Latest news with #ChurchofEngland
NBC News
3 hours ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Cherry Vann becomes first woman and LGBTQ cleric named archbishop in Britain
LONDON — Bishop Cherry Vann has been elected as archbishop of the Church in Wales, becoming the first woman and LGBTQ cleric appointed to lead any of Britain's Anglican churches. While the broader, international Anglican Communion has had openly gay bishops before, most notably Gene Robinson in the United States, Vann will be the first lesbian to serve as archbishop globally. The Church in Wales, which broke away from the Church of England in 1920, elected Vann to the post on Wednesday. Vann was among the first women ordained as priests in the Church of England in 1994 and later served as Archdeacon of Rochdale, in northern England, before moving to Wales. She is affiliated with the Open Table Network, a Christian initiative that offers worship and support for LGBTQ people. According to her official biography, Vann lives with her civil partner, Wendy, and the couple's two dogs. While the Church in Wales does not conduct same-sex marriages, it permits clergy to enter into civil partnerships. Vann will replace Andrew John, who resigned in June following the publication of two internal church reports in May which raised concerns about governance and safeguarding. There was no suggestion of any wrongdoing by John. 'The first thing I shall need to do is to ensure that the issues which have been raised in the last six months are properly addressed,' Vann, 66, said in her first statement after her appointment.
San Francisco Chronicle
6 hours ago
- General
- San Francisco Chronicle
Pope to bestow one of Catholic Church's highest honors on Anglican convert John Henry Newman
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV on Thursday decided to declare St. John Henry Newman a 'doctor' of the church, bestowing one of the Catholic Church's highest honors on the deeply influential 19th century Anglican convert who remains a unifying figure among conservatives and progressives. The Vatican said Leo confirmed the opinion of the Vatican's saint-making office during an audience Thursday with its prefect, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, and would make the decision official soon. The designation is one of the most significant decisions of Leo's young papacy and also carries deep personal meaning: Newman was strongly influenced by St. Augustine of Hippo, the inspiration of Leo's Augustinian religious order and Leo's namesake, Pope Leo XIII, made Newman a Catholic cardinal in 1879 after his conversion. Newman, a theologian and poet, is admired by Catholics and Anglicans alike because he followed his conscience at great personal cost. When he defected from the Church of England to the Catholic Church in 1845, he lost friends, work and even family ties, believing the truth he was searching for could only be found in the Catholic faith. The title of doctor is reserved for people whose writings have greatly served the universal Catholic Church. Only three-dozen people have been given the title over the course of the church's 2,000-year history, including the 5th century St. Augustine, St. Francis de Sales and St. Teresa of Avila. Unifying figure Newman experts said the decision to add the British theologian to their ranks was deeply significant, given Newman's contribution to Christian understanding of conscience, truth and education — and his near-universal appeal to progressives and conservatives alike. Jack Valero, who served as a spokesman for Newman's 2010 beatification and 2019 canonization ceremonies, said he had never come across anyone who had a problem with him. If back then Newman was the perfect unifying figure for a polarized church, he is even more so now, for a new pope who has made unity a core priority of his pontificate, Valero said. "You know, I look at Pope Leo and I hear him say, 'We need unity, we need peace,' and so on and I think, 'Here's the man who's going to make it happen,'' he said in an interview. The first American pope vowed during his May 18 installation Mass that he would work for unity so that the church could become a force for peace in a troubled world. It was a message of pacification after the sometimes turbulent pontificate of Pope Francis exacerbated divisions in the church. Leo has also repeatedly affirmed his identity as an Augustinian, deeply inspired by the teachings of the 5th century theologian. Many scholars have long considered Newman to be the Augustine of the modern era. Newman's conversion Anglicans split from Rome in 1534 when English King Henry VIII was refused a marriage annulment. In the centuries that followed, Catholics were fined, discriminated against and killed for their faith. Newman was one of the founders of the so-called Oxford Movement of the 1830s, which sought to revive certain Roman Catholic doctrines in the Church of England by looking back to the traditions of the earliest Christian church. But he gave up a brilliant academic career at Oxford University and the pulpit of the university church to convert to Catholicism. As a Catholic, he became one of the most influential theologians of the era, bringing elements of the Anglican church into his new faith tradition. He died in Britain in 1890. Newman's path to being declared a doctor in the Catholic Church has been exceptionally quick. Pope Benedict XVI beatified him during a visit to Britain in 2010 and Pope Francis made him a saint in 2019, with then-Prince Charles in attendance. Francis declared two doctors of the church during his 12-year pontificate — St. Irenaeus and St. Gregory of Narek — and was on the receiving end of a concerted push by English-speaking bishops to add Newman to their ranks.
Hamilton Spectator
6 hours ago
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Pope to bestow one of Catholic Church's highest honors on Anglican convert John Henry Newman
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV on Thursday decided to declare St. John Henry Newman a 'doctor' of the church, bestowing one of the Catholic Church's highest honors on the deeply influential 19th century Anglican convert who remains a unifying figure among conservatives and progressives. The Vatican said Leo confirmed the opinion of the Vatican's saint-making office during an audience Thursday with its prefect, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, and would make the decision official soon. The designation is one of the most significant decisions of Leo's young papacy and also carries deep personal meaning: Newman was strongly influenced by St. Augustine of Hippo, the inspiration of Leo's Augustinian religious order and Leo's namesake, Pope Leo XIII, made Newman a Catholic cardinal in 1879 after his conversion. Newman, a theologian and poet, is admired by Catholics and Anglicans alike because he followed his conscience at great personal cost. When he defected from the Church of England to the Catholic Church in 1845, he lost friends, work and even family ties, believing the truth he was searching for could only be found in the Catholic faith. The title of doctor is reserved for people whose writings have greatly served the universal Catholic Church. Only three-dozen people have been given the title over the course of the church's 2,000-year history, including the 5th century St. Augustine, St. Francis de Sales and St. Teresa of Avila. Unifying figure Newman experts said the decision to add the British theologian to their ranks was deeply significant, given Newman's contribution to Christian understanding of conscience, truth and education — and his near-universal appeal to progressives and conservatives alike. Jack Valero, who served as a spokesman for Newman's 2010 beatification and 2019 canonization ceremonies, said he had never come across anyone who had a problem with him. If back then Newman was the perfect unifying figure for a polarized church, he is even more so now, for a new pope who has made unity a core priority of his pontificate, Valero said. 'You know, I look at Pope Leo and I hear him say, 'We need unity, we need peace,' and so on and I think, 'Here's the man who's going to make it happen,'' he said in an interview. The first American pope vowed during his May 18 installation Mass that he would work for unity so that the church could become a force for peace in a troubled world. It was a message of pacification after the sometimes turbulent pontificate of Pope Francis exacerbated divisions in the church. Leo has also repeatedly affirmed his identity as an Augustinian, deeply inspired by the teachings of the 5th century theologian. Many scholars have long considered Newman to be the Augustine of the modern era. Newman's conversion Anglicans split from Rome in 1534 when English King Henry VIII was refused a marriage annulment. In the centuries that followed, Catholics were fined, discriminated against and killed for their faith. Newman was one of the founders of the so-called Oxford Movement of the 1830s, which sought to revive certain Roman Catholic doctrines in the Church of England by looking back to the traditions of the earliest Christian church. But he gave up a brilliant academic career at Oxford University and the pulpit of the university church to convert to Catholicism. As a Catholic, he became one of the most influential theologians of the era, bringing elements of the Anglican church into his new faith tradition. He died in Britain in 1890. Newman's path to being declared a doctor in the Catholic Church has been exceptionally quick. Pope Benedict XVI beatified him during a visit to Britain in 2010 and Pope Francis made him a saint in 2019, with then-Prince Charles in attendance. Francis declared two doctors of the church during his 12-year pontificate — St. Irenaeus and St. Gregory of Narek — and was on the receiving end of a concerted push by English-speaking bishops to add Newman to their ranks. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Economist
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Economist
In Britain, same-sex marriages are more common for women than men
T welve summers ago, a bill allowing same-sex marriages in England and Wales became law. If the institution seems to have been around for longer, that could be because it has rapidly become uncontroversial. Three-quarters of Britons now support gay marriage. Its enemies, which in the early 2010s included the Church of England, have mostly gone quiet. But how are the actual marriages going?
Hindustan Times
7 hours ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Pope to bestow one of Catholic Church's highest honors on John Henry Newman
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday decided to declare St. John Henry Newman a 'doctor' of the church, bestowing one of the Catholic Church's highest honors on the deeply influential 19th century Anglican convert who remains a unifying figure in both the Anglican and Catholic churches. Pope Leo XIV's move to name Newman a doctor of the Church marks a major early decision in his papacy, highlighting Newman's influence and personal connection to Leo.(X) The Vatican said Leo confirmed the opinion of the Vatican's saint-making office during an audience Thursday with its prefect, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, and would make the decision official soon. The designation is one of the most significant decisions of Leo's young papacy and also carries deep personal meaning: Newman was strongly influenced by St. Augustine of Hippo, the inspiration of Leo's Augustinian religious order. The title of doctor is reserved for people whose writings have greatly served the universal church. Only three-dozen people have been given the title over the course of the church's 2,000-year history, including St. Augustine, St. Francis de Sales and St. Teresa of Avila. Also Read: Pope Leo XIV calls for renewed diplomacy on 50th anniversary of Helsinki Accords Newman beatified in 2010, canonised in 2019 Newman's path to being declared a doctor has been exceptionally quick, after Pope Benedict XVI beatified him during a visit to Britain in 2010. Pope Francis made him a saint in 2019, with then-Prince Charles in attendance. Newman, a theologian and poet, is admired by Catholics and Anglicans alike because he followed his conscience at great personal cost. When he defected from the Church of England to the Catholic Church in 1845, he lost friends, work and even family ties, believing the truth he was searching for could only be found in the Catholic faith. Also Read: Vatican bets on 'hot priests' to attract Gen Z followers, spread the gospel online Newman led Oxford Movement to revive Catholic tradition in Anglicanism Newman was one of the founders of the so-called Oxford Movement of the 1830s, which sought to revive certain Roman Catholic doctrines in the Church of England by looking back to the traditions of the earliest Christian church. But he gave up a brilliant academic career at Oxford University and the pulpit of the university church to convert to Catholicism. As a Catholic, he became one of the most influential theologians of the era, bringing elements of the Anglican church into his new faith tradition. He died in Britain in 1890.
