NHS must return to Christian basis – bishops; Know what you’re eating, say church advisers; Hereford Cathedral launches appeal for urgent roof repairs; Glasgow Lent festival fuses art music and faith; Church raising new generation of entrepreneurs; Gay marriage: no opt-out for Christian registrars
NHS must return to Christian basis – bishops
Serious failures in standards of care at Stafford General Hospital are evidence that the “marketisation of the health service has gone too far”, two bishops have warned.
The Bishop of Lichfield, the Right Reverend Jonathan Gledhill, and the Bishop of Stafford, the Right Reverend Geoff Annas, made the comments in the Church Times in response to an inquiry into the death of 66-year-old Gillian Astbury at the hospital in 2007.
The inquiry found that hundreds of patients had died as a result of poor levels of care. Police are now considerating whether to bring criminal charges against staff at the NHS hospital.
Bishop Gledhill said the investigation into the hospital had been a “long and terrible time for the people of Stafford”, particularly the relatives of those who had died “unnecessarily and suffered”.
He said people should “not be afraid to go to their local hospital”, but also expressed sympathy for NHS workers who have “borne the weight of cuts and reductions”.
“We have now seen what many of us suspected – that the marketisation of the health service has gone too far,” he said.
He called for a return to the Christian values that inspired the creation of the NHS.
“This Christian basis has been weakened in recent years and covering the bottom line has become all important.”
Bishop Annas expressed his sympathy for those affected by the “horrific” failings.
“Their legacy and memorial must be an NHS that puts patients’ wellbeing before all other considerations,” he said.
“There has been enormous soul-searching among staff at Stafford Hospital. I hope the future sees a return to patient-centred management that puts caring for people and enabling staff to raise concerns above administration.”
Know what you’re eating, say church advisers
Church advisers in Wales are urging people to buy produce that can be sourced back to local farms.
The Rural Life Advisers at the Church in Wales issued the advice in light of the horsemeat scandal.
A meat processing plant near Aberystwyth was suspended by the Food Standards Agency this week as part of its investigation into horsemeat being sold on as beef for kebabs and burgers. A slaughterhouse in West Yorkshire is also under investigation.
The Church’s Rural Life Advisers said buying locally sourced meat would help consumers know what they are eating.
The Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, the Right Reverend John Davies, said, “The recent publicity about the discovery of horse-meat in processed food has raised a lot of questions about our food: affordability, traceability, food miles, and the availability of produce that shoppers can buy with confidence.
“Welsh farmers enjoy high levels of confidence and support from their local communities and have close links with local butchers and other shops.
“Seeking out retailers who can offer local knowledge and traceability is the best way to support Welsh farmers, butchers, and their communities.”
Hereford Cathedral launches appeal for urgent roof repairs
Hereford Cathedral is attempting to raise a quarter of a million pounds to restore part of its roof.
The cathedral’s north transept is in need of urgent restoration because of the deterioration of the lead panels.
The Very Reverend Michael Tavinor, Dean of Hereford, said the lead had slipped, causing holes to open up in the roof.
The damage means that water has come into the building and started to stain the vault roof below.
The cathedral has been able to make temporary repairs but the lead panels will still have to be stripped off and replaced with new ones.
“We always knew that the roofs would be one of the next great projects,” said Mr Tavinor.
The cathedral has secured substantial grants covering the majority of the required funds. These have come from the Wolfson Foundation, Pilgrim Trust, and the Mappa Mundi Trust.
However, the cathedral is looking to the public to help fill up the final £50,000 needed to meet the total repair costs.
“We hope as many as possible will help us,” said Mr Tavinor.
Anyone who donates £100 or more will be made patrons of the appeal and added to a special commemorative plaque.
To support the appeal visit www.herefordcathedral.org
Glasgow Lent festival fuses art music and faith
Lentfest got underway in Glasgow last week with its traditional offerings of art and faith.
The annual festival runs over six weeks and is the biggest festival of the Year for the Archdiocese of Glasgow Arts Project founded in 2006.
The opening night saw a free performance by top brass musicians from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland at Our Holy Redeemer’s Church in Clydebank.
At another opening event, Scottish artist Sandy Moffat created a new piece while opera singer Martin Aelred performed music from Puccini’s Messa di Gloria. The finished work was to be auctioned in support of an emergency appeal for Syria by the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF).
The programme in the run-up to Easter includes classical music concerts, film screenings, poetry and a travelling play entitled “The Pilgrimage”.
Some of Scotland’s finest Gaelic musicians and singers will perform at St Mary’s Church, Calton, on 2 March in a concert to be broadcast by the BBC.
The Archbishop of Glasgow, Philip Tartaglia, said: “This year’s Lentfest promises an amazing array of opportunities for people across the Glasgow area to engage with faith through art.
“Many of the performances will be taken to areas which do not usually have visiting theatre companies or musicians in their neighbourhood.
“The aim of the festival is to reach out to people of all faiths and none with the Christian message as expressed in art.”
Director of Lentfest, Stephen Callaghan, said: “Each year the Festival has its own surprises and highlights.
“Lentfest is very much a community arts festival and some of my best memories are of taking theatre to the housing schemes of Glasgow and finding there receptive audiences and the warmest of welcomes.”
Church raising new generation of entrepreneurs
One of the largest Pentecostal churches in the country is equipping young people to start their own businesses.
Jesus House, in London, launched its new social enterprise, the Barnet Youth Business Incubator (BaYBI) on Thursday.
The project, based in North Finchley, is being run in partnership with youth charity Elevation Networks and Barnet Council.
It will support around a hundred young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are interested in running their own business.
Jesus House is especially looking to attract unemployed graduates to the scheme, as well as young people on the fringes of society and NEETs (Not in Education, Employment or Training).
BaYBI will teach people practical skills, from how to register a business and open a business bank account, to how to manage their PR and marketing, and find suppliers.
Gay marriage: no opt-out for Christian registrars
By John Bingham, Telegraph – Christian registrars will not be able to opt out of performing gay marriages if they object on grounds of belief, the Government’s human rights watchdog has said.
In guidance to MPs, the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said marriage registrars were public officials and so should expect to be “required” to carry out the ceremonies.
The document makes clear that employees, including teachers and chaplains working in the public sector, should be free to express their views on marriage without being disciplined.
But it says that religious protection is “a qualified right” which “the state can interfere with” in some circumstances.
The question of whether council registrars can object to carrying out parts of their jobs if they clash with their religious beliefs was thrown into the spotlight by the case of Lillian Ladele, who was one of four Christians who went to the European Court of Human Rights last year over disputes involving their employers. More at –