Would Worcester College Oxford apologise for hosting the Pope?
Worcester College Oxford is among the fairest of the University. Founded in 1714, some of its buildings date back to 1283, when there was a Benedictine abbey on the site.…
Diversity
Archbishops’ Racial Justice Commission has just one Conservative member
The Archbishops' Racial Justice Commission was announced last week. It is a 12-member board, chaired by former Labour MP Paul Boateng, now Lord Boateng, and its members include just one Conservative: the social entrepreneur Lord Wei. The other members are:…
Anglican Conclave to ‘sift’ all candidates for vacancies to see if they are ‘appropriate’
There is no doubt that the governance structure of the Church of England is labyrinthine, convoluted, inefficient and opaque. It's what comes of half a millennium of Catholic and Reformed…
What if Nottingham University were right to ‘cancel’ its Catholic chaplain?
TRIGGER WARNING: The following blog post includes a discussion of the harsh treatment experienced by a Roman Catholic chaplain, and issues of religious liberty, common sense and Christian compassion. Its…
A ‘Church for England’, but whose understanding of Englishness?
Much has been written about the Archbishop of York's article in the Telegraph, in which he set out his vision for England woven with his preferred themes of Englishness, calling…
Radical progressive activism and the Church of England
Civitas have published a new report: Rotting from the Head: Radical progressive activism and the Church of England. 'Radical progressive activism' is a slippery concept, not least because not all…
If ‘contested’ monuments, statues and memorials must fall, who shall stand?
The guidance issued by the Church of England in respect of its 'contested heritage' (specifically monuments, statues and monuments relating to the slave trade and/or colonialism) is confusing (to put…
From Lament To Action: the report of the Archbishops’ Anti-Racism Taskforce
The Archbishops' Anti-Racism Taskforce have published their report 'From Lament to Action', which proposes a raft of changes designed to bring about a change of culture in the life of…
BBC Panorama smears the Church of England as ‘racist’
'Is the Church racist?', asked the BBC's Panorama yesterday evening, as reporter Clive Myrie interviewed a few minority-ethnic clergy who have experienced some awful abuse at the hands (or from…
The Church of England’s racist plan to eradicate racism
There is a curious story in the Daily Mail which may not be wholly true, or it may not be true at all, but if it is true, even in…
Just 6% of Anglican clergy voted Conservative in 2019
A Savanta ComRes poll was published just over a week ago on the political affiliation of Church leaders, and it hasn't had much coverage. In fact, it doesn't appear to…
Denmark clamps down on Anglican extremism
Denmark has got a big problem with extremist Anglicans – Anglicists – who are well known for preaching their fundamentalist gender equality; the uncompromising inclusion of LGBT people; and the…
Diversity is deeper than BAME and LGBT: it is social, political, intellectual and philosophical
Lord Hall, the outgoing Director General of the BBC, has demanded that the Corporation improve the diversity of its staff to better reflect those who pay its TV licence. "You…
English Channel migrants come in search of community and belonging
Earlier this week, I found within the BBC treasure trove of the Alistair Cooke archive a 1992 edition in which he explored the vexed question of immigration and the relevance…
Sheffield Cathedral sacks choir – because God told them to
The Dean and Chapter if Sheffield Cathedral have sacked their choir, and this has caused a bit of a stir in the media and consternation on Twitter. They explain: For…
General Synod: social and political diversity among Bishops
Quite a few interesting questions have been tabled for the imminent virtual General Synod of the Church of England, ranging from Bishops' Twitter usage (Qs 69-70) to Safeguarding abusage (Qs…
Church covers ‘offensive’ gravestone of GH Elliott, ‘The Chocolate Covered C____’
GH Elliott was a musical hall singer and dancer who died in 1962. So full of gaiety and laughter was his act that he was invited to appear in the…
Queen Victoria statue defaced: #VictoriaMustFall
The mob has now risen against a Queen Victoria statue in Leeds, which is perfectly reasonable considering she once ruled the Empire under whose aegis all those slave-traders flourished 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…
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…