Churches must act to protect human rights as state role diminishes
Abokobi, Ghana: Globalisation has diminished the role of the state to protect citizens' human rights, and churches and congregations should assume that responsibility, according to a representative of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Clement John. Addressing the 11th general assembly of the Association of Christian Lay Centres in Africa (ACLCA) on 22 February, John said: "In the new configuration of unipolar order, churches are required to respond to new forces whose actions have direct and indirect implication for human rights, private armed groups, some based on ethnicity, others on religion, transnational corporations and financial institutions." [680 words, ENI-00-0073]

The Protestant Reformation - an historical idea ready for a major reform
Geneva: One of the most basic concepts of the history of Christianity - that of the 16th-century reformation which split the Western Church - is being radically revised thanks to a series of meetings aimed at bringing Protestant denominations closer together. Theologians and officials representing a range of Protestant denominations have been meeting since 1986 to examine the nature of Protestantism. As their dialogues have evolved - the sixth in the series was held in Strasbourg, France, from 11 to 15 February - the participants have dramatically revised the historical view of the reformation, throwing out the stereotype of a monolithic "Reformation" led by Martin Luther and John Calvin. Instead, the theologians say, there were a whole string of events and people who reformed Christianity over a period of several centuries. [1037 words, ENI-00-0074]

28 February 2000
Archbishop of Canterbury refuses to recognise 'Singapore consecrations'
London: The Archbishop of Canterbury - who is the leader of the world-wide Anglican Communion - has refused to recognise the consecration of two new bishops in Singapore. The two American priests were consecrated in Singapore on 29 January by conservative bishops from Asia, America and Africa who believe that the Episcopal Church in the USA (ECUSA) is too liberal. [1141 words, ENI-00-0070]

Sydney's two archbishops and a judge differ over Mardi Gras parade
Melbourne: Sydney's Anglican and Roman Catholic archbishops have both condemned Sydney's 20-year-old Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras as ''gross exhibitionism''. Cardinal Edward Clancy, the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, said the annual Mardi Gras - the centrepiece of which is an exuberant parade through the city's streets watched by about 700 000 people and televised nationally - promoted ''a homosexual lifestyle'' and did not deserve support. [821 words, ENI-00-0071]

25 February 2000
New church yearbook reflects changing face of multifaith America
New York: The latest edition of North America's most respected church handbook has made a radical change in its scope - by listing, for the first time, details of major non-Christian faiths. Throughout its 68-year history, the yearbook has overflowed with statistical data about membership trends, as well as contact information for every Christian denomination in the US. The 408-page 2000 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches lists Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish and other non-Christian groups for the first time. Sophisticated website search engines have also been established in conjunction with the yearbook for the use of serious researchers. [746 words, ENI-00-0067]

Film about Argentina's protesting grandmothers wins ecumenical award
Geneva: A documentary film about one of the most astonishing episodes of kidnap, murder, orphans and protest in modern history - Botin de Guerra (Spoils of War) - has won a major award and prize money of 5000 Deutschmark (USD 2500) from the Ecumenical Jury at the Berlin Film Festival. Botin de Guerra, by Argentinian director David Blaustein, is a documentary about the continuing struggle of the grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, in Argentina, to find their grandchildren, born in detention or kidnapped during the Argentine military dictatorship (1976-83). [976 words, ENI-00-0068]

Bishop rejects accusations over his patronage of Internet support group
East London, South Africa: Cape Town's auxiliary Catholic bishop, Reginald Cawcutt, has rejected criticisms of his support for an Internet website linking homosexual priests around the world. Bishop Cawcutt told ENI, in a telephone interview from Cape Town, that his participation was a ministry tool allowing him to support and counsel the priests. He added that he had the support of his archbishop, Lawrence Henry. [531 words, ENI-00-0069]

24 February 2000
50 US church leaders say poverty is unacceptable in world's richest nation
New York: A coalition of US religious groups covering a wide political and theological spectrum has launched a campaign to put the issue of poverty on the national agenda. Announcing a decade-long plan of action - which includes a possible ten-per cent "poverty tithe" by churches - 50 leaders of churches and related agencies said it was not morally acceptable that poverty persisted in the US at a time of unparalleled economic prosperity and expansion. [675 words, ENI-00-0063]

US church urged to allow liberals to leave over homosexual issue
New York: The general assembly of one of America's biggest churches, the Presbyterian Church (USA), will be asked to consider a series of resolutions later this year declaring that "irreconcilable" differences exist within the denomination over the ordination of gay clergy. One proposed resolution would allow liberal Presbyterians who support such ordinations to leave the denomination, taking church property with them. [963 words, ENI-00-0064]

Christian laity urged to play a greater role in solving Africa's problems
Abokobi: Leaders of a major Christian lay organisation in Africa have called on lay people to make a greater effort to solve the continent's problems. Problem-solving should not be left to clergy alone, according to participants at the 11th general assembly of the Association of Christian Lay Centres in Africa (ACLCA), which began on 21 February. [464 words, ENI-00-0065]

YWCA considers legal action against Zambia's police
Lusaka: The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) in Zambia is discussing with other agencies possible legal action against the country's police force following controversy over what the YWCA believes is police laxity in tracking down rapists and killers of schoolgirls. [643 words, ENI-00-0066]

23 February 2000
Church leaders to tell Clinton to remove US Navy from Vieques
San Juan, Puerto Rico: Following a massive church-sponsored rally in Puerto Rico's capital, San Juan, on 21 February, local church leaders have decided to ask US President Bill Clinton to remove a US Navy base from the nearby island of Vieques. The church leaders believe that President Clinton will ultimately make the decisions about what happens to the navy base which is now the cause of deep and widespread anger in this commonwealth linked to the US. [702 words, ENI-00-0061]

Cape Town dean survives bid to sack him for defending gay rights
East London: A senior Anglican clergyman in South Africa has apologised for his role in an advertisement screened at a recent Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. But he has survived a campaign to force him to resign. The advertisement, which targeted homophobia and hate speech, showed the cathedral dean preaching that "they say homosexuals are the devil's spawn, but I don't believe that". He then turned round to show a devil's tail sticking out of his liturgical robes. A caption reads: "Get thee behind me." [421 words, ENI-00-62]

22 February 2000
New Bible translations help to preserve world's disappearing languages
London: A New Testament published for the first time in an English-based Caribbean Creole, a language once used by slaves, has been hailed as one of the world's most significant Bible translation activities for 1999. Geoffrey Stamp, chief editor for the United Bible Societies, based in Reading, England, was commenting to ENI on the UBS annual Scripture Language Report, which revealed that scripture became available in 21 more languages last year. The total number of languages in which the Bible is available in part or in its entirety now stands at 2233. But this is still barely more than one third of the estimated 6500 living languages in the world. [627 words, ENI-00-0060]

21 February 2000
Zimbabwe's draft constitution was a waste of money, say churches
Harare: Zimbabwe's church leaders have denounced as a waste of money the process of drawing up a new constitution for this southern African country. [1020 words, ENI-00-0057]

Philippine churches condemn Manila's war games with US military
Manila: The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) has denounced in the "strongest possible terms" joint military exercises, which begin today, between the United States and Philippine Armed Forces. [662 words, ENI-00-0058]

Foreign critics are making Haider famous, warns Austrian church leader
Warsaw: Austrian church leaders have declared that foreign criticism of their nation - where the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) is now part of the government - shows a lack of understanding and could be highly damaging. [1460 words, ENI-00-0059]

18 February 2000
Catholic priest will be candidate in Czech presidential election
Warsaw: A prominent Roman Catholic priest has agreed to run for the post of head of state in the Czech Republic, after gaining approval from the Czech Bishops' Conference and personal support from President Vaclav Havel. "Although I'm happy in my current position, I would be ready to meet such a need if called upon," said Tomas Halik, chairman of the Czech Christian Academy in Prague, the Czech capital. [842 words, ENI-00-0055]

Bishops ready to face arrest in campaign to close US bombing range
Vieques Island: Prayers and hymns, rather than the sound of navy aircraft launching test missiles, have in recent months dominated the US Navy bombing range on this small Caribbean island east of Puerto Rico. The prayers and hymns come from two camps set up by Puerto Rican Christians who are risking arrest for breaking the navy's ban which forbids civilian entry to the bombing range. The protesters - including union members, political activists and students who have set up 12 other camps - are demanding that the US Navy vacate the island. Six decades ago the navy took over two-thirds of the island which it has since used for its military exercises. [1198 words, ENI-00-0056]

17 February 2000
Moscow church and Washington in dispute over Jericho monastery
Moscow: A one-hectare property in the ancient city of Jericho on the West Bank of the River Jordan has become a bone of contention in a bitter dispute between the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church and the breakaway Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. The dispute has become even more heated in recent weeks as the United States and Russia have intervened on behalf of the churches in conflict. Although it appeared last week that a temporary compromise had been reached, the argument is still far from final resolution. [1396 words, ENI-00-0053]

Vatican appoints popular bishop to head church in England and Wales
Geneva: The Vatican has chosen Bishop Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, who has played a leading role in the Roman Catholic Church in England, and in ecumenical dialogue, as the new leader of the 4.1 million Catholics in England and Wales. [1085 words, ENI-00-0054]

16 February 2000
Sri Lanka's people are not divided, but the politicians are, says archbishop
New Delhi: The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Colombo, Nicolas Marcus Fernando, has made yet another call for peaceful settlement to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. [874 words, ENI-00-0049]

Christian virtue can counter globalisation evil, says Bolivian politician
La Paz: Bolivia's minister of labour, Luis Vasquez Villamor, has recommended Christian principles as the best alternative to the threat of "totalitarianism" by the rapid process of globalisation. [220 words, ENI-00-0050]

Austria's crisis is a 'severe warning' to churches, says ecumenical leader
Geneva: The general secretary of Europe's main ecumenical organisation has described events in Austria - where the extreme right-wing Freedom Party has joined the government - as a "severe warning" to churches across the continent. [714 words, ENI-00-0051]

Two major European church organisations agree to deepen co-operation
Geneva: Two of Europe's main church bodies, which between them represent the overwhelming majority of the continent's Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches, are to strengthen their co-operation. The Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the Council of European (Roman Catholic) Bishops' Conferences (CCEE), have reached agreement on guidelines for co-operation to "serve the process of reconciliation among the churches to visible unity, to join together in a witness or proclamation of the Gospel in Europe, and to seek ways of co-operation in social and cultural life". [612 words, ENI-00-0052]

15 February 2000
Scottish church feud ends in split
London: A long-running feud within the Free Church of Scotland - a denomination in the Reformed tradition - has resulted in the establishment of a breakaway church which has the support of up to a fifth of serving ministers. [933 words, ENI-00-0048]

14 February 2000
Catholic priest denounces sanctions on Belgrade as 'brutal, crude game'
Warsaw: A Croatian priest who heads a Roman Catholic aid agency in Yugoslavia has denounced the "hunger and hopelessness" caused by Western sanctions, and pleaded for the international community to show mercy. [589 words, ENI-00-0047]11 February 2000

Church dialogues are removing centuries-old divisions says theologian
Geneva: A leading Protestant theologian has praised the achievements of inter-church dialogue, emphasising that despite difficulties in ecumenical relations, "much progress has been made in the last 30 or 40 years of discussion". According to Dr Milan Opocensky, general secretary of World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC), "these bilateral dialogues are changing not only the attitude of churches, they are enabling us to come together to discuss differences that existed for centuries." [991 words, ENI-00-0045]

Guatemala's police charge military officers with murder of bishop
Guatemala City: With the arrest of three military officers and the arrest - for the second time - of a Roman Catholic priest, Guatemalans are beginning to hope that they will at last find out who murdered Juan Gerardi, auxiliary bishop of Guatemala City and a prominent champion of human rights in this war-torn country. The Catholic bishop's death almost two years ago has been a continuing course of controversy as attempts to find the killers have failed amid accusations of military involvement in the murder and as various judicial officials and witnesses have fled the country fearing for their lives. [721 words, ENI-00-0046]

10 February 2000
US church officials differ over Cuban boy's future
New York: While two of the religious officials mediating in the custody dispute over six-year-old Elian Gonzalez have publicly disagreed over whether he should be returned to Cuba, the battle over his future has become an increasingly bitter row between Elian's relatives in Miami, in the US state of Florida, and his family in Cuba. [857 words, ENI-00-0044]

09 February 2000
Return of church to Lutherans signals boost for Polish ecumenism
Warsaw: Minority church leaders have welcomed new ecumenical accords with Poland's predominant Roman Catholic Church, including a mutual recognition of baptism and the return of a Lutheran church building. [798 words, ENI-00-42]

Two modern popes on the path to sainthood
Rome: Pope John-Paul II is expected to beatify, before the end of the year, two of the most famous popes of modern times: John XXIII, who convoked Vatican Council II, with the aim of bringing the Roman Catholic Church into the modern era (the aggiornamento); and Pius IX, who convened the first Vatican Council. [862 words, ENI-00-0043]

07 February 2000
Survey of Aids infection among priests shocks US Catholics
New York: A survey of Roman Catholic priests by a newspaper, the Kansas City Star, has stunned many American Catholics with its finding that priests are dying of Aids at a much higher rate than the average US population. [711 words, ENI-00-0038]

Munich church struggles to account for missing millions
Munich: Financial irregularities involving millions of Deutschmarks have been discovered in the accounts of the Lutheran Munich church district. [444 words, ENI-00-0039]

4 February 2000
Not all religions are equal, declares Pope John Paul II
Rome: Pope John Paul II has declared that Jesus Christ is the "unique Saviour" of the universe, and the church is the "royal road" to salvation, unlike the "incomplete" religions of non-Christians. The Pope's declaration on the supremacy of the Christian faith is being interpreted as a warning to liberal Catholic theologians who in recent decades have written of the validity of other mainstream faiths. [564 words, ENI-00-0034]

One year after missionary's murder, Indian police arrest main suspect
New Delhi: Christians in India have welcomed news of an arrest a year after the murder of Australian Baptist missionary Graham Stuart Staines and his two sons. [394 words, ENI-00-0035]

Australia's new Anglican leader promises to remain outspoken
Melbourne: Australia's Anglican Church has elected a progressive archbishop and theologian, Dr Peter Carnley, as its new head. [760 words, ENI-00-0036]

Episcopalians 'appalled' at foreign bishops' plan to 'save' US church
New York: The consecration in Singapore by several foreign Anglican primates of two American priests as bishops is causing an uproar within the Episcopal Church in the United States, with many seeing the move as a direct challenge to church authority and tradition. [938 words, ENI-00-0037]

3 February 2000
Uniate issue again disturbs Orthodox-Catholic relations
Warsaw/Geneva: A long-standing conflict between the Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic churches - also referred to as Greek-Catholic churches or "Uniates" - is threatening to heighten ecumenical tensions as the Vatican and the Orthodox prepare to resurrect bilateral talks. The very existence of the Greek-Catholic churches, particularly in Ukraine and the surrounding region, is perhaps the most divisive issue in Orthodox-Catholic relations. The Uniates are in full communion with Rome but, like the Orthodox, have Eastern liturgical and canonical practices. [1275 words, ENI-00-0032]

Turkish film of life on streets of Istanbul and beyond wins Templeton prize
Geneva: A dramatic Turkish film, Journey to the Sun, has won the 1999 Templeton European Film Prize. The film, by a Turkish woman director, Ye im Ustao lu, relates the life of Mehmet, who moves from the countryside to Istanbul, and suffers various disturbing forms of discrimination, including arrest and the loss of his job. The award was set up in 1997 by the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and Interfilm, an international, inter-church film organisation, and is funded by the Templeton Foundation. [689 words, ENI-00-0033]

2 February 2000
Churches protest as India's multi-faith society faces fundamentalist threat
New Delhi: India's churches are becoming increasingly alarmed over the threat to the rights of religious minorities and to the traditionally secular fabric of Indian society. Christians and other activists claim that Hindu fundamentalists are using their control of India's federal and various state governments to enthrone Hinduism as the de facto national religion and to suppress the rights of the nation's many religious minorities. [938 words, ENI-00-0029]

German church body 'shocked' by political finance scandal
Bielefeld: As Germany faces a major scandal about huge sums of money secretly given to political parties, the country's main Protestant church body has strongly criticised "secret and unregulated" donations to politicians. The scandal began in December when the country's most famous politician, former chancellor Helmut Kohl, admitted that he had accepted 2 million Deutschmarks (about US$1m) for his political party from anonymous benefactors. [364 words, ENI-00-0030]

Cold War study claims WCC was 'infiltrated' by communist agents
Geneva: The World Council of Churches (WCC) was "infiltrated" by agents of eastern European intelligence agencies during the Cold War a book recently published in Germany has alleged. But a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church has completely rejected an allegation in the book that a prominent Russian churchman, now dead, worked for the KGB. A spokesperson for the WCC said that the authors of the book had not done justice to the extensive body of source material made available to them by the WCC, and said that its interpretation of WCC documents remained trapped in a Cold War mentality. [1024 words, ENI-00-0031]

01 February 2000
Guatemala's new government to probe 'loss' of file on murdered bishop
Guatemala: Information gathered by the Guatemalan government's strategic analysis secretariat (SAE) about the murder of Roman Catholic Bishop Juan Gerardi is "missing", according to the newly appointed director of the secretariat. Bishop Gerardi was killed in April 1998, just two days after releasing an extensive report blaming the country's military for thousands of deaths during the country's civil war that ended in 1996. [221 words, ENI-00-0027]

And now, a website to help you reflect on your sins
London: An internet website where users are invited to confess their sins has received about 60 000 "hits" or visits by computer-users around the world, with more than one million pages accessed in less than two weeks, according to the organisers. The website - www.theconfessor.co.uk - was launched on 20 January as an offshoot of Premier Christian Radio, an ecumenical station broadcasting in the London area. [558 words, ENI-00-0028]

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