The visitation recorded concerns about the spiritual life of the cathedral, noting that “the spiritual dimension of Chapter’s work appears less visible than might be expected.” It continued: “Theological reflection in decision-making is limited and shared prayer outside formal worship is infrequent.”

While the daily offices and Sunday services are “offered with dignity and care”, the cathedral has “limited awareness of the needs and well-being of its congregation”, the report says. Home communion reaches “only a small number of people”, and visiting “relies almost entirely on a few individuals”.

The cathedral’s relationship with the community “feels distant and strained” the report says. “Many residents perceive it as focused on tourists rather than locals. This disconnect has led to frustration, missed opportunities, and weakened trust.”

Among senior clergy, working relationships have become “strained, creating an environment that makes collaboration and effective decision-making difficult”. Stipendiary clergy must commit themselves to gathering daily for shared prayer.

Read it all.

Interesting that one of the recommendations here was that the clergy commit themselves to gathering daily for shared prayer – something that was infrequent outside formal worship. The spiritual dimension explored.https://t.co/wI26w8NIUW

— Madeleine Davies (@MadsDavies) May 28, 2026

So, now we are in the earliest stages of a third phase, whose precise shape is not yet clear, but it undoubtedly marks a significant shift in political discourse, social patterns, and both private and group allegiance. I would characterise it broadly not as a surge in institutional religion, or church attendance, but a more nuanced flourishing of religious sensibility and the accelerated rolling back of what Max Weber famously called “disenchantment”.

Everywhere one looks, the sacred, the numinous, and the mystical are reasserting themselves — not always in traditional form, of course: what Tara Isabella Burton aptly calls the “Remixed religions” of the young are customised, consumerist, and made-to-measure rather than doctrinally coherent….

That said, there is indisputably a discernible Christian edge to what is happening — and not only the “cultural Christianity” that Tom Holland’s wonderful book Dominion has nurtured in so many (Features, 27 September 2019). There have been specific, high-profile conversions, of which the most striking was the public announcement of the former New Atheist Ayaan Hirsi Ali, in 2023, that she was now a committed Christian.

Alongside this, one cannot begin to comprehend the contemporary tech world without understanding the grip of AI millenarianism and the growing fixation with the Revelation of St John among Silicon Valley oligarchs such as Peter Thiel, who has been lecturing around the world on the advent of the Antichrist. It is remarkable — and quite normal now — to hear “tech bros” talk with enthusiasm about the Christian theorist René Girard.

Read it all (subscription or registration).

"Everywhere one looks, the sacred, the numinous, and the mystical are reasserting themselves"@MatthewdAncona detects a huge shift in politics and culture https://t.co/uOFMcoLpZp

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) May 26, 2026

O Lord our God, who by thy Son Jesus Christ didst call thine apostles and send them forth to preach the Gospel to the nations: We bless thy holy name for thy servant Augustine, first Archbishop of Canterbury, whose labors in propagating thy Church among the English people we commemorate today; and we pray that all whom thou dost call and send may do thy will, and bide thy time, and see thy glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Today is the feast day of St Augustine of Canterbury.

Augustine was sent from Rome to England by Pope Gregory the Great, to re-establish Christianity among the Anglo-Saxons. He later became the first Archbishop of Canterbury.

📍 St John the Evangelist, Cowley/Lawrence OP pic.twitter.com/UqxdVyulP7

— The Church of England (@churchofengland) May 26, 2026

Heritage funding for the 14,000 listed places of worship in England, including cathedrals, is to come in upfront capital grants, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has announced. Those in areas of high deprivation and “facing overwhelming fund-raising challenges” would be prioritised, it said on Wednesday.

The new Places of Worship Renewal Fund (PWRF) succeeds the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme (LPWGS), under which places of worship could reclaim all the VAT paid on repairs and maintenance. Last year, the LPWGS was capped at £25,000 for each place of worship, meaning that those undertaking major repairs — such as a new roof — had to raise extra funds to cover VAT costs for the first time in two decades (News, 25 January 2025).

The new PWRF grant scheme is to be delivered by Historic England and is intended to bring places of worship in line with other heritage buildings. It has been influenced by the success of the Heritage at Risk and the Heritage Revival Funds, and, in targeting areas of greatest need, puts the emphasis on the community, DCMS says.

Read it all.

Heritage funding for the 14,000 listed places of worship in England, including cathedrals, is to come in upfront capital grants, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has announced. Those in areas of high deprivation would be prioritisedhttps://t.co/G2J758K7rI

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) May 20, 2026

ewly released figures from the British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey confirm that church attendance in Britain remains below pre-Covid levels and that there are no signs of a revival among young people. 

The data – published by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) – shows that within Britain’s adult population, only 5% attend a Christian service weekly – down from 8% in 2018. 

Only 4% of under 35s attend a Christian service at least once a week – consistent with figures since 2017 which have ranged from 3% to 5%. 

Even among those who identify as Christians, only one in eight (13%) say they attend a religious service at least once a week – well below the 20% recorded in 2018 before the outbreak of Covid and similar to the 12% recorded during the pandemic in 2021.

Read it all.

'Quiet revival' claims 'laid to rest' once and for all as study shows UK churchgoing continues to fall https://t.co/Jh0sF0Pyg6 pic.twitter.com/0gQrM0ugpe

— Christian Today (@ChristianToday) May 19, 2026

Both the Church’s funding bodies and the Government should ramp up investment in cathedrals, where financial pressures are resulting in commercial bookings that risk “crowding out the sense of stillness and calm”, a new report has concluded.

Living Stones: English cathedrals as sacred spaces in changing times celebrated the contribution made by the country’s cathedrals, but warned that they are in “serious difficulty”, with 80 per cent in structural deficit.

“The pressures of financial survival can consume so much energy and attention that there is little left for the deeper questions of purpose and mission,” it said.

Produced by Theos, the report was funded by the Church Commissioners’ Cathedral Sustainability Fund and the Association of English Cathedrals (AEC). It will be presented to the National Cathedrals Conference in Bristol this week.

Read it all.

Both the Church’s funding bodies and the Government should ramp up investment in #cathedrals, where financial pressures are resulting in commercial bookings that risk “crowding out the sense of stillness and calm”, a new report has concluded#churchnewshttps://t.co/t0Vje0hvt0

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) May 19, 2026

O God of truth and beauty, who didst richly endow thy Bishop Dunstan with skill in music and the working of metals, and with gifts of administration and reforming zeal: Teach us, we beseech thee, to see in thee the source of all our talents, and move us to offer them for the adornment of worship and the advancement of true religion; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Today is the Feast of St. Dunstan of Canterbury.

His multifaceted legacy includes his time as Archbishop of Canterbury, his reform of the monasteries, and as royal advisor to the Kings of Wessex.
He is Patron Saint of musicians and bellringers. He is depicted with tongs. pic.twitter.com/ihhpmkkUuE

— Ninefold Kyrie (@Gda1238) May 19, 2026

Heavenly Father we give thanks this day for the life and ministry of Feradach mac Cormaic, abbot of Iona. Grant that by your Spirit we may follow his example and walk in truth and lead with wisdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you forever, Amen.

May 18: Feast of Feradach mac Cormaic (†880), abbot of Iona. He was probably behind the protective spiriting away of Columba’s relics to Ireland in 878. Flann mac Maíle Dúin succeeded him. 📸August Schwerdfeger pic.twitter.com/hVmeDi7zFY

— North Ages (@NorthAges) May 18, 2026

O God, who in your mercy called your servant Saint Brendan and gifted him with the courage and the wisdom to act as a peacemaker at the Synod of Meath, help us and bring reconciliation to your church and our troubled world., through Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit ever liveth and reigneth in glory everlasting, Amen (moved from earlier in May).

9 May, 29 Nov: St Brendan "the elder" (d. 565-573) of Biorra/#Birr #Offaly. 1 of 12 Apostles of Ireland! Studied under St Finian of Clonard. Prophet; at synod of Teltown spoke on St Columba's behalf. Birr later produced 8/9th C MacRegol/Rushworth Gospels, now in @bodleianlibs! pic.twitter.com/RtR4Jodqo6

— Irish History Bitesize! (@lorraineelizab6) May 9, 2026

Lord God, who in thy compassion didst grant to the Lady Julian many revelations of thy nurturing and sustaining love: Move our hearts, like hers, to seek thee above all things, for in giving us thyself thou givest us all; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

The 14th Century mystic Mother Julian of Norwich is remembered today. She kneels with her cat in glass by Paul Jefferies at St Thomas, Norwich. Little is known about her, not even her real name, but in 1373 during a deadly illness she received visions she called Revelations of… pic.twitter.com/uyml39zcm1

— Simon Knott (@SimoninSuffolk) May 8, 2026

O God, who through your grace called your servant John of Beverley to the following of Christ, and through whom your gifted scholar Bede was ordained, grant us by your Holy Spirit to follow his example of devotion to gospel truth and life through Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit ever liveth and reigneth in glory everlasting, Amen.

May 7: Feast of John of Beverley, known then as Inderauuda, ‘In the Deirans’ Wood’ (†721). Whitby monk who became bishop of Hexham then founded Beverley as bishop of York. He ordained Bede both deacon and priest. Wilfrid I succeeded him at Hexham, Wilfrid II at York. 📸TonyGrist pic.twitter.com/Y5cS0LhMOf

— North Ages (@NorthAges) May 7, 2026

O God, who in your mercy called your servant Bishop of Edbert of Lindisfarne to the following of Christ, grant us by your Holy Spirit to follow his example of devotion to true doctrine, careful study of the Scriptures, and devotion to the poor, that we may join him hereafter in the glorious company of the saints in light, through Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit ever liveth and reigneth in glory everlasting, Amen.

May 6: Feast of Eadberht (†698), bishop of Lindisfarne. He roofed the tidal island’s wooden church with lead, and gave to the poor each year a tenth of his livestock, grain, fruit and clothing. Eadfrith succeeded him. 📸xlibber pic.twitter.com/lf3yhyf8FO

— North Ages (@NorthAges) May 6, 2026

Exceeding glorious Father and Lord, who deckest thyself with light as with a garment; who spreadest out the heavens like a curtain: mighty creator of this and every world, of all stars and planets in their courses: We thy children render unto thee our praise and honour for the wonder of thy handiwork — for the beauty of creation, and at this season most especially for the blessing of new life and hope, visible in the face of our mother the earth as she awakens to Spring. In her awakening we see Christ triumphant over death. In her we see the rejoicing of St Mary Magdalen, first witness of the Resurrection. In her we see the fruitfulness of our most blessèd and glorious Lady the Virgin Mary — through whom thou hast given us the Light of the World, the light that shineth in darkness, the Word Made Flesh. As City and Universities, in unity and concord, we celebrate before thee today the birth of an earthly morning. We pray thee, use the beauty of this creation to knit our hearts to the things that endure to eternity, that we may rejoice at the dawning of the endless day of the kingdom of thy Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

You can listen to the whole thing here:

O God, who in your kindness called your servant blessed Egbert to the following of Christ, and through whom you nurtured evangelists who brought Christ’s light to new lands, grant us by your Holy Spirit to follow his example through Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit ever liveth and reigneth in glory everlasting, Amen.

Apr 24: Feast of Ecgberht (c.638-729), Northumbrian who lived as a monk at the monastery of Ráith Máelsigi (Clonmelsh, Ireland). He survived plague and later lived on Iona, where he helped persuade the community to change to the Roman Easter and tonsure. 📸August Schwerdfeger pic.twitter.com/Z8yDCRw5Za

— North Ages (@NorthAges) April 24, 2026

The reference in the second stanza is to the legend that St George had appeared above the battle at Agincourt in 1415 and brought victory to the English. (The manuscript in which this carol appears is dated to between 1430 and 1444, so this is an up-to-date reference.) ‘Our Lady’s knight’ is to be taken quite literally: in medieval tradition St George was closely associated with the Virgin, and one strand of his legend tells how she brought him back from the dead to fight the dragon.

Read it all.

'Enfors we us with all our might
To love Seint George, our Lady's knight.'

A medieval English carol to St George, which credits him with helping to bring victory at the Battle of Agincourt: https://t.co/ssUo1bJI0Y pic.twitter.com/c3flslhwM3

— Eleanor Parker (@ClerkofOxford) April 23, 2026

God of hosts,
who so kindled the flame of love
in the heart of your servant George
that he bore witness to the risen Lord
by his life and by his death:
give us the same faith and power of love
that we who rejoice in his triumphs
may come to share with him the fullness of the resurrection;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Today is St George's Day.

Explore our resources and prayers for the day at https://t.co/s9SMufBZdT.

📍St Mary's, Preston-on-Stour/Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P pic.twitter.com/IcvtrM9MfU

— The Church of England (@churchofengland) April 23, 2026

O Heavenly Father, who gave Saint Guinoch the grace to serve as a wise counselor and the strength to seek Your aid in times of conflict, May we, like him, find our victory not in our own power, but through your Holy Spirit’s gift of steadfast prayer and trust in Your divine will. Help us to overcome the obstacles before us this day and lead us into the peace of Your kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. who with you and the Holy Spirit ever liveth and reignith in glory everlasting, Amen.

Apr 13: Feast of Guinoch (†838), Scottish saint especially honoured in Buchan, and believed to have been a counsellor of Cinaed (I) son of Alpín (†858), king of the Picts. pic.twitter.com/cOkQUcC7jW

— North Ages (@NorthAges) April 13, 2026

Almighty and everlasting God,
who didst grant to Your servant Berchán
the spirit of wisdom and monastic devotion,
grant that we, like him,
may live in service to others
and keep our hearts fixed on the kingdom of heaven.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with Thee and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Apr 10: Feast of Berchán of Eigg, one of the Small Isles in the Inner Hebrides. 📸LJ Cunningham pic.twitter.com/barKVQbLEa

— North Ages (@NorthAges) April 10, 2026

The Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, was among the speakers who last week expressed further doubts over the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill when it was debated in the House of Lords.

Bishop Chessun raised the prospect of “pressure on all sorts of ancillary staff” who could be “co-opted, either directly or indirectly, into what becomes the final procedure, when the conscience of such an ancillary participant tells them that they should have nothing to do with such a procedure”.

The Bishop pointed out that, when it comes to assisted dying, “matters of acute conscience are not restricted to the immediate preparation of a lethal dosage or the medical oversight of the procedure.”

He went on to ask: “Is it right that they should face sanction or inhibition of their careers, or even dismissal? I suggest not.”

Read it all.

The Bishop of #Southwark, the Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, was among the speakers who last week expressed further doubts over the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill when it was debated in the #HouseofLords ⚖️#Assisteddying #churchhouse #churchnews https://t.co/F3cCOzkoxB

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) March 31, 2026

The people who hanged Christ never, to do them justice, accused Him of being a bore–on the contrary: they thought Him too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround Him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have very efficiently pared the claws of the Lion of Judah, certified Him “meek and mild,” and recommended Him as a fitting household pet for pale curates and pious old ladies.

To those who knew Him, however, He in no way suggested a milk-and-water person; they objected to Him as a dangerous firebrand. True, He was tender to the unfortunate, patient with honest inquirers, and humble before Heaven; but He insulted respectable clergymen by calling them hypocrites; He referred to King Herod as “that fox”; He went to parties in disreputable company and was looked upon as a “gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners”; He assaulted indignant tradesmen and threw them and their belongings out of the Temple; He drove a coach-and-horses through a number of sacrosanct and hoary regulations. He cured diseases by any means that came handy, with a shocking casualness in the matter of other people’s pigs and property; He showed no proper deference for wealth or social position; when confronted with neat dialectical traps, He displayed a paradoxical humour that affronted serious-minded people, and He retorted by asking disagreeably searching questions that could not be answered by rule of thumb. He was emphatically not a dull man in his human lifetime, and if He was God, there can be nothing dull about God either. But He had “a daily beauty in His life that made us ugly,” and officialdom felt that the established order of things would be more secure without Him. So they did away with God in the name of peace and quietness.

–Dorothy Sayers in Affirmations of God and Man, ed. Edmund Fuller (New York: Association Press, 1967) p. 36

Every year for 15 years C.S. Lewis began Lent by rereading Dorothy Sayers’ screenplay, The Man Born to be King. That inspired me this Lent to make @Audible_com’s 1975 recording of the radio play my long-drive go-to. (Being a country priest, it didn’t take long to finish.)

The… pic.twitter.com/54jXE4wnqh

— Fr John Corrigan (@illativefaith) March 5, 2026

An arson attack on Jewish charity-owned ambulances in north London is being treated as an antisemitic hate crime and is being investigated by counter-terror officers, the Metropolitan Police has said.

Four Hatzola ambulances were set ablaze in Golders Green in the early hours of Monday, causing several explosions – caused by gas canisters onboard the vehicles.

No arrests have been made but CCTV, which appears to show three suspects dressed in black setting fire to an ambulance, is being investigated.

Det Ch Supt Luke Williams said the attack had not been declared a terror incident “at this stage”.

Read it all.

The Scottish Parliament’s rejection of a Bill to legalise assisted dying has been welcomed by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Rt Revd Rosie Frew, and by Christian campaigners in the country.

On Tuesday evening, Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) rejected, by 69 votes to 57, the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, which had been introduced by Liam McArthur MSP. The Bill sought to allow an assisted death for terminally ill adults who had decision-making capacity and had six months or less to live.

In a statement issued shortly after the vote, Ms Frew said: “I recognise that the outcome will be a disappointment to many, but it was clear that the safeguards included did not offer sufficient protection.

“We have been consistent in our position that we need to prioritise the development of excellent palliative care services that are universally available and fully funded. Without that, had the Bill passed, we would fear that many vulnerable people might have seen an assisted death as their only realistic option.”

Read it all.

The Scottish Parliament’s rejection of a Bill to legalise assisted dying has been welcomed by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Rt Revd Rosie Frew, and by Christian campaigners in the country#churchnews #churchtimes https://t.co/NhNTeIZ6GR

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) March 18, 2026

A senior adviser to the Nigerian president has rejected claims that Christians are being specifically targeted in violence across Nigeria, insisting the country is facing a broader security crisis rather than religious persecution.

Bayo Onanuga, special adviser for information and strategy to President Bola Tinubu, made the comments to Premier Christian News as he began a state visit to the UK, the first by a Nigerian leader in almost four decades.

The visit comes amid growing international scrutiny over attacks on Christians in Nigeria. More than 200 MPs have urged Keir Starmer to raise concerns about religious freedom when he meets President Tinubu in Downing Street on Thursday.

Last month, a US government report described Nigeria as the most dangerous place in the world to practise the Christian faith, warning that jihadist networks exploit weak enforcement and limited accountability to carry out sustained violence.

Meanwhile, the persecution watchdog Open Doors says nearly 3,500 Christians were killed in Nigeria last year, out of the 4,849 killed around the world.

However, Onanuga strongly rejected the idea that violence is targeted specifically at Christians.

Read it all.

A fleet of Currachs (longboats) weaved its way toward the shore, where a young Roman Brit and his family walked. His name was Patricius, the 16-year-old son of a civil magistrate and tax collector. He had heard stories of Irish raiders who captured slaves and took them “to the ends of the world,” and as he studied the longboats, he no doubt began imagining the worst.

With no Roman army to protect them (Roman legions had long since deserted Britain to protect Rome from barbarian invasions), Patricius and his town were unprepared for attack. The Irish warriors, wearing helmets and armed with spears, descended on the pebbled beach. The braying war horns struck terror into Patricius’s heart, and he started to run toward town.

The warriors quickly demolished the village, and as Patricius darted among burning houses and screaming women, he was caught. The barbarians dragged him aboard a boat bound for the east coast of Ireland.

Patricius, better known as Patrick, is remembered today as the saint who drove the snakes out of Ireland, the teacher who used the shamrock to explain the Trinity, and the namesake of annual parades in New York and Boston. What is less well-known is that Patrick was a humble missionary (this saint regularly referred to himself as “a sinner”) of enormous courage. When he evangelized Ireland, he set in motion a series of events that impacted all of Europe. It all started when he was carried off into slavery around 430.

Read it all.

#OTD March 17, 461:
(traditional date)
Patrick, missionary to Ireland and its patron saint, dies. Captured by Irish raiders as a youth, he was enslaved before escaping to Gaul (modern France). Years later, after a vision calling him to return, he preached the gospel to the Irish,… pic.twitter.com/E5lnojcL5d

— ☧ Today in Christian History (@HistoricalRook) March 17, 2026

Almighty God, who in thy providence didst choose thy servant Patrick to be the apostle of the Irish people, to bring those who were wandering in darkness and error to the true light and knowledge of thee: Grant us so to walk in that light, that we may come at last to the light of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and ever.

Today's the feast of St Patrick, 5th Century Romano-British missionary to Ireland. He stands with St George in glass by the Harry Clarke workshop, c1950 in Plymouth Cathedral. He's one of the patron saints of Ireland, particularly associated with the Irish diaspora. pic.twitter.com/Jn7sRLoPve

— Simon Knott (@SimoninSuffolk) March 17, 2026

The BBC reported on Monday that 100 Labour MPs had written to the Prime Minister arguing that, if assisted dying legislation does not pass, trust in politics will be undermined.

But the Labour MP Jessica Asato, who opposes the Bill, told the BBC: “The sponsor of the Bill has rejected 99 per cent of suggested improvements and amendments in the House of Lords and so it still contains all the same faults and issues. Any MP that voted to push this Bill through would do so knowing that it is unsafe and would harm vulnerable people.”

A new Whitestone poll of more than 2000 UK adults for Care Not Killing shows that the public wants Parliament to prioritise safety over choice.

Asked if they would support a law that enabled patient choice, but was implemented in a way that put other patients and vulnerable people at risk, respondents opposed the move by 42 per cent to 35 per cent. The proportion of those who “strongly” backed putting safety over choice was more than double the proportion of those who said the opposite (26 per cent to 12 per cent).

Read it all.

As the assisted-dying Bill runs out of debating time in the House of Lords, the Christian Labour peer Lord Rook on Friday tabled three amendments on protecting vulnerable people from coercion and safeguarding young people#HouseofLords #debate https://t.co/2Q3MhOVc5N

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) March 16, 2026

The Bishops’ Conference said it strongly disagrees with the Government’s position, noting that every organization has guiding values that shape its mission and practice.

“For many faith‑based organizations, including Catholic hospices and care homes, these values are fundamentally incompatible with the introduction of assisted suicide,” said Bishop John Keenan of Paisley, the President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland.

“The Bishops’ Conference maintains that no organization should be compelled by the State to participate in the deliberate ending of life when doing so would violate its ethical or religious principles,” the bishop said.

Anthony Horan, the Director of the Scottish Catholic Parliamentary Office, said the Scottish Government and Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) must accept that Catholic hospices and care homes cannot, in good conscience, provide any services under the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, nor can they be expected to refer anyone to such services.

“Assisted suicide is fundamentally incompatible with the Gospel,” he told Crux Now.

Read it all.

Ahead of a key vote, the bishops of Scotland, along with pro-life leaders, have made a passionate plea to politicians to reject a proposed assisted suicide bill because it is “unsafe.” https://t.co/Jl3aGGoLhL

— Catholic News Agency (@cnalive) March 6, 2026

Gregory I (540-604) was the first monk to become pope. He was born into the ruling class, but had given away everything he owned to become a monk. During his impressive papacy, he devoted himself to reforming the church and monasteries and to helping Italians who were suffering from famine, plague, and invasions.

Another of his lasting achievements was the conversion of Southern England. This area of Britain had been conquered by pagan Angles and Saxons, ‘the English’. But when King Ethelbert of Kent married a Christian princess, it seems Gregory saw an opening, and sent his prior Augustine (not to be confused with Augustine of Hippo, whom we have already met) to evangelize them. One story, that is not included in our excerpt from Bede, says that Gregory was inspired by the sight of some young English slaves whom he saw in Rome. Amazed by their fair hair, he asked who they were, and being told they were Angles, replied “Not Angles, but angels.”

Read it all.

Pope St. Gregory the Great, Doctor of the Church (604)

One of the greatest Popes, he healed schisms, revived discipline, aided the conversion of Spanish and French Goths, and sent St. Augustine of Canterbury to evangelize England. He set in order the Church's prayers and chant. pic.twitter.com/OvOwzSzqM4

— Memento Mori (@TempusFugit4016) March 12, 2024

Gracious God, we thank you for the life and witness of Saint Kessog, who brought the light of the Gospel to the lands of Scotland. Grant us grace that we may follow his example, be resolute in our faith even amidst great challenges, and bring peace, hope and love to everyone to whom we minister through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit ever reigns, one God over all. Amen (moved from yesterday).

Things named after St Kessog:
1. Kessog bridge📷
2. #Kessock area of #Inverness
3. Kessog oil field in the North Sea📷!

St Kessog often depicted in military dress holding a bent bow with an arrow in it, or sword! Claimed he was a soldier saint! 🎨Alan Lees. pic.twitter.com/HnOVlqxyVr

— Irish History Bitesize! (@lorraineelizab6) March 10, 2020

Three events, three continents, one week. A parliamentary by-election in Greater Manchester, England; a thunderous war and the death of a tyrant in Iran; and a terrorist attack in Austin, Texas. They seem unrelated. They are not. Together, they tell you where political Islam has got to—and more urgently, where its most committed adherents are heading next.

On February 26, the UK’s Green Party won a parliamentary seat in Gorton and Denton that the Labour Party had held for decades. The Green candidate, Hannah Spencer, secured nearly 15,000 votes. Matt Goodwin, the candidate for the conservative populist Reform party, came in second with about 10,500, while the Labour candidate slipped to third. The obvious question is how a party associated with bike lanes, green energy, and rewilding managed to seize a Labour stronghold in Greater Manchester.

The answer has nothing to do with climate policy.

The Greens ran two entirely separate campaigns. To progressive voters, they offered the standard mix of green and anti-austerity policies. To Muslim voters, who make up 30 percent of the Gorton and Denton electorate, they offered something else. Leaflets in Urdu, Bengali, and Arabic told readers that Labour must be punished for its complicity in the Israeli war in Gaza. The translated material framed the vote as a community act—a way for Muslims to speak with one voice. Spencer appeared in a keffiyeh outside a mosque. Green Party leadership gave interviews to 5Pillars, an Islamist-leaning outlet that has been involved in the circulation of antisemitic and homophobic content. The Green Party pulled LGBT-friendly content from its Muslim-facing literature in the campaign.

Observers of the election found that about 12 percent of ballots were cast by people engaged in “family voting,” with multiple adults present in the same booth. Britain banned the practice in 2023, but its frequency in Groton and Denton may reflect a deep-set patriarchal tendency among local Muslims.

After the victory, Green deputy leader Mothin Ali attended a London rally backing Iran’s regime—the same regime whose rhetoric targets Britain and whose operatives have been linked to terrorist plots on UK soil.

Read it all.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Iran Is Collapsing, but Islamism Is Spreading. Where will the baddies go next? To towns with charming names like Gorton and Denton? https://t.co/kjEf7vZCuL

— Ayaan Hirsi Ali (@Ayaan) March 2, 2026