News

‘We are called to be peace-makers’, says Archbishop

Published

12 years ago

August 4, 2014

poppy WAR may sometimes be necessary but it is a sign of human failure, the Archbishop of Wales said at a candlelit vigil service to commemorate the outbreak of the First World War.

Dr Barry Morgan told the congregation at Llandaff Cathedral that we were called to be peace-makers and no conflict could be a good act.

The Archbishop was speaking at a commemorative service held jointly by the Welsh Government and Cardiff Council in the presence of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. He said the service was about remembering sacrifice, not celebrating victory, and he urged people to strive for peace in their own relationships, the nation and the world.

Dr Morgan said, “War may sometimes be necessary but the Christian Church has never claimed that war and violence are good acts. To be involved in war is always to lapse from the God-given ideal of peace and reconciliation.

“If there is no other way except through war to establish justice, then it may be the right or necessary thing to do, as the lesser of two evils but such a choice necessarily involves one in sin. It is never a good act. It is only by a convoluted and tortuous process of reasoning that I can ever claim to be demonstrating God’s love towards my unjust neighbour by taking a gun and shooting him.

“That is why this service has a penitential section where we acknowledge our failures and shortcomings before God, since involvement in any war, for whatever reason, is a sign of human failure and in any conflict there can be no completely innocent party, even though one side may be more guilty than the other.”

While giving thanks for those who sacrificed their lives standing against oppression and injustice, we need to resolve to ensure war doesn’t happen again, the Archbishop said.

“Wars do not solve the deepest problems of human life. Not even the First World War resolved the issues that led to it for some of these conflicts still smoulder on in the Balkans and elsewhere. At best, they give us breathing spaces in which to build and work for a world in which war will seem an obscene irrelevance. That is why abstaining from conflict is never enough because more is needed. We are called to be peacemakers, for as Jesus said “peacemakers shall be called the sons and daughters of God.”

He added, “Our prayer tonight then might be that conscious of our past, and all that it entailed, we seek to live compassionately and caringly for the whole of humanity by striving for the things that make for peace in our own relationships, our own nation and indeed our world.”

During the service, a message of peace was read by two members of Urdd Gobaith Cymru’s Youth Forum. Wreaths were laid by the Duke of Goucester, the First Minister of Wales, the Lord Mayor of Cardiff and Wyn Calvin, a president of the Cardiff Central branch of the Royal British Legion. Saleem Kidwai, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Wales, laid an olive branch on behalf of the Interfaith Council for Wales.

At the end of the service, lights in the Cathedral were dimmed and a candle was lit by the Revd Albrecht Kostlin-Buurma of the German Lutheran Churches and people kept a period of silence.

Following a blessing by the Archbishop, the Last Post was sounded and the Cathedral bells tolled to mark the centenary of the outbreak of war.

Sermon – Commemoration of

World War I

bishop “The trouble with services about the two World Wars” wrote one veteran of World War II recently, “is that the ceremonies have been hijacked by politicians, the Royal Family, and the church – and they are not about any of them”.

Well, that seems to exclude a fair number of us here tonight but without becoming too defensive, what precisely are we doing when we hold a service such as this?

Well, it is certainly not about giving significance to any of the categories just mentioned nor is it about glorifying war. As the Lambeth Conference of 1930 said “War as a method of settling international disputes, is incompatible with the teaching and example of Jesus”.

War may sometimes be necessary but the Christian Church has never claimed that war and violence are good acts. To be involved in war is always to lapse from the God-given ideal of peace and reconciliation. And it is interesting that people who have served in our armed forces usually both refuse to talk about the horrors of war and regard it as the option of a last resort.

If there is no other way except through war to establish justice, then it may be the right or necessary thing to do, as the lesser of two evils but such a choice necessarily involves one in sin. It is never a good act. It is only by a convoluted and tortuous process of reasoning that I can ever claim to be demonstrating God’s love towards my unjust neighbour by taking a gun and shooting him.

That is why this service has a penitential section where we acknowledge our failures and shortcomings before God (just look at the last hymn we have sung), since involvement in any war, for whatever reason, is a sign of human failure and in any conflict there can be no completely innocent party, even though one side may be more guilty than the other.

Memorials of the fallen in the First World War indicate the way in which our predecessors made sense of it all. They saw the deaths of those who fought as a laying down of lives for the sake of others, as the First Minister points out in his foreword to this service. Human sacrifice, not triumphalism about being victorious is the note they struck. The Annual Service of Remembrance is held at a cenotaph not an Arc de Triomphe.

That way of seeing things, helps people deal with the pain of loss. Death seen as sacrifice has remained the language through which those whose loved ones in today’s conflicts also find solace. And so we give thanks for men and women who gave up their lives to safeguard values such as justice, freedom and liberty and for men and women from every race and nation who have stood against oppression and injustice.

But, alongside penitence, there is repentance. The word “repentance” means to have a change of heart. It involves a resolve to ensure that such a thing never happens again. Japan is an example of this. Since the last war, as if to make amends for its atrocities, Japan has become one of the most peace loving of all nations. It has committed itself to peace and non-military economic growth.

Wars however do not solve the deepest problems of human life. Not even the First World War resolved the issues that led to it for some of these conflicts still smoulder on in the Balkans and elsewhere. At best, they give us breathing spaces in which to build and work for a world in which war will seem an obscene irrelevance. That is why abstaining from conflict is never enough because more is needed. We are called to be peacemakers, for as Jesus said “peacemakers shall be called the sons and daughters of God”.

R. H. Tawney was a major figure in the development of British political thought, a Christian socialist who had also fought in World War One and found himself alone in No Man’s Land for nearly two days, after being wounded by the fragments of a shell.

He wrote “why is it that marshalled against an enemy, is given to a nation a common outlook, a spiritual unity, a power of co-operation and a comradeship in service which eludes it in peace time. How can people lay down their life for one another in war but not in peace?”

The idea of a fellowship limited to the business of killing and absent from the business of living haunted him.

“Why are we”, says Tawney “so willing to pay for our armed services but reluctant to pay for social, educational and health services? Wasted lives in war ought to lead to a prevention of wasted lives in peace”.

Our hope is that by reflecting on all these things in an act of worship, God may be able to work on us and change us for the better. As one theologian puts it “We come into the presence of God with our human emotions, with pride and courage and grief at loss and waste. As we pour out our prayer, our mourning, our pride, our shame, our convictions, God is able to work upon us. He is able to deepen and enlarge our compassion and to purify our thanksgiving. People who come mourning their own losses, then find not just consolation but a spirit which enlarges their own compassion for others”.

Our prayer tonight then might be that conscious of our past, and all that it entailed, we seek to live compassionately and caringly for the whole of humanity by striving for the things that make for peace in our own relationships, our own nation and indeed our world.

Community

84-year-old man rescued after falling overboard near Tenby

Published

5 hours ago

July 18, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A MAYDAY call sparked a major nighttime rescue after an 84-year-old man fell from a tender and was swept towards rocks near St Catherine’s Island in Tenby.

Both Tenby RNLI lifeboats were requested to launch shortly before 10.30pm on Friday, July 17, after the Coastguard received a distress call from a yacht anchored in North Bay.

The yacht’s crew reported seeing an elderly man who appeared to be in difficulty while attempting to return to his vessel in a small tender after spending time ashore in Tenby.

The all-weather lifeboat began searching between St Catherine’s Island and the North Highcliffe buoy, while the inshore lifeboat searched the waters beneath the Esplanade.

During the operation, the inshore lifeboat crew fired a white parachute flare to illuminate the area. The improved visibility allowed them to spot the tender, but when they reached it, they discovered it was empty.

The crew could then hear cries for help coming from the water.

A member of the public, Josh Dean, had rushed to the lifeboat station after seeing the tender being carried by the current into the cave beneath St Catherine’s Island.

Using the information he provided, the lifeboat crews quickly located the man clinging to rocks at the island after he had fallen overboard in the strong current.

He was immediately taken aboard the lifeboat, warmed up and assessed for any urgent medical problems before being taken into Tenby Harbour.

The casualty was handed into the care of the Tenby Coastguard Rescue Team while an ambulance was requested. Due to high demand on the Welsh Ambulance Service, he was later taken into the lifeboat station to wait in warmth and safety.

Tenby RNLI said the information provided by Josh had saved valuable time during the search and helped crews locate the casualty more quickly.

A spokesperson said: “We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Josh Dean, who came to the lifeboat station to report seeing the casualty being carried by the current into the cave beneath St Catherine’s.

“The information Josh provided was invaluable. It undoubtedly saved valuable time during the search, helping our crews locate the casualty more quickly and ultimately contributing to saving his life.”

Crime

Drug-driver sent vehicles airborne in terrifying M4 collision

Published

10 hours ago

July 18, 2026

Court Reporter

Motorist suffered head wounds and post-traumatic stress after van repeatedly swerved across motorway

A VAN driver who had cocaine, a cocaine by-product and Valium in his system sent two vehicles airborne after crashing into the back of a car on the M4.

Joseph Williams had been driving erratically along the westbound carriageway when his van struck a Kia Picanto travelling at around 64mph.

The collision left the Kia’s driver with wounds to the back of her head, extensive bruising and suspected bruising to her lungs.

Swansea Crown Court heard that the woman has since required trauma therapy and counselling and is continuing to struggle with the psychological effects of the crash.

Williams, aged 33, of Eaton Road, Brynhyfryd, Swansea, had previously admitted dangerous driving, three drug-driving offences and failing to surrender to court bail.

The court heard that police received several calls from members of the public on the night of September 5, 2025, reporting a van being driven dangerously between junction 37 at Pyle and junction 36 at Sarn.

Prosecutor Joseph Hocquard said the van repeatedly moved across all three lanes of the motorway, while its speed fluctuated between approximately 30mph and more than 80mph.

One witness, who had been travelling steadily at between 60mph and 65mph, reported being overtaken by Williams four times as he repeatedly accelerated and slowed down.

Williams was then seen moving from lane one across to lane three before returning to lane one and crashing into the rear of the Kia.

A motorist following the van described both vehicles being thrown into the air by the force of the impact.

Williams’ van overturned and came to rest on its side, leaving him trapped inside. Firefighters were called to release him from the vehicle.

A roadside drug test produced a positive result for cocaine, and further blood tests were carried out after Williams was taken to hospital.

The results showed he was almost five times the legal driving limit for benzoylecgonine, the main substance produced when cocaine is broken down by the body.

He was also above the legal limits for cocaine and diazepam, commonly known by the brand name Valium.

The driver of the Kia suffered two significant wounds to the back of her head as well as bruising across her body.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, she said she was receiving counselling and trauma therapy and faced the challenge of rebuilding her life each day.

Williams told the court he was “very sorry” for his behaviour and the impact it had caused. He said he had a seven-year-old daughter and was now subjected to weekly drug testing through his employment.

The court also heard that Williams failed to attend an initial hearing at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court, leading to a warrant being issued for his arrest. He later missed a further hearing at Swansea Magistrates’ Court.

Judge Catherine Richards said Williams had been highly impaired by drugs while carrying out a prolonged period of dangerous driving.

She said his selfish behaviour had subjected the other motorist to a terrifying experience and had caused a significant and lasting impact on her life.

Williams received an 11-month prison term for the driving offences and a consecutive one-week term for failing to surrender.

The custodial sentence was suspended for 12 months.

He was also ordered to complete a rehabilitation programme and carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

Williams was disqualified from driving for three years and will have to pass an extended driving test before being allowed back on the road.

News

Record 34 candidates to contest Clacton by-election triggered by Farage

Published

1 day ago

July 17, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Nigel Farage will face an extraordinary field of 33 opponents when voters in Clacton return to the polls next month

A RECORD 34 candidates have been confirmed for the Clacton parliamentary by-election, which will take place on Thursday, August 13.

The contest was triggered after Mr Farage resigned as the constituency’s MP before announcing that he would stand again for Reform UK.

He said the election would allow local voters to judge his conduct following intense scrutiny of his financial backing and two inquiries by Parliament’s standards commissioner.

Mr Farage has denied wrongdoing and maintains that gifts and other support he received were personal and did not need to be registered under parliamentary rules. He has described the by-election as a contest between the public and the political establishment.

Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party are among the larger parties that have declined to field candidates.

Their absence has left political satirist Count Binface and Reclaim Party leader Laurence Fox among the best-known names challenging Mr Farage.

The ballot paper will also feature three candidates from the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, several representatives of smaller political parties and a large number of independents.

Tendring District Council confirmed the final list after nominations closed on Friday.

The council said the field of 34 is believed to be the largest ever assembled for a UK parliamentary election.

The previous record is understood to have been 26 candidates at the Haltemprice and Howden by-election in July 2008. That election was called after Conservative MP David Davis resigned and stood again to campaign over civil liberties.

Full list of Clacton candidates

The candidates standing on August 13 are:

Joseph 77, Independent
Adham Alkhatip, The Forward Party
Count Binface, Count Binface Party
Nick The Incredible Flying Brick, Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Tony Cane, Independent
Woke Trump Carrzee, Independent
William Stuart James Clouston, Social Democratic Party
Rees Cowne, Independent
Glenn Charles Cummings, Independent
Martin Davies, Freedom Alliance – Real People, Real Alternative!
Andy Erlam, Independent
Nigel Farage, Reform UK
Attieh Fard, Independent
Laurence Fox, The Reclaim Party
Tony Francis, Independent
Robin Green, Independent
Abi Hookway, Independent
Howling Laud Hope, Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Stephen Richard Ingram, Independent
Amy Morris, Independent
Derrick Norbert Morris, Independent
Michael Noel O’Keeffe, Independent
Martyn OBrien, Independent
Nick Pelas, Independent
Ketankumar Pipaliya, UK VOICE safer and stronger UK
Daniel Pocock, Independent
James Ransley, Consensus Party Candidate
Gerry Smith, Independent
Kai Stephens, British Democrats
John Stevens, Rejoin EU
Baron Von Thunderclap, Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Pamela Walford, Independent
Marcus White, Everyone is God Party
Marc Wilkinson, Independent

Almost 80,000 people are eligible to vote across the constituency’s 51 polling stations.

Residents who are not already registered must apply by July 28. The deadline for postal vote applications is 5pm on July 29, while applications for proxy votes and free Voter Authority Certificates must be submitted by 5pm on August 5.

Mr Farage first won Clacton for Reform UK at the 2024 general election, receiving 21,225 votes and securing a majority of 8,405 over the Conservatives.

The seat has officially been vacant since July 8 following his resignation.