wfn.org | ALC Noticias April 10, 2005 Ecudor Columbia Italy

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

ALC NEWS SERVICE
E-mail: director@alcnoticias.org
---------------
CONTENT

ITALY: Cardinals prepare for Conclave
ECUADOR: CLAI expresses solidarity before the death of Pope John Paul II
COLOMBIA: Latin American Lutherans create editorial fund
COLOMBIA: President Uribe accused of death threats
--------
ITALY
Cardinals prepare for Conclave

ROME, April 8 (alc).  Enclosed in a triple coffin, of lead, cypress and
walnut, the remains of Karol Wojtyla, Pope John Paul II now rest in a grotto
once occupied by the sarcophagus of Pope John XXIII. Meanwhile, Roman
Catholic cardinals began a nine-day period of silence to reflect on who to
select as the pope's successor.

The funeral mass, held in the Saint Peter Square was attended by more than 1
million people, including heads of state and government, such as US
President George Bush and Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva of Brazil, as well as
scores of leaders from Orthodox and Protestant Churches.

On Monday the 18 the 117 voting Cardinals, the majority named by the
deceased Pope, will begin the conclave under tight security and complete
seclusion until they decide who the new Pope will be, using a ritual
established by Pope John Paul II on February 22, 1996 under the Apostolic
Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis.

This constitution eliminated election by acclamation or inspiration, which
is to say by consensus, commitment, or by prior agreement. Today it is only
possible through a vote. It also established that only cardinals under the
age of 80 can vote.

The new Pope must be chosen by a majority, which is to say two-thirds of
voters. As a result, the Pope must bring together at least 78 votes. Four
rounds of voting will be held each day; with the exception of the first when
there will be two.

In the event that a vote is not reached after three days, voting will likely
be suspended for a day. Then the new Pope can be elected by simple majority,
which is to say 59 votes.

Three Cardinals will be named to scrutinize, three to receive the votes from
the sick in their own rooms and three to review.

After each vote, the ballots are burned. If no decision is made, the smoke
rising from the chimney over Saint Peter Square is black as they are burned
with wet straw. If a new Pope is elected then the smoke is white, as dry
straw is used to burn the ballots.

After that all that remains is for the dean of the college of Cardinal to go
to the window and announce "Papa habemus," We have a Pope.

-------------
ECUADOR
CLAI expresses solidarity before the death of Pope John Paul II

QUITO, Abr 8 (alc).  The Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI) expressed
its solidarity with the Catholic Church after the death of Pope John Paul II
and asked God to guide it with wisdom and love in the decision that must be
made.

In a message signed by Bishop Julio Cesar Holguin, president of CLAI and
Israel Batista, secretary general, they noted that as Evangelicals and
Protestants "The figure of the Pope is not part of our traditions."

However, this does not impede us, as a sign of unity, from rendering tribute
to Pope John Paul II, or from recognizing that the influence of his papacy,
not exempt from tension and contradictions, transcended the limits of the
Roman Catholic Church.

For this, it added, we understand your pain. Allow us as Churches to share
the message of the Apostle Saint Paul: For just as the sufferings of Christ
flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. (2
Corinthians 1:5).

The message from CLAI recalled important contributions made by Pope John
Paul II such as his opposition to war, violence and his persistent search
for peace. His opposition to unjustifiable wars, that in the name of
unilateral freedom reap the death of human beings and impose hegemonic
power, it noted.

Moreover, we are encouraged by his struggle for social justice. He knew how
to oppose a system in his native Poland that in the name of justice became
perverse. In living the reality of globalization he was also capable of
discovering the perverse nature of an economic global system. We recall this
struggle for justice in this world created by God with appreciation, it
affirmed.

Moreover, his ecumenical vocation inspired us. We recall his interest in
meeting with other Christian traditions and even different religious
expressions. It is a long road to travel, when along side a spirit of unity
the spirit of exclusivity continues to prevail in us. However, the vocation
for unity is a gift of God to share.

In this moment of pain, emphasized the CLAI message, without denying aspects
of a papacy that are difficult for us as Evangelicals to understand, we want
to remember with respect and love these contributions made by John Paul II,
that encourage us to persevere in the search for peace, justice and unity.

-----------------
COLOMBIA
Latin American Lutherans create editorial fund

BOGOTA, April 7 (alc) The Conference of Bishops and Presidents (COP) of
member Churches of the Lutheran World Federation in Latin America, agreed
April 7 to create a Rotating Publication Fund.

The agreement emerged after two days of meeting in this capital. The
publication of the book "Para que puedan Resistir" a compilation of the
readings the Churches have offered regarding the globalizing neoliberal
process and in particular the foreign debt, was used as the foundation to
make this timely initiative something permanent.

The aim of the fund is to offer LWF member Churches in Latin America the
possibility of annually publishing a book that gathers their thinking about
a theme previously established by the COP in its annual sessions.

The proposal to give the fund the name of the tragically deceased COP
moderator, the Rev. Humberto Ramos, of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of
Bolivia, was adopted as a posthumous recognition of his leadership within
the Lutheran community and regional ecumenism.

The creation of the "Humberto Ramos Publications Fund" was unanimously
approved in the meeting and its implementation was entrusted to the
Argentine Theological Studies Institute (ISEDET).

Moreover, based on the presentation of a network of Latin American
communicators, a decision was made to convene a communication consultation
with people from all Lutheran Churches in the region to address their hopes,
concerns and needs.

Based on this consultation, a work and strategic communication development
plan in Latin America will be formulated.

----------------
COLOMBIA
President Uribe accused of death threats

BOGOTA, April 4 (ALC). In an Open Letter to President Alvaro Uribe more than
30 academics and key figures from different countries named him as
responsible for death threats received by human rights activities in
Colombia.

The open letter, published last Friday, is signed by more than 30 academics,
jurists, artists and others from Europe, Latin America and the United
States, including Nobel Peace Laureate Adolfo Pérez Esquivel.

The letter names Uribe as responsible for what is happening and could pass
in the future in Colombia as his policy is consolidating impunity for crimes
such as those that recently occurred in the region of Uraba where children,
women and peasant leaders were massacred.

The letter was published just as the president of the Spanish government
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, expressed his complete support for Uribe and
his "security policy" during a visit to Bogota.

Specifically, the document names the Uribe government as responsible for
what could happen to Javier Giraldo, members of the Inter-Ecclesial Justice
and Peace Commission and other human rights defendants such as the San Jose
de Apartado Peace Community, the La Balsita de Dabeiba community, the
communities of Cacarica, of Jiguamiandó, and the Familias de Curvaradó.

Together with Pérez Esquivel, Spanish theologian, writer and academia Juan
José Tamayo signed the letter along with Pedro Casaldáliga, bishop of Sao
Felix de Araguaia, Mato Grosso, Brasil;  Leonardo Boff, theologian and
philosopher of Brazil, José Luis Galán, Spanish Jurist and Samuel Ruiz,
bishop emeritus of San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, México, among
others.
-------------------------------------
Latin American and Caribbean News Agency
P.O. Box 14-225 Lima 14 Peru
Tel. (511) 462 0189  Telefax (511) 463 2496
E-mail: director@alcnoticias.org
http: //www.alcnoticias.org

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Your e-mail is wfn@igc.org
In order to unsubscribe send a mail to
english_weekly_alc-baja@listas.alcnoticias.org