It was very good to be in Assisi for the 40th International Meeting for Peace yesterday. In the Papal Basilica of St Francis, we gathered for an ecumenical service of Christian prayer for peace in our world.  Then we joined other faith leaders and representatives for the closing ceremony, to renew our commitment to working together for peace. In a powerful video address, Pope Leo XIV urged us to continue to live ‘the spirit of Assisi’ that began with the first meeting convened 40 years ago by Pope John Paul II. In the name of Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace, I join with the Pope in praying that we would each be ‘unarmed instruments of the Lord’s peace.’

We weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15). Hosting the South Sudan Council of Churches at Lambeth Palace, we heard their longing for an end to the violence, killings and insecurity in the country, and have witnessed their tireless role in peacebuilding, and working towards a better future. As elections approach in December, we commit to stand with the people of South Sudan - in solidarity, in prayer and the in spirit of the Ecumenical Peace Pilgrimage. We also know that far more than elections will be needed for peace. We pray that leaders will have priorities aligned with the heart of Jesus Christ.

I warmly welcome the news that His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has become Papal Confrater of St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land - a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills." (Deuteronomy 8:7) Last Sunday, I joined the congregation at St Mary’s Teynham in the Diocese of Canterbury, where we celebrated Harvest together and gave thanks for God’s abundant creation and provision. I am praying for all our farmers, labourers, fruit pickers and distributors working to bring food to our tables this Harvest time.

Jesus prayed for the unity of his disciples. Christian unity is more than an aspiration in the life of the Church - it is inseparable from its mission. At a time when the world is increasingly marked by division, conflict and polarisation, the Church is called to offer a different witness- one of reconciliation, hope, hospitality and unity in Christ.   It was very good to welcome fellow Presidents of Churches Together in England to Lambeth Palace this week - to pray together, reflect on this shared witness, and discuss opportunities and challenges facing Christian communities across England.

Today's online service from Southwark Cathedral is led by Rt Rev Dr Rosemarie Mallett, Bishop of Croydon. “May God bless us all in this work of the gospel to make visible the God-given dignity of each and every one of us.” Join us at cofe.io/BlackHistoryMonthSer….

Harvest reminds us to look at all we have been given, and recognise it’s all a gift from God. It was wonderful to join the congregation at St Mary’s Teynham for their harvest service this morning. Thank you for the invitation to preach and preside at your beautiful church in rural Canterbury diocese. This harvest, let us look upon the face of Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Harvest, and offer him the simplest, most valuable prayer of all: Thanks be to God.

I am so grateful for church wardens. Completely voluntarily, they give their time and care in service to their parishes. If you’ve stepped inside your local church, you will have been blessed by the ministry of churchwardens.    It was good to meet with some of them in the Diocese of Guilford last week. We talked candidly about the challenges in our parishes and church buildings, but also about the joys and opportunities of ministry. And it was really encouraging to hear their good news stories of God’s love reaching and meeting people through the local church.    Please pray for church wardens across the Church of England, and all those who volunteer their time and energy to support their church community.

Last week, I spent time with curates in the Church of England, listening to their experience serving in local parishes in @SouthwarkCofE. It was good to hear about the opportunities they see for sharing the gospel, and some of the challenges and pressures they face. The call to ordained ministry is a call to witness to the love of Christ in every encounter you have – person by person. This is a profound privilege, but not something we can do alone or in our own strength. Please pray for all those who are training for ordained ministry in the Church of England – for their ministries and lives to flourish as they share the good news of Jesus Christ in parishes and chaplaincies across the country.

My daily prayers remain with Pope Leo XIV following his cancer diagnosis, and I assure the Holy Father and the Catholic faithful of the prayers of the Church of England and the Anglican Communion. I pray that the Holy Spirit – the Comforter, Healer and Giver of Life – will sustain him in the days and weeks ahead, and that his recovery will be swift and complete.

During this Baby Loss Awareness Week, it was a privilege to visit the baby loss memorial at Hereford County Hospital. It was good to be able to thank midwives and staff who support parents who have lost their babies. Please join me in prayer for all those who are grieving this week, and at any time, for children they have lost. May God surround them with comfort and love, and in the midst of darkness, may they find some light and some hope.

It was a blessing to spend this weekend in the Diocese of Hereford. Together we celebrated 1,350 years of faith and faithful service in this place – built on prayer and the enduring hope we have in Jesus Christ. Here in Hereford, the Church is a visible witness to the faithfulness of God, in times of trial as well as in times of joy. In rural villages and market towns, local churches offer community, connection and care. This weekend has been a reminder of the many challenges facing our farming communities, from loneliness and isolation to climate change and rising costs. But it has also be a chance to see the care offered by our clergy, agricultural chaplains and local churches. I give thanks too for our hospital chaplains, and for the many people who lead worship, visit those in need, work with children and young people, and sustain the life of our parishes. Each of us has a vital part to play in the body of Christ. God has been faithful through generations, and remains present among us. He calls us to serve others, provides what we need, and sustains us in our life together. Thank you again to the people of God in Hereford diocese – and to the thousands of faithful clergy, chaplains and local churches across this country. The one who calls us is faithful, and will always walk with us.

As the Bishop of Hereford, Bishop Richard Jackson, has said - far from being the church's forgotten edge, the countryside is an important place of creative ministry, as well as faithful continuity. It has been a privilege to spend time with Bishop Richard and congregations in this very rural diocese, and all those parishes working in and with our rural communities. Our clergy, lay leaders and agricultural chaplains are on the frontline of the pastoral response to challenges facing farming communities, from loneliness and isolation to the effects of climate change and increasing costs. Having spent time this weekend with farmers from across the diocese, I see there is much to celebrate in what God provides for our planet, and what He is doing in our villages and market towns.

Thank you to the Diocese of Hereford for an enriching day spent across the diocese. Praying with hospital chaplains, nurses and midwives at Hereford County Hospital this morning, worshipping with the congregation at Putley Church for their harvest celebrations, spending time at Much Marcle’s Apple Festival and then joining Evensong at Hereford Cathedral, I am reminded again of God's faithfulness, generosity, and the ways that He is at work across this diocese and the Church of England.

I will be holding Pope Leo XIV in my prayers over these coming days, asking for God’s protection, closeness and care. With Christians across the country and around the world, I pray for the Pope’s swift recovery.

Lay ministry is an important and valued part of the Church of England's mission and ministry across the country – and that's very clear here in the Diocese of Hereford. The diocese is committed to enabling more people to discover their vocation and share the work, joy and responsibility of Christian witness. In a predominantly rural diocese, sustainable mission relies on recognising, and equipping the gifts of all God's people. I give thanks for the thousands of lay leaders, readers, pastoral visitors, church wardens, children's leaders, musicians and administrators that are responding to God's calling here in Hereford. Remember that you do not carry this calling alone. God has been faithful through generations, and remains present among you - calling, equipping and sustaining all His people.

What a joy to be in the Diocese of Hereford this weekend, celebrating 1,350 years of faith and faithful service - built on prayer and the enduring hope we have in Jesus Christ. From spending time with farming communities at the Diocese’s monthly bacon butty van in Affcott this morning, to celebrating the enormous contribution of lay ministry and presiding at baptisms and confirmations at St Laurence's in Ludlow, before ending the day at the youth hub in Leominster – I am struck by those who faithfully carry the Christian faith and see it grow.

It is so important to recognise that we are all made differently, with each of us made in the image of God. To mark Dyslexia Awareness Week, it was a pleasure to sit down with the @ChurchTimes and discuss my dyslexia diagnosis, and how it has shaped my work and ministry: soundcloud.com/user-63206301…

In thousands of parishes across the country, you will find church wardens giving their time, energy and care to serving their local church. Today I met with a group of church wardens from @CofEGuildford, where I heard about the challenges they are facing, as well as what brings them life and joy, as they seek to ensure church is a place of welcome. I am deeply grateful for their commitment and hard work, which is often costly and unseen. Please pray for church wardens across the Church of England, and for all those in lay ministry who serve in their parishes each day.