The Church of England has been accused of “dumbing down” the baptism service, one of the cornerstones of the faith, by changing its wording so parents and godparents no longer have to “repent sins” and “reject the devil”.

The Church of England is “out of touch” with local communities and some of its own dioceses over the issue of fracking, according to activists in the UK.

The Church of England “owes” an apology to Charles Darwin for misunderstanding his theory of evolution when it was first published nearly 150 years ago, a senior clergyman said today.