openly

Cherry Vann has joined the growing list of religious leaders making LGBTQIA+ history within the church.

On Wednesday (30 July), Vann was appointed as the new Archbishop of Wales, becoming the first woman to lead any of Britain’s Anglican churches and the first lesbian to serve as an archbishop globally. 

According to The Guardian, her historic placement was reached after two days of deliberations by an electoral college boasting clergy and laypersons.

Vann’s decades-long experience as a church official dates back to the 1980s, when she trained for the ministry at Westcott House, Cambridge, and was ordained as a deacon in 1989.

Since then, the 66-year-old has risen within the church ranks, becoming one of the first women to be ordained as a priest in the Church of England in 1994, and serving as an archdeacon of Rochdale in the Diocese of Manchester for 11 years.

In January 2020, Vann was consecrated as the bishop of Monmouth, holding the position for the last five years. Before she was appointed the new Archbishop of Wales, the position was held by Andrew John.

In June, John abruptly left his role following the May publication of a safeguarding review at Bangor Cathedral in North Wales, which featured complaints related to inappropriate language, excessive consumption of alcohol and a “culture in which sexual boundaries seemed blurred.”

There was no suggestion that John perpetuated the aforementioned behaviour or conducted any wrongdoing.

Following her appointment, Vann released a statement detailing her first priority as the new archbishop of Wales.

“The first thing I shall need to do is to ensure that the issues which have been raised in the last six months are properly addressed and that I work to bring healing and reconciliation, and to build a really good level of trust across the Church and the communities the Church serves,” she said.

Since the news was announced, Vann has received support from her church peers, including Archbishop Mark O’Toole.

“I congratulate Archbishop-elect Cherry on her appointment as the new Archbishop of Wales. I am sure she will be able to bring healing to all in the Church of Wales. I assure her of my prayers and those of the Catholic community,” he said.

You can read more about Archbishop Vann here.

The wife swap continued on tonight’s Love Island – as Harry made a shock U-Turn and asked his ex Emma if she was tempted to spend time with him in the Hideaway…

It’s hard to keep up with the Love Island couples, as tonight the ‘wife swap’ continued. In the biggest twist yet, Harry and his ex-girlfriend Emma appeared to begin the rekindling process. Now, fans are certain it was their game plan all along.

The couple had been together for four years prior to their arrivals into the villa, and Harry got the shock of his life when his ex turned up at Casa Amor. They both made it clear that there was no chance of them getting back together, although tonight it looks like they may have had a change of heart…

Teasing, Harry asked Emma: “Would you have gone to the Hideaway with me last night?” as she responded: “You’re getting bored and you’re looking to stir the pot,” before hinting at a reunion.

Emma then went on to express her disapproval of Harry’s relationship with Helena, as she told him: “I don’t think people see you and her as the real deal… no one really sees you as end game or that you’re going to work on the outside… Everyone thinks you’ve taken the path of least resistance because perhaps you don’t feel like you can step up to the ones you really want.”

A sneaky Harry then tells Emma that ‘no one compares’ to her – and what he said next shocked fans. “I can’t compare anyone to you, of course I love you, I’m going to always have love for you. We’ve known each other for a very long time,” he said.

“Did we really come on Love Island to get back together?” However, their chat didn’t stay secret for long – as Emma told Helena she doesn’t see them lasting on the outside. She didn’t stop there however, telling Helena she didn’t see them lasting on the outside.

Elsewhere in the conversation, Harry and Emma began to joke about what they’d do “if they win” the whole show – leaving many fans to believe they had a game plan all along.

Fans were left in utter shock over Harry’s words, as one penned: “Wtf am I currently watching ??? Is Harry ok??? Is Emma ok ???” as another shocked fan said: “Wait Emma and Harry fully just spoke about their plan to win on camera. Could they be the ones that got dumped?”

“Emma and harry openly talking about gameplaying to the public is crazy!” exclaimed another. “Nah, did they hold hands then?!” questioned another shocked fan.

“Wait is Emma gameplanning a rekindle??????” questioned another, while another said: “Harry/Emma deffo playing a game together in here they both want each other clearly.”

Another fan predicted: “Emma and Harry will hookup once the show is over! They both ain’t over it.”

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.