Representatives of the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church have told the House of Commons that they will fight to maintain their powers to discriminate in cases of employment and against limits proposed in the Equality Bill.
“Unjust discrimination is fundamentally wrong.” So say the Roman Catholic bishops of England and Wales in evidence to parliament on the equality bill. But doesn’t this terminology imply there might be another category of “just discrimination” which is slightly less awful, or even in some circumstances righteous?
The Diocese of Stockholm in the Church of Sweden has just elected Eva Brunne, a lesbian in a registered domestic partnership, as its bishop. The Church of England is in full communion with the Church of Sweden through the Porvoo Agreement. The question now is how Rowan Williams will respond.
The database, so far featuring over 105,000 “clerical CVs” and counting, is intended to establish the ?rst clear picture of one of the most important professions, ?lling gaps in church history and providing a resource for academics, amateur historians and genealogists.
The headline in The New York Times reads: “After 341 Years, Britain Picks a Female Poet Laureate.” In other news, the Archbishop of Canterbury has authorized a network of “flying laureates” to minister to those who don’t believe that God intended women to write poetry, but who want to continue to read it.
The Very Rev Colin Slee, the liberal Dean of Southwark has publicly attacked the Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, and said that he was one of three bishops whose position was now “open to some debate”.
“Now it’s quite unusual if you belong to a church; I think people think you’re a bit strange,” says Nicola Ely. “Older people tend to belong, but I don’t think it’s really something for the young. I wouldn’t dream of going to anything if it’s church-based.”
The Bishop of Middleton, the Rt Rev Mark Davies, said prayers for an hour…in a window display at Nexus Art Cafe in the middle of Manchester, England.
The Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, the Church’s only Asian bishop, intends to use his expertise as an Islamic scholar to work in Pakistan where he was born and in the Middle East to build bridges between Christians and Muslims. A conservative evangelical, he will step down in September after nearly 15 years in the diocese.
The Society of St Pius X has expressed an interest in purchasing St George’s Church in Gorton, Manchester. One of its bishops, Richard Williamson, provoked anger after saying he did not believe Nazi gas chambers existed. He later apologised. The Church Commissioners which manages the Church of England’s historic assets is considering the sale and has asked for feedback by the end of the month.