Bishop dismisses Matt Hancock’s adultery as “a bit of a fling”
Two marriages have broken down, with all the heartache, tears and loneliness of the innocent parties. One wedding ring has been thrown to the floor in the passion of betrayal;…
Hypocrisy
Daniel Finkelstein: opponents of assisted dying are ‘radicals’
In his Times article today, Daniel Finkelstein insists that to legalise assisted dying (/suicide) would be "a small change"; a very modest development; a necessary and popular incremental reform. As Parliament gets yet another chance to consider this matter (the…
I do trust Tories, says Bishop of St Davids, lying through her smiles
The apology issued by the Bishop of St Davids (of the Church in Wales) in the wake of her 'Never never never trust a Tory' tweet is disingenuous. It is…
Bishop of St Davids says all Tories are duplicitous liars
The Bishop of St Davids, the Rt Rev'd Joanna Penberthy, was the first woman to be elected a bishop in the Church in Wales, and into an archbishopric which can…
Institutional narcissism in the Church of England
"The BBC, the NHS and Oxfam have a bad case of institutional narcissism", wrote Matthew Syed in the Sunday Times yesterday. It is a terse but cogent thesis, coming in…
Why has Cardinal Wuerl (retired) been given $2m by the Washington Archdiocese?
"In 2020, the Archdiocese of Washington allocate more than $2 million for the 'continued ministry' of retired Cardinal Donald Wuerl. For comparison, the archdiocese earmarked $400k for charitable giving", tweeted…
Wanted: Christians who can cause a little more offence
Would Luther have been a blast on Twitter? Historian Tom Holland thinks so. In an edition of 'The Rest is History' podcast, he observes: "What happens is that Luther obviously…
‘Fawlty Towers’ censored by the BBC
The famous 'Don’t mention the War' episode of the classic, brilliant comedy series 'Fawlty Towers' has been removed from the UKTV catch-up service. In that episode, hotel owner Basil Fawlty…
Archbishop cheers Labour MP for breaking lockdown law
We are in the midst of a global pandemic, and the law of the land is clear: "no person may participate in a gathering which takes place in a public…
Boris Johnson and the Episcopal Land of Zoom
This is the 18th contribution to His Grace’s emergency team ministry during the coronavirus pestilence. The author is an Incumbent in the Church of England, who wishes to remain anonymous.…
Care in a covid climate: in defence of Justin Welby
"The Archbishop of Canterbury has been secretly volunteering as a chaplain at St Thomas’s Hospital during the coronavirus lockdown, the Telegraph has learned." The Telegraph learned this when the rest…
Tory leadership contest: when did vice signalling become a virtue?
The Tory leadership contest has taken a strange turn. Perhaps it's a purposeful distraction from their (non-)strategies for realising Brexit, but they seem to have taken to vice signalling (or,…
Bemused by Brexit? Come to church for tea and prayer – unless your vicar is a Remainer
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…
Scrupulous for Christ: saving the Church from the doctrine of the infallibles
Ever since Jesus cried 'Woe' to the scribes and Pharisees, his disciples have been calling out the two-faced hypocrites and judiciously discerning whitewashed tombs – those who look all meek…
Shared humanity, solidarity, and social justice are all well and good, but one must protect the CofE’s return on investment
It must be found in the Rite of Ordination somewhere. Bishop: Dost thou, therefore, in the name of Social Justice, renounce the Market and all its works, the vain pomp…
Complicit in evil? Church of England has shares in Amazon and uses zero-hours contracts
Imagine the prophet Amos in 650 BC travelling through the southern kingdom up to Bethel in the Samaritan north to sell his figs. It's a long journey, but that's where…
Human Ken Doll: the cult of the young body, and judging by appearances
"I don't watch big brother, I don't know this fella...," tweeted journalist, TV presenter and poet Stephen Dixon. "But a world that allows someone to do this to themselves instead…
Dean of Ely reports Daily Mail to IPSO for saying Cathedral flew UKIP flag
It beggars belief that anyone could have taken the story seriously. What dean and chapter of any cathedral would even entertain flying the UKIP flag? Oh, they'll host a Labour-supporting…
Anti-Brexit bishops jump on Boris burqa bandwagon
This isn't a post about Brexit; it really isn't. Nor is it a post about banning the burqa. It isn't even a post about Boris, or whether what he said…
Bishop Nick Baines derides Brexit British hopelessness
There's a lot of anxiety about. The torch which once lit our path is being extinguished. Our institutions and communities are beset with moral problems, dilemmas and quandaries. Our politics…