The Church Times has a news article by Ed Beavan headed C of E in ‘ticklish’ position over its Murdoch shares.
During Church Commissioners’ questions, however, the First Church Estates Commissioner, Andreas Whittam Smith, admitted that premature sale of the shares would be “very bad”. It was “a ticklish area”.
The EIAG had been quick to consult James and Rupert Murdoch, he said, but the situation “won’t be easy, and I won’t volunteer to be part of the team”. Mr Whittam Smith was founding editor of The Independent.
The statement issued earlier by the Ethical Investment Advisory Group is available here.
Other churches also have embarrassments. The Tablet has two items about the links between James Murdoch and the recent papal visit, but neither is available online. However, Riazat Butt reported some of it in her article for the Guardian James Murdoch’s six-figure gift to UK papal visit.
A shorter version of the comments by Catherine Pepinster who is Editor of The Tablet is available here.
At Ekklesia Simon Barrow has some reflections on all this, see Church investments in the spotlight again.
This tidbit from the Church Times article:
The Archbishop of Canterbury’s spokeswoman said that it was unlikely that Dr Williams was a victim of phone-hacking. Dr Williams does not own a mobile phone.
The aphorism “Lie down w/ dogs, wake up w/ fleas” comes to mind (No offense to canines!)
Paying large sums to meet the Pope is almost as ancient as the Church he leads. Like so much, what is clearly simony (munus ab obsequio and possibly munus a lingua), is now just par for the course. It is so “normal” that it’s hardly worth comment unless something goes wrong as we see now from Catherine Pepinster. The Murdoch’s aren’t at fault for buying privileged position in meeting the Holy Father or receiving Papal Knighthoods, along with many others with cash and power they are tempted by the Roman Catholic Church into this position by its institutional bankruptcy. They… Read more »
Matthew 6 v.24