News Briefs
Episcopal News Service. March 29, 2001 [2001-70]
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 not 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.