Integrity

Iwerne David Conner Dean Windsor John Smyth

Iwerne: what did David Conner (now Dean of Windsor) and others know about John Smyth’s regime of abuse?

November 6, 2018
Martin Sewell
0 Comments

Many years ago, I worked as a duty solicitor, undertaking day and night visits to the local police stations. There were not many on the rota and it was a busy time. One night I learned something about the limits…

Gerald Coates says Justin Welby denied saying that the EU was “the greatest dream realised for human beings since the fall of the Western Roman Empire”

June 8, 2018
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Gerald Coates attended a Lambeth Palace garden party, and has published an account on his Facebook page: Now this is curious, not to say confusing. Gerald Coates is one of…

Why is the General Synod of the Church of England so poor at holding Bishops to account?

May 1, 2018
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Travel is said to broaden the mind, but occasionally it reminds us to pay more attention to what is closer to home, right under our noses. Many years ago, on…

‘Sorry’ seems to be the hardest word: apologetics and apologies in the Bishop Bell case

February 16, 2018
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This is a guest post by the Very Rev'd Professor Martyn Percy, Dean of Christ Church, Oxford. _________ An apology is a written or spoken expression of regret and remorse;…

Justin Welby has staked his reputation and legacy on the maintenance of a profound injustice to Bishop George Bell

January 23, 2018
145 Comments

There are times when you really, really don't want to write any kind of response to a contentious issue, no matter how burning it may be, not least because by…

Welby: “I really, genuinely do not understand” Christian support for Trump

November 28, 2017
249 Comments

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby was interviewed by Robert Peston on Sunday. He spoke about the British economic model, economic justice, investment, skills, apprenticeships, automation, robotics, AI, equality for…

Bishop of Sheffield: Martyn Percy asked for bread; Sentamu and Welby give a stone

March 27, 2017
625 Comments

No doubt there has been a lot of frantic to-ing and fro-ing between the palaces of Bishopthorpe and Lambeth since Philip North felt unable to take up the nomination as…

Church in Wales being hounded to appoint Jeffrey John the next Bishop of Llandaff

March 22, 2017
283 Comments

The Church in Wales is the Anglican Church in Wales, and it is disestablished. It's appointments procedure is therefore an entirely internal matter, at some arms' length from the kingdom…

Those who attacked +Philip North have made same-sex blessing compromise impossible

March 10, 2017
358 Comments

Remember that "radical new Christian inclusion" Justin Welby spoke of in the wake of Synod's decision not to 'take note' of the Bishops' report on marriage and same-sex relations? Well,…

If Philip North can’t be Bishop of Sheffield, the Church of England ceases to be catholic

February 25, 2017
620 Comments

The Dean of Christ Church, Professor Martyn Percy, has issued an ultimatum circumspectly entitled 'Questions of Ambiguity and Integrity'. It's quite long, but essentially it boils down to a choice:…

Mrs Proudie: Thomas Becket’s grim fate offers a cautionary tale

May 27, 2016
206 Comments

Goodness! The bones of Thomas Becket returning to England! Being of an evangelical frame of mind, one has little time for papist superstition, but even I have to admit…

Faiths Forum for London conspires for EU Remain vote

May 26, 2016
50 Comments

Faiths Forum for London "empowers religious communities to work together for a better London". At least that's what their website says. And they seem to do an awful lot…

Ukip MEP bashes Archbishop for offering sanctuary to refugees

September 22, 2015
162 Comments

What do you think? There was an archbishop who loved to read The Guardian and watch the BBC. He saw that thousands upon thousands of Christians were suffering throughout…

Lower than ermine? Why is Ann Widdecombe not in the House of Lords?

August 29, 2015
116 Comments

One of these is in the House of Lords and oughtn't to be; and one isn't but really, really ought to be. One wonders why. Michelle Mone OBE (left)…

Is Jeremy Corbyn an anti-Semitic Israel hater?

August 14, 2015
376 Comments

Jeremy Corbyn has a few questions to answer. They have been posed by The Jewish Chronicle, iterated by the Daily Mail, reiterated by the Guardian and re-reiterated by the…

Welby tells politicians: "seek to do right" (no coded political message)

June 10, 2015
16 Comments

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby preached earlier this week at St Margaret's Church, Westminster, at a service to pray God's blessing upon the new Parliament. It was attended…

Tim Farron 'clarifies' his Christian convictions in pursuit of LibDem leadership

May 23, 2015
530 Comments

There is no doubt that Christian representation in Parliament came out well in this General Election. A handful of prominent Christians including Simon Hughes, Douglas Alexander and Jim Murphy…

Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive the politicians who trespass against us

May 5, 2015
113 Comments

Trust – or more precisely the lack of it – has arguably been the defining theme of this General Election. This was plainly demonstrated during last week’s BBC Question…

"How can a Christian vote Tory?"

May 3, 2015
347 Comments

It has been the most frequent question posed over the past month or so – sometimes emailed or DM'd; most often tweeted, and frequently interrogated in the chat threads.…

Cameron's good life is not unambiguous, but it is the best of the goods on offer

April 15, 2015
127 Comments

Everyone strives for the good, but no one ever quite possesses it. It is a future project of hope and value. It might even belong to the past, because…