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2001-70

News Briefs

Washington parish opens its doors to students displaced after earthquake

     (Diocese of Olympia) In the aftermath of the February 28 earthquake in western 
Washington, St. John's Church in Olympia opened its doors to more than 150 students and 
teachers from Lincoln Elementary School, which was badly damaged in the quake. While the 
school is repaired, classes are held in the church's parish house and hall.

     "This geological event has given us a chance to exercise the ministry of Christian 
hospitality," said the Rev. Red Elwood, rector of St. John's. "I knew that the community of 
St. John's would want to be useful to them. I knew we would want God's house, this 
beautiful structure built and supported with your pledge dollars and gifts, to be used in 
this way."

     Two days after the earthquake, teachers and parents moved books and supplies into the 
church building. Many expressed gratitude for the gracious welcome at the church, "for the 
beautiful space, for the warmth and kindness of the staff and members of St. John's, and 
for the terrific lesson in community spirit that has been offered to us," said Cheryl 
Petra, principal of the school.

     

English and German churches seek to resolve issue of role of bishops

     (ENI) Theologians from the Church of England and the Evangelical Church of Germany 
(EKD) are grappling with the issue of the role of bishops in their efforts to bring the 
churches closer together. In the historic 1988 Meissen Statement, the two churches 
acknowledged each other's sacraments and ordained ministries and encouraged sharing of the 
Eucharist but could embrace the interchangeability of clergy because the English church 
retains bishops in "historic succession" and the 24 Lutheran, United and Reformed members 
of EKD do not.

     A recent consultation between the two failed to reach an agreement. "The Germans, who 
are not short on logic and rationality, could not hear overall that we thought the historic 
episcopate was of the esse (essence) of the church and put up a very firm response to any 
suggestion that we might," said Anglican Bishop Colin Buchanan of Australia.

     Unlike the Porvoo Agreement between the Anglican churches of the British Isles and the 
Lutheran churches in the Nordic and Baltic countries, the EKD churches do not have an 
episcopal government, although they do call clergy with oversight "bishops." Some 
participants suggested that the Church of England could change its rules to allow EKD 
clergy to preside at services, as long as they accept the authority of the bishop.

     

Vatican issues caution on interpreting accord with Lutherans

     (ENS) The Vatican has issued a caution over the implications of last year's joint 
Catholic-Lutheran Statement on Justification, observing that while "the Lutheran conception 
is no longer condemned by the Catholic Church," some significant doctrinal differences 
still remain. The new statement, drafted by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 
and the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, is apparently a response to suggestions 
that members of the two communities might now be able to celebrate the Eucharist together. 
Only when the doctrinal differences are resolved "can we celebrate the Eucharist in truth, 
as an expression of our unity with Christ and with each other."

     The statement added that "when there is no unity on essential doctrinal matters, the 
common celebration of the Eucharist would not be truthful, and could suggest that the 
division among Christians is insurmountable" and actually be counterproductive in the 
search for full Christian unity."

     

Diocese of Maine will explore population issues

     (ENS) At its recent convention, the Episcopal Diocese of Maine addressed population 
issues and the urgent challenge they pose to the global environment and to spiritual values 
affirmed in the church's Baptismal Covenant.

     The resolution recommends that "every congregation have as part of its Christian 
education program a component that recognizes the link between population issues, our 
baptismal covenant and our concern for the global environment of the earth God has given 
us." The diocese's committee on spirituality and the environment is gathering education 
resources from sources such as the Religious Consultation on Population, Reproductive 
Health and Ethics; the United Nations Population Fund; and Zero Population Growth.

     The earth's population has doubled since 1960 to over six billion, threatening "the 
dignity of every human being, indeed the very Creation," according to an explanation of the 
resolution. Population growth is the "primary factor" underlying a whole range of issues 
that jeopardize the health of the planet, the statement contended, mentioning global 
climate change, social conflict, drought, famine and over-consumption of natural resources. 
Churches are excellent places to help people recognize the spiritual dimensions of those 
issues, the committee argued.

     

Mormons will try to curb Internet home pages at local level

     (Salt Lake City Tribune) Citing concerns over the proliferation of thousands of 
unofficial Mormon-related Web sites, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is 
requesting local church leaders to discontinue Internet home pages. Top church leaders are 
also telling local leaders in a letter not to put up any new sites until the church can 
develop a policy governing the use of the Internet that would apply to all 28,000 
congregations worldwide.

     There were rumors that the action was taken, at least partially, because the names of 
persons excommunicated by the church were appearing on-line at unofficial sites.

     The letter from the Presiding Bishopric of the church said that only "official church 
Internet sites contain approved, correlated material that the church has deemed appropriate 
for the Internet." The letter also said that, as the church grows, "it s very important 
that information presented to the world be accurate and dignified and that it represent a 
single, unified church voice."

     Early signs indicate that local sites seem to be slowly complying with the church 
directive. Some contained brief notices of the suspension and mentioned that guidelines and 
policies were being formulated. 

     

Dialogue between Vatican and Presbyterians enters new stage

     (Presbyterian News) In a historic, three-day meeting at the Vatican, Presbyterians and 
Roman Catholics sorted out some of their differences and affirmed their commitment to the 
search for Christian unity.

     At the conclusion of the formal talks, the 15-member delegation from the Presbyterian 
Church (USA) and five staff members from the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian 
unity issued a joint statement pledging common efforts to work for theological agreement on 
the doctrine of justification, mutual recognition of each other's baptisms, and a study of 
Reformation-era documents condemning each other with a clear understanding that "they no 
longer reflect the reality of our views of each other."

     The meeting was held at the suggestion of the pope who, in his 1995 encyclical Ut Unum 
Sint invited other Christian communities to join him in a search for "a new way of 
exercising the primacy" of his office in search for unity. At a first-ever meeting in the 
USA last December of the two churches, the Presbyterians presented a paper clarifying the 
Reformed understanding that authority is centered in Jesus Christ, Scripture and the 
historic confessions of the church--in that order. 

     At the current meeting both sides agreed that "the primacy of the bishop of Rome (the 
pope) is the main obstacle to ecumenical relationships," according to Walter Cardinal 
Kasper, newly appointed president of the pontifical council. While the authority of the 
pope is a sticking point, Kasper said that "the main and fundamental problem between us is 
the understanding and concept of the church." For Roman Catholics episcopacy is an 
"essential element of the church," he said.

     Presbyterians have a ministry of oversight but it is not lodged in the office of a 
bishop. "We hope you hear that our episcope (ministry of oversight) is just as strong but 
it is not lodged in individuals," said the Rev. Eugene Turner, recently retired 
Presbyterian ecumenical officer. Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick said that, in future 
dialogues, the Catholics have "to help our church rediscover the New Testament concept of 
episcope and episcopacy. Our history has been to set episcope against conciliar 
understandings of oversight."

     Pope John Paul II said that the visit of the delegation was "indeed a cause for joy." 
He hoped that the dialogue would "bear abundant fruit for the ecumenical tasks ahead."

     

Celebration planned for 25th anniversary of decision on women's ordination

     (ENS) The 25th anniversary of the decision to ordain women to the priesthood and 
episcopate of the Episcopal Church will be celebrated across the nation on September 16, 
2001. Diocesan or regional celebrations on Saturday, September 15 will acknowledge women 
and men who assisted in making the change, women ordained in the Episcopal Church, and 
"those who still must forgo the ordained ministry of women in Episcopal dioceses and in 
other denominations where women are not yet allowed to serve in ordained capacities," 
according to a press release from the Executive Council Committee on the Status of Women.

     The committee suggested that "ad hoc planning groups" plan a day of "education, 
remembrance, thanksgiving and celebration" for Saturday and carry that out to congregations 
and parishes on Sunday, September 16, the actual date the legislation was affirmed by the 
General Convention in Minneapolis. Materials for education and worship will be available by 
July 15 through the office of Women's Ministries at the Episcopal Church Center: 1-800-334-
7626 X 5354.

     The celebration is spearheaded by the national Executive Council's Committee on the 
Status of Women. Chairing the celebration committee is the Rev. Barbara Schlachter, among 
the first women ordained after the legislation went into effect January 1, 1977. Schlachter 
also was the first president of the Episcopal Women's Caucus, founded in 1972 to work for 
the ordination of women to all orders of the Church. She is rector of Trinity Church, Troy, 
Ohio and can be reached at trinitychurch@wesnet.com. 

     For further information, contact Sally M. Bucklee, chair, Executive Council Committee 
on the Status of Women, 301/725-6369 or s.bucklee@att.net.