The traditional family is dying — where is the Church of England?
The scale of family breakdown in the UK is staggering. It isn't only staggering, it's shameful and distressing. The magnitude of the decline of the traditional family has been laid…
Mental Health
Church of England says its own teaching presents a safeguarding risk
Remember the Rev'd Dr Bernard Randall? He was chaplain at Trent College, Nottingham – an independent Church of England school – until he was sacked for preaching Church of England doctrine. The fact that Trent College is a Church of…
John Cleese says Jesus was a psychopath
To be a psychopath in the vernacular of character abuse is to be mentally ill, if not quite mad or completely insane. The word conjures up all manner of personality…
The CofE ‘Independent Safeguarding Board’? A Review
Following a complaint brought Professor Martyn Percy to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Independent Safeguarding Board (ISB) published Terms of Reference (ToR) for a ‘review’ to commence on…
In the case of the Bishop of Oxford v Archbishop Cranmer
On 10th May, the Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Rev’d Steven Croft, instructed his lawyers to demand that a post on this site be taken down. The letter from Birketts…
Net Zero.. racial justice.. mental health.. What exactly are cathedrals for?
Cathedrals can light the way to Net Zero, says the Rt Rev'd Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich and the Church of England's lead Bishop for Environmental Affairs. And he set…
Bishop of Oxford instructs lawyers to censor Archbishop Cranmer
The Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Rev'd Steven Croft, has instructed lawyers to demand that a post on this site be taken down. Never in its 16-year history has the…
Bishop of Oxford “colluded with the forces of darkness”, and is considered by some to be a safeguarding risk
Liberated from the purgatorial shackles of Christ Church, Oxford, Martyn Percy is now free to speak, and he has done so. Andrew Billen in The Times Magazine recounts the tortuous…
Oxford Dons plan litigation against Archbishop Cranmer
In all the recent reporting in the Times and Private Eye about the continuing saga at Christ Church, Oxford, there has been a slight omission. Perhaps it's so slight that…
The Church cannot indefinitely sidestep its self-inflicted Covid damage
There was an excellent letter to the Church Times just before Christmas from the Archdeacon of Hastings, the Rev'd Dr Edward Dowler. It was subtitled 'Deeper questions that Covid measures…
Safeguarding suicide: ‘there is a crisis of trust within the Diocese of London’
Following the comments and demands made by the Coroner in the wake of the suicide of Fr Alan Griffin, the Diocese of London and Lambeth Palace have accepted responsibility for…
CDM PTSD: the trauma, stress and disorder of the Clergy Discipline Measure
The Clergy Discipline Measure (2003, amended by the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016) is a Measure passed by the General Synod of the Church of England for the maintenance…
If Martyn Percy kills himself, the Church of England will have blood on its hands
465 years ago today, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer was burned at the stake for 'heresy'. 15 years ago today, on the 450th anniversary of that fateful day, the Archbishop Cranmer blog…
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…
Sabbatical problematical: give the Archbishop a break, for God’s sake
"Unlike the archbishop, Jesus could not retire to cultivate his personal spirituality because he was perpetually besieged by desperate people", writes Karen Armstrong in the Guardian's 'Comment is Free', objecting…
The Rule of Six – we are being robbed of our liberty
"In England from Monday we are introducing the Rule of Six", the Prime Minister said. "You must not meet socially in groups of more than six. And, if you do,…
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…
DIY abortions: why is the concern left to Christian Concern?
DIY abortions were introduced by the Government on 30th March 2020, in response to concerns that women might have to endure a 'forced pregnancy' and give birth to unwanted babies…
The harrowing of Martyn Percy (part ii): Church of England colludes in bullying
The harrowing of the Very Rev'd Professor Martyn Percy, Dean of Christ Church Oxford, ought to have ceased with his vindication in the judgment of Sir Andrew Smith. Professor Percy…
We need to make more space for silence
High School student Jack Higgins has a severe form of autism which makes him hypersensitive to noise. His graduation rite of passage was looking to be an impossible occasion, with…