Church

• CofE drops centuries-old rule that every church should hold Sunday services

  The Church of England's General Synod has formally dropped a requirement for weekly worship to be held in every parish church.

• Statue of Polish Solidarity priest accused of paedophilia removed

  The statue of Henryk Jankowski in central Gdansk – the birthplace of the Solidarity movement – was lifted from its plinth overnight by three men who then handed themselves in to police.

• 

  Church leaders disappointed with change to BBC Songs of Praise time slot

  The BBC's decision to move 'Songs of Praise' to Sunday lunchtime has disappointed Church leaders.

• 

  St Paul's Cathedral gets messy for children's outreach

  St Paul's Cathedral took a gamble with its whitewashed walls and polished floors earlier this month when it invited in children from across London to take part in a very special Messy Church.

• 

  How one church is using handy work to tackle men's isolation

  Men have a bit of a reputation when it comes to enjoying DIY and a church outside Manchester is tapping into that time-honoured hobby to help breakdown loneliness among men in the local community.

• Abuse victims demand to see pope, call for bishops to be fired

  The 12 victims met with five Vatican officials a day before the start of an unprecedented conference on clerical abuse.

• Pope opens child sex abuse conference, promising 'concrete' remedies

  Victims expected 'concrete and efficient measures' to address the abuse and scandal and not mere condemnations, Francis said in a short opening statement.

• 

  Church of England bishops face questions over controversial transgender guidance

  Church of England bishops were grilled at Synod on Wednesday about new guidance on services of welcome for transgender people.

• 

  Archbishop of Canterbury pleads with Church factions to give up 'cynicism' as Synod gets underway

  The Archbishop of Canterbury has appealed to Anglicans to set aside their differences as they come together to debate the issues facing the Church at Synod this week.

• 

  Churches are playing a 'key role' in the fight against human trafficking

  Churches and faith groups are making an important contribution to efforts to eliminate the global scourge of human trafficking, a UN human rights committee has heard.

• Irish Primate tells abuse victims he's sorry for Catholic Church's failures ahead of Vatican summit

  Archbishop Eamon Martin has apologised over the failure of the Catholic Church to protect people in its care from sexual abuse at the hands of predatory priests.

• 

  New initiative invites young people to give a year to God

  Young Christians in the Diocese of Chichester are being invited to spend a year with a church discerning what God's calling on their life might be.

• 

  Caring for the planet starts with ourselves, says Bishop of Guildford

  The Bishop of Guildford has called on Christians to do their bit in caring for the Earth by making small changes to how they live.

• 

  Same-sex spouses not invited to Lambeth Conference

  The spouses of gay bishops are not being invited to attend a once-in-a-decade conference bringing together leaders from across the Anglican Communion.

• What the Sermon of the Year can do for preachers – and the church

  The Sermon of the Year event is run by Preach Magazine and London School of Theology, and it's aimed at encouraging and celebrating the art of preaching.