Buildings lit in purple tonight on Holocaust Memorial Day
Holocaust Memorial Day, marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, is being commemorated around the world today, with a ceremony planned at Auschwitz this evening, attended by King Charles and global leaders. Six million people, mainly Jews, were killed by the Nazis and they will be remembered with music and readings, and the testimony of the last remaining survivors. In Britain, politicians, civic and faith leaders will attend Holocaust Memorial Day ceremonies in towns and cities, and at 8pm, buildings will be lit in purple and candles lit and placed in windows, to mark the day. The Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, has issued a message saying “Let us guarantee that in the face of any evil in the future, we will stand firm, and we, together with others, will not allow such oppression to take place. The message of our parsha (text) to us is: Never again!”. Pope Francis warned of the “scourge of antisemitism” in his Angelus prayer on Sunday, and said: “the extermination of millions of Jewish people and others of different faiths during those years must never be forgotten or denied”. BBC coverage of all the events is listed here . Our briefing on The Lost Music of Auschwitz can be viewed again here
Holy Land pilgrimages ‘should include towns in the West Bank‘
Eight bishops who visited the West Bank in a visit organised by the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales, have issued a statement saying the faith and resilience of the Christians there, strengthened their own faith. They hoped Christians would return to the Holy Land on pilgrimage “not only to the Holy Sites of Jerusalem, Galilee and Bethlehem, but that they will also come to visit communities like Aboud, Ephraim-Taybeh, and Ramallah so they too can draw inspiration from your faithfulness to the Land in which Jesus was born.” They noted concern at the fragility of the ceasefire, grief, injuries, devastation, struggles of daily life for water, electricity and medical assistance and the “extraordinary efforts being made in the fields of healthcare and education”. They took away the need for the international community to offer development assistance and work towards a lasting peace. The bishops included four from Britain: Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster, Nicholas Hudson; Anglican Bishop of Southwark, Christopher Chessun; Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster, James Curry; and Archbishop of Glasgow, William Nolan.
Dr Wajid Akhter elected Secretary General of Muslim Council of Britain
Dr Wajid Akhter, a medical doctor from Essex, has been elected the new Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, promising major reforms in the organisation to build bridges in the community. In his inaugural speech, he outlined his “Vision 2050”, to see Muslims excel in every area of public life over the next 25 years, contributing to “a just, cohesive and successful British society”. Dr Akhter criticised the way grooming gangs had been described: “One groomer is one too many, Muslim or otherwise. But using the heinous acts of a few to misrepresent an entire faith and an ethnicity is also unacceptable. We will act against both injustices.” Addressing the spike in Islamophobia on social media, he said: “We must shift from seeing ourselves as powerless victims to becoming the powerful, inspirational authors of our own stories”. The Muslim Council of Britain represents 500 organisations and is said to be the largest umbrella body of Britain’s four million Muslims.
“Is God making a comeback” among Britain’s youth?
A poll of 10,000 people suggests Gen Z teens and twenties in Britain are more likely to say they are “spiritual” than older people, and less likely to identify as atheists than their parents or grandparents. The Times reports that the survey was conducted by OnePoll and commissioned to mark the publication of a book “The Devil’s Gospels: Finding God in Four Great Atheist Books”. Only 13 per cent of those under 25 say they are atheists, and 62 per cent say they are very or fairly spiritual, enjoying nature and mindfulness rather than participating in traditional religious practices. In contrast 25 per cent of people aged 45-60, and 20 per cent over 65s are atheists. The book’s author, Christopher Gasson, told The Times the results were “gobsmacking” and said it could suggest that God is “making a comeback” in Britain.
Charity Commission warns synod members safeguarding is legal responsibility
The Charity Commission has written to all members of the Church of England General Synod, reminding them of their duty to take reasonable steps to protect people from harm who come into contact with the church. The synod is due to vote on two alternative proposals for the future structure of safeguarding process in the church, after two reviews said it needed greater independence. The General Synod is not a charity, but many members are trustees of parishes, cathedrals or institutions which are charities, with a legal responsibility for keeping people safe. The letter from the Charity Commission chief executive, David Holdsworth, says it is not involved with church administration but it can provide advice and guidance to trustees. It understands that the synod business is “intended to rectify the inadequacies highlighted by various past reviews and reports” and advises that “trustees should ensure that processes, procedures and training are fit for purpose”.
Bishop says Welby was ‘chewed up and spat out’ by the CofE
The Bishop of Dover, Rose Hudson-Wilkin, has said the Archbishop of Canterbury was a good man, chewed up by his critics and spat out when he was forced to resign. Speaking in a Times Radio interview, she said some people in the church had behaved so badly, it was so wrong and he should not have resigned. The church was in a better place because of safeguarding introduced under Dr Welby. She said he was treated like Jesus: “One day they are shouting, ‘Hosanna, Hosanna,’ and then the following day they are shouting, ‘Crucify him, crucify him’.” She would certainly not want her name to go forward to replace him and was content “to share the message of God’s good news on the ground”. The Times Radio interview is here (1:37:28 in).
Pope warns against brain rot by constant social media scrolling
Pope Francis has warned against “brain rot” caused by constant social media scrolling, calling for greater media literacy and critical thinking, especially among young people. He was speaking to 9,000 journalists at an audience on Saturday, one of several large scale events organised in the Year of Jubilee. In a prepared speech, he urged Catholic journalists and media workers to be courageous truth-tellers and bearers of hope in an age marked by conflict, division, and misinformation. He did not in fact deliver the speech, choosing instead to deliver shorter off the cuff remarks, on the grounds that it was late and everyone was hungry. He told the journalists: “Your work is one that builds. It builds society and it builds the Church” provided journalists are truthful and real in their interior life. In the written speech distributed afterwards, he drew attention to the fact that 120 media professionals died in the course of their work in 2024.
