A Liberal Democrat MP today introduced a private members Bill in the House of Commons seeking to change the rules of succession to the throne, including giving women and Catholics equal rights.

A Scottish Nationalist MSP has added further weight to appeals from both civic and religious groups for the UK government to end the long-standing ban on a Roman Catholic becoming king or queen.

In the 'United Kingdom' it is our political inheritance which is defining how we see God and the place of the church, rather than a vision of the kingdom of God which is shaping our politics, says Tom Hurcombe. The vision of Jesus and monarchical assumptions are fundamentally antagonistic.

How strange that the Church of England tries to justify Establishment on biblical grounds, says leading biblical scholar Chris Rowland, when the prophetic tradition and Jesus point in such a different direction.

Disestablishment would make the Church of England more Christian, a national newspaper has said. The comments came in an editorial in the Times newspaper.

The natural presumption of Establishment insulates the Church of England, says Simon Barrow. Even worse, it takes the opposite direction to Jesus, who rejected worldly power in the Temptation that Christians recall during Lent.

Rowan Williams clarified the nub of his thinking and showed contrition for clumsiness, but he declined to apologise and is not off the hook, say commentators and other public figures today, amid calls for disestablishment.

As Dr Rowan Williams faced calls for his resignation last night over the row about his Sharia speech, Lambeth Palace issued a statement suggesting that recognition for Christianity in a secular state requires a multi-faith settlement.