Operation Ark: Pen Farthing saved his animals – and that’s a good thing
When former Royal Marine Pen Farthing set out to fly some 200 animals and his 60 Nowzad staff to the UK from Afghanistan, there was much scoffing and scorn in…
Social Media
Train conductor sacked for referring to ‘alcohol-free caliphate’ on Facebook
Jeremy Sleath had worked for West Midlands Trains for 17 years. He was a Senior Conductor who had served his employer faithfully and admirably. He was sacked in September 2020, at the end of the national Covid-19 lockdown, for writing…
Christ Church Cathedral Oxford blocks its own Canon on Twitter
The Rev'd Angela Tilby is a Canon Emeritus of Christ Church Cathedral Oxford. She is also a writer, broadcaster, columnist, and Canon of Honour at Portsmouth Cathedral. She is thoughtful,…
Khalid Mahmood MP: Labour has been captured by “woke social media warriors”
Khalid Mahmood, Labour MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, actually resigned from the Opposition Front Bench a few weeks ago, though nobody noticed until he launched an astonishing broadside against his…
Uyghur women thank China for liberating them and making them happier
A letter has arrived at Cranmer's Tower: Dear Archbishop Cranmer, My name is Nur. It was Ayshe, but that name was forbidden by Xinjiang Communist Party, so I changed…
US Presidential Election: chaos, confusion, litigation and… whatever
The Trump Presidency has been like no other, and as we observe the agony of the election count it is entirely in keeping with the last four years. It feels…
US Presidential Election: the biggest loser (so far) is the credibility of the chattering classes
It has been a long night for those of us who regard ourselves as 'political junkies' with a penchant for following US presidential elections. Some months ago I issued a…
Twitter censorship of the Biden scandal merits questions in Parliament
There is something rather sinister going on at Twitter. Readers will recall the daily news being full of serious allegations of Russian collusion with the Trump campaign in order to…
The curious case of Kristie Higgs: where is the Church of England?
Kristie Higgs is deemed to be a danger to children. So dangerous, in fact, that more than a year ago she was sacked for gross misconduct by the school where…
Cottrell and Carey: why is some safeguarding secret, while others are thrown to the media?
It was announced yesterday that the Rt Rev'd Stephen Cottrell, who next week is to be formally installed as the 98th Archbishop of York, had been investigated over a past…
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.…
The richness and exuberance of the Online Church
We are just beginning to see changes in the severity of the coronavirus lockdown. Even as the rules are being gradually loosened, which will be welcomed by many of us,…
The Church should shine during lockdown
In all honesty I cannot pretend that the lockdown has been onerous for my wife and me. Just before it was imposed, I was approaching the age at which Alex…
Maundy Thursday: the invisible and the distant
This 13th contribution comes courtesy of Alison Bailey Castellina MA (Oxon), who founded the forerunner of The Tymes Trust national charity for children with ME, and led the national Christian…
The Human Touch
This is the eighth contribution to His Grace’s emergency team ministry during the coronavirus pestilence. The author is a Christian and key-worker, who has had a busy week. Were…
The real presence of Christ in the community of the virtual Church
This morning I want to depart from our Lectionary readings to offer a text which inspired a first-class sermon which I once heard at Rochester Cathedral. A few years ago,…
CofE Social Media Charter neuters the prophetic and subsumes truth to ‘respect’
"I just signed up to #CofECharter," tweeted the former Times religious affairs correspondent (and quite delightful) Ruth Gledhill, precisely 48 seconds after the Archbishop of Canterbury had announced his initiative…
Israel Folau – a fool for Christ’s sake
Israel Folau plays rugby in Australia. He plays at quite a high level, actually, being paid around $1.6m per season. He is, however, considered to be worth every cent, not…
Online hate: Twitter speaks what the heart is full of
Life is a lot of bitterness and hate: there are oppressors and victims; struggles, dilemmas and protests. There is suffering and pain, anxiety and change. There are cries for vengeance,…
Bishop condemns Labour antisemitism and demands immediate expulsions
"For too many on the Left, Jewish suffering does not touch them the way Muslim suffering or gay suffering or black suffering touches them," wrote Stephen Daisley in 2015 on…