Police in the news
On Tuesday the BBC reported - The High Court ruled that London police officers who took the personal details of a woman ‘kettled’ during a trade union rally in 2011 acted unlawfully. - Gwent's police and crime commissioner said it will be three months before he appoints a new chief constable after he told the previous top officer to retire or be removed. Also on Tuesday Kent's police chief has admitted there was a ‘distortion of activity’ by the force to achieve crime statistic targets. 25% of crimes recorded as ‘no-crimes’ were wrongly classified, among them rapes and robberies. The Guardian reported nine Essex women died despite contact with Essex police, a force that had previously been the subject of highly-critical reports. On Monday the Home Office announced undercover police are to face tighter regulation following officers having sexual relationships with their targets and adopting the identities of dead children. Also on Tuesday in West Yorkshire a corrupt detective who stole enormous amounts of seized drugs to sell them back on to the streets was jailed for 23 years.
Pray: for our police force, Lord lead them not into temptation, but deliver them from evil. Amen. (Am.5:24)
More: http://www.penarthtimes.co.uk/news/10492425._/
RC midwives to face abortion objection ruling challenge
Two Roman Catholic midwives with conscientious objections to abortion who won their case against the NHS may now face a further legal challenge. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has announced it will appeal Scotland’s supreme civil court ruling that Mary Doogan and Connie Wood would not have to delegate, supervise or support staff involved in abortions. Pro-life group the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) backed the midwives’ legal fight. SPUC’s General Secretary Paul Tully said: ‘We are disappointed, particularly for Connie and Mary, as this means prolonging this lengthy case even further’. (See Prayer Alert 18-2013)
Pray: that this challenge to the nurses' objections will be stopped and the previous result upheld. (Job.5:8)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/rc-midwives-to-face-abortion-objection-ruling-challenge/
'There is no Christian vision without a recovery of prayer'
The Bishop of London Dr Richard Chartres has delivered a challenging message to Christians about the need for the Church to be confident in living and speaking the gospel, and being compassionate in serving communities. He was delivering a lecture in Westminster hosted by Premier Christian Media Trust and titled 'Building Jerusalem in England's green and pleasant land'. ‘There is no Christian vision without a recovery of prayer,’ he said. ‘One of the weaknesses of the contemporary church is that it gives its members very little help in how to pray.’ In addition to the need for prayer, Dr Chartres also mentioned how ‘re-engaging with the Bible’ is also essential in creating a ‘fresh Christian vision’. ‘All renewal movements within the history of the Church have been associated with a fresh engagement with Scripture,’ he continued.
Pray: that the Church will take up the challenge and engage in prayer. (Ps.54:2)
Buckingham Palace dragged into row over gay marriage in Parliament
Buckingham Palace is being consulted over proposals to change a historic Parliamentary chapel into a multi-denominational room so that it can be used to conduct same sex marriages. MP Chris Bryant proposed that St Mary Undercroft in Westminster be turned into a ‘multi-faith’ space to allow some minority groups to perform same sex weddings in Parliament. The move would require the Church of England to break its ties with the Anglican chapel through legislation brought forward by Parliament or the Church’s General Synod. The demand has the support of John Bercow, the Speaker, putting him in opposition to the Archbishop of Canterbury who is being kept informed of the row by parliamentary officials. The Queen’s private secretary Sir Christopher Geidt is being consulted over the plans which are strongly backed by Equalities Minister. Permission from the Queen will be needed for the plans to go ahead due to her role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
Pray: the Queen will not be asked to take any action that would go against her coronation oath to maintain in the Church of England, the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government by law established in England. (ITim.2:1-4)
