'God in the City' - Cambridge lecture by Archbishop Nichols In a Cambridge University lecture hosted by the Woolf Institute and held at St Edmund's College on Wednesday 8 February 2012, the Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster has examined how faith communities can individually and jointly work towards a more humane, just and compassionate society. Read More ... Posted: Wednesday, February 8, 2012 9:56 pm
Irish Church rebuts Baroness Hollins comments on response to abuse survivors Addressing an International Conference on the Sexual Abuse of Children within the Catholic Church at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome yesterday, Baroness Sheila Hollins stated that very few victims had counselling or therapy, saying: “In Ireland it is said that very few victims have had any counselling or therapy. It is believed that very few had Read More ... Posted: Wednesday, February 8, 2012 6:39 pm
US Bishops attack Obama healthcare reforms The US Catholic Church has strongly criticised President Barack Obama's healthcare reform under which employers must offer insurance that includes access to contraception. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued the following response to a 1 February post on the White House blog on the subject. Read More ... Posted: Wednesday, February 8, 2012 6:14 pm
CoE Synod: debate on assisted dying In a debate on assisted dying at the Church of England Synod on Monday, the Archbishop of Canterbury warned that changes to the law to allow assisted suicide would spell 'disaster' and a shift in society's attitude to the sanctity of life. The Independent Commission on Assisted Dying, headed by former lord chancellor Lord Falconer, Read More ... Posted: Wednesday, February 8, 2012 4:09 pm
Windows onto Heaven: exhibition of manuscripts at British Library Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination showcases 150 manuscripts from the British Library's collection (and a few loaned from elsewhere) which had previously been owned by English monarchs. Manuscripts are not the ideal subject for a blockbuster exhibition; they were created to be viewed at close quarter, and at length – hardly possible given the Read More ... Naomi Billingsley - Posted: Wednesday, February 8, 2012 3:46 pm
Charles Dickens celebrated at Westminster Abbey The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall attended a ceremony at Westminster Abbey this morning to celebrate the life and work of Charles Dickens on the 200th anniversary of his birth. The great Victorian writer was buried in the South Transept of Westminster Abbey on 14 June 1870. In his Welcome, the Dean of Westminster, the Read More ... Posted: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 9:28 pm
Syria: Christians flee Homs as crisis deepens As the government bombarded of Homs entered its fifth day today, the Missionary New Service report that most Christian families have now left the city. This is not because they have received threats - so most churches and places of worship has escaped attack - but because the situation generally is "becoming more dangerous by the hour." Read More ... Posted: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 8:56 pm
Vatican: symposium on support for abuse victims An international symposium entitled 'Towards Healing and Renewal' began on Monday evening in the Gregorian University in Rome. The event, which will run until 9 February and brings together bishops and religious superiors from all over the world, aims to relaunch the Church's commitment to protecting minors and vulnerable people from abuse. During the Read More ... Posted: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 8:30 pm
Film: The Artist The Artist is a joy from start to finish. At a time when filmmakers are pushing the boundaries with more and more scenes of sex and violence, here comes a silent movie, drawing the crowds and sweeping up awards without even showing a screen kiss. French director Michel Hazanavicius has meticulously used the techniques of early Read More ... Jo Siedlecka - Posted: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 6:37 pm
Call for law to protect children from on-line porn “Giving porn to a teenage boy is like giving crack to a baby. Addiction is almost guaranteed. No wonder boys aged 12-17 are the porn industry’s core target." Premier Christian Media Trust today launched a campaign urging government to introduce legislation for internet service providers [ISPs] to demand that pornography is filtered at source. Read More ... Posted: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 5:18 pm
Somerset: plans for multi-church Academy School unveiled An ecumenical Christian Academy School for 4-16 years olds could be launched later this year, if plans by teachers and parents in north Somerset approved. The group are getting ready to submit an application to open a Free School in Weston-super-Mare. They hope to base the school in the Weston library, thus saving this historic building and keeping it as a centre of learning. Read More ... Staff Writers - Posted: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 4:47 pm
Think about having five meaningful conversations a day At the opening of the Mental Health Conference in Leeds last weekend, delegates were asked to think about having five meaningful conversations a day, in addition to the daily intake of five fruit and vegetables. Participants came from across the country to showcase the 11 mental health projects, funded by Day for Life – the day dedicated to celebrating Read More ... Posted: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 1:11 pm
Archbishop of Birmingham: 'secularism can offer a new freedom' "Secularism can certainly have some negative impacts but the phenomenon can also offer a new freedom for the Gospel to be proclaimed,” Archbishop Bernard Longley said during an address in Birmingham on Saturday. Archbishop Longley, was speaking during 'Crossing the Threshold', a resource day about ministry and outreach to non-churchgoing Catholics, Read More ... Peter Jennings - Posted: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 12:34 pm
Green Christians urged to LOAF during Lent Throughout Lent, Christian Ecology Link (CEL) is asking supporters to think and act on food sourcing in their church communities and further afield. They have launched a leaflet on the LOAF programme principles in time for Shrove Tuesday. The key principles are that food should where possible be: L- Locally produced; O- Organically grown; A- Animal friendly; and F- Fairly traded Read More ... Posted: Monday, February 6, 2012 9:09 pm
Podcast: Solidarity with Middle East Christians A special installment of Middle East Analysis today with not one but two studio guests. The first needs no introduction to regular listeners - it's Dr Harry Hagopian, the Bishops' Consultant on the MENA region. The second guest is the Bishop of Clifton, the Rt Rev Declan Lang, Chair of the Bishops' Conference Department of International Affairs. Read More ... Posted: Monday, February 6, 2012 5:15 pm
Catholics get set for nation's biggest party More Than Gold, the umbrella Christian charity serving the 2012 Games, has just begun Get Set Training Days to help churches prepare to engage at the heart of this summer's Diamond Jubilee and Olympic and Paralympic celebrations, possibly the largest parties ever in our nation’s history. Read More ... Posted: Monday, February 6, 2012 5:01 pm
London: Confident and Catholic lecture series Faith Matters – the Diocese of Westminster’s Catholic Lecture Series – returns on Tuesday evenings in Lent 2012 to Westminster Cathedral Hall, to address some of the Church’s key priorities identified by the Catholic Bishops’ of England and Wales in their 2011 document ‘A Vision for the Church in Our Land’. Read More ... Posted: Monday, February 6, 2012 4:35 pm
Vatican City Presidency responds to criticism of administration The Presidency of the Governorate of Vatican City State has issue a statement in response to criticisms over the way contracts are awarded, made in an Italian television programme. The programme: 'The Untouchables' broadcast by the La 7 channel on 25 January, showed several letters sent last year by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, when he was deputy-governor of Read More ... Posted: Monday, February 6, 2012 4:09 pm
Diamond Jubilee Prayer & resources Today marks the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's accession to the throne. Church services will be taking place around the country to mark the event. A prayer written at the Queen's Direction by the Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral for Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee has been released. It will be used in the Jubilee Thanksgiving Service in St Paul's Cathedral on Read More ... Posted: Monday, February 6, 2012 8:45 am
Ireland cuts First Communion expense grants The Irish government has decided to cut special grants to families on benefits to cover the cost of First Communion and Confirmation expenses. Until recently 14,000 families were paid 242 Euros (£200) each to cover the cost which could include a white dress, veil, shoes and bag. On Thursday the Department of Social Protection said the payment would Read More ... Posted: Sunday, February 5, 2012 9:37 pm
London: Carmel-in-the-City celebrates fourth anniversary There was a Candlemass liturgy to mark the fourth anniversary of Carmel-in-the-City’s foundation at St Joseph's, Bunhill Row on Saturday. Fr Wilfrid McGreal O.Carm, Carmelite Prior Provincial, came from Faversham in Kent, to celebrate the Mass. Read More ... Posted: Sunday, February 5, 2012 9:14 pm
Street Pastors come to north London Street Pastors will begin patrolling the streets of north west London later this month. This group of latter-day Good Samaritans from several different denominations aren't out to convert people. They simply go out at night who might need a helping hand - tourists who are lost, someone whose had a bit much to drink, or a person just needing a chat. North West London Street Pastors Read More ... Mary Prazer - Posted: Sunday, February 5, 2012 8:35 pm
Campaigners urge PM to take strong action on alcohol pricing A coalition of national Churches and charities has written to the Prime Minister asking him to introduce a minimum unit price on all alcohol sold in Britain when the Government’s alcohol strategy is announced later this month. David Cameron has indicated that he may be willing to introduce a minimum price of 40 – 50 pence per unit on alcohol, but the group is worried Read More ... Posted: Sunday, February 5, 2012 7:09 pm
Jesuit Missions seek p/t Development Education Assistant Jesuit Missions presently seek to recruit a Development Education Assistant for three days (or 22½ hours) a week to assist the JM Development Education Coordinator with the Companions' Programme. This exciting programme coordinates partnerships between schools and parishes in the United Kingdom with schools and parishes overseas (Guyana, Kenya, South Africa, Read More ... Posted: Sunday, February 5, 2012 3:29 pm
Sunday Reflection with Fr Terry - 5 February 2012 Scripture is like a mirror held up in front of the human race. We see ourselves depicted. Of course, the Bible is the story of God revealing himself to us, but it is also a picture of who we are. Sadness and joy, generosity and selfishness, anger and peace, all human emotions can be found in scripture. Take today’s first reading from Job. It is a chillingly accurate description of serious depression. Read More ... Posted: Friday, February 3, 2012 5:48 pm
