Bishops

Labour LibDem manifesto decriminalise abortion

Decriminalising Abortion: an Open Letter to the Bishops of the Church of England

November 27, 2019
Archbishop Cranmer
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Dear Bishops, Both the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats have, in their manifestos, proposed the “decriminalisation” of abortion. This would remove all sanctions in criminal law for those who perform abortions outside the limits set by the Abortion Act…

boris johnson get brexit done merry brexmas

Conservative Manifesto for a Merry Brexmas (and a Happy Lesser Evil)

November 25, 2019
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The Conservative Party Manifesto is infused with the status quo and brimming with measured increments of steady-as-she-goes. It isn't so much a vision by which the people shall not perish,…

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…

Man plans and God laughs: resist all you want; Brexit will happen

September 8, 2019
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Church of England Bishops in the House of Lords voted against the Government and in favour of Hilary Benn's Bill to force Boris Johnson to beg Brussels for another extension…

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…

Clergy sexual abuse: why can’t the Church cleanse its own temple?

August 18, 2019
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"The gross evil of child sexual abuse by Catholic clergy would have gone unexposed had it not been for three principal agencies, all secular." That's the damning opening sentence of…

Brexit Derangement Syndrome: the contagion reaches the Bishops

August 7, 2019
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Every profession seems to have been infected, and within each there is notable carrier who is especially unwell. Brexit Derangement Syndrome is spreading like the Plague of Justinian, and there…

Boris Johnson becomes the first baptised Catholic to made Prime Minister

July 24, 2019
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Today is the Feast Day of St Boris (really). And today Boris Johnson kisses hands with the Queen (not the hand of the Queen) to become the 55th person to…

vicar john parker bishop stephen cottrell

What bishop would tell a vicar: ‘You’re no longer welcome in the Church of England’?

June 6, 2019
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It made the pages of the Daily Mail, so it's serious: 'Vicar resigns after being 'silenced' over a Church of England school's plan to keep an eight-year-old pupil's sex change…

Is a diocesan bishop about to break ranks over historic child abuse in the Church of England?

May 13, 2019
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The past few weeks have seen a huge escalation in the accumulation of evidence and opinion on the tragic story of the Church’s safeguarding failures. I write in the context…

Bishop Graham Kings Farage Hannan traitors to EU

Bishop says Brexit Euro candidates are ‘Traitors to the EU’

April 28, 2019
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The Rt Rev'd Dr Graham Kings is Hon Assistant Bishop & World Mission Adviser in the Diocese of Southwark. He is a Senior Member of St Chad's College, Durham, and…

The Conservative Party does not govern – or even exist – by divine right

April 5, 2019
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The Conservative Party is often referred to as "the natural party of government". Certainly, they dominated much of the 20th century – being in power for half of it, while…

CofE brexit prayer together peoples vote

Bemused by Brexit? Come to church for tea and prayer – unless your vicar is a Remainer

March 25, 2019
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At this moment of national crisis and international humiliation (which it is), the Church of England is encouraging people to come to church to be 'Together' for a cup of…

Emotional abuse in the Church: Bishops need psychological help

March 8, 2019
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There is a Jewish proverb that a good name is worth more than precious stones. In this reflective and penitential season of Lent, members of the Church of England House…

Church of England’s Brexit prayers – what exactly do they mean?

March 5, 2019
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A few months ago the Archbishop of York issued a Brexit prayer, or, rather, 'A Prayer for Parliament in Time of Brexit Trouble'. It was a fairly benign effort which…

Bishop Steven Croft Lords ambition Brexit

Bishop says Brexit is marred by politicians’ personal ambition, and calls for ‘strong, compelling and united vision of the future’

March 1, 2019
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"My Lords, I always rise to speak in this Chamber with some fear and trepidation but never more so than today," confessed the Lord Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Rev'd…

‘General Synod has no confidence in the Church of England’s capacity to regulate its own safeguarding culture’

February 20, 2019
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The laicisation of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick by the Roman Catholic Church was one more step on the long journey towards cleansing that institution of sexual abuse, much of it…

How far is Bishop George Bell’s reputation restored? When is a cloud not a cloud?

January 25, 2019
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This is a guest post by Synod members Martin Sewell and David Lamming. _______ The Church of England has now published the Briden Report into the further allegations against Bishop…

Parliamentary prayers chaplain house of commons prayer

Parliamentary prayers give strength and instil humility: they impose nothing and exclude no one

January 21, 2019
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"If MPs don’t want to attend prayers, they wait outside for five minutes until they are over", tweeted Nadine Dorries MP, in response to those who are agitating anew for…