Latest news with #RomanCatholic
Yahoo
an hour ago
- General
- Yahoo
Grand Wiltshire home of former Prime Minister gets top award
A former Prime Minister's home has been been recognised as one of the top visitor attractions in the country. Arundells, the former home of Conservative leader Sir Edward Heath, has been awarded VisitEngland's Quality Assured Visitor Attraction status. The historic house, located in Cathedral Close, Salisbury, was given an overall quality score of 86 per cent following its first inspection by VisitEngland. The house was described as "unexpectedly captivating" with a "refreshingly personal and authentic" atmosphere and "immersive charm." Read more: Why Thames Water was hit with record breaking fine by Ofwat The volunteers were also praised for their warmth and knowledge. The report also highlighted the well-maintained gardens, preserved interiors, and the unique opportunity to step into the private world of one of Britain's former Prime Ministers. Luke Futcher, events and marketing manager at Arundells, said: "We are delighted to receive this national recognition from VisitEngland. "It reflects the care and commitment of our staff and volunteers, and the distinctive, high-quality experience we strive to offer every visitor." This recognition adds to a successful year for Arundells. Earlier in 2025, the house achieved Arts Council England Accredited Museum status, and in the spring, it won the Visitor Experience Award at the Salisbury Business Excellence Awards. Arundells was originally a medieval canonry, with the first recorded occupant being Henry of Blunston, Archdeacon of Dorset, who lived there from 1291 until his death in 1316. The house has seen many occupants over the centuries, including Leonard Bilson, who was pilloried and imprisoned for acts of sorcery and magic in 1571, and Sir Richard Mompesson, who undertook major restoration works in 1609. The name "Arundells" comes from James Everard Arundell, son of the 6th Lord Arundell, who married John Wyndham's daughter, Ann. The Arundells were a distinguished Roman Catholic family. Read more: Building 700 homes at old golf course 'best option' for the area Arundells hosted the Godolphin Girls School (and later a boys boarding school) between 1839 and 1844. During the Second World War, the house was used by the Red Cross as a centre for their library service and as a wool depot. The property fell into disrepair and demolition was considered following a long period of neglect. Extensive refurbishment works were undertaken by Mr and Mrs Robert Hawkings in 1964. Sir Edward Heath, who lived at Arundells from 1985 until his death in 2005, bequeathed the house to the Charitable Foundation set up in his name. He wanted as many people as possible to "share the beauty of Arundells" and enjoy his diverse and personal collection of artwork, photographs, sailing memorabilia and political cartoons.
Boston Globe
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
‘You name it, this place is run by immigrants': In Nantucket, fears of an economic chilling effect after ICE sting
It's fair to assume, some locals say, that some in that crowd are immigrants, a population that represents a linchpin of the island's economy, and one that has become increasingly fearful under President Trump's dramatic push to arrest and deport more immigrants. It's a reality that was brought The chilling effect of the arrests on aspects of local business was immediate, some say, as people are fearful to go to work. Advertisement 'It's a really hard time,' said Eduardo Calles, a 46-year-old who grew up in Advertisement Calles, who does tile work and painting and acts as a pastor for Iglesia de Jesucristo Principe de Paz Nantucket, found it ironic that in a land known for freedom, people don't feel free to leave their homes. In a place renowned as a favorite vacation spot for the well-heeled, immigrants contribute in an array of industries, locals say, from landscaping to restaurant work to construction and the building trades to hotel and inn hospitality to public sector work for the town. Pedestrians walked in town on the island. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Their influence can be seen in ways large and small. There is a Caribbean lilt to some baristas' accents. There is a taxi driver from the Balkans who works the graveyard shift, hustling for a better life. A Bulgarian school, a food mart that offers traditional Central American fare, a weekly Mass in Spanish at a Roman Catholic church in the heart of Nantucket's downtown district. 'Everyone's freaked out,' he said. 'It's crazy.' Antonik, a Cape Cod native, said he could not do his job if it weren't for immigrants, who he estimated make up about 80 percent of his workforce. The chilling effect from the arrests, he said, is 'slowing us down for sure.' 'We're navigating through it,' he said. People detained by US Immigration and Customs walked to the US Coast Guard coastal patrol boat Hammerhead in Nantucket Harbor May 27. Peter Sutters/Nantucket Current Advertisement 'Your vacation is made possible by immigrants,' he said. 'Immigrants . . . who serve your food, make your beds, mow the lawns.' He added, 'You name it, this place is run by immigrants.' Even whispers of immigration actions can have a significant impact on everyday lives, said Cyr. He recalled how earlier this year there was a rumor of ICE enforcement on the Vineyard, followed by a huge spike in absenteeism among public school students. The vast majority of immigrants locally, Cyr said, are here through work-sponsored programs or have green cards or other kinds of immigration status. 'But they have someone or know someone in their family who may not,' he said. Immigrants not showing up to work in the aftermath of the ICE arrests, Cyr said, is understandable. Indeed, there was an undercurrent of fear and paranoia in Nantucket this week. The Nantucket Food Pantry posted a message in English, Spanish, and Portuguese to social media saying that if people are not comfortable going to the pantry themselves, 'send a friend or trusted neighbor — we'll welcome them with open arms.' Superintendent Elizabeth Hallett also shared a message with public school families, saying the district 'welcomes all children, no matter what their immigration status, and we want [you] to know that your children will be safe in our classrooms and schools.' Attached to that mass email was a letter Hallett had sent out earlier this year in three different languages that outlines how the district will handle ICE requests. 'If an ICE agent seeks access to a student at school, school staff have been directed not to permit the agent to enter the building but instead to send the agent to the Central Office,' reads the letter. Advertisement Matt Fee, 65, serves on the Nantucket Select Board and has run Something Natural, a bakery and sandwich shop, for about 40 years. He does not hire undocumented workers, he said. But locally, even people who have legal status are nervous, according to Fee. 'It's having an impact,' he said. 'If people self-deport or are deported or choose not to come here, the island will have a difficult time servicing at the level people expect.' Danny McDonald can be reached at
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Bishops sue to overturn new WA law requiring clergy to report child abuse
Gov. Bob Ferguson, at podium, goes to shake hands with state Sen. Noel Frame, D-Seattle, at the signing of a bill to make clergy mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect, on May 2, 2025 in Olympia. At center is Mary Dispenza, a founding member of the Catholic Accountability Project. (Photo by Jerry Cornfield/Washington State Standard) Washington's leading Catholic bishops filed a lawsuit Thursday contending the new state law requiring religious leaders to report child abuse or neglect, even when it is disclosed in confession, is unconstitutional and should be invalidated. They argue the law violates their First Amendment right to practice religion free of government interference, and is religious discrimination because it will force priests to violate their sacred vows or face punishment by the state. It also violates a provision of the state constitution guaranteeing 'freedom of conscience in all matters of religious sentiment, belief and worship,' they assert. They want the law set aside and an injunction barring criminal investigations or prosecution of Roman Catholic clergy for not divulging information learned in confession. The new law 'puts Roman Catholic priests to an impossible choice: violate 2,000 years of Church teaching and incur automatic excommunication or refuse to comply with Washington law and be subject to imprisonment, fine, and civil liability,' the suit reads. Archbishop Paul Etienne of Seattle, along with Bishop Joseph Tyson of Yakima and Bishop Thomas Daly of Spokane, are the lead plaintiffs in the suit filed in the U.S. District Court in Tacoma. Gov. Bob Ferguson, Attorney General Nick Brown and the prosecuting attorney in each of Washington's 39 counties are named as defendants. Hiram Sasser, executive general counsel for First Liberty Institute, one of the groups representing the bishops, called the law 'a brazen act of religious discrimination.' 'For centuries, Catholic priests have been willing to die as martyrs rather than violate this sacred duty. A few politicians in Washington state won't break them. And the Constitution protects them,' he said in a statement. First Liberty Institute represented the Bremerton High School football coach who successfully challenged his firing for gathering with players to pray on the field following games. That case went to the U.S. Supreme Court. Mike Faulk, a spokesman for the Washington attorney general, said in an email that they are reviewing the suit. A Ferguson spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment from the governor. This legal fight centers on Senate Bill 5375, which Ferguson signed into law on May 2 and will take effect July 27. It adds clergy members to the state's list of individuals legally required to report suspected child abuse to law enforcement or the Department of Children, Youth and Families. Disclosures in confession or other rites where the religious leader is bound to confidentiality are not exempt. But under the law, they will retain their privilege to not be compelled to testify in related court cases or criminal proceedings. Catholic leaders assert in the suit that existing policies adopted by the dioceses in Seattle, Yakima and Spokane 'go further in the protection of children than the current requirements of Washington law.' They also iterate that confession of sins is one of the seven sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church and is protected by the sacramental seal, which forbids sharing anything disclosed by a penitent. 'The use of a religious practice to further the State's policy goals violates basic constitutional principles prohibiting the excessive entanglement of church and state,' the suit reads. With the law in place, priests would be forced to choose between 'temporal criminal punishment and eternal damnation,' it adds. The Washington State Catholic Conference opposed the bill largely because it did not exempt disclosures heard in the confessional. 'This trust is sacred, and any law that jeopardizes it risks discouraging those who recognize the harm they have caused from seeking moral guidance,' said Jean Hill, the organization's executive director, in a statement. On May 5, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it had opened a civil rights investigation into the 'apparent conflict' of the new law with 'the free exercise of religion under the First Amendment.' Federal officials have provided no updates since the announcement. When he signed the bill, Ferguson said keeping the confessional in the bill did not give him pause. As a Catholic, he said, 'I'm very familiar with it. Been to confession, myself. I felt this was important legislation for protecting kids.'
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Catholic bishops sue Washington over law requiring priests to break confessional seal
A group of Roman Catholic bishops and priests filed a federal lawsuit Thursday challenging a new Washington law that requires clergy to report suspected child abuse or neglect, even when the information is received in confession. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, argues that the law—set to take effect July 27—violates constitutional rights to religious freedom by forcing priests to choose between adhering to the centuries-old doctrine of confessional secrecy or facing criminal charges. The plaintiffs include Seattle Archbishop Paul D. Etienne, Yakima Bishop Joseph J. Tyson, Spokane Bishop Thomas A. Daly, and eight priests from dioceses across the state. They are suing Gov. Bob Ferguson, Attorney General Nick Brown, and all 39 of Washington's county prosecutors in their official capacities. At the center of the legal battle is Senate Bill 5375, signed by Ferguson on May 2. The bill expands the list of mandatory reporters of child abuse under state law to include clergy, without exceptions for information received in the confessional. Violations carry a penalty of up to 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine. The plaintiffs claim the law 'puts Roman Catholic priests to an impossible choice: violate 2,000 years of Church teaching and incur automatic excommunication or refuse to comply with Washington law and be subject to imprisonment, fine, and civil liability.' Under canon law, any priest who discloses information received during confession is automatically excommunicated. The plaintiffs say this punishment cannot be lifted by anyone except the pope and argue the new law specifically targets Catholic doctrine by removing privileges for clergy that still exist for other professionals like attorneys, union representatives, and domestic violence advocates. Supporters of the law, including lawmakers who pushed the bill through the legislature, have framed it as a child protection measure, saying it is meant to ensure clergy cannot shield abusers behind religious confidentiality. The complaint alleges the law violates the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses of the First Amendment and similar protections under the Washington Constitution. The bishops also argue that their dioceses already maintain policies requiring priests to report suspected abuse, except when learned in confession. They say they support broader mandatory reporting laws—so long as they respect the sacramental seal. The plaintiffs are asking the court to block the law's implementation and declare it unconstitutional.
ITV News
a day ago
- General
- ITV News
Community's fight to save historical graded church
Brindle St Joseph's, near Preston, is one of England's oldest Roman Catholic churches and is due to close later this year.
