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 LAST UPDATE: FEBRUARY 22, 10:57

CHURCH LEADERS MAKE LENT CALL ON CLIMATE
LEADERS of churches in Britain have made a Lenten call for repentance and a "change of direction" to combat the dangers of climate change.
The heads of churches across the UK signed a declaration which says reducing dependence on fossil fuels is "essential" to Christian discipleship.
"Continuing to pollute the atmosphere when we know the dangers goes against what we know of God's ways and God's will," it said.
"We are failing to love not only the earth, but our neighbours and ourselves, who are made in God's image. God grieves over the destruction of creation and so should we."
The declaration was released by Operation Noah, the Christian environmental charity.
Signatories included the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, Archbishop of Wales Barry Morgan and leaders of the Methodist, Baptist and United Reformed churches and other denominations.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, has also signed the declaration.
The Rt Rev David Atkinson, of Operation Noah, said: "We believe that this is a time of urgency for the church.
"The threat of runaway climate change is the most significant moral question facing us today."
The launch declaration comes on Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent, traditionally a period of penitence, prayer and reflection for Christians in the run-up to Easter. The declaration will be marked by a service in central London this evening (Feb 22).
WORKSHOP TO BUILD PEACE
A UNIQUE workshop is to take place this summer to support the peacebuilding efforts of young Anglicans.
The Peacebuilders’ Exchange: Transforming conflict, Changing Lives is a ten-day programme being run by Anglican Alliance to develop the peacebuilding skills of young Anglicans.
The workshop is taking place in collaboration with Coventry Cathedral's Community of the Cross of Nails.
The community was established after the cathedral was devastated during a German airstrike in 1940 and works for peace, justice and reconciliation.
The workshop takes place in July and coincides with the community's Golden Jubilee.
Participants will come from countries damaged by conflict in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and will look at ways to prevent conflict, while building the role of women in peace-building initiatives.
The workshop will also explore the role of conflict as a barrier to development and consider ways of building peace in multicultural and interfaith contexts, as well as the role of the church in building sustainable peace.
THOUSANDS BACK MARRIAGE PETITION
MORE than 18,000 people have signed a petition on its first day supporting the current definition of marriage and opposing any moves to redefine it.
The Coalition for Marriage (C4M) was launched yesterday with an online petition.
It comes as a Sky News poll showed over 60 per cent opposition to same-sex marriage.
C4M was launched ahead of a Government consultation on redefining marriage that is set to begin next month.
Colin Hart, campaign director of C4M, said the petition has been signed by thousands of people who “share our concerns at the proposals by the Government to redefine traditional marriage without asking for their views”.
He continued: “None of the main political parties said in their manifestos that they would make this massive cultural change.”
On Sky News’s Boulton & Co programme, viewers were asked whether they supported same-sex marriage. At the end of the programme the survey stood at 62 per cent saying “no” with 38 per cent saying “yes”.
GRAHAM ‘UNSURE’ OF OBAMA’S CHRISTIAN CREDENTIALS
THE son of evangelist Billy Graham, the Rev Franklin Graham, has said he isn't sure if President Obama is a true Christian.
Speaking on a television news programme in American, Mr Graham said he was unsure because he claimed Mr Obama had not stepped in to demand the end of persecution of Christians in the Middle East and Africa.
He told MSNBC’s Morning Joe programme: “He’s come out saying that he’s a Christian - the question is, what is a Christian?”
Asked if he would declare that Mr. Obama was not a Muslim, Mr. Graham replied, “I can’t say categorically, because Islam has gotten a free pass under Obama.”
Mr Graham cited the rise of Islamic parties in the Middle East as part of the Arab Spring and what he called a weak American response to the growing persecution of Christian minorities in Africa and the Middle East.
“All I know,” Mr Graham said, “is that Mr Obama seems to be more concerned about the Muslims of the world than the Christians that are being murdered in the Muslim countries.
“Barack Obama is an incredible man. He could be speaking to these countries now, demanding that they protect the Christians.”