Patrick Comerford writes - As a canon of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, I am concerned with the way the commemorations of 1916 look like forcing the cathedral to close on Easter Day, the most important day in the Christian calendar. For the first time since Christ Church Cathedral was built almost 1,000 years ago in 1030, it looks like the central act of worship in calendar of the Church is not going to take place in the cathedral, and all because of a peculiar quirk in our calendars.
Cathedral’s ‘Come and Sing’ Stainer’s Crucifixion will aid Gaza hospital - Rugby church before tomorrow’s Ulster game - Comedy Night at the Dock Cafe - Irish government makes U-turn on Easter closures of Dublin churches, Church Times - Love for Life benefits from Lisburn Cathedral’s Valentine’s night dinner - News links to reports on faith, politics and education
Scottish Episcopal Church was like a ghost at the party, Primus Chillingworth on the C of E’s Columba Declaration - Job losses at Bombardier bring major uncertainty, Bishop Miller - Beckett in Foxrock - Lambeg Parish honours former rector and family - New Irish Methodist drama resource and training survey - Church restoration appeal launched in Dunfanaghy - Spotlight director pays tribute to ‘inspirational’ abuse survivor Peter Saunders - News links to reports on faith, politics and education
Woman to lead Bible Society in Northern Ireland - 1916: Presbyterian Church’s ‘Continuing the Conversation’ - St Patrick’s Day Celebrations at Saul and Downpatrick - Archdeacon breaks out of gaol - Scottish links renewed tonight as First Hispanic woman is made Cathedral Dean in Connecticut - Church of England approves historic agreement with Church of Scotland - News links to reports on faith, politics and education
Presbyterian Church honours long serving care staff - Irish Methodist Youth and Children’s leaders events - Irish Christian magazine’s seminar on suicide prevention - Campbell College memorial service for Rev John Nelson - C of I Clerical appointments - Lecture and Trust Fund in Memory of Connor rector - C of E Synod’s sexuality conversations “going to be risky” warns Archbishop Welby’s Irish adviser - Pope Francis warns against diminishing importance of family - News links to reports on faith, politics and education
Easter Day 2016 worship disrupted by Irish state’s no consultation ban on Dublin city centre traffic - 1916, Easter Rising presentations in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin - 1916, Gilnahirk churches commemorative event for schools - The Sisters pop up café will raise awareness of nuns - Down & Dromore diocese says thank you to youth and children’s workers - Church of Scotland Moderator to make history by addressing C of E General Synod - Presiding Bishop Michael Curry speaks on Primates' statement - News links to reports on faith, politics and education
C of E unveils logo for Queen Elizabeth’s 90 birthday - Trócaire’s 43rd Lenten campaign - Parish support for South Belfast Food Bank - Methodist newsletter on vital congregations - 1916, C of I primate visits forces and chaplains in France - Get Together : Bereaved families discovering Roadshow - Pope makes long-awaited visit to Our Lady of Guadalupe - Pope and Patriarch hold historic meeting in Cuba - News links to reports on faith, politics and education
Belfast Herzog Plaque campaign seeks support - Dublin C of I Service Looks at the Ultimate Election Manifesto - Film shows abuse parallels between Boston and Dublin - Ahoghill Parish Knotty Knitters - Methodist and C of I joint ministry at The Hub at Queen’s - Holiday opportunity for single parent families - Young people have their say on priorities of Methodist Church in Britain - Walsingham shrine receives £4 million donation - News links to reports on faith, politics and education
Northern Ireland's Human Rights Commission has accused the Assembly of neglecting women's rights after it rejected proposals to relax abortion laws.
Northern Ireland Assembly rejects abortion up until birth - First Ecumenical Ash Wednesday Service at DCU Inter Faith Centre - Catholic Church’s Instagram and web initiative for Lent 2016 - Terence McCaughey, cleric, academic and social activist - Prince Charles visits church pioneering multi-racial community work - Relaxing Sunday trading laws will hurt working mothers, Church of England warns - Open your wallets and give to poor in Jubilee year says Pope Francis - News links to reports on faith, politics and education
Northern Catholic bishops urged MLAs to reject NI abortion amendment - First Minister visits Glencairn parish - Archbishop Diarmuid Martin’s condemnation of violence in Dublin - Blarney and inspiration for Cork youth leaders - Churches in Lisburn launch ‘Relentless Prayer’ - 1916 Event: Patrick Pearse and modern Irish identity - Former homeless & ex drug addicts become faces of latest campaign for CofE's justpray.uk - News links to reports on faith, politics and education
The sound of the Kalashnikov rifle has once again resounded across Ireland’s political landscape. In a scene worthy of Chicago in the 1920s, gunmen in police uniforms last week assassinated a well-known Dublin gangster and injured two others at a boxing weigh-in. Gerry Adams was quickly out of his corner to condemn the shootings, jabbing with a sanctimonious left and swinging with a pious right in an frenzy of moral fisticuffs – despite the fact that the guns probably came from Sinn Fein IRA’s arsenal in the first place - Kevin Myers writes in The Daily Telegraph
Archbishop of Canterbury met with First Minister during Belfast visit - Generational Struggle focus of Archbishop’s lecture - 1916 Commemoration, "hope and history rhyming" says Irish Methodist President - Irish Girl Guides members are ‘torch bearers for a better future’ - Oxford theologian pays tribute to Fr Gabriel Daly - Refurbished parish centre opens in Londonderry - Evening to reflect on Arctic sabbatical - Presiding Bishop addresses National Press Club on creating a more inclusive society - News links to reports on faith, politics and education
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, delivered the annual Church of Ireland Theological Lecture at The Queen’s University of Belfast this week. The Archbishop reflected on the nature of religiously-justified violence, and as a case study, on the nature, particularly, of the conflict we are facing with Daesh, or ISIS. The full text of the Archbishop’s address follows.
NI First Minister to attend C of I 1916 Centenary Event : Ordinary People in Extraordinary Circumstances - Order of the Golden Wellie for Black Santa at St Anne’s - Christians unite to campaign for LGBTI equality in C of E - Religious education is being squeezed off the timetable in England - Pope Francis ‘considering Scotland visit’ - New British ambassador to the Holy See appointed - News links to reports on faith, politics and education
Same - sex marriage in churches, and full access to all three Holy Orders for those in such marriages, are among the goals of a new mission calling for “the full acceptance and affirmation of LGBTI people” in the Church of England, Madeline Davies writes in the Church Times
Temperance brings balance and prevents excess getting a grip, Bishop Éamonn Walsh - Bishop Colton’s regret at closure of Cork Synagogue - Moyross Jesuit parish priest selected as an Envoy of Mercy by Pope - C of I Historical Society offers postgraduate prize - Pope Francis to hold historic meeting with Russian patriarch in Cuba - News links to reports on faith, politics and education
A new book examining the decline of the Church England was withdrawn from circulation by one of the U.K.’s leading publishing houses, Bloomsbury Publishing.
“Hidden Pages from the 1916 Rising” seminar well supported - Churches urged to send out a Clarion Call for Earth Hour 2016 - Workshops to focus on dealing with drug and alcohol issues in south Belfast - Catholics and Anglicans to distribute ashes to shoppers in Sunderland city centre - Emma Gibbins to give Armagh organ recital - In February's edition of the Presbyterian Herald - C of E Archbishops launch evangelism week of prayer - Diocesan "Year of Prayer" coming to an end in Raphoe - Mothers' Union programme reduces domestic violence - News links to reports on faith, politics and education
Prayers for HM The Queen’s 90th Birthday published - The Faithful Underground: 40 Years of Christian and Gay witness in Northern Ireland - New Presbyterian Church Moderator Rev Frank Sellar: Some of clergy I admire most are gay - Belvedere College pays tribute to former student Terry Wogan - Sleep out tonight for Dromore charity - Distribution of record breaking Dublin Black Santa Sit Out - Catholic schools are unfairly criticised over their admissions policies Bishop argues - Syrians need more than financial aid says Christian Aid - News links to reports on faith, politics and education
In a statement the members of Vestry and Ministry Team of St John’s Episcopal Church acknowledge the pain the Primate’s final communiqué has caused among sexual minorities, urges the Scottish Episcopal Church to continue with its process of canonical revision and thanks the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church for his witness.
Ashers Bakery discrimination appeal halted - Derry parish’s weekend celebration in renewed centre - Army Chaplain’s tour in Cyprus - Creative approach to Lent at Christ Church, Dublin - C of I dean at reunion of 1965 Queen’s expedition to Morocco - Black Santa funding will benefit more than 220 charities - Chancellor's tax reform plan must start now says Christian Aid - News links to reports on faith, politics and education
The imposing Stormont Assembly – perched on a hill, on the outer limits of Belfast – has always been a place apart, Steve McCaffery writes in “The Detail”
Belfast Minister to be new Presbyterian Moderator - The Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent Book 2016 - Let them speak - listening to our young leaders - ’In Search of Jesus’ – Belfast Lent Course with Brendan McCarthy - Dublin clergy on course - ‘The world shouldn’t fear China’s rise,’ says Pope Francis - Social justice theme of film series at Christ Church, Dublin - News links to reports on faith, politics and education
In his message for Lent 2016, which begins on 11 February, Pope Francis has asked us to live Lent more intensely as a privileged moment to celebrate and experience God’s mercy.
C of I clergy send message of support to Presiding Bishop and The Episcopal Church - Prominent gay rights activist backs Christian bakers in cake row - St Patrick focus for Reader ‘mini-retreat’ conference - C of I bishop and Baptist pastor to lead Lent workshops - Presbyterian Moderator is on his third and final Presbytery tour - News links to reports on faith, politics and education
Pope Francis and the Future of the Family in Ireland - How Presbyterians have lost ground over gender equality - Bishop of Central Tanganyika visits Finaghy Methodist Church for World Leprosy Day - Insight of Ireland’s first female botanist in C of I Archives - Credo: a new C of I network - More Anglicans now back gay marriage than oppose it, poll suggests - Presiding Bishop Curry looks to the ACC to respond to the Primates’ ruling -News links to reports on faith, politics and education
Europe has become more integrated legally in the last ten years and more divided politically and spiritually and emotionally, says former Taoiseach, John Bruton.
Church of Ireland cleric presented with France’s highest decoration - Minister’s announcement does not change religious education in Catholic schools - Moderator visits Wycliffe Bible Translators - New Lent Course explores Pope Francis’s ‘The Joy of The Gospel’ - GB Hetrosexual couple lose civil partnership court challenge - News links to reports on faith, politics and education
Church of Ireland Gazette calls for blessings for same-sex marriages - New petition launched to support Ashers Baking - North West Schools in major new project ‘Jointly Remembering the Centenary 2016’ - Belfast launch of C of I’s Human Sexuality guide online and on RTE - Spirit Radio reaches half a million people a week - Grace is theme of bishop’s Lent series in Connor - Bishop Christine of Newcastle takes her seat in House of Lords - News links to reports on faith, politics and education