uk & europe

An Anglican Sovereign

TAP — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:26:59 +0000

(Staff) A COMMONWEALTH Summit of 16 countries that recognize Queen Elizabeth II as head of state has agreed unanimously on two significant changes to the rules of succession. Now female members of the royal family will be accorded the same rights to the throne as males. In the past a younger son could become

BBC tries to drop BC / AD

TAP — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:18:06 +0000

(Photo: Sue Careless)

(Staff) THE BBC’s religion and ethics department has advised that the terms BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini, medieval Latin for the Year of Our Lord) should be replaced by the terms Before Common Era and Common Era.
But Britain’s state-funded broadcaster is facing a backlash

English Synod approves Covenant

TAP — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 23:00:45 +0000

ON NOV. 24^th the General Synod of the Church of England took the first step in approving the Anglican Covenant by massive majorities. It will now be referred to the dioceses for approval. The final vote will be in 2011.

Five C of E bishops join Roman Catholic Church

TAP — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 22:59:20 +0000

Five bishops in the Church of England are joining the Roman Catholic Church under a scheme set up by the Pope for disaffected Anglicans. The move was confirmed Nov. 8^th by a statement from the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales welcoming the Bishop of Ebbsfleet, the Rt Rev. Andrew Burnham, the Bishop of Richborough, the Rt Rev. Keith Newton, the Bishop of Fulham, the Rt Rev. John Broadhurst, and retired bishops Edwin Barnes and David Silk.

New website launched for BCP’s 350th anniversary

TAP — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 17:06:49 +0000

THE ENGLISH Prayer Book Society has launched a new website ahead of yearlong celebrations in 2012 to mark the 350th anniversary of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.

EU Attack on Conscience defeated

TAP — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 17:05:38 +0000

ROME – An attempt to erase the conscience rights of EU health care workers was soundly defeated at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in early October. In a vote of 56 to 51, the PACE rejected the proposal of Christine McCafferty, a British politician and abortion activist, to “regulate” conscientious objectors to abortion across Europe.

Religious leaders dismiss scientists’ claim that God did not create the universe

TAP — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 02:24:03 +0000

The Archbishop of Canterbury has dismissed Professor Stephen Hawking's claim that modern physics leaves no room for a Creator and science could explain the origins of the universe.

In The Grand Design, the best-selling author concludes: “Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing.”

God no longer male, Scottish Episcopal Church rules

TAP — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 02:18:31 +0000

A NEW ORDER of service produced by the Scottish Episcopal Church [which is part of the Anglican Communion] has caused controversy by removing masculine references to God.

The new form of worship, which removes words such as "Lord, he, his, him" and "mankind" from services, has been written by the church in an attempt to acknowledge that God is "beyond human gender."

Pope greeted more warmly than expected

TAP — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 02:15:01 +0000

(Staff) POPE BENEDICT XVI paid a 4-day state visit to Britain in mid-September and, despite dire warnings from “atheist extremists” and being under the shadow of his Church’s clerical abuse scandal, he was greeted warmly by most of the British public.

It was the first ever state visit by a pope to Britain.

UK Prime Minister apologizes for Bloody Sunday

TAP — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:39:07 +0000

On June 15th British Prime Minister David Cameron apologized for the 1972 killings by British troops of 14 protesters on Northern Ireland's Bloody Sunday after a long-awaited report said those shot were unarmed.

The decades of terrorist attacks and reprisals known as the Troubles began in earnest on Jan. 30, 1972, when British paratroopers fired into a crowd of peace protesters in Londonderry, killing 14, half of them teenage boys. Some victims were shot while they were cowering, crawling away, waving surrender flags or being treated for injuries.