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UK news in brief

by
18 September 2020

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York Minster

For whom the handbells toll: ringers from York Minster rang handbells this week to mark the death of Gerald, the cat who had been at the Minster since 2017. He was found dead next to St Michael-Le-Belfrey, the church on the south side of the Minster, on Monday, aged six. He was brought from London by his owner, Justine Spencer, and went on to be­­come popular among visitors and Minster staff. The ringing team was in the Minster pre­cinct when Gerald’s death was announced and decided to pay tribute. The Dean of York, the Very Revd Jonathan Frost, has given permission for Gerald to be buried in Dean’s Park, next to the Minster

For whom the handbells toll: ringers from York Minster rang handbells this week to mark the death of Gerald, the cat who had been at the Minster since 2017. He was found dead next to St Michael-Le-Belfrey, the church on the south side of the Minster, on Monday, aged six. He was brought from London by his owner, Justine Spencer, and went on to be­­come popular among visitors and Minster staff. The ringing team was in the Minster pre­cinct when Gerald’s death was announced and decided to pay tribute. The Dean of York, the Very Revd Jonathan Frost, has given permission for Gerald to be buried in Dean’s Park, next to the Minster

 

Dean appointed for new Emmanuel Theological College

THE new theological training institution in the north-west of England, which is to replace the cross-regional partnership with St Mellitus College, and provision from All Saints’ Centre for Mission and Ministry and Cumbria Christian Learning, is to be named Emmanuel Theological College. Its Dean will be the Revd Dr Michael Leyden, the director of St Mellitus North West, it was announced on Wednesday. Emmanuel Theological College, whose founding was announced in July (News, 3 July), is due to open next September. The Bishop of Chester, the Rt Revd Mark Tanner, has been appointed Chair-Elect of its board of trustees.

 

Foodbank demand reaches 100,000 mark

THE Trussell Trust reported this week that nearly 100,000 households were relying on its foodbanks for the first time during the lockdown. The charity predicted that demand would rise further in the autumn as the negative economic effects of Covid-19 took their toll. Some foodbanks, such as those run by Hackney Church in east London, have distributed 120,000 meals the lockdown began. In July, foodbanks and homelessness charities warned that a “huge storm” of unsustainable demand would arrive in the autumn, owing to Covid-related redundancies and mounting hunger (News, 10 July).

 

Tearfund calls for plastic-packaging restrictions

TEARFUND is one of several charities and companies calling for the Government’s Environment Bill to make it compulsory for companies to report how much plastic packaging they use. Tearfund launched its Rubbish campaign in 2019, to draw attention to the damage caused by plastic-based pollution, by companies such as Coca-Cola, Nestlé, PepsiCo, and Unilever, on people living in poverty, in addition to ways in which burning waste contributes to climate change. The senior policy adviser on waste at Tearfund, Joanne Green, said: “The Government should heed this call and implement genuinely world leading legislation that can be emulated elsewhere.” Among the supporters of the campaign are Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and Iceland Foods.

 

Church of Ireland priest joins homophobia protest

THE Revd Andrew Rawding, Rector of Brackaville with Donaghendry and Ballyclog, in Amargh diocese, will join a protest against homophobia, “Silent but not Silenced”, at the Mid-Ulster Pride Parade in Cookstown on Saturday The socially distanced demonstration, restricted to 15 people, will show solidarity with those whom the organisers say have no voice. Mr Rawding accused the Church of Ireland last week of being “homophobic and prejudiced”, because he had not been permitted to officiate at same-sex marriages, despite their being legal in the country.

 

Individual cups not Covid-secure, says Dr Walker

THE Bishop of Manchester, Dr David Walker, posted on Twitter on Saturday that he would “struggle with individual communion cups [Comment, 11 September] because I would not be able to perform the ablutions in a satisfactory and Covid secure manner. A few excess wafers are very easy to consume, not so tiny amounts of consecrated wine in dozens of glasses.” In August, a legal opinion from a group of six barristers challenged the Legal Advisory Commission’s advice to the House of Bishops against the use of a small individual cup for each communicant (News, 26 August).

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