Bishop warns adoption charity

The Bishop of Lancaster has threatened to split with an adoption charity if it allows same-sex couples to become parents.

Patrick O’Donoghue, the highest-ranking Catholic in Lancashire, will sever church ties with the charity if it complies with changes to equality laws.

From January it will be illegal to discriminate against gay couples that wish to adopt.

The Bishop said the Catholic Caring Services will disobey the Church’s teachings on homosexuality if it complies with the new laws and could not call itself Catholic “unless you have fully exhausted all possible legal alternatives.”

O’Donoghue also warned that the charity could also be disqualified from any financial contributions from the Diocese.

Landmark Euthanasia Case

A terminally ill woman has launched a landmark assisted suicide case today for assurance that her husband will not be prosecuted if he helps her travel abroad to end her life.

Debbie Purdy, 45, suffers from primary progressive multiple sclerosis and wants to travel to a specialist euthanasia clinic in Switzerland but is worried Omar Puente, her husband, could be prosecuted if he helps her.

The penalty for anyone who helps facilitate suicide is up to 14 years in prison and Purdy would have to travel alone or consider going while still healthy if her husband is liable for prosecution.

So far no relative of the 100 UK citizens who have gone abroad to die has been prosecuted and Purdy is seeking clarification of the law in England and Wales.

DPP lawyers are expected to argue that there is no specific policy on assisted suicide, or a legal obligation to publish one, and a verdict is expected from the DPP in a fortnight.

Black History Month in Lancaster

No events in Lancaster will be marking Black History Month this October.

Lancaster was the fourth busiest port in the UK for the transatlantic slave trade.

For over 30 years Black History Month has been celebrated across the UK every October to highlight and celebrate the achievements and culture of the black community.

As part of Litfest, Bernairdine Evaristo will read from her book Blonde Roots, a satirical reversal of the slave trade in which Africans are the masters are the slaves, Friday 10 October.

Cervical Cancer Vaccine

The cervical cancer vaccine programme has met opposition from 20% parents.

Parents refused to give permission for their daughters to receive the jab due to concerns about the long-term effects.

Other concerns are that the vaccine will promote promiscuity as the cancer-causing virus HPV is contracted in sexual intercourse.

Two schools have declined to take part for religious reasons and a Bury Catholic School will not allow the vaccine to be administered on its premises.

Bury's director of public health “We know this will reduce the number of girls who take up the vaccines."

The £100m vaccination programme will protect all 14- 18 year olds saving 400 lives each year, an estimated 75% cut of cancer rates by 2011.

First Blog

This is my first blog. Great.