What the papers said in the week ending 8 January 2022
Church in the headlines:
The Pope’s observations on families who invest their love in pets have caused controversy but opened up a worthwhile analysis and discussion of costs and values Choosing pets over babies is ‘selfish and diminishes us’, says pope | Pope Francis | The Guardian
- On birthrates, the pope is not one to preach | Letters | The Guardian
- An important and educational series on Radio 4 casts further light on population issues BBC Sounds – Rethink, Rethink Population, Is demography destiny?
- And there is more on population and changing life-styles with the publication of the 1921 census 1921 Census of England and Wales reveals nation reeling from war | Census | The Guardian
Rowan Williams’ reflection on values and what is helpful in these years of extra stress is welcome The world feels fragile, but we can recover from the blows we’ve suffered | Rowan Williams | The Guardian
- It matches observations from a medical perspective on the strengths which come from approaches to healing which work still, but have their roots in history ‘We need to respect the process of healing’: a GP on the overlooked art of recovery | Coronavirus | The Guardian
- How we heal after illness is not a matter for science alone | Letters | The Guardian
And people report on the new lives which church communities and buildings are demonstrating Churches are opening their doors and evolving | Letters | The Guardian
Covid and its consequences:
There are many cases of covid reported throughout the UK, but there is reluctance to take actions which would limit the spread Almost 200,000 new Covid cases reported in UK | Coronavirus | The Guardian
- Responses to serious illnesses have been dumbed down – Heart attack patients told to make own way to hospital as Covid surge hits northern England | Coronavirus | The Guardian
- The army is called on to help cope: Military deployed at London hospitals due to Omicron staff shortages | Coronavirus | The Guardian
- Schools are advised to make do with combined classes which must reduce the quality of supervision and education they provide: Combine classes in case of Covid staff shortages, DfE tells teachers in England | Schools | The Guardian
- Yet residents of care homes find their liberties severely and damagingly restricted to a degree which families and care home operators feel is unjustified: UK care home firm says visitor rules in ‘total imbalance’ to Covid risks | Social care | The Guardian
- Relatives plead for care home isolation rules in England to be relaxed | Social care | The Guardian
Thankfully the culture of blame directed at people who do not want to be vaccinated is contested: Understanding, not judgment, should shape our response to those who remain unjabbed | John Harris | The Guardian
The struggles of the NHS are not all due to Covid-19 but have roots in decisions over many years NHS | Society | The Guardian
Meanwhile Cuba shows the way by creating its own vaccines and protecting almost all its residents: Cuba’s vaccine success story sails past mark set by rich world’s Covid efforts | Cuba | The Guardian
Other matters
A new therapy which can reduce pain and suffering from osteoporosis – which mainly affects older women – is judged to be unaffordable Call for NICE to reverse decision to reject novel osteoporosis drug – The Pharmaceutical Journal (pharmaceutical-journal.com)
More news about Jeremy Lockwood’s retirement work on the Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight’s dinosaur hunter: we’re going to need a bigger museum | Dinosaurs | The Guardian
Kane Tanakar, who lives in a care home in Japan, is 119 years old World’s oldest person celebrates 119th birthday in Japan nursing home | Japan | The Guardian
Lost camellias have been rediscovered in a Yorkshire estate ‘Quite incredible’: some of world’s rarest camellias discovered in Yorkshire | Plants | The Guardian
A shaggy crested belted kingfisher has found itself in Preston Rare kingfisher sighting in Preston draws thousands | Birds | The Guardian
An enthusiast has given new life to Ceefax Text appeal: Ceefax recreated by 20-year-old Northern Irish man | BBC | The Guardian
Dementia continues to be the biggest health issue and will get bigger Number of adults with dementia to exceed 150m by 2050, study finds | Dementia | The Guardian
Changes in climate put increasing strain on all living creatures: More than 400 weather stations beat heat records in 2021 | Extreme weather | The Guardian
The Economy:
A few people are very rich and are getting richer: Richest 1% of UK households are worth at least £3.6m each | Money | The Guardian
- But for many prospects are very worrying – with the rising cost of fuels adding hugely to the pressures for covid What does 2022 hold for the UK economy and its households? | Economic growth (GDP) | The Guardian
- Cost of living squeeze: how much worse off will you be in 2022? | Consumer affairs | The Guardian
- The Guardian view on soaring energy bills: the less well-off need a new deal | Editorial | The Guardian
- Just how bad the situation is already for poor people in England is made painfully clear by this story from Leeds ‘I’m always tired, Miss’: the sleepless children of Leeds’ bed poverty crisis | Poverty | The Guardian
- Children are bedless but the rich sleep on | Poverty | The Guardian
- We deliver beds and basics to children in poverty. (zarach.org)
We cannot live with ourselves. People of all faiths and none must take action
David Jolley
