Church in Wales convenes summit on river pollution
The Church in Wales is convening a summit on river pollution, inviting more than 70 farmers, water industry representatives, environmentalists and academics to attend the Restoring Welsh Rivers conference on 7-8 November. The Archbishop, Andrew John, told the church’s governing body that the church should address secular and spiritual matters: “A church which is truly radical in its engagement with the world will address critical issues whether climate change, AI or poverty and war.” The summit will invite local communities to engage with projects and stress the importance of working collaboratively across political divides. Its aim is “to create agreement about the principles and direction of travel required”.
Runners and riders for the job as the next Archbishop of Canterbury
The New Statesman reflects the public discussion and speculation over who will be the next Archbishop of Canterbury, when Justin Welby retires. The compulsory retirement age for CofE clergy is 70, which he will reach on his birthday, 6 January 2026. A report by Pippa Bailey suggests his successor will be in their 50s so that they can serve ten years in post, with anyone over 60 thought to have less chance. This would rule out the Archbishop of York and the Bishop of London. The names in the frame are the Bishop of Leicester Martyn Snow, 56, currently steering the fractious discussion over same sex relationships; the Bishop of Norwich Graham Usher, 54, lead bishop for the environment; and Bishop Guli Francis-Dehqani, 58, born in Iran who came to London with her family aged 14, fleeing persecution as a refugee. The article explains the “ancient tradition” in the CofE for never declaring ambition publicly, and the politics and manoeuvring in the “opaque” selection process, which includes Number Ten and the General Synod. Article is here
Diarmaid MacCulloch on the ‘intellectual dishonesty’ at the heart of the gay sex debate
The tortuous discussions in the Church of England over same sex relationships is pored over once more in a book by church historian and author, the Rev Diarmaid MacCulloch KT, “Lower Than the Angels: A History of Sex and Christianity”. In an interview with the Guardian, he is quoted saying its impact will be like a “well-placed hand grenade” directed at those debates. He tells his story of being an openly gay man in a church opposed to gay relationships, who declined to go forward for ordination because of this conflict. He said: “I had thought of the church as a friend and it just sort of slapped me in the face”. The implacable opposition which began in earnest in the 1980s in the General Synod, is now firmly entrenched in the Church of England, 40 years on, with current threats of schism by evangelicals. He says “there’s obviously an intellectual dishonesty” about claiming the inerrant truth of the Bible”, which contains a “cacophonous library” of competing voices. And the hardline approach has led to the church losing touch with the wider public: “they don’t seem to realise that the country is no longer listening to them”. Guardian article is here
Pope urges people of Papua New Guinea to live harmoniously
Pope Francis has continued his tour of southeast Asia with a visit to Papua New Guinea, where 20,000 people greeted him with singing and dancing, giving him a feathered headress to join in. The Associated Press reports that the visit to the remote location of Vanimo was extraordinary, a place which is the furthest away of any of his travels. He urged the crowd to be like an orchestra “so that all members of the community come together harmoniously to overcome rivalries”. He brought with him musical instruments for the people and a ton of medicine, and he met Argentinian missionaries working among the Catholic population in the region.
Sikh organisation says Islamophobia definition threatens free speech
The Network of Sikh Organisations (NSO) has urged the government not to incorporate into law the definition of Islamophobia put forward by the All Party Parliamentary Group, which has already been adopted by many organisations including the Labour party. The definition is: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” The NSO says the definition has been rejected by some because it conflates race and religion. Other objections pick up on the examples given in the definition document, including that claims of Muslims spreading Islam by the sword or subjugating minority groups under their rule, is Islamophobic. The NSO says this is an attempt at revisionism, denying the ability to discuss historical truths, and would have serious implications for free speech. The issue of definition has arisen after the summer riots, with the rise in anti-Muslim behaviour leading to calls for a widely shared definition to be introduced.
BBC criticised for “violating its own editorial guidelines” on Israel-Hamas war
The Telegraph reports research from the Campaign for Media Standards, saying the BBC coverage of the Israel-Hamas war violated its own editorial guidelines 1,553 times from October 2023 – February 2024. The research was led by British lawyer Trevor Asserson, who runs Israel’s largest international law firm. It used AI to assess 9 million words and concluded that the BBC repeatedly downplayed Hamas terrorism and presented Israel as an aggressor. It criticised senior news correspondents Jeremy Bowen and Lyse Doucet, for their reporting on the war. The BBC said it would “carefully consider” the report, but it already had serious questions about the heavy reliance on AI and the report’s interpretation of the BBC’s editorial guidelines. It strongly rejected attacks on individual members of staff.
Clergy in Wales to be given more time off for better mental health
The Church in Wales governing body has voted to allow clergy more days off and holiday time, after a study showed that one third of clergy in England showed signs of clinical depression. The changes mean clergy will be allowed to take an additional rest day once a month, assuring two days off in succession. They will also be entitled to two holidays of seven days rather than six days, to be taken after Christmas and Easter. Church Times report here
