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Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
School chaplain the Church of England is trying to cancel again... six years after he said pupils needn't accept LGBT ideology
Everyone who knows the Reverend Dr Bernard Randall attests to his intellectual vigour, kindness, tolerance and patience – qualities the Anglican church would no doubt prefer all its clerics possessed, though by no means all do. With the Church of England facing abuse scandal upon abuse scandal, spend an hour in the company of the Oxford graduate and former Cambridge University director of theology and it's hard not to conclude he is the kind of man the beleaguered institution needs now more than ever. But for the past six years, Dr Randall, 52, has been on a Church of England blacklist, a casualty of the culture wars – a victim, as he sees it, of a grave injustice and 'a perfect storm of failings'. As it stands, were he to try to preach at a CofE church, he could face legal sanction. His crime? As The Mail On Sunday exclusively revealed in 2021, Dr Randall, school chaplain at Trent College in Derbyshire, simply gave a sermon to pupils, telling children they did not have to accept LGBT ideology – upholding, he says, the Church's own teachings on marriage. Bizarrely, the independent school, which has a long Anglican tradition, secretly referred Dr Randall to the Government's anti-radicalisation programme Prevent following the 2019 sermon – and later sacked him. Less bizarrely, Prevent saw no reason to take any action against him. Nor did several other official bodies which later considered his case. Six years on, Dr Randall explains what it is like to remain a pariah: 'When I first lost my job, things were very hard, and we were making a lot of use of supermarket surplus food given out free. 'After the story broke in the MoS, we were extremely grateful for the kindness of some strangers, and a couple of charitable grants. 'I got part-time work with an adult education provider. So we're OK, but we've definitely had to tighten our belts. I had to have a tooth extracted because I couldn't afford a crown. And I'm very worried about when our mortgage is due for renewal – but then so are lots of people.' What is apparent is that this once confident, much respected clergyman is now in despair, bewildered and broken by what he and many others consider a betrayal. If Dr Randall had failed, say, to tell police about abuse allegations – as former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby failed to do – his blacklisting, say supporters, might be understandable. Just as it would if, like the man now leading the Church, Archbishop Stephen Cottrell, he had turned a blind eye to the case of a vicar accused of grooming teenage girls. Dr Randall remains, in the eyes of the Church, a safeguarding risk – someone who might cause 'spiritual and emotional harm'. He calls this perverse, accusing the Church of desperately trying to maintain the 'appearance of being progressive'. He says the Church has become 'a corporate machine, more concerned with appearances and tick-boxing than showing basic Christian virtues'. As chaplain, he told pupils that 'you should no more be told you have to accept LGBT ideology than you should be told you must be in favour of Brexit, or must be Muslim'. He was, in part, reacting to campaign group Educate & Celebrate, invited by the school to teach staff to 'embed gender, gender identity and sexual orientation into the fabric' of what they do. After falling into a bitter dispute with the school's bosses, he was sacked, then reinstated, only to be made redundant during Covid. Despite being cleared of wrongdoing, Dr Randall, who is married with a daughter, was unable to get another job in the Church. The Right Reverend Libby Lane, the Bishop of Derby – the Church's first female bishop – refused to grant him a licence or permission to officiate because her safeguarding team decided he could pose a risk of harm to children. It raised concerns about how Dr Randall 'would speak to and support someone who came to him if they were struggling with their sexuality'. For what it's worth, Dr Randall believes the Church is absolutely right to be more relaxed about gay people, describing the vitriol they once faced as 'abhorrent'. He complained that the proceedings were flawed and Bishop Lane 'discriminated against me on the grounds of my orthodox beliefs on gender and sexual orientation'. But Archbishop Welby refused to allow Dr Randall to bring a misconduct case against Bishop Lane, despite being told by Gregory Jones KC the decision was 'plainly wrong'. Mr Jones, reviewing the case on behalf of the clergy discipline tribunal, said Archbishop Welby had 'misunderstood the scope of his powers', adding that the Church's 'error' was 'gross'. The tribunal ruled that while there were 'serious errors', Bishop Lane personally did not have a case to answer. But it was decided that the Church 'should look at this matter again and that it might well be appropriate' for an independent team to start from scratch. And so, after waiting more than a year, Dr Randall found himself at a preliminary meeting last month with CofE safeguarding adviser Lee Elliot and Bishop of Repton, Rt Revd Malcolm Macnaughton, the Bishop of Derby's deputy. Bishop Malcolm read a statement which claimed the chaplain remained a risk based on what he might say in future sermons. Mr Elliott referred to Dr Randall's Christian beliefs as 'your views'. Dr Randall responded by saying that his sermon reflected official CofE doctrine, not personal opinion. Mr Elliot went on to claim that saying 'things that are controversial... could significantly lead to harm', before abruptly ending the meeting. Dr Randall later told the MoS: 'This has been six years of silence, shame and spiritual exile. 'I have been punished not for wrongdoing, but for believing. The Church's safeguarding process has become a tool of coercion, not care. I am speaking out because I know I am not alone, and because no one should suffer in silence for staying true to their faith. 'I have been treated as guilty without accusation or evidence, and pressured to renounce my beliefs to be deemed safe. Despite no complainant, no evidence and no allegation of misconduct, I have been treated as a risk.' The toll on his physical and mental health has been 'devastating'. Describing 'long periods of despair and hopelessness', he says there were times when just being asked 'How are you?' led to tears. 'The whole thing has been hanging over us, and of course my stress and distress is felt by them [my family], especially my wife, who sees me suffering and can do very little about it. Because of the way the Church has treated me, we can't move on. Once, I started thinking about self-immolating on the floor of General Synod [the church's ruling body] as a protest. 'The tears came when I realised they'd just put it down as an unfortunate incident, and then carry on in the same way as before.' Andrea Williams, of the Christian Legal Centre, says Dr Randall's case is less about safe-guarding than censorship and freedom of speech. She says the CofE 'continues to treat Dr Randall as a risk without presenting any evidence or allegations', adding: 'This is a clear abuse of process and a violation of his rights. It is heartbreaking to see a man of faith and integrity suffer so profoundly for doing what he was called to do. 'Bernard Randall has been vindicated time and again, yet the Church continues to punish him. 'How much longer must he wait for justice?'
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Lifestyle
- News.com.au
Ex-church reno'd on Grand Designs Australia could be yours
A couple who rescued an abandoned, dismantled Melbourne church and transformed it into a jaw-dropping house are selling their divine creation with $2.2m-$2.4m price hopes. Peter and Mary Riedel's journey to resurrect the property in South Gippsland was chronicled on the popular television show Grand Designs Australia. Mr Riedel said after seeing an advertisement in The Weekly Times for parts of an 1876-era Anglican Church that had been taken apart, he and his wife bought them at a clearing sale in 2009. It took two trucks to transport the ex-house of worship's various bits and pieces to an 8.34ha site at 25 Wirilda Way, Fish Creek, with frontage to Hoddle Creek. Mr and Ms Riedel then embarked on a massive renovation project. Before even starting on the house, their first task was to build a 600m-long switchback road to their address. Outdoors, they put in 8000 native plants that have since grown into mature trees. In resurrecting the church into a house, they aimed to retain its historic character. As an engineer, Mr Riedel took inspiration from old photos of the religious building from before it was dismantled. Named The Church House, the property nowadays features vaulted cedar ceilings, timber panelling, church windows, a ceiling that is 8m-high at the apex, multiple living zones, a sunroom that opens to a patio and four bedrooms with their own ensuites. A self-contained upstairs suite has another bedroom plus an ensuite, kitchenette and sitting area. A self-taught interior designer, Ms Riedel sourced the main front doors from a church in Lithuania. Indoors, a pulpit serves as a bookcase, and a blacksmith created many of the light fittings. The abode has views across South Gippsland's rolling hills and the Strzelecki Ranges. Across the property, there's a wine cellar, orchard, vineyard, olive grove, dam and walking trails. Although the house was originally designed to host the Riedels' six adult children and 16 grandchildren, in 2017 they decided to open it up as guest accommodation. 'Seventy per cent of our guests are international tourists with high occupancy between October and Easter – it's like having a dinner party every night, but you're cooking,' Mr Reidel said. Wilsons Promontory National Park is a 20-minute drive from The Church House and Melbourne is a 2.5-hour drive away. Castran director Lachlan Castran said buyers inquiring about the property included those who wanted it as a home or country retreat, while other people hope to continue operating the short-term accommodation while living on-site. 'I'm a bit of a sucker for the captivating views and also the absolute privacy that the property has,' Mr Castran said. 'With respect to the dwelling itself I think that the ceilings grab me and the sense of volume within the main room is amazing.' He added that The Church House had retained its unique character thanks to the Riedel's painstaking renovation. 'The kitchen and open-plan living and dining area is quite superb, and I think it's very sympathetic as well to the overall design,' Mr Castran said. The Church House is being sold via expressions of interest.
The Hindu
13-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Secularism — implicit from day one, explicit in 1976
'God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. Yet his shadow still looms…', said Friedrich Nietzsche. As many as 66 Constitutions make some reference to God in their Preamble. True, Nehru led from the front in India's adoption of secularism. He explicitly said in his autobiography of how what he called 'organized religion' filled him 'with horror... almost always it seemed to stand for a blind belief and reaction, dogma and bigotry, superstition and exploitation'. Nehru's strong views on religion did play a significant role in India's choice of secular polity. Unlike today's politicians, he did not need religion to succeed in politics. Though the Supreme Court has said more than once that the term secular in India does not connote either strict separation between religion and state like in France or the non-establishment of religion like in the United States, the debate on the artificial imposition of secularism during the Emergency and the urgent need for its deletion continues though Indian secularism is rooted in Emperor Ashoka's Dhamma and is consistent with noble ideals of India's freedom struggle. Article 51A(b) makes it a fundamental duty of every citizen 'to cherish and uphold noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom'. Secularism was one such ideal. Secularism spells autonomy The advocates of Hindutva think that minorities have got some special privileges through secularism and that the time has come to bring an end to neutrality of the state in religious matters. Unfortunately, supporters of a theocratic state do not understand that secularism is basically good for religions as it protects religions from state domination and interference. Religions remain independent and autonomous under secularism. If a religion becomes state religion, the state takes over the control of such religion. Our secularism ensures autonomy of the Hindu religion and the proponents of Hindutva must understand this. Has not Islam been destroyed through various so-called Islamic states? Mahmud Ghazni and Illtutmish defied the caliph and assumed the title of king . Zawabit or state-made laws prevailed over Shariah during medieval India. Did not Henry VIII defy Papal authority just to marry Anne Boleyn and create the Anglican Church with the King as its head. In the consecration of the Ram temple in January 2024, the state's decision prevailed over the theological view of the Shankaracharyas. The state, not religion, decided what is auspicious. Is the salvation of souls really the mandate of a modern state? British Political theorist John Locke in his famous 'A Letter Concerning Toleration' (1689) forcefully said no because the state was brought into existence only for 'procuring, preserving, and advancing' citizens' civil interests. Care of souls, he argued, was not given to the state because the state consists of only outward force while religion consists of the inward persuasion of mind. Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island, favoured separation of the church from the state to protect the garden of the church from the 'wilderness of secular order'. Secularism could triumph in the 18th century because reason triumphed over religions. While secularism is nothing but an idea of modernity, a non-secular theocratic state is the relic of the past. Even if we are fed up with modernity, the moot question is this: should we become a Saudi Arabia, an Iran or a Pakistan? An overwhelming majority of Hindus do not want to emulate these regressive countries. The importance of the Ashokan edicts Should we reject secularism because this term was not used in the original Constitution? To say that India's Constitution became secular in 1976 is a blatant lie. Like several other things borrowed from Ashoka the Great who ruled from 268-232 BC, the seeds of Indian secularism too can be traced back to Ashokan edicts. Rajeev Bhargava has written extensively on the significance of these edicts. Rejecting the idea of one particular religion as a state religion, Rock Edict 7 said that all religions should reside everywhere, for all of them desire self-control and purity of heart. One of the biggest problems of today's India is hate speech. Rock Edict 12 prohibited glorification of one's religion and condemnation of others' religions. Ashoka's dhamma was not religion but the principles of governance, i.e., constitutional morality and ethics that a king must follow. He favoured the acceptance and co-existence of different religions and went beyond mere toleration. The Motilal Nehru Committee's constitution (1928) which was the first attempt to draft the Constitution clearly stated in Clause 4(11) that 'there shall be no state religion for the Commonwealth of India or for any province in the Commonwealth, nor shall the state either directly or indirectly endow any religion or give any preference or impose any disability on account of religious belief or religious status'. The Karachi Resolution of the Congress in 1931 which presented the blueprint of a future Swaraj in Resolution no 2(9), specifically declared that the 'state shall maintain neutrality in regard to all religions'. Even the Hindu Mahasabha's draft constitution of 1944 with V.D. Savarkar's blessings too declared in explicit terms in Article 7(15) that 'there shall be no state religion or either centre or provinces.'. Why do we refuse to follow even Savarkar? On October 17, 1949 when the Preamble of the Constitution was under discussion in the Constituent Assembly, H.V. Kamath proposed that the Preamble should begin with the words 'in the name of God'. We should thank god that in an overwhelmingly religious country, god lost by 17 votes in a tally of 68 to 41. Similarly, the word 'secular' was not specifically included; yet, members, in one voice, spoke of it being a fait accompli of a liberal democratic constitution and consistent with the ideals of our freedom struggle. No member of the Constituent Assembly ever proposed a Hindu Rashtra including Syama Prasad Mookerjee. Three years prior to the insertion of the word secular, the Supreme Court had held secularism to be the basic structure in the Kesavananda Bharati case (1973). Silences of the Constitution are equally important. For instance, the words federal, judicial review, rule of law too have not been used in the Constitution. But these ideas have rightly been held as part of the basic structure. On the jurisdiction model If we are really fed up with the separation model of secularism, we should consider the jurisdiction model. We have several options from modern democracies. Certainly, we may declare in the Constitution that Hinduism (not Hindutva) is the dominant spiritual heritage of India — just like in England where the Anglican Church is the official Church of England and the king is the defender of faith but recognises equal rights to all citizens ensuring freedom of religion and prohibiting all discriminations on the basis of religion. The Irish Constitution is another model. Its Preamble begins with the name of the Most Holy Trinity, but the state cannot endow any religion or discriminate on religious grounds. Article 3 of the Greek Constitution declares the Greek Orthodox Church as the dominant religion. The opening words of the Preamble are – 'In the name of Holy, Consubstantial and Undivided Trinity'. But Article 4 talks of the right to equality. Article 5(2) guarantees the right to life, liberty and honour without any discrimination based on religion and gives freedom of religion to all faiths. Muslims of Western Thrace in fact have the right to elect their own Mufti (religious and judicial officer) and their disputes are resolved in accordance with Islamic law. They have an option of either using civil courts or sharia courts. Article 2 of Pakistan's Constitution declares Islam as the state religion. Only a Muslim can occupy high constitutional office. But even the Preamble itself explicitly lays down that the 'adequate provision shall be made for the minorities freely to profess, practice freedom of religion and develop their culture'. Moreover Article 36 again says that the state shall safeguard the legitimate rights and the interests of minorities including their due representation in the federal and provincial services. Accordingly, the Constitution makes a provision of reservation for them. Though Article 9 of the Sri Lankan Constitution falls short of declaring Buddhism as state religion, it does give 'Buddhism' the 'foremost place' and places an obligation on the state to protect and foster Buddha Sasna. Of course, it not only guarantees freedom of religion but (unlike India) in Article 10, explicitly gives 'freedom to have or adopt a religion or belief of his choice'. Minorities are governed by their personal laws and sharia courts function within the premises of regular courts and High Courts. Our secularism based on Ashoka's Dhamma was designed to allow people to live together in civility and promote equal respect for all religions. The state must remain religion neutral. India's opposition to Pakistan was based on the separation of religion and state. The framers of the Constitution too intended a secular state, and not a theocratic state. Even the Bharatiya Janata Party has been insisting on its opposition to the Congress's negative secularism and used to promise positive secularism. If what was implicit from day one was merely made explicit in 1976, 'Humgama Hai Ku barpa (what is the fuss about')? Faizan Mustafa is a Constitutional Law expert and presently serving as the Vice-Chancellor of Chanakya National Law University, Patna, Bihar. The views expressed are personal
The Province
11-07-2025
- The Province
Man conceived at B.C. residential school and his dad sue Anglican Church
Lawsuit says son born out of abuse was adopted and only recently reunited with dad, who had years ago received compensation for damages. Now both are suing Anglican Church for son denied of native culture and benefits St Michael's Residential School at Alert Bay on Vancouver Island. PNG A 56-year-old adopted B.C. man, who tracked down his biological father two years ago, discovered he had been born as a result of sexual assault at a residential school in Alert Bay. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Now he and his father, 72, are suing the Anglican Church for damages, including for the son's loss of knowledge of his Indigenous heritage and decades of federal benefits, according to a lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court. The case dates back to 1968, when the father — Postmedia is not naming the plaintiffs because of its policy of not naming victims of sexual assault — was sexually assaulted at St. Michael's Indian Residential School by Jane Peacock, a church employee whose job it was to supervise the children, when he was 14, according to the lawsuit. He sued the church in 2006 for sexual assault and the case was settled in 2008, it said. He didn't find out until 2023 that he fathered a son by Peacock, a child she gave up for adoption to a non-Indigenous family, the lawsuit said. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. His son found him and 'this reunion was traumatic for both' because the father had no idea he had a son, 'who was taken away from him, his own family, his own community and his heritage,' it said. The loss of his biological son was a 'further psychological trauma' for him, and meeting his son reopened the trauma from the sexual assault, it said. The son learned that he was 'born from the rape of his father and that his mother was the perpetrator,' a revelation that compounded the 'trauma from being adopted by a non-Indian family,' said the lawsuit. The two men approached the church earlier this year to 'see what steps would be taken to assist them with their traumas and to offer them compensation,' it said. The church said the settlement signed by the father in 2008 'completely absolved the defendants of any liability,' according to the lawsuit. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The men said they filed the lawsuit to 'seek closure and healing' and that 'reconciliation in an continuing process' shouldn't be 'reduced to a hollow promise made by the defendants.' Besides the Anglican Church, the attorney general of Canada is named as a defendant because the school was 'jointly developed and implemented' by both, it said. The father, who attended St. Michael's from 1963 to 1968, is an elder and member of a First Nation in B.C., which his son has also recently joined, according to the lawsuit. But the son was unable to register as a status Indian before now because the defendants did not disclose to him his biological father was a status Indian and he therefore lost 'significant benefits,' including income and excise tax exemptions, housing, health and education benefits and band payments, it said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He lost the chance to learn his language and his culture, a 'significant personal loss,' said the lawsuit. The Anglican Church between 1929 and 1975 operated St. Michael's on behalf of the federal government, it said. 'Ms. Peacock breached her fiduciary duties by sexually assaulting the (father) by forcing him to have sexual intercourse with her while he was only 14 years old,' it said. The case was settled out of court and the father signed the settlement, it said. But he didn't know he had fathered a son, so the settlement doesn't preclude him from suing the church in this case, the lawsuit argues. After the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Report in 2015, the Anglican Church and the federal government recommitted to advancing reconciliation for victims. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Despite these repeated promises to advance reconciliation, the defendants have refused to address the harms, damages and claims of the plaintiffs,' the lawsuit said. It said as the result of the sexual assault, both men have sustained psychological and emotional injuries and damages, including PTSD, depression and suicidal thoughts, anxiety, feelings of guilt, self-blame, shame, fear and loneliness, loss of self-esteem and self-worth, diminished ability to trust and form intimate and familial relationships or to deal with social interactions. They're seeking undisclosed damages, including punitive, exemplary and aggravated damages, it said. Messages left with the Anglican Church weren't immediately returned, and neither did the plaintiffs' lawyer return a message. Read More Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks Junior Hockey World News
CTV News
10-07-2025
- CTV News
B.C. man says son conceived in residential school abuse, both sue church
The Law Courts building, which is home to B.C. Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, is seen in Vancouver, on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck VANCOUVER — A British Columbia father and son are suing the Anglican Church of Canada, alleging the son was conceived as a result of sexual abuse by a female employee of St. Michael's Indian Residential School in Alert Bay in the late 1960s. The lawsuit says the father was 14 years old when he was victimized by a school supervisor in 1968, and he settled a lawsuit with the church in 2008 over the alleged sexual assault at the school on Cormorant Island, northeast of Vancouver Island. Court documents filed this week in B.C. Supreme Court say the plaintiffs only recently found out they were related, leading to a 'traumatic reunion,' and their relationship has been confirmed by DNA testing. The notice of civil claim says the father, now 72, 'had no idea' he had a son that was given up by the woman to a non-Indigenous family months after his birth, and the son, now 56, was traumatized by the 'shocking revelation' he was a child conceived through the rape of his biological father. The lawsuit says the plaintiffs contacted the church this year about compensation, but were allegedly told the church considered itself 'completely absolved' of liability due to settlement of the father's earlier legal action. The allegations have not been proven in court and the Anglican Church of Canada has not filed a response to the lawsuit, and the plaintiffs' lawyer and the church did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The civil claim says the plaintiffs were 'left with no choice' but to sue the church for damages in order to 'seek closure and healing from these traumatic events.' This report by Darryl Greer, The Canadian Press, was first published July 10, 2025.
