Obituary of the Reverend Edward Anthony Howarth (Ray) Sawers; born February 13, 1924, died August 17, 2005.
Source: The Herald. posted at 2:49 PM

A herbal remedy developed by Scottish medieval monks could be turned into a new dieting pill. The Augustinian monks of the 12th century monastery at Soutra Aisle, just south of Edinburgh, used the bitter vetch plant as a means of suppressing hunger.
Source: BBC Scotland News. posted at 11:17 PM

Salvador Dali's Christ of St John of The Cross, part of Glasgow's city art collection, has been voted Scotland's favourite painting.
Source: The Herald. posted at 9:28 PM

Churches around Britain and Ireland will mark the 10th anniversary of Racial Justice Sunday on 11 September. The Moderator of the General Assembly, the Right Rev David Lacy, is set to lead a special service at Pollokshields Church in Glasgow.
Source: Church of Scotland news release. posted at 8:26 PM

The new Pope faces his first controversy over the direction of the Catholic church after it was revealed that the Vatican has drawn up a religious instruction preventing gay men from being priests. The controversial document, produced by the Congregation for Catholic Education and Seminaries, the body overseeing the church's training of the priesthood, is being scrutinised by Benedict XVI. The document expresses the church's belief that gay men should no longer be allowed to enter seminaries to study for the priesthood. Currently, as all priests take a vow of celibacy, their sexual orientation has not been considered a pressing concern. 'It will be written in a very pastoral mode,' said John Haldane, professor of moral philosophy at the University of St Andrews. 'It will not be an attack on the gay lifestyle. It will not say "homosexuality is immoral". But it will suggest that admitting gay men into the priesthood places a burden both on those who are homosexual and those they are working alongside who are not.'
Source: The Observer. posted at 3:45 PM

Thousands of computers in Scotland are having 'bigotry-checkers' installed. Specialists in some of the nation's top companies have been devising lists of sectarian words specific to Scotland, which can be screened out by e-mail software before they reach office staff.
Source: Scotland on Sunday. posted at 12:39 PM

A police guard has been ordered for Rosslyn Chapel amid fears that protests could disrupt filming of Dan Brown's best-selling book The Da Vinci Code. Filming will begin at the 15th-century chapel, six miles south of Edinburgh, at the end of next month. But following protests at earlier shoots at Lincoln Cathedral, the production company contacted the police to try to avoid any disturbance during the four days of filming.
Source: Scotland on Sunday. posted at 12:37 PM

An usher at St Margaret's RC Church, Ayr, last week admitted taking indecent pictures of a nine-year-old girl who he met after Sunday service. Sentence on Mario Coia, 54, was deferred at Ayr Sheriff Court.
Source: Sunday Mail. posted at 12:33 PM

The first phase of a long-awaited £200,000 scheme to refurbish and extend West Church hall in Haddington is about to begin.
Source: Edinburgh Evening News. posted at 8:14 PM

Mrs Grace Robertson, the former owner of the Marine Hotel in Mallaig - who played the organ for 25 years in Mallaig's St Columba's church, morning and night, missing only on rare occasions - has died at the age of 90 after a short illness.
Source: The Herald. posted at 8:09 PM

A Spanish TV journalist caused £2000 worth of damage when she rampaged through St Mary's Roman Catholic cathedral in Edinburgh. Lucia Rodriguez, 26, smashed a statue of a saint, a vase of flowers and a candlestick. Sheriff Isabella McColl adjourned the case at Edinburgh Sheriff Court for a psychiatric assessment.
Source: Edinburgh Evening News. posted at 8:34 PM

Obituary of William Frend, professor of ecclesiastical history in Glasgow University from 1969 to 1984.
Source: The Herald. posted at 8:24 PM

Ferry company Stena Line today banned Rangers supporters from Northern Ireland travelling on its sailings as foot passengers. The move follows complaints about the behaviour of fans returning to Belfast from Saturday's Old Firm game. One passenger, who was on the sailing, said: "The fans were not singing football songs, but sectarian ones about killing Catholics."
Source: Evening Times, Glasgow. posted at 7:27 PM

On 10 September 2005 the four Clyde presbyteries of the Church of Scotland will celebrate The Big Saturday at the SECC in Glasgow. It will be an opportunity for more than 300 congregations to celebrate together, learn about each other's work and encourage one another to build relationships with the community.
Source: Church of Scotland news release. posted at 2:44 PM

Plans to commemorate 81 men and women from Prestonpans who were executed in the 16th century on suspicion of witchcraft are now a step closer thanks to £14,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Source: Edinburgh Evening News. posted at 2:37 PM

Rev Colin Douglas, the minister responsible of St Paul's and St Columba's churches in Livingston, has spoken of the anguish and grief felt by parents since the discovery of 11-year-old Rory Blackhall's body on Sunday afternoon. "There is evil prowling around and that is a huge challenge for any community to deal with," he said.
Source: The Herald. posted at 2:32 PM

Cardinal Keith O'Brien delivered two catechesis sessions at last week's World Youth day events in Cologne, on meeting Christ in the Eucharist and living in the world as true worshippers of God.
Source: Scottish Catholic Media Office news release. posted at 10:08 PM

A garden party raised more than £2,000 for a Garioch church at the weekend. Around 250 guests enjoyed an afternoon of glorious sunshine on Saturday at the home of Daviot Church clerk Pam Pack and her husband Brian, chief executive of the ANM Group. Visitors were treated to a sumptuous feast, lawn games and stalls in the three-acre garden at Kartonhall, Daviot. Guests enjoyed a spit-roasted suckling pig and a range of family games. Mr Pack said: "It was a great turnout and we raised a good deal of money. Most of it will go to ongoing work at the church but I'm sure some of it will filter down to other groups associated with the church."
Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal. posted at 10:11 AM

The Moderator of the Church of Scotland's General Assembly yesterday faced an attack from the leader of the Scottish Socialist party, Colin Fox, for his views on extremist Muslim clerics, with the accusation that he was peddling the same views as racists and fanning the flames of intolerance. The Rt Rev David Lacy was quoted in a Sunday newspaper saying that Muslim clerics who are welcomed into Britain but treat the nation as an enemy are hypocrites, and should leave the country. A Church of Scotland spokesman dismissed the SSP leader's attack as "pretty hysterical".
Source: The Herald. posted at 9:46 AM

Helen Leitch, a highly influential figure in the teaching of modern languages in Scotland for more than 30 years, has died at the age of 74. Helen was sustained throughout her life by her simple but profound Christian faith, and early retirement gave her the opportunity to take a more active interest in her work at Strathbungo Queen's Park Church in Glasgow.
Source: The Herald. posted at 9:38 AM

The Duke of Edinburgh joined hundreds of war veterans for a service of remembrance at St Margaret's Episcopal Church in Aberdeen to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Source: BBC Scotland News. posted at 6:58 PM

The Jewish community in Britain is alarmed by the increasing anti-Semitism in the Anglican Church, writes Dr Irene Lancaster of Manchester University. "The BBC apologised when the Scottish hymn-writer, the Revd Dr John Bell of the Iona Community, 'made two factual mistakes' about the Israeli army on the Radio 4's Thought for the Day in February. This was a wake-up call for the Jewish community, even though Christian aid agencies and 'peace groups' have for a long time appeared to us to be attacking Israel, and ignoring attempts to hear other points of view. Individual Jews have reported experiencing violent verbal attacks during public pro-Palestinian meetings held in church buildings. Joanne Green, a Jewish journalist, said: 'Despite the BBC charter, I can't think of any programmes that are critical of the Palestinians, despite their kangaroo courts, public hangings, threats to journalists, incitement to racial and religious hatred, corruption, and threats to destroy Israel.'"
Source: Israpundit, reproduced from the Church Times, August 19th 2005 posted at 1:30 PM

Enthusiastic editorial article from Scotland on Sunday about the Moderator of the Church of Scotland's General Assembly, Rev David Lacy, based on an extensive interview with him. "Rev Lacy's comments, a combination of rational thought, common sense and the application of Christian teachings, stand out precisely because this combination has proven so rare among modern British spiritual leaders." ... "But the other interesting aspect of the Moderator's comments is the degree to which they were based on clear interpretation of scripture and full of references to God. Here is a turn-up for the book: a churchman talking about God, rather than debt cancellation, community relations and the ozone layer. To ordinary Scottish churchgoers, this return to Christian fundamentals will be very refreshing." ... "Particularly heartening was the Moderator's exposition of the often misunderstood Christian doctrine of "turning the other cheek". As he rightly pointed out, that injunction is directed at personal conduct: a private insult should be tolerated, rather than reaching for a baseball bat. But Christians retain the right, indeed the duty, to confront evil. Nor is Christianity an unvaryingly passive religion, as Christ showed when he whipped the buyers and sellers out of the temple. For too long, a distorted interpretation of Christian forbearance has been advanced, with the consequence that churchmen have turned their respective institutions into mere choruses, backing the views of secular progressive lobbies."
Source: Scotland on Sunday. posted at 1:17 PM

Interview with the Moderator of the Church of Scotland's general assembly, Rev David Lacy. On civil liberties: "I deplore the statements of certain human rights activists who just interpret their activity as increasing human freedom, and it actually serves to increase human licence. It's because of original sin: if people are more free they are more free to be evil." On extremist Muslim radicals such as Omar Bakri Mohammed and Muhammad al-Massari: "I just can't understand how they cannot see their own hypocrisy. I remember Jesus not being terribly forgiving against hypocrites, he called them 'ye vipers'. He didn't turn the other cheek against hypocrites." He added that the Muslim extremists were not true to their own faith and compared them to "so-called Protestants" who engaged in sectarian abuse against Roman Catholics, and who did not deserve the name Protestant or Christian. On the Kirk itself: "From what I have seen, the Church of Scotland is in a much better shape than I expected. The Church is in decline numerically, that is true. But the membership is more committed."
Source: Scotland on Sunday. posted at 1:11 PM

Coverage of the Roman Catholic Church's World Youth Day with a series of superb portraits of young pilgrims, including Mark Aiton from Scotland.
Source: New York Times. posted at 1:03 PM

Greenock minister Rev Alan Sorensen is going to London to lead a memorial service marking the 700th anniversary of the execution of Scottish hero William Wallace.
Source: Greenock Telegraph. posted at 12:27 PM

A minister who headbutted his wife, also a minister, was put on probation for 18 months at Hamilton Sheriff Court yesterday despite a sheriff being told he posed a "high risk" of reoffending. Alan Blackwood, 45, attacked the Reverend Sandi Blackwood after a heated argument at their home in Uddingston. A a spokeswoman for the Church of Scotland said: "Mr Blackwood is still under suspension by the Presbytery of Glasgow. Now that the criminal process has been completed, the relevant church authorities will look at the case and a decision on a course of action will be made in due time."
Source: The Scotsman. posted at 12:21 PM

Maybole West Church of Scotland has closed after more than 160 years. Like the Old Church, it has been sold to help finance a new community church in the town.
Source: Ayrshire Post. posted at 8:02 PM

A group of Christians from Blantyre City Presbytery in Malawi are visiting Aberdeen next month as guests of their twin presbytery. Activities will include trips to Crathie Church, King's College and St Machar's Cathedral.
Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal. posted at 7:34 PM

The longest-serving minister of a Moray church has died at the age of 78. The Rev John Robertson had the charge at Keith's North Church for 31 years until he retired in 1992.
Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal. posted at 7:31 PM

The Rt Rev Idris Jones, Episcopalian Bishop of Glasgow & Galloway, has paid tribute to Brother Roger, the leader of the Taizé Community in France, who was murdered on 16 August 2005. "He, and the Community he founded, have been a living expression of reconciliation, not only between France and Germany in the immediate post-war years, but more broadly between the different Christian denominations and indeed between those of different faiths," said the Bishop.
Source: Scottish Episcopal Church news release. posted at 3:55 PM

Tactics employed to tackle sexually transmitted diseases and teenage pregnancies were attacked yesterday as a "condom slinging mentality". Father Steven Mulholland told fellow members of Perth and Kinross Council's lifelong learning committee that on-going initiatives disappointed him. The committee was considering a draft strategy on sexual health and relationships for Tayside.
Source: Dundee Courier. posted at 3:38 PM

Residents of the Chinese city of Weifang paid tribute yesterday to the Scottish runner Eric Liddell, hero of the film Chariots of Fire. Liddell, a devout Christian, became famous for winning the 400 metres at the 1924 Paris Olympics after refusing to run his best distance, the 100 metres, because the heats were on a Sunday. He subsequently became a missionary in China. As part of a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Japanese internment camp where he died of a brain tumour in 1945, Chinese officials, old friends and fellow inmates laid a wreath at a memorial marking his grave.
Source: Daily Telegraph. posted at 3:32 PM

The September issue of Life & Work, the Church of Scotland's magazine, features specially commissioned analysis by Glasgow University academic Brannon Hancock unravelling the fact, fiction and faith behind The Da Vinci Code. He insists the author has played on popular misconceptions and played them off as fact. African Children's Choir leader Barbara Serunjogi explains why she remains committed to the fight to eradicate the stigma of HIV/AIDS, which claimed the life of her mother in 2001. And Lorna Hill profiles the work of Ballinkinrain School, a Church of Scotland residential school for troubled young boys, which has undergone a £3 million refurbishment.
Source: Church of Scotland news release. posted at 11:50 PM

Cardinal Keith O'Brien, President of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland, has added his voice to those from around the world mourning the death of Brother Roger, the 90-year-old founder of the Taize religious community in France. "Throughout his life he emphasised how important it was that all Christians come together in peace, love and reconciliation - this legacy of love will long be remembered," the Cardinal said.
Source: Scottish Catholic Media Office news release. posted at 3:32 PM

Obituary of Rev David Millar; Church of Scotland minister, Glasgow University lecturer and chaplain.
Source: The Herald. posted at 3:19 PM

Police are probing the disappearance of a stone Celtic cross from the grounds of Elgin High Church.
Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal. posted at 3:10 PM