News Briefs
Episcopal News Service. January 15, 2003 [2003-007-1]
Church of England bishops warn against war in Iraq
(ACNS) Last October the bishops of the Church of England told a government committee that, while military action can sometimes be justified as a last resort to enforce United Nations resolutions, to undertake a preventative war against Iraq at this juncture would be to lower the threshold for war unacceptably.
At its recent meeting in Leeds, the bishops issued a statement January 14 that said, "We believe that the Government's stated policy of disarming Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction is best pursued by facilitating and strengthening the work of UN weapons inspectors. It is crucial that this process be allowed to run its course. To launch military action while there remains the potential to secure a peaceful resolution would be ill-judged and premature."
The bishops also said that they were not yet convinced that "a conclusive case" has been made in favor of military action. "We do not believe the evidence presented to date suggests a clear link exists between Iraq and Al Qaeda or that Iraq poses an imminent threat to international security" and therefore "military action could not be morally justified."
The statement called on Iraq to "present credible evidence to support its claim that it does not possess weapons of mass destruction." It also called on the international community "to provide the basis for a lasting and just peace in the region by taking all necessary steps to revitalise the Middle East Peace Process, based on the twin principles of a secure Israel and a viable Palestinian state."
The bishops urged the government and media "to avoid the use of language or rhetoric which might cast this crisis in religious terms or contribute to extremist and exclusivist attitudes."
(Full text of the statement is available on the Anglican Communion News Service Web site.)
Danforth returning to the Sudan to resume peace talks
(ENS) The US State Department has announced that former senator John Danforth, an ordained Episcopal priest, is returning to the Sudan as the Khartoum government and the southern rebels prepare to resume peace talks.
Danforth will also visit Egypt, Kenya and Eritrea for talks on the peace process as follow-up to discussions with both sides in the Sudan in Washington last month. According to the State Department, the talks were supposed to resume January 15 but Khartoum said that it hadn't received its invitation yet. The rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) said the new round of talks, aimed at ending two decades of civil war, should begin soon in Kenya.
The talks will focus on three main issues, including the status of sharia or Islamic law in Khartoum. Previous talks led to what many regarded as ground-breaking protocol agreements last July that granted a six-year period of self rule in the south, composed mainly of Christians and animists. A referendum would then decide whether the region would secede or remain part of the Sudan. A second round of talks started in August to finalize that agreement was suspended by Khartoum in the face of a rebel victory in the south.
German church Web site aimed trying to reach working mothers
(ENI) The Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) has opened a Web site designed to reach mothers who work outside the home. "Women feel responsible for the religious life of the family," said Manfred Kock, head of the EKD, at a press conference to announce the launch. "They bring the children to the parish kindergarten or discuss whether to baptize them. They ask all the relevant questions."
The church hopes to help equip women to fulfill their dual daily role and to improve their performance both at work and at home. A study conducted by Germany's two main television stations concluded that more and more women are using the Internet, rising from just over a million to over 12 million in the last five years.
The study found that women and men under the age of 50 were using the Internet in equal numbers. "Men and women use the net much more…to get things done at work and at home," the study concluded. "This includes using it for faith and church matters."
The site presents 10 stages of life, including birth, schooling, partnership, work, retirement and death. It portrays the life of 10 women, using short articles and videos to depict their daily life. "The site answers the questions we frequently receive in e-mails or in chat rooms at other church Web sites," said EKD webmaster Tom Brok. It deals with themes such as how to pray with children, helping children make the most of their confirmation classes, or being a single parent. Links connect users to other sites for additional information on topics such as baptism or marriage.
Scottish Episcopal Church produces communion coloring book
(ACNS) The Scottish Episcopal Church has launched the country's first coloring book specially designed for use by restless children during communion.
"My Holy Communion Book" takes children through the words of a normal Sunday morning service, illustrating key moments in the ceremony with bright, multi-colored illustrations. In addition to coloring the pictures in the book, children can participate in the service by writing special notes after prayers and the Eucharist.
"As soon as we started using the books, I knew they were working because the noise levels dropped right down," said the Rev. Steve Butler of Leith who commissioned the book. "They run for the books now at the start of a service. They really engage with the service. The books become theirs because they have written and drawn in them."
During the sermon the book advises young worshipers to listen closely if the preacher is addressing them specifically. But if the sermon is aimed at adults, it gives a list of other things they might do, including drawing a picture of that day's Bible story. Each page is printed on special paper that can be wiped clean to allow the children to erase their work and start fresh every Sunday.
After the congregation sings the Gloria, children are invited to "draw or write something I have seen or heard this week that makes me want to praise and thank God." During the regular prayers, they are asked to "write down the names of people who need your prayers. If you can help them during the week, write what you can do for them." While people move forward for communion, the book suggests that the children "draw a picture of people in the church and ask Jesus to bless them."
"People often say that church is boring for children," said Rosemary Gallagher, editorial director at Redemptorist Publications that produced the book. "We thought there was a need for something that related to children and looked like the sort of books that they were used to. The whole thing becomes more immediate when they can fill in their own prayer requests for friends or even for a loved pet."
Episcopal Society for Ministry on Aging will dissolve in February
(ENS) The board for the Episcopal Society for Ministry on Aging (ESMA), which for nearly four decades has served as the official agency dealing with aging issues at the national level, has voted to dissolve on February 28, 2003.
ESMA was formed in 1964 in response to the first National Conference on Aging and was designated at that year's General Convention as the agency to assist parishes and dioceses in establishing housing for the elderly.
In 1977 the focus was broadened to include a wider ministry. Representatives were appointed in every diocese and in 1979 the office was moved from New Jersey to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and the executive director became a full-time position.
In 1991 the General Convention voted to phase out funding for ESMA and it operated without national support since 1994. A directory of housing programs for the elderly related to the Episcopal Church was published in 1995 and was rated highly by "Consumer Reports." By 1999, however, support from parishes and dioceses had decreased and ESMA had used its reserve funds, leading to the decision to close the office.
A resolution presented to the 2000 General Convention, calling for a national consultation to consider the church's response to the needs of an aging society, passed unanimously and the consultation met in Florida in the fall of 2001. The consultation recommended that a full-time national office of ministry with the aging be established but the Executive Council meeting in June 2002 did not respond positively. The Executive Council later passed a motion that will ask the 2003 General Convention to appoint a six-member task force to assess ministry with the aging.
Finnish film wins Templeton European Film of the Year Prize
(ENI) A Finnish film, "The Man without a Past," has won the Templeton European Film of the Year award, it was announced January 13 by the Conference of European Churches in Geneva. The award is presented by the Templeton Foundation, the inter-church film organization Interfilm, and the CEC for artistic merit and a point of view in keeping with the message of the Scriptures.
In the film urban violence opens the way to tell the story of a survivor, the man without a past. The film also won the Ecumenical Jury Prize at the Cannes International Film Festival 2002.
Judges look for films that stimulate debate about spiritual and social issues. They said that the film written, directed and produced by Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki was a parable told with tenderness and moments of humor. It is the story of a community inspired by a man almost totally deprived of his memory after being mugged. The film features Finnish actor Markku Peltola as the victim and Kati Outinen as a Salvation Army worker who encourages the victim to find himself again.
The prize will be awarded during this year's Berlin Film Festival on February 9.