Pope calls for more assistance to Lebanon
On the first anniversary of the massive explosion in Beirut that claimed more than 200 lives and caused widespread destruction, Pope Francis appealed for the international community to provide “concrete assistance” to Lebanon. He said: “It is my hope that the current international conference hosted by France with the support of the United Nations will prove productive in this regard” and he expressed his desire to visit the country. Catholics delivering aid say many people have left due to resulting economic difficulties.
$105m for projects exploring deep questions affecting mankind
The John Templeton Foundation has approved 91 funding requests with a total value of $105m (£75.5m). They include $3m to Surrey University for a research project about time and quantum physics; and $11m to Bristol University on the health effects of religion and spirituality. The foundation is among the 25 largest grant-making foundations in the United States and supports “research and dialogue on the deepest and most perplexing questions facing humankind”.
Christian charity reports amazing growth in generosity during pandemic
Meanwhile, Stewardship UK has reported a £30.2m increase in grants for 2020, allowing the distribution of more than £115m to churches and charities. Its annual report says its donor base has grown from 35,000 to 40,000 during the pandemic, an “amazing growth in generosity”. It set up a Rapid Response Fund raised distributing grants to churches and Christian charities meeting local needs. Premier Christian News story here
MPs set up body on safeguarding in faith communities
An all-party parliamentary group has been set up to consider safeguarding in faith communities. It aims to increase awareness of issues relating to safeguarding and to provide an opportunity for faith communities to share experiences and best practice. The secretariat is Thirtyone:eight, an independent Christian charity which compiles reports and offers advice to organisations about protecting vulnerable people from abuse. The group is co-chaired by Janet Daby, Labour’s former shadow faith minister, and Bishop Vivienne Faull.
Sikh and Hindu site for scattering ashes on the River Taff
A site where Sikhs and Hindus can scatter the ashes of loved ones has been officially opened on the River Taff in south Wales. Channi Kaler, from the funeral company Antim Sanskar Group Wales, searched for a site after his sister almost slipped into a river while scattering his father’s ashes at Pontsarn, Merthyr Tydfil, in 2012. They found a pontoon shared with a rowing club near Llandaff Weir. It is believed the only other such site in the UK is in Leicester. BBC story here
More women regularly attend mosques in America
A survey by Faith Communities Today in the States, says women continue to be less involved than men in mosque life but the pattern is changing. Pew Research reports that the mosques where adult women account for more than a quarter of all attendees, grew from 14 per cent to 21 per cent in the decade to 2020. Despite the increase, men make up the majority of Jumah prayer attendees in 94 per cent of mosques, and there were no mosques in which men make up fewer than 30 per cent attendees at Friday prayer.
Dominican brothers on fortnight pilgrimage to mark anniversary
A group of Dominican brothers are on a two-week pilgrimage to commemorate the arrival in 1221 of the Dominican Order in Great Britain and the 800th anniversary of the death of St Dominic in Italy. They started in Ramsgate on 1 August and are due to arrive in Oxford on 15 August. Passing through Canterbury Cathedral, they celebrated mass and were joined by other brothers to sing a votive vespers of St. Dominic, with the choir of the cathedral. Their journey is recounted here
Church bells silenced by tourists chime again after residents’ loud appeal
Church bells in the town of Banyoles, near Barcelona, forced into silence by tourists complaining they were being kept awake at night, will start ringing again after a residents protested. The bells of the 11th-century Santa Maria dels Turers church used to chime every quarter of an hour, but the manager of a tourist apartment block complained. The silence provoked raucous protests with residents banging pots and pans in the street saying they were kept awake by the bells not ringing to mark the time. The mayor relented and the bells are back. Guardian story here
