The Catholic Church

Extraordinary Catholic church in PM’s constituency upgraded to Grade II* listed status

An extraordinary Catholic church in Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan – Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s constituency – has been upgraded from Grade II to Grade II* listed status by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), on the advice of Historic England. Built between 1925-1930 and considered one of the finest early-20th century churches in England, St Oswald & St Edmund Arrowsmith church is the masterwork of architect J Sydney Brocklesby and contains an unrivalled collection of stained glass by Harry Clarke, an artist whose influence on early modernist religious glass was profound. Read more.

Healthcare bishop voices opposition as children recruited for puberty blockers trial

Bishop Paul Mason, Lead Bishop for Healthcare for the Bishops’ Conference, has once again raised his voice in opposition to the controversial puberty blockers trial after a High Court judge ruled that children as young as 11 can be recruited to take part. Read more.

Archbishop Sherrington welcomes Prime Minister’s support for palliative care

Archbishop John Sherrington, Archbishop of Liverpool and Lead Bishop for Life Issues for the Bishops’ Conference, has welcomed Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s call for palliative care services to be properly funded. The Prime Minister has stated that palliative care and social care funding need to be “fixed” so that vulnerable people can have “peace of mind” about the care that they receive towards the end of their life.

Archbishop John Sherrington said: “It is highly significant that the Prime Minister has confirmed his position about the need for proper palliative and social care ahead of the Second Reading of the fundamentally flawed Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in September. People who are dying are vulnerable and need compassionate care and spiritual accompaniment until their last breath.” Read more.

Please contact your MP to oppose assisted suicide

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is back in the House of Commons and seeks to legalise assisted suicide. It will have its Second Reading and vote on Friday, 11 September 2026.

Please write to your MP to make your voice heard and oppose the Bill.

“This bill is wrong in principle,” says Archbishop Richard Moth, President of the Bishops’ Conference, “It is also deeply flawed and, if passed, could lead to vulnerable people feeling pressured into ending their lives. The Bill has a serious lack of protection for health and social care staff and risks putting many wonderful hospices and care homes in the position of no longer being able to operate. I urge you to write to your Members of Parliament to petition them to vote against the Bill at Second Reading.”

You can support the Archbishop’s call and contact your MP now as a matter of urgency. Even if you have already done so in the past, please speak up and voice your opposition. The charity Right to Life UK has provided a simple online mechanism to do this. Use the form below to enter your postcode, make sure the suggested text suits your viewpoint and submit your message to ask your MP to stop this flawed Bill progressing through parliament.

For more information and resources, visit our dedicated section.

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