Deputy PM Angela Rayner meets the Pope
The Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, has met Pope Francis at the Vatican. Writing on Twitter / X she said it was an honour to meet the Pope who had shown “great leadership on addressing the global issues of our time and building bridges of dialogue among faiths.” Ms Rayner is also the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and one of the ministers reporting to her is the Faith minister, Lord Khan. Afterwards, at the end of the general audience, Pope Francis renewed his appeal for peace and solidarity for those suffering in war: “Let us not forget the martyred Ukrainian people, who suffer so much. And let’s also pray for peace in the Holy Land, Palestine, and Israel, where people are also suffering so much.”
Archbishops fear for future of Christianity in the Holy Land
The Archbishops of Jerusalem and Canterbury have published a pastoral letter lamenting “a deliberate strategy of harassment and intimidation to force Palestinian families from the land”. They say they were “profoundly shocked” to hear from Palestinian Christians in Ramallah and Bethlehem about their “daily struggles to survive the ongoing occupation”. They “fear for the long-term survival of the indigenous Christian presence in the Holy Land that stretches back to the time when our Lord walked this land”.
Assisted Dying voices in favour and and 489 MPs undecideds or unknowns
Conservative party MP Andrew Mitchell has come out in favour of assisted dying. Known for his support for Freedom of Religion and Belief and campaigns for persecuted Christians, he says he is convinced the bill has enough safeguards to allay fears and he knows he would want that choice for himself. Former Prime Minister David Cameron has also come out in favour, writing in The Times that the bill is tightly drawn and has strong safeguards. Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss are all against the bill. The Independent analyses how the vote will go but there are 489 undecideds or unknowns. A “wrecking amendment” saying there should be no vote because of insufficient debate and calling for an independent review, may stop the bill in its tracks.
Muslim MP calls for laws to outlaw desecration of religious texts
The Labour MP for Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley, Tahir Ali, has asked the government to prohibit the desecration of all religious texts and the prophets of the Abrahamic religions. Speaking during Prime Minister’s questions, he said he raised the issue as November is Islamophobia awareness month and warned that “mindless desecration” could fuel division and hatred in society. In reply, Keir Starmer said desecration was awful and must be condemned and re-iterated that the government is committed to “tackling all forms of hatred and division, including Islamophobia, in all of its forms.” The exchange went viral on Twitter / X with criticism that this was a call for blasphemy laws and Starmer should have ruled it out. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said blasphemy laws have no place in the UK.
Orthodox and evangelical churches growing, while nominal Christianity declines
People in Britain are attracted to churches at different ends of the Christian spectrum but not the “mushy middle”, according to speakers discussing “Does the Future Have a Church?”, organised by the think tank Theos. Growth in congregation numbers were being seen at Orthodox and evangelical churches, the panellists said, but not so much in the Church of England, where nominal Christianity was in decline. The panel discussion replaced a planned lecture by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who resigned after the Makin report into horrific sex abuse and a church cover up. Panellist Justin Brierley ventured that people would not be put off their local church by what had happened at the top. “People can distinguish between their personal experience and institutional failures”, he said. Read Catherine Pepinster’s report of the lecture here
Church Times investigation says Smyth’s abuse was properly reported to police
The Church Times reports that John Smyth’s abuse was properly reported to the police in 2013, “challenging the Makin review’s conclusion about the responses of the diocese of Ely, and of Lambeth Palace, in that year”. The paper has spoken to three retired detectives with extensive safeguarding experience who conclude that Justin Welby was justified in thinking in 2013 that proper processes had been followed. The Archbishop of Canterbury resigned saying: “When I was informed in 2013 and told that police had been notified, I believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow. It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024”. Church Times report here
The imam and community leader standing for election in Ireland
Hyphen Online tells the story of Dr Umar Al-Qadri, chief imam at the Al-Mustafa Islamic Educational and Cultural Centre Ireland since 2004 and chair of the Irish Muslim Council, who is standing as an independent candidate in the Dublin West constituency in the Irish general election tomorrow, 29 November. He was the person with the idea of Eid prayers at Croke Park, the Dublin headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association, which has become an annual event. Dr Al Qadri speaks of a housing crisis, his vision of a united Ireland and the importance of integration and says he was prompted to go into politics after the riots in Dublin last year which police say were fuelled by far-right ideology. He said: “It showed me that Ireland is not immune to racism or bigotry. Our communities need to be really vigilant to prevent it happening”.
US Border Patrol agents calling for more chaplains to deal with workplace trauma
US Border Patrol agents are recruiting more chaplains to provide spiritual care for an increasingly stressful occupation. The Associated Press reports that there are 20,000 agents and 240 chaplains, a number that has almost doubled in four years. The agents say their work involves protecting people from cartels, finding and rescuing migrants lost and dying in the deserts and helping lone children, which is deeply distressing. As a chaplain, they have been called upon to help with associated trauma which can lead to counselling suicidal colleagues, or helping them through tensions at home caused by constant redeployments. AP article is here
Johnson blames Britain’s obesity crisis on the church
Boris Johnson has blamed Britain’s obesity crisis on the Church of England, saying the church has failed to address people’s spiritual needs: “There’s something missing in people’s lives, and they’re filling that gap with food.” He made the comments in an interview with Henry Dimbleby and Dr Dolly van Tulleken for a report: “Nourishing Britain: A Political Manual for Improving the Nation’s Health”. They interviewed 20 former prime ministers, health secretaries and other politicians from the last 30 years about the politics of obesity, food and health policy. Boris Johnson also criticised the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and other religious leaders for focusing on issues like slavery reparations instead of addressing people’s spiritual struggles. He said: “Instead of droning on about guilt and left-wing politics, religious leaders should focus on filling the spiritual gap that is clearly driving unhealthy behaviours”. Transcript of interview here
