The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell have condemned the Russian attack on Ukraine as “an act of great evil”.They are urging Christians to make this Sunday a special day of prayer for Ukraine, Russia and for peace. They are also supporting a global day of prayer and fasting for peace on Ash Wednesday. In a joint statement they said: “The horrific and unprovoked attack on Ukraine is an act of great evil. “Placing our trust in Jesus Christ, the author of peace, we pray for an urgent ceasefire and a withdrawal of Russian forces. “We call for a public decision to choose the way of peace and an international conference to secure long term agreements for stability and lasting peace.“We invite Christians to make this Sunday a day for prayer for Ukraine, Russia and for peace. “We also give our support to the call from Pope Francis for a global day of prayer and fasting for peace on Ash Wednesday, March 2.”
North East Churches Acting Together (NECAT) – with members including the Church of England, Roman Catholic, Baptist, URC and Methodist churches as well as independent churches – has commissioned consultants to advise on potential sites for affordable housing development. Schemes being considered include supported accommodation for groups including older people and people with learning disabilities.The move comes after the group held two conferences on housing and homelessness in the region in recent years.Revd Joanne Thorns, a Church of England priest and Regional Officer for NECAT, has been working with Chris Beales, a member of the Church of England’s Housing Executive Team.“We know that in comparison to London and other areas, house prices are not as high here in the North East,” she said.“But there are a lot of low paid and insecure jobs and people on zero hours contracts - and that makes it very difficult to get a mortgage.“The need for good quality affordable community based rented accommodation is huge.”So far experts have found 10 potential sites on church land including rural and urban areas, with a shortlist of three sites to go forward initially for further exploration. Rural areas are also affected by the housing crisis especially in holiday areas where holiday lets have increased prices.“We have had conversations with local churches and tried to find something that they can engage with in the long term – we don’t want to just build accommodation and then walk away,” Joanne said.“Living in a community is as important as having a bricks and mortar home and people need to feel they have community around them.”
A collection of artefacts has gone on display for the first time as part of a "highly-anticipated" new exhibition at Canterbury Cathedral.The objects include the first known piece of Christian art made in England after the arrival of the Anglo-SaxonS.The exhibition also includes: Grant from William de Tracy - A penitential gesture from one of the four knights who murdered Thomas Becket in 1170.The Accord of Winchester - An 11th Century document establishing the supremacy of the Archbishop of Canterbury over the Archbishop of York. Papal Mandate from Innocent III - A document from 1205 ordering King John to accept the elected Archbishop of Canterbury. The Lyghfield Bible - A late 13th Century pocket Bible written on high quality parchment.Dr Sarah Turner, collections manager at Canterbury Cathedral, said: "Each object tells a story, sometimes of faith or trust, of anger or repentance, and each one shines a light onto the complex history of the Cathedral."The permanent exhibition is part of the Canterbury Journey, a multi-million-pound project supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
