Rapid Reading Review – short reports and links
Catholics will be called to oppose gay marriage
Telegraph – Roman Catholic Church prepares to rally faithful in gay marriage debate .
The Roman Catholic Church is planning to enlist the support of more than a million regular worshippers in opposition to Government plans for same-sex marriage.
Senior bishops are preparing to draw up a letter to be read at Masses across England and Wales when the Government consultation on plans to redefine marriage gets under way later this month, it is understood.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9122677/Catholics-will-be-called-to-oppose-gay-marriage.html
Teen sex abuse tackled by adverts
BBC – An advertising campaign challenging teenagers on their views of rape and consent is launched by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17251461
Legal aid bill fails domestic abuse victims, faith leaders warn
Guardian – Prominent faith leaders have joined together to warn the justice secretary, Ken Clarke, that his legal aid bill will prevent domestic abuse victims from escaping violent partners. The sharply worded letter has been released as the House of Lords begins a series of crucial votes on Monday on government reforms aimed at saving £350m from the Ministry of Justice’s annual legal aid budget.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2012/mar/04/legal-aid-bill-domestic-violence
UK: Cults watchdog faces danger of being shut down
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/26612/uk-cults-watchdog-faces-danger-of-being-shut-down
Sentamu comes as an unwelcome surprise on Sunday
Telegraph – Dr John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, has been criticised by the Rt Rev Stephen Lowe for continuing to write for the Sunday edition of Rupert Murdoch’s Sun. Six years ago, when the Rt Rev Stephen Lowe was commissioned as the first Bishop of Urban Life and Faith by Dr John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York spoke about how “ideal” his old friend was for the job and praised him for his wealth of experience. The appreciation has not, alas, been mutual in recent weeks. Lowe is dismayed that Dr Sentamu is persisting in writing a column for Rupert Murdoch’s Sunday edition of The Sun. “This is a newspaper in the midst of serious inquiries about its journalism and I wonder whether John is being wise,” says Lowe, the former suffragan Bishop of Hulme in Manchester, Link Bishop for Namibia and chairman of the Urban Bishops Panel.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9122040/Sentamu-comes-as-an-unwelcome-surprise-on-Sunday.html
Dementia sufferers remembered in prayer
Christian Today – The Auxiliary Bishop of Birmingham has lent his support to the National Week of Prayer for Dementia later this month. The week, running from 12 to 19 March, is dedicated to prayer and raising awareness of the condition. Special prayer cards have been put together encouraging parishioners to think and pray for people living with dementia, as well as their family and carers.
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/dementia.sufferers.remembered.in.prayer/29417.htm
Leading article: Church leaders do not own marriage
The Independent – Given that the Government’s plans to legalise gay marriage have been strongly and very publicly opposed by leading members of the Church of England – including a former Archbishop of Canterbury and the current Archbishop of York – it would have been …
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-church-leaders-do-not-own-marriage-7536458.html
Legal aid bill fails domestic abuse victims, faith leaders warn
The Guardian – The bishop of Leicester is the Church of England’s lead in the Lords on welfare and constitutional issues. Their letter warns Clarke that “legal aid is nothing short of essential for many victims of domestic abuse to escape the horrendous circumstances …
http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2012/mar/04/legal-aid-bill-domestic-violence
Third of teenage girls have been victims of sexual violence, study claims
Telegraph – A third of teenage girls have been victims of sexual violence from a boyfriend, a study claims. According to the NSPCC, teenagers under 18 commit the highest proportion of sexual abuse with two thirds being perpetrated by young people.But research found many young people believed rape was a “violent attack on a stranger” rather than non-consensual sex that could happen within a relationship.
800 sex offenders on the run
Telegraph – More than 800 registered sex offenders have eluded police and are roaming the country unchecked, figures disclosed. It means the number of offenders who have gone missing despite supposedly being monitored by officers has more than doubled in two years. Almost 700 of them have been on the run for more than a year, while police have not been able to trace some for more than a decade.The disclosure raises serious questions about the effectiveness of the Sex Offenders’ Register, which those convicted of sexual crimes are forced to sign.