Archbishop risks row with Israel ; Former canon of St Paul’s appointed parish priest; Riots rector award for ‘outstanding community building’; Tony Blair competition seeks young filmmakers of faith; 300 people in ‘sham weddings’ scandal but just two deported; Easter reflection from the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church
Archbishop risks row with Israel after lobbying Hague
Telegraph – The head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales has risked a row with the Israeli government after it emerged he lobbied William Hague over the plight of Christians in the West Bank.
The Most Rev Vincent Nichols urged the Foreign Secretary to address the “tragic situation” facing of Palestinians displaced by the building of the Israeli security barrier in Beit Jala, a predominantly Christian town a little over a mile from the Church of the Nativity.
He said the “expropriation” of land by Israel had a “catastrophic impact” on the village and risked furthering the conflict. Much of the land has been owned by religious orders and Catholic families dating back 200 years.
The letter is one of the strongest indications yet of the Archbishop’s views on the Middle East conflict. Pope Benedict XVI has described the barrier as “”tragic”.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9179654/Archbishop-risks-row-with-Israel-after-lobbying-Hague-over-Christians-displaced-by-security-barrier.html
Former canon of St Paul’s appointed parish priest at inner-city church
Guardian – Giles Fraser, who quit cathedral post over Occupy row, gets new job at St Mary’s Newington in south London. Fraser will begin his new job at St Mary’s Newington, in Elephant & Castle, later this month. He will chronicle his experiences in the parish in a regular column for the Guardian, which begins on Sunday. Fraser, 47, said he was looking forward to starting work after a difficult few months. “After I resigned there was no plan B whatsoever. It was just a total principled decision. It has been a very dark period thinking about what I’m supposed to be doing with my life.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/apr/01/canon-st-pauls-parish-priest
Riots rector award for ‘outstanding community building’
Christian Today – A London church rector who took to the streets to support locals during last year’s riots has been acknowledged for his community building work.
Fr Rob Wickham, Rector of St John at Hackney Church went out onto the streets of Hackney to offer assistance and pray for those in need during the unrest.
Just one week after the riots, he organised a tea party on the street opposite the church that brought together 400 people from the surrounding area, one of the worst affected by the violence. The tea party helped the local community begin the healing process.
Since then, Fr Rob has continued to support local people and businesses in moving on, and has secured money from London Diocese’s Emergency4London Fund to support young people seeking paid employment.
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/riots.rector.awarded.for.outstanding.community.building/29579.htm
Tony Blair competition seeks young filmmakers of faith
Christian Today – The Tony Blair Faith Foundation is looking for young budding filmmakers to enter its annual Faith Shorts film competition.
Anyone between the ages of 14 and 27 can submit a short film showing how faith impacts their life and the lives of those around them.
Entries will be judged by a panel that includes former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, actors Hugh Jackman, Jet Li, and comedienne Dawn French.
The competition aims to counter false perceptions of religion and particularly the popular notion that religion is the biggest source of conflict in the world today.
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/tony.blair.competition.seeks.young.filmmakers.of.faith/29581.htm
300 people in ‘sham weddings’ scandal but just two deported
Telegraph – Only two phoney brides and grooms who wedded in up to 150 sham marriages overseen by a Church of England vicar have been deported, it can disclosed. Mr Shipsides, who oversaw two Anglican churches in London, will be sentenced on Tuesday for his role in the conspiracy. Officials are examining all 250 marriages held by Rev Shipsides and other clergymen at the churches over a two and a half year period but so far just eight foreigners have been jailed for immigration offences, and two individuals have been removed from Britain.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/9177962/300-people-in-sham-weddings-scandal-but-just-two-deported.html
An Easter reflection from the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church
People sometimes say ‘No pain, no gain.’ It’s a way of saying that anything which is worth having will come at a cost – and the cost is part of the value.
This is the season when Christians tell again the story of the crucifixion of Jesus and the power of the resurrection. Jesus approached suffering and death with quiet dignity. He believed that this was what God asked of him. It is from the seed-bed of this suffering that hope and new life come into the world.
My friend Archbishop Nathaniel of the Anglican Church of Japan writes about what it is like to care for people in the suffering which followed the tsunami, just over a year ago. He describes the helplessness and the sadness of lives destroyed. Then he shares the story of how faith in the risen Christ changed the lives of Jesus’ followers then and changes it now saying “The resurrection of Jesus revealed to them that the Lord would never desert them, and from that they stood up together to make a world where every human being is brought together with the bond of love.”
The Most Rev David Chillingworth, Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld & Dunblane and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church