Media Centre

Media Briefing for Monday, Dec 31

31 December 2012

Good Morning from the Church of England Communications Office

Daily Briefing for Monday 31^st December 2012

Issued at 09.30 by sj

John Wyclif, reformer, 1384

Tomorrow: Naming and Circumcision of Jesus

1. Today's press coverage

FT p11

Preview of Goodbye to Canterbury (BBC2 5.30pm today): Dr Rowan Williams reflects on his time as Archbishop of Canterbury.

Guard p7, Ind p5, i p7, Times p19, Tel p5, Sun p9

Reports that 'Rowan Williams has attended his last service as the Archbishop of Canterbury at the city's cathedral before he leaves office as leader of the Church of England and spiritual head of the 77-million-strong Anglican Communion'.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/dec/30/archbishop-canterbury-final-service-church

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/williams-leaves-church-service-for-life-of-academia-8433694.html

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/article3643760.ece

Mirror p 6, i p7, Tel p5, Guard p5, Times p7,Mail p11, Exp p9, Star p7, Ind p9, Sun p19

Reports that 'the widow of a church organist killed on the way to Christmas Eve mass yesterday told a packed congregation of her anguish over the evil attack. Thanking worshippers for their support, devastated community worker Maureen Greaves said: "I have not stopped crying for him and I know you have not stopped either'.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/dec/30/widow-murdered-organist-alan-greaves

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9771561/I-have-wept-over-the-evil-that-has-been-done-says-widow-of-murdered-organist.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2254858/Christmas-Eve-murder-Tears-Alan-Greavess-widow-Bishop-holds-church-service-pay-tribute-victim.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2254858/Christmas-Eve-murder-Tears-Alan-Greavess-widow-Bishop-holds-church-service-pay-tribute-victim.html

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/alan-greaves-widow-of-church-organist-1509447

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/crime/article3643569.ece

Mirror p4

Report that 'a man has been arrested after a church warden was found strangled' in Maplebeck, Notts.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9771803/Man-arrested-as-churchwarden-strangled-to-death-in-farmhouse.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2254892/Pensioner-71-arrested-suspicion-murder-churchwarden-Julia-Thurgaland-strangled.html

Tel p1

Report that 'the leader of the Roman Catholic church in England and Wales has urged parishioners to write to their MPs "as soon as possible" urging them to block the Government's same-sex marriage plans'.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9771682/Gay-marriage-Catholics-urged-to-write-to-MPs.html

Tel p17

Harry Mount reviews The English Cathedral by Peter Marlow

Tel p4

Report that 'more than 100 independent faith schools may be radicalizing students, the Department for Education has warned in a secret memo…Behind closed doors there are concerns about 118 "socially conservative" independent faith schools - the vast majority of them Muslim - where pupils may be encouraged to cut themselves off from mainstream society'.

Letters

Times p27 - Rev Arun Arora, Antonia Southern, Harry Judge respond to 'Philip Collins's polemic in favour of disestablishment'.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/letters/article3643622.ece

Times p27 - Fr Jerome Murphy O'Connor on Jesus' birthplace.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/letters/article3643624.ece

2. Top Weekend Stories

Sunday

Sun p17

The Archbishop of York in his Sunday Sermon calls on readers to 'resolve to be kinder in the new year'.

Ind on Sun p29

Paul Vallely asks whether new heads for the Bank of England, BBC and Church of England can 'restore trust in our public institutions'.

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/can-these-men-restore-trust-in-our-public-institutions-8433201.html?origin=internalSearch

Mail on Sun p8

Report that 'the Rev Nick Williams is the only person known to have worked as a police officer and Church of England priest at the same time'.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2254701/The-police-staff-vicar-pole-dancer-He-worked-counter-terror-Shes-personnel-officer-Norfolk-But-23-000-officers-second-jobs.html

S Tel p6

Report that 'the Muslim Council of Britain has a more prominent role in public debate than the Archbishop of Canterbury, according to a study'.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9770800/Muslim-Council-has-more-of-a-voice-than-Archbishop-of-Canterbury.html

Obs p10, Sun p8, People p9, Star on Sun p4, Mail on Sun p10

Report that 'two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of a church organist who was attacked on his way to midnight mass'.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2254640/Alan-Greaves-murder-Two-men-arrested-attack-organist.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/dec/29/two-arrested-christmas-murder-organist

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/view/290366/Organist-Alan-Greaves-murder-two-held/

Mail on Sun p27

Peter Hitchens speaks of the organist murdered on his way to church as 'the latest victim of smug "liberals" '.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2254776/Peter-Hitchens-Killed-way-church-latest-victim-smug-liberals.html

S Tel p6

Report that 'judges have been accused of diluting Christian rights after a key ruling over working on a Sunday

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9770825/Christians-have-no-right-to-refuse-to-work-on-Sundays-rules-judge.html

Saturday

Mirror p19, Exp p9, Mail p7, Tel p13, Guard p11, Sun p7

Reports of the murder of church organist Alan Greaves on his way to midnight mass.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/crime/article3642247.ece

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/367551/Murdered-the-church-organist-on-his-way-to-play-at-midnight-Mass

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/retired-social-worker-dies-days-after-brutal-attack-while-walking-to-play-organ-at-christmas-eve-midnight-mass-8432691.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9769888/Widow-of-organist-murdered-on-way-to-midnight-Christmas-service-calls-for-justice-not-vengeance.html

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4716081/Pensioner-murdered-on-his-way-to-midnight-mass.html

Guard p11, Times p9

Reports that, in his farewell to Canterbury filmed for BBC, Dr Williams commented that "Being unpopular, taking the rap, aren't accidental side-effects, they're the stuff of the job."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/dec/28/rowan-williams-goodbye-canterbury-bbc?INTCMP=SRCH

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/faith/article3642833.ece

Mail p36

Report that Chris Bryant MP is 'calling for a parliamentary takeover of the historic chapel in the Palace of Westminster - to allow gay weddings to be held there'.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2254307/Pro-men-party-Harriet-sights.html and scroll down

Tel p29

Christopher Howse takes an historical look at the plumbing of Westminster Abbey.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9769474/Running-water-for-Westminster-Abbey.html

Times p22

Giles Coren asks 'why is the Bible silent on Boxing Day?'

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/columnists/gilescoren/article3642728.ece

Times Credo p75

Monsignor Roderick Strange argues 'we mature in wisdom and grace by facing our reality'.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/faith/article3642492.ece

Mirror p22, Sun p2

Reports that 'most Tory activists would vote against gay marriage if they had the chance'.