simon.stanley

These claims about the Archbishop of Canterbury are plainly and transparently untrue. The supporters of this Bill have lost all sense of reason. Extraordinary to see.

@christiancalgie Did you find the imp?

It’s no York, but Lincoln’s alright I suppose 😉

The lack of communication of detail or any sense of timescale for an announcement, offer of a taper or honouring of terms for work already started in multi year projects is really damaging the business’s we rely on to maintain these buildings and the community work that is undertaken within them. In Scotland and Wales no money is currently available beyond the end of the month. In England we await details of the new scheme and are grateful some money will continue but without details it’s hard for communities to plan.

@HuddlestonNigel @SimonDStanley @Conservatives And we still haven’t heard what’s happening re applications made in the last few weeks before the guillotine came down. Are they going to be paid in full, or in part, or not at all?

The government cut funding for the Listed Places of Worship scheme and last month it ran out of money, yet we are still awaiting details and eligibility criteria for the new scheme. This leaves many historic buildings at risk and essential repairs are being delayed or cancelled.

A fabulous day to be part of the wider congregation at Canterbury Cathedral

The truth is so much less fun. The Diocese clarified: "it was not an act of worship - no prayers or religious words were spoken and no child was required to take part. No mats were used and pupils were not asked to face any particular direction.” @GBNEWS stop spreading lies.

The new Archbishop of Canterbury on walkabout - and posing for selfies - following her enthronement/installation at Canterbury Cathedral (video by me)

And we are off to Canterbury for the day.

Tomorrow, the Installation of the Most Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury will take place at @CburyCathedral. Did you know that the Archbishop of Canterbury is also Bishop of the Falkland Islands? 🇫🇰 Find out more in this short 🧵

Calling PR/comms consultants: support the next chapter for St Mark’s Hamilton Terrace as we plan a new, sustainable building after the 2023 fire. 📄 Info: bit.ly/4rToOd4 🗓 10 April 2026

If your Faith feels undermined by chocolate box branding, diverse TV adverts or 8 mins of public prayer at a 2 hour interfaith event, then it isn’t your Faith under attack, it’s your sense of control, your discomfort with difference, and your understanding of what Faith really is

Bishop of Willesden on the Iftar : "The public iftar in Trafalgar Square was not an act of cultural imposition, nor a signal of division. It was, rather, a moment of hospitality: an invitation to share in the breaking of the fast during Ramadan, extended by one community to the wider public. It was open, generous and peaceful. It reflected something profoundly British; the instinct to gather, to mark significant moments together, and to make space in our common life for the traditions that shape our neighbours. "To suggest that such an event is somehow threatening risks misunderstanding both the nature of religious expression and the character of our national life. Religious freedom in this country has never meant the privatisation of belief. It has meant the opposite: the right of individuals and communities to live out their faith openly, visibly and without fear. That principle applies as much to Muslims observing Ramadan as it does to Christians celebrating Easter, Jews marking Passover, Hindus celebrating Diwali, or Sikhs observing Vaisakhi." churchofengland.org/media/news-and…

21,000 churches have become subject to VAT on repairs overnight, with the end of the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme. Visit our website for all the details on what we know so far, and how you can help churches affected by these changes.

Archbishop of Canterbury will break her pilgrimage to vote on abortion, good! But some of the commentary sneery, as if the pilgrimage itself is a twee distraction from what a church should be doing. It’s the whole point of a church: faith through action. She has my prayers.

A misty start to the day brightened up by the Magnolias flowering at work.

Parliament discussed the war in Iran and across the Middle East late last night. The Bishop of Chelmsford, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, who came to the UK as a refugee from Iran in 1980, spoke from her own deep personal experience.

It is with great sorrow that I received news that the Rt Revd Andrew Watson, Bishop of Guildford, has died. Andrew was a man of deep Christian faith who lived his life in the service of Christ and others. In the face of death, he demonstrated a calm reassurance of God’s saving grace. Over four decades of ministry, Andrew made an enormous contribution to the life of the Church of England – and, through his concern for Anglicans and other Christians around the world, the global church. He was a gentle man and generous with those who held differing theological views. He will be greatly missed by not just his family and friends, but by the whole church. At this time of grief and loss, I hold Beverly and their sons and daughters in my prayers, asking that God would comfort and strengthen them. I pray too for Andrew’s friends, colleagues and all those whose lives he touched. May Andrew rest in peace and rise in glory. bit.ly/3Nf97yr

I've been looking into Reform's pledge to stop churches being turned into mosques It's very rare and experts say it's not among things threatening Christian heritage in UK But it does provoke strong reactions (and interesting comments in 🧵 below): thetimes.com/uk/religion/ar…

#OnThisDay 1835 the Commons appointed a committee to consider the provision of a new building for Parliament in the wake of the October 1834 fire. Find out more about that event in our article: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2012/10/16/par…