Beliefnet News

Beliefnet News

Anglican Priest Arrested on Marriage Charges

posted by editor

LONDON (RNS) A Church of England vicar has been arrested in Britain’s second major police investigation in as many years into bogus marriages staged to help immigrants win residents’ visas.
The church immediately suspended the Rev. Canon Patrick Magumba amid claims he was involved in scores of sham weddings at three churches in northeast England.
Last year in a similar case, a vicar was sent to jail for conducting some 360 fake weddings to help foreigners evade immigration regulations.
The 58-year-old Magumba, who came to Britain from Uganda, is accused of failing to read out the banns that are designed as part of a safety net to make sure a marriage is legitimate.
The banns involve reading the names and addresses of those getting married during three separate Sunday services and are necessary in this country to acquire a marriage certificate.
With that document, the government’s Home Office said, immigrants who otherwise would have no legal right to stay in Britain could remain in the country as the “husband” or “wife” of a bogus spouse.
Magumba has been released on bail, and the Church of England said in a statement his “license to operate as a minister of religion” had been suspended while the police investigation continued.
- AL WEBB, Religion News Service



You Might Also Like...
Previous Posts

Confessions of a Preacher’s Daughter
She’s the star of “This Is Our Time.” She played Kirk Cameron’s wife in the surprise blockbuster “Fireproof.” But she grew up as the pastor’s kid at a megachurch. Was Erin Bethea the stereotypical fast-driving, hard-drinking, boy-teasing, cigar-smoking preacher’s daughter? After all,

posted 12:04:02pm Apr. 23, 2013 | read full post »

Focus on the Family’s President Says It’s Time to “Refocus”
 It’s tough out there in the culture wars and Jim Daly has the battle scars to prove it. But does the top executive of Focus on the Family believe he can ever successfully declare

posted 10:24:18am Mar. 14, 2013 | read full post »

5-week Bible special a labor of love for famous TV producer and 'Touched by an Angel' wife
It’s a passion project. The new 10-hour mini-series The Bible is “a story of enduring love,” says Mark Burnett, producer of TV mega-hits Survivor (CBS), The Voice (NBC), The Celebrity Apprentice (NBC), and Shark Tank (ABC). “It’s many, many stories that have endured over thousands of ye

posted 4:47:19am Feb. 21, 2013 | read full post »

Who should be allowed to pray for Obama?
It seems preposterous, but there’s a major debate over who is worthy to invoke the presence and blessing of the Almighty on the leaders of this land we love! So, who is qu

posted 1:59:32pm Jan. 15, 2013 | read full post »

Do parents have a say in what schools teach?
Should a Hindu foundation be allowed to finance yoga instruction in California grade schools – despite vehement parental objections? Should a student production featuring cross-dressing and gender confusion go ahead in Utah despite protests from furious parents? [caption id="attachment_12003" a

posted 4:11:31pm Jan. 07, 2013 | read full post »

Advertisement
Comments Post the First Comment »
post a comment

Post a Comment

By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.





Report as Inappropriate

You are reporting this content because it violates the Terms of Service.

All reported content is logged for investigation.