Assisted Dying bill impact assessment “makes for chilling reading”
The Bishop of London says the government’s impact assessment of the assisted dying bill “makes for chilling reading”. The bill would allow adults with fewer than six months to live to be assisted to die, if approved by two doctors and a panel. The assessment includes stark estimates of the number of people choosing to die in this way and the estimated cost to the NHS. It says up to 4,000 could choose this option within ten years and the NHS could save £60 million, representing the cost of care for the dying. The Department of Health and Social Care, together with the Ministry of Justice, published the impact assessment on Friday afternoon. Bishop Sarah Mullaly said: “The impact assessment of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill makes for chilling reading as it highlights particular groups who would be put at risk by a change in the law, including those who are subject to health inequalities, and those vulnerable to domestic abuse”. On the financial estimates, she said: “It is crude to see these cost savings set out in this way, and it is easy to see how numbers of this nature could contribute to someone feeling that they should pursue an assisted death rather than receive care.” She re-iterated the church’s resolve to oppose “any change in the law that puts the vulnerable at risk rather than working to improve access to desperately needed palliative care services.”
Report on governance failures at Bangor Cathedral
A “Visitation” report into Bangor Cathedral has found a “culture in which sexual boundaries seemed blurred”, inappropriate language and excessive consumption of alcohol. The report also found weak financial controls, unclear reporting lines, spending decisions that were insufficiently scrutinised, and “hurtful gossip”. The report found strengths amid recent positive changes, but it made ten wide ranging recommendations on matters such as governance, training and culture. The visitation was commissioned in October 2024, by the Archbishop of Wales, Andy John, after “very serious and urgent” safeguarding concerns were raised. A safeguarding audit was carried out in parallel by the charity ThirtyOne:Eight, which recommended areas for improvement. The Visitation report says any future appointment to the role of Dean or Sub-Dean should be exclusive of other responsibilities. This follows the appointment of Canon Siôn Rhys-Evans as both sub-Dean and Canon Treasurer and Diocesan Secretary, roles he left in December 2024. In response to the report, the Archbishop said it was a sobering time and the findings were “hard to hear – but they must be faced if we are to move forward with integrity”. He said the recommendations would be implemented in full, recruitment for a new Dean would start immediately, and there would be a commitment to “the work of repair, of rebuilding trust and of creating a healthier culture—together”.
Oldest UK mosque hosts VE Day interfaith event
An interfaith VE Day anniversary celebration was held on Sunday at the Shah Jahan Mosque in Woking, Surrey, the oldest purpose-built mosque in the UK and northern Europe. The event honoured the 1.5 million Muslim fighters who lost their lives during the Second World War, and highlighted the contributions of diverse communities in the war effort. A key moment of the event was a speech by Holocaust survivor John Hajdu, now 88, who was born in Budapest in 1937. During the war, his father was sent to a forced labour camp, and John and his mother were confined to a designated house marked with a yellow star. Today, he lives in London and dedicates his time to educating others about the Holocaust, often speaking in schools and at public events. He emphasises the importance of remembering history to promote understanding and tolerance. Report here
Gen Z Christianity and anti-woke rebellion
Caroline Downey, writing in The Telegraph, suggests the increase in Christian affiliation among Gen Z young people, both in the USA and UK, is a sign of rebellion against the “left-wing zeitgeist”, quoting a comedian who said “All the cool kids now are unwoke”. The article quotes Barna research suggesting there’s been a 12 per cent increase in the number of US adults who’ve “made a personal commitment to Jesus,” fuelled by Gen-Z and Millennials. And it compares this with recent surveys reporting a similar increase in interest in the UK among Gen Z and Catholic young men. The article suggests the Covid-19 lockdowns may have propelled young people to find community and solace in the church, with young men seeking structure and role models, and where the wearing a crucifix might signal acceptance of traditional values. Caroline Downey is a reporter at the US based National Review and a fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum, and the article is here.
Man arrested after dead animals left outside New Forest churches
Police have arrested a 47-year-old man from Totton in connection with a series of twelve incidents when bodies of dead lambs and deer were left outside churches around the New Forest area, in Totton and Bramshaw. The man has been arrested on suspicion of two counts of criminal damage and ten counts of religiously aggravated criminal damage. He has been given conditional police bail until 2 August. Police say inquiries are continuing.
New Hindu temple for Chelmsford
Hindus in Chelmsford have been granted planning permission to convert a former shop into a temple, where it can hold community events and worship. Until now, Hindus have been using the Quaker Meeting Hall on every day except Sunday, but needed premises seven days a week.
The Conclave
Explainer: The Papal Conclave
The Conclave to elect the next Pope starts tomorrow in Rome and Catherine Pepinster explains how it works, who will vote and reviews possible outcomes. Among the facts and history is an explanation of the “pendulum theory”, when after one type of pope, the cardinals want another, from a reforming progressive to a conservative inclined to slow down the pace of change, a consolidator rather than a visionary. Read the explainer here
Cardinal won’t check the odds on next Pope
Cardinal Vincent Nichols has given an interview to The Times about the Conclave in Rome, in which 135 cardinals will elect the new Pope. This is his first Conclave, and he admitted, again, that he feels intimidated by the process, but he will not be “doing a Paddy Power”, assessing the odds, just moving slowly without reaching conclusions early. The cardinals have spent the past week, since Pope Francis’ funeral, meeting formally to hear shared concerns, and informally to get to know the characters. He told The Times: “I have a shortlist, but it is still a list and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if over the next three or four days someone else was added to it and some were dropped off it. I won’t go in with a single candidate, I’m sure of that. But I will have a number of people who I think, for many different reasons, are uppermost in my mind.”
Taizé prayer for the papal conclave
The Taizé community has published wording for a suggested prayer and service as people wait for the Papal Conclave to elect the next Pope. It includes the line: “Always renew our hope and bless the one you will call to be a servant of unity among your people and a witness to hope and peace in the human family, attentive to the lowly and the needy, for your kingdom belongs to them”.
Popemobile becomes medical facility for children in Gaza
The Popemobile used by Pope Francis in Bethlehem in 2014, is to become a mobile health clinic for children int he Gaza strip. Peter Brune and Anton Asfar, from the Catholic aid charity Caritas came up with the idea and suggested it to Pope Francis who fully endorsed the idea. It will be used to diagnose and treat children who have no access to healthcare, offering aid from the Caritas Jerusalem team. They will be able to use it as a base for rapid tests for infections, suture kits and oxygen as well as a refrigerator for medication. Guardian story here
“I worked in the Vatican for 18 years – this will be the most unpredictable conclave yet” by Ariel Beramendi in The Guardian
“This will be the first clickbait conclave, and everyone will be following” by James Jeffrey in The Telegraph
Pic of Donald Trump dressed as the Pope causes outrage
An AI generated image of Donald Trump dressed as the Pope, with white papal vestments and mitre, seated in an ornate chair with his right forefinger raised, has caused outrage. The picture was posted on Truth Social and then shared by the White House, just a week after Trump attended Pope Francis funeral and as the Conclave of Cardinals prepares to meets to elect the successor . Vice President and recent Catholic convert JD Vance was asked if he condoned it, replying: “As a general rule, I’m fine with people telling jokes and not fine with people starting stupid wars that kill thousands of my countrymen”. But the New York State Catholic Conference, which represents bishops, said: “There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President. We just buried our beloved Pope Francis and the cardinals are about to enter a solemn conclave to elect a new successor of St. Peter. Do not mock us.”
