Latest news with #cathedral
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
Sex, alcohol and bad language: The Welsh cathedral that showed how not to run a place of worship
When Rhys Evans then applied to train as a priest, it was John who ensured he was accepted. And then in 2021, when Rhys Evans was hardly out of theological college, John named him Sub-Dean of the Cathedral, in charge – among other things – of its money. Many voiced concerns at the time that Rhys Evans had a conflict of interest in overseeing both the finances of the cathedral and the diocese. The two had to be separate. The Charity Commission seems to agree with them. It is now examining allegations that money given to support the diocese was used to buy expensive new seating for the cathedral at an estimated cost of between £200,000 and £400,000. Some congregation members the Telegraph spoke to say that the sub-dean was not a universally popular figure in the cathedral, though some point to his achievements in boosting congregations at set-piece liturgies, such as the Christmas Eve service. Others who have spoken to the Telegraph describe him as clique-ish, and claim they were excluded from decision-making in what they regarded as 'their cathedral'. Allegedly, their views were ignored and their hard work, usually as volunteers, to keep it running was taken for granted. Rhys Evans is alleged to have 'hand-picked' members of the choir who went on a trip to Rome in 2023, the Telegraph has been told, leaving behind those who had questioned his judgements. They did not get to enjoy the smart hotels that were preferred to pilgrim hostels nor the taxis that felt more appropriate than shoe-leather for getting around the city. According to a source in the Bangor Diocese, the final bill for the visit is believed to have come to over £20,000. Taken alongside the prosecco that was regularly served at the most minor event in the cathedral, more sober voices in the congregation were asking increasingly loudly if this was a suitable use of the money put on the plate each week. It took Archbishop John a long time to hear them but, when he did, he commissioned both a formal 'visitation' (inspection) of the life of the cathedral, and a safeguarding review from an independent agency. These are the two reports that are now being kept secret. The archbishop seems to have seen through his protégé long before either report landed on his desk. Whatever faith in Rhys Evans he once had had and maintained for over a decade, it was apparently now lost as he put him on gardening leave. Some in the congregation are happy to speculate why it took so long but they provide no evidence. Rhys Evans – who lists his interests on his X account as 'spirituality, religion, gender and Italian greyhounds' – resigned in December 2024 to take up a job as bursar at Westminster College, a United Reform Church establishment in Cambridge. He left there in May after his probation period. So, what will happen now the two principals in the drama have exited stage right? In matters financial, the Charity Commission, when it completes its investigation, has substantial powers if it has found evidence of improper behaviour. Some are even asking for police involvement around the allegations of misuse of funds. Rev Professor McPhate has a wider concern, namely that 'an injustice' may be being done 'to any persons who have been damaged by what went on, and to those who faithfully have given their money to the Church, trusting that it would be used appropriately and wisely'. There is a risk that Bangor Cathedral's bruised congregation will vote with its feet and leave its community. But he also adds a note of caution about the rumours created by the archbishop's sudden resignation. In his eight years worshipping at the cathedral, he says, 'I have never witnessed any culture of alcohol abuse or sexual promiscuity to which the [safeguarding] report makes reference. If true, the reference must allude to extramural behaviour by specific individuals, of which I know nothing.' Writer Tim Wyatt, whose The Critical Friend substack covers Anglican affairs, sees in the whole saga a 'resonance' with the departure of Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, in January. Neither leader came out well from independent reports into their conduct (Welby around his links to John Smyth whose abuse of children went unchallenged and unpunished). Both then tried to hang on despite the findings, presenting themselves implausibly as the solution not the problem. And both finally resigned with little good grace. 'Neither were bad people,' says Wyatt, 'and both made a series of bad decisions and paid heavily for them.' Is there, then, a problem with the selection process for senior leadership roles in the Church that needs addressing? Rev Dr Mark Clavier, Canon Theologian for the diocese of Swansea and Brecon, believes that this whole episode highlights a worrying trend. 'I've served in ministry for three decades in the US, England and Wales, and I've rarely known clergy and congregations to feel more fatigued than now. That's partly down to the Church's structures and leadership that don't always feel responsive or participatory.' But he goes further. 'Culture is the common thread between the various crises we've seen. Their frequency – and the way they've sometimes been handled – have reinforced a sense that decision-making is too closed and too centralised, with key choices made by a small circle without enough wider involvement. That's not healthy for any church.'
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Church removes remains of Bishop Eamonn Casey from cathedral crypt
The remains of an Irish bishop accused of sexual abuse have been removed from a cathedral crypt and placed in the care of his family, his former diocese has said. Eamonn Casey gained worldwide notoriety in 1992 after it came to light that he had a son with American divorcee Annie Murphy and had paid her thousands for his upkeep in the US. Advertisement The bishop died aged 89 in a nursing home in the west of Ireland in 2017 after a long illness. He was interred in the crypt of Galway's Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and Saint Nicholas after his funeral mass was held there. Last year, an investigation by the Irish Daily Mail and RTÉ revealed allegations of sexual abuse against the former Galway bishop. At the time, the Galway Diocesan Office said it would begin a period of 'careful consideration and consultation' about his remains. Advertisement On Saturday, it announced that his remains had been 'entrusted' to the care of his family. It said the presence of the bishop's remains at the cathedral 'was a deeply felt matter that affected many people in different ways'. In a statement, it said: 'The diocese would like to thank everyone for their understanding of the situation, for their patience and for their respect as this process was undertaken and brought to a conclusion. 'Significant consensus emerged around the unique role of a cathedral as a place of unity rather than division, healing rather than hurt, and peace rather than disquiet. Advertisement 'Now, with the assent and co-operation of members of the late Bishop Eamonn's family and following prayers for the dead, his mortal remains have been moved from the cathedral crypt and entrusted to their care. 'It is their express wish that the arrangements they have made for Bishop Eamonn's final resting place remain private.' No information on when the removal took place was provided in the statement. The diocese said: 'The members of Bishop Eamonn's family involved ask that their earnest desire for privacy be respected at this time. Advertisement 'We pray that God will continue to draw all those who have been affected by this matter into his healing love.'
The Independent
4 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Nagasaki cathedral blesses a bell that replaces one destroyed by the US atomic bomb
A Nagasaki cathedral has blessed the final piece to complete its restoration nearly 80 years after being destroyed by the second U.S. atomic bomb dropped on Japan: a reproduction of its lost bell restored by a group of Americans. The new bell was blessed and named 'St. Kateri Bell of Hope,' by Peter Michiaki Nakamura, archbishop of Nagasaki, at the Urakami Cathedral in a ceremony Thursday attended by more than 100 followers and other participants. The bell is scheduled to be hung inside the cathedral, filling the empty bell tower for the first time, on Aug. 9, the anniversary of the bombing. The U.S. bomb that was dropped Aug. 9, 1945, fell near the cathedral, killing two priests and 24 followers inside among the more than 70,000 dead in the city. Japan surrendered, ending World War II days later. The bombing of Nagasaki destroyed the cathedral building and the smaller of its two bells. The building was restored earlier, but without the smaller bell. The restoration project was led by James Nolan Jr., who was inspired after hearing about the lost bell when he met a local Catholic follower during his 2023 visit to Nagasaki. Nolan lectured about the atomic bombing in the southern city and its history about Catholic converts who went deep underground during centuries of violent persecution in Japan's feudal era, to raise funds for the bell restoration. 'I think it's beautiful and the bell itself is more beautiful than I ever imagined,' Nolan, who was at the blessing ceremony, said after he test-rang the bell. He said he hoped the bell "will be a symbol of unity and that will bear the fruits of fostering hope and peace in a world where there is division and war and hurt." A sociology professor at Williams College in Massachusetts, Nolan is the grandson of a doctor who was in the Manhattan Project — the secret effort to build the bombs — and who was on a survey team that visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki shortly after the bombings. Nolan, based on materials his grandfather left behind, wrote a book 'Atomic Doctors,' about the moral dilemma of medical doctors who took part in the Manhattan Project.
Washington Post
4 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
Nagasaki cathedral blesses a bell that replaces one destroyed by the US atomic bomb
TOKYO — A Nagasaki cathedral has blessed the final piece to complete its restoration nearly 80 years after being destroyed by the second U.S. atomic bomb dropped on Japan: a reproduction of its lost bell restored by a group of Americans. The new bell was blessed and named 'St. Kateri Bell of Hope,' by Peter Michiaki Nakamura, archbishop of Nagasaki, at the Urakami Cathedral in a ceremony Thursday attended by more than 100 followers and other participants. The bell is scheduled to be hung inside the cathedral, filling the empty bell tower for the first time, on Aug. 9, the anniversary of the bombing. The U.S. bomb that was dropped Aug. 9, 1945, fell near the cathedral, killing two priests and 24 followers inside among the more than 70,000 dead in the city. Japan surrendered, ending World War II days later. The bombing of Nagasaki destroyed the cathedral building and the smaller of its two bells. The building was restored earlier, but without the smaller bell. The restoration project was led by James Nolan Jr., who was inspired after hearing about the lost bell when he met a local Catholic follower during his 2023 visit to Nagasaki. Nolan lectured about the atomic bombing in the southern city and its history about Catholic converts who went deep underground during centuries of violent persecution in Japan's feudal era, to raise funds for the bell restoration. 'I think it's beautiful and the bell itself is more beautiful than I ever imagined,' Nolan, who was at the blessing ceremony, said after he test-rang the bell. He said he hoped the bell 'will be a symbol of unity and that will bear the fruits of fostering hope and peace in a world where there is division and war and hurt.' A sociology professor at Williams College in Massachusetts, Nolan is the grandson of a doctor who was in the Manhattan Project — the secret effort to build the bombs — and who was on a survey team that visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki shortly after the bombings. Nolan, based on materials his grandfather left behind, wrote a book 'Atomic Doctors,' about the moral dilemma of medical doctors who took part in the Manhattan Project.
Associated Press
4 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
Nagasaki cathedral blesses a bell that replaces one destroyed by the US atomic bomb
TOKYO (AP) — A Nagasaki cathedral has blessed the final piece to complete its restoration nearly 80 years after being destroyed by the second U.S. atomic bomb dropped on Japan: a reproduction of its lost bell restored by a group of Americans. The new bell was blessed and named 'St. Kateri Bell of Hope,' by Peter Michiaki Nakamura, archbishop of Nagasaki, at the Urakami Cathedral in a ceremony Thursday attended by more than 100 followers and other participants. The bell is scheduled to be hung inside the cathedral, filling the empty bell tower for the first time, on Aug. 9, the anniversary of the bombing. The U.S. bomb that was dropped Aug. 9, 1945, fell near the cathedral, killing two priests and 24 followers inside among the more than 70,000 dead in the city. Japan surrendered, ending World War II days later. The bombing of Nagasaki destroyed the cathedral building and the smaller of its two bells. The building was restored earlier, but without the smaller bell. The restoration project was led by James Nolan Jr., who was inspired after hearing about the lost bell when he met a local Catholic follower during his 2023 visit to Nagasaki. Nolan lectured about the atomic bombing in the southern city and its history about Catholic converts who went deep underground during centuries of violent persecution in Japan's feudal era, to raise funds for the bell restoration. 'I think it's beautiful and the bell itself is more beautiful than I ever imagined,' Nolan, who was at the blessing ceremony, said after he test-rang the bell. He said he hoped the bell 'will be a symbol of unity and that will bear the fruits of fostering hope and peace in a world where there is division and war and hurt.' A sociology professor at Williams College in Massachusetts, Nolan is the grandson of a doctor who was in the Manhattan Project — the secret effort to build the bombs — and who was on a survey team that visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki shortly after the bombings. Nolan, based on materials his grandfather left behind, wrote a book 'Atomic Doctors,' about the moral dilemma of medical doctors who took part in the Manhattan Project.
