Gaza, for me, has been an incubator for hate and violence and, finally, it has exploded. I do not justify that but it has not come out of nowhere: if you do not look at the history then it’s just superficial nonsense

Richard Sewell, Dean of St George’s College, Jerusalem, The Daily Telegraph, 16 October

The Al-Ahli hospital, run by the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem, was due to open Gaza’s only chemotherapy unit next month. They worked with the poorest. Hundreds of innocent people have been killed, precisely where they should have been safe. Lord have mercy

Jamie Hawkey, Canon Theologian of Westminster Abbey, X/Twitter, 17 October

The cancer of antisemitism must not be allowed to spread in the UK. I stand in full solidarity with the Jewish community in the face of the disgraceful hatred and prejudice we’re seeing on our streets, online and on campuses. We cannot tolerate such hatred. It’s our moral responsibility to reject it — and unite in resistance to it

Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, X/Twitter, 16 October

It is possible to change the direction of poverty trends. This is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, and we know we have the resources and the expertise required. We also know that there is great public desire. But do we have the political will?

Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York, The Yorkshire Post, 16 October

While Labour has MPs like Sir Stephen Timms who understand the importance of religious freedom, the party has so far given no formal commitment that it would continue this vital work. With no legal requirement in place, there is a real risk that a mixture of Foreign Office inertia and the disruption of a new administration would see work on religious freedom plummet down the priority list — just when we need it most

Marc Sidwell, The Daily Telegraph, 18 October 

A sprightly man who enjoyed cooking for others and who only ever drank water (“what else do I need?”), Dorgu became agitated only while watching his beloved Arsenal. He relied on the wise counsel of his wife. Wherever he went in his ministry he put up an increasingly burnished plaque that said: “If at first you don’t succeed, try doing it the way your wife told you”

Obituary of Karowei Dorgu, former Bishop of Woolwich, The Times, 17 October

How many people can now say they know most of the hymns that are used in different churches throughout the land? Dropping the Book of Common Prayer and Hymns Ancient and Modern was when the Church started to lose its way. Amalgamating parishes hastened the decline

J. M. Savage, letter, The Sunday Telegraph, 15 October

We invite readers’ contributions. Quotations have to be from the past few days (or quoted therein), and we need author, source, and date. Please send promptly to: quotes@churchtimes.co.uk