Man who burned Qur’an shot dead in Sweden

SALWAN MOMIKA, a man who burned the Qur’an outside Stockholm Central Mosque in 2023, sparking international protests (News, 7 July 2023), was shot dead on Wednesday of last week. An Iraqi-born Swedish citizen, he had been due to appear in court the following morning on charges related to the burning and other demonstrations. Swedish police report that they have arrested five people.

Former Bishop of Florida denies financial impropriety

NEW details of alleged financial impropriety by a former Bishop of Florida, the Rt Revd John Howard, were published by the Episcopal Church on Monday, the Episcopal News Service reports. It was reported last year that Bishop Howard was to face disciplinary hearings over allegations of discrimination against LGBTQ+ people and financial impropriety (News, 21 June 2024). The latest allegations are that he improperly benefited from a home loan provided by his diocese, which the diocese eventually forgave, and that he spent money from a bishop’s discretionary account on home improvements. Another allegation concerns the transparency and propriety of an arrangement between Bishop Howard, an anonymous donor, and an independent diocesan foundation, to boost his salary. Bishop Howard, who retired in 2023, has denied all wrongdoing, stating that each financial matter was “transparent, was approved by lay authorities of the diocese and was properly documented”. A hearing is due to begin on 30 April.

Tearfund welcomes DRC ceasefire

A CEASEFIRE declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Monday has been welcomed by Tearfund (News, 31 January). Declared by the Eastern Congo rebel alliance, who have seized control of Goma, the largest eastern city, it began on Tuesday and “comes at a time when the level of need in the country is unprecedented”, Tearfund’s country director for the DRC, Poppy Anguandia, said. “People have been without basic necessities for over a week, facing chaos and violence, but slowly stability is returning although criminal acts continue. Power and water has been restored and markets have reopened.” Tearfund has been providing water distribution in camps, schools, and churches, and has set up multiple water chlorination points, and hopes to scale up its work. The conflict, between rebels and the government, began in 2012.

Vietnamese delegates banned from going to US

THE Vietnamese authorities have prevented from travelling to the United States all Vietnamese who had been invited to attend the International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, DC, this week, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports. It says that, on 26 January, a Buddhist monk, the Ven. Thich Nhat Phuoc, was detained at Ton San Airport and given a temporary travel ban. He is affiliated with the Unified Buddhist Sangha of Vietnam, which is not registered with the government, as is required under Vietnamese law. CSW reports that, on 28 January, two Cao Dai dignitaries, Nguyen Xuan Mai and Nguyen Ngoc Dien, were also prevented from leaving the country at the airport. Local authorities again referred to the same national security concerns while issuing temporary travel bans.

Calvin Robinson’s licence revoked

THE Revd Calvin Robinson’s licence has been revoked by the Anglican Catholic Church (ACC) after his appearance at the National Right to Life Summit in Washington, DC. Fr Robinson was trained at St Stephen’s House, Oxford, but was not ordained in the Church of England after a failure to find him a title post; bishops raised concerns about his views (News, 27 May 2022). He was ordained in the Free Church of England in 2022, and in the Nordic Catholic Church in November 2023. He was received in orders into the Anglican Catholic Church in the United States, and licensed to serve in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in September 2024. A press release issued by the ACC on Sunday said that he had been told that he would “have to eschew the provocative political behaviour that characterized his prior career as a TV presenter, blogger, and social media influencer. He has not done so, and what happened at the National Right to Life Summit was not an isolated incident.” At the end of his remarks at the summit, Fr Robinson gave a salute that apparently emulated Elon Musk’s at an event marking President Trump’s inauguration, which was criticised for looking like a Nazi salute.