Short reports and links
Leading article: Gay marriage will lift the last barrier to equality
The Independent – There must be a role for Church of England archbishops after they leave office, but anathematising the logical advance of a uniquely progressive social policy should not be one of them. In lambasting the Government’s plan to legalise same-sex marriage as “one of the greatest political power-grabs in history”, Lord Carey places himself on the wrong side not just of history, but of morality, compassion and reason.
Read more – http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-gay-marriage-will-lift-the-last-barrier-to-equality-7237440.html
Gay marriage: David Cameron faces church backlash over ‘cultural vandalism’
Telegraph – David Cameron was accused of planning an “Orwellian” act of “cultural vandalism” by an alliance of bishops, Tory MPs and legal figures yesterday over his plans to allow homosexual couples to marry. Mr Cameron, who has publicly pledged his support for gay marriage, is facing a growing backlash from within his own party over the proposal to redefine the legal definition of marriage to include same-sex couples. He is now facing the prospect of an open breach with prominent religious figures – just a week after leading Conservatives voiced their support for Christianity following a series of court rulings which reinforced the secularisation of Britain. Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, yesterday joined Lord Brennan, the barrister and peer, to launch the “Coalition For Marriage”, a new cross-party campaign to designed derail the plans for homosexual marriage. A clutch of Church of England bishops and other Christian groups have already pledged their support for the alliance which is seeking hundreds of thousands of signatures on a petition to maintain the current definition of marriage.
Read more – http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9094024/Gay-marriage-David-Cameron-faces-church-backlash-over-cultural-vandalism.html
Vicar who claimed he was hounded out of job by bullying parishioners loses appeal
Daily Mail – Rev Sharpe launched an Employment Tribunal claim against the Church of England for damages after claiming the Diocese of Worcester failed to protect him from the bullying parishioners. But the case for constructive dismissal was thrown out last week …
Read more – http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2103847/Vicar-claimed-hounded-job-bullying-parishioners-loses-constructive-dismissal-claim.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Archbishop of Birmingham offers prayers for Alvechurch Middle School …
Birmingham – Mail – Speaking on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church, The Most Rev Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham, offered his condolences to the families last night. Although Alvechurch is a Church of England school, The Rev Longley …
Read more – http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2012/02/20/archbishop-of-birmingham-offers-prayers-for-alvechurch-middle-school-francecoach-crash-victims-97319-30364388/
Emotional tributes after loss of ‘special’ teacher
Expressandstar.com – It was taking pupils from Alvechurch Church of England School in Worcestershire home from a skiing trip in Italy. Eleven passengers remained in hospital today, six of them with serious injuries although their conditions are not thought to be …
Read more – http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2012/02/20/emotional-tributes-after-loss-of-special-teacher/
Alvechurch School coach crash: Driver charged with involuntary manslaughter
BBC News – Tributes have been paid to Mr Rippington – whose wife Sharon and daughter Amy were also injured in the crash – at the Church of England middle school, which opened as usual following the half-term break. Speaking outside the school, Bryan Maybee, …
Read more – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-17108586
How many woman priests?
Get Religion – The Vatican Insider section of La Stampa reports that there are now more women priests than men priests in the Church of England. This report in Italy’s largest circulation newspaper has been picked up by Catholic newspapers and blogs round the world. It has morphed into reports like that in CathNews New Zealand which states: “A first: Anglican women priests outnumber men in UK.”
The trouble is — the underlying claim is false. However this surface error aside, the La Stampa article offers a very fine summary of the theological and historical issues at play — and reports that in the view of one Italian church historian, there were women priests and bishops in the early Catholic Church.
Read more – http://www.getreligion.org/2012/02/how-many-woman-priests/