News Briefing: from Britain and Ireland

American philosopher Alvin Plantinga (above) has been awarded the Templeton Prize, worth £1.1 million, for his work in academic philosophy. Prof. Plantinga, a Christian known for challenging other believers to pursue rigorous work based on a specifically Christian philosophical vision, wrote widely on arguments for the existence of God, and on the “free will defense” to the so-called problem of evil. Heather Templeton Dill, the president of the John Templeton Foundation which awards the prize, said Prof. Plantinga recognised that religious belief “could make crucial contributions to addressing perennial problems in philosophy”. The prize will be formally awarded in Chicago, Illinois, on 24 September.

(John Haldane profiles Alvin Plantinga in next week’s Tablet.)

Abortion laws may change
Ireland’s abortion laws may be substantially liberalised after a majority of delegates at the Citizens’ Assembly voted in favour of replacing or amending the current constitutional ban on abortion, except in very limited cases where the life of the mother is threatened by the continuation of the pregnancy.

The Assembly, which has met a number of times since last October to consider the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution, concluded its deliberations with a majority of the 91 citizens voting by 87 per cent to 13 per cent to liberalise abortion laws and approving 13 grounds for abortion including socio-economic factors.

The outcome disappointed pro-life groups, which have claimed that the Assembly was biased in favour of repeal. Responding to the Assembly’s decisions, Cora Sherlock of the Pro-Life Campaign said: “There is nothing liberal or progressive about the Assembly recommending a referendum to strip unborn babies of their right to life in law and also ignoring the negative consequences of abortion for women.” In his homily in Knock for Divine Mercy Sunday, Archbishop Eamon Martin said: “Demands to quash and abolish this amendment go against the ‘good news’ that the life of every person is sacred and inviolable, irrespective of the stage or state of that life – from the first moment of conception until the moment of natural death.”

After the Assembly issues a final report in June, the matter will be considered by a special parliamentary committee which will draw up its own report.

Call to quiz candidates
The social action network for the Church in England and Wales, Csan, and its counterpart for overseas aid, Cafod, have called on their supporters to ask candidates in the June general election what they intend to do about global poverty and climate change.

In a briefing paper seen by The Tablet the agencies call on Catholics to get involved in the election to create “the kind of society we wish … for ourselves and to pass on to our children.” Supporters are urged to ask candidates how they and their party will ensure Britain is an outward-looking, tolerant and welcoming nation in years ahead. Both agencies stress they are not attempting to influence voters for or against any political party, candidate or category of candidates.

Cathedral closure warning
Half of England’s Anglican cathedrals could be forced to close amid a funding crisis, the chairman of the Church of England’s Cathedrals Working Group has warned. The Bishop of Stepney, Adrian Newman, said that perhaps half of cathedrals faced financial challenges. Anglican Cathedrals operate separately from the Church of England and are run by a dean and chapter and consequently many charge admission to raise funds or ask visitors for donations. But Bishop Newman said that, while demand for cathedrals’ services was growing, public funding had dried up. Deans were due to meet in London this week to discuss the crisis.

A gay, Catholic Ugandan asylum seeker, whom the Home Office plans to deport, has been made homeless, ahead of his final appointment with the department on 17 May. Godfrey Kawalya (above) is a member of the LGBT Catholics Westminster community at Farm Street Church in Mayfair.

He escaped from Uganda having been persecuted for being gay and says he is at risk of life imprisonment or even death should he be forced to return. A month ago Mr Kawalya’s appeal to remain was rejected. He has been ejected from his accommodation in Derby as the Home Office says his judicial process is now over. He is presenting the Home Office with a fresh claim on 17 May and a petition asking the Home Office to let him stay has now reached 1,000 signatures.

Former Tablet editor Catherine Pepinster (above) has been appointed UK development officer for the Anglican Centre in Rome, a role that will involve helping to co-ordinate fundraising activities in the UK and working with its UK Development Committee.

In a statement Ms Pepinster said: “When I visited the Centre during its fiftieth anniversary celebrations last year I was particularly struck by the goodwill that it has generated and the strong partnerships that exist between Catholics and Anglicans, not least between Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury.”

On the day Prime Minister Theresa May ruled out cuts to overseas aid if the Conservative Party wins the 8 June election, the chairman of Christian Aid and former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Williams of Oystermouth, urged politicians to ensure help to the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people does not become “a political football”.

The UK currently commits to giving 0.7 per cent of its national income, which last year equated to £13.3bn, for overseas aid. Lord Williams said we should “wear our aid budget as a badge of honour that sets a standard for others to follow”.

Media union Bectu has expressed renewed concern about the treatment of staff on the BBC’s flagship religious programme, Songs of Praise, following a meeting on 24 April between Bectu and Avanti Media, the Cardiff-based firm to which production is due to transfer on 1 June.

The BBC’s deal with Avanti is worth £12m over the next three years. Staff are concerned about worsening terms and conditions, particularly regarding pay and pension cuts.

Archbishop Bernard Longley took the opportunity, as principal celebrant and preacher at the Annual Men’s Mass on 22 April, to thank women for their roles in Christian leadership.

In the Mass at St Chad’s Cathedral in Birmingham, he said men “need women of faith”, be they religious sisters or the women in their families to “encourage us by their example and support us by their prayers”.