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Quotes of the week

by
13 February 2026

Striking sayings or writings from the past week. Readers’ contributions welcome

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It is time we recognise, as faith leaders, that we play an important role in the health of our communities — spiritual health, of course, but also social, mental, and emotional health

Sarah Mullally, Archbishop of Canterbury, speech in the General Synod, 10 February

 

Last month we had a break-in at our church. The CCTV caught the man responsible dipping his finger in the font — a traditional way of seeking God’s blessing — at the same time as he was robbing the place. It felt to me like a powerful expression of our confused times, expressing the need for some greater moral order at precisely the same time as violating it

Giles Fraser, priest and writer, the Telegraph, 8 February

 

Education that develops the mind but neglects the inner life leaves children unanchored in a world that demands depth and moral clarity. And when something so essential is lost in childhood, its absence reverberates across a lifetime, and across generations

Kat Eghdamian, writer and adviser on religion, ethics, and social justice, The Guardian, 8 February

 

Young people raised in a world without authority figures who command respect, in a society bereft of didacticism, are naturally going to regard the teachings in the Bible as hostile and aggressive. In a world where everyone is reduced to having their “own truth”, many will find the idea of Christianity simply incomprehensible

Patrick West, the Spectator website, 8 February

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

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