E I D S Films for the Our Christmas IN holidays memories and E6 hopes E4,5 THE SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23/30, 2012 No: 6157 www.churchnewspaper.com PRICE £1.35 1,70j US$2.20 CHURCH OF ENGLAND THE ORIGINAL CHURCH NEWSPAPER ESTABLISHED IN 1828 NEWSPAPER Archbishop: Call to rethink ageing North declines bishopric PHILIP NORTH’S decision to my parish.” Philip’s decision. He is a gift- withdraw his acceptance of In a statement from Uganda ed and energetic priest and I the post of Bishop of Whitby where he was attending the am glad he remains in this has caused shock and sur- installation of the new Arch- Diocese to continue his out- prise to many and been greet- bishop, the Archbishop of standing work in Camden ed with sadness by the York said that the news had Town.” Archbishop of York. come ‘as a great disappoint- Dr Chartres’ view of Fr Fr North would have been ment to me personally and I North as a ‘gifted and ener- the third traditionalist to be am sure to many in the wider getic priest’ is widely shared. appointed to Whitby. He was church, the Diocese and After a curacy in a tough area due to succeed Dr Martin Archdeaconry of Cleveland’. of Sunderland, Fr North Warner, who was translated to He described Fr North as served as Vicar of Holy Trini- Chichester. The announce- ‘not a single-issue priest’ but a ty, Hartlepool, where he ment of his appointment gave ‘gifted pastor-teacher commit- became the Area Dean and rise to some disquiet and a ted to the flourishing of the won the respect of, among petition was organised by diverse ministries of all God’s others, the local MP, Peter John Secker, a churchwarden people – lay and ordained’. Mandelson. at St Oswald’s, Lythe, in Whit- Dr Sentamu added that Fr After a spell as Warden of by. have concluded that it is not North’s ‘dynamic vision for the Shrine at Walsingham, he In a statement issued on possible for me at this difficult making Christ visible in mis- was appointed Team Rector of THE ARCHBISHOP attitude to recognise Sunday by the Diocese of Lon- time for our Church, to be a sion and ministry, as well as Old St Pancras and Team of Canterbury has the dignity of older cit- don, Fr North said: “It was a focus for unity. serving the poor, would have Vicar of St Michael’s, Cam- used his last debate in izens and he said great honour to have been “I have therefore decided been a great asset to us’. den, in 2008. the House of Lords to there was a lot to learn chosen for this role, and I that it is better to step aside at The Catholic Group in Gen- After the withdrawal of call for society to radi- from disability rights have been very much looking this stage. eral Synod described the deci- someone of his calibre from cally rethink the way it groups on the subject. forward to taking up the posi- “I have reached this deci- sion to withdraw as a Whitby there are questions looks at older people. “We must recognise tion. However, in the light of sion after a time of deep ‘personal decision’ and about whether it will be possi- Dr Rowan Williams, that it is assumptions the recent vote in General reflection and I am sure it is offered him and his parish ble to appoint traditionalist who is leaving his post about the basically Synod, and having listened to for the best. I now look for- ‘prayerful support’. The Bish- bishops to diocesan and suf- at the end of the passive character of the views of people in the ward to focussing my ener- op of London said: “I can fragan sees apart from those month, told peers: the older population Archdeaconry of Cleveland, I gies on the pastoral needs of understand the reason’s for reserved for PEVs. “We are becoming that foster attitudes of dangerously used to contempt and exasper- speaking and thinking ation, and ultimately of an ageing popula- create a climate in tion as a problem, a which abuse occurs,” burden on public he said. purse and private And he added: “A A Happy and blessed Christmas to all our readers, resources alike.” great deal of our cul- He said he wanted ture is frenetically ori- advertisers and contributors to use the debate, ented towards youth Our next edtion will be published on January 6, but stay in touch through Twitter, Facebook and which he initiated, to www.churchnewspaper.com plead for a change in Continued on page 4 LETTERS 8 • ALAN STORKEY 9 • COMMENT 9 • CLERGY MOVES 14 • SUNDAY 15 • PAUL RICHARDSON 16 2 www.churchnewspaper.com Sunday December 23/30, 2012 News Inside... Britain’ s leading evangelical newspaper Census results examined By Amaris Cole “Recent independent research carried out all – the number of believing, practising beyond the census shows that most of those Christians is much lower than this and the who do not consider themselves members number of those leading their lives with no THE RESULTS of the 2011 Census show of a named religious tradition still hold reli- reference to religion much higher.” 59.3 per cent of the population of England gious beliefs when it comes to things like Returns to the ONS showed the most and Wales call themselves Christian, mean- life after death or supernatural beings. Christian district is Knowsley on Mersey- ing it is still the religion the majority of peo- “Despite all the efforts of high-profile side – here, more than four out of 10 are ple affiliate themselves with – despite a 13 attacks on Christianity, there are seven Christian, opposed to Norwich, which is the News . 1-7 per cent drop since the 2001 research. Christians in Britain for every atheist. 1.7 most godless place in Britain with 42.5 per Your Church . 2 The Office for National Statistics released million people attend a Church of England cent of its population professing no religion. UK News . 1-4 the findings last week, revealing 31.5 mil- service at least monthly, the same as a Norman Ivison, Director of Communica- World News . 5-7 lion people self-identifying as followers of decade ago.” tions for Fresh Expressions, commented: Christianity. The number of Muslims in England and “The newly published statistics show what Comment In an official statement, the Church of Wales is up to 2.7 million – 4.8 per cent of many have been saying for some time. Letters . .8 England claim this shows England ‘remains the country. “The church in England and Wales needs Leader . .9 a faithful nation’. This means Islam is the biggest growth to find new ways of engaging those who no Alan Storkey . 9 The Rev Arun Arora, Director of Commu- faith with the biggest growth rate identified. longer have, or never had any interest in the nications for the Archbishops’ Council, Around 177,000 people claim to be Jedi, Christian faith. England on Sunday said: “England remains a country where the the ‘faith’ influenced by the Star Wars “The reality is that inherited church life is Christmas TV and Radio . .E1 majority of the nation actively identifies the Films, and 6,242 people subscribing to the still attractive to many people but not to Andrew Carey . .E2 role that faith plays in their life. Heavy Metal religion, set up by Rock Maga- everyone. New forms of church are devel- Whispering Gallery . .E2 “Clearly we welcome the fact that Christi- zine in 2010. oping throughout the UK, alongside parish Catherine Fox . .E3 anity remains the most populous faith in The Bishop of Shrewsbury, Mark Rylands, and other traditional structures, which are Cindy Kent . .E3 England – with six in 10 people identifying said the results were ‘not particularly surpris- increasingly helping those who have never Christmas memories . .E4, 5 themselves as Christian. ing’, and were actually encouraging. been to church to discover the Christian Films & Music . .E6 “When all faiths are taken together, peo- The Bishop said: “There has always been faith for themselves.” Books . .E7 ple of faith account for two-thirds of the a discrepancy between surveys of people’s The results show a further 0.5 per cent Janey Lee Grace . .E8 nation -- two in every three people identify religious beliefs and the reality of bums on are Jewish, 0.8 per cent Sikh and 1.5 per Crossword . .E8 themselves as having a faith.” pews, and I think we now have a society cent are Hindu. The second most common answer where people are more honest about their In his statement, the Rev Arun Arora con- The Record respondents gave was ‘no religion’, with a beliefs rather than simply ticking the ‘Chris- cluded: “Doubtless, campaigning atheist Martin Dales . .10 quarter of people ticking this option – 14.1 tian’ box because that’s what society or organisations will attempt to minimise the Classifieds . .11 million people. granny expects.” significance of the majority figures for faith Arts . .11 The diminishing number of Christians is The British Humanist Association agree and Christianity. Food & Drink . .12 blamed on militant atheism and issues with- it is a positive result, but for different rea- “In fact, these figures draw attention to Clergy Moves . .12 in the Church that have caused many to sons. the free ride that had been given to these New Wine . .13 lose faith in the institution, such as women BHA Chief Executive Andrew Copson bodies whose total membership would Reform .