Henderson, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas

More tea Archbishop? – Editorial a new Archbishop of Canterbury

More tea Archbishop? – Editorial a new Archbishop of Canterbury

The Editor: The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas Henderson writes: The appointment of a woman as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury is to be welcomed. Apart from those in the more conservative wings of the Church, the choice of someone with two copies of the X chromosome is nowadays of little or no consequence. The Rt Rev’d and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally the current Bishop of London fits the bill. ... She has, of course, an impossible job specification. ... “How is it that the Roman Catholics can elect a Pope in two days of conclave, whilst it has taken the Church of England almost a year?” A fair question asked of this author, who was bound to reply “… but the Archbishop of Canterbury isn’t a Pope.” Indeed far from it, the post-Reformation settlement that led eventually to the wider Anglican Communion with the Church of England having the monarch as its Supreme Governor was as a result of Protestants looking carefully at their bibles and being unconvinced of a Petrine succession. ... CLICK ON PICTURE TO CONTINUE

2025-10-05T19:11:44+00:00By Henderson, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas|Tags: Culture & Faith|

Are Archbishops becoming an endangered species?

Are Archbishops becoming an endangered species?

Editorial for the Feast of SS Peter & Paul. The Editor, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas Henderson asks: "Are Archbishops becoming an endangered species?" The Archbishop of the Church in Wales has become the latest Archbishop to resign. This has come, in what must seem to many, to be confusing and complicated circumstances surrounding events at Bangor Cathedral. It was only earlier this year that the then Archbishop of Canterbury relinquished his position early over the Makin Report, a resignation for which latterly he has expressed some misgivings. One could add former Archbishops to the list who in the last few years have ended their tenure and then lost their permissions to officiate, again for rather confusing and complicated reasons. ... In this respect do we really need an Archbishop? CLICK ON PICTURE to continue.

2025-07-05T12:58:23+00:00By Henderson, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas|Tags: Culture & Faith|

Editorial: Are we our own worst enemy?

Editorial: Are we our own worst enemy?

The Editor: the Rev'd Dr. Nicholas Henderson writes in his Lent editorial: So, a potentially ‘level-3’ threat asteroid is heading towards us at 38,000 mph with a 3.1% chance of hitting the earth. Increasingly, sophisticated astronomical observations are spotting more potential rock-like visitors coming from the region between the planets Mars and Jupiter and sometimes further afield still. Dystopian disaster movies and a better understanding of the ancient ages of the earth, on news of space debris coming our way, are always mindful of the epoch and evolutionary changing possibilities of another Dinosaur like extinction event. These usually resolve the crisis by sending a rocket to blow the culprit to smithereens (not wise) or much better to nudge a change in its trajectory. Interestingly, this latter scenario has been tried out successfully raising hopes for a safer future. Safer for what, we might reply? Very likely the rocket rescue concerned might come from a multi-billionaire with seemingly a huge amount of non-elected power. The same kind of power that could potentially turn off satellite navigation on a whim and plunge nations of the world into even more chaos. ... CLICK ON PICTURE TO CONTINUE

2025-03-17T12:52:21+00:00By Henderson, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas|Tags: War & Peace|

Expensive votes for sale this Christmas but still no room at the inn?

Expensive votes for sale this Christmas but still no room at the inn?

The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas Henderson in his Editorial writes: During the Christmas season and on the cusp of what seems to have the potential to be an annus horribilis in 2025 news is being generated (like the carol ‘We three Kings’ “Westward leading, still proceeding”) from the United States. We learn that an unelected billionaire sidekick to the incoming/returning American President is extending his reach even unto the United Kingdom. The Reform Party a recent right-wing arrival on the British electoral scene, which specialises (like most far right parties) in agitating about immigration has apparently been offered a huge sum of money to support its electoral endeavours. Should this come about by one means or another it would seriously distort British politics and represent both foreign interference and the purchase of voting intentions. It should be noted in this respect that the precursor to the Reform Party was the Brexit Party whose eager embrace of the mantra “Take Back Control” that assisted in the disastrous exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union has reversed position by effectively being willing to cede control to the United States! ... CLICK ON PICTURE TO CONTINUE

2025-01-17T20:27:20+00:00By Henderson, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas|Tags: Politics|

Archiepiscopal vacancy

Archiepiscopal vacancy

The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas Henderson, Editor: Anglicanism.org writes in his latest Editorial - The recent resignation of Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury, at first resisted, became almost inevitable. The astonishing and appalling nature of the sado-masochistic proclivities inflicted on well over a hundred young male victims in the UK and then in South Africa and Zimbabwe, by the late John Smyth QC in the name of religion have ensured that there would eventually be collateral damage, not least on the victims themselves. It is the Church of England under which auspices Smyth operated that must be most alarmed..... CLICK ON PICTURE TO CONTINUE

2024-11-20T15:22:47+00:00By Henderson, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas|

When will it ever end?

When will it ever end?

The Editor: The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas Henderson writes in the latest Editorial - On Saturday 7th October 2023 the fifth war of the Gaza/Israel conflict began when Hamas-led militant groups led a surprise attack on Israel. This resulted in the deaths of 1,915 Israeli and foreign nationals including 815 civilians. Further, 251 hostages were taken captive into Gaza with the stated aim to release Palestinian prisoners and detainees. ... The Israeli reprisal invasion of Gaza that followed has resulted in the deaths of over 40,000 Palestinians and enormous destruction of property and homes in Gaza. The subsequent steady enlargement of the conflict from both sides has continued in a steady escalation of the war with incursions by the Israelis into both Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon. This has drawn the Shiite powerful non-state militia Hezbollah into the conflict and the background influence of Iran has become increasingly obvious. ...CLICK ON PICTURE TO CONTINUE

2024-10-18T13:06:41+00:00By Henderson, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas|Tags: War & Peace|

Democracy a Fragile Flower?

Democracy a Fragile Flower?

The Editor, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas Henderson writes in his Editorial: At the heart of any democratic system of government must lie the ability for the ‘will of the people’ to express their preferences in an orderly and fair election. This in turn should be followed by a smooth and peaceful transition of power from one leadership group to another. That’s the minimalist principle which vests state power in the people. However, it’s not always as easy as that and despite this being a year of elections in a host of countries we seem to be drifting towards elective autocracy ...

2024-07-11T20:06:51+00:00By Henderson, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas|Tags: Culture & Faith|

Rough sleeping in an election year

Rough sleeping in an election year

The Editor, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas Henderson writes: Sleeping rough in our cities has become commonplace and is on the increase. For those unfortunates spending the night in little more than cardboard boxes or makeshift tents, it’s no joke to be on the cold streets at night and physically and mentally dangerous. Tragically, now included in this category, we must add over a million people displaced from their homes in Gaza. These can also join the list of those bombed out of everyday existence in Ukraine. ...

2024-03-08T18:04:41+00:00By Henderson, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas|Tags: Culture & Faith, Politics|

Woke Wars

Woke Wars

The Editor, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas Henderson writes in his Editorial: The etymology of the adjective ‘woke’ is interesting, not least as the word seems central to the so-called culture wars currently ranging in the United States and in many other countries, including the United Kingdom. ...

2024-03-08T18:05:36+00:00By Henderson, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas|Tags: Culture & Faith|

Expect the unexpected

Expect the unexpected

In his New Year Editorial the Rev'd Dr.Nicholas Henderson writes: Bethlehem closed down for Christmas, Ukraine brings the season forward from 7th January to 25th December and hardly anything left standing in Gaza. Political will to resolve what is becoming a very uncertain New Year appears to be weakening. ...

2024-03-08T18:06:36+00:00By Henderson, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas|Tags: Culture & Faith, Politics|

About Henderson, The Rev'd Dr. Nicholas