Rude words

What, if anything, are we supposed to draw from the Pope dropping a homophobic slur during a private meeting?

Hello! This week we’re scratching our heads about some dubious slang Pope Francis is reported to have used about gay trainee priests in Italy. What does it tell us about what he really think about LGBT questions in the church? Then, we examine the state of religious education in school, following a highly critical report by Ofsted. Why are we still so bad at teaching school kids about religion, and will it ever get better? Next, there’s my latest podcast, looking at the upcoming election from another angle, followed by the usual interesting church news links (including safeguarding reforms, rural church towers and NIMBYs, and more pro-Trump blasphemy).

A bit of housekeeping: there will be no Critical Friend next week as I’m on holiday, and then from the week after the newsletter will be arriving in your inboxes on Friday mornings rather than the usual Tuesdays. I hope that doesn’t upend your routines too much!

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