Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) repaired e Great Al-Tahira Church (Church of the Immaculate Conception) in Baghdeda, the largest Christian town in the Nineveh Plains.

Syriac Catholic Archbishop Petros Mouche of Mosul said the restoration of the once fire-damaged church symbolised something great for the local community.

“For us, [the Great Al-Tahira] Church is a symbol. This church was built in 1932, and it was the villagers of Baghdeda who constructed it,” he said.

“For this reason, we want this symbol to remain as a Christian symbol to encourage the people, especially the locals of Baghdeda, to stay here.

“This is our country, and this is a witness that we can give for Christ.”

The fixing up of the church is one of 14 church repair projects ACN has committed to across the region.

The charity will soon reconstruct the Najem Al-Mashrik Hall and Theatre in Bashiqa, a town occupied by both Christians and Yazidis.

The Great Al-Tahira Church, Baghdeda

ACN said the project which will enable the venue to once again play host to wedding ceremonies and other celebrations.

Local priest Father Daniel Behnam said: “This project will help ensure the survival of Christian families and provide them with important services.

“In particular, it will help young people, providing a space for pastoral,…

Her senior dresser Angela Kelly, revealed in a book that Her Majesty made the change this year in response to changing societal attitudes.

At least one coat in her wardrobe has been altered, while any new outfits designed for the Queen will use fake fur instead.

Animal rights groups have applauded the move by the monarch with Humane Society International suggesting it sends a “powerful message” that fur’s out of fashion.

The news comes after a number of designer fashion brands including Gucci and Prada made similar announcements to go fur-free.

Samantha Chandler from Christian animal rights charity, Anglican Society for Welfare of Animals told Premier she welcomed the decision.

“We think it’s fantastic,” she said. “It was always a bit of a shame that our Queen, as head of the Church of England, continued to wear fur.”

“I think it’s definitely out of fashion now, people who wear fur are seen as not on trend, I don’t think young people as a general rule would be seen dead in fur coats.

Chandler went on to say that the decision speaks of Her Majesty’s character and investment in her country: “She is a very thoughtful and well-read woman. She certainly does keep an eye on what is going on in the media in the news, particularly public opinion of her subjects and her citizens.

“Perhaps it has caused her to question her choices and whether what she is doing is humane,…

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, said the “optics are difficult to understand… for the man in the street” but said the Holy See was following diplomatic procedures.

Brian Altman QC, counsel to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), said the Holy See had not provided information about the delays in the laicisation – or defrocking – of some paedophile priests.

He cited the example of James Robinson, a West Midlands-based priest who was convicted in 2010 of 21 child sex offences – the laicisation documents were sent to Rome in 2010 and again in 2015 but it was only finalised in February last year.

Mr Altman said the inquiry has been told that the Holy See considers “the domestic laws and internal proceedings of a foreign, sovereign entity are not the proper object for a British inquiry”.

He asked the cardinal whether he agreed the apparent delays were a “matter of legitimate concern”, and the witness said he did, adding he thought mistakes were made in the original defrocking application.

Cardinal Nichols said: “Beyond that, I cannot go very far, I am not a diplomat and I do not understand the niceties of international law in these things.

“I was given the impression a very focused request could receive a reply but it had to be not a generalised request but a particularly focused request.”

Mr Altman asked whether that would appear…

Most Rev John Davies released a statement on Thursday ahead of the General Election on 12^th December.

He said: “Brexit, which has dominated so much of the country’s public discourse and political agenda for so long, does need to be sorted before we all despair.

“But it has all but airbrushed from the scene and taken off the agenda other critical issues which we continue to face, and with which many individuals and groups within society and the wider world, continue to struggle. These issues are much too serious for that to be so.”

Archbishop John highlighted climate change, the refugee crisis, modern slavery, trafficking and spending cuts on public services as serious issues that deserve the attention of politicians.  

“In the campaign that has already begun – badly skewed, poorly focused and too noisily some would say – we deserve to, and need to, hear about these issues again,” he said.

“We must demand that they are debated honestly and carefully for the sake of our integrity as a country and as a national family. And we must be allowed to hear about them through honest, reasoned and respectful debate, and not by means of a strident, emotive and, frankly, shameful, highly personal style of debate, a style that has both debased and disfigured the scene for too long.”

The archbishop encouraged people to vote, to take part in debates and also to…

The claims against him include sexting, harassment, affairs with married women and women in committed relationships and offering free tickets to his shows in exchange for sexual favours.

The allegations were revealed in an article by . on Wednesday which shared the stories of five women who claim Crist initiated inappropriate sexual behaviour with them.

It’s been reported that over the last seven years Crist has used his popular and influential Christian platform to “to harass, manipulate and exploit young women”.

In an email sent to . this week and published in the story, Crist admitted to ”destructive and sinful” behaviour but said he is “not guilty of everything” he’s been accused of.

“While I am not guilty of everything I’ve been accused of, I confess to being guilty of this—I have treated relationships with women far too casually, in some cases even recklessly,” he wrote.

“I’ve sinned against God, against women and the people who I love the most. I have violated my own Christian beliefs, convictions and values, and have hurt many people in the process. I am sorry for the hurt and pain I have caused these women and will continue to seek their forgiveness. I have also hurt the name of Jesus and have sought His forgiveness.”

In the email, Crist added that he has privately sought and received professional treatment…

The claims against him include sexting, harassment, affairs with married women and women in committed relationships and offering free tickets to his shows in exchange for sexual favours.

The allegations were revealed in an article by . on Wednesday which shared the stories of five women who claim Crist initiated inappropriate sexual behaviour with them.

It’s been reported that over the last seven years Crist has used his popular and influential Christian platform to “to harass, manipulate and exploit young women”.

In an email sent to . this week and published in the story, Crist admitted to ”destructive and sinful” behaviour but said he is “not guilty of everything” he’s been accused of.

“While I am not guilty of everything I’ve been accused of, I confess to being guilty of this—I have treated relationships with women far too casually, in some cases even recklessly,” he wrote.

“I’ve sinned against God, against women and the people who I love the most. I have violated my own Christian beliefs, convictions and values, and have hurt many people in the process. I am sorry for the hurt and pain I have caused these women and will continue to seek their forgiveness. I have also hurt the name of Jesus and have sought His forgiveness.”

In the email, Crist added that he has privately sought and received professional treatment…