News briefings Britain and Ireland

Pax Christi England and Wales and Christian CND were among the organisers of an event, “An alternative vision of security for France and the UK”, in London on 1 November.

Speakers included Bishop William Kenney, an author of the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales document Called to be Peacemakers, and Msgr Bruno-Marie Duffé, Secretary Emeritus of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. Held to mark the 15th anniversary of the Lancaster House Treaties between the two countries, the conference called on both governments to end their collaboration on nuclear deterrence and the development of their nuclear arsenals and to collaborate instead on real threats to security such as climate change, wealth inequality and failing democracy. An open letter went to the French and UK governments, urging them to collaborate on nuclear disarmament and “alternative approaches to security and defence”. The conference was followed by a peace walk and vigils outside the French Embassy and Downing Street.

King Charles III has appointed Archbishop Paul Gallagher Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG). Since 2014, Gallagher, who is from Liverpool, has served the Vatican as the Secretary of Relations with States. The appointment was made during the King’s visit to Rome last week. “Archbishop Sir Paul’s appointment will be celebrated in the archdiocese in the future,” said John Sherrington, the Archbishop of Liverpool.

The Catholic Missionary Union celebrated its silver jubilee with a Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary parish in Brixton on 26 October. For the past 25 years it has organised mission appeals in England and Wales for more than 40 missionary congregations and lay organisations. “There is great thanksgiving, for the diversity and change which the Holy Spirit has brought to our membership over this period,” said Richard Owens, secretary of the CMU. In the year 2000, the CMU almost entirely comprised  European missionary personnel, now it includes many from “the Church of the Global South,” who were educated and formed by European missionaries “and now are on mission to us,” added Owens.

A worker for the charity Aid to the Church in Need has raised more than £2,000 for a sponsored climb up the mast of the 19th century vessel, the Cutty Sark. Amy Balog said she had climbed 70ft of the 153ft-high tea-clipper in a bid to conquer “my fear of heights” and “raise awareness and funds for persecuted Christian families around the world”.

The Catholic Association for Racial Justice (CARJ) Annual General Meeting will take place in person on Saturday 8 November at St Thomas More Church, North London. There will be Mass and an afternoon talk by Deacon Justin Malewezi concerning the synodal reports and the future of CARJ.

Catholic schools across England and Wales have been recognised by the Vatican for their response to the Jubilee Year, hailed as a powerful sign of hope for their communities and beyond. More than 1,000 Catholic schools made a Jubilee Pledge in 2025, a long-term, whole-school commitment to continue to journey as pilgrims of hope and to live out Catholic Social Teaching. Last week, four young people travelled to Rome with Cafod for the Jubilee of Education.  Cafod director, Christine Allen, said the Jubilee Year “empowered young people to see themselves as global citizens and agents of change, with the power to shape a more just and loving world”.  

Dame Rachel de Souza, Children’s Commissioner for England, visited the Jesuit Refugee Service UK (JRS UK) on 28 October  to meet with refugee families and hear first-hand about the experiences of children navigating the UK asylum system.

A Catholic priest who admitted discussing bombing mosques and shooting black people in the head in neo-Nazi online chatrooms was sentenced last week to a 12-month community order and fine at Cardiff Magistrates Court. Fr Mark Rowles, 57, admitted three counts of sending offensive messages during 2024. Rowles, who ministered at St John Lloyd Catholic Church in Cardiff, was part of an extreme right-wing online group called Aryan Reich Killers. He was arrested following an investigation by counter-terrorism police into far-right activity on social media. The Catholic Church in Wales reports that Rowles has not been active in the Church since the allegations and that a Church investigation is ongoing.

Faith and belief leaders from across Glasgow’s diverse communities come together on Thursday 6 November at a special Scottish Interfaith Week Civic Reception in Glasgow City Chambers to mark the city’s 850th anniversary with the launch of the Glasgow 850 Interfaith Declaration, a statement of shared values and commitments to build a more just, inclusive, and compassionate Glasgow. The declaration, to be signed by senior representatives from Glasgow’s diverse faith and belief communities, will set out a shared vision for the city’s future, committing its supporters to nurturing understanding across faiths and worldviews; working together for equality, peace, and climate justice; welcoming refugees; and challenging prejudice in all its forms. The declaration is an expression of Glasgow’s enduring commitment to unity, compassion, and dialogue at a time of growing social and global division.

IBVMs and CJs, two branches of Venerable Mary Ward’s institute, are officially merging tomorrow in Loyola in Spain, becoming one congregation, the Congregation of Jesus with 1800 sisters, an English foundation with a global reach.

New Hall School in Chelmsford has become the first Catholic independent school in the United Kingdom to be formally accredited by the Royal College of Organists, which recognises schools that demonstrate standards of tuition, performance opportunities and support for aspiring organists. Jonathan Turner, director of music, said: “Our organ and choral traditions lie at the heart of New Hall School and our historic Tudor Chapel. This endorsement celebrates our ongoing commitment to nurturing young organists.”

The Congregation of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer, a traditionalist monastic community also known as the Transalpine Redemptorists, based on the island of Papa Stronsay in Orkney, have declared in an open letter to “have come to the unfortunate conclusion that the Traditional Catholic Faith, the Faith of all times and of the saints, is incompatible with the new, modern Church, the fruit of the Second Vatican Council”, signalling a possible new phase of rupture with the Catholic Church. Bishop of Aberdeen Hugh Gilbert OSB said in a statement that “the tone, direction and key elements of this Letter” are “incompatible with the Catholic sense of the Church’s unity” and that “the diocese has made alternative arrangements for the ongoing provision of the older rite of the Roman Mass (usus antiquior) at St John’s, Fetternear”, while “remaining open to conversation with the Congregation”.

Lay reform group We Are Church took part in a Vatican event for first time in 30 years during the Jubilee Synod in Rome at the end of October. According to Colm Holmes, chair of the group, “This is the first time that We Are Church International were invited to participate in such an event in the Vatican.” He said the group has supported the synodal process from the start and encouraged all in its network to participate in the process in their own countries. “We see the Synodal process as taking up the five goals which WAC started out with 30 years ago.”

The Vatican has appointed Fr Billy Swan, a priest of the Diocese of Ferns, to a role with the Dicastery for the Clergy for five years from the end of November. Fr Swan will work with the Prefect of the Dicastery Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik on matters relating to diocesan priests, deacons and pastoral ministry. The priest, who is a well-known podcaster, will also be involved in supporting seminaries and the ongoing formation of priests. He is currently vicar for clergy in the Diocese of Ferns.

Dom Stephen Holdsworth OSB, a Benedictine monk of Belmont Abbey, Herefordshire died aged 95 on 21 October. A priest of the Archdiocese of Cardiff-Menevia, he served parishes including St David’s, Swansea, Abergavenny and Weobley. For 78 years he was a monk of Belmont Abbey where his requiem was to take place on Wednesday, 5 November.

President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins has led tributes to Sr Stanislaus Kennedy, the homeless campaigner who has died aged 86. A member of the Religious Sisters of Charity, Sr Stan set up Focus Ireland, one of the largest housing and homelessness organisations in Ireland, 40 years ago in 1985. “Sr Stan was a consistent voice for change in our world, the change needed to better serve those who had no voice for themselves,” said Bishop of Ossory Niall Coll. From 1995 until 2007, Sr Stan was a member of the Religious Sisters of Charity’s General Leadership Team. She was “a driving force for societal change across a range of issues in Ireland for over 60 years” her congregation said.

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