World news in brief – The Church Times

Friday 10 April 2026
The Living Holy Week celebrations in the high plateau town of Cuevas del Campo, Granada, are an annual event, and have received recognition as a Fiesta of National Tourist Interest in Andalusia
The Living Holy Week celebrations in the high plateau town of Cuevas del Campo, Granada, are an annual event, and have received recognition as a Fiest…
Dispute over hostage situation in Ariko, Nigeria
THERE were mixed reports after a church attack in Ariko, Kaduna State, in northern Nigeria, on Easter Day. The army reported that it had rescued 31 worshippers seized by gunmen, but local residents told the BBC that the Christians were still being held hostage. The authorities said that five civilians had been killed, but a local church official put the number at seven, the BBC reported. The president of the Ariko community association, Joseph Ariko, told the BBC: “As far as we are concerned, all the abducted victims are still with the bandits.” The army had not responded on Tuesday. It had previously said that soldiers engaged the attackers in a “fierce firefight”.
 
Misuse of Indian law on foreign donations expected
THE All-India Christian Council (AICC) has warned about alleged plans by the authorities in India to use a law aimed at regulating foreign donations as a pretext to seize Christian properties that serve vulnerable people. The Foreign Contributions (Regulation) Act (FCRA) covers the acceptance, use, and reporting of donations from foreign companies, NGOs, and individuals. The president of the AICC, Dr Joseph D’Souza, said: “This is a dangerous and deeply alarming crisis with immediate and potentially irreversible consequences.”
 
Finnish MP found guilty of hate speech
THE Supreme Court in Finland, on 26 March, found a Christian Democratic Party MP and former government minister guilty of “hate speech”, and fined her for calling homosexuality a “developmental disorder”, in a long-running case (News, 26 April 2024). The court found that Päivi Räsänen was guilty of incitement against a group by claiming in a 2019 social-media post, also posted on her website in 2020, that it was scientifically proved that homosexuality was a developmental disorder. The Court ordered Ms Räsänen to pay a fine of €1800 (£1570).
 
South African briefing emphasises climate obligations
THE South African Council of Churches (SACC) submitted a briefing last week to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, calling for stronger recognition of the obligations of states under the African Charter with regard to the climate crisis and the financing of fossil fuels. The World Council of Churches (WCC) said that the submission argued that the rights to life, health, and a satisfactory environment — enshrined in the African Charter — were threatened by continued investment in fossil fuels. States, the paper said, had “obligations to ensure that financial systems under their authority, including national institutions and private actors, do not contribute to environmental harm”. The SACC also emphasises the disproportionate effect of climate change on African communities.
 
Spain and RC Church to manage abuse redress
THE Roman Catholic Church and the government in Spain have taken a further step towards compensating victims of sexual abuse by clerics who have died or cannot be prosecuted because the offences are alleged to have been committed too long ago (News, 16 January). The government will manage compensation in co-ordination with the Church. Bishops signed paperwork on Monday of last week, setting out how the new reparation system, with effect from 15 April, will work. The agreement envisages a one-year window for claims. The government estimates that hundreds of thousands of Spaniards suffered sexual abuse by clerics, the BBC has reported. The redress scheme follows similar ones in other countries.
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The Nairobi-Cairo Proposals would bring about seismic changes — and not for the better, argues Paul Avis
The College of the Resurrection is one of the 10 residential theological colleges of the Church of England tasked with preparing men and women
The Acting Bishop of Durham invites applications for the position of Priest-in-Charge to serve in the parish of St Stephen’s, Lawe Top.
Cumnor is an attractive village set in a conservation area 4 miles from the city of Oxford, on the edge of the Cotswolds.
We are an emerging plurality of three parishes on the beautiful Isle of Wight, seeking an inspiring and prayerful priest to lead us into our next chapter.
Is God calling you to lead our mission and ministry in Shalford? St Mary’s is a beautiful, Christ-centred, inclusive and friendly church, in a semi-rural parish.
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13 – 15 September 2026
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26 January – 25 May 2026
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