THE Pioneer CHURCHOF Ministry ENGLAND today, Newspaper p7-10 06.11.15 £1.50 No: 6304 AVAILABLEONNEWSSTAND Ecumenical divisions are ‘harming religion in the modern world’ DIVISIONS between the Anglican and the westernworld’and around the world. this isn’t obscurantism, it is asense of this, in Kenya you can believe that, that’s Roman Catholic Church arehindering “They aredeeply damaging and Iwish ‘hang on, you aretelling us, whom and not how the Christian faith works.” religious progress in the West, the Arch- Iknew the answer to that.” what we should be’. Partofthe dialogue theChurch needs bishop of Canterburyhas said. In arevealing comment, the Archbish- “A seniorfigureinone countrysaid to to have on sexuality is one that ‘involves The Most Rev JustinWelby was being op, who has astrongtrackrecordinrec- me afew years ago, ‘I didn’t go through great pain’, he said. interviewed at the Council of Foreign onciliation,said ‘our first step is to the colonial period and get rid of you He reflected on aconversation with a Relations in Washington whenhemade challenge thepsychology of separation people, in order for you to come back in a family in Sub-Saharan Africa about sexu- his comments. thatisset so deep’. different formand do the sametomeas ality,wherehe‘sensed their sense of He was asked why there is not more “Weare living the pain of that separa- you weredoing before’. betrayal in what Iwas saying.’ collaboration between theArchbishop tion,”hesaid. “And Ithink there’s that sense that “You have to let yourself be touched by and Pope Francis. The Archbishop also spoke at length colonialism hasnot stopped, I’m not say- that, you can’t just reject it as an ignorant Theinterviewer suggested that this aboutthe challengeofaddressing the ing that givesusasolutionbut Ithink we view,you have to let ithurt.” couldresultina‘truerevival ofreligion issue of sexualitywith the GlobalSouth do need to be frank and to identify the The Primate of All England also said in the Westernworld’. Primates. problem.” thereisafear of the church becoming Butthe Archbishop replied that divi- “Theimposition, asitisseen in the The Archbishop also dismissed the too secularised in its focus on issues sions withinthe Church areinstitutional, global south, of new approaches to what idea thatthe only way forwardwas inde- such as climate change, migration and and the visible divisions are‘profoundly it is to be human,isresented more pendent theological interpretation: “We violence ‘in abid for favour and making hindering to thework of the churchin deeply thanitis possible to describe, and can’t just say,inEngland you can believe people like us.’ Migrantcrisis to topagenda of Archbishop hosts Patriarch Bartholomew newGeneralSynod NEXT MONTH’S General Synod will host adebate on the migrant cri- sis, after agroup of 86 bishops wrote to the Prime Minister on the sub- ject. It was revealed today that Downing Street had replied to their letter, although the contents werenot revealed. However,the SecretaryGen- eral, William Fittall, said that it ‘maintained’ the Government’s position. The motion for debate on 25 November has not been revealed, as the current situation may change prior to the Synod meeting. However,MrFittall said thatthereweretwo sensitive areas facing Synod. One was its response to the scale of theUKcontribution to the crisis and the other was achieving abalance between signaling solidari- ty with displaced Christians while at the same time ensuring that ‘we respond to the needs of all’. The two-day meeting will be inaugurated by theQueen and will fol- lowed by aEucharist at Westminster Abbey,wherethe preacher will be the Roman Catholic Preacher to the Royal Household Fr RanieroCan- talemessa. Other items on the agenda of the tenth General Synod include the Reformand Renewal programme, global warming, areportfromthe Church buildingsreview group and apresentation on recentresearch on public perceptions of Jesus. Morethan half –53per cent–ofthe new Synod werenot on the last Synod and the number of women on Synod has increased to 42 per cent, from 31 per cent last time. For the first time therewill be women in all three Houses. TheArchbishopofCanterburywas hostingHis All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew The average of Synod members has dropped slightly,from52to51 during his visit to London this week. among theclergy and from 58 to 56 among the laity.The youngest It was the second meeting between the two leaders, who first met in Istanbul last year,and in member of Synodwill be Rhian Ainscough (Leicester), who is just 19. June this year made ajoint call for action on climate change. Meanwhile David Ashton (Leeds), with 43 years on Synod, is the During the visit thetwo leaders werediscussing issues facing the Anglican and Orthodox longest-serving member. Churches and the wider world. Picture: Lambeth Palace [email protected] facebook.com/churchnewspaper @churchnewspaper 2 www.churchnewspaper.com Friday November 6, 2015 THE CHURCH IN ENGLAND DioceseofLeicester Diocese of Durham THE St Peter’s Grade II listed Victorian Church in Acenturies-old tradition continued at Durham Cathedral last Highfields has received a£29,900 Heritage week as anew list of names is entered into theLiber Vitae,aN LotteryFund Grant to help initiate repair work. historic manuscript documenting the names of those who The Church is an important partofHighfields’ have contributed to thelife and work of Durham Cathedral in heritage, consecrated in 1874, and stands in one notable ways. DIARY of the mostdiverse and disadvantaged The current manuscript wasstarted in the millennium year by neighbourhoods in England. The building is the Chapter of Durham Cathedraland an inscription in the Send your events to listed as aPriority Aonthe Historic England’s front states: “The Chapter commissioned this volumewith the “At Risk” register. intention of recording each yearthe significant gifts and [email protected] The church serves the Caribbean Anglican voluntaryservice without whichthe Cathedral could not or Tw eet@churchnewspaper Community.Senior churchwarden Anthony continue to flourish.” Bradshaw said: “Many of us havebeen coming But the tradition of the Liber Vitae goes back many centuries; to St Peter’s for over 50 years from when we the original manuscript was started in theninth century, 7November first arrived from the West Indies. We are possibly onLindisfarne, and listed the names of Kings, delightedthat our prayers have been answered Dukes, Queens and Abbesses and others in gold and silver.It Se ce of Rememb aNce Durham Cathe and that our beautiful churchhas been is thought that the purposewas to remember the living and guaranteed along future.” the dead in prayers and church services. In 1100 themonks revived the use of theLiber Vitaeand the 8November DioceseofOxford names ofBishops ofDurham,the first priors of Durham Cathedral Prioryand Durham monks wereincluded. AClimateAwareness day at Reading Minster This year,eight volunteers who have each offered 20 years of RemembraNce Day Short serv ce remem will take place on 5December. service to the Cathedral will be entered into the current ber Ng the A mal of Wa at the A mal Met OfficePrincipal Research FellowProfessor manuscript as athank you for their dedication to the running Wa Memo al Park LaNe LoNdoN John Mitchell and environmental theologian of the Cathedral. Ruth Valerio(the Churches and Theology Rememb aNce SuNday The CoNtammu DirectorofChristian environmental charity A cho r uNder the r d recto Malcolm Wood Rocha) areboth speakers at theevent. ll be Ng Ng choral eveNsoNg N St The day aimstodemonstrate that Christians AlbaN s church Cha Nste AveNue see caring forthe planet as aspiritual gaN Dav d Beeby FRCO mu c by imperative. The Rev Liz Ratcliffe, curate at Gue Christ Church, Reading, is organising the Reading Climate Day.She said: “We want 11 November people to come along and add their voices to those who are pressing for robust actionoN LuNcht me o gaN ec tal at B adfo climate change during thetalks in Paris. We NAA s ( also want tolook at what churches can do locally,helping environmental groups and to 13 November drive environmental policy in our town.” A EveN Ng w th H lary MaNtel The Newfilm Thomas C aNme CeNt NA locktoN Coronation ‘should retain ck launchedby 18 November Christian oath,’ says author Billy Graham LuNcht me o gaN ec tals at B adfo THE NEXTCoronation organisation Cathed Kathe Ne D eNes ams should retain adistinc- BaroNess Cox tively Christian oath. with JohN BILLYGRAHAM will be celebrat- Theclaim was made Bradley ing his 97th birthday soon, but by author John his evangelistic work is showing 19 November Bradley,aformermem- no signs of slowing down. ber of General Synod Lastweek it was announced 12 40pmLuNcht me L fe Sto aNk W am and the Church Assem- that anew film from the organisa- (Dad A my) The Acto s Church St bly.Hemade his com- tion is being sent to churches. Cov ments at the launch of SecondChance follows the suc- his new book The Man- cess of the film distributed last sion House of Liberty. year, The Cross. 24 November His bookexamines a Some 40,000 copies of the free number of areas of film –one for everychurch inthe Bach to Baby aN NNovative cla cal coN British life, fromthe country–are being distributed in ce er es for bab es aNd the r fam monarchy tothe the belief that people who don’t th moNthly pe fo maNces N arouNd 40 courts, and from go to church, do go to the cinema veNue acros the outh ea CaNte bu healthcaretowomen’s and they arecurious to watch the Cathed al Easte NC ypt Adult £12 pre rights, and uncovers DVDs when invited. booked oN ch eN FREE (up to 2 pe the Christianrootsof The newinitiative was all of them. launched by Steve Wade, afor- Ng to take school assembl St The bookhas been mer BT executive, who said that JohN s College Nott Ngham Book Ng £15 hailed by Baroness he felt acall to devote moretime ll BeN oN MCYM St JohN College Cox, who suggested to evangelism.Together withhis E that modernsecular team from the Billy Graham The B g Q champions might be Evangelistic Organisation, he is Prof Al ster McGrath lectu es oN Faith disturbed todiscover undertaking atour of the UK to proof aNd ev deNce at Ba Na s INN Hall the extent of thecontri- promote the new film.