Welby to be patron of Christian-Muslim Forum

THE Archbishop of Canterbury is to become patron of the Christian- Muslim Forum, a position held by his predecessor, Lord Williams of Oystermouth. Archbishop Welby said that Christian-Muslim relations were "a key global issue which it is vital to get right - and can have tragic consequences if we don't".

CCT in drive to open more historic churches

THE Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) launched its Open Churches Policy on Tuesday, which seeks to "increase public access to over 340 of England's historic churches by summer 2014". The CCT said that "longer and more regular opening hours" had resulted in an increase in visitor numbers at its top nine sites last year. The CCT is appealing for "communities and volunteer groups near to the churches which remain closed to come forward and show their support". The CCT will then "work with them to decide whether to leave the church open at all times, nominate a volunteer key-holder team to be responsible for opening and closing it every day, or fit an automatic time-lock".
 

Dr Sentamu welcomes heart-surgery ruling

THE Archbishop of York, Dr Sentamu, welcomed a High Court ruling last week regarding a decision by the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts to close the Children's Heart Surgery Unit at Leeds General Infirmary. The High Court ruled that the review process had been "unfair and legally flawed", Dr Sentamu said. It was "utterly unjustified and unethical that the Leeds Unit could be earmarked for closure without the full facts being properly considered . . . I hope that the independent review which has been set up to re-examine the provision of heart surgery across the country is carried out properly, and makes its decisions based on hard evidence."