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…
Love of neighbour
Death is the price we pay for freedom
"We cannot have the death of an MP being a price worth paying for our democracy," said Labour's Harriet Harman on the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme. "It can't be an occupational hazard of being an MP that you can…
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;…
Pope meets Spider-Man: when did religious leaders cease being superheroes?
The cynic will say religious leaders were never superheroes (or superheroines), but, of course, they were. The precise nature and source of their superhuman powers may be lost in antiquity,…
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…
By sacking its Chaplain, Trent College, Nottingham, rejects fundamental British values
Trent College in Long Eaton, between Nottingham and Derby, is an independent Anglican school, which used to have a chaplain. He was the Rev'd Dr Bernard Randall, a former chaplain…
Stop arresting street preachers, and laugh at them instead
Another street preacher has been arrested for proclaiming the gospel in a public place. This time it was in Uxbridge, in front of the Underground station. We've been here before…
Welby slams EU’s anti-Christian action in implementing Article 16
Yesterday the EU unilaterally implemented Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol in order to prevent Covid vaccines leaving the EU for the UK. They did this because the UK…
Covid-centralising Archbishop excoriates Government – for Covid centralising
The Archbishop of Canterbury has excoriated the Government's 'Rule of Six', the latest anti-Covid-19 policy which restricts almost the whole of society to gatherings of no more than six. Writing…
Churches tackle the real Covid-19 fallout – loneliness and isolation
The news and media are dominated by the economic fallout of the Coronavirus pandemic. Will the recovery it be V-shaped, U-shaped, or L-shaped? Will the recession last two years or…
The mission of the Church is not ‘right ethics’
This is the 15th contribution to His Grace’s emergency team ministry during the coronavirus pestilence. The author wishes to be known as The Snail @. He has a background in…
Coronavirus and the Kingdom of God: we reap what we sow
This is the 10th contribution to His Grace’s emergency team ministry during the coronavirus pestilence. It comes from Graham Wood, an ex-police local government officer, now retired, and author of…
The end of freedom?
Last night the Prime Minister placed the UK in lockdown to help abate the spread of coronavirus. You should be staying at home unless you must travel for essential work,…
Coronavirus pestilence: ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.’
This week on 21st March the Archbishop Cranmer blog shall be 14 years old. It seemed like a good moment to call it a day: to everything there is a…
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…
Archbishop, make me a cup of tea
The Archbishop of Canterbury visited the Diocese of Hereford for a cup of tea. It was a mug of tea, actually, but 'cup' sounds better. He had a cup of…
Brexit: open letter reveals Bishops split 60:40 on Government’s approach
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…
Sovereignty: why is it good for Kashmir and Hong Kong, but bad for the UK?
News from Hong Kong and Kashmir has continued to dominate the news, and then the Labour Shadow Chancellor and Deputy Leader John McDonnell sowed a degree of discontent in the…
The Supreme Governor at her supremest hosting a reception for faith leaders
"The concept of our established Church is occasionally misunderstood and, I believe, commonly under-appreciated," the Queen said in a speech at Lambeth Palace in 2012. "Its role is not to…
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…