Religion news November 28, 2024

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner meets the Pope

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner met Pope Francis at the Vatican. Write on Twitter/X she said it was an honor to meet the Pope who has shown great leadership in addressing the global issues of our time and building bridges of dialogue between religions. Ms Rayner is also Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and one of the ministers reporting to her is the Minister for Faith, Lord Khan. Then, at the end of the general audience, Pope Francis renewed his call for peace and solidarity for those suffering in war: let us not forget the martyred Ukrainian people, who suffer so much. And let us also pray for peace in the Holy Land, in Palestine and in Israel, where people also suffer so much.

Archbishops fear for the future of Christianity in the Holy Land

The Archbishops of Jerusalem and Canterbury have published a pastoral letter deploring a deliberate strategy of harassment and intimidation aimed at forcing Palestinian families to leave their lands. They say they are deeply shocked to hear Palestinian Christians in Ramallah and Bethlehem speak of their “daily struggles to survive the ongoing occupation.” They fear for the long-term survival of the indigenous Christian presence in the Holy Land, which dates back to the time when our Lord walked this land.

Assistance in dying is expressed in favor and and 489 undecided or unknown deputies

Conservative Party MP Andrew Mitchell came forward in favor assistance in dying. Known for his support for freedom of religion and belief and for his campaigns on behalf of persecuted Christians, he says he is convinced that the bill contains enough guarantees to allay fears and he knows that he would want to make this choice to himself. Former Prime Minister David Cameron also came out in favor, writing in The times that the bill is rigorously drafted and includes solid guarantees. Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss are all against the bill. THE Independent analyzes the progress of the vote but there are 489 undecided or unknown. A demolition amendment Saying there should be no vote due to insufficient debate and calling for an independent review could stop the bill in its tracks.

Muslim MP calls for laws banning desecration of religious texts

Labor MP for Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley, Tahir Ali, has called on the Government to prohibit desecration of all religious texts and prophets of the Abrahamic religions. Speaking during Prime Minister's Questions, he said he raised the issue as November was Islamophobia Awareness Month and warned that reckless desecration could fuel division and hatred in society. In response, Keir Starmer said the desecration was horrific and must be condemned and reaffirmed that the government was committed to tackling all forms of hatred and division, including Islamophobia, in all its forms. The exchange went viral on Twitter/X with criticism that it was a call for blasphemy laws and that Starmer should have excluded it. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick has said blasphemy laws have no place in the UK.

Orthodox and Evangelical Churches Grow, While Nominal Christianity Declines

Britons are attracted to churches at different ends of the Christian spectrum, but not those in the middle, according to speakers discussing Does The Future Have A Church?, organized by think tank Theos. Growth in congregation numbers was seen in orthodox and evangelical churches, panelists said, but not so much in the Church of England, where nominal Christianity was in decline. The roundtable discussion replaced a planned conference by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who resigned after the Makin report into horrific sexual abuse and church cover-up. Speaker Justin Brierley said people would not be discouraged by what happened at the top of their local church. People can distinguish between personal experience and institutional failures, he said. Read Catherine Pepinsters' report on the conference here

Church Times investigation reveals abuse against Smyth was properly reported to police

The Church Times reports that John Smyth's abuse was properly reported to police in 2013, disputing the Makin review's findings on the responses of the Diocese of Ely and Lambeth Palace that year. The newspaper spoke to three retired detectives with extensive safeguarding experience, who concluded that Justin Welby was right to believe in 2013 that proper procedures had been followed. The Archbishop of Canterbury resigned, saying: When I was informed in 2013 and informed that the police had been notified, I mistakenly believed that an appropriate resolution would follow. It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and traumatic period between 2013 and 2024. Church Times report here

Imam and community leader runs for election in Ireland

Online hyphen tell the story Dr Umar Al-Qadri, Chief Imam of the Al-Mustafa Islamic Educational and Cultural Center of Ireland since 2004 and President of the Irish Muslim Council, who is standing as an independent candidate in the Dublin West constituency in tomorrow's Irish general election, 29. November. It was he who came up with the idea of ​​Eid prayers in Croke Park, the Dublin headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association, which became an annual event. Dr Al Qadri talks about the housing crisis, his vision for a united Ireland and the importance of integration. He claims he was inspired to enter politics after the Dublin riots last year, which police say were fueled by far-right ideology. He said: It showed me that Ireland is not immune to racism or intolerance. Our communities must be very vigilant to prevent this from happening.

US Border Patrol agents call for more chaplains to deal with workplace trauma

U.S. Border Patrol agents are recruiting more chaplains to provide spiritual care in an increasingly stressful job. THE Associated Press reports that there are 20,000 officers and 240 chaplains, a number that has nearly doubled in four years. Agents say their job is to protect people from cartels, find and rescue lost and dying migrants in deserts, and help lonely children, which is deeply distressing. As a chaplain, they have been called upon to help with associated trauma that can lead to counseling suicidal colleagues or helping them overcome tensions at home caused by constant redeployments. The AP article is here

Boris blames the Church for Britain's obesity crisis

Boris Johnson has blamed Britain's obesity crisis on the Church of England, saying the church has failed to meet people's spiritual needs: 'There is something missing in people's lives , and they fill this void with food. He made the comments in an interview with Henry Dimbleby and Dr Dolly van Tulleken for a report: Feeding Britain: A policy manual for improving the health of nations. They interviewed 20 former prime ministers, health secretaries and other politicians from the past 30 years on the politics of obesity, diet and health. Boris Johnson also criticized the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and other religious leaders for focusing on issues such as slavery reparations instead of addressing people's spiritual struggles. He said: Instead of talking about guilt and left-wing politics, religious leaders should focus on bridging the spiritual divide that clearly leads to unhealthy behaviors. Interview transcript here