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The British state church has been accused of "an appalling, shocking level of negligence" by a lawyer who specialises in child abuse cases. The claim, reported in the Daily Telegraph, followed the leaking of confidential Church of England documents that say that its bishops have concealed decades of child abuse.

One document quoted by the newspaper says that "most serious concerns will have been known by the senior staff at the time" and that there have been large scale systemic failures.

Earlier this year an Anglican vicar was jailed for 5 years for abusing 6 boys over 30 years. When complaints against him were lodged in 1983 the Church claimed that it had dealt with the problem. Also this year, a choirmaster was allowed to leave the Church quietly when officials were told that he had abused boys 17 years before.

The Church has said that as a result of these revelations it will investigate urgently.

The Church of England is the state church of Britain. It appoints 32 bishops to sit in Parliament as legislators. Six of the Church Commissioners who manage the Church’s property and stock market assets hold state office. They include the prime minister and the sport & culture minister. The commissioners are accountable to Parliament and to the General Synod of the Church.

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The New Zealand Republican Movement has declared the race on amongst Commonwealth countries to remove the monarchy and become republics in the Commonwealth. Australia is set to hold another referendum on the issue, support in Canada has topped 50% and in Jamaica a clear electoral mandate for reform has been given to the new government.

In five of the remaining Commonwealth members with Elizabeth Windsor as head of state republican movements are gaining ground. A recent poll by Angus Reid Strategies in Canada indicates that 53 percent of Canadians support ending the monarchy, while only 35 percent support the status quo.

Citizens for a Canadian Republic leader Tom Freda said "Republican support jumps to 55 percent versus 31 percent when respondents are asked about retaining the monarchy with Prince Charles as the successor to Queen Elizabeth II."

In Australia, opposition leader Kevin Rudd has announced that if elected later this year his government would hold a new referendum on Australia dumping the monarchy.

Commenting on the Australian announcement, Graham Smith of Republic UK said "We'll be watching the Australian situation with great interest. Seeing Australia become a republic will rock the monarchy back here in the UK, and will provide us all with a shining example of what a modern democratic country can aspire to."

In Jamaica the newly elected government has a mandate to reform Jamaica's head of state. New Prime Minister Bruce Golding made a clear pledge in the party's election manifesto to take "steps to amend the Constitution to replace the Queen with a Jamaican President who symbolises the unity of the nation. Such a President will be appointed by consensus through a two-thirds majority vote in each House of Parliament"

Reform in Jamaica will influence smaller Caribbean countries. Barbados, St Lucia, Grenada, Belize, St Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, St Vincent and Grenadines will all start to examine the value of reforming the office of head of state. In light of growing republican sentiment in New Zealand, the race to become the newest republic within the Commonwealth is definitely on.

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Nationalist attacks on the Spanish monarchy are putting national unity under pressure. Catalan nationalists have begun to protest against the feudal institution and have declared that they will campaign for its abolition as well as for independence for Catalonia.

The Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) nationalist party told the Financial Times that it was burning photographs of Spain’s hereditary head of state Juan Carlos Bourbon "to open a debate on the Spanish political system that was handed down by the fascist dictatorship". Catalans have also shouted abuse at another member of the Bourbon family, Felipe Bourbon who is known as a "prince".

The ERC has pushed home its attack with more than 100 objections in parliament to public spending on the monarchy. It is demanding that the position of armed forces commander-in-chief be taken from Mr. Bourbon senior.

According to press reports the socialist government is trying to play down these protests before upcoming national elections. In Catalonia it governs in coalition with the ERC. And it has sometimes had to depend on the support of the eight ERC deputies in the national parliament.

In an unprecedented public defence of his family’s privileges hereditary head of state Bourbon told students that the monarchy was responsible for Spain’s prosperity and stability. Mr. Bourbon has had wide support in Spain since he played an important part in preventing a military coup in 1981.

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