Warsaw/Brussels (ENI). Christian leaders have urged the European Union (EU) to show greater openness to the views of aspiring member-countries, and ensure a "wider public discussion" about the aims of European integration. They are also counting on Sweden to listen to the views of churches in tackling the three key issues of enlargement, employment and the environment, when the country assumes the presidency of the EU on 1 January 2001. Keith Jenkins, director of the Church and Society Commission of the Conference of European Churches, which groups most of Europe's Anglican, Protestant and Orthodox churches, was speaking after meeting Sweden's deputy premier in advance of the Swedish presidency. [635 words, ENI-00-0435]

29 November 2000

Kottayam (ENI). A new six storey building facing the overcrowded Kottayam Medical College Hospital in the southern Indian state of Kerala is a testimony to the "self reliance" of the region's Orthodox church. The entire cost of the construction of the building - 10 million rupees (US$213 500) has been met by donations from the people of Kerala - Orthodox church members and others. (Kerala has more than six million Christians, two million of them Orthodox, most of whom trace their faith back to the Apostle Thomas who is said to have reached the coast of Kerala in AD52 bringing Christianity to India.) [735 words, ENI-00-0434]

28 November 2000

London (ENI). Domestic violence against women is as common in church-supporting households as in the wider community, according to the results of a Methodist research project. One in four respondents to a survey conducted as part of the research had either witnessed or experienced domestic violence as a child or had experienced domestic violence from a partner as an adult. This is the same figure as that published by the British Medical Association for the community as a whole. Domestic violence refers not only to physical assaults but also includes systematic psychological, emotional or verbal abuse. [770 words, ENI-00-0431]

Government minister promises 'full rights' for all Serbia's churches

Warsaw (ENI). A Serbian government minister has promised to remove barriers to religious activity and ensure "full rights and freedoms" for all denominations. Minority church leaders in Serbia have praised the "new atmosphere" in the country, and said they would count on a new government to honour the same pledges after the republic's December ballot. [897 words, ENI-00-0432]

Zambia church leaders criticise calls for Chiluba to be allowed third term

Lusaka (ENI). Zambian church leaders have criticised calls by members of the country's ruling party, the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD), to have Zambia's constitution changed to allow President Frederick Chiluba to seek a third term of office in next year's elections. According to the Zambian constitution, a president cannot run for a third term of office. President Chiluba's second term ends in October 2001, when presidential and general elections are due to take place. [578 words, ENI-00-0432]

24 November 2000

Kottayam, India (ENI). Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomeos I of Constantinople on a historic visit to Orthodox Christians in south India, has expressed concern about evangelical groups targeting members of Orthodox churches for conversion. During his visit Patriarch Bartholomeos, who is recognised as primus inter pares among the world's Orthodox leaders, described the activities of "proselytising Christians" as "unacceptable". A prominent Indian Orthodox theologian has also suggested that Orthodox Christians in south India are being "poached" by other churches, although relations with mainline churches have improved in recent years. [619 words, ENI-00-0428]

Plans for Bethlehem's Christmas festivities come to premature end

Bethlehem (ENI). Plans for Christmas festivities in Bethlehem, the cradle of Christianity, have come to a premature end as the town remains virtually sealed off from the outside world because of the violence raging in the region. This West Bank town has been under siege and isolated from the rest of the world since the start of the Palestinian uprising against Israeli rule, almost two months ago. According to the town's mayor, tourists have cancelled their visits and are no longer coming to Bethlehem. He believes that even at Christmas there will be only "a few hundred" people this year instead of the 20 000 or so foreign tourists and worshippers who normally gather in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. [472 words, ENI-00-0429]

23 November 2000

Moscow/Geneva (ENI)--The small Baltic country of Estonia has again become the focus of rivalry between the world's two most influential Orthodox churches and their leaders - Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomeos I of Constantinople and Patriarch Alexei II of Moscow and All Russia. The latest dispute broke out after a visit in late October by Patriarch Bartholomeos to Estonia. At issue between the two churches is the troubled question of whether the Ecumenical Patriarchate or the Russian Orthodox Church's Moscow Patriarchate should have jurisdiction over Orthodox Christians in the predominantly Lutheran country of Estonia. The dispute has led the Russian Orthodox Church to break off personal contacts with Patriarch Bartholomeos - traditionally the "first among equals" of the world's Orthodox leaders. [1371 words, ENI-00-0427]

22 November 2000

Kottayam, India (ENI). The world's senior Orthodox church leader has concluded a historic visit to southern India by restating his belief in the need for unity between Christians. The visit to India from 17 to 19 November by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomeos I of Constantinople was the first visit by an Ecumenical Patriarch to the Orthodox Christians in the southern Indian state of Kerala. There are two million Orthodox Christians in the region representing India's oldest Christian community. They trace their history back to the Apostle Thomas - one of Jesus' disciples - who is said to have arrived in Kerala in AD 52 and established Christianity in India. [891 words, ENI-00-0426]

21 November 2000

Rome (ENI). Rome's Lutheran pastor has rallied to the defence of Martin Luther, whose theology was blamed earlier this month by a Catholic theologian for America's fast food culture. The claim that the "Protestant cultural model" was responsible for the fast food culture attracted world-wide attention, with one newspaper proclaiming "the excommunication of the hamburger". Now the pastor of Rome's Lutheran congregation has hit back. "I find it very difficult to imagine Martin Luther sitting down all alone at a small metal table eating a Big Mac," he said. "You always need someone to take the blame for the ills of humanity and this time, once again, it's our dear Martin Luther who is the target - the person who became famous because of his 'table talk' and who preached gratitude for the gifts of the creator." [565 words, ENI-00-0425]

20 November 2000

Warsaw (ENI). Patriarch Teoctist, the leader of Romania's Orthodox church, has been honoured by the Roman Catholic university in Poland where Pope John Paul II once taught. Speaking before receiving an honorary doctorate from the Catholic University of Lublin on 7 November, Patriarch Teoctist said he believed Romania's Orthodox culture was "closer to the West than the East", and defended his church's current contacts with Roman Catholic leaders. The award to Patriarch Teoctist follows a visit last year by Pope John Paul II to Romania. Pope John Paul joined the staff of the Lublin university in 1954 and later, as a Polish archbishop, maintained close ties with the institution. [670 words, ENI-00-0424]

20 November 2000

Warsaw (ENI). Patriarch Teoctist, the leader of Romania's Orthodox church, has been honoured by the Roman Catholic university in Poland where Pope John Paul II once taught. The award to Patriarch Teoctist follows a visit last year by Pope John Paul II to Romania. Pope John Paul joined the staff of the Lublin university in 1954 and later, as a Polish archbishop, maintained close ties with the institution. [670 words, ENI-00-0424]

17 November 2000

Moscow (ENI). Following a fierce debate, work has finally begun on building an Orthodox church next to one of the best known war memorials of the former Soviet Union - the giant statue of Mother Russia at Volgograd. The 85-metre statue of a woman representing Soviet Russia, her sword raised above her head and mouth open in a scream, marks the site of one of the key battles of the Second World War. The dispute about whether or not a memorial church should be built on the same site revolved around a conflict between secular and religious symbolism, and between Soviet and Russian patriotism. [863 words, ENI-00-0422]

World faiths in Kathmandu unveil 'sacred gifts' to protect environment

Geneva (ENI). Representatives of 11 major faiths have been gathering in Kathmandu, Nepal, with the aim of mobilising billions of believers to conserve the world's natural resources. On 15 November representatives of the Baha'i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Shinto, Taoist and Zoroastrian faiths met in Kathmandu, Nepal, to address a broad range of international environmental challenges and to unveil their "Sacred Gifts for a Living Planet" - initiatives to promote environmental responsibility and sustainability. Among the 26 initiatives, the China Taoist Association, the umbrella organisation for 40 million Taoists in China, is calling on its members not to use endangered animals - such as tigers, rhinos, brown bears and musk deer - in the preparation of traditional medicine products; the (Orthodox) Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople has launched a "river of life" network along the River Danube to tackle pollution and conservation; Japan's Shintos will buy only sustainably-produced wood for more than 80 000 Shinto shrines; and Mongolian Buddhist leaders have reinstated a ban on hunting endangered species, such as the snow leopard, of which only 700 remain in Mongolia. [857 words, ENI-00-0423]

15 November 2000

Hong Kong (ENI). New rules issued by Beijing about the religious activities of foreigners in mainland China are being closely scrutinised in Hong Kong. These rules impose limits on the activities of foreigners in China. They also forbid certain activities such as engaging in missionary work among Chinese citizens or setting up religious organisations, although they do not affect Hong Kong, a "special administrative region" of China since the former British crown colony was returned to Chinese rule in 1997. [816 words, ENI-00-0421]

14 November 2000

New York (ENI). Supporters and family members of four United States churchwomen murdered 20 years ago in El Salvador have expressed shock and disappointment at a US federal jury verdict in Florida that cleared two former Salvadorean generals of responsibility in the women's murders. The churchwomen were raped and murdered by a group of Salvadorean National Guardsmen. The murders helped galvanise public opinion against US policies in El Salvador, where Washington supported a series of governments fighting a left-wing insurgency. [736 words, ENI-00-0420]

13 November 2000

New Delhi (ENI). Sri Lanka's main inter-church body has called on all political parties to strengthen the country's peace process and "erase partisan and communal politics", following indecisive parliamentary elections last month. Hopes that the newly-elected Sri Lankan parliament would introduce constitutional reforms to bring an end to a 17-year old ethnic conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives suffered a setback when neither of the country's main political parties won a clear majority in the 225-member parliament. [644 words, ENI-00-0418]

Europe has 'responsibility' to show leadership in struggle against racism

London (ENI). In the fight against racism, Europe must set down a marker for other parts of the world to follow, according to Arlington Trotman, secretary of the Churches' Commission for Racial Justice (CCRJ), based in London. As arrangements gather pace for the United Nations world conference against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, to be held in South Africa in September next year, he said that Europe was "responsible for much of the racism around the world. Therefore Europe must show a certain level of leadership, and set down a marker for others to follow." [592 words, ENI-00-0419]

10 November 2000

London (ENI). A young religious publisher, Alex Wright, is hoping to show a path to the rest of the industry, which he believes has lost its way. Wright, aged 35, who took over in May as director of SCM Press, one of Britain's most respected religious publishers, believes that much of religious publishing in Britain represents theologians talking to each other, rather than trying to reach out "beyond our tried and tested constituencies". He would like to find authors who for younger readers put back the "cool" into religious books. "You have to face up to the fact that if you're on a train or a bus and you're under 30, to be seen reading a religious book is cultural death." [660 words, ENI-00-0417]

9 November 2000

Johannesburg (ENI). A videotaped race attack, shown this week on state television in South Africa, in which three black men are savaged by six white policemen and their dogs, illustrates that the country is in a state of ''spiritual and moral bankruptcy'', according to the president of the South African Council of Churches (SACC). Bishop Mvume Dandala's outspoken reaction came amid widespread shock and revulsion at the 45-minute amateur video, broadcast on Tuesday by an investigative television programme, which showed the police officers laughing and shouting racist abuse as their four dogs mauled their victims. [609 words, ENI-00-0416]

8 November 2000

Warsaw (ENI). Church representatives from the European Union (EU) have voiced regret at the lack of reference to churches and faiths in a major new human rights document drawn up by the EU whose text was agreed at an EU summit in Biarritz last month. An acknowledgement of Europe's "religious heritage" had earlier been left out of the charter's preamble at the insistence of the French prime minister, Lionel Jospin, whose country has a long tradition of the separation of church and state. [871 words, ENI-00-0415]

7 November 2000

New Delhi (ENI). Christian action groups in India have launched a vigorous campaign protesting against recent "advice" from Hindu fundamentalists that Indian Christians should emulate Chinese Christians by setting up a "patriotic church" free from foreign control. Christian groups in several Indian cities have organised meetings and demonstrations to reject the demand for a patriotic Indian church made by K. S. Sudarshan, the leader of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh - National Volunteer Corps), a prominent Hindu organisation with links to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP is the main party in India's coalition government. [1047 words, ENI-00-0414]

6 November 2000

Geneva (ENI). "Recently," explains Swiss Catholic theologian Regula Strobel, "I heard a friend practically apologising for the fact that she doesn't work. She's a mother of four who is active in several local clubs and associations. Women are so used to being belittled for what they do that they end up by putting themselves down." Strobel was explaining to ENI the concerns of the Swiss Synod of Women, which recently held its second meeting in Biel, a bilingual city not far from the Swiss capital, Bern. On 28 October, 650 women from Switzerland's French- and German-speaking regions gathered for the synod in Biel, which focused on "Work in all its forms" and examined prejudices in the way work is defined. words, ENI-00-0412]

Now WWW can help desperate preachers as Sunday deadline looms

Lebanon, Pennsylvania (ENI). A former electronics technician from Germany, now a Methodist minister in the United States, has established a "Desperate Preacher's" website that receives over half-a-million "hits" a month. The minister, Frank Schaefer, told ENI: "Back in 1996, I was looking for something on the Internet that I could use for my preaching - for some way to exchange thoughts and experiences with fellow desperate preachers. There was nothing there, so I decided to start the ministry I was looking for." The "Desperate Preacher's Site" (http://www.desperatepreacher.com) now has a homiletics editor, a chaplain and a missionary on duty, as well as a technician to keep things running smoothly. [821 words, ENI-00-0413]

3 November 2000

New York (ENI). The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), the biggest Protestant denomination in the United States, is facing a major internal conflict just as one of the denomination's most famous members, former US President Jimmy Carter, has broken ranks with the church. Southern Baptists in Texas decided on 30 October to withdraw most of their funding for the denomination's national headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, and six Baptist seminaries. Like Jimmy Carter, the Texas church members are concerned about increasingly conservative actions in recent years by the SBC. [1131 words, ENI-00-0410]

WCC may replace its 'anglo-saxon' style of governance

Geneva (ENI). The world's leading ecumenical organisation, the World Council of Churches (WCC), in Geneva, could replace its present "anglo-saxon" parliamentary style of governance by a more "consensual" style, if suggestions from a meeting in Cairo last month are accepted. For several years the WCC - which has more than 330 Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox churches as members - has been under pressure from its Orthodox members who believe that the organisation is dominated by Western Protestant theology and morality. The Orthodox churches often feel that their voices are not heard in the WCC governing bodies, where most of the delegates are from Protestant churches. To deal with complaints from the Orthodox churches, the WCC has set up a "special commission on Orthodox participation in the WCC", made up of equal numbers of Orthodox and non-Orthodox representatives. [1273 words, ENI-00-0411]

2 November 2000

Warsaw (ENI). The head of Yugoslavia's Jesuit priests (Society of Jesus) has warned against "vengeful attitudes" towards supporters of the ousted Yugoslav president, Slobodan Milosevic. "How to struggle against moral evil is always a very difficult question - but you don't change people just by punishing them," Lorant Kilbertus told ENI in a telephone interview from Belgrade. [851 words, ENI-00-0409]

1 November 2000

Hong Kong (ENI). On 29 October more than 1000 Catholics in Hong Kong celebrated the canonisation of 120 Chinese and foreign martyrs, even though mainland Chinese officials here told the Catholic diocese of Hong Kong to hold only low-profile celebrations for the controversial canonisations. The issue has prompted debate about religious freedom in Hong Kong, many of whose citizens are keenly aware of any interference by the mainland Chinese authorities in the rights of Hong Kong's seven million inhabitants. [840 words, ENI-00-0406]

As Honduras elections approach, Bible-reading provokes intense debate

Tegucigalpa (ENI). With church leaders putting pressure on him from two directions, the president of Honduras is trying to decide whether to sign a law requiring all schools to begin every day with a 10-minute reading from the Bible. Approved by the country's Congress on 26 September, the proposal has unleashed a vehement discussion within this Central American country, with Christian leaders taking up positions on both sides of the debate. Some church leaders are jubilant over the new measure and are putting pressure on President Carlos Flores to sign the bill into law. Others, who are either opposed in principle to the measure - believing it violates the separation of church and state - or upset that they were not consulted about it, are calling on President Flores to veto the bill. If signed by Flores, the bill will take effect next year. [1053 words, ENI-00-0407]

Another Lutheran church in India ordains its first women clergy

New Delhi (ENI). The Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chotanagpur (GELC) in eastern India has ordained its first women clergy, becoming the fifth of India's 11 Lutheran churches to do so. Three women - all of them of tribal (indigenous) background in a church which is largely made up of tribal people - were ordained as pastors on 27 October at the GELC church compound at Ranchi, in the state of Bihar, about 1000 kilometres south-east of New Delhi. [473 words, ENI-00-0408]

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