The celebration at the Iglesia Anglicana de Chile (Anglican Church of Chile) in Santiago will mark the 40th province of the Anglican Communion.

Bishop Héctor Zavala Muñoz, also known as Bishop Tito, will become Primate of the new Province.

Speaking ahead of the visit, Most Rev Justin Welby said: “The birth of a new province of the Anglican Communion is a moment to rejoice and give thanks and praise to God.

“It is a hope-filled reminder that God’s vision for the Church is always bigger than we can imagine. As followers of Jesus we are called to be part of this ongoing revolution of love that transforms lives and changes the world through dealing with sin and opening the way to salvation.”

The Anglican Communion is a global family of churches that exists in more than 160 countries.

Archbishop Justin added: “This new province – the 40th of the Communion – is a young, vibrant, spirit-filled church that has seen huge growth. It is leading people to Christ in Chile and living out His call to serve others.

“We marvel and delight in the ways that God’s love is being seen through the creativity, passion and faithfulness of Chilean Anglicans. In all this, we give thanks for the visionary leadership of Archbishop Tito.”

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Nick Cooper, a shoemaker and Catholic, locked himself to a gate outside the Palace of Westminster as part of the ‘Extinction Rebellion’, which gathered around 400 people in Parliament Square to demand that the government take more urgent action to tackle climate change.

Before his arrest, Nick said: “I came today to lend my body to the Extinction Rebellion and defend God’s creation which we are crucifying with climate change. We are called to follow God’s law even when it means breaking the laws of our time and place.”

Nick is one of around five people who have been arrested.

Those attending the event blocked the road outside Westminster for around three hours.

11 members of Christian Climate Action where present, one of whom is Phil Kingston, a man in his 80s, who was led away by the police without being arrested after lying in the road for several hours.

Phil said: “The current path of climate breakdown presents enormous dangers. None of the main political parties are responding with the level of ambition which is essential if we are to respond with the necessary commitment and sacrifice.’

The Extinction Rebellion crowd wanted the UK to declare a state of emergency around climate change, to create a zero carbon economy by 2025 and form a national assembly to decide what a zero carbon future would look like.

The DECLARATION OF REBELLION against the criminal inaction…

The Diocese of Oxford said the proposed group – based on similar ministries operating in Wales and elsewhere – would also support the relatives and beloved of LGBTI+ people. It comes after “many” requests for guidance on the issue.

In a letter, four local bishops said chaplains would be available to guide clergy and lay readers, in light of past “hurt, exclusion and misunderstanding” that members of the LGBTI+ community have experienced within the Church.

They wrote: “The role of the chaplains will be to listen, to offer support and to advise local clergy and congregations and ourselves in our welcome and support of LGBTI+ people and their families, and to learn from the insights of LGBTI+ people about being church together.”

The Bishop of Oxford Rt Rev Stephen Croft (pictured above), along with three suffragan – or junior – bishops also set out five principles to promote a climate of “inclusion and respect” across the diocese.

They include welcoming “all people” into church, banishing “intrusive questioning” about someone’s sexuality or experience of gender and ensuring people are not told their sexuality or gender difference reflects a lack of faith.

Under the tenets, nobody should be excluded from taking part in Holy Communion because of their sexual orientation or gender identity and LGBTI+ people should not be excluded from positions of church leadership.

Members of the English-speaking group al-Abd al-Faqir group released several images threatening violence against the Catholic leader.

One depicted a gunman – wearing a pro-IS wristband – pointing their weapon at the 81 year old pontiff.

A caption under the picture read: “Don’t think you are away from our attacks”.

The image has been verified by the SITE Intelligence Group, an organisation which monitors the online activity of extremists around the world.

Its publication comes days after the emergence of other al-Abd al-Faqir images threatening grenade attacks against Pope Francis.

Al-Abd al-Faqir is among a number of extremist media groups publishing threats in support of IS. A series of threats have specifically targeted the pope and the Roman Catholic Church.

In October 2014, publishers of the extremist Dabiq magazine published propaganda which showed the IS flag flying above St Peter’s Square in Vatican City.

Last year, IS-linked extremists in The Philippines filmed themselves desecrating a church in the southern city of Marawi and threatening to come to Rome.

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