Timeline for the new Archbishop of Canterbury; Put the military in charge of Britain’s foreign aid; Sexualisation of children ‘risks softening attitudes towards abuse’; Now for the Easter eggs; A gifted Dean of Exeter
Timeline for the new Archbishop of Canterbury
Dr Rowan Williams, 104th Archbishop of Canterbury, stepped down from the position on 31st December 2012. Justin Welby, Bishop of Durham, was named as his successor on 9th November 2012.
Bishop Justin’s name was submitted to the Prime Minister by the Crown Nominations Commission after a consultation process to determine the needs of the diocese, the Church of England and the Anglican Communion. Consideration of the candidates took place over several months, then the Commission voted to identify a recommended candidate and a second appointable candidate. These names went forward to the Prime Minister.
In this case the recommended candidate was Justin Welby, Bishop of Durham. The Queen approved Justin Welby for election to the position of Archbishop of Canterbury, and an announcement was made by 10 Downing Street on 9th November 2012.
On 10th January 2013, the College of Canons will meet in the Chapter House of Canterbury Cathedral to elect Bishop Justin as the new Archbishop, having received a Congé d’Elire from the Crown confirming that the See of Canterbury is vacant.
A legal ceremony, the Confirmation of Election, will take place on 4th February 2013 at St Paul’s Cathedral. The Dean of Canterbury will confirm to a commission of diocesan bishops that Bishop Justin has been elected according to statute. At this point, the office of Archbishop is conferred on Justin Welby – until then he remains Bishop of Durham.
The Enthronement will take place on 21st March 2013 at Canterbury Cathedral. The new Archbishop will be placed on two thrones – the diocesan throne in the Cathedral Quire as the Bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury, and the Chair of St Augustine as Archbishop of Canterbury.
Put the military in charge of Britain’s foreign aid
Ed West, Telegraph – Does charity begin at home? Is it better to spend a few pounds in Britain to cover someone’s heating bill, or the same amount in the developing world saving a child’s eyesight?
The biggest argument against the “charity begins at home” brigade is that a pound spent in an endemically impoverished country can do a lot more good than a pound spent among poor communities in a rich country. A relatively small amount of cash could, for example, reduce infant mortality to western levels, and that seems like money well spent.
The problem is that long-term structural aid seems to have little impact on a country’s ability to escape poverty. Instead, as a new Civitas report suggests, Britain would be better off creating “a new force of troops entirely focused on humanitarian relief (that) would allow Britain to mount swift emergency relief operations to deal with famine and disaster”.
Although Tim Worstall’s not impressed, I think there’s a great deal of merit in Jonathan Foreman’s idea. As this paper reports: “Civitas said emergency relief was the most effective form of aid because its immediacy meant it was not prone to the corruption and waste which have bedevilled long term British aid programmes in other countries.”
Countries get richer when they have the rule of law and a market economy and when corruption levels are under control. Giving money when these conditions are absent is either ineffective, or at worst, feeding the corruption.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/edwest/100196369/put-the-military-in-charge-of-britains-foreign-aid
Sexualisation of children ‘risks softening attitudes towards abuse’
Adults are failing to take child abuse seriously because of the increasing sexualisation of young girls, a former High Court judge has warned.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/jimmy-savile/9776373/Sexualisation-of-children-risks-softening-attitudes-towards-abuse.html
Now for the Easter eggs
Metro – Item stating that supermarkets are already “stocking their shelves with Easter eggs before they’ve managed to clear them of mince pies and Christmas puddings”, with brief comment from a Church of England spokesperson.
A gifted Dean of Exeter
Telegraph obituary – Richard Eyre, “Dean of Exeter and confessor to bishops known for his humanity and wisdom.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9776495/The-Very-Reverend-Richard-Eyre.html