I see in this need to pray and worship on VE Day something deeper. Worship in the Christian tradition is the framework for expression of celebration and thanksgiving. It’s also a place to lament and remember those who had been killed or injured in the pursuit of victory over evil, which was so important for many that day
David Wilkinson, Thought for the Day, Radio 4, 5 May
Archbishop Justin was my boss and my colleague. I miss him, I think he was a decent human being, and I don’t think he should have gone. I’m sorry that he left
Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop of Dover, interview in The Sunday Telegraph, 4 May
I think, and I’ll keep saying it, that the majority of the changes we had to do with safeguarding in the Church happened during his time in office. And it is because we were in a better place with regards to safeguarding that we looked back historically at how we’ve handled things and saw what we can learn from it. If instead of learning something from it, we throw our arms up and flail around, asking people to resign, we will not move forward
ibid.
The general pattern [of Francis’s papacy] was of rhetorical progress undercut by doctrinal inertia: praise for women in the church and reaffirmation of male priesthood; a vision of a decentralised church promulgated by a dominating and combative papacy. Real changes to the reporting of abuse, and reckoning with the church’s catastrophic failings, were marred by erratic and temporising decisions on individual cases
James Butler, London Review of Books, 8 May
Our 14-year-olds seem to want to come to the parish church on Sunday. They haven’t yet gone looking for one of the places that will guarantee them a male leader, nor, thank God, to one of the kinds of church designed specifically to be appealing to young men. They’ve climbed the tower (risk assessment and safety precautions in place) to celebrate one of their number’s decision to be baptised, and have seen the initials of boys of an earlier century scratched into the lead
Alice Goodman, Prospect, 7 May
The congregation is multi-generational, and there are a notable number of young people. Among them is Reuben Larkin, a 23-year-old model who posts moody pictures of himself in sharply tailored suits for his 365,000 Instagram followers. Every week he goes to HTB for Sunday service and occasionally plays the drums in the church band. They don’t do hymns, though, he tells me: “They kind of sound more like Coldplay”
Evening Standard, 2 May
I’m generally more joyful when I find time to run. In that sense, running is essential to being a good bishop
Michael Volland, Bishop of Birmingham, Metro, 3 May
More bad luck. Thought I’d visit the Sistine Chapel while in Rome but website says it’s closed “for an event”
Tim Stanley, Telegraph columnist, X, 4 May
For centuries, European artists have attempted to depict the grand narratives of the Christian tradition: creation, the birth of Jesus, the last supper, the death of Christ and the resurrection. But the best Christian art, I think, is inspired by the meanings of those iconic moments, to tell us new stories about ourselves and God that mean something today
Chine McDonald, Thought for the Day, Radio 4, 1 May
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