jailed on 6 August at Aylesbury Crown Court. The Bishop of Buckingham, Dave Bull, thanked the police “for bringing this regrettable case to justice” and said the crime would have “far reaching consequences, not least the financial viability of a parish”. Story is here
80 Orthodox rabbis say Israel has moral obligation to prevent mass starvation
Eighty Orthodox rabbis, including the former chief rabbi of Ireland and others from Poland, Denmark, Norway, Los Angeles and Washington DC, have signed a letter in response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The letter, entitled “A Call for Moral Clarity, Responsibility, and a Jewish Orthodox Response in the Face of the Gaza Humanitarian Crisis”, criticises the rise of extremist political voices in Israel, the hardening of sentiments about Palestinians, and the explosion of settler violence in the West Bank. It says: “Hamas’s sins and crimes do not relieve the government of Israel of its obligations to make whatever efforts are necessary to prevent mass starvation.” Times of Israel story here
Royal Navy’s first Hindu chaplain starts work in Plymouth
Bhanu Attri, a Hindu priest who has run a temple in London for decades, has become the Royal Navy’s first Hindu chaplain, passing out from Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth last week. The Times of India says there are 40 Hindus in the Royal Navy and another 30 in the Maritime Reserves, with a total of 1,550 among military personnel. Mr Attri will join HMS Drake working in and around Devonport Naval Base. Report by Naomi Canton is here
Xi Jinping visits Tibet on 60th anniversary of China’s rule of the territory
The Associated Press reports that the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, made a rare visit to Tibet yesterday to mark the 60th anniversary of Beijing’s rule over the territory. AP reports that there have been decades of political repression, demolition of Buddhist monasteries and the imprisonment of monks since then. Tibetan Buddhism’s leader, the Dalai Lama, is living in exile in northern India and, aged 90, he is insisting that his organisation elects his successor. But China disputes this and says it has this right. In a speech, Xi Jinping called for stronger regulation of religious affairs and for Tibetan Buddhism to be guided towards socialist society.
US judge blocks ten commandments display in Texas schools
A US district judge has rule that the state of Texas cannot require schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom, despite a law passed earlier this year. The Guardian reports that this is the third such state law to be blocked by a court and follows legal action from families and faith leaders, who said the requirement violates the first amendment’s protections for the separation of church and state and the right to free religious exercise. Story here
Pope Leo planning to flat share in the Papal apartments
Pope Leo XIV will share the papal apartments with a group of three or four brethren, when renovation works are complete. There are ten rooms inside the 16th century apartments on the third floor of the Apostolic Palace, and Pope Leo said early on that he wanted to live there, unlike his predecessor Pope Francis who chose to live in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse nearby. La Republica says this will the first time a Pope has chosen to share their living quarters.
