Peers plot gay marriage revolt; Bishop of Leicester will seek amendments to marriage bill; Longest-serving vicar honoured at service; Iona Community tackles stigma and injustice of poverty
Peers plot gay marriage revolt
By Robert Watts, Telegraph – Lords from all main political parties will unite next week in a last-ditch attempt to block the Government’s introduction of gay marriage.
Peers expect the Upper House’s debate over same sex weddings will go through the night or even into a second day, with a key vote that could scupper the policy regarded as “too close to call”.
The former head of the British army Lord Dannatt and Lord Lothian, a former Conservative Party chairman better known as Michael Ancram, are amongst those set to criticise the draft legislation in next Monday’s session.
Other opponents will include Lord Waddington, a former Home Secretary, Lord Luce, who served as a minister in Baroness Thatcher’s government, and Lord Singh of Wimbledon, a respected figure in the Sikh community.
The Sunday Telegraph has also established that the senior Tory Baroness Warsi, a practising Muslim, refused to lead the bill through the House of Lords when asked to do so by David Cameron, the Prime Minister.
Some peers believe dozens Lords who rarely attend Parliament will flock to Westminster to make their position on homosexual marriage clear.
More at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/10080814/Peers-plot-gay-marriage-revolt.html
Bishop of Leicester will seek amendments to marriage bill
The Church Times has this news article: Gay-marriage Bill passes from the Commons despite rebels which reports on what may happen in the House of Lords: ……Lord Dear, a crossbencher who is expected to lead the opposition to the Bill in the House of Lords, told The Times that he might table a “fatal motion” to kill it off.
On Wednesday, the Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Revd Tim Stevens, who has led the bishops in the House of Lords on the issue, said: ”We clearly cannot support the Bill because it is contrary to the Church’s historic teaching on the nature of marriage.”
He said, however, that he would want to recognise “that the Government has done a great deal to accommodate some of the Church’s concerns, and to make it clear that individual clergy cannot be proceeded against by anybody”. “Hard work” had been done “to ensure that the Canons of the Church of England will not contravene the civil law of England”.
Bishop Stevens said that he intended to seek more concessions from the Government: further guarantees for teachers in church schools “to teach a traditional view of marriage”, and a “freedom-of-speech amendment to ensure those who argue for a traditional view of marriage are not treated as if they are in contempt of the law or behaving prejudicially”.
The Bill will receive its Second Reading in the House of Lords on 3 June. Bishop Stevens said that the House did not traditionally take a vote at this stage, but that this might happen. Individual bishops would then have to decide how to vote…
Longest-serving vicar honoured at service
The longest-serving vicar in the Church of England is to be honoured at a service in Oxfordshire.
The Reverend James Cocke was ordained 60 years ago and has been at All Saints Church in Headington since 1957.
Former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams is to pay tribute to Mr Cocke a service at the church in his honour later.
The Bishop of Oxford, John Pritchard, described Mr Cocke as a “national treasure”.
“He’s done over 50 years at the same church which is pretty remarkable and 60 years of ministry in total,” he said.
“So there aren’t many people like Jim around, so we see him as some kind of national treasure.
“It’s been quite a remarkable time.”
Mr Cocke said: “I became vicar of All Saints Highfield in Headington in 1957.
“Of those 60 years as a priest in the Church of England, I have spent 56 years in the parish of All Saints where I have been very happy indeed to serve a long Anglican ministry.”
Iona Community tackles stigma and injustice of poverty
The Iona Community is continuing its work in tackling poverty as it enters its 75th anniversary and the 1450th anniversary of Columba’s landing on the island.
Commissioners at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland gave the vote of thanks for their efforts, 23 May 2013, after receiving the report of the Iona Community Board, presented by its Convener Allan Gordon.
Mr Gordon said: “In most nations today, the gap between rich and poor is widening. In Europe there is a discernible trend to portray benefits systems as burden rather than a safety net and investment which provides social security for all citizens through contributions in national insurance and taxation.
“Part of this attack has been to characterize poverty as a matter of individual responsibility and blame and those living in poverty or with a disability have been increasingly stigmatised. This has directly affected a number of our members and many of the people the Iona Community works alongside.
“It has been a privilege for the Community to work alongside people on low incomes and benefits. In many instances we have done so in partnership at local and national area with the Church of Scotland Priority Areas Team and Faith in Community Scotland.
“The Community also collaborates with Church Action on Poverty and Christian Aid in awareness-raising and campaigning for fairer taxation and tax justice, and for effective financial regulation. Further joint initiatives are planned,” he added.
The General Assembly also heard how there has been a continued increase in membership applications to join the 270 current members who are spread throughout the UK and not just Scotland.
There has also been considerable growth in ‘Iona inspired networks’ in a growing number of countries including the Netherland, Northern Ireland, the USA and Australia.
* Iona Community: http://iona.org.uk/