Clergy in the Church of England have been banned from joining or promoting two extreme right-wing political parties. The church’s House of Bishops has deemed the constitution, policies, activities and statements of the National Front and the British National Party incompatible with the Church of England’s teachings. This is in relation to the church’s teaching Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Church of England’
Growing atheist assembly holds General Synod-like meeting
Tuesday, May 13th, 2014The growing atheist Sunday Assembly movement has held its first general meeting to try to set up a system of church-like management. Organisers say the process is comparable to the Church of England’s General Synod. After only 16 months, the UK-based Sunday Assembly predicts it will have 100 congregations in five continents by the end Read more
Africans could die if English church accepts gay marriage, warns Welby
Tuesday, April 8th, 2014
African Christians will be killed if the Church of England accepts gay marriage, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has suggested. Speaking on a phone in at UK radio station LBC, Archbishop Justin Welby cited first hand experience of this. He said he had stood by a mass grave in Nigeria of 330 Christians who Read more
Church of England Sunday worship numbers fall
Tuesday, March 25th, 2014Sunday worship attendance in the Church of England is dropping with fewer than one million people attending services on average in 2012. But Christmas services brought in about 2.5 million people. Continue reading
Church of England provides special prayers for gay couples
Tuesday, February 18th, 2014
The Church of England will not conduct same-sex weddings, but have special prayers for gay couples after they marry and Church of England priests in same-sex relationships or civil unions will not be allowed to marry. These guidelines are contained in a new “pastoral guidances” statement from the Church of England’s “House of Bishops”. The guidelines Read more
Church of England removes devil from baptism liturgy
Monday, January 6th, 2014The Church of England is accused of “dumbing down” the sacrament of baptism as it introduces new wording to the service. The Church is introducing a christening ceremony that removes the requirement on parents and godparents to “repent sins” and “reject the devil”. Critics claimed the new wording, designed as an alternative to the current Read more
Church of England set to bless gay relationships
Friday, November 29th, 2013The Church of England is poised to offer public blessing services for same-sex couples in a historic shift in teaching. A long-awaited review of church teaching by a panel of bishops recommends lifting the ban on special services which will amount to weddings in all but name. Although the Church will continue to opt out Read more
Church of England paves way for female bishops
Friday, November 22nd, 2013
The Church of England’s governing body this week voted in favor of female bishops, ending a 20-year impasse that could see women ordained as senior clergy by the end of 2014. A vote on a package of measures to endorse women bishops was supported by 378 members of the General Synod while eight voted against Read more
The Vatican launches its own cricket club
Friday, October 25th, 2013The Vatican has officially declared its intention to defeat the Church of England – not in a theological re-match nearly 500 years after they split, but on the cricket pitch The challenge was launched at the baptism of the St. Peter’s Cricket Club. Vatican officials said the league will be composed of teams of priests Read more
Anglicans rule out blessing same-sex relationships
Friday, April 12th, 2013The Church of England has ruled out offering blessings to same-sex relationships, reiterating that marriage is “a faithful, committed, permanent and legally sanctioned relationship between a man and a woman”. A new report from the church’s faith and order commission recognises the existence of same-sex relationships, but says they are “forms of human relationships which Read more