Almighty God,
you make us glad with the yearly remembrance
of the birth of your Son Jesus Christ:
grant that, as we joyfully receive him as our redeemer,
so we may with sure confidence behold him
when he shall come to be our judge;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
Today's pick: Hugo van der Goes: The Adoration of the Shepherds https://t.co/4qNPRSKb3d pic.twitter.com/qjP5QOZVWY
— Art and the Bible (@artbible) December 28, 2023
Men overlooked a baby’s birth
When love unnoticed came to earth
And later, seeking in the skies,
Passed by a man in workman’s guise.
And only children paused to stare
While God Incarnate made a chair.
–Mary Tatlow
It's Christmas Eve.
— Simon Knott (@SimoninSuffolk) December 24, 2024
'Fear not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people'
A detail of a studio piece by Margaret Edith Aldrich Rope, 1920s, a private donation installed in 2017 at Kesgrave Holy Family, Ipswich. pic.twitter.com/VyfXxWo07a
We pray thee, O Lord, to purify our hearts that they may be worthy to become thy dwelling place. Let us never fail to find room for thee, but come and abide in us that we also may abide in thee, who as at this time wast born into the world for us, and dost live and reign, King of kings and Lord of lords, now and for evermore.
–-William Temple
Vigil of the Nativity of Our Lord
— Memento Mori (@TempusFugit4016) December 24, 2024
Caesar's edict obliges Mary and Joseph to leave their home in Nazareth. They make no complaint . . . And they go, trusting in God's Providence; God knows, God will provide: "To them that love God, all things work together unto good" (Rom 8,28). pic.twitter.com/lQ5mBZRm4h
ALMYGHTYE God, whiche haste geuen us thy onlye begotten sonne to take our nature upon hym, and this daye to bee borne of a pure Vyrgyn; Graunte that we beyng regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, maye dailye be renued by thy holy spirite, through the same our Lorde Jesus Christe who lyueth and reygneth &c.
#Christmas2024 🐑🐑🐑
— Dr Helen Wilson (@NellytheWillow) December 24, 2024
Thurlestone #Devon #AJDavies Nativity window with the Adoration of the Magi from 1934. Fabulous colours as always! 📸: my own @BSMGP pic.twitter.com/ESRkZiaR2s
We are going to take a break from the Anglican, Religious, Financial, Cultural, and other news until later in the Christmas season to focus from this evening forward on the great miracle of the Incarnation–KSH.
Buendía!
— Miguel Calabria (@MiguelCalabria3) December 24, 2024
Ángeles en las alturas
Con sus voces de cristal
Van cantando gloria al niño
A los hombres cantan paz
Gloria
In Excelsis Deo
Niño que de noche vienes
No nos dejes de mirar
Si tus ojos se durmieran
El amor los abrirá
(Villancico)
🎨Domenico Ghirlandaio "Natività" 1492 pic.twitter.com/IKplhxXCXe
Referring to the prevalence of suicide and how “huge efforts” are being made “to try to prevent people feeling despair and feeling that they have no other choice but to take their own lives”, Archbishop Martin said, “I find a profound contradiction between that and the idea of assisting somebody to take their own life at any stage during their life.”
He noted that fears and concerns regarding the introduction of assisted suicide were voiced to some extent during the lead up period to the Westminster vote.
“In Ireland we need a very careful reflection on this.” He expressed disappointment that the Dáil “seemed to be rushing to adopt what we [the Irish bishops] believe was a flawed report of the Oireachtas Committee just before it broke up for the election.”
“It gave me some consolation to see that none of the parties appeared to be making the introduction of assisted dying in Ireland a manifesto issue and therefore I feel that none of the parties have actually a mandate now to proceed on this issue.”
“I really do feel that our concerns about the slippery slope, how this issue invariably gets expanded and increased as time goes on, which we see from other countries, is something we should reflect long and hard about.”
Archbishop ‘very disappointed’ over assisted dying vote https://t.co/2kBwTtpM9A
— Eamon Martin (@ArchbishopEamon) December 23, 2024
This section of the poem offers two images of Mary, each extraordinary in its own way. Elsewhere among the Advent Lyrics, Mary is the subject of ‘O virgo virginum’ and of the dialogue which begins ‘O Joseph’; the latter brings to life the tension and pain in the story of her child-bearing, dramatising the anguished thoughts of a couple who have had a world-changing miracle erupt in the middle of their marriage. That’s an emotional, intimate conversation – the Incarnation as personal human drama.
This poem gives us a very different view of Mary. Here she is a queen, and on a cosmic scale – ruler of the forces of heaven, earth, and hell. God and Mary are described in language and tropes drawn from Anglo-Saxon heroic poetry: they are the brytta and his bryd, the generous ring-giving lord and his resolute queen. Described thus, they might easily be Hrothgar and Wealhtheow in Beowulf, or even Cnut and Emma. Like many another woman in Anglo-Saxon poetry, Mary is a bride ‘adorned with rings’ (beaga hroden), but this bride is far from a passive figure: she is courageous and determined (þristhycgende, ‘steadfast in mind’). This poem frames her situation in a distinctive way, presenting it as if she has decided to undertake a diplomatic mission from earth to heaven. Though literally this decision is made when she accepts Gabriel’s message to her, the poem describes it as if she set out to travel on a journey to unite herself with God…
'You are the door in the wall…
— Eleanor Parker (@ClerkofOxford) December 24, 2024
Intercede for us now, bold in your words,
that he may not allow us any longer
to go astray in this deadly valley.'
An Anglo-Saxon poem to Mary, queen of three realms, door in the wall between the worlds: https://t.co/kg1YIeyOjQ pic.twitter.com/L23OPaM7df
O Wisdom, that camest out of the mouth of the Most High, reaching from one end to another, firmly and gently ordering all things: Come and teach us the way of understanding.
O Adonai, Captain of the house of Israel, who didst appear to Moses in the flame of the burning bush, and gavest him the law on Sinai: Come and deliver us with thine outstretched arm.
O Root of Jesse, who standest for an ensign of the people, before whom kings shall shut their mouths, to whom the nations shall seek: Come and deliver us and tarry not.
O Key of David, Sceptre of the house of Israel, who openest and no man shutteth, and shuttest and no man openeth: Come and bring forth out of the prison-house him that is bound.
O Day-spring from on high, Brightness of Eternal Light, and Sun of righteousness: Come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death.
O King of nations, thou for whom they long, the Cornerstone that makest both one: Come and save thy creatures whom thou didst fashion from the dust of the earth.
O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the Desire of all nations and their Saviour: Come and save us, O Lord our God.
(For those interested in more about this, please read further there).
einen friedlichen und gesegneten 4. Advent pic.twitter.com/QrMxOGvR7j
— Edition Hochfeld (@VHochfeld) December 22, 2024
Almighty Father, whose blessed Son at his coming amongst us brought redemption unto his people, and peace to men of goodwill: Grant that, when he shall come again in glory to judge the world and to make all things new, we may be found ready to receive him, and enter into his joy; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ.
4. Advent 🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️ pic.twitter.com/gnqa8UhuSB
— Barbara H-R 🔪❤ 🎄🧑🏻🎄 (@tellthee) December 22, 2024
And his father Zechari’ah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us; to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant, the oath which he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God, when the day shall dawn upon us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness till the day of his manifestation to Israel.
–Luke 1:67-80
Zechariah in the Temple #baroque #janlievens https://t.co/u1zGPhIb8d pic.twitter.com/0BgCyr32ik
— El Gran Museo (@elgranmuseo) September 16, 2022
A priest accused of child sexual abuse, who had paid a settlement to one of his alleged victims, was reappointed twice as an area dean in the diocese of Chelmsford, the BBC reported on Sunday, leading to renewed pressure on the Archbishop of York, who was the diocesan Bishop at the time.
On Monday of last week, a BBC investigation was published about actions taken against David Tudor, a priest accused of child sexual abuse, who was Team Rector of Canvey Island, in Chelmsford diocese, when Archbishop Cottrell was the diocesan bishop (News, 16 December).
In his response to the initial investigation, Archbishop Cottrell said that until new allegations about non-recent abuse were made in 2019, “there were no legal grounds to take alternative action,” but in 2019 he “acted immediately” to suspend Mr Tudor.
A police investigation did not lead to any charges (News, 19 August 2022), but Mr Tudor was subsequently prohibited from ministry for life under the Clergy Discipline Measure (News, 15 November).
A priest accused of child sexual abuse, who had paid a settlement to one of his alleged victims, was reappointed twice as an area dean in the diocese of Chelmsford, the BBC reported on Sunday, leading to renewed pressure on the Archbishop of York, who w… https://t.co/YUsJpOfGvB
— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) December 23, 2024
Why? A believer myself, I’ve spent weeks talking to my fellow faithful and to clergy at all levels, trying to find the answer. St Paul distilled Christianity down to three things: faith, hope and love. In my many discussions, I found plenty of the first, although little agreement about what it was placed in; not much of the second; and the third, well, it was in short supply.
I came away thinking that, for the CofE, this really might be the end of days. The first horseman of this coming apocalypse is the ugliest: the church’s hideous record of abuse.
“We need to get to the heart of it,” says Chris Eyden, a retired vicar who is gay and spent 33 years in parish ministry. “Why do QCs beat young boys until they bleed? What is that?”We’re talking about the case of John Smyth, an evangelical Christian whose sadistic sexual beatings brutalised more than 100 young men over four decades. It was the Makin report into the case that forced Welby to resign when it revealed that he had known Smyth for decades and had failed to report the case to police when he was made aware of allegations in 2013.
Read it all (registration or subscription).
Scandals, schism and decay: is the Church of England doomed?
— The Times and The Sunday Times (@thetimes) December 22, 2024
Justin Welby and others have left in disgrace and the gaps between factions are widening. Stephen Bleach meets vicars across the country to see if the institution can be saved ⬇️https://t.co/jjTE0Fuk5s
You may listen directly here
Or you may download it there.
“The Annunciation” (1652) by Eustache Le Sueur at the Louvre pic.twitter.com/WNlYXKvrcp
— Ryan (@alwaysonoffense) March 25, 2021
As countries around the world continue to pump planet-warming pollution into the skies, driving global temperatures to record levels, the financial world is racing to fund the emerging field of carbon dioxide removal, seeking both an environmental miracle and a financial windfall.
The technology, which did not exist until a few years ago, is still unproven at scale. Yet, it has a uniquely alluring appeal. Stripping away some of the carbon dioxide that is heating up the world makes intuitive sense. And with a small but growing number of companies willing to pay for it, investors are jockeying to be first movers in what they believe will inevitably be a big industry that is necessary to help fight global warming.
Companies working on ways to pull carbon dioxide from the air have raised more than $5 billion since 2018, according to the investment bank Jefferies. Before that, there were almost no such investments.
“It’s the single greatest opportunity I’ve seen in 20 years of doing venture capital,” said Damien Steel, the chief executive of Canada-based Deep Sky, which has raised more than $50 million to develop carbon dioxide removal projects. “The tailwinds behind the industry are greater than most industries I’ve ever looked at.”
It's a strategy that should be pursued but, it can't have any major impact anytime soon. “We need to obey the first law of holes,” …“When you’re in one, stop digging.”The New Climate Gold Rush: Scrubbing Carbon From the Sky https://t.co/Lwlh8Zfeir
— Prof. Peter Doherty (@ProfPCDoherty) December 23, 2024
Lord God Almighty, King of glory and love eternal, worthy art thou at all times to receive adoration, praise, and blessing; but especially at this time do we praise thee for the sending of thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, for whom our hearts do wait, and to whom, with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, be honour and dominion, now and for ever.
—Prayers for the Christian Year (SCM, 1964)
Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to thee, when my heart is faint. Lead thou me to the rock that is higher than I; for thou art my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. Let me dwell in thy tent for ever! Oh to be safe under the shelter of thy wings!
–Psalm 61:1-4
Sunset, Feistein lighthouse, Norway. #ThePhotoHour #ThePhotoOfTheDay #photooftheday #sunset #photographylovers #photo#StormHour pic.twitter.com/YUh7gdU7Uk
— Joachim (@joachimbakken) December 23, 2024
Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and as we are sorely hindered by our sins from running the race that is set before us, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
ও✨️Ich wünsche euch einen ruhigen und besinnlichen
— Constanze Riegel (@ConstanzeRiegel) December 22, 2024
4. Advent, habt einen schönen Tag.✨️♡ pic.twitter.com/oSBJhGCVKz
Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him,
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not fail or be discouraged
till he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his law.
–Isaiah 42:1-4
3 days to Christmas in my mini advent calendar! A different view of Mam Tor, looking up from the Vale of Edale, snow dusting every rocky ridge. I love the swooping curves of fences, and thank you to the person who stood at the summit as I took the shot, giving a sense of scale. pic.twitter.com/UZlEmRPmmL
— peaklass (@peaklass1) December 22, 2024
Almighty and everliving God, who didst strengthen thine apostle Thomas with sure and certain faith in thy Son’s resurrection: Grant us so perfectly and without doubt to believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God, that our faith may never be found wanting in thy sight; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
The Second Sunday of Easter
— John McCafferty (@jdmccafferty) April 7, 2024
Matthias Stom, The Incredulity of St Thomas, c. 1641-49 (Museo Nacional del Prado)#DoubtingThomas pic.twitter.com/AKhBAJtssu
We beseech thee, O Lord, to purify our consciences by thy daily visitation; that when thy Son our Lord cometh, he may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.
Winter Solstice…. The shortest day .. wet and wild … pic.twitter.com/sk7eItYczL
— Alison O’Neill ~ Shepherdess (@woolismybread) December 21, 2024
In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean upon him that smote them, but will lean upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness. For the Lord, the Lord of hosts, will make a full end, as decreed, in the midst of all the earth.
Therefore thus says the Lord, the Lord of hosts: “O my people, who dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrians when they smite with the rod and lift up their staff against you as the Egyptians did. For in a very little while my indignation will come to an end, and my anger will be directed to their destruction. And the Lord of hosts will wield against them a scourge, as when he smote Mid′ian at the rock of Oreb; and his rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it as he did in Egypt. And in that day his burden will depart from your shoulder, and his yoke will be destroyed from your neck.”
–Isaiah 10:20-27
Sharing this for the winter solstice: sunrise at Beverley Minster, a moment of quiet wonder captured on a past visit. Beverley’s very own henge of light and shadow. 🌅 #WinterSolstice2024 pic.twitter.com/nf6MYOVUbD
— Andy Marshall 📸 (@fotofacade) December 21, 2024
THE Bishop’s Council of the diocese of Truro has written an open letter calling for “real change” to safeguarding.
In a letter sent to churches and schools in the diocese, and published online on Wednesday, the council — which includes the Acting Bishop of Truro, the Rt Revd Hugh Nelson — endorse the Bishop of Newcastle, Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, describing her recent action as “prophetic”.
“Over the last three weeks the safeguarding failures of the Church of England have been laid bare yet again. We are hearing clearly from survivors and victims of abuse in this diocese and beyond that the national church response is causing intense pain,” the letter begins.
The signatories, which along with Bishop Nelson comprise the Archdeacons of Bodmin and Cornwall, the Dean of Truro, and the chairs of the diocesan board of finance, House of Laity, and House of Clergy — say that it they “join our voice to Bishop Helen-Ann Hartley’s prophetic call for us to be a different sort of church.
Diocese of Truro calls for ‘real change’ to safeguarding https://t.co/hGdCpo6Sa3
— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) December 20, 2024
Donald Trump is the most powerful Republican politician in a generation, but the president-elect is still no match for the most nihilistic members of his own party. The budget chaos unfolding on Capitol Hill is only a preview of the difficult realities Mr Trump will face when he starts to govern next month.
Members of the expiring 118th Congress—with a Senate narrowly controlled by Democrats and a House narrowly controlled by Republicans—had expected this week to be their last in Washington this year. The main outstanding task was to pass a simple bill, no more than a few pages long, to keep the government funded into 2025 at close to existing levels. The idea was to postpone battles over unresolved policy matters until Mr Trump and the next Congress were in place. Yet nothing is so simple in Washington these days.
Mike Johnson, the speaker of the House, knew that a few dozen members of his own Republican caucus would never vote for any budget. Instead he worked with Democrats on a compromise that would keep the government open until March. With Democrats aware of their leverage, the negotiations got away from the speaker, producing the kind of legislative labyrinth that Mr Johnson had vowed to never put up for a vote. In addition to extended funding, its 1,547 pages included disaster aid, support for farmers, and a hotch-potch of other unrelated legislation, from a stadium relocation to restrictions on investments in China. A 3.8% salary increase for lawmakers—the first in 15 years and significantly lower than the 40% that Elon Musk erroneously claimed had been proposed—provoked predictable backlash.
Budgetary chaos is a sign that governing will be harder than Donald Trump might assume https://t.co/8QX33oATck 👇
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) December 20, 2024
Patton instructed his men: “Pray when driving. Pray when fighting. Pray alone. Pray with others. Pray by night and pray by day.” He believed the Third Army’s nearly 500 chaplains, representing 32 denominations, were as critical to victory as his tank commanders. “He wanted a chaplain to be above average in courage,” O’Neill recalled. “In time of battle, he wanted the chaplains up front, where the men were dying. And that’s where the Third Army chaplains went—up front. We lost more chaplains, proportionately, than any other group.”
Patton relied on his faith more than most commanders did. Brig. Gen. Harry H. Semmes wrote that Patton “always read the Bible, particularly the life of Christ and the wars of the Old Testament. He knew by heart the order of morning prayer of the Episcopal Church. His thoughts, as demonstrated daily to those close to him, repeatedly indicated that his life was dominated by a feeling of dependence on God.” Semmes added that “Patton was an unusual mixture of a profane and highly religious man.”
Gen. Omar Bradley concurred: “He was profane, but he was also reverent. He strutted imperiously as a commander, but he knelt humbly before his God.” This was certainly the case during Patton’s finest moment in the Ardennes. “Destiny sent for me in a hurry when things got tight,” he wrote at the height of the battle. “Perhaps God saved me for this effort.” He also noted: “We can and will win, God helping. . . . Give us the Victory, Lord.”
In World War II, Gen. George Patton believed the Third Army’s nearly 500 chaplains, representing 32 denominations, were as critical to victory as his tank commanders, writes @kershaw_alexhttps://t.co/6JWN16ZNM1
— Wall Street Journal Opinion (@WSJopinion) December 20, 2024
So just how much have healthcare costs and spending been going up?
The short answer: a lot. National healthcare spending increased 7.5% year over year in 2023 to $4.867 trillion, or $14,570 per person, according to data released Wednesday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Total spending on healthcare goods and services, everything from prescription drugs to back surgeries, accounted for 17.6% of gross domestic product, a measure of goods and services produced by the U.S. economy.
The 7.5% rise represented a much faster pace of growth than the 4.6% increase in 2022. It came as pandemic federal funding for the healthcare sector expired and private health insurance enrollment increased. More people with insurance led to increased demand for medical procedures, and spending on hospital care grew at the fastest pace since 1990. Spending on drugs also rose, including for medications to treat diabetes and obesity.
Why Are Americans Paying So Much More for Healthcare Than They Used To? – U.S. #healthcare spending rose 7.5% to nearly $5 trillion last year https://t.co/P4NGBmEb8g pic.twitter.com/S86iWDSA4g
— Sid Shah (@Sid_Healthcare) December 20, 2024
Almighty God, who didst call thy servant Katharina von Bora from a cloister to work for the reform of thy church, grant that all of us may go wherever thou dost call, and serve however thou dost will, for thy honor and glory and for the welfare of thy whole church. All this we ask through Jesus Christ, our only mediator and advocate. Amen.
20 Dec 1552: d. Katharina Von Bora, 'die Lutherin', ex-nun wife of ex-friar Martin #Luther. pic.twitter.com/W279TKl9Jf
— John McCafferty (@jdmccafferty) December 20, 2024
O thou, who hast foretold that thou wilt return to judgment in an hour that we are not aware of, grant us grace to watch and pray always, that whether thou shalt come at even, or at midnight, or in the morning, we may be found among the number of those servants who shall be blessed in watching for their Lord, to whom be all glory now and for evermore.
Morning everyone I hope you are well. I do love exploring the various valleys around Ullswater and Brothers Water and with views like this you can see why. Also great to meet @cooldivingdude on my travels. Have a great day.#LakeDistrict @keswickbootco pic.twitter.com/7C2gAzTDES
— Rod Hutchinson (@lakesrhino) December 20, 2024
Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is he who takes no offense at me.”
As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the wind? Why then did you go out? To see a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, those who wear soft raiment are in kings’ houses. Why then did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written,
‘Behold, I send my messenger before thy face,
who shall prepare thy way before thee.’
Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and men of violence take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John; and if you are willing to accept it, he is Eli′jah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
–Matthew 11:2-15
Good morning!
— Jack March Photography📸 (@Jacksweatherch1) December 20, 2024
Well what a sky that was to wake up to here in Warwickshire.
May have got my feet a bit wet to get this shot but it's all worth it😊
Have a great day! @StormHour @ThePhotoHour @metoffice #loveukweather @Shefali_oza @BeccyWoodTV pic.twitter.com/KhHW22SK7D
Diocesan bishops are facing fresh demands for the abolition of their seats in the House of Lords. Parliament is considering new legislation to end the centuries-old presence of hereditary peers, and is questioning the presence of the Lords Spiritual (News, 1 November).
In the Second Reading of the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill, debated over two sessions last week, Baroness Smith of Basildon, the Leader of the House, said: “The intention is crystal clear: to end the hereditary element of the second Chamber before embarking on further changes.”
On behalf of the Government, she explained how the proposed legislation had been part of the Labour election manifesto this year, and described the proposals to remove the 92 hereditary peers who currently sit as “a reasonable and well-trailed piece of legislation”.
Diocesan bishops are facing fresh demands for the abolition of their seats in the House of Lords. Parliament is considering new legislation to end the centuries-old presence of hereditary peers, and is questioning the presence of the Lords Spiritual https://t.co/RfyHB0jAHO pic.twitter.com/Aa5WU00tEE
— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) December 19, 2024