Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

60 years ago, on 23rd November 1964, the Second Vatican Council decided to allow the use of vernacular languages (such as English) in Roman Catholic sacraments and rituals, including the Mass. It had insisted on using only Latin for several hundred years. Most people welcomed the change, and the use of Latin quickly dwindled. The...

This year Remembrance includes several significant dates from past wars. 2024 marks the 110th anniversary of the start of World War I. 2024 marks 80 years since D-Day. The Normandy Landings of 6th June were the largest seaborne invasion in history, and began the Allied invasion of Normandy, which led to the liberation of France and...

 Andrei Rublev’s popular icon of the Trinity depicts the three mysterious strangers who visited Abraham (Genesis 18:1-15). It speaks powerfully of the relationship between the three persons of Godhead. ‘God as Being exists in community. The natural and simple demonstration of God’s communal image for humanity is the gathering of the small group.’ (Gareth Icenogle)....

As Christmas approaches, the charity Christians Against Poverty (CAP) is warning that “Poverty has become more ruthless than ever. There are rarely simple solutions anymore. Families can’t afford to live, let alone repay debt, as incomes don’t cover the basics.” CAP tells the story of Bea, one of its clients. “Like nearly half of CAP’s...

More than £20 million has been allocated so far to dioceses to help support parishes and schools to reduce their carbon emissions, according to a new report. The first Net Zero Carbon 2030 Impact Report highlights the impact of the Church of England’s Net Zero Programme since it was mobilised last year. The ambitious programme...

With our Christian pilgrimage in mind… Our character is but the stamp on our souls of the free choices of good and evil we have made through life. – Geikie The fellow who argues that all religions should unite probably doesn’t speak to his brother-in-law. – Herbert Prochnow The line is often busy when your...

The last Sunday in November is the last Sunday of the church year, and in some ways the most important. Why?  Because everything else in the Christian year looks BACK on what happened 2000 years ago. The Sunday of Christ the King looks FORWARD to what we can expect next….  the return one day of Jesus...

If you are a night owl, then this is not good news: recent research has found that those of us who prefer a late bedtime also tend to have a higher body mass index (BMI), larger waists and be almost 50 per cent more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. Previous studies that found a...

The Revd Mark Birch has been appointed by HM The King as a Canon of Westminster and by Sir Lindsay Hoyle as Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons. Mark has been a Minor Canon at Westminster Abbey since January 2015. He has been responsible to the Dean of Westminster for the daily...

100 years ago, on 4th November 1924, Gabriel Fauré, the French composer, died in Paris. As well as a composer, he was an organist, pianist and teacher, much admired and loved not only in his own country but also abroad. He was without doubt one of the most prominent composers of his generation, and his...

The Church of England’s latest cathedral attendance statistics reveal a continued recovery in 2023, with a five per cent increase in weekly service attendance. Attendance at Christmas services was up 20 per cent year on year and the rise was also reflected in Easter services, where attendance was up by 10 per cent. Cathedrals also...

Sir Paul Marshall, a member of Holy Trinity Brompton in London, says he is “delighted” to have bought the world’s oldest current affairs magazine, The Spectator, for £100 million. The hedge fund tycoon and GB News investor outbid 20 other hopefuls to buy the right-leaning political title, first published in 1828. Marshall, who has been...