News Briefs
Episcopal News Service. June 21, 2001 [2001-164]
Lambeth Conference may be held outside of England
(London Times) The next Lambeth Conference, the meeting of the world's Anglican bishops held every 10 years, could be held outside of England for the first time, according to a June 18 article by Ruth Gledhill. According to her sources, Archbishop of Canterbury George L. Carey is concerned that the meeting reflect the fact that two-thirds of the Anglican Communion is non-white, mostly from Africa and Asia.
The 2008 Lambeth Conference will coincide with a much larger gathering of an estimated 10,000 bishops, clergy and laity for three weeks to share worship and discuss the direction of the church. The pan-Anglican congress would be the fourth to take place in the 100 years since the first one in London.
The Lambeth Conference first met in 1867 at Lambeth Palace, the London home of the archbishop of Canterbury, attended by 76 bishops, more than half of them from the United States or missionary bishops from the colonies. The conference moved to Church House in 1968 after it outgrew Lambeth Palace and in 1978 to the University of Kent in Canterbury.
Controversial British bishop calls for dismantling the church
(The Independent) Bishop David Jenkins, the controversial former bishop of Durham, is claiming in his autobiography that the church is out of date, out of touch, and should be dismantled.
"I would like to see its disappearance," he writes. "The church is not getting to grips with the issues of today. People are realizing that there is no case for an established church. So let's anticipate that fact and go further-let's say that the Christian churches should get together in a federation and the Church of England can just disappear into that. At the moment we're anchored to out-of-date structures with their roots in medieval times."
Jenkins has been a constant thorn in the side of Christian traditionalists who have objected to his intellectual interpretation of Biblical events. His carefully chosen words about the Resurrection caused particular anger. He said that the risen Christ might not have had a "literally physical body." Some suggested that the bishop reveled in his role as the turbulent priest and may have indulged in provocation for its own sake.
His publisher, Robin Baird-Smith, has said that "when he talks about people he's very irreverent and funny. But he has a serious agenda, and is serious about what he believes."
Americans are giving less to charities and churches
(ENS) A report by the Barna Research Group has found that Americans gave less to their churches and other charities in 2000 and fewer people claim that they are tithing.
According to a survey, 78 percent of Americans donated, a drop of six percentage points from the previous year-and the average annual donation was $886, a decrease of 15 percent. Although 17 percent said they tithed, researchers concluded that the actual number was closer to six percent, even under liberal definitions of the term.
The survey revealed that 61 percent donated money to churches and the average was $649, compared with $806 in 1999.
George Barna, president of the research company, warned that younger generations are "value-donors, giving to organizations that they perceive to be providing personal benefits or significant, unduplicated value to society." As they become more active in the church in the future, "their tendency to give less to churches will challenge ministries to reconceptualize their budgeting, fundraising and planning practices."
Greek Orthodox priest victim of Middle East violence
(ENI) A Greek Orthodox priest, Father Germanos, who was shot dead in a West Bank ambush, was buried June 14 at the remote and ancient desert monastery where he had meditated alone for the last 11 years. He was shot as he was driving from Jerusalem to his monastery, in a car with Israeli plates. The murder sent a shudder through the Greek Orthodox community in the Holy Land. The monastery was built around in the fifth century around a cave where tradition says the biblical prophet Elijah lived for several years.
"We monks look like religious Jews to the Arabs and like [members of the militant Islamic group] Hamas to the Jews," said Father Christopher at the funeral. "It's a big problem."
Metropolitan Christodolos said that the community would not stop its ministry because of the violence and would continue as guardians of the holy places. "A monk looks for a lonely place where it will be between him and God, and suddenly a tragedy happens," he said. "The Israeli-Palestinian conflict caught him in the middle. We pray that the two peoples will live together in peace and harmony."
Anglican liturgist welcomes Vatican's warning on language
(ENI) An Anglican specialist in liturgical language says that the Vatican's warning on the use of "politically correct" words in the liturgy should also encourage non-Catholics who are opposed to dropping the church's "ancient and beautiful prayers."
The Rev. John Hunwicke of Lancing College in England complained that "unending revision" of worship had produced "disgusting language, poor doctrine and politically correct versions."
He said that the pope is right when he warns that "worship is not a private game for experts." He praised the Vatican for seeking to recover the "sense of memory of liturgical language" because it is "the memory of an individual and of a community. The sense of commonality in worship language connects me now and me as a child, me and a thousand years ago, me and a church 10 miles down the road."
Plan of action necessary to save Christian presence in Holy Land
(ENI) Bishop Munib Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and Palestine has called upon churches worldwide to launch a "plan of action" to preserve the Christian presence in the Holy Land.
The number of Christians has dropped to less than two percent of the total population, the bishop said, largely because of emigration spurred by the political instability in the region, "especially among the young people, who are our future."
Younan expressed appreciation for the support churches receive from partners around the world but urged them to do more. "They have issued good statements and good position papers and we're very appreciative," he said. "But we are asking more from them-not just issuing statements but a plan of action."
He names as priorities housing, community-based education, jobs and scholarships for study that would benefit the community. The church, however, needed "not only financial but spiritual" help in the difficult task of reconciliation among the peoples of the region.
"The political atmosphere must change," he said, describing a culture of rage. "We have to develop a language that helps us see God in the other… Religion must play a role, even though it's a political conflict, otherwise who will educate the people for peace?"
Without reconciliation, when peace finally comes "there will continue to be grassroots hatred," because reconciliation requires both justice and repentance. It is important, he added, that the Christian churches of the world "not leave us alone. Yes, we are weak, but we are strong when we know our sisters and brothers are with us for a just peace. We must never allow Christianity to end from Palestine, Jordan and the Middle East."
Churches may revive tradition of truce during 2004 Olympics
(ENI) Greek church leaders hope to revive the ancient tradition of the "Olympic truce" in time for the Athens Games in 2004, under which armed conflicts were suspended during the sporting contests.
In a joint declaration in May, Pope John Paul II and Archbishop Christodoulos of the Greek Orthodox Church said that "wars, massacres, torture and martyrdom" had become a "terrible daily reality for millions." The church leaders promised to "struggle for the prevalence of peace throughout the world," as well as for "solidarity for all who are in need."
Church leaders said that the truce should be viewed in the context of current Greek attempts to mediate in the Balkans and could have a political impact if jointly backed by the churches. It also has the backing of the Greek government and the Olympic organizing committee.
The Olympic Truce was introduced more than 2,700 years ago to enable athletes from various parts of Greece to compete in the games unhindered. All military operations, for example, were suspended during the 30-year Peloponnesian War that spanned several Olympic contests.
Poland's Catholic bishops ask forgiveness for wartime massacre of Jews
(ENI) Poland's Roman Catholic bishops have asked forgiveness for the complicity of church members in a wartime massacre of the country's Jews. The "unambiguous gesture" was welcomed by the country's Jewish leaders who also criticized church leaders for their continued tolerance of anti-Semitism.
"We wish to show regret and penance for crimes which occurred at Jedwabne and elsewhere, whose victims were Jews and whose perpetrators included Poles and Catholics, baptized people," said Bishop Stanislaw Gadecki, chair of the church's Commission for Dialogue with Judaism. At Jedwabne over 1,600 Jewish men, women and children were hacked to death or burned alive in July of 1941, a few weeks after the German occupation of eastern Poland.
"We are deeply pained by the behavior of those who inflicted suffering and even death on Jews," the bishop added. "We recall this crime so we can fruitfully assume responsibility for overcoming every evil occurring today."
While welcoming the confession, some Jews pointed out the contradiction symbolized by the continuing sale of anti-Semitic literature in some church bookstores. Israeli ambassador Shevach Weiss said that the impact of the gesture was damaged by the sale of the literature at a church that stands opposite the Polish capital's only remaining Jewish synagogue. "The contradiction is obvious and merely highlights the ineffectiveness of the church's gesture," said Stanislaw Krajewski, co-chairman of Poland's Council of Christians and Jews. He said that "we still have no guarantee that enough collective will exists to implement the church's teaching."
Church World Service continues humanitarian aid for Cuba
(NCC) Recent shipments of medical equipment and supplies are the latest in Church World Service's (CWS) on-going program of support for the Cuban Council of Churches' Medical Commission, whose stated mission is to make "the Shalom of God-peace, love, justice and health-a reality to our people."
Since 1992, CWS has sent more than 50 humanitarian aid shipments to Cuba, valued at $3.27 million, under a license from the Department of Commerce. The aid has included food, medicine and medical supplies, school supplies, sewing kits, soap, blankets and other goods.
Later this summer, CWS will ship to the Cuban Council an additional 70,000 pounds of canned meat, donated by the Church of the Brethren, for distribution to the elderly.
Working with a small staff and about 200 volunteers, the Medical Commission provides health assistance to vulnerable sectors of the population, especially women, children and the elderly. Besides material aid, the commission also offers seminars and outreach programs on alcoholism, reproductive health, health concerns of women and the elderly, and those who HIV/AIDS.
The shipments grew out of a recent visit to Cuba by a delegation from the National Council of Churches. CWS is the relief and development agency of the NCC.
Carey says poverty and environmental issues are linked
(ACNS) Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey launched a church seminar on environmental issues on the eve of World Environment Day in June by linking environmental issues with poverty.
Addressing the Church of England's bishops, he said that it was clear that "environmental degradation causes poverty." As an illustration, he noted that climate change and the expansion of deserts contributed to the loss of arable and grazing lands.
"Poor people are forced to create conditions that imperil themselves and our world," Carey said. "It is thus very much in the interests of richer countries to bring poorer nations out of extreme poverty to share in the fight against environmental damage."
Carey also addressed the criticism that some Christian theology about humankind's mastery of nature was actually contributing to the problem. "The centrality of incarnation and salvation brings into focus not the arrogance of an anthropocentric view of the universe, but rather the theology that it was God's intention that humankind should serve and tend God's glorious creation."
Israeli and Palestinian mothers and young people appeal for peace efforts
(ENI) Israeli and Palestinian mothers made an emotional appeal to the international community for help in establishing a just peace in their homeland at a recent meeting in Switzerland.
Dalia Landau, an Israeli mother, described the importance of face-to-face meetings with ordinary Palestinians to shatter stereotypes. "Most Israelis know Palestinians only as underpaid workers and terrorists on television," she said. Speaking at a seminar in Geneva sponsored by the Lutheran World Federation, she appealed to third parties in the international community for help "because we have a terrible need of your help as conveyors of the dignity of the other."
Landau described growing up in a house in Ramle, near Jerusalem, that had been appropriated from a Palestinian family. One day she answered a knock at the door and was greeted by three well-dressed Arab men, one of whom had been born in the house.
She invited them in and a conversation led to a long-term friendship with one of the original inhabitants of her house. The property is now called Open House, a meeting place for Arabs and Jews, that also serves as a nursery school for Arab toddlers and an annual summer peace camp for children.
A Palestinian mother of four, Huda Abu Gharbieh, described how she opened the windows each morning with the prayer that the day would bring no harm. "I'm sure there is an Israeli mother just like me. Do justice to the Palestinian as well as the Israeli child," she pleaded.
"There is no future for us under occupation," Said Mreibe, a young Palestinian Christian from Jerusalem. She asked the church "to feel with us and to interfere politically in the region." Twenty-year-old Foutine Ansara added, "We want to live like all other youth in the world live…in peace and stability."
Commission seeks to preserve sacred sites around the world
(ENS) The destruction of historic Buddhist statues in Afghanistan, as well as mosques in Bosnia, Orthodox churches in Kosovo, and religious sites in Burma, Cambodia, the Holy Land, India and Indonesia, is spurring the creation of a new independent commission to help preserve sacred sites around the world.
Based in Geneva and created under the auspices of the Museum of World Religions in Taiwan, which will open this November, the commission will work in cooperation with the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders that met in New York last August.
"These are precious objects and we need to unite together to protect them," said Dharma Master Hsin Tao, founder of the Taiwan museum and originator of the idea for the commission. "No religion is being spared," he said in an interview with Religion News Service.
"While it is true that nothing in the world lasts forever, these symbols need to be preserved," he argued. "Sacred sites should be as 'scarless' as possible. World pressure needs to be applied to preserve these artifacts."
While admitting that formation of the commission may face obstacles, Hsin Tao hoped that it would include enough prominent figures to give it a degree of moral authority to pursue its goals.
Study concludes archbishop of Canterbury should share duties
(Sunday Times) A review of the office of the archbishop of Canterbury has concluded that the archbishop of Canterbury must be relieved of many of his routine duties running the Church of England so that he can focus on his international role.
A commission headed by Lord Hurd, former British foreign secretary, will argue in a report to be completed soon that many of the duties should be delegated to the other primate in the church, the archbishop of York. Senior bishops in London and Winchester might also be called upon to provide pastoral support for bishops in the Province of Canterbury.
"We've got to look at delegation," said Hurd. "The job is overflowing really, and since there is not a great deal you can do to cut down the work, you have got to delegate it. That is the basic approach."
A preliminary paper issued last December offered a rationale for a change in the archbishop's role in the Anglican Communion. "There was plainly a very strong feeling in parts of the communion abroad, especially in parts of Africa, that not only should the archbishop do more to visit abroad and generally support the existing institutions of the communion, but also that he should be able to make forthright public interventions in cases where particular communities feel under threat."
Anglican Centre in Rome appoints new director
(ACNS) Bishop Richard Garrard has been appointed the new director of the Anglican Centre in Rome, succeeding Bishop John Baycroft. The centre serves as an important Anglican ecumenical presence and the director is the archbishop of Canterbury's representative at the Vatican.
"The work of the Anglican Centre has reached a crucial stage and Bishop Garrard's theological background, coupled with his knowledge of Italian, give him the perfect qualifications for the important task ahead of him," said Dean Stephen Platten of Norwich, who chairs the governing board of the centre.
Garrard said that "the search for Christian unity is one of the churches' highest priorities and the Anglican Centre plays an important part." He said that he would build on "much progress already achieved. Listening, explaining, hospitality, study and prayer are the essential tools of the job."