Church of England

The harrowing of Martyn Percy (part ii): Church of England colludes in bullying

The harrowing of the Very Rev'd Professor Martyn Percy, Dean of Christ Church Oxford, ought to have ceased with his vindication in the judgment of Sir Andrew Smith. Professor Percy had been accused by a certain cabal of College dons…

Bishop: ‘Sack Cummings, or the Church of England will no longer work with Government’

May 25, 2020
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A number of Bishops have rounded on the Prime Minister for not sacking his senior advisor Dominic Cummings, following revelations that he drove from London to Durham during lockdown to…

Rev’d Marcus Walker returns to his pulpit: “Here I stand!”

April 20, 2020
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"We are back!" exclaims the Facebook page of Saint Bartholomew the Great, London's oldest extant church, founded in 1123 as an Augustinian Priory and which, they say, "has been in…

Safeguarding: the Church of England’s house is slowly being rebuilt

February 11, 2020
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On 25th November 2015 the newly elected General Synod of the Church of England gathered to worship together with HM The Queen before she inaugurated the first sitting of its…

The plot to oust Bishops from the House of Lords will fail

February 3, 2020
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A bill to remove Church of England Bishops from the House of Lords is currently making its way through Parliament. The House of Lords (Removal of Bishops) Bill was introduced…

Catholic and Reformed: continuity and development

January 13, 2020
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Toward the end of his ministry as Archbishop of Canterbury (though it may have been just after the end), Rowan Williams was interviewed about his beliefs, and in particular his…

Jonathan Fletcher presents the Church of England with a crisis of integrity

January 2, 2020
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On Boxing Day the nation was entertained on a bi-partisan basis by the tragi-comic story of Jolyon Maugham QC and his vulpine intruder. It will take some of us a…

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Chichester Cathedral moves to restore Bishop George Bell

November 24, 2019
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When I first began to raise a dissenting voice against poor process at the heart of the Church of England’s treatment of the legacy of Bishop George Bell, I knew…

Bishops urge Boris to get on and deliver Brexit

September 27, 2019
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It has been a while in coming: the Bishops and Archbishops of the Church of England have to-and-froed on the Referendum result, and blown hot-and-cold on Brexit, and wax-and-waned on…

Welby to Remainers: “stop whingeing.. the majority voted Leave.. that is democracy”

September 2, 2019
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Following the open letter on Brexit (doom and gloom) signed by 60% of Diocesan Bishops, the Archbishop of Canterbury has called for Remainers (including Bishops) to "stop whingeing", accept the…

Brexit: open letter reveals Bishops split 60:40 on Government’s approach

August 29, 2019
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The open letter on Brexit published yesterday by a group of Diocesan Bishops is interesting on a number of levels, not least of which is the fact that it is…

Brexit Citizens’ Assembly – Welby plays a blinder (all shall be well)

August 28, 2019
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When the Times revealed on Monday that the Archbishop of Canterbury was "in talks" to chair a 'Citizens' Assembly' in order to avert a 'no deal' Brexit (that is, a…

Nobody knows Nobody’s Friends

August 26, 2019
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People of a certain age might remember that the motorcycle patrolmen of the Automobile Association was once a common sight on British roads. Members sported badges on the fronts of…

“Shabby and shambolic” – the CofE still conspires against truth and justice in historic sexual abuse

August 2, 2019
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Anyone wishing the Church of England well might have hoped that the end of the IICSA hearing last month represented the nadir of its unhappy handling of victims complaints. Despite…

CofE insurers Ecclesiastical attempt to impede pastoral care

July 26, 2019
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It has been known for some time that Ecclesiastical Insurance (EIG), the favoured insurance company of the Church of England, has a tendency toward callousness, obstruction and indifference in their…

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Church of England guidance used against Christian in court

July 22, 2019
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There's something ever so slightly disquieting about this, but not for the reasons permeating the websites and chat-threads of Evangelical Christendom. Dr David Mackereth, who said in a Department of…

There is no such thing as ‘spiritual abuse’

July 4, 2019
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Another abuse scandal has broken out in the the Church of England, and it is once again facing the responsibility as to how best to respond. Most sexual abuse is…

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Rev’d Jonathan Fletcher: CofE and GAFCON co-operate to manage risk to the vulnerable

June 28, 2019
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The weeks leading up to General Synod were never going to be a happy time for the Church of England. Anyone in touch with the survivors of Anglican abuse across…

The Supreme Governor at her supremest hosting a reception for faith leaders

June 26, 2019
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"The concept of our established Church is occasionally misunderstood and, I believe, commonly under-appreciated," the Queen said in a speech at Lambeth Palace in 2012. "Its role is not to…

Child sexual abuse: the Blackburn Pastoral Letter is game-changer for the Church of England

June 21, 2019
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When St Paul began writing his letters I doubt he expected them to become as copied, shared, dissected and analysed as they are today. He wrote to help and support…