Bishop: Politicians “complicit in rancid and dangerous political culture”
Faith groups have rallied behind Sir Keir Starmer and David Lammy, who were verbally assaulted and threatened as they made their way back to Parliament yesterday. Their assailants shouted accusations, repeating words delivered by Boris Johnson in Parliament, without foundation, that Keir Starmer had failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile, the serial sex abuser. The Bishop of Liverpool, Paul Bayes, said “Lies lead to violence. A false slur in Parliament led to this incident. The Prime Minister who made it, and the members of his party who defended him, should be deeply ashamed. Our political culture is increasingly rancid and dangerous – and these politicians are complicit”. The Sikh Council said Boris Johnson’s words had caused physical danger to Keir Starmer and David Lammy. The Labour Muslim Network accused the Prime Minister of putting people’s lives in danger.
CofE bishops could be transformed into new shadow cabinet
In an exclusive, Kaya Burgess in the Times revealed a Church of England document suggesting an overhaul in the way bishops are appointed, with some given “cabinet briefs” such as being in charge of Brexit or Covid responses, while others would supervise redrawn geographical areas based around local authority areas and some dioceses would merge. They would also face pay cuts and limited times in office. The BBC’s Harry Farley has also seen the document and revealed it suggests the changes could take ten years to come in. The document is also said to outline the extent of financial failure, with 27 of the 42 dioceses running on a deficit which totalled £20m before the pandemic hit.
The Church of England’s general synod starts in London today for its three day February session. The Church Times says racial justice will be top of the agenda with discussions on human trafficking, and the persecuted Church. But it will also curtain-raise a debate on who chooses the next Archbishop of Canterbury, with Justin Welby said to be going within four years. See our briefing on YouTube here
US Religious groups rise in protest defending pro-abortion rights
The Washington Post reports a growing movement among faith groups in favour of abortion rights, challenging the narrative that devout people see abortion as murder. It charts the movement inflamed by the threat to the Roe v Wade judgment that legalised abortion. The report says 450 clergy and other faith advocates met recently for the virtual event Sacred, representing reproductive rights as a critical justice movement; more than 1,500 rabbis signed on to Repro Shabbat , where texts are studied on reproductive health rights; 54 faith groups came out against the new Mississippi law that bans abortions after 15 weeks, saying there are diverse religious views about when a life begins; and in Texas, congregations are joining Reproduction Freedom Congregations, talking openly about reproductive health and rights. The Rev Angela Williams, a Presbyterian USA pastor and lead organizer of Sacred, said she has come to see unwanted pregnancies as complex situations without necessarily simple answers.
Labour drops antisemitism allegations against 82 year old Jewish woman
The Guardian reports that the Labour party has dropped an investigation into alleged antisemitism against Diana Neslen, an 82-year-Jewish woman who regularly attends her local synagogue and keeps a kosher home. Her lawyers, Bindmans, said the investigation was based on a single tweet in 2017, which said “the existence of the state of Israel is a racist endeavour and I am an antiracist Jew”. This was the third investigation by the party in less than three years for tweets she posted about Israel and Zionism. Bindmans said the investigation was unjustified and disproportionate. She had threatened to sue the party for unlawfully discriminating against her based on her belief in anti-Zionism.
Muslims in Britain say Beijing winter Olympics are the Genocide Games
The Muslim Council of Britain says the Beijing Winter Olympics are the “Genocide Games”, taking place while China persecutes the mainly Muslim Uyghur population, “forcibly detained at internment camps where they are subject to torture, rape, mass sterilisation, forced labour and made to renounce their Muslim beliefs and practices”. The MCB is calling for broadcasters and sponsors to use every opportunity to raise awareness around the plight of the Uyghur people.
Sikh organisations unite to call for Priti Patel to be sacked
More than 150 Sikh organisations in the UK are demanding that the Home Secretary Priti Patel should be sacked after saying that “Sikh separatist extremism has ..caused considerable tensions in recent years. While we stoutly defend freedom of expression, it must always be within the law.” The Sikh Press Association says the claims are unfounded and cause tensions in the UK. Her comments were in a speech to the Heritage Foundation in November last year. The objections are raised in an open letter co-inciding with the 5th anniversary of the imprisonment of Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton in Scotland, detained on allegations which his lawyers say are without evidence.
Proposal to drop the word Christian from Germany’s CDU party
A veteran member of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union party has proposed dropping the word Christian from its name in order to attract more votes. Andreas Rödder analysed why the party lost to the Social Democracts in September, and concluded the name was putting people off. He said the name “signals exclusivity when the party is aiming for more integration” in an increasingly multicultural society and was a barrier to non-Christians.
Priest resigns after using ‘We’ instead of ‘I’ in multiple – now invalid – baptisms
Father Andres Arango, a Roman Catholic priest in Phoenix, Arizona, has resigned after saying “We baptise” instead of “I baptise”, making all baptisms he has taken invalid. He has served in three parishes in Arizona since 2005, ending with St Gregory’s church, but it is not known how many baptisms are invalid. Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted explained to the diocese the church’s teaching that it is Christ alone who presides at all sacraments, so it is Christ Jesus who baptises. Fr Arango remains a priest and has pledged to dedicate his energy and full-time ministry to help remedy this error.
Lambeth Palace subject to safeguarding audit
Next month, the Social Care Institute for Excellence will conduct an external audit of Lambeth Palace’s safeguarding arrangements. This is part of a national programme covering Church of England dioceses, cathedrals and palaces. The inquiry team is asking people to come forward with first-hand experience of seeking a response on safeguarding issues from people at Lambeth Palace, the base of the Archbishop of Canterbury in London. The report will identify where safeguarding improvements need to be made and to plan for that improvement.
National mourning for Indian singer who united faith traditions
Lata Mangeshkar, who sang Hindu and Sikh spiritual music and was respected by both faith communities as well as the wider South Asian diaspora, has died aged 92. Her voice was the soundtrack to hundreds of Bollywood films in her 70-year career, and her songs were the backdrop to weddings, funerals and social occasions. She was cremated in Mumbai with full state honours and two days of national mourning followed
The Pope appears on an Italian talk show
In a first for the papacy, Pope Francis has appeared as a TV talk show guest on the Italian talk show on Rai state television. He spoke about personal friendships and that migrants must be welcomed and integrated in society – he was concerned that humanitarian ships rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean were denied entry for days by ports around the sea. “Each country must say how many migrants they can take”, he said.
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