Ecumenical tributes paid to Lord Wallace
THE Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Most Revd Mark Strange, has described Lord Wallace of Tankerness, who died, aged 71, on Thursday of last week, as a man who “brought good counsel and wisdom to ecumenical matters”. Lord Wallace, a former Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, who was Deputy First Minister of Scotland from 1999 to 2005, also served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 2021-22. The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davey, recalled that Lord Wallace had given him his first job in politics. The current leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Alex Cole-Hamilton, described Lord Wallace as “one of the architects of modern Scotland”.
Leicester Cathedral joins anti-loneliness campaign
LEICESTER CATHEDRAL’s Welcome Café is the 6000th space to join the Warm Welcome Campaign. Between ten and 30 people have attended the café each week since it opened on 5 December. The Dean of Leicester, the Very Revd Karen Rooms, said that her hope was that the café “will be a place where everyone feels valued and connected, especially during these colder months when isolation can be hardest”. Guests can drop in any time between 10.30 a.m. and noon on Fridays (excluding Bank Holidays).
Portsmouth Early Music Festival launched
THE theme of this year’s Portsmouth Early Music Festival is “Early music is for everyone”. The festival runs at the Portsmouth Cathedral from 4 to 14 March and will include a service on the Sunday to celebrate 100 years of Portsmouth as a city. Representatives from Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities will highlight the city’s diversity. portsmouthcathedral.org.uk/earlymusic
Incident at grave in Laughton-en-le-Morthen is investigated
A “TARGETED incident” relating to a single grave in the churchyard of All Saints’, Laughton-en-le-Morthen, a village in Rotherham, is being investigated by the South Yorkshire Police. A spokesperson said that the deceased’s next of kin had been informed. “We understand this may be distressing for those whose loved ones are buried in the churchyard. We would like to offer reassurance that we currently believe this was a targeted incident and there is no threat to other graves,” the spokesperson added.
Critics focus on CCTV cameras at Salisbury
THE choice of security cameras to guard the Magna Carta in Salisbury Cathedral has been criticised by campaigners, The Guardian reports. The technology behind the cameras, made by Dahua Technology, which is based in Hangzhou, allegedly aided the persecution of Uyghurs and has been exploited by Russia in Ukraine. A cathedral spokesperson said: “We . . . do not comment on security matters; however, our systems and suppliers are regularly reviewed, working with external advisers.”
Charity Commission holds inquiry into Micklegate Trust
THE Charity Commission is investigating the Micklegate Ecclesiastical Trust, a York-based charity, it was announced on Monday. The inquiry, which opened on 7 January, is looking into the trust’s “administration, governance, and management”, the Commission says. Last July, the Commission began an investigation, which continues, of the PCC of Holy Trinity, Micklegate, York (News, 18 July 2025).
New framework for clergy visiting schools in Ireland
THE Transferor Representatives’ Council (TRC), which represents the Church of Ireland, the Presbyterian Church, and the Methodist Church in Ireland in education matters, has published a framework for the part clergy and Christian organisations play when visiting schools. The document has been in preparation since last May. In the letter to school principals, the TRC’s chair, Bishop Andrew Forster, said: “This is a valuable affirmation of the long-standing role the Christian faith has played in the ethos of controlled schools.” The TRC has also welcomed a statement by Northern Ireland’s Education Minister, Paul Givan, to the Northern Ireland Assembly on Tuesday in which he said: “A useful and enriching knowledge of Christianity and more widely the world’s main religious and philosophical traditions, studied with academic rigour, will be the ambition of the new syllabus.”
