C of E members backlash on bishops’ response to same-sex marriage; Church in Wales and RC bishops responses; Anglican representative to Vatican retires; Religious education increasingly ‘marginalised’ in schools
Church of England faces backlash from own members over same …
Ekklesia – The leaders of the Church of England are facing strong criticism from within their own ranks for their attack on same-sex marriage (12 June).
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/16728
Welsh bishops respond to equal civil marriage consultation
The bishops of the Church in Wales have responded to the Equal Civil Marriage Consultation. The full statement is available here and is copied below. The Church in Wales Response to: EQUAL CIVIL MARRIAGE: A CONSULTATION (Government Equalities Office, March…
http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/archives/005536.html
Gay marriage: Church in Wales bishops want exemption
BBC News –
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-18425649
Roman Catholic response to equal civil marriage consultation
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales Responds to the Equal Civil Marriage Consultation The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has responded to the Government consultation on same-sex marriage. In his accompanying letter to the Home Secretary, the…
http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/archives/005537.html
Women bishops: some views from Fulcrum
Fulcrum has recently published several articles about the women bishops legislation. Two in particular are worth noting: Stephen Kuhrt Women Bishops Legislation Women bishops will, I hope, turn the Church of England completely upside down. My prayer is that its…
http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/archives/005538.html
Archbishop of Canterbury’s Representative to the Holy See to retire
ACNS – The Archbishop of Canterbury has today announced that the Very Reverend Canon David Richardson, the Archbishop’s Representative to the Holy See and Director of the Anglican Centre in Rome, intends to retire at Easter 2013.
http://www.aco.org/acns/news.cfm/2012/6/13/ACNS5120
Religious education increasingly ‘marginalised’ in schools
Telegraph – Religious education is being systematically undermined by Government school reforms, experts warned today, despite mounting public support for the subject.
Growing numbers of teenagers are being forced to drop GCSEs in religious studies because of the introduction of new-style league tables that prioritise other disciplines, it was claimed.
In some schools, pupils are no longer allowed to take RE at all in the last two years of secondary education.
It is also feared that an expansion of independent academies – state schools run free of local authority control – is leading to rising numbers of schools dropping locally-agreed syllabuses in the subject.
The comments by the Religious Education Council of England and Wales were made despite claims of strong backing for the subject.
A survey of 1,800 adults – published by the council tpday – shows that more than half of people back compulsory lessons in RE up to the age of 16. Only a third said it should not be mandatory, it was revealed.
It comes as MPs and peers prepare to attend the first meeting of the newly-formed all-party parliamentary group for RE on Monday – established to raise awareness of the importance of the subject in schools.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9322487/Religious-education-increasingly-marginalised-in-schools.html