The coalition government’s plans to reform the 1701 Act of Settlement, ending the ban on a Roman Catholic monarch in Britain, does not have the support of the Canadian government.
On April 20, Prime Minister David Cameron said Roman Catholics should be able to become King or Queen, or marry the heir to the throne. However, he noted that this reform was not in the government’s power, but required the agreement of those Commonwealth nations where the monarch is the head of state.
Archbishops across the Anglican Communion called on Christians to place their hope in Christ’s resurÂrection this Easter, despite recent natural disasters and continuing injustice in the world.
In an ecumenical letter to heads of other Churches and communions, the Archbishop of Canterbury urged felÂlow leaders to remember Christ’s ultimate victory, even though “violence and suffering seem to increase daily”.
Referring to the earthquake in Japan, the persecution of Christians across the globe, and wars and pandemics in Africa, Dr Williams said that there could be “no doubt about the final purpose of God in the world”: “However terrible the conflict in the present moment, the truth of God is not in danger of defeat.”
This year, Dr Williams, a Narnia fan, has turned his attention to the Christian themes found in the Narnia novels. Dr Williams explained: “The Narnia books of C.S. Lewis continue to intrigue and inspire many, and the recent very successful films have shown that they still have wide appeal. Lewis certainly intended them to be vehicles of Christian teaching. But in an age less familiar with Christian images and ideas than his, how can we best draw out these themes?”
Speaking about the pertinence of the novels to the Easter story of resurrection, Dr Williams commented: “These lectures will look at some of the most important themes in the novels and ask how far Lewis succeeds in giving new life to traditional Christian ideas about sacrifice, forgiveness and resurrection, doubt and faith, the divine presence in Jesus and the final goals of human life.”
Read it all and the audio links for the three lectures are provided.
The U.S. dollar fell Thursday to its lowest point since the summer of 2008, but officials aren’t showing signs that they are alarmed by the currency’s descent or acting to stem it.
In recent days, the nation’s top two economic policy makers””Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner””have publicly expressed their desire for a strong dollar. But there is little indication of a change in policy from either the Fed or Treasury””or in underlying economic conditions””that would alter the currency’s downward course.
With fanfare and flags under cool, gray skies, Prince William and his longtime girlfriend, Kate Middleton, were married on Friday in one of the largest and most-watched events here in decades ”” an interlude of romance in a time of austerity and a moment that will shape the future of the British monarchy.
Some 40 minutes after her husband-to-be, Miss Middleton rode to Westminster Abbey to offer a first glimpse of her wedding dress ”” a creation by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen in white and ivory, with a two-meter train, that had been the object of furious speculation. She wore a delicate veil with intricate lace on the neckline and a diamond tiara lent for the occasion by Queen Elizabeth II, and traveled in a Rolls Royce limousine with her father, Michael Middleton.
The service began with a hymn, “Guide me, O Thou Great Redeemer.” The couple stood side by side before the altar. As she arrived to join him, William whispered to her, and onlookers said he seemed to be saying, “You look beautiful.”
This is an absolutely must listen to–it will touch your heart; KSH.
Michele Norris speaks with Reginald Eppes, who survived the deadly tornado in Tuscaloosa, Ala., with his wife Danielle and three sons, RJ, James and Joel. Reginald is in the hospital recovering from fractured ribs and a deflated lung.
[MICHELE] NORRIS: What happened yesterday?
Mr. EPPES: Alarms went off at 5 o’clock, and my wife got up. And she does her routine. She does her normal reading and praying in the morning, and I walked into the kitchen. And right when I did that, the wind started howling really good. And I said, well, where’s the flashlights at? So she said in the toy room, so I go to the toy room. I get that flashlight, and I come back out. And my wife actually and she says we need to get the kids up, and I said oh.
NORRIS: The kids were still in bed at that point.
Mr. EPPES: The kids were still in bed, and I said oh….
Listen to it all (a little over four minutes) [Hat tip: Elizabeth]
On a sunny afternoon this week, St. Peter’s Square was abuzz with life. Crowds lined up at the metal detectors. Tourists snapped photos. A workman was spraying down the travertine steps to the basilica. And inside, red cloth screens cordoned off a side chapel that will soon draw as many visitors as Michelangelo’s Pietà nearby.
Starting Sunday, that chapel is where the entombed remains of Pope John Paul II will be on view for public veneration ”” after Pope Benedict XVI presides over the biggest spectacle since his own installation in 2005: a beatification Mass that will move his adored predecessor a step closer to sainthood.
The beatification is widely seen as a way not just to honor John Paul but to energize the Roman Catholic Church. Yet, like John Paul’s 26-year papacy itself, it has become intensely polarizing….
More than half of Americans (55%) describe the U.S. economy as being in a recession or depression, even as the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) reports that “the economic recovery is proceeding at a moderate pace.” Another 16% of Americans say the economy is “slowing down,” and 27% believe it is growing.
We give thee thanks, O heavenly Father, who hast delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of thy Son; grant, we pray thee, that as by his death he has recalled us to life, so by his presence abiding in us he may raise us to joys eternal; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.
Lo! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable nature must put on the imperishable, and this mortal nature must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
–1 Corinthians 15:51-58
Over 200 people have died throughout the South and Southeast, as severe storms and tornadoes continue to batter the region, causing widespread damage to homes and civic infrastructure. This new wave of storms comes shortly after an earlier cluster of storms that barreled through the Southeast over the weekend of April 16. Episcopal Relief & Development has been in contact with impacted dioceses, and is working with local churches to respond in a number of locations. As the area braces for future potential bouts of severe weather, the organization encourages prayers for people who are at risk or who have suffered losses, for the families of those who have died, and for the rescue and relief teams who are working to save lives and address immediate needs.
The millions around the world who will be watching the royal wedding tomorrow may not notice the wording of the promises Kate Middleton and Prince William make to each other. As with every other couple, each will be asked first if they will “love, comfort, honour and protect”¦” their spouse. The answer to this is “I will”. It will not be “I do”. We take it for granted that the bride and groom love each other on their wedding day, so there is no need to ask them if they do. It is what follows that counts.
At the outset, the couple is asked to make a commitment, an act of will, for the future. Theirs is a resolution to love, comfort, honour and protect, whatever the circumstances. Someone joked that love is blind, but marriage is a real eye-opener. There are bound to be times in the future when the romance thermometer will barely register a reading; those who have said “I will” and meant it, know only too well that feelings can wobble and are untrustworthy tests of authenticity, anyway. Long-lasting marriages rely on mutual understanding and forbearance. Maturity discards rose-tinted spectacles in favour of seeing things as they really are.
Discovering the depth and enduring meaning of love is the goal and prize of every relationship.
The founder of Teen Challenge and Times Square Church in New York City died in a head on collision in Texas on Wednesday.
The Rev David Wilkerson, 79, was killed when the car he was driving went into the opposite lane and collided with an oncoming truck.
His wife, who was a passenger in the car with him, was rushed to hospital where she remains in a critical condition. The truck driver was also taken to hospital.
Read it all–one of the truly bright lights in his generation; KSH.
Up to two billion people around the world will watch today as a 29-year-old woman from Reading marries into the British Royal Family.
Much of Britain is expected to grind to a halt as the nation enjoys another bank holiday, with many taking up position in front of their TV sets from 10am to savour a display of pageantry, pomp and circumstance not seen here since the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer 30 years ago.
Kate Middleton will marry Prince William in a spectacular and extravagantly patriotic ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
A slate of four nominees for 11th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama was released today by the Standing Committee of the diocese.
The nominees are: the Rev. Kenneth L. Chumbley, Rector, Christ Episcopal Church in Springfield, MO; the Rev. Clare Fischer-Davies, Rector, St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Providence, RI; the Rt. Rev. John McKee Sloan, Bishop Suffragan, Episcopal Diocese of Alabama; and the Rev. William C. Treadwell, III, Rector, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Waco, TX.
Amazon all but told South Carolina goodbye Wednesday after the online retailer lost a legislative showdown on a sales tax collection exemption it wants to open a distribution center that would bring 1,249 jobs to the Midlands.
Company officials immediately halted plans to equip and staff the one million-square-foot building under construction at I-77 and 12th Street near Cayce.
“As a result of today’s unfortunate House vote, we’ve canceled $52 million in procurement contracts and removed all South Carolina fulfillment center job postings from our (Web) site,” said Paul Misener, Amazon vice president for global public policy.