Church hit by £10k lead theft; Bishop of Derry to preach at city Gospel choir’s 62nd praise festival; Proposal to limit Church’s role in schools in Republic; Multi-belief religious teaching may be way forward
CNI Comment - There has been substantial reaction to what is perceived as the Vatican's attempt to silence three Irish priests who have a track record of communication with the general public and other churches. Those who may see this enforcement simply as an internal matter to the Roman Catholic Church should consider the ecumenical fall out which may not necessarily be articulated in public. As one of the report headlines here states : "Fr Flannery may not be burned at the stake but the censure itself is frightening". That it came as the Pope spoke on matters of priestly discipline n the foremost service of Maundy Thursday leaves little room for doubt that this is an action considered and sanctioned at the highest level in that church.
Bishop of Cork – Titanic Centenary Week; March of Witness for Craigyhill churches; Seek hope through Christ - Bishop of Derry; Festival marks Titanic anniversary; Swallow led to thirst for musical hit - Neil Hannon
Addresses, photography and insights from Ireland, Great Britain and around the world as the Christian Church celebrates Easter 2012
Increase in cathedral attendance; C of E renewal; Archbishop Sentamu; Chairs out pews in; Bettany Hughes: who knows whether God is a girl?; Michael Sheen's Passion event marked in Port Talbot; Blood and guts for Easter? That's not very British
A Scottish Cardinal raises the profile of an issue centring on the civil liberty to wear a cross at work or in public. Press headlines followed - Faithful urged to wear a Cross; Christians urge PM to change stance on faith at work; Not Ashamed of the Cross; Betrayal of the Crucifix; David Cameron the Christian embraces a moderate religious patriotism. Summaries and links to these reports follow.
Roman Catholics and Protestants carry the Cross together in sign of unity; Limerick recital; Visiting choir at St Patrick’s; Pope denounces dissident priests; ‘Liberal’ priest under Vatican investigation; Pope reaffirms ban on women priests; Fr Reynolds: please don't sack any RTE staff over my libel case; St Patrick Centre facing closure; Victims of the Troubles remembered; Debut album - Signs of the Times - David Paul;
First Communion cash 'keeps climbing'
Child abuse cases most stressful, say gardaí; Online child abusers more sophisticated in hiding crimes; Need for lawful abortions in some cases; Quinn questions school emphasis on Irish, religion; Royal Victoria Hospital's neonatal ward 'should be replaced'; Poots to monitor Belfast hospitals trust; NI Teenage birth rate at 35-year low; Board to discuss HET independence; Ethnic cleansing fears over Fermanagh bomb; Fury over border schools survey
Jesus Christ: the Passion, the play and the public; New funding strategy may be death-blow to village schools; Easter video messages from the Archbishop of York; The Queen hands out traditional Royal Maundy money; Kids find religion more important now than 40 years ago; Evangelical protest over preferment; Vicar sends heavenly tweets; Church of England dumbing down: Rector; Repentant thief gives back £2,500 silverware he stole from UK church 8 years ago
Backing for parish council prayers; Welsh foodbanks feed 16,000 in one year; UK schools 'segregated by class'; Teachers consider further strikes; GPs 'losing faith in NHS reforms'; Sperm and egg donation 'should be like giving blood'
Services and web links to worship, music, talks and resources
Patrick, The Renegade Saint; Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving for Titanic; Archbishop of Dublin’s Easter Message; Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland Archbishops to Lead Good Friday Procession in Dublin; Good Friday Service at St Ann’s Dublin; In conversation with
Tony Macaulay; Verger’s 50 years of service; 2000 volunteer for Eucharistic Congress
Major faiths back Jubilee lunch; Ecumenical Engagement with the London Olympics and Paralympics; National Photography Competition; Chocolate maker includes Easter story with treats; The Point of the Lords Spiritual; Going for a song: CofE YouTube recording on VAT
Indaba process leads to deeper understanding for local Anglicans; New Anglican bishop vows to tackle corruption; Australian Bishops urge persistence on gambling reforms; Anglicans publish their manifesto to fight for environmental justice;Young Anglican Women Scholars meet in Canterbury;US & Canadian 5 year $10.8 million Health Care Program for Africa starts; Commission to Communion: "Tell us your views on next Archbishop of Canterbury's ministry”; Bishops from Africa, U.S., Canada coming to Toronto
21 new members of MU enrolled; Bishop’s chaplain; Parish celebrates Palm Sunday in the sunshine!; Parish Holy Week Mission to Romania; Mission to Seafarers invitation; The Archbishop of Armagh’s Easter Message
Bomb part of 'sectarian campaign’; Memory project 'to help elderly’; Poots to give pseudomonas update; RTE's head of news Ed Mulhall quits; RTÉ: Full statement on “two very serious editorial failures”; Flu killed care home residents
Salvation Army pays £11m for recycling company; Bishop of Lancaster criticises VAT increases on church alterations; Row as cathedral opens doors to tarot card readers; The Crown Jewels exhibition; C of E School opens prayer garden in memory of pupil who drowned; Clergyman jailed for fake wedding scam; Surge in cathedral congregations; 'Thought for the Day': Beyond the god-of-the-slots
New Big Society fund is launched; Al-Qaeda 'could target UK youths’; Female 'talent drain' identified; 60 child sex offences every day in England & Wales
Bishop of Clogher response to incident in Rosslea; Children’s Ministry Resource Evenings in Clogher; Streetreach brings churches together on Cregagh Estate; Christian Aid & Trócaire Concert in Limerick Cathedral; Clogher Parish Spring Auction; Birr Summer Fête and Funday; Connor Chapter changes; Belfast Canons; Rector saddened by oil theft; Church now a maritime museum; Tourists likely to visit a church
Health watchdog visits Donegal nursing home after six deaths in two weeks;
Mentally ill homeless five times more likely to kill; New service aims to help children bond with separated parents; Call for sex offender treatment to be extended; RTE awaits watchdog 'priest' ruling; RTE ‘hit by sudden loss of €70m’ Noel Curran reveals; Government to spend €50m on new children’s detention centre in Lusk; Poor test results are blamed on teen exam fatigue; 95 consultant posts in NI are unfilled; Bóthar appeals for help to airlift 70 UIster dairy cows to Romania
More 'Dangerous Parents' Flee With Children; School meals are 'made smaller to save money'; Gove 'wants new set of A-levels'; Groups criticise web 'snoop' plan
Compline at Good Book Shop; Holy Week events in Down & Dromore; St Patrick’s Installation sermon; ROC launch - Belfast Waterfront; Parish Visitors commissioned; Symposium on “The Bible in the Church of Ireland”; Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving for Titanic[ In the footsteps of St Patrick
Plans for UK web monitoring could affect Irish users; Gardai say lax system allows sex offenders to hide; Families survey on border schools; Disheartened headmaster steps down; NI's autism services 'improving’; Post-mortem query on RVH death
Reactions from the Irish Presbyterian Church; Salvation Army stands firm on marriage; RC archbishops in Scotland and England; Quakers; Jews; MPs and other sources
Archbishop risks row with Israel ; Former canon of St Paul's appointed parish priest; Riots rector award for 'outstanding community building’; Tony Blair competition seeks young filmmakers of faith; 300 people in 'sham weddings’ scandal but just two deported; Easter reflection from the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church
Teachers 'manipulate' test results; Grammar school expansion; Adoption delays 'due to courts’; Seven-day consultant cover 'best’;Anti-abortion climate 'will deter new generation of doctors'
First Things - Irish evangelical conference; Earliest Police Records in Ireland Secure and Digitized at RCB Library; Professor David Paton’s address on teenage pregnancy to SPUC’s Belfast conference
Review includes - Irish Presbyterian Church 'No' To Same-Sex Marriage; Irish bishops ‘stalling over shake-up'; Robinson sells ‘open’ unionism in Dublin
E-petition challenges VAT on alterations to listed church buildings; Archbishop of Canterbury: Children should be taught the Lord's Prayer; Methodist Youth President wins British Youth Council Award; Art and music tell Easter story in Colwyn Bay; Hundreds attend vicar's funeral;
Quakers divided over 'loyal address' to monarch; More leave Church of England for Rome; Wesley preacher and medicine man
Doctor claims he was dismissed for emailing prayer to colleagues; Gove backs 50pc limit on faith school admissions; 1 in 4 children live with ‘addict’ parents; The five-year-old girl forced into marriage; Legislation to protect children from porn; First the ‘pasty tax’ now church bells toll challenge for George Osborne; UK 'must end' overseas aid target