News Briefs
Episcopal News Service. March 6, 2002 [2002-058-1]
Tutu calls for choice of non-English archbishop of Canterbury
(ENS) According to the London Times, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, retired primate of the church in southern Africa, says that the Church of England should consider appointing a non-English bishop to replace Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey when he retires this fall.
A former member of the Crown Appointments Commission, which will send to Prime Minister Tony Blair two nominations, said recently that Tutu's name was among the dozen or so candidates discussed when a successor was sought to former archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie, Carey's predecessor. While Tutu did not end up on the "short list," he was considered a strong contender, according to the Times.
"When people made the point that Cantuar (archbishop of Canterbury) was now heading an international communion of autonomous provinces and that there was a great deal to be said for the net to be thrown much, much wider, and that therefore non-English candidates should be eligible, we were told that would be impossible since the archbishop also had a specific role in England as the head of the established church," Tutu said.
"There were those who suggested that there might have to be a separation of the Establishment role, which could be fulfilled by an English appointment, as perhaps by the archbishop of York, and that non-English persons could thus be eligible for the primary task of being first among equals as president of the Lambeth Conference and the Primates Meeting and thus head of the Anglican Communion," Tutu said, adding that he personally subscribed to that possibility.
Roman Catholics welcome Israeli decision to block mosque in Nazareth
(ENI) The Roman Catholic Church has praised a decision by the Israeli government to block construction of a mosque in Nazareth near the Basilica of the Annunciation, where tradition holds that Gabriel told the Virgin Mary that she would give birth to Jesus.
Earlier Israeli governments had given Muslims permission to build the mosque on the site of the grave of a nephew of Saladin, the 12th century Muslim hero who defeated the Christian crusaders at Jerusalem. Christians opposed the construction, claiming that the proximity to the basilica was provocative. The Israelis halted construction in January and asked a committee to make a final recommendation. The Israeli cabinet subsequently ruled against further construction on the site.
Muslim leaders in Nazareth reacted angrily, charging that the decision followed pressure from Pope John Paul II and President George W. Bush. "We defeated the Crusaders 800 years ago and we will defeat the enemies of Islam today," said Salman Abu Ahmed, the deputy mayor of Nazareth. "We have an obligation to safeguard the holy places and protect the rights of minorities and their freedom of religion," said Natan Sharansky, the Israeli minister of housing and construction who headed the committee which will now propose alternate sites for a mosque.
"We hope that the traditionally harmonious cohabitation of Christians and Muslims in Nazareth which had been threatened by a provocative initiative can be restored with the aid of leaders of the two sides and of the whole population," said a statement from the Vatican.
Episcopal bishops in Massachusetts sign letter on Israeli-Palestinian conflict
(ENS) Bishops M. Thomas Shaw, Barbara Harris and Roy Cedarholm of the Diocese of Massachusetts, and Gordon Scruton of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts, joined other ecumenical leaders in signing an open letter from the Massachusetts Council of Churches addressing the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The bishops earlier picketed the Israeli consulate, provoking strong reactions in Boston and leading to a meeting between Christian and Jewish leaders.
The letter noted that the escalating violence in the Middle East underscores "the need for fresh approaches to stop reciprocal actions of violence, to counter the culture of blame, and to create a climate of responsibility that will enable the resumption of peace negotiations." The letter added that the three faith traditions--Christian, Jewish and Muslim--"have strong commitments to justice and peace," based on a longing "to make the world a better place for all God's children."
The letter stated a common commitment "to the right of the state of Israel to exist in security and tranquility," but it also affirmed "the need for an autonomous Palestinian state with equal confidence and freedom from fear." It said that the persistent violence was creating "a humanitarian crisis" where people in the area fear for their safety, "for their very survival."
"If we dare to dream in days when the only dreams seem to be nightmares, then let us ask--and ask together--what would be a good society for Israelis and Palestinians in that region? The role we seek for everyone who wants peace with justice is the risk of proactive, responsible engagement, a role we urge our governmental officials to pursue with renewed vigor," the letter concluded.
It was signed by leaders from the Unitarian Universalist Association, the Melkite, United Methodist, Greek Orthodox, Evangelical Lutheran, American Baptist, United Church of Christ and Presbyterian leaders.
Episcopal Church Women launch Spanish version of website
(ENS) Episcopal Church Women (ECW) has launched a Spanish translation version of its website. "It took a while to bring the translation to fruition but now that it's happened I'm thrilled," said ECW board president Pamela Stewart. "One of our goals for this triennium is to find new and creative ways to tell the good news of the work of the women being done in this great church of ours," she said.
The web site (www.episcopalchurch.org/ecw) offers not only current information on programs and leadership but also interfaith education resources, links to other women's organizations in the Episcopal Church and other churches, and an on-line version of ECW's quarterly publication, "The Communiqué." Program and registration information for ECW's triennial meeting in 2003 should also be available soon.
"The Spanish translation of our web site is just a first step in our response to the 20/20 Task Force challenge to reach those traditionally outside our communication loop," said board member Susan Russell. "The women of this church are committed to growing this church and ECW is committed to supporting that work in whatever way we can."
Film on church and Holocaust stirring strong reaction
(ENI) A film that raises provocative questions about the role of the church during the Holocaust has opened in France where it is stirring some powerful reactions.
"Amen" is a film by Constantin Costa-Gavras, a specialist in political cinema, and it portrays what he considers to be the "moral bankruptcy" of the church's attitude towards the extermination of Jews by the Nazis. The two main characters--a young Italian Jesuit posted at the Vatican's mission to Berlin, and a German member of the SS--attempt without success to alert Christian churches and Pope Pius XII to the reality of the Nazi extermination camps.
In reaction to the film's poster, which depicts a cross imposed on a swastika, Archbishop Jean-Pierre Ricard of Bordeaux said that it "creates an intolerable identification of the symbol of the Christian faith with that of Nazi barbarism."
In response, Costs-Gavras said that the attention given to the poster "risks turning people away from the film. That would be very unfortunate because their debate should be with the film." Jean-Arnold de Clermont, president of the Protestant Federation of France, pointed out that "it's not a historical film. Many aspects of it are certainly disputable, notably the absence of the Confessing Church, but in its dramatic force, it effectively raises the question of the responsibility of the churches as social institutions. We mustn't use the pretext of some historical inaccuracies to evade this examination."
Westminster Abbey now example of how to handle tourists
(ENI) Westminster Abbey in London has been lauded by a leading tourism official as a "shining example" of how to handle large numbers of tourists effectively.
Adrian Clark, director of the Tourism Society, said that by imposing an admission charge of six pounds ($8.50) the medieval abbey had acted to avoid the "downside of tourism," the erosion of the building through wear and tear that plagues many of Britain's historic religious buildings.
The abbey started charging admission in 1997 in response to growing congestion created by 1.75 million visitors a year. Canon David Hutt, responsible for maintenance of the abbey, said that the main purpose of charging an admission fee was to recover the spirituality of the building. "We now have a proper degree of management, and visitors are sharing with us concern for the fabric and spirituality," he said. The abbey has a full-time conservator working in full view of visitors, who can now see that "proper stewardship" is being exercised.
Canterbury Cathedral, the mother church of the Anglican Communion, also charges for entry but the number of visitors is more manageable. Litter on the grounds surrounding the cathedral is more of a problem than wear and tear.
Survey reveals widespread abuse of children in West African refugee camps
(ENS) A preliminary study by the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the British branch of Save the Children has revealed widespread child abuse and sexual exploitation at refugee camps run by the United Nations in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. A team from the two agencies interviewed more than 1,500 children and adults and documented charges against 67 people from more than 40 agencies, most of them national and foreign relief agencies operating in the region. The suspects were primarily local male employees hired to distribute aid.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said that he was "shocked and disturbed" by the reports and promised further investigation and swift action. "In all three countries workers reportedly used the very humanitarian aid and services intended to benefit the refugee population as a tool of exploitation," said the UN report.
"A whole range of people in a position of authority and trust were abusing these positions, all in return for sexual favors," said Paul Nolan, child protection manager for Save the Children. "The kids are in a desperate situation. In order to survive they have to make the choice between going without food or selling themselves, the only currency they have left to them," he said.
A background analysis by the US Committee for Refugees points out that there are an estimated 1.1 million people in the three countries still living in refugee camps and displacement sites after 12 years of war spilling across the international borders. Many refugee programs in the region are mismanaged, disorganized, poorly staffed and accommodate corruption by local officials and some aid workers, according the analysis. "At the peak of the refugee crisis in Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone, UNHCR deployed fewer than 10 protection officers to monitor 700,000 refugees and returnees," the report said.
Richard Parkins, director of Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) said that "children are inherently vulnerable and made more so by protracted stays in understaffed and poorly supported refugee camps." He noted that the camps in West Africa are in remote parts of the host countries and that such isolation adds to the vulnerability of refugees generally and women and children particularly.
Parkins hoped that the UN and other relief agencies would act with "a great sense of urgency," but he also argued that the situation wouldn't improve until "the practice of containing thousands of refugees in camps for years without any prospect of a new life ends."
Episcopal Church launches major Interfaith Education Initiative
(ENS) As a direct response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) and the Office of Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations have launched a joint project--the Interfaith Education Initiative.
The purpose of the initiative is to promote better understanding within the church of the world's religious diversity, complexity and interconnectedness by developing a curriculum and providing educational resources. Seminars and workshops will also be offered, beginning this spring.
The initiative will be supervised by Bishop Christopher Epting, deputy for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, and Mary Becchi, ERD's deputy director of program and planning, assisted by an advisory committee of 10 people with expertise in education, theology or interfaith relations. Dr. Lucinda Allen Mosher, an active participant in Jewish-Christian dialogue who has taught world religions, has been appointed as the interfaith education officer on the project, funded by ERD.
"The presiding bishop could not have been more clear, as we discussed my coming on board as his deputy, that he wanted our interfaith work to be a high priority," said Epting. "The global situation and changing demographics in this country make understanding the world's major religions no longer a matter of mere curiosity but a real necessity."
According to Becchi, "Dialogue and understanding are the preconditions for global peace and development. In awakening the Episcopal Church to the larger world, in all its diversity and complexity, this process will help us all learn about the interconnectedness of all societies. From our perspective, this is necessary because we are an engaged church committed to our mission and work."
St. George's College in Jerusalem open despite continuing strife
(ACNS) Despite the continuing strife in the area, St. George's College in Jerusalem is still open, welcoming pilgrims. The Rev. Ross Jones, an American who serves as dean, said that only 146 had registered recently, compared with an average of 450 in recent years. At a meeting of the college's executive committee recently in Virginia, he called it one of the college's "poorer years as we struggle to survive with a dearth of pilgrims."
Bishop Riah Abu El Assal of the Diocese of Jerusalem shared his own vision--as well as his fears--for the future, noting the Christians continue to leave the region. He also spoke of the humanitarian crisis created by the continuing violence. The diocese has been providing food for hundreds of families who have lost their homes.
Riah called St. George's "an important window to the world," serving as a "Holy Land centre for the formation of faith, presenting the Christian faith through the Anglican tradition in the context of the land, the people and the traditions from which it arose."
Jones said that the college is running a considerable deficit but he also reported that it is "one of only three comparable institutions still open. Those who have attended have heartily endorsed both the program and their decision to attend."
Forward Movement Publications appoints laywoman to chair executive committee
(ENS) Margaret Graham Beers of Washington, DC, has been appointed to a five-year term as chair of the executive committee of Forward Movement Publications--the first layperson to serve in that capacity. She has been a member of the committee for the past five years and edited "Echoes of the Spirit," a book of prayers by women.
She and her husband David Booth Beers, chancellor to the presiding bishop, are members of St. Patrick's Church in Washington. She has been involved with the diocesan commission on peace and served as assistant to the president of the House of Deputies for the last three General Conventions.
Forward Movement was established by the 1934 General Convention "to help reinvigorate the life of the church" by producing materials that "support persons in their lives of prayer and faith. In addition to the daily devotional, "Forward Day by Day," it also produces over 400 tracts, pamphlets and books. "We are excited about the future of Forward Movement on many fronts," Mrs. Beers said. "In our efforts to reach a wider audience we have mounted a web page (www.forwardmovement.org) and increased our audio offerings and works in Spanish--and we are looking to move into trade bookstores with the publication of a new line of books."
Spiritual Formation in Broken World theme of 33rd Trinity Institute
(ENS) Trinity Institute's 33rd national teleconference on April 5-6 will broadcast from a site very near Ground Zero, around the corner from the September 11 terrorist on the World Trade Center in New York. The conference, on the theme "How Then Must We Live?" will feature panelists who specialize in helping individuals establish priorities and rework their relationships with family, work and God.
The participating speakers are all actively engaged in spiritual formation in a broken world, helping people rethink their lives: Parker Palmer works primarily with educators; Robert Bondi counsels graduate students; Andre Delbecq coaches business leaders; Sharon Daloz Parks guides young adults; and Phyllis Tickle shares her prayer disciplines in print and on the Internet.
GraceCom, the media ministry of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, will work with the Episcopal Cathedral Teleconferencing Network to produce the live webcast available on www.GraceCathedral.org and www.ECTN.org.
To register for the conference or for further information go to the web site at www.trininst.org or call 1-800-457-0224.