It brings together the most unlikely of bedfellows from Prince Harry to Gerry Adams and even -- in many depictions -- God himself.

Now the fashion for beards has been given the blessing of the Church of England, after one of the country's most senior clerics praised vicars who grow them to appeal to Muslim communities around them.

There are now 150 L'Arche communities in at least 35 countries around the world, including a community in Canterbury.

Vanier will address the Primates in the second half of next week.

Last year Vanier, who has authored over 30 books, was honoured with the Templeton Prize in recognition of his advocacy for people with disabilities, and his contributions to a broader exploration of helping the weak and vulnerable.

It is a shame to begin the New Year with criticism, so let it be done as gently as it can. But in a message from an Archbishop to a nation and a culture in turmoil, one might have hoped for a little more.

One might have looked for an element of the charism of prophesy. The nation is inexorably engaged in a slow but seemingly inevitable process of severing its allegiance to Christ and a culture that was forged from values our ancestors found in the Gospels.

However, only 2.8% of C of E clergy are from ethnic minorities, which limits the numbers available for fast-tracking. At senior levels, the sole Bame bishop is John Sentamu, the archbishop of York; there is one Bame dean; and three archdeacons. Only 3% of the members of the last synod -- the church parliament -- were from ethnic minorities; figures are not yet available for the new synod elected in October.