Smyth's abuse, described as "brutal and prolific", targeted more than 100 boys and young men at Christian holiday camps in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

An independent review concluded that Smyth's crimes were systematically covered up by church officials, some of whom allowed him to relocate abroad where he continued his abuse.

"From July 2013 the Church of England knew, at the highest level, about the abuse that took place in the late 1970s and early 1980s" the review states.

The review says that over forty years, John Smyth became "arguably the most prolific serial abuser to be associated with the Church of England", operating in three different countries and involving "as many as 130 boys and young men".

The report, led by former social services director Keith Makin, criticised senior church figures, including Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, for failing to act on their knowledge of Smyth's conduct.

Although Welby volunteered at the camps where Smyth worked, he consistently denied any knowledge of the abuse until 2013, when a survivor's report made its way to church officials.

However, the review noted that it was "unlikely" that Welby had no knowledge of concerns about Smyth before this date.

Lifelong scars

Smyth's abuse was severe and wide-ranging. He subjected boys to physical beatings, sexual and psychological abuse and spiritual manipulation which, according to Makin, left lifelong scars on victims.

One of his victims was Andrew Watson, now the bishop of Guildford, who said he was subjected to a "violent, excruciating and shocking" beating.

In total, the abuse spanned multiple countries, with at least 30 known victims in the UK and more than 85 in Zimbabwe and South Africa. In Zimbabwe, Smyth was implicated in the death of a 16-year-old boy, Guide Nyachuru, at one of his camps, although charges were dismissed.

Missed opportunity for justice

The review criticised the C of E for its "ineffective" response, noting the active cover-up of Smyth's actions in 1982, when the Iwerne Trust, which sponsored the camps, produced a confidential report on his abuse.

The Trust, along with church officials, kept the findings from authorities, allowing Smyth to continue his abuse with impunity.

When Smyth's actions resurfaced in 2013, church officials including Welby evidently did not report the matter to authorities, a failure the review identified as a missed opportunity for justice.

In a statement, Welby apologised "profoundly" for his failures and those of the Church. "I am sorry for my own omissions and for the broader wickedness, concealment and abuse perpetrated by the church". However Welby has said he will not resign over the matter.

John Smyth died in 2018, aged 77, before he could face trial over the allegations.

Sources

The Guardian

Daily Mail

Channel 4 News

CathNews New Zealand

Tuesday's rocket strike left as many as 500 people dead and a great many others injured.

The hospital was a place of refuge for Palestinians following evacuation orders from Israel.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, expressed his profound sorrow at the incident.

"This is an appalling and devastating loss of innocent lives" said Welby, the spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion.

Welby spoke out after first reports emerged that the hospital had been hit by an Israeli rocket. Palestinian officials had made that claim.

The Israeli military has denied the strike was theirs. They accused a Palestinian militant group of launching a rocket that malfunctioned then hit the hospital.

Neither report has been verified.

The Anglican hospital tragedy occurred after 10 days of intense conflict between Israel and Hamas. The latest conflict began with an assault on Jewish settlements by Hamas militants on 7 October.

Welby had previously called on the Israelis to reverse their demand for evacuating hospitals in Gaza.

"The seriously ill and injured patients at the Anglican-run Ahli Hospital — and other healthcare facilities in northern Gaza — cannot be safely evacuated," he warned in a statement on Sunday.

"They are running low on medical supplies. They are facing catastrophe.

"I appeal for the evacuation order on hospitals in northern Gaza to be reversed — and for health facilities, health workers, patients and civilians to be protected," Welby said.

Humanitarian corridors called for

On Sunday Pope Francis called for humanitarian corridors to help those under siege in Gaza, and again appealed for the release of hostages held by the militant Islamist group Hamas.

"I forcefully ask that children, the sick, the elderly and women, and all civilians do not become the victims of the conflict," he said at his weekly address to thousands of people in St Peter's Square.

"May humanitarian rights be respected, above all in Gaza, where it is urgent and necessary to guarantee humanitarian corridors to help the entire population," he said.

Sources

Religion News Service

Reuters

CathNews New Zealand

The move aims to preserve the potential for these churches to reopen in the future rather than be sold off after merging with larger parishes.

This proposal is set for discussion by the General Synod, the Church's legislative body.

The Telegraph reports that the plan suggests renting the underutilised buildings to local authorities, other Christian denominations, or different institutions through shared ownership agreements.

The Church Commissioners for England, the group in charge of managing the Church's $13 billion endowment fund and investment portfolio, proposed this plan.

The Archbishop of Canterbury leads this group.

Proponents of the plan will present it for debate at the Synod this week.

They believe in allowing these churches to hibernate rather than abandon them, providing an opportunity for the Church and community to stay open to new possibilities for service and witness as circumstances evolve.

Critic of the archbishops for overseeing the rapid decline of parishes, campaigners view this proposal as a significant victory.

The Rev. Marcus Walker, the chairman of the Save the Parish campaign group, applauded the plan as a win for local parishioners.

However, this proposal requires parishioners from churches that go into hibernation to seek alternative worship locations.

Drop in attendance a personal failure

Despite this positive reception, the plan faces the backdrop of a steep decline in church attendance over the past decade.

In June, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby acknowledged the drop in attendance during his tenure as a personal "failure."

The report on the rental plan includes a "theological introduction" by the Bishop of Ramsbury, Andrew Rumsey.

The bishop emphasises the significant burden of governance on small communities and the challenges local volunteers face to keep their churches open.

Rumsey highlights the premature closure of architectural legacies due to stress and lack of resources.

He proposes a fallow or "jubilee" period for church buildings, allowing them to rest and recover, mirroring the natural cycles of growth and abundance.

This approach aims to preserve the common ground between the church and the neighbourhood while waiting for future growth.

The statistics paint a stark picture of the decline in church attendance and closures.

Between 2010 and 2019, 423 churches closed and, from 1987 to 2019, nearly 1,000 churches shut down, according to CofE data analysed by The Telegraph.

The number of operational churches now stands at about 15,496. Furthermore, according to the Office for National Statistics, the share of Christians in England and Wales has also decreased, dropping from 59.3% in 2011 to 46.2% in 2021.

Sources

Christian Post

The Telegraph

The Christian Gospel, which is a word meaning, ‘good news' - is that the Creator of all things, God, so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that all who believe in Him should not perish but have life now and eternally.

To put it another way, God who is Just provides salvation.

And what that means in practice, is a worldview that trusts the faithfulness of God.

At the same time, Christians live in a God-created community, the Church - and that is the rub.

The Church, being full of human beings, is full of those who go wrong.

The Church often seeks to speak truth to power, but we must recognise as different bits of the Church, and, speaking as the Church of England, our own power as well as our immense failures and sins.

And therefore, we should welcome the challenge and scrutiny from the media that is part of living in a democratic society. Having spent a good deal of my life travelling in places that don't have those freedoms, I know which I prefer.

When I started this job just over 10 years ago, the media landscape, even that short period ago looked different. It has become faster, more complex, more driven by social media.

In an age of misinformation, distraction, and the competition of noise with truth, it is ever more difficult for journalists to do their job. The best account of that I've heard recently was a series of podcasts by Jeremy Bowen, that some people may have seen - they make long journeys go very quickly!

My approach to the media has developed over 10 years.

I take more risks, deliberately rather than accidentally.

I try to engage, and I recognise the vital importance of seeking to communicate well what the Church is doing and what we actually care about.

I tried to say yes to as many media outlets as possible, especially the local and the regional.

I know how successful they are because they are deeply embedded in the community.

I have a very strong memory of a visit to a particular diocese in the province of Canterbury and being asked - did I enjoy travelling on buses, and what I thought about the bus timetable in that particular town?

They were certainly embedded in the community.

And they do marvellous things, especially at the local level, being immensely stretched and having had an incredibly hard time in the last 10 years.

I actually quite enjoy interviews, believe it or not, although they make me very nervous.

I could sit on the sidelines, and I'm very tempted to do so very often, knowing that when anything is said in public by anyone, it will be analysed and instrumentalised.

One of the relatively few things I'm looking forward to in my eventual and long distant retirement is being able to read the paper without worrying about whether I'll see my own name in any context at all.

There are two aspects to any religious figure's involvement in the media.

First, you're reported on - for example, after making a speech on the Illegal Migration Bill.

Secondly, there is the context of engaging with the media proactively and giving interviews or engaging on social media.

There's a difference.

So if we start off by engaging with the media, why do it?

The greatest single reason is that Christian faith claims truth.

For Christians, truth is not a concept, it is a person - Jesus, not an idea.

When in John, Chapter 14:1-6, one of Jesus's disciples expostulates with him when he says, you know where I'm going, and the disciple says to Jesus, I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about.

And Jesus replies, I am, the Way, the Truth and the Life.

When Pilate, at his trial says what is Truth?

He's asking the wrong question.

He should ask who is Truth - and Truth is standing before him, beaten and bloodied, and looking anything but impressive.

When I was interviewed by Alastair Campbell several years ago, we talked about his famous phrase ‘We don't do God'.

And we talked about the fact that even if New Labour didn't do God, God still does us and, for that matter, New Labour.

God's faithfulness and providence is an embracing worldview that is not a private hobby but a universal principle, recognised or not.

Terry Pratchett, whose books I found enormously amusing, has a book called ‘Small gods' and the size of the god depends on how many worshippers they have.

Well, it's clever and amusing, but it's false.

God does not need worshippers; people and creation need God.

If we take the Illegal Migration Bill, for example, I find myself reminded of the passage in Matthew 25:31-46, which is about the Last Judgement.

It concerns two groups of people who unknowingly live in a way that either honours or fails to honour God's commands for our way of life in the world.

It echoes what's often called the Nazareth manifesto.

In Luke chapter 4:16-21, these two groups of people, the sheep and the goats they're called, they either feed the hungry or fail to do so, they nurse the sick, they visit the prisoner, and as we think about the Illegal Migration Bill, they welcome the stranger - or they fail to do so.

The second group lived as though it didn't matter.

The first group is welcomed by Christ to eternal life.

The second group have to face the terrible consequences of living for their own interests, as though those in need did not matter.

Churches are active in this world and in its concerns because they see God being active in this world. And many of those people who call for our help are Christians.

Churches are over 2 billion strong in every country around the world, even the Anglican Communion spans about 80 or 85 million people across 165 countries. And the typical Anglican is a woman in her 30s in Sub Saharan Africa, likely living in an area of conflict or persecution who lives on less than $4 a day.

Anglicans live in the hills of Papua New Guinea or, they work in the streets of the City of London, or in the banks and the dealing rooms.

So when I talk about migration or about poverty, or conflict or trade or natural disaster, or climate change or social justice, it isn't a hobby or a way of filling the otherwise empty days.

When I talk about these things, I see in my mind's eye the people I know and love around the world.

The people I call brother and sister because we belong to the same family in Christ.

Being part of that changes everything. Religion isn't a bolt on to our lives.

It's not an app you can download into the human software.

It's the entire operating system.

It's the prism through which we see everything else.

And then this country may be becoming more secular or not, as the case may be.

The world as a whole is not, 80% of the world population is religious, and it's going up, not shrinking.

So when we talk about religion or religious people, we're not studying some endangered exotica under the microscope.

Of course, not all of that 80% are Christians, not even the majority.

And our relationship with other faiths is very important, as we saw at the Coronation.

We work closely with other faiths not just out of a deep sense of hospitality, which is arising from our understanding of the nature of God.

But also because other religious groups have a religious perspective that shapes how they see the world.

The Big Help Out, a volunteering initiative on the Monday after the Coronation, was endorsed by religious groups.

And you may have seen the images in the news: Muslims, Jews, Christians, Sikhs, and others of no faith and of other faiths got together.

It involved 7.2 million people in this country, well over 10% of the country.

It was a project started by the Together Coalition, which I chair, and on that day, Caroline and I served lunch together at a homeless charity.

Going back finally to what I said at the beginning, about 'good news'.

At the Lambeth Conference of Anglican Bishops from around the world, which happened for the first time in 14 years last summer in Canterbury, I joined journalists who were covering it at a reception.

During that gathering, I said, yes of course we know there are stories about deep disagreements over sexuality that they would want to report on, and rightly so; they're important issues, and they are a good story.

But please remember that, at that gathering, I said there are people from war-torn countries and nations suffering from famine and drought, people who have literally just fled oppression and brutality, and people who have come from refugee camps.

Bishops represent the most vulnerable people in the world.

At the Lambeth Conference we talked extensively; we spent two hours on sexuality in 10 days, on everything else, slavery and justice, suffering.

But we chose to love one another despite our differences.

Please, in your reporting, don't forget the millions of people and the incredible stories that the Christian church and even the Church of England represent. Because I think that is also good news for all its faults, both for journalists and Christians.

So now, as I finish, I'd like to turn the tables and ask a couple of questions of you.

How do you communicate the worldview of religious people, as well as the fact in a way that just doesn't put their religion in a part of their lives?

And, can you help me through your questions and your comments, understand better, how we can communicate with you?

• Archbishop Justin Welby is Archbishop of Canterbury
• Speech delivered at Religion Media Festival

What is given today is for the gain of all. For Jesus Christ announced a Kingdom in which the poor and oppressed are freed from the chains of injustice.

The blind see. The bruised and broken-hearted are healed.

That Kingdom sets the aims of all righteous government, all authority.

And the Kingdom also sets the means of all government and authority. For Jesus doesn't grasp power or hold onto status.

The King of Kings, Jesus Christ, was anointed not to be served but to serve.

He creates the unchangeable law of good authority: with the privilege of power comes the duty to serve.

Service is love in action.

We see active love in our care for the most vulnerable, the way we nurture and encourage the young, in the conservation of the natural world. We have seen those priorities in the life of duty lived by our King.

Today we have the honour of being in this Abbey with so many who show such love; you work with charities and organisations, you build community, you serve the nation in Armed Forces, in emergency services, and so many other ways.

Next door are 400 or more extraordinary young people in St Margaret's Church, whose lives speak of service.

Around the world in the Realms and Commonwealth are so many more.

You live your lives for the sake of others.

The unity you show, the example you give, is what binds us together and offers societies that are strong, joyful, happy and glorious.

They bear heavy weights for us.

And the weight of the task given today, Your Majesties, is only bearable by the Spirit of God, who gives us the strength to give our lives to others.

With the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the King is given freely what no ruler can ever attain through will, or politics, or war, or tyranny: the Holy Spirit draws us to love in action.

This is promised by Jesus who put aside all privilege, because, as the first reading tells us, God will give all things for our sake, even His own life.

His throne was a Cross.

His crown was made of thorns.

His regalia were the wounds that pierced his body.

Each of us is called by God to serve.

Whatever that looks like in our own lives, each of us can choose God's way today.

We can say to the King of Kings, God Himself, as does the King here today, ‘give grace that in thy service I may find perfect freedom'.

In that prayer, there is promise beyond measure, joy beyond dreams, hope that endures.

By that prayer, for every King, every ruler, and, yes, for every person for all of us, we are opened to the transforming love of God.

• Justin Welby is Archbishop of Canterbury
• Homily delivered at the Coronation of King Charles III. First published by the Archbishop of Canterbury

In another first since the Reformation, the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, will bless the new monarch at the end of the ceremony.

The service is said to reflect contemporary society and will also feature leaders from Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh communities.

Along with Cardinal Nichols, The Catholic Church will be represented by bishops from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who is representing Pope Francis.

The newly appointed apostolic nuncio to Great Britain, Spanish Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, will also attend.

"The service contains new elements that reflect the diversity of our contemporary society," said Archbishop Justin Welby, spiritual leader of the Church of England.

"It is my prayer that all who share in this service, whether they are of faith or no faith, will find ancient wisdom and new hope that brings inspiration and joy."

The ceremony will also include female bishops for the first time; hymns and prayers will be sung and spoken in Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic, and English.

Public invited to say oath

For the first time in history, public participation will be a part of the ceremony, with members of the public invited to say the oath to the King out loud.

The Archbishop of Canterbury will ask those in attendance to swear allegiance to the monarch. There will be a fanfare before the Most Reverend Justin Welby leads the crowd in saying, "God Save The King," with attendees responding, "God Save King Charles. Long Live King Charles. May The King live forever."

Cardinal Nichols said: "I think it is a very remarkable moment, it is obviously something quite new."

He told Sky News "the important thing to remember" was that the new Homage of the People, which will replace the traditional Homage of Peers, was "an invitation, it is not a command."

Nichols added: "If that is what you want to do, here is your moment to express your sense of loyalty and your sense of support, and maybe prayer, for the King.

"He [the Archbishop of Canterbury] has offered a formula of words, but I take that as an offering as well.

"It is a lovely invitation, and I hope people will take it up in their own way to express what hopefully is in their hearts, that they wish King Charles God's blessing and they wish him well in his spirit of service which he brings to this coronation."

After the coronation ceremony, a joint greeting from other religions will also be read. According to the programme representatives of Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism will greet Charles III as "neighbours in faith."

Sources

The Tablet

AP News

America Magazine

Sky News

During his flight from South Sudan to Rome, he stated, "God loves people with homosexual tendencies. To condemn them is a sin. Criminalising them is an injustice."

Pope Francis' comments came in response to laws criminalising homosexual acts in some African countries. In 2013, he said, "Who am I to judge someone searching for the Lord who is gay and has good will?" In 2018, he said, "Parents of gay children shouldn't condemn them."

Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury and Iain Greenshields, the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, support Pope Francis' stance. They also joined him on the papal plane from South Sudan back to Rome.

The Archbishop of Canterbury said he would quote Francis' words when the issue is discussed at the Church of England's General Synod. The Church of England has allowed blessings for same-sex civil marriages, but same-sex couples cannot marry in its churches. The Vatican forbids both gay marriage and blessings for same-sex unions.

Welby also told reporters that the issue of criminalisation has been taken up at two previous Lambeth Conferences of the broader Anglican Communion, but it has not changed many people's minds.

The Lambeth Conference has twice opposed criminalisation, but Welby has acknowledged the "deep disagreement" among the provinces over LGBTQ issues.

The Presbyterian moderator of the Church of Scotland, the Rt Rev Iain Greenshields, also participated in the pilgrimage and conference.

Greenshields said, "there is nowhere in my reading of the four Gospels where I see Jesus turning anyone away."

He emphasised that Christians should express love to all people, regardless of circumstances. The Church of Scotland allows same-sex marriages.

However, last month, the bishops of the Church of England decided not to allow same-sex weddings in church.

Pope Francis and the two Christian leaders spoke about LGBTQ rights during the joint airborne news conference. They were returning from South Sudan, where they took part in an ecumenical pilgrimage.

South Sudan is one of 67 countries that criminalise homosexuality, with 11 having the death penalty. LGBTQ advocates say these laws contribute to violence, harassment, and discrimination, even if not enforced.

Sources

Religion News Service

Wall Street Journal

Justin Welby encouraged Church of England leaders to "take risks".

"To be silent on the unethical treatment of migrants or on war or oppression, on the abuse of human rights, on persecution, is to be one of the oppressors" he told the Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops.

The Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops is convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury once every 10 years. It took place at the University of Kent, Canterbury Cathedral and Lambeth Palace between July 26 and August 8.

Calling climate change an "undeclared war", the former oil executive warned it could create 1.2 billion refugees with consequences "tragic beyond anything in human history".

The Archbishop continued: "Climate change, better called the climate crisis or better still the climate emergency, as we know is the result of the wealthier countries having declared war on God's creation unknowingly and unthinkingly starting from the 19th century.

‘The symptoms of that war now are that the wealthy dump refuse in the oceans.

‘They tell the poor not to use carbon-generating fuels and they say to the world, too often, not by their word but by their actions, we will keep our wealth and you, the poor, must discover new paths".

Welby also criticised the UK government's deal with Rwanda in which UK asylum seekers would be sent to the African country. In exchange for accepting them, Rwanda will receive millions of pounds in development aid.

Archbishop Welby said the Rwanda proposal would not "stand up to the judgment of God", adding there were "serious ethical questions about sending asylum seekers overseas".

His criticisms, and similar private remarks reported to have been made by Prince Charles, led PM Boris Johnson to acknowledge the Rwanda deal had drawn opprobrium from "slightly unexpected quarters".

Sources

Daily Mail

CathNews NZ

In it, we come to a question - of what we believe about human dignity, including sexuality - that is deeply dividing, not only for Anglicans but for every part of God's global church.

This conference is one of the few places where we can meet and be honest with each other about what we think, listen to others and pray together.

In some churches, like the Anglican Communion, the disagreement is open. In others, it is behind locked doors. But in all it is real. And in all the subject is of the greatest importance.

Most of the Call on Human Dignity (including sexuality) is uncontentious. None of us would want to argue for sexual violence in conflict, abuse of the vulnerable or violence against minorities or women.

But paragraph 2.3 is very different. For some here, it will be a great relief.

There is no attempt being made to alter the historic teaching of the vast majority of Churches of the Anglican Communion. For some, this paragraph will be hugely painful, and agonizing emotionally, for it is felt by many to state that who they are and who they love is wrong, that they are less than fully human.

So in this very brief address, please let me state some important principles.

First, the Call is about Human Dignity and also about Sexuality.

The reason the two are combined is that its central theological foundation is that all human beings are of equal worth, loved by God and are those for whom Jesus died on the Cross and rose to life. As St Paul says again and again in Romans "there is no distinction".

Second, as we discuss this, we are all vulnerable.

For the large majority of the Anglican Communion the traditional understanding of marriage is something that is understood, accepted and without question, not only by Bishops but their entire Church, and the societies in which they live.

For them, to question this teaching is unthinkable, and in many countries would make the church a victim of derision, contempt and even attack. For many churches to change traditional teaching challenges their very existence.

For a minority, we can say almost the same.

They have not arrived lightly at their ideas that traditional teaching needs to change. They are not careless about scripture.

They do not reject Christ.

But they have come to a different view on sexuality after long prayer, deep study and reflection on understandings of human nature.

For them, to question this different teaching is unthinkable, and in many countries is making the church a victim of derision, contempt and even attack.

For these churches not to change traditional teaching challenges their very existence.

So let us not treat each other lightly or carelessly.

We are deeply divided.

That will not end soon.

We are called by Christ himself both to truth and unity.

Third, there is no attempt to change people's minds in this Call.

It states as a fact that the vast majority of Anglicans in the large majority of Provinces and Dioceses do not believe that a change in teaching is right.

Therefore, it is the case that the whole of Lambeth 1.10 1998 still exists.

This Call does not in any way question the validity of that resolution.

The Call states that many Provinces - and I say again, I think we need to acknowledge it's the majority - continue to affirm that same-gender marriage is not permissible.

The Call also states that other provinces have blessed and welcomed same-sex union or marriage, after careful theological reflection and a process of reception.

In that way, it states the reality of life in the Communion today.

As is said in the letter, and I re-emphasise, there is no mention of sanctions, or exclusion, in 1.10 1998.

There is much mention of pastoral care.

As Lambeth 1.10 also states: "all baptised, believing and faithful persons, regardless of sexual orientation are full members of the Body of Christ" and to be welcomed, cared for, and treated with respect (I.10, 1998).

Fourth, many people are watching and listening, both inside and outside the Church.

But we bishops, you alone and I are responsible for what is decided on this Call.

When we will all answer to God on the day of judgement, we will not be able to say - and there is no vote today, but when at some point if ever we make a decision on this - we will not be able to say that I voted this or that way because others told me too.

Please, therefore, be present, in this room or online, today. Do not spend the time looking on your phone at what others outside the room are saying.

You are the shepherds of your flock as I am the shepherd of the flock that I serve.

Let us not act in a way that disgraces our witness.

Speak frankly, but in love.

Finally, a short comment on my own thinking.

I am very conscious that the Archbishop of Canterbury is to be a focus of unity and is an Instrument of Communion.

That is a priority.

Truth and unity must be held together, but Church history also says that this sometimes takes a very long time to reach a point where different teaching is rejected or received.

I neither have, nor do I seek, the authority to discipline or exclude a church of the Anglican Communion.

I will not do so.

I may comment in public on occasions, but that is all. We are a Communion of Churches, not a single church.

I want to end by repeating this line from the Call on Human Dignity: "As Bishops we remain committed to listening and walking together to the maximum possible degree, despite our deep disagreement on these issues.

Sister and brothers, may I thank you for your patience in listening to me."

Source

• Anglican.ink

His comments refer to Andrew's fall from grace following accusations of sexually abusing Virginia Giuffre two decades ago when she was 17.

Although he did not admit wrongdoing, the Queen's son paid an undisclosed sum earlier this year to Giuffre.

In comments to ITV News, Welby said "Forgiveness really does matter. I think we have become a very, very unforgiving society.

"There's a difference between consequences and forgiveness. I think for all of us, one of the ways that we celebrate when we come together is in learning to be a more open and forgiving society.

"Now with Prince Andrew, I think we all have to step back a bit. He's seeking to make amends and I think that's a very good thing.

"You can't tell people how to respond about this. The issues of the past in the area of abuse are so intensely personal and private for so many people, it's not surprising there are very deep feelings indeed."

Welby - who is the Church of England's most senior bishop - also spoke of the divide emerging between Prince William and Prince Harry, who has distanced himself from the royal family by moving to the US with his wife Megan.

"Of course, it's sad when families are struggling, but what family isn't?" he asked.

"I think if there's any family where the relationships are perfect, they're entitled to judge, but I'm not going to."

The sensitivity around Andrew's case prompted Welby's office to issue a clarification after his ITV interview was aired.

Welby clarified - "In tonight's interview with ITV News I was asked a question about forgiveness, and I said that there is a difference between consequences and forgiveness.

"Both are essential elements of the Christian understanding of justice, mercy and reconciliation. I also made the broader point that I hope we can become a more forgiving society.

"These are complex issues that are difficult to address in a short media interview and I hope they do not distract from this week's joyful celebration of Her Majesty The Queen's Platinum Jubilee."

Earlier this year, the royal family removed Andrew's military links and said he would no longer be known as "His Royal Highness".

Andrew is not expected to appear when the royal family gather to wave at crowds from the palace balcony on Thursday as part of celebrations to mark the Queen's 70 years on the throne.

Source

• Sydney Morning Herald

Speaking to the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Dialogue Commission (ARCIC) last Friday, Francis said he hoped that Anglicans would contribute to the two-year initiative leading to the Synod on Synodality in Rome in 2023.

"For this common journey to be truly such, the contribution of the Anglican Communion cannot be lacking. We look upon you as valued traveling companions," he said.

Francis also reiterated the Church's commitment to walk together with the Anglican Communion towards full Christian unity.

The ARCICs work since it was established in 1967 has sought "to leave behind what compromises our communion and to nurture the bonds that unite Catholics and Anglicans," he said.

He also remarked on the Commission's latest document "Walking Together on the Way".

This means "moving forward, leaving behind the things that divide, past and present, and keeping our gaze fixed on Jesus and the goal that he desires and points out to us: the goal of visible unity between us".

Mutual support is needed for this to happen. he said.

Ecumenical dialogue is a journey "that involves getting to know one another personally," sharing aspirations and moments of fatigue, and "soiling our hands in shared service to our wounded brothers and sisters discarded on the waysides of our world".

The "journey" toward Christian unity is not simply metaphorical, he said.

"As part of this concrete journey, I wish to recommend to your prayers an important step."

He went on to explain that the Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby and the Rev. Dr Iain M Greenshields - the moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland - "two dear brothers, will be my traveling companions when, in a few weeks' time, we will at last be able to travel to South Sudan".

Francis describes the early July visit as being an ecumenical pilgrimage of peace.

"Let us pray that it may inspire Christians in South Sudan and everywhere to be promotors of reconciliation, patient weavers of concord, capable of saying no to the perverse and useless spiral of violence and of arms."

Source

• Catholic News Agency
• Vatican News
• Crux Now
• Image: Abouna

The Rev. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, visited the James Smith Cree Nation and heard stories shared by residential school survivors.

"It was the church that permitted it," said Welby. "Building hell and putting children into it and staffing it. I am more sorry than I could ever, ever begin to express." Continue reading

The Most Rev. Justin Welby, head of the Church of England and leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, is visiting Canada from April 29 to May 3 to highlight the church's desire to pursue reconciliation with indigenous people. Besides the local stop, he will meet with Anglican indigenous leaders and other indigenous people in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and Toronto.

Welby's visit on May 2 to the Woodland Cultural Centre, which is adjacent to the former Mohawk Institute residential school, will include a meeting with survivors. A prayer service with indigenous leaders will be held afterwards at the nearby Mohawk Chapel which was built in 1785 and is the first Protestant church in Upper Canada.

The Mohawk Institute is considered Canada's longest-running residential school, operating from 1828 to 1970. It was run by the Anglican Church that has apologised to indigenous communities for its role in the school system. Continue reading

The Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, both oppose Israel's plans for Israeli armed forces to unilaterally annex parts of the West Bank.

The proposed annexations, which will begin next month, were promised by the Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu during his election campaign.

Nichols' and Welby's letters followed a statement leaders of Holy Land churches made on 7 May, warning that the proposed action would "bring about the loss of any remaining hope for the success of the peace process."

Thirteen Christian leaders, including the heads of the local Greek Orthodox, Catholic and Coptic churches signed the 7 May statement.

The UK church leaders say they "support the fundamental right of Israel's citizens to live in peace and safety." At the same time, they think this will only be possible through a negotiated peace.

Both Israelis and Palestinians must live without violence or the threat of violence, the Welby and Nichols stress.

Humanitarian organisations and the international community have also criticised the proposed annexations.

A particularly controversial aspect of the plans has been Netanyahu's promise that Palestinian living in annexed areas would not be eligible for Israeli citizenship or residence rights.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. However, commentators say an official take-over of the region could inflame tensions across the Middle East.

Palestinian leaders are concerned, saying the moves would void existing security arrangements and treaties between the two nations. Neighbouring countries like Jordan have suggested annexations could spark a much wider conflict.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation in Israel and Palestine, as it is undermining economic and social stability in both nations.

Source

• The Tablet
• Image: Anglican Communion News

"Our founder Jesus Christ was of course not white, middle class and British - he certainly wouldn't have got a visa - unless we're particularly short of carpenters," Welby told the CBI conference in London.

There would have to be a "shortage of carpenters" in Britain for Jesus to be granted entry, Welby said.

The Archbishop was talking as part in a discussion on social inequality chaired by the BBC Business Editor Faisal Islam who shared a clip on his Twitter feed.

Source: The Mirror

During the cordial talks, the Holy Father and the Archbishop of Canterbury agreed that, if the political situation in the country should allow the establishment of a transitional government of national unity in the next 100 days, at the expiry of the agreement signed in recent days in Entebbe, in Uganda, they intend to visit South Sudan together.

The decision follows Pope Francis earlier, in a meeting with the Ecumenical Council of Churches of South Sudan, expressing his desire to visit South Sudan.

The Council is an expression of the Ecumenical Council of Churches that was founded in 1965 as the "Council of Churches of Sudan" as a means to help the marginalized areas of Sudan.

Source

• ACI Stampa

The latter job was unquestionably the most stressful he ever had, Justin Welby has said.

"It was isolated, insatiably demanding, and I was, on the whole, working without close colleagues."

The role is, "for many, quite overwhelming and exhausting," he said.

This kind of pressure may well explain why increasing numbers of his priests in the Church of England are seeking help outside the church for their problems.

Faced with demanding congregations, rarely being off duty, piles of paperwork and disciplinary procedures they often feel are unfair, priests are turning instead to a trade union for support.

According to one of Britain's largest unions, Unite, there has been a rapid increase in the past year in the number of Anglican parish priests, or vicars, joining its specialist faith worker trade union branch.

Almost 1,500 priests plus a few rabbis and imams joined the union last year — an increase of 16 percent in 12 months.

The Anglican vicars are joining despite not having the usual British employment rights, because they are termed "officeholders" and cannot take their complaints to an employment tribunal.

And while they cannot pursue rights they don't have as members of Unite, they can seek counsel and support there from others familiar with their travails.

According to the Rev. Peter Hobson, who is head of the priests' Unite branch, Church of England Clergy Advocates, vicars are turning to the trade union because they are under pressure from all sides — from the people in the pews and from their bishops.

"Although it is a vocation, it is also a very difficult role," Hobson said.

"The workload is enormous.

"In a consumeristic world, people expect you to deal with their needs instantly, and the bishop, while he is a pastoral figure, is also managerial. And the managerial approach is coming more and more to the fore," he said.

Hobson said this more managerial approach makes relationships between clergy and bishops more difficult, and clergy consequently need more advice and someone "on their side," as it were, from outside the church when there are tensions over the way priests are fulfilling their role. This is where a trade union such as Unite steps in.

While the pressures of being a priest in city centers are considerable, with churches coping with transient populations, it is the rural vicars who are facing the toughest times, according to Hobson.

"We're in a post-Christendom world and in rural areas, more and more benefices are being run by one priest," he said.

His words are borne out by a major six-part television documentary series starting this week on British television.

Called "A Vicar's Life," it focuses on the work of four priests in the Diocese of Herefordshire — the most rural part of England, next to the Welsh border — and reveals vicars, despite working in a seemingly peaceful, idyllic rural Britain, struggling to cope with the pressures of their roles.

Many are responsible for six parishes each and travel great distances to minister to their congregations.

The documentary also highlights the problems of homelessness, unemployment and loneliness in the English countryside, with many people turning to the church for help after considerable cuts to government services.

One of the curates featured in the documentary, the Rev. Matthew Cashmore, who was until recently a publishing executive, has found the role of priest to be highly demanding.

"The church is rediscovering its role and is offering unconditional love to people in a practical way," he said, acknowledging that this is vital but puts considerable pressure on the clergy.

Another priest in Hereford Diocese but not featured in the TV series is Rector Sarah Jones, who also came into the church after a career in industry and who is now in charge of three benefices in the picturesque town of Ross-on-Wye.

"I can honestly say that this is the toughest role I have ever had," she said. While vicars work a six-day week, she said that they are "always on call."

"People nowadays expect and demand a quick response if they contact you.

And there are some people who seem to feel free to express their anger to clergy in a way they would never do to someone else. They think we should turn the other cheek."

Jones agrees that rural priests in particular have a very stressful life.

"Most of us find that we do our best pastoral work when we are in tune with a particular community. But if you have five or six communities to look after, it becomes very hard."

She is one of the Anglican clergy who has joined the Unite union, finding it reassuring to have extra support in the background.

While she believes that bishops step in effectively when one of their clergy has a clear crisis, she fears that "the system is such that people are too busy to give pastoral care on an ongoing basis."

But as rector, Jones finds one thing above all helps. "The rhythm of prayer and the Scriptures is the greatest help there is in handling stress."

• Catherine Pepinster writes for RNS. Republished with Permission

Archbishop Welby told the Times of London that the issue of the ordination of women and full rights for LGBT people are significant areas of disagreement.

Acknowledging the strength of the individual churches he said the differences among them remain "profound".

"I think, realistically, we've got to say that despite all efforts there is a possibility that we will not hold together, or not hold together for a while," he said.

"I could see circumstances in which there could be people moving apart and then coming back together, depending on what else happens."

His comments come at the end of his visit to 38 provinces (country-states) that make up the Anglican Communion.

Canterbury is regarded as the "mother church" in the Anglican world, however the Archbishop said some churches, particularly in Africa, may find it difficult to remain in a single global Anglican Communion.

Canterbury's authority is being challenged by a global network of conservative Anglican churches known as the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, which was formed in 2008. The fellowship is made up of leaders in African, Asian, Australian, South American and some North American churches.

Rod Thomas, chairman of Reform, an evangelical network of English and Irish Anglicans opposed to women bishops and LGBT ordination or unions agrees with the Archbishop, but adds it is something more fundamental than sexuality that's splitting the Communion.

"It is how attached to the Bible's teachings do we intend to be," he added.

Sources

• RNS
• Image: The Independent

Based on comments by the presiding bishop of the US Episcopal Church, Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, the Irish Times reported the conference had been cancelled.

Bishop Schori said the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby was "very clear that he is not going to call a Lambeth until he is reasonably certain that the vast majority of bishops would attend".

No planning or fundraising has taken place for a 2018 conference, she observed.

One blog reported her saying that the Archbishop of Canterbury had told her that the conference had been cancelled.

The Lambeth Conference, a gathering of Anglican bishops from around the world, traditionally takes place every ten years.

The 2008 conference was marred by a significant boycott over the gay clergy issue, the Irish Times article noted.

Bishop Schori said the next Lambeth Conference "needs to be preceded by a primates meeting at which a vast majority of primates are present".

As Archbishop Welby "continues his visits around the [Anglican] communion to those primates it's unlikely that he will call such a meeting at all until at least a year from now or probably 18 months from now", she said.

"Therefore I think we are looking at 2019, more likely 2020, before a Lambeth Conference."

But the Virtue OnLine Anglican news service said the blog which broke the story about the Lambeth Conference being cancelled failed to check with Lambeth Palace.

Lambeth spokesman Ed Thornton told VOL the cancellation hasn't been confirmed yet "and we won't be commenting at least until primates visits are completed".

An Anglican bishop subsequently told VOL that the Archbishop of Canterbury may well postpone Lambeth till 2020.

"It is by no means cancelled, it is still too early to say," the VOL article continued.

"2018 is four years away and anything can happen between now and then."

Sources

• Irish Times
• Virtue Online
• Anglican Ink
• Image: 40Yearsordained2000yearsministry.com

Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster said it is fitting that King Richard's "remains should be reinterred with dignity and accompanied by the prayers of the Church in Leicester Cathedral, the mediaeval parish church of Leicester".

"We commend all who have died to the love and mercy of Almighty God, and continue to pray for them, as we shall for Richard III and all who have lost their lives in battle," he said.

King Richard's remains were found under a car park in Leicester in 2012.

He is the only English monarch not to have a marked grave.

The Right Reverend Tim Stevens, Anglican Bishop of Leicester, said the Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop Justin Welby, would attend the King's funeral in March next year.

Officials at Leicester Cathedral said the ceremony will not be classed as an official state funeral, but would be very similar, and the reinterment ceremony will be broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK.

As the most senior figure in the Church of England, Archbishop Welby is likely to lead the ceremony, although this has not been confirmed.

Bishop Stevens said: "I am delighted that the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster will be in Leicester for our celebrations surrounding the reinterment of Richard III."

"The presence of the Cardinal marks the historical continuity between the Catholic faith in this country and the Church of England.

"The presence of both archbishops is a sign of the close partnership between our two churches in burying King Richard with dignity and honour.

"Our cathedral has been consistently committed to providing a fitting, dignified and memorable ceremony for the reinterment of King Richard.

Leicester Cathedral will receive the King's remains on March 22, 2015, and he will then lie in repose for three days.

The last Plantagenet King of England will then be reburied during a ceremony on March 26.

And from March 28, the area of Richard III's tomb will be open to the public.

Source

• The Telegraph
• Image: The Express