28 June 2004: Cathedral bell nearly kills bellringer by hanging
The Scotsman (Glasgow) reports that an Edinburgh bellringer has suffered a suspected fractured neck after a bell rope formed a noose round her throat at the Cathedral of St Mary in Edinburgh.

28 June 2004: Liverpool Cathedral finds corporate sponsor
The Liverpool Daily Post reports that Liverpool Cathedral has signed a commercial sponsorship deal with a telecoms firm worth around £12,000.

27 June 2004: 'Goodness and mercy have followed them all these years'
The Jamaica Observer reports that three aging Caribbean Anglican priests who were ordained together as young men have returned to the place where they solemnly pledged 50 years ago to preach the gospel in all the earth.

27 June 2004: Hollingworth indicates surprise at criticism of his handling of sex abuse
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports that former governor-general Peter Hollingworth says he was surprised by criticism of the way he handled child sexual abuse claims as the Anglican archbishop of Brisbane.

25 June 2004: ABC suggests Anglican Communion might benefit from professional mediation
The Church Times reports that the Archbishop of Canterbury 'has floated the idea that the Anglican Communion might need professional help to resolve its crisis over homosexuality.'

24 June 2004: Canada's new primate speaks out
The Anglican Journal has published the first column by the Most Revd Andrew Hutchison, 12th primate of the Anglican Church of Canada.

23 June 2004: Reports from second plenary meeting of Eames Commission
The Anglican Communion Office has published numerous documents from the second plenary meeting of the Lambeth Commission on Communion, which is usually referred to as the Eames Commission. The Anglican Communion News Service published this pro-forma report on the Kanuga meeting.

22 June 2004: Former Canadian primate killed in automobile crash
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) reports that Archbishop Edward Scott, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada from 1971 to 1986, was killed in an automobile accident in Ontario. Canada's Anglican Journal covered the life and death of Archbishop Scott, and have announced the funeral arrangements. CTV has published this excellent obituary by Michael O'Hurley-Pitts.

22 June 2004: The few. The magnificent. The bishops.
There have been proposals made in England to halve the salaries of bishops, to save money. The Telegraph (London) published an editorial suggesting that a better strategy is to have fewer bishops, but good ones, and pay them properly.

21 June 2004: Young rector working to revive ailing parish
The Baltimore Sun reports that Old St Paul's parish in Baltimore, founded in 1692, has hired a youngster from California to lead the parish out of tradition into survival.

20 June 2004: Adelaide ex-priest to appear in Magistrates Court on sex charges
The Age (Melbourne) reports that a former Anglican priest faces five criminal counts for sex abuse in the early 1970s. Several more Anglicans are to be charged in coming weeks.

20 June 2004: Arson suspected after church fire in Queensland
The Australian reports that the Church of St Mark in One Mile, near Ipswich, was extensively damaged by a fire believed to be arson.

19 June 2004: Diocese of Adelaide offers unreserved apology
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports that the Diocesan Synod in Adelaide has apologised unreservedly to all victims of sexual abuse by people in the church. The archbishop resigned last week amidst criticism of his handling of sex-abuse claims.

18 June 2004: Australian churches called 'secretive over abuse'
The Herald Sun (Melbourne) reports that a national Anglican Church review of child protective measures found a tragic betrayal of trust and denial to conceal it.

18 June 2004: Australian church to pay victims of sex abuse
The Advertiser (Adelaide) reports that victims of sex abuse in the Anglican Church would be offered an apology and a negotiated financial settlement outside court. The Australian indicates that the nationwide compensation costs could be as much as AUS$60 million.

18 June 2004: Worry as Diocese of Sydney appoints new head of Anglican welfare agency
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Archbishop Peter Jensen has appointed a key supporter to head the Anglican welfare agency Anglicare, raising concerns the organisation will put evangelism ahead of helping people.

18 June 2004: Bishop of Vermont introduces rite for non-marriage unions
The Boston Globe reports that the Bishop of Vermont introduced two new rites, very similar to the liturgy for weddings, for priests to use while presiding at civil unions of gays and lesbians.

18 June 2004: Bishop in Australia speaks out against himself, saying he was wrong about the war
The Age (Melbourne) has published a column by the Rt Revd Dr Tom Frame, Bishop to the Australian Defence Force, in which he asks 'Forgive me, I was wrong on Iraq'.

18 June 2004: Acting leader of Diocese of Adelaide shocked by correspondence
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports that the interim head of South Australia's Anglican Church, Archdeacon John Collas, says he is shocked at details of correspondence between former Archbishop Ian George and disgraced former St Peter's College chaplain John Mountford.

17 June 2004: England may shed suffragan bishops to save money
The Telegraph (London) reports that the Church of England is considering eliminating as many as 35 bishoprics, to save money.

16 June 2004: Anglican Church of Australia appoints CEO
The Anglican Church of Australia reports that it has appointed the Revd Canon Bruce McAteer to be its next General Secretary.

15 June 2004: Adelaide's Professional Standards Committee resigns en masse
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports that all members of the Anglican Church's Professional Standards Committee in South Australia have resigned and have already been replaced. We presume that they resigned because they were found to have behaved unprofessionally.

14 June 2004: Bishop in Salisbury tells Lord Carey to keep his mouth shut
The Scotsman (Glasgow) reports that the Rt Revd David Stancliffe, Bishop of Salisbury, explained why he said that former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey should 'keep his mouth shut'.

14 June 2004: Bishop in Jamaica speaks out against 'rampant individualism'
The Jamaica Gleaner reports that the Rt Revd Dr Alfred Reid, Bishop of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands launched a blistering broadside against the Church for what he said was its failure to provide moral leadership to a troubled society.

13 June 2004: Diocese of Albany joins Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes
The Times-Union (Albany) reports that the Diocese of Albany has voted 'to join a small, conservative theological network that opposes the ordination of gay priests'. That would be the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes, which is slowly and subtly changing its name to the Anglican Communion Network.

12 June 2004: Archbishop of Adelaide forced to retire
The Advertiser (Adelaide) reports that the Most Revd Dr Ian George, Archbishop of Adelaide, has been forced to retire only 8 weeks before his long-planned retirement date. His resignation is another consequence of past child sex abuse problems in Australia. The Queensland News reports on the investigation of alleged sex abuse in 1956. The Australian press is riled over this issue, and editorials like this one in The Australian are common.

12 June 2004: New bishop in Toronto
The Diocese of Toronto reports that it has elected the Rt Revd Colin R Johnson as its 11th bishop.

6 June 2004: New Zealand Primate says he dreams of a world without gay people
The New Zealand Herald reports that in a recent interview, the Most Revd Whakahuihui Vercoe, said that he has a vision of a world without gays, where one day society would find homosexuality unacceptable. Stuff reports that a leading New Zealand sexuality researcher has said that Bishop Vercoe's comments are a threat to the young. We also have visions of a world without one thing or another.

6 June 2004: Australian Parliament has disproportionate number of Christians
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that about 9% of Australians go to church, but 33% of parliamentarians are said to be practising Christians.

4 June 2004: National Pilgrimage at Walsingham
The Church Times (London) reports that the Archbishop of Canterbury preached this sermon at the annual pilgrimage to Walsingham.

4 June 2004: Diocese of Texas missing US$600K
The Associated Press reports that the Diocese of Texas has ordered an independent audit after accusing its former treasurer of misappropriating about $600,000.

4 June 2004: Oldest English rectory to be sold
The Church Times reports that the oldest rectory in England that is still in its original use is to be sold soon for about £1Million.

2 June 2004: Cathedral of Diocese of Malaita badly damaged by arsonist
The Anglican Church of Canada reports that several arsonists piled up all the altar furniture, vestments, books and other sacred objects in front of the altar and set fire to them. Amazingly enough, this event has not yet been reported in any of the 5000 newspapers with international distribution.

2 June 2004: Bishop of Los Angeles blesses same-sex couple
The Associated Press reports that the Rt Revd Jon Bruno, Bishop of Los Angles, confirmed that he had blessed the union of two men in a ceremony attended by five other bishops.

2 June 2004: Canadian Synod defers decision on same-sex blessings
The Anglican Journal (Toronto) reports that Canadian Anglicans meeting at their triennial governing convention voted to defer a decision on whether gay relationships should be blessed in church. The Archbishop of Canterbury immediately issued this statement welcoming that vote. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) reports that the ACC approved a measure to 'affirm the integrity and sanctity of committed adult same-sex relationships'. This measure affirms such relationships without authorizing any direct church involvement in them.

2 June 2004: New book of prayers generates outrage
The Telegraph reports that the Church of England will soon publish Pocket Prayers for Peace and Justice, a book of psalms and prayers by the Revd Zephania Kameeta, an Evangelical Lutheran from Namibia. In a welcome change from the usual topics, Britain's traditionalists are complaining about it and calling it blasphemous.

31 May 2004: Archbishop of Montreal elected new Canadian primate
The Anglican Church of Canada reports that the Most Revd Andrew Hutchison has been elected Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada. News reports and commentary in the Globe and Mail, Canadian Press, Toronto Star, CBC, and the Anglican Journal.

30 May 2004: Canada's General Synod happening now
For extensive coverage of the 2004 General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada, turn to its GS2004 website. We are very impressed with the quality of the news coverage of that event by the ACC itself.

30 May 2004: Israeli police search body and property of Jerusalem bishop
Haaretz (Jerusalem) reports that Israeli security service interrogators conducted a body and property search of the Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem, the Right Reverend Riah Abu El-Assal, in connection with the controversies surrounding freed nuclear whistle-blower Mordechai Vanunu. The Jerusalem Post has this to say about the larger story involving Vanunu.

30 May 2004: English priests urged to watch soap opera on television
The Observer (London) reports that the Archbishop of Canterbury has called on priests to watch soap operas as a way of helping them connect with parishioners in the real world. Persons in attendance at that lecture report that this comment was but a tiny fraction of his hourlong lecture, which should be on his website in a few days.

29 May 2004: Australian appeals court rules Good Friday not hearsay
The Courier Mail (Queensland) reports that Queensland's Court of Appeal has ruled that, legally, Good Friday in the year 2002 was actually on the date claimed by the church.

28 May 2004: Sudanese riot police evict archbishop
The Church Times (London) reports that police have evicted church staff from the office of the Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of Sudan (ECS) in Khartoum.

28 May 2004: ABC says loose federation is 'less than what God wants'
The Church Times reports on an interview with Rowan Williams in The Times. We cannot link Times stories directly, because they charge a steep fee to readers outside Britain, but if you live in Britain you can read the original interview.

28 May 2004: Bishop of Washington to bless gay relationship
The Washington Post reports that the Rt Revd John Chane, Bishop of Washington, plans to formally bless the longtime relationship of a gay Episcopal priest and his partner next month at a ceremony in Maryland. Meanwhile, the Denver Post reports that the Bishop of Colorado has admonished an assistant rector who took part in a lesbian commitment ceremony.

28 May 2004: Sydney diocese accused of heresy
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the theological explanation for excluding women in that diocese is causing its doctrine to be called heretical. Meanwhile an Australian bishop not in Sydney has said he must reordain any priests who were ordained by a woman before they can work in his diocese.

26 May 2004: Who owns the name 'Anglican' in Canada?
The Anglican Journal comments on the proliferation of Canadian domain names that contain the word 'Anglican'.

23 May 2004: General Synod in Canada this week
The Anglican Church of Canada is holding its General Synod from 28 May to 4 June. This promises to be one of the most important Synods in many years. The ACC's news reporting is top-flight, so you should have no trouble following the Synod live, should you wish to.

23 May 2004: Support growing for women bishops in Adelaide
News Interactive reports that the Synod of the Diocese of Adelaide voted 'overwhelmingly' in favour of consecrating women bishops.

23 May 2004: Archbishop of York attacks Church of England
The Telegraph reports that the Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope, launched a fierce assault on his own Church yesterday, accusing it of abandoning the mysterious for the banal and indulging in ineffective debate.

22 May 2004: Australian church sex-abuse guidelines attacked
The Courier-Mail (Brisbane) reports that the woman who co-wrote the report that forced Peter Hollingworth to quit as governor-general has denounced new Anglican Church guidelines for dealing with sex abuse complaints.

22 May 2004: Diocese of Utah approves same-sex blessings
The Star Tribute (Salt Lake City) reports that priests in the Diocese of Utah will be permitted to bless same-sex partnerships.

21 May 2004: Online church desecrated
The Church Times reports that worshippers at the world’s first cyberchurch may soon have to register on a 'parish list', after delinquents have been caught climbing into the pulpit to deliver their own sermons.

21 May 2004: English working group on women bishops is almost done
The Church Times reports that the working group given the task of guiding the Church of England’s debate about women bishops has signed off an almost final draft.

21 May 2004: Surprise resignation of Kenyan bishop
The East African Standard (Nairobi) reports that the Diocese of Mount Kenya West is stunned by the abrupt retirement of its bishop, the Rt Revd Alfred Chipman.

20 May 2004: Ugandan bishop abducted
The Monitor (Kampala) reports that the Rt Revd Benjamin Ojwang, Bishop of Kitgum, was abducted by armed rebels who also took nine of his goats. The New Vision (Kampala) reports that he was rescued by the army, who failed to recover his goats or his vestments.

20 May 2004: Victoria Matthews withdraws from Canadian primate election
The Anglican Journal reports that the Rt Revd Victoria Matthews, Bishop of Edmonton, has withdrawn from the primatial election after she was diagnosed with breast cancer this week.

20 May 2004: US Episcopal Church announces new News director
The Episcopal News Service announced that Robert Williams, who is actually an Episcopalian, has been named director of the Episcopal News Service. He will continue to live in Los Angeles while directing the New-York-based ENS. We presume that hundreds of supremely qualified candidates were interviewed for this job, so we congratulate Mr Williams on his triumph.

19 May 2004: Grace Cathedral wins Webby award
The Religion News Service reports that Grace Cathedral of the Diocese of California has taken first prize in the 2004 Webby awards in the 'Spirituality' category. We at Anglicans Online did not nominate ourselves.

18 May 2004: Primates speak out
The Most Revd Njongonkulu Ndungane, Primate of the Church of the Province of South Africa, has called for the understanding and patience of the Church community in Africa in the wake of criticism by the African Provinces of the ordination of openly gay persons. The Most Revd Drexel Gomez, Primate of the West Indies and the Most Revd Robin Eames, Primate of the Church of Ireland, have exchanged open letters about the workings of the Eames commission. The group of primates referring to itself as the 'Global South Primates', whose membership is not entirely clear, issued a joint statement. And, sadly, Kubi, a Pongidae primate, died today in San Francisco.

17 May 2004: ABC declines offer to become patron of anti-cult group
The Guardian reports that Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, has declined an invitation to be a patron of Inform. Both of his predecessors in the Canterbury See had been patrons. Damian Thompson writes in The Spectator that he is sickened by this decision.

17 May 2004: Anglican church expanding in France
The Telegraph (London) reports that a new Church of England mission in Poitou-Charentes is part of aggressive growth in Anglican congregations in France.

14 May 2004: New dean for Sewanee
The Virginia Theological Seminary announced that its Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, the Revd Dr William Stafford, has been named the next Dean of the University of the South. The University of the South announced it too, and welcomes him aboard.

14 May 2004: Diocese of Tasmania to pay abuse victims
The Examiner (Tasmania) reports that the Diocese of Tasmania has set aside AUS$500,000 for reparations to victims of past sexual abuse. The bishop said that it would not be possible to compensate them properly, but that this was something the church could do.

14 May 2004: Survey shows 'overwhelming' acceptance of women priests in England
The Church Times reports that 'A survey of clergy and laity on the first ten years of women priests in the Church of England has painted a picture of overwhelming acceptance.'

13 May 2004: Diocese of Massachusetts bars its priests from officiating at same-sex weddings
The three bishops of the diocese, despite their personal support for same-sex couples, defer to the present law governing marriage in the Episcopal Church in the USA. The Boston Globe has the story here.

12 May 2004: Rumours and rumblings from the Eames commission
The Church of Ireland held its General Synod this week. The Archbishop of Canterbury preached this sermon. Robin Eames gave this address, which includes comments about his commission. The Telegraph speculates about what the outcome of that commission might be.

11 May 2004: Diocese of Oxford appoints Web Pastor
The Diocese of Oxford reports that it has appointed Alyson Leslie as pastor of its WebChurch.

11 May 2004: New Zealand elects Maori primate
The New Zealand Xtra reports that the Rt Revd Te Whakahuihui Vercoe has been elected as Primate, succeeding Bishop John Paterson of Auckland. The full story is in this press release from the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. Bishop Vercoe is a Maori, one of the indigenous people of Aotearoa (renamed New Zealand by its European colonists).

11 May 2004: Nigerian bishop speaks out
This Day (Lagos) reports that the Most Revd Bennet Okoro, Archbishop of Owerri, has insisted that the president of Nigeria to be elected in 2007 be Igbo.

9 May 2004: Otis Charles disciplined for same-sex marriage
The Associated Press reports that the Bishop of California, William Swing, has revoked the license to officiate of retired bishop Otis Charles because of his marriage to his male partner. The Guardian (London) reports Bishop Swing's explanation of why he did this.

8 May 2004: New bishop installed in North Dakota
The Duluth News Tribune reports that Revd Canon Michael Smith has been installed as North Dakota's Episcopal bishop.

7 May 2004: Archbishop Eames asks for restraint
The Church Times reports that the Most Revd Dr Robin Eames, Primate of the Church of Ireland, has asked Anglican leaders not to jeopardise its work before it has reported. Archbishop Eames' letter is here; in reading it, remember that most web browsers have 'make these letters larger' buttons.

7 May 2004: New head of Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry
The Associated Press reports that the Revd Paul Zahl, dean of the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama, will become the new head of TESM. His position on current sexuality disputes in the church is not ambiguous.

7 May 2004: First divorced bishop in Britain
The Telegraph (London) reports that the Ven Anthony Crockett, the Archdeacon of Carmarthen, has been named as the next Bishop of Bangor 'following a protracted and controversial selection process'. Fr Crockett divorced in 1985 and remarried in 1999.

6 May 2004: Diocese of Sydney starts sex program
Got your attention, didn't we? The Sunday Mail (Queensland) reports that Anglican Media Sydney, the house organ of the Diocese of Sydney, has created a television programme on Channel 10. Called Good Sex, it features Christian panellists, including sexologist Patricia Weerakoon and advertising copywriter Janet Evans talking frankly with invited guests about orgasms, penis pumps, masturbation and pornography.

5 May 2004: No HIV test, no wedding
The PM News (Lagos) reports that the Bishop of Osun, in Nigeria, holds that couples may not be married in the Diocese of Osun without an HIV test.

4 May 2004: Peter Hollingworth sees the error in his ways
About a year ago, Peter Hollingworth resigned his position as Governor-General of Australia because of the uproar over his non-handling of child sexual abuse issues while he was Archbishop of Brisbane. The Sydney Morning Herald reports on his reaching a new understanding of the problem he failed to address. Hollingworth himself wrote this about his last year.

4 May 2004: New date for installation of St Albans dean
The Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban has announced that the Revd Dr Jeffrey John will be installed 2 July 2004, sooner than was previously scheduled. The reaction to Dr John's appointment from around St Albans are recorded here in Thinking Anglicans.

1 May 2004: Vanunu to remain in cathedral
The Age (Melbourne) reports that Israeli nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu is to remain in the keeping of Jerusalem's Anglican cathedral for the foreseeable future.

1 May 2004: Church property at heart of Canadian battle
The Anglican Journal (Toronto) reports that a legal battle looms in British Columbia over the ownership of church property occupied by breakaway parishes.

1 May 2004: Canada to hold General Synod
The General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada will be held from 28 May through 4 June, 2004, in St Catharines, Ontario.

29 April 2004: St Albans reacts to its new dean
The Church Times reports that St Albans diocese continues to be divided over the appointment of Canon Dr Jeffrey John to the post of Dean of the Cathedral.

29 April 2004: Vatican tightens rules on concelebration
The Church Times reports that the Vatican has firmly underlined the rules on eucharistic practice that forbid concelebration by Roman Catholic priests and Protestant ministers.

29 April 2004: Gay bishop marries
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Rt Revd Otis Charles, retired Bishop of Utah, married his longstanding partner.

28 April 2004: Conservatives call for Jeffrey John to step down
The Telegraph reports that Dr Jeffrey John is 'under growing pressure yesterday to step down from his new post as Dean of St Albans'.

25 April 2004: New cathedral in Seychelles
The Seychelles Nation reports that the Diocese of the Seychelles has consecrated a new cathedral in Victoria.

25 April 2004: Released prisoner in Jerusalem church creating a ruckus
The Jerusalem Post reports that nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu is in a standoff over his future stay a the church with officials at an Anglican Church in Jerusalem where he has taken refuge since his release from prison last week.

25 April 2004: Evangelicals threaten 'ruin' of Church of England over celibate gay priest
The Telegraph reports that Evangelical Anglican churches are threatening the Church of England with financial ruin in protest at the appointment of Canon Jeffrey John, a celibate homosexual, as the Dean of St Albans Cathedral.

24 April 2004: New bishop consecrated in Arizona
The Arizona Republic reports that the Diocese of Arizona consecrated the Rt Revd Kirk Stevan Smith as Bishop coadjutor in the Diocese of Arizona.

24 April 2004: Church of England Commissioners issue annual report
The Church Commissioners have just released their annual report for 2003 (PDF file). There is also a summary report (PDF file) and a news release.

24 April 2004: The bishop washed my feet, but what about my socks?
The Muskegon Chronicle (Michigan) reports on Sacred Suds, a place where the homeless can wash their clothes.

23 April 2004: New Welsh primate warns that church must change
The Church Times reports that the new Archbishop of Wales has begun a process of reflecting on the poor state of the Church in Wales.

23 April 2004: Former ABC sides with conservatives
The Rocky Mountain News reports that the Most Revd George Carey has sided with the Colorado Springs Anglican Communion Institute to argue against gay clergy. The Associated Press also filed a report.

22 April 2004: Need a job?
The Anglican Communion Office is looking for a Secretary General. We've thought of applying, but the commute to London would be stressful. Here is the application information should you wish to apply.

21 April 2004: ABC says that Iraq war damaged the UK
The BBC reports that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has suggested that the aftermath of the Iraq war has resulted in a loss of trust in the nation's political system. The Guardian offered this point of view.

21 April 2004: Retired Ugandan Primate calls for peace and unity
The Episcopal News Service (USA) reports that the former Archbishop of Uganda, Livingstone Mpalanyi Nkoyoyo, spoke about some of the challenges of his nine-year archbishopric and how the church strives to be a model.

19 April 2004: Procedures for the election of a primate
Canada's Anglican Journal outlines the process by which the Anglican Church of Canada will elect a new primate on 31 May.

19 April 2004: African mission conference ends
The Anglican Communion News Service reports that a conference held in Nairobi last week by Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA) has called for an Anglican renewal, both through prayer and a dynamic approach to mission and evangelism. The assembled primates issued this statement, on which the Church Times filed this report.

18 April 2004: Jeffrey John appointed Dean of St Albans
Last year Dr Jeffrey John made news when he was forced to stand down from having been appointed Bishop of Reading. The Independent, The Telegraph, the Church Times, and The Guardian report that he has been appointed to be the Dean of the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban. Some newspapers have described this post as 'one of the most senior posts in the Church of England'. By our count, the Dean of St Albans is the 110th most senior figure in the C of E; it must have been a slow news week.

18 April 2004: Eton College to appoint imam
The Telegraph reports that Eton College is to become Britain’s first leading independent school to appoint an imam to help its pupils understand Islamic culture and thought.

18 April 2004: Four candidates nominated as primate of Anglican Church of Canada
The Anglican Journal (Canada) reports that the 40 bishops of the Anglican Church of Canada, at their regular, twice-yearly meeting, nominated five candidates for the primatial election, but one bishop declined the nomination.

18 April 2004: New bishop installed in Ohio
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the Rt Revd Mark Hollingsworth Jr was consecrated Bishop of Ohio. The Advocate (Newark, Ohio) reports that 5 of the 103 parishes in that diocese have announced that he is not welcome in their churches because he does not condemn gays.

17 April 2004: African churches to shun US money
Various news sources report that the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa has voted to reject money from the US Episcopal church because that church refuses to condemn gays. Coverage includes the Associated Press, the Christian Science Monitor, the BBC, and The Telegraph. Thinking Anglicans has transcribed the full text of the CAPA press release and the Episcopal News Service (USA) has issued this report on the CAPA action.

15 April 2004: Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me
The Revealer reports on the Church of Fools, being created by the folks at Ship of Fools. We presume that, like everything else they do, it is satire, but they are not usually this subtle, so perhaps they actually plan to do this.

13 April 2004: The return of the Shroud
The Guardian reports that Italian scientists have found a ghostly image on the back of the shroud of Turin. Using sophisticated mathematical and optical techniques, they have exposed the faint imprint of the face and hands of the figure on the front of the cloth.

11 April 2004: Church gets cement
The Ghanaian Chronicle (Accra) reports that the MP for the Ododiododoo constituency in the Greater Accra Region, Niibi Ayi-Bonte, has donated 100 sacks of cement and 100 pieces of roofing material, collectively worth 11.5 million cetis (€1000), to St Mary's Anglican Church.

11 April 2004: He is Risen!
But you know that. The Most Revd and Rt Hon Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, gave this sermon in Canterbury Cathedral on Easter Morning.

11 April 2004: Bishop claims clergy need remedial Bible lessons
The Independent (London) reports that the Bishop of Durham has asserted that Church of England clergy need remedial lessons in biblical literacy. Bishop Wright also wrote an opinion column 'Take care to avoid the Easter trap set by modernity'.

7 April 2004: Sydney probes clergy sex-lives
The Diocese of Sydney, perhaps anxious at no longer being front-page news, has instituted a requirement that all clergy and candidates must complete a questionnaire that includes detailed questions about sex. Thinking Anglicans has a summary of the story. We noted in the questionnaire the clause '... sexual conduct which would be regarded by right thinking members of the Church in this Diocese as disgraceful' and wonder how one qualifies to be 'right thinking'.

7 April 2004: Right-thinking members of the church stay out of the news
Worldwide, most Anglicans remembered that it was Holy Week and refrained from doing or saying much that was newsworthy, except for the background noise of arguing about sex, which we have for months chosen not to report. A few wrong thinkers have made various statements, but since we believe that we are right thinkers we have chosen not to help publicise them.

6 April 2004: Palm Sunday in Baghdad
The Most Revd Clive Handford, President Bishop of the Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and the Middle East and Bishop of Cyprus and the Gulf, filed this brief report from Baghdad.

4 April 2004: Nigerian primate denounces US Episcopal Church policy on gay people
The Associated Press reports that the Most Revd Peter Akinola, Archbishop of Nigeria and primate of the Anglican Church of Nigeria, has once again spoken out against the gay rights policies of the Episcopal Church in the United States. He also said he would shun meetings that were attended by the primate of the US church.

4 April 2004: Power struggles in Pakistan
The Pakistan Christian Post has published an open letter by the Rt Revd Ijaz Inayat Masih, retired Bishop of Karachi, on issues of control and management in that province.

4 April 2004: English diocese ponders name change and see change
The BBC reports that the Diocese of Southwell may vacate Southwell and change its name to one that includes Nottingham. Quick: do you know where Southwell is?

3 April 2004: Diocese reports drop in donations
The Associated Press reports that some Episcopal parishes in the Diocese of Western New York that are opposed to the confirmation of a gay bishop last summer are withholding financial gifts.

2 April 2004: Church and state in Australia
The Australian reports that the state government has announced that the state and federal governments will boost a public appeal to restore Melbourne's St Paul's Anglican Cathedral.

2 April 2004: Slow news day
The Church Times reports that a 15th-century image of Marge Simpson has been found carved into a pew in Suffolk. Does this suggest that The Simpsons is of alien origin?

1 April 2004: Sydney priests must reveal sexual history
The Australian reports that priests in the Diocese of Sydney are being forced to fill out a detailed and highly personal questionnaire about their sexual history. The Advertiser also reports this story.