The real presence of Christ in the community of the virtual Church
This morning I want to depart from our Lectionary readings to offer a text which inspired a first-class sermon which I once heard at Rochester Cathedral. A few years ago,…
Church of England
‘Church locked for coronavirus’ – but it was last year, too
This is the ninth contribution to His Grace’s emergency team ministry during the coronavirus pestilence. It comes from Mike Stallard, who has been in education all his life, and is now retired. Last Sunday morning I woke up angry.…
CofE to be carbon-neutral by 2030 – but at what cost?
No-one disputes the Christian imperative to care for the environment: the stewardship of creation is a matter of generational justice and moral responsibility. In the vast web of nature and…
Franklin Graham ban: Rees-Mogg defends freedom of religion
While the General Synod of the Church of England was repenting of its 'white privilege' and committing to 'net zero' carbon omissions by 2030, the Rt Hon Jacob Rees-Mogg MP…
Safeguarding: the Church of England’s house is slowly being rebuilt
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…
Kruger: we should not throw away the inheritance of our Christian culture
In his maiden speech on 29th January, a Conservative MP said something which even the Bishops in the House of Lords aren't saying. Danny Kruger, the Member for Devizes, made…
The plot to oust Bishops from the House of Lords will fail
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…
Candlemas: from the Presentation of Christ to ‘Radical Inclusion’
Today we mark a Church Feast which is known as either Candlemas or the Feast of the Presentation of Christ at the Temple. I doubt if any of us will…
Brexit Day – at last, a wide and liberal global future
When the majority of UK voters determined to leave the European Union on 23rd June 2016, it was met with much relief and rejoicing by many millions of people: The…
Praying for this week of Brexit
Each day that passes this week shall be the last of that day we shall be in the European Union. The last weekend is already gone: the coming Sunday shall…
Catholic and Reformed: continuity and development
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…
A Christian case for Brexit
If one anti-Brexit argument persists within the clergy hierarchy of the Church of England, it is that the UK's departure from the European Union is a fundamentally 'un-Christian' pursuit. The…
Jonathan Fletcher presents the Church of England with a crisis of integrity
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…
Vicar on Tory victory: “..the world just got harder & colder”
The Rev'd Caroline Beckett is the vicar at All Saints Church & St James Church in Brightlingsea, Essex. She serves her flock diligently and is clearly dedicated to mission. "Everyone…
Decriminalising Abortion: an Open Letter to the Bishops of the Church of England
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…
Conservative Manifesto for a Merry Brexmas (and a Happy Lesser Evil)
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,…
Chichester Cathedral moves to restore Bishop George Bell
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…
Decriminalising abortion: Labour abandons the Catholic vote
A few weeks ago the Liberal Democrats deselected one of their candidates. Robert Flello, a practising Roman Catholic (and so opposed to abortion and same-sex marriage) was ditched just 36…
Politics is too important to leave to politicians
"The Archbishop's platitudes do far more to divide the country than unite it" wrote the Telegraph's Charlotte Gill in a piece headed: 'Justin Welby has no business using his sacred…
Bishops urge Boris to get on and deliver Brexit
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…