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2000-153

News Briefs

Anglican-Roman Catholic Consultation celebrates special 
relationship

     (ENS) At its 50th meeting in September, the Anglican-Roman 
Catholic Consultation in the United States (ARC-USA) celebrated 
and reaffirmed the special relationship between the two churches, 
especially as expressed in the Second Vatican Council and the 
Lambeth Conferences.

     Bishop John Snyder, of Jacksonville, the Roman Catholic co-
chair of the dialogue, said in a homily during choral evensong at 
the Washington National Cathedral that "our collaboration has 
provided me with a rare view of the richness and variety of the 
church's life, a glimpse of the passion for ecclesial union for 
which we strive and…a source of great hope, comfort and joy." He 
highlighted the substantial agreements that have been achieved 
during an official dialogue that spans 35 years. He also 
recognized the obstacles that remain on the road to the full 
visible unity of the church.

     Participants in the dialogue also rejoiced in a meeting last 
May of Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops from 13 countries near 
Toronto, convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the 
president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian 
Unity. A statement emerging from that meeting declared that "a 
sense of mutual interdependence in the Body of Christ has been 
reached" and that "we have moved much closer to the goal of full 
visible communion than we had at first dared to believe." That 
meeting established a new Joint Unity Commission to promote 
efforts for unity. ARC-USA expressed its hope that the commission 
would be established as soon as possible and that it would 
consider preparation of a joint statement on the apostolic faith 
professed by both Anglicans and Roman Catholics.

     In looking back over 50 years, members of the dialogue noted 
signs and symbols of encouragement along the way--including Pope 
Paul VI's reference to the Anglican Communion as "ever-beloved 

sister" and the symbolic presentation of his own episcopal ring 
to Archbishop of Canterbury Michael Ramsey. "We also recall the 
invitation of Archbishop Robert Runcie to John Paul II to join 
him in leading worship in Canterbury Cathedral and Archbishop 
George Carey's participation at the side of the Pope in the 
opening of the Holy Door, inaugurating this Jubilee year," said a 
statement following the meeting in Washington, DC.

Church Pension Fund elects new officers

     (ENS) The board of the Church Pension Group (CPG) elected 
new officers at its September 21 meeting. Bishop Herbert Thompson 
Jr. of Southern Ohio was elected chairman. The Rev. Noreen 
Suriner of Binghamton, New York, and Vincent Currie, Jr., of 
Pensacola, Florida, will serve as vice chairs. "Their diverse 
backgrounds, talents and strengths will be especially important 
as we think about how the fund's unprecedented prosperity can 
best serve our pensioners and the church," said CPG president 
Alan Blanchard. As a result of the fund's "extraordinary 
investment results of the past 10 years and the last year in 
particular," it adopted a theme pointing to a "stewardship of 
abundance." The fund oversees the $6.5 billion pension plan for 
Episcopal clergy, as well as other companies that comprise the 
Church Pension Group. Since it was founded in 1917, it has paid 
out more than $1.4 billion in benefits.

Gombe starts an interreligious council to deal with fears

     (ENI) On September 8 Governor Abubakar Habu Hashidu of 
Gombe, Nigeria, created an interreligious council after meeting 
with Muslim and Christian leaders about their recent clashes 
which have left at least 10 people dead and caused millions of 
dollars of damage to property.

     A report stated that the clashes, which broke out on 
September 7 in the town of Kaltunga and spread to the towns of 
Billiri and Bambam, began after the government decided to 
introduce Sharia, the Islamic legal code.

     More than 75 percent of the state's population of 2.7 
million are Christians whose leaders had previously warned the 
government that they would refuse to accept the Islamic legal 
system, maintaining that it would

     prevent the teaching of Christianity in public schools;

     prevent Christians from building new churches and enable 
Muslims to force existing churches in towns in Gombe to be 
relocated;

     discriminate against Christians in public service, as Sharia 
forbids non-Muslims from having authority over Muslims;

     mean that single mothers are considered as prostitutes;

     prevent women from travelling in the same vehicles as their 
husbands, even to attend church;

     introduce draconian penalties, such as the cutting off of a 
hand for those guilty of theft and death by stoning for those who 
commit adultery. Christians believe that such penalties are not 
in keeping with the biblical requirements of compassion and 
forgiveness.

     According to Hashidu, the council will be responsible for 
all religious matters, holding regular meetings and conducting 
awareness campaigns to promote religious harmony.

     Abraham Akanmu, chairman of the Gombe branch of the 
Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), an umbrella organization 
uniting all mainstream churches in Nigeria, called on all 
Christians in the state to remain calm, saying that CAN was 
already involved in discussions with the state government about 
the problem.

     CAN's member churches include the Anglican, Catholic, 
Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostal, Evangelical and 
African independent denominations.

Bishop Powell urges Congress to move on hate crimes bill

     (ENS) Bishop Neff Powell of the Diocese of Southwestern 
Virginia went before Congress on September 28 to urge the passing 
of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

     According to a report, Powell appeared at a rally sponsored 
by United Against Hate, a coalition of national civil rights, 
women's, religious, and labor organizations who support 
legislation to strengthen the federal hate crimes law.

     "We must do what we can to stop this," Powell said, 
referring to the numerous hate crimes that have been committed in 
recent years. Most recently, Danny Lee Overstreet was killed and 
six other people were wounded in a gay bar in Roanoke, Virginia, 
in an apparent hate crime.

     "These are God's children who are being beaten and killed. 
These are also our children, our brothers and sisters, our aunts 
and uncles, our parents. This [killing] is not what God wants. 
God loves all people, without reservation. This kind of hatred is 
not of God, the God of love and mercy," Powell continued.

     "Congress has the power to stand up and do something. The 

time to act is now. By passing this law, we proclaim to the world 
that the larger community, the whole community does not approve. 
How many more victims do there have to be?" he concluded.

     The Episcopal Church has been a long-time supporter of anti-
hate crime legislation. At its 73rd general convention in Denver, 
Colorado, this past July, the latest in a series of similar 
resolutions was passed supporting legislation to expand the 
current hate crime law to include crimes based on the gender, 
sexual orientation, or disability of the victim and to eliminate 
existing federal jurisdictional obstacles.

World's largest organ concert spans U.S.

     (ENS) Pipes Spectacular, billed as the world's largest organ 
concert, will take place on October 15 with over 2,000 performers 
at more than 200 concert events held across the country.

     The American Guild of Organists (AGO), organizers of the 
event, anticipate attracting an audience of 100,000 to hear 
programs featuring the organ with dance companies, brass and 
other instrumental ensembles, acclaimed choral groups and vocal 
soloists, marching bands and other musical organizations.

     These concerts are scheduled to be held throughout the 
United States in performing arts centers, concert halls, 
churches, universities and outdoor pavilions. The National 
Cathedral in Washington, DC, will host an exploration of the 
organ with singers, brass, and synthesizer.

     "The scale of participation by AGO members and the richness 
of programmatic output is reflective of the desire to entertain 
and inform the widest audience possible," said John W. Obetz, AGO 
national councilor for finance and development. "We intend to 
engage new audiences for the organ while giving seasoned 
listeners a fresh perspective on its expansive repertoire. We 
also hope to communicate the importance of music and arts 
education throughout our society by bringing attention to the 
AGO's educational and community outreach programs on both the 
local and national levels."

United Church of Canada to run police checks on clergy

     (ENS) The United Church of Canada's ministers are being 
required to submit to mandatory police checks as a condition of 
employment.

     Following claims of sexual and physical abuse by hundreds of 
former students of church-run residential schools, the Church 
decided at its national convention in August to run criminal and 

sexual abuse background checks on all its clergy and non-ordained 
personnel. It also requested that established ministers be 
checked every three years.

     "It is more than a little ironic that a left-leaning, 
establishment-challenging outfit like the United Church of Canada 
is now turning to the local policeman for assurance that its 
personnel are OK," said the Rev. John Moses, of Montreal's 
Erskine and American United Church.

     "It's very sad that we've come to this," he said. "I assume 
they're not looking for parking tickets. They're obviously trying 
to weed out potential sexual predators."

     The Anglican Diocese of Nova Scotia, which paid an 
undisclosed settlement last February to a man abused as an altar 
boy, puts candidates for priesthood through police checks as well 
as psychological assessments and workshops on sexual abuse. The 
Anglican Diocese of Toronto is considering similar checks.

     However, the United Church is the first mainstream Christian 
denomination in Canada to require ongoing criminal checks of its 
ordained ministers.

     The report said that some clergy and ministers believe that 
the policy is an effort to lower the church's liability-insurance 
bills in the aftermath of the residential school lawsuits crisis.

     Moses said that even if police screening reduces the 
church's insurance premiums, it sends a painful message that 
ministers cannot be trusted.

     "I doubt that it will deal with the real issues such as 
integrity, trustworthiness, and being a community of faith that 
fosters these qualities in its members," he said.

Prince Haakon's cohabitation causes a stir

     (ENI) The decision of Norway's Prince Haakon to live with 
his girlfriend, Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby, without marriage has 
started a debate among the northern European country's 4.4 
million citizens.

     Haakon, who is destined to become king and head of the 
Lutheran Church, purchased an apartment in Oslo in September. 
According to a recent opinion poll, 20 percent of Norwegians 
think that the church should advise the couple to get married.

     Several church leaders have expressed regret that Haakon has 
taken this step. They suggested that, according to biblical 
teaching, his decision is a sinful one. "The Crown Prince has 

chosen a way of life that is not supported by the church," said 
Halvor Nordhaug, head of Menighedsfakultetet, the leading 
educational centre of the Lutheran Church of Norway. 

     But in Norway, one in four couples living together is not 
married and nine out of 10 lived together prior to marriage.

     Many Lutheran bishops have made similar comments. But when 
asked by publications if cohabitation is a sin, most have either 
declined to answer or have said that it is not a "big sin."

     Bishop Gunnar Staalsett of Oslo, religious adviser to 
Norway's royal family, declined to say whether he was consulted 
about Haakon's decision but he has said he "expects a future king 
of Norway to be married to his queen."

     Many believe that Haakon's relationship has the approval of 
his father, King Harald, and that Hoiby will eventually become 
queen of Norway.

     Nonetheless, many Norwegians feel that the respect and 
mystique traditionally accorded to their monarchy are beginning 
to fade. Some have predicted that it will be harder for the 
Norwegian monarchy to survive if it becomes too "folksy."

Americans hold questionable religious attitudes

     (ENS) A recent survey conducted by the Barna Research Group 
found that many of the religious attitudes of Americans do not 
coincide with Old and New Testament teachings.

     George Barna, a religion analyst who conducts a dozen or 
more yearly surveys on faith and culture to help Christian 
pastors and groups focus their ministries, said it was 
"astonishing" the numbers of born-again Christians whose views 
appear to conflict with the Bible. More than 40 percent of that 
group believe that the proverb "God helps those who help 
themselves" is biblically based and that the Holy Spirit and 
Satan do not exist. More than 20 percent denied Jesus' physical 
resurrection and said Jesus the man was a sinner.

     David Kinnaman, vice president of the Barna Research Group, 
said "God helps those who help themselves" is an ancient proverb 
that can be found in the literature of many cultures--including a 
1736 edition of Benjamin Franklin's "Poor Richard's Almanac"--but 
not in the Bible. He said it suggests a spiritual self-reliance 
inconsistent with Christianity.

Clergy health problems connected to priest shortage

     (CNS) Roman Catholic Bishop James A. Griffin of Columbus, 

Ohio, says there is a direct link between priests' health problems and 
the shortage of clergy. He recently issued a new 
document called "Guidelines Regarding Expectations of the Priests 
and Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest."

     "I believe the time has clearly come to prepare the clergy 
and faithful alike for a new approach, one which acknowledges 
that there will be times when, due to a lack of an available 
priest, there may be no Mass on Sunday in a given place," Griffin 
said.

     He explained that there has been a steady decline not only 
in the number of diocesan priests but also in the number of 
"substitutes," typically retired priests, seminary professors, 
and chaplains.

     Griffin's guidelines discuss ways to help priests be renewed 
by adequate opportunities for rest and study, and ways the laity 
can respond to situations when no priest is available.

Dutch churches still divided on gay marriage

     (ENI) The Dutch Parliament's initial approval on September 
12 of a bill that authorizes same-sex marriages has prompted 
debate within churches in the Netherlands.

     According to a report, the bill, which is expected to become 
law by 2001, provides for partners in same-sex relationships to 
have most of the rights and privileges given to married 
heterosexual couples. However, some restrictions regarding the 
adoption of children by same-sex couples will remain the same. 

     If approved, the new law will be the culmination of decades 
of growing acceptance of homosexuals in Dutch society. For the 
government, the new law is a logical step in meeting the 
constitution's guarantees for equal treatment of all citizens.

     Nonetheless, the Dutch Roman Catholic Church prohibits the 
blessing of same-sex relationships. Sinsel Meijer, spokesman for 
Cardinal Simonis, who has been outspoken in opposition to the 
law, said, "There can be no question of blessing a same-sex 
marriage in the church."

     However, sources report that more and more gay and lesbian 
couples have approached Roman Catholic priests to ask for their 
relationships to be blessed and in some cases have been met with 
agreement.

     The report went on to say that some believe the passing of 
the same-sex marriage bill will make little difference to church 

practice in general. But it is likely to push discussion of the issue to 
another level as Dutch society grows more tolerant of 
same-sex relationships.

Peace conference ends with Catholic apology to Jews

     (ENI) Dom Jose Policarpo, the Roman Catholic Patriarch of 
Lisbon, issued a public apology to the local Jewish community for 
the suffering imposed on it by the Catholic Church, which in the 
16th century supported an inquisition that expelled countless 
Jews from Portugal or forced them to convert to Christianity.

     At the close of the international religious gathering, 
"Oceans of Peace: Religions and Cultures in Dialogue," held in 
Lisbon on September 26, Policarpo expressed his church's regrets 
to the Portuguese Jewish community.

     "This historical centre of Lisbon, where today we embrace in 
friendship, has in the past been the stage for intolerable acts 
of violence against the Hebrew people," he said. He added that 
the church should not forget "the pressures [on Jews] to convert, 
the popular uprisings, the suspicions, the denunciations, the 
process of the Inquisition.

     "As the major community in this city for close on 1,000 
years, the Catholic Church recognizes that her memory is deeply 
stained by these words and deeds so often carried out in her 
name, which are unworthy of human dignity and of the Gospel she 
proclaims," said Policarpo.

     After reading the declaration of guilt and repentance, 
Policarpo embraced three Jewish rabbis and other representatives 
of the Jewish community.

Jesus as a journalist rather than a carpenter?

     (ENI) Upon being awarded the 1999 Templeton Prize for 
European Religion Writer of the Year, Alain Dupraz, a journalist 
with La Tribune de Geneve, a daily newspaper in Geneva, told 
guests that if Jesus came back today, he would return not as a 
carpenter but as a journalist.

     "Jesus was passionate about communication," Dupraz said. 
Without the advantages of modern communications tools like the 
Internet, and using only his mouth "to talk" and his feet "to 
approach" people, Jesus had communicated his message so well that 
it was still highly relevant today.

     "That holds a lesson for the journalists of today," he said.

     Dupraz received a check for $1,966 for four articles he 
wrote in December 1999 examining 2,000 years of Christianity.

     The Templeton award is restricted to religion writing in the 
secular press and is administered by the Conference of European 
Churches, which is based in Geneva.

Religious press fights postal rate increase

     (ENS) Members of the religious press will be watching 
carefully on October 20, when the Postal Rate Commission 
announces its recommendation on new postal rates that are likely 
to be implemented in early January 2001. 

     The Postal Service has proposed increases of 12-15 percent 
for regionally mailed papers and 21-22 percent for nationally 
mailed publications. It claims that its costs for handling and 
transporting such publications has risen enough (since the 
January 10, 1999 rate hike) to warrant these increases.

     Facing the prospect of 20 percent-plus postal rate 
increases, Episcopal Communicators joined with other religious 
press associations last spring to tell the commission that such 
an increase was unwarranted and that it would seriously damage 
America's religious press.

     Representatives of the religious press have testified before 
the Postal Rate Commission, showing that its "contingency" 
request is excessive. They have also identified significant 
errors leading to inflated transportation and mail processing 
costs in the Postal Service's proposal.

     

Catholic and Lutheran to receive Christian Unity Award

     (ENS) The Paul Wattson Christian Unity Award will be 
presented to the Rev. John F. Hotchkin and Dr. George A. Lindbeck 
by the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement on October 27 at the 
Interreligious Center Chapel in New York City.

     Hotchkin is executive director of the Ecumenical and 
Interreligious Affairs Office for the National Conference of 
Catholic Bishops. Lindbeck, a Lutheran scholar, is Pitkin 
professor emeritus of historical theology at Yale University in 
New Haven, Connecticut.

     "These two eminent ecumenists have been part of a very long 
process of dialogue," said the Rev. Arthur M. Johnson, SA, 
minister general of the Franciscan Friars. "Father Hotchkin and 
Dr. Lindbeck are major players in the search for Christian unity, 
and we acknowledge them in a spirit of gratitude and respect. 
Their commitment to the cause of Christian unity will be a source 
of encouragement to the next generation of ecumenists."

     The Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, based in Garrison, 
New York, is a fraternal religious community in the Roman 
Catholic Church.

English crime writer joins call for women bishops

     (ENS) Crime novelist Ruth Rendell has been recruited by the 
Group for the Rescinding of the Act of Synod (GRAS) to demand an 
immediate end to safeguards for opponents of women priests in the 
Church of England

     According to a report, the act, which allows "flying 
bishops" to minister to dissenting clergy, has helped to sustain 
a fragile peace in the church since the ordination of women. The 
founders of GRAS claim that the act allows male clergy to shun 
women priests and has been used to bolster a "stained-glass 
ceiling."

     Rendell, an Anglican, said, "If women are ordained I cannot 
see a single reason why they should not be bishops as well. It 
seems to me to be quite illogical and unreasonable to prevent 
them. I didn't like the idea of it at first. I suppose I had some 
prejudice against it a while ago, but when I went to a church and 
there was a woman conducting a service I found it was fine."

     One of the "flying bishops," Bishop Edwin Barnes of 
Richborough, said, "They are a small, vociferous feminist group 
with a sadly predictable agenda. If they carry on like this, 
though, they could destroy the last remnants of the Church of 
England. If they want an inclusive Church, they must keep us 
[opponents of women priests] in it. Instead, they want to get rid 
of us." Regarding Rendell's involvement, he said, "Why should a 
crime writer know anything more about theology than anyone else?"

Bishop fears Church of England will be exiled

     (ENS) Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, of Rochester, believes that 
the Church of England is heading for a period of exile and 
persecution.

     In an article in the Church of England Newspaper, Nazir-Ali 
says he fears that Britain's Human Rights Act, which went into 
effect on October 2, will be used as a "trojan horse" for non-
Christian agendas that could push churches to the margins of 
society.

     "It will become harder to be a Christian," he said. 
"Christians will be excluded from councils of state, voluntary 
organizations and sometimes from the business of the church. The 
church is gradually being pushed to the margins in the Western 
world, and we must prepare for a time of exile."

     John Wadham, the director of Liberty, said, "The Human 
Rights Act is a great piece of legislation but it is the 
beginning of strong human rights protection in this country, not 
the final word." Liberty is a 66-year-old independent human 
rights organization which works to defend and extend rights and 
freedoms in England and Wales.

New prayer book available

     (ENS) Cambridge University Press has begun to deliver copies 
of the Church of England's new prayer book, called Common 
Worship.

     Common Worship, which will enter full service in parishes on 
the first Sunday of Advent, December 3, replaces the 1980 
Alternative Service Book (ASB) and offers a blend of the old and 
new.

     The book aims to restore to daily use in the Church of 
England some of the cadences of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer's 
liturgies, as represented in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.

     Parishes can download Common Worship for free by pointing 
their Internet browser to 
http://www.cofe.anglican.org/commonworship/>. Braille versions 
will also be available.