News: 'assisted dying' - cat and mouse - and the distant goal of unity

'Assisted dying' - Perhaps the best concise critique of Lord Falconer's bill - here via Fr Stephen Wang

ACNA elects a new Archbishop - from Anglican Ink here, and a positive reaction from Bishop Jack Iker of Fort Worth [here]

Cat and mouse in Sudan -   having been arrested on 'apostasy' charges, released and then re-detained, Meriam Ibrahim is reported to be 'safe and well' in the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum-   from The Guardian [here]
These are the usual bullying tactics of unpleasant authoritarians everywhere - 'See, we have power over you.'
And see this article by Gabriel Said Reynolds at First Things :

"We all can learn from the example of Meriam Ibrahim. After her conviction in May, Meriam was given three days to embrace Islam and save her life. This would have been an easy choice to make, but Meriam refused, declaring: “I am a Christian and I will remain a Christian.” Those who wonder whether heroic—and saintly—courage still exists can look to her".

Fr John Hunwicke comments on Forward in Faith and the recent 'Parting of Friends' [here and here] 

The Telegraph has an interesting series counting down the days to the outbreak of the Great War a hundred years ago [here]
On the centenary of the assassination which triggered the greatest disaster to befall western civilisation in modern times, the person of Gavrilo Princip continues to divide opinion in the Balkans ...

The recent speech of Pope Francis on the subject of Roman Catholic- Anglican unity [here] has raised hopes in certain quarters about a renewed convergence of the two traditions. 
We share the hope, but cannot help but point out this soberly realistic sentence: 'The goal of full unity may seem distant indeed, it remains the aim which should direct our every step along the way.' 
We pray, we hope even against hope; but this is a far cry from the optimism of those now distant days of the early 1980s .... before Anglicans decided other matters were of more significance.  We have a good idea as to what further obstacles will soon be placed in the way ...