‘Some definite service’: How an English diocese is unleashing growth
(Luke Coppen. The Pillar)
That was the sweltering day when Archbishop John Wilson was installed as the new head of a sprawling archdiocese, which serves around 400,000 Catholics in south London and surrounding areas.
Priest partners with PETA to condemn bullfighting, calls on Pope Francis to denounce it
(Gigi Duncan. CNA)
Father Terry Martin, a Catholic priest from West Sussex, England, has appeared in an advertisement for The Tablet denouncing bullfighting in his continued calls and efforts for Pope Francis to condemn the sport.
Concluye juicio en Londres contra Santa Sede impulsado por condenado por justicia vaticana
(Valentina di Giorgio y Elizabeth Owens. Zenit).
El juicio civil en la Alta Corte de Justicia del Reino Unido sobre la venta del edificio en Sloane Avenue de Londres llegó a su conclusión el jueves 18 de julio, tras casi un mes de audiencias. Este caso, que enfrenta a la Secretaría de Estado de la Santa Sede y al financiero Raffaele Mincione, ha captado la atención por las declaraciones contradictorias de ambas partes sobre la legitimidad de la transacción.
(Carlos Martínez Oliveras, CMF. Vida Nueva).
Un nuevo obispo ordenado en Inglaterra. Este hecho, a priori, no sería una noticia relevante por estos predios hispanohablantes. Sin embargo, no se trata de una ordenación episcopal más. Primero, porque quizá no habría una fecha más significativa para un británico católico: el 22 de junio, fiesta de santo Tomás Moro y san Juan Fisher.
(Aili Channer. Church Times).
CHRISTIAN groups came together last Saturday to host a service of “prayer and lament for creation” at the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street, London, before joining more than 60,000 people on a march through London to protest against the drastic decline of the wildlife in the UK, and damage to the ecosystem.
The Restore Nature Now march was organised by a coalition of environmental organisations: Extinction Rebellion was joined by some of the biggest nature charities in the UK, including the RSPB, the Wildlife Trusts, the Climate Coalition, WWF UK, the National Trust, WWT, Woodland Trust, Wildlife and Countryside Link, and Rewilding Britain
(RNS Press Releases).
At its June 1, 2024 meeting in Binghampton, NY, the New York Conference of the United Church of Christ unanimously passed a resolution condemning violence against religious minorities in India, which include Christian organizations and individuals as well as other religious minorities, including Muslims.
The New York Conference of the United Church of Christ (UCCNY) resolution begins by addressing the plight of over 40,000 people, 250 churches, 1,700 homes, and 120 people who have been killed as a result of Hindu nationalist policies propagated by India’s ruling BJP in the state of Manipur. The New York Conference is the first in the UCC denomination to pass such a resolution, following soon after the United
(Jon Brown. Christian Post).
More than half of Christians in the United Kingdom claim to have experienced hostility and ridicule for their faith, according to a study released Thursday.
The report, titled “The Costs of Keeping the Faith,” was compiled by the nonprofit Voice for Justice UK (VfJUK) and found that of the more than 1,500 respondents from different Christian denominations and age groups, 56% reported negative pushback for sharing their beliefs in some capacity.
(Nicole VanDyke. CP).
What’s wrong with the mantra “love is love,” and why does it go against God’s design for relationships?
Jason Jimenez, a pastor and Christian apologist, used scriptural insights to address concerns with the popular phrase during a recent episode of his “Challenging Conversations” podcast, noting that it suggests all forms of romance, sexual orientations and gender identities should be affirmed.
(Anugrah Kumar. CP).
In a controversial ruling, an Iraqi court has decreed that a Christian mother, Elvin Joseph, along with her three children, convert to Islam. The decision was based on the interpretation of Iraq’s Personal Status Law which mandates that children must adopt Islam if one of their parents converts.
Joseph, a resident of Duhok in the Kurdistan Region, found herself entangled in this legal predicament following the revelation of her mother’s conversion to Islam after her divorce and subsequent remarriage to a Muslim man
(CHRISTIAN POST).
A former BBC journalist and deselected Liberal Democrat candidate, David Campanale, has filed a lawsuit against his party, alleging discrimination due to his Christian faith, sparking significant controversy within the political sphere in the United Kingdom.Contin
(Kathryn Post. RNS).
At an Anglican theological conference in January, UK priest and political commentator The Rev. Calvin Robinson stirred up a long-simmering controversy when he called women’s ordination a “slippery slope” akin to a “Trojan horse” and to “cancer.”
“This is how the liberal infestation of the church began,” Robinson insisted. “The doors were left open for the Marxist ideologies to gain a foothold, gender theory, queer theory, critical race theory — it all began with feminism.”
(Madeleine Teahan. CNA).
Catholic bishops in Scotland have said that new data indicating that the majority of Scots have no religion comes as no surprise.
Census results from the year 2022 on ethnicity, identity, and religion in Scotland were released on May 21, revealing that 51.1% of respondents to the census claimed they had “no religion” compared with 36.7% of respondents in 2011.
The religiously unaffiliated — or “nones” as they are often referred to — now also make up the largest religious category in the U.S., according to a new report by the Pew Research Center.
(By Anugrah Kumar. Christian Post)
A new survey has revealed that nearly 40% of British Christians prefer not to disclose their religious beliefs. The findings reflect a broader trend of religious reticence in the U.K., which experts attribute to various factors, including a rise in antisemitism and a “self-confidence crisis” among British Christians.
A similar reluctance among Jewish respondents can be seen, with 38% agreeing with the statement, “I prefer not to tell people about my faith or religious belief,” according to the survey, commissioned by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) and conducted by Whitestone Insight.
(The Catholic Church).
At the first meeting of signatories to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the Holy See warned that no country will proceed with nuclear disarmament “if in divesting itself of its nuclear arms, it feels that it will be left facing an imbalance of conventional forces inimical to its security.” It went on to highlight: “that is why Article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty wisely commits all signatories to General and Complete Disarmament even as it binds them to rid themselves of nuclear weapons.”44 The concept of General and Complete Disarmament does not mean the removal of literally all weaponry and defence capabilities. Rather, it encompasses eliminating weapons of mass destruction, reducing and regulating conventional arms, lowering military spending to only the level required for self-defence, and strengthening mechanisms for the peaceful resolution of conflicts.45
(Duncan Williams . Christian Today).
After commemorating 100 years of religious broadcasting, the BBC has reaffirmed its commitment to continue faith programming on both television and radio, emphasising the enduring relevance of religious content in today’s media landscape.
Tim Pemberton, Head of Religion and Ethics for BBC Audio, and Daisy Scalchi, Head of Religion and Ethics for Television, have expressed enthusiasm for religious programming despite financial constraints.
(The SPECTATOR. Debbie Hayton).
Sex is a biological fact, the NHS declared this morning. Seriously, if the health service was ever in any doubt about that then no wonder that we have ended up in such a mess over sex and gender.
(Cardinal Vicent. Église Catholique).
Ahead of Thursday’s local elections, the Cardinal encourages all to vote as ‘another way in which we exercise responsibility’ for the good of society.
He addresses a special message to young people who may be eligible to vote for the first time, urging them to play their part and use their vote.
He asks all the faithful to think carefully and prayerfully as we cast our vote in these elections.
(The Catholic Church).
The Catholic Bishops of England and Wales have issued a pastoral reflection on gender, highlighting the teaching of the Church but stressing that accompanying those struggling with gender dysphoria is “a complex but essential pastoral task.” The document, titled Intricately woven by the Lord: A pastoral reflection on gender by the bishops of England and Wales, emphasises that all are welcome in the Church, but says that the sexual identity of an individual is not a purely “cultural or social construction.”