Jos, Nigeria (ENI). Nigeria's Anglican and Roman Catholic churches have warned that unless the government acts decisively, the violence that characterised recent local government elections could turn the country into a battlefield. The church leaders were speaking against the background of violence that engulfed many parts of the country when voting took place to elect representatives for the 774 local government areas. The ruling People's Democratic Party in Nigeria won the lion's share of councils. [344 words, ENI-04-0199]

Choice of pastor for funeral of Dutch 'bicycling queen' not liked by some

Amsterdam (ENI). Former Dutch queen Juliana has been laid to rest in Delft but her choice before she died of a woman minister to lead her funeral service triggered criticism from some members of the Netherlands Reformed Church, the country's biggest denomination. Juliana, who reigned for 32 years from 1948 before abdicating in favour of her daughter Beatrix in 1980, died on 20 March aged 94. [380 words, ENI-04-0200]

Philippine church leaders lament betrayal of 'People Power II'

Manila (ENI). Three years ago, Roman Catholic and Protestant churches in the Philippines joined civil society and labourers and farmers' groups and mustered enough strength and power to force the removal of President Joseph Estrada whom they said had lost the moral authority to govern. The then vice-president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo swept into the presidency, succeeding Estrada and giving many Filipinos hope for a better leadership and governance. But three years after what is described in the Philippines as "People Power II" (since the first People Power revolution in 1986 which ousted the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos), some church officials lament that politicians have turned their backs on the ideals that inspired the revolt. [399 words, ENI-04-0201]

30 March 2004

Jerusalem (ENI). The Israeli Government's refusal to renew visas to Christian clergy in the Holy Land has precipitated a crisis with the Vatican and the entire Christian world, say church representatives. It is estimated that hundreds of priests, nuns and Christian volunteers have not been granted permission to remain in Israel. Israeli police now have the legal power to arrest and deport all in this category, although so far no church leader has reported that any staff have been forced to leave. "It's a problem not only for the Catholic Church but for all (Christian) denominations in the Holy Land," a spokesman for the Apostolic Delegation, the Vatican's representatives in Jerusalem, told ENI. [524 words, ENI-04-0198]

Church bodies urge UN to take them seriously in Kosovo peace-building

Sofia (ENI). Religious communities in the Balkans region should be taken seriously as long-term peace-building partners, the World Council of Churches and the Conference of European Churches said on Tuesday in a joint letter to the head of the United Nations Interim Administration of Kosovo. The letter, addressed to Harri Holkeri, said the failure to prevent recent violence in Kosovo "must not be downplayed in the desire to see a speedy return to normality". Signed by the secretary general of the WCC, the Rev. Sam Kobia and his counterpart in the Conference of European Churches, Dr Keith Clements, the letter follows an earlier joint message on the Kosovo crisis, sent to Patriarch Pavle, head of the Serbian Orthodox Church. [550 words, ENI-04-0196]

Leaders at African inter-faith summit pledge to curb violence

Nairobi (ENI). Christian, Muslim, and Hindu leaders gathering in Nairobi have committed to work together to curb trends of violence in the eastern Horn of Africa and in the Great Lakes region, considered flashpoints for conflict. In a communiqué issued at the end of the three-day Inter-Faith Peace Summit, the leaders agreed the region had several conflicts which the different religions had sometimes been accused of fuelling. [384 words, ENI-04-0197]

Canadian church women leave after HIV/AIDS study tour in Zambia

Lusaka (ENI). Seventeen church women from the United Church in Canada (UCC) have completed 10 days as guests of their partner church, the United Church of Zambia (UCZ) to appraise themselves of issues pertaining to the involvement of the church in the area of HIV/AIDS. A learning forum on HIV/AIDS issues was organised for them on 17 March at the UCZ St Paul's Church in Lusaka where they were addressed by the UCZ convenor on HIV/AIDS, the Rev. Mwape Chilekwa. Zambia, like other southern African countries, is afflicted by the pandemic. [437 words, ENI-04-0195]

29 March 2004

Nairobi (ENI). A retired Ugandan Anglican Bishop, the Rev. Macleord Ochola has warned that the 18-year-old war between the Lord's Resistance Army and government forces could slide into genocide, similar to that of Rwanda in 1994, following the government's creation of militia groups to defend villages. "This is a dangerous development that could easily lead to genocide similar to that of Hutu and Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994. The militias allegiance does not go beyond their tribes," Bishop Ochola, vice-chairman of the inter-faith Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative told ENI in an interview in Nairobi. The bishop, who has been striving for years to find an end to the northern Uganda conflict. [412 words, 04-0194]

Austria's Cardinal Koenig praised for his 'pioneering ecumenism'

Warsaw (ENI). Cardinal Franz Koenig, praised by religious and political leaders from a wide spectrum for his work as a church diplomat who built bridges to other denominations and faiths and as a champion of the poor, has been laid to rest in Vienna's St Stephan's Cathedral. Koenig died on 13 March, aged 98. He was widely credited with aiding dialogue with eastern Orthodox communities from the time of the Roman Catholic Church's 1962-5 Second Vatican Council, as well as with promoting closer East-West ties during and after communist rule. [432 words, ENI-04-0191]

Churches hail India-Pakistan cricket pulling south Asian rivals closer

New Delhi (ENI). Church leaders in India and Pakistan have hailed the "goodwill and friendliness" the game of cricket - the most popular sport in south Asia - has brought about between the rival neighbours, acting as a bridge to other contacts. "We hope this will lead to greater sportsmanship among the political leaders of both nations," said metropolitan Thomas mar Themotheus, vice-president of the National Council of Churches in India. Themotheus told ENI that the ongoing cricket series between India and Pakistan being played in Pakistan "is a very positive development". [398 words, ENI-04-0193]

Anglican leader says prisons can't be only punishment for grave crimes

London (ENI). The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has spoken out against treating prison as the only suitable punishment for serious crimes. "We need a change of philosophy that takes us steadily and inexorably away from believing that a custodial sentence is, so to speak, the default position for every offence or, in some ways worse still, a measure of the seriousness with which an offence is taken," he said when he spoke in Britain's House of Lords. [440 words, ENI-04-0192]

Head of Orthodox Church meets new Greek prime minister

Sofia (ENI). Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All Greece, head of the Orthodox Church in the country, has met with recently-elected prime minister Costa Karamanlis. The meeting, took place as the new administration seeks to have a relationship based on cooperation and honest dialogue between state and church, according to a government statement, and it occurred after Christodoulos had sent greetings to the new prime minister. [190 words, ENI-04-0190]

26 March 2004

London (ENI). Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has voiced wide-ranging criticisms of Muslim culture and politics despite being co-chair of an international group committed to dialogue between Muslims and Christians. He attacked what he sees as the failure of most mainstream Muslim leaders to condemn suicide bombers. "Sadly, apart from a few courageous examples, very few Muslim leaders condemn clearly and unconditionally the evil of the suicide bombers who kill innocent people," Carey declared in a speech made at Rome's Gregorian University. Carey's remarks in Rome were condemned by the Muslim League of Britain, a group representing the country's Islamic community. [370 words, ENI-04-0188]

Albanian bishop offers $600 000 for restoration of church and mosque

Sofia (ENI). Expressions of both sympathy and condemnation following recent violence in Kosovo have come in from many church leaders with a powerful statement of conciliation coming from Anastasios, Archbishop of Tirana, who offered US$600 000 for the restoration of a church and mosque. "The burning of churches and mosques, does not promote justice and peace, and certainly neither progress," said Anastasios, Orthodox Archbishop of Tirana and Albania in a statement. "On the contrary, it is a return to times and practices which led the Balkans to stagnation, divisions and tragedies." [420 words, ENI-04-0189]

Nigerian church leaders fret over worsening political violence

Abuja (ENI). Nigeria's church leaders have expressed deep concern over worsening insecurity in their country, which has given rise to political assassinations and the spread of political violence, even into church sanctuaries. They are calling on the Nigerian government as a matter of urgency to check what they see is a monster. Dr Peter Akinola, the leader of Nigerian's Anglican Church, has deplored a spate of politically motivated killings, now a hallmark of Nigerian political culture. He said unless the government acts, "insecurity of lives and property will retard national development". [392 words, ENI-04-0186]

Zimbabwe pastors vow to defy the police and pray for their nation

Geneva (ENI). A group of Zimbabwean pastors have pledged to hold "prayers for the nation" on Saturday--with or without police clearance--in what could result in clashes between the police and Christian groups attending the events. "The situation in our country is not getting any better," Jonah Gokovah, the coordinator for the Zimbabwe National Pastor's Conference told ENI. "It's high time the church should be seen on the forefront praying and agitating for solutions to the various problems facing the majority of our people." The ZNPC and Christians Together for Justice and Peace, an ecumenical grouping of church leaders, will simultaneously host prayer meetings on Saturday in Harare and in Zimbabwe's second largest city of Bulawayo. Gokovah said the ZNPC notified the police of the prayer meetings, as required by the country's draconian security law, but by Thursday the police had not sanctioned the meetings. "Since we are going to pray about political and economic as well as other issues, we notified the police but they have not responded to our notice," Gokovah said. "But we will go ahead with the meetings anyway with or without police clearance. Our pastors have been arrested before and they are determined to go ahead and lead the prayers as they are concerned about the prevailing situation." Among other issues, the congregations will pray for success after vain attempts at church-led talks between the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) party and the country's main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC); political stability; free and fair elections; an end to high-level corruption; success for new and old farmers; the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and a violence-free democratic society. The prayer meetings come as Zimbabwe is steeped in arguably its worst political and economic crisis and the opposition MDC is considering boycotting parliamentary elections scheduled for March next year. The party cited what it called "an unfavourable environment" and the country's electoral law which it said was designed to perpetuate Zanu-PF's rule. Zanu-PF has dismissed the MDC's claims saying the opposition party wants to avoid an embarrassing defeat as "we Zanu-PF are regaining our support after our successful land reforms". [387 words, ENI-04-0187]

German church plans psychological tests for potential priests

Warsaw (ENI). The Roman Catholic Church in Germany plans to introduce "detailed psychological tests" to help ensure that only suitable candidates can train at its seminaries to become priests. "Seminarians are children of their times - many come from broken families, while others are applying for the priesthood later in life," said Peter Klasvogt, president of the Deutsche Regentenkonferenz. "This has created problems, and it would be better for candidates if they could receive transparent help and counselling, rather than being forced to withdraw." [355 words, ENI-04-0185]

26 March 2004

New York (ENI). An atheist is seeking legal action to have the United States Supreme Court remove the term "under God" from the nation's Pledge of Allegiance, which is recited daily by millions of US schoolchildren. The challenge was made by Michael Newdow, from California, who argued that the use of the term God is an unconstitutional violation of the US separation of church and state, but is being opposed by the Christian mother of the atheist's daughter. [405 words, ENI-04-0182]

Lesotho churches in AIDS battle, but 30 per cent infected says first lady

Geneva (ENI). Churches are still dominated by men and their inability to communicate openly in educating their congregations about the HIV/AIDS pandemic, due to cultural restraints, slows down the fight against the disease, says the First Lady of Lesotho, Mathato Mosisili. A guest of the Lutheran World Federation in Geneva, which is helping the mountain kingdom fight HIV/AIDS, Mosisili, however, praised churches for the active involvement in combating the pandemic and its effects, exacerbated by a chronic drought. The first lady said one of the duties of her office is advocating for women's and children's rights and another is developing and building support mechanisms for those struck by HIV/AIDS. [397 words, 01-04-0181]

Franciscans condemn Israel's barrier at UN body, which is itself panned

Geneva (ENI). Franciscans International has called on the United Nations' top human rights body to unequivocally condemn Israel's security wall as an act of unlawful annexation and it has also urged the Israeli government to immediately stop construction of the US$1.4 billion barrier. "As a Franciscan living in Jerusalem, I can testify to the flagrant human rights violations that take place daily due to the wall's erection," said the Rev. Marco Malagola at the 60th hearing of the UN Commission on Human Rights, a body that has itself faced criticism for its composition and failure to live up to its stated aims. [451 words, ENI-04-0183]

First anniversary of Iraq war prompts reflection and renewed commitment

New York (ENI). One year after the start of US-led military action in Iraq, aid agencies - many of them linked to churches - are continuing their efforts to help promote the health and well-being of a population that has suffered through the turmoil of the past year. "What we see is human need, and we can help," said the Rev. John L. McCullough, executive director of the US-based Church World Service, which co-founded All Our Children, a programme dedicated to serving Iraqi children. The first anniversary of the US-led war also prompted reflections from US church organizations and religious figures who opposed the military action. The US National Council of Churches, the country's largest ecumenical agency, decried what it called the lack of "sustained reflection on who we are as a nation, one year later". [473 words, ENI-04-0184]

25 March 2004

New York (ENI). An atheist is seeking legal action to have the United States Supreme Court remove the term "under God" from the nation's Pledge of Allegiance, which is recited daily by millions of US schoolchildren. The challenge was made by Michael Newdow, from California, who argued that the use of the term God is an unconstitutional violation of the US separation of church and state, but is being opposed by the Christian mother of the atheist's daughter. [405 words, ENI-04-0182]

Lesotho churches in AIDS battle, but 30 per cent infected says first lady

Geneva (ENI). Churches are still dominated by men and their inability to communicate openly in educating their congregations about the HIV/AIDS pandemic, due to cultural restraints, slows down the fight against the disease, says the First Lady of Lesotho, Mathato Mosisili. Mosisili, a guest of the Lutheran World Federation in Geneva, which is helping the mountain kingdom fight HIV/AIDS, however, praised churches for the active involvement in combating the pandemic and its effects, exacerbated by a chronic drought. [397 words, 01-04181]

Franciscans condemn Israel's barrier at UN body, which is itself panned

Geneva (ENI). Franciscans International has called on the United Nations' top human rights body to unequivocally condemn Israel's security wall as an act of unlawful annexation and it has also urged the Israeli government to immediately stop construction of the US$1.4 billion barrier. "As a Franciscan living in Jerusalem, I can testify to the flagrant human rights violations that take place daily due to the wall's erection," said the Rev. Marco Malagola at the 60th hearing of the UN Commission on Human Rights (CHR), a body that has itself faced criticism for its composition and failure to live up to its stated aims. [451 words, ENI-04-0183]

First anniversary of Iraq war prompts reflection and renewed commitment

New York (ENI). One year after the start of US-led military action in Iraq, aid agencies - many of them linked to churches - are continuing their efforts to help promote the health and well-being of a population that has suffered through the turmoil of the past year. "What we see is human need, and we can help," said the Rev. John L. McCullough, executive director of the US-based Church World Service, which co-founded All Our Children, a programme dedicated to serving Iraqi children. The first anniversary of the US-led war also prompted reflections from US church organizations and religious figures who opposed the military action. The US National Council of Churches, the country's largest ecumenical agency, decried what it called the lack of "sustained reflection on who we are as a nation, one year later". [473 words, ENI-04-0184]

25 March 2004

Lesotho churches in AIDS battle, but 30 per cent infected says first lady

Geneva (ENI). Churches are still dominated by men and their inability to communicate openly in educating their congregations about the HIV/AIDS pandemic, due to cultural restraints, slows down the fight against the disease, says the First Lady of Lesotho, Mathato Mosisili. Mosisili, a guest of the Lutheran World Federation in Geneva, which is helping the mountain kingdom fight HIV/AIDS, however, praised churches for the active involvement in combating the pandemic and its effects, exacerbated by a chronic drought. [397 words, 04-0181]

Franciscans condemn Israel's barrier at UN body, which is itself panned

Geneva (ENI). Franciscans International has called on the United Nations' top human rights body to unequivocally condemn Israel's security wall as an act of unlawful annexation and it has also urged the Israeli government to immediately stop construction of the US$1.4 billion barrier. "As a Franciscan living in Jerusalem, I can testify to the flagrant human rights violations that take place daily due to the wall's erection," said the Rev. Marco Malagola at the 60th hearing of the UN Commission on Human Rights, a body that has itself faced criticism for its composition and failure to live up to its stated aims. [451 words, ENI-04-0183]

First anniversary of Iraq war prompts reflection and renewed commitment

New York (ENI). One year after the start of US-led military action in Iraq, aid agencies - many of them linked to churches - are continuing their efforts to help promote the health and well-being of a population that has suffered through the turmoil of the past year. "What we see is human need, and we can help," said the Rev. John L. McCullough, executive director of the US-based Church World Service, which co-founded All Our Children, a programme dedicated to serving Iraqi children. [473 words, ENI-04-0184]

24 March 2004

Jerusalem (ENI). The number of Israeli soldiers converting from Christianity to Judaism has doubled in the last year, a trend attributed to a special instruction course in Jewish and Zionist education aiming at assimilating immigrants into the dominant faith. At least 183 Christian immigrants, most of them from the former Soviet Union, converted to Judaism in 2003, twice the number compared with the previous year. The conversion efforts, under a programme called Nativ, began three years ago due to the growing number of army recruits who asked to swear their allegiance on the New Testament. [527 words, ENI-04-0179]

Germany debates practice of leaving unwanted babies at 'drop-hatches'

Bielefeld, Germany (ENI). A debate about "drop-hatches" to allow mothers to hand over unwanted children to hospitals has flared up in Germany after a report showed the number of new-born children left to die had not decreased in recent years despite the availability of the facility. The drop-hatches which exist at privately-run hospitals in several German cities allow mothers to place an unwanted child through a small door in a wall. An alarm sounds within one minute of the baby's arrival for health-care workers to come and retrieve the child. [456 words, ENI-04-0180]

23 March 2004

Jerusalem (ENI). The Greek Orthodox community in Jerusalem is mourning the death of George Khoury, a young Palestinian Christian, gunned down by a militant Palestinian group which had mistaken him for a Jewish settler. His father, Elias Khoury, does not want his son's death to be forgotten, and is even talking of founding a new movement to help stop, what he called, the senseless bloodshed between Israelis and Palestinians. Elias Khoury, originally from the Israeli Arab town of Nazareth, is a well-known lawyer who had mounted legal challenges on behalf of Palestinians, claiming their land had been expropriated for Jewish settlements. [409 words, ENI-04-0177]

Zambian churches dismayed at sexual abuse of girls

Lusaka (ENI). In Zambia, a country that is proud of its social and spiritual values as a Christian nation, churches are concerned about a spate of highly-publicised incidences of sexual abuse, or defilement, of girls as young as three years of age. The scourge of defilement that has rocked Zambia results in part from the false belief, in the teaching of some traditional healers, that someone infected with HIV has sex with a minor, they will be cleansed of the virus that leads to AIDS. [367 words, ENI-04-0175]

Sudan churches, rebels and civil society in mediation to build peace

Nairobi (ENI). South Sudanese church leaders, civil society organizations and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army have agreed to continue to work towards peace in their beleaguered country through talks taking place in Kenya. "We have started preparing our people to embrace peace, which we are hoping for soon," the Rev. Anthony Bangoye, secretary general of the Sudan Catholic Bishops' Regional Conference told ENI during a break in the mediation held in parallel with peace talks involving rebels and the Sudan government. [410 words, ENI-04-0178]

Indian Christians call for Good Friday to be reinstated as public holiday

New Delhi (ENI). Christians in India are demanding the restoration of Good Friday as a public holiday after the removal of the holy day that commemorates the death of Jesus Christ from the list of government holidays in several states. "Christians cannot be treated as doormats," said the Bangalore-based Global Council of Indian Christians in a statement criticising governments in the states of Karnataka, Haryana, Punjab, Bihar and Gujarat for scrapping the holiday. Good Friday, which falls this year on 9 April, is the day on which Christians traditionally remember the crucifixion of Jesus. [326 words, ENI-04-0176]

22 March 2004

Vancouver, Canada (ENI). Twenty Canadian church leaders from the country's major denominations have written to Prime Minister Paul Martin urging that Canada abandon any plans to join with the United States in its Ballistic Missile Defence strategy. "The extraordinary squandering of resources in the vain pursuit of technological immunity from nuclear weapons is itself an offence against the will of the Creator," said the church leaders in a four-page letter. "We cannot afford to waste time and resources on an unworkable strategic missile defence scheme. The world cannot afford it," said Karen Hamilton, the church council's general secretary, in a statement. [356 words, ENI-04-0173]

Recent Christian converts from Kenya's Mungiki sect face life threats

Nairobi (ENI). Some recent Christian converts from Mungiki, an outlawed sect in Kenya accused of violence, have been given 24 hour police protection, after three others were killed and several kidnapped by the sect, in the past two months. Kenyan church leaders have since condemned the secretive sect, warning it may go underground, following a sustained police crackdown amid accusations that sect members engage in car-jacking in which they kill their victims. Bishop William Waqo, the provincial secretary of the Anglican Church of Kenya said it was not enough to protect the converts from the sect. "This is not a long term solution," Waqo said. "We need to address the root cause of the problem." [386 words, ENI-04-0174]

Danish Christians instruct Muslims in pastoral care at interfaith centre Copenhagen (ENI). A Danish interfaith centre has come up with a novel form of cooperation between different faiths in which Christian pastors are to instruct a group of Muslim volunteers - including imams or Islamic community leaders - in pastoral care. The programme will enable Muslims to provide free spiritual counselling to patients of their own faith in hospitals. The originators of the initiative, The Islamic-Christian Study Center, hope the initiative will spread to rest homes and prisons. [358 words, ENI-04-0171]

BBC programme torpedoes Noah's Ark story

London (ENI). The great flood could not sink Noah's Ark, but BBC television has tried to do so by calling the well-loved biblical story "a great myth". The story in Genesis (chapters 6 to 8) relates how Noah built a great wooden ark to preserve himself and his family, along with a male and female of each animal species, from a great flood sent by God, which destroyed the rest of humanity. "The traditional notion of the Noah story does not pass any sort of rational or historical test," asserted presenter Jeremy Bowen. "Maybe it was not meant to, maybe it was made up." Internationally, however, the programme faced the wrath of those Christians who believe in the literal truth of the Old Testament Noah story in the Bible. [455 words, ENI-04-0172]

19 March 2004

Bielefeld, Germany (ENI). Protests and hype over "The Passion of the Christ" have helped propel Mel Gibson's movie as a box office hit in the United States and now it has begun screenings in Germany and other countries, controversy about it continues swirling. Germany's Protestant, Roman Catholic and Jewish leaders in a joint statement to coincide with the German release of the film criticised what they said was an almost "inexorable spiral of cruelty" in the production, although some leaders praised it. Despite criticism, some church's are using a lot effort and of space to debate the film. [600 words, ENI-04-0169]

Zambian church honours Kenneth Kaunda's crusade against AIDS

Lusaka (ENI). The United Church of Zambia (UCZ) has established a Kenneth Kaunda Chair of HIV/AIDS and a scholarship fund at its theological college in honour of Zambia's first president, who is now devoting the best part of his life to fighting HIV/AIDS and poverty in Africa. "It is becoming impossible to prepare students for the ministry without assisting them in their understanding of HIV/AIDS, the church's role in counselling, pastoral care and other related activities," said the Rev. Musonda Bwalya, dean of student affairs at the Theological College, Kitwe, in Zambia's Copperbelt Province [376 words, ENI-04-0168]

Religious groups and lay leaders stress 'European spirit' in Poland

Warsaw (ENI). Representatives of churches and religious organizations from 15 countries from the east and west of Europe have called on lay Christians to co-operate in rebuilding a "Europe of the spirit" after an inter-church rally in Poland. "As members of numerous organisations of laity, we believe the unity of Europe is too important to be left only to politicians - this Europe of the spirit must be born in the meetings of its citizens," participants said in a "Message to Europeans" released after the 12-14 March convention in Gniezno, western Poland, which gathered 500 people. The convention was addressed by Roman Catholic cardinals and archbishops from Poland, Germany, Russia and the Czech Republic, as well as by the general secretary of the Conference of European Churches, Keith Clements and delegates from the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ecumenical Patriarchate. [391 words, ENI-04-0170]

18 March 2004

Sofia (ENI). Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Pavle has held a special prayer service and issued an appeal to Serbs to refrain from revenge after a flare-up of ethnic and religious tensions in Kosovo in which at least 22 people died. The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation announced it was to send 1000 extra troops to Kosovo in response to the violence. "We must preserve ourselves at this time from any unthinkable revenge," said Patriarch Pavle, in a special message on the crisis, seen as the worst outbreak of ethnic violence in the area since 1999. [366 words, ENI-04-0167]

Kenyan Christians angered by place of Islamic courts in constitution

Nairobi (ENI). Kenyan Christians have held street protests against what they see is the coming entrenchment of Islamic law in a constitution being drawn up, through the provision of special Muslim courts, but Muslim leaders have threatened retaliation. Church leaders said the final draft of the constitution from the National Constitutional Conference appeared to have "entrenched" the Islamic tribunals, known as Kadhis courts. [468 words, ENI-04-0166]

Zimbabwean pastor says gift to Mugabe has opened doors for dialogue

Geneva (ENI). A Zimbabwean cleric who has come under criticism after his church gave a Z$30million (about US$7075) gift to President Robert Mugabe says the gift has "opened avenues for dialogue and led Mugabe to admit failure". "By giving the gift to the president we didn't mean to endorse his policies but to engage him in dialogue," Pastor Tom Deuschle, the head of Hear the Word Ministries, was quoted as saying in the Zimbabwe Independent weekly newspaper. "It [the gift] is unprecedented in this country and the president acknowledged that." [369 words, ENI-04-0165]

17 March 2004

Johannesburg (ENI). South Africa's Deputy President Jacob Zuma has stirred a political and religious controversy by saying that his ruling African National Congress party will "rule South Africa until Jesus comes back". He made the remark at an ANC election rally in Johannesburg. South Africa goes to the polls on 14 April and the ANC, which has ruled the country since its first democratic elections in 1994, looks certain to win again, by a large majority. Joe Seremane, national chairperson of the Democratic Alliance, the chief opposition party, called on Zuma to retract and apologise. "Apart from anything else, this is extremely offensive to Christians - Zuma should not be so loose with the Christian faith," Seremane said. [317 word, ENI-04-0160]

Sri Lankan churches call on voters to back religious freedom

New Delhi (ENI). Churches in Sri Lanka have called on voters in the general elections, scheduled for 2 April, to give their support to political parties supporting freedom of religion. "We appeal to the citizenry of our country to denounce regressive measures and to vote for the protection of freedom of religious worship and practice we have enjoyed thus far," said the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka in a statement. [269 words, ENI-04-0164]

Tensions escalate among Dutch Reformed ahead of Protestant merger

Amsterdam (ENI). The biggest Protestant church in the Netherlands is making a last-ditch attempt to head off the threat of schism, as it prepares to merge with two other Protestant denominations in May. More than 60 church councils in the Netherlands Reformed Church have told the church synod that they do not want to belong to the united church, and more than 50 congregations have started legal proceedings to keep their denominational name and church property. "The problems are greater than I had foreseen," said J. Stelwagen, chairperson of the denominational board that mediates in church conflicts. "Things are happening in congregations where opinions are divided that are a disgrace for the Church of Christ." [393 words, ENI-04-0161]

Mathematician, Quaker, apartheid foe wins biggest cash prize

New York (ENI). An applied mathematics professor, who is a Quaker and pacifist, and stood up to the racist ideology of apartheid has been named the 2004 winner of the most prominent global award given to those linking science with religion. George F.R. Ellis, 64, a University of Cape Town scientist engaged in the discipline of science and religion won the Templeton Prize - a 795 000 pound sterling, or US$1.4 million award that its founder, the US-born investor Sir John Templeton, has stipulated be the largest annual monetary prize given to an individual outside the realm of sports. The John Templeton Foundation says its mission "is to pursue new insights at the boundary between theology and science, drawing together talented representatives from a wide spectrum of fields of expertise." [735 words, ENI-04-0163]

17 March 2004

Johannesburg (ENI). South Africa's Deputy President Jacob Zuma has stirred a political and religious controversy by saying that his ruling African National Congress party will "rule South Africa until Jesus comes back". He made the remark at an ANC election rally in Johannesburg. South Africa goes to the polls on 14 April and the ANC, which has ruled the country since its first democratic elections in 1994, looks certain to win again, by a large majority. Joe Seremane, national chairperson of the Democratic Alliance, the chief opposition party, called on Zuma to retract and apologise. "Apart from anything else, this is extremely offensive to Christians - Zuma should not be so loose with the Christian faith," Seremane said. [317 words, ENI-04-0160]

Sri Lankan churches call on voters to back religious freedom

New Delhi (ENI). Churches in Sri Lanka have called on voters in the general elections, scheduled for 2 April, to give their support to political parties supporting freedom of religion. "We appeal to the citizenry of our country to denounce regressive measures and to vote for the protection of freedom of religious worship and practice we have enjoyed thus far," said the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka in a statement. [269 words, ENI-04-0164]

Tensions escalate among Dutch Reformed ahead of Protestant merger

Amsterdam (ENI). The biggest Protestant church in the Netherlands is making a last-ditch attempt to head off the threat of schism, as it prepares to merge with two other Protestant denominations in May. More than 60 church councils in the Netherlands Reformed Church have told the church synod that they do not want to belong to the united church, and more than 50 congregations have started legal proceedings to keep their denominational name and church property. "The problems are greater than I had foreseen," said J. Stelwagen, chairperson of the denominational board that mediates in church conflicts. "Things are happening in congregations where opinions are divided that are a disgrace for the Church of Christ." [393 words, ENI-04-0161]

Mathematician, Quaker, apartheid foe wins 2004 Templeton Prize

New York (ENI). George F.R. Ellis, a prominent theoretical cosmologist and an active opponent of apartheid during its rule in South Africa, has won the 2004 Templeton Prize. Ellis becomes the latest scientist engaged in the burgeoning discipline of science and religion who has won the Templeton Prize - a 795 000 pound sterling, or US$1.4 million prize that its founder, the US-born investor Sir John Templeton, has stipulated be the largest annual monetary prize given to an individual outside the realm of sports. The John Templeton Foundation says its mission "is to pursue new insights at the boundary between theology and science...drawing together talented representatives from a wide spectrum of fields of expertise." [294 words, ENI-04-0162]

16 March 2004

Phuket, Thailand (ENI). The health and whereabouts of four members of the Mennonite Church in Vietnam, who were severely assaulted and detained by security forces, are unknown, raising concern for their safety. As a result, Pastor Nguyen Quang Trung, president of the church, has written to the Ho Chi Minh City authorities, asking them to resolve the matter. The Mennonite World Conference reports that security forces in Ho Chi Minh City on 2 March, beat and detained the four church members, who are associates of Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang, the church's general secretary. [394 words. ENI-04-0156]

Greek church patches up quarrel with Ecumenical Patriarch over bishops

Warsaw (ENI). The (Orthodox) Church of Greece says it has reached what it described as a "compromise" with Patriarch Bartholomeos I of Constantinople after an eight-month dispute over the naming of bishops in northern Greece. The disagreement centred on differing claims about the right to approve bishops in the northern Greek province of New Lands, which were incorporated into Greece from the Ottoman Empire in 1912. Patriarch Bartholomeos asserted his right to approve a list of candidates to succeed two bishops after their deaths in summer 2003, and accused the Church of Greece of "usurping privileges" when it refused. [379 words, ENI-04-0157]

Bishops urge Zambian president: Go a step further, abolish death penalty

Lusaka (ENI). The Roman Catholic Church in Zambia has cheered the verbal support given by President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa for the abolition of the death penalty in the southern African nation. The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zambia has been promoting the abolition of the death penalty since 2000. The church's crusade for the abolition of capital punishment enjoys support from human rights groups such as the Zambian Human Rights Commission. During a news conference at his official residence, Mwanawasa, Zambia's third president, was praised when he commuted the death sentences of 46 treason convicts for a failed 1997 coup attempt, to jail terms of between 10 and 20 years. [337 words, ENI-04-0158]

Should Lenin get a Christian burial? Debate rages

Warsaw (ENI). A Russian Orthodox spokesman has called for Lenin's body to be removed from its mausoleum in Moscow's Red Square and reburied according to Christian rites, as debates rage on about how holy the site is where the atheist revolutionary is buried. Russian Orthodox Church observers have noted that opinions remained divided over the famous landmark, whose future has been debated since the Soviet Union's 1990-1 break-up. "It isn't normal for a person's body to be placed on public display and used as an exhibit," said Vsevolod Chaplin, deputy director of the Moscow Patriarchate's External Affairs Department, in remarks reported by Poland's Kosciol.pl ecumenical news agency. [669 words, ENI-04-0159]

15 March 2004

Montreal, Canada (ENI). The action of Canadian police in entering a church to deport an Algerian refugee claimant has sparked an angry response from churches and sparked a debate on the practice of churches offering sanctuary to refugees. "We denounce the violent intrusion of the Quebec police into one of our sanctuaries," the United Church of Canada said in a letter to government ministers after the refugee claimant, Mohamed Cherfi, was taken by police from St Pierre church in Quebec City. [393 words, ENI-04-0155]

Church of Sweden members dwindle, funding seen dropping off

Stockholm (ENI). Since the separation of state and church in 2000 when church revenues were untied from general taxation, the (Lutheran) Church of Sweden has lost more than 200 000 of its members. "In the short-term, we are talking about relatively low losses, possible to handle. One per cent fewer members per year during the last three years is not alarming," Gunnar Nygren, financial controller at the Swedish archbishop's office explained to ENI. "But in the long-term, say 10 years, we will face serious consequences," he cautioned. [437 words, ENI-04-0154]

Bulgarian church leader, former US representative, eulogised by president

Sofia (ENI). Metropolitan Gelasii, chief secretary of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and formerly the church's representative in New York, was buried on Friday after dying at the age of 71. The metropolitan was also instrumental in his church's withdrawal from ecumenical groups like the World Council of Churches and the Conference of European Churches. "He gave all his strength and energy to build up the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and to achieve unity in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church," Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov said in a tribute to the metropolitan. [320 words, ENI-04-0153]

12 March 2004

Geneva, 12 March (ENI)--Church leaders in Spain and around the world have issued condemnations of the bomb attacks on commuter trains in Madrid the previous day in which at least 198 people were reported killed and more than 1400 wounded. "We reject absolutely this inhuman act of blind violence that feeds only on hate and bitterness," said Joel Cortes Casals, president of the Spanish Evangelical Church as he called for special prayers at Sunday church services. Pope John Paul II said the terrorist attacks "offend God, violate the fundamental right to life and suffocate the peaceful coexistence for which the church community and the noble Spanish nation deeply yearn".

"We fear that our world is sliding into a spiral of violence that could lead to prayers of intercession and the proclamation of the Word of God be transformed into a cry for the construction of a world in which all forms of violence are banned," said the Spanish Protestant leader. "In this context, we recall the initiative launched by the World Council of Churches in its Decade to Overcome Violence in the world." [409 words, ENI-04-0151]

In Holy Land, Bible societies celebrate 200 years since founding

Jerusalem, 12 March (ENI)--In Jerusalem, and in many parts of the world, Bible societies have recalled the story of the poor Welsh teenage girl who inspired an international organization dedicated to spreading the Word of God. The British and Foreign Bible Society was founded on 7 March 1804, after the girl, Mary Jones, who longed for a Bible of her own, had impressed on clerics the need to publish and distribute the holy book to ordinary people. The first representative of the Bible Society was sent to the Holy Land in 1816, and the first office was opened in 1905 outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. [605 words, ENI-04-0150]

Zambian church calls for 'more responsible' national budget

Lusaka (ENI). The United Church of Zambia has added its voice to criticism of the government's 2004 national budget which has led to heated controversy in the southern African nation. Chaos erupted in Lusaka and other Zambian towns and cities in February when the labour movement organised street protests against a wage freeze imposed by the government and the alleged high tax indicators in the budget. [379 words, ENI-04-0149]

Mugabe praises role played by German Catholic bishop in 'struggle'

Geneva (ENI). Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has praised the role played in Zimbabwe's war for independence during the 1970s by German-born Roman Catholic Bishop, Helmut Reckter, who has died in the country to which he devoted 37 years of his life. Reckter, who was appointed in 1986 as the first bishop of the new Chinhoyi diocese when it was split from Harare, has died aged 70 after a nine-year battle with a heart ailment. He was expected to be buried at Kutama College outside the capital. [247 words, ENI-04-0152]

Catholic group urges Zimbabwe university staff to end strike

Geneva (ENI). A Roman Catholic Church-affiliated rights group has implored striking University of Zimbabwe workers to end their work boycott and resume negotiations with the government for better pay. "The dispute has reached a point where innocent students and their funders are the main sufferers," the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe said in a statement. "We appeal to the staff and the ministry [of higher and tertiary education] to come together and resolve the conflict". The workers are demanding a 300 per cent salary rise awarded in December last year backdated to July by a labour arbitrator. The strike began when the institution opened for its first semester for this year and has spilled into its second month. [363 words, ENI-04-0148]

11 March 2004

New Delhi (ENI). Christians are calling for an end to what they say is a Hindu nationalist-inspired campaign to re-convert Christians back to Hinduism in India's eastern state of Orissa ahead of state and national elections scheduled for April. "This is a conspiracy for election purposes," said Baptist pastor P R Parichha, president for Orissa of the All India Christian Council. "They are targeting the Christians in the run-up to the elections and to consolidate the Hindu votes." On 4 March, more than 200 people, apparently Christians, reconverted to Hinduism at a ceremony at a temple in Jharsaguda organized by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, or World Hindu Council. [294 words, ENI-04-0144]

Bulgaria settles with Jehovah's Witnesses preachers, allows them to stay

Sofia (ENI). The Bulgarian government has agreed to pay 8000 euros (US$9800) to two Austrian preachers of the Jehovah's Witnesses and will allow them to live in Bulgaria. In return the couple will drop a court action against Bulgaria in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Atanas Christev, the lawyer for the two preachers - Alfred Lohat and Edith Lohat - told ENI he was aware that the Bulgarian government had approved the settlement although official notification had not yet been made. He said the sum of money represented compensation and court expenses, and while "not a very big figure, has symbolic moral value". [450 words, ENI-04-0147]

Church officials in Kenya back campaign to destroy landmines

Nairobi (ENI). Churches in East Africa have welcomed a promise by countries in East Africa, the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region to destroy stockpiles of landmines by November and to refrain from using, making and transferring the weapons. "This is a good plan," said the Rev. Patrick Mungiriria of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa, speaking after the close of a two-day conference in Nairobi on landmines, organized by the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross and the governments of Kenya and Canada. [349 words, ENI-04-0146]

Pope's poems join best-seller lists

Warsaw (ENI). Pope John Paul II has long been a poet, but now a rare volume of his poetry that includes reflections on his own life and death, has sold over a million copies after being translated into 17 languages since its publication a year ago. In the Pope's native Poland alone, 600 000 copies have been bought, and an initial print-run sold out within days of its simultaneous March 2003 release in Rome and Krakow, the Vatican said. The announcement on the success of the book came shortly before John Paul II, born at Wadowice in May 1920, became on 10 March the world's third longest-serving Pope. [505 words, ENI-04-0145]

10 March 2004

Nairobi (ENI). Churches first applied pressure, and now after a presidential decree, Kenyan authorities have halted the demolition of shacks and evictions of people living in locally dubbed "road reserves", under electricity power lines and near railway tracks. "What we want is peace, unity and development, not demolitions," Nairobi Roman Catholic Archbishop Ndingi Mwana a' Nzeki told a gathering of residents at an interdenominational prayer gathering held over the demolitions in Uhuru Park. Church leaders want the provision of alternative settlements and emergency support before the demolitions at a settlement that is a part of Kibera, one of Africa's largest slums. [394 words, ENI-04-0140]

Inter-faith group helps provide bomb detectors for Israel buses

Jerusalem (ENI). An organization of Christians and Jews is putting up US$7 million to provide Israel with hundreds of explosive detectors on buses in a bid to prevent more suicide bombing attacks. "We hope this will have an immediate impact on the security of the residents of Israel," said Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, founder and president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, announcing the plan at a press conference in Jerusalem on 8 March. The organization decided to provide the funds to Israel following the 21st suicide bombing against buses since the start of the Palestinian uprising in September 2000. Since then 164 people have been killed in such attacks on buses and 777 wounded. [358 words, ENI-04-0141]

Ugandan Muslims oppose new bill, to dismay of government

Kampala (ENI). Leaders of the Islamic faith in Uganda have strongly rejected provisions of newly unveiled legislation which relates to marriage, saying it demeans their religion. "The Parliament should look for marriage solutions other than enacting laws which provoke Muslims. We are also citizens of Uganda," said a statement from the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council's directorate dealing with Sharia, or strict Muslim law on 8 February. The directorate, headed by Sheikh Rajab Kakooza, said if parliament passed the Domestic Relations Bill, it would prohibit the Muslim community from marrying according to Islamic laws on marriage. [353 words, ENI-04-0143]

Legislators call for boost in status of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

Sofia (ENI). More than 150 members of Ukraine's parliament have signed a letter to Pope John Paul II asking him to give the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church the status of a patriarchate. The issue is a major bone of contention between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches, with the latter expressing concern that establishing a Greek Catholic patriarchate in Ukraine would constitute a hostile act on traditional Orthodox territory. [431 words, ENI-04-0142]

9 March 2004

Sofia (ENI). A vastly restructured Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Istanbul-based office that is widely regarded as the spiritual head of many of the world's mainstream Orthodox churches, has met in Istanbul. For the first time since the foundation of the Turkish republic in 1923 the body includes top church officials who are not Turkish citizens. These include Archbishop Demetrios, head of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Archbishop Georgios of Great Britain, and four officials from Greece. [441 words, ENI-04-0137]

US debate on gay marriage proves tricky and divisive for churches

New York/Oxford, Ohio (ENI). The official investiture on Sunday of V. Gene Robinson as 'first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church (USA) flagged a new stage in the debate over church, society and homosexuality - an issue likely to become a factor in the 2004 presidential election and that is already dividing US religious communities. The issue of gay bishops has deeply divided the world Anglican communion of which the Episcopal Church is the US constituent, coming during a fierce debate on gay marriage in civil society. Precipitating the debate are increasing efforts by locally elected officials of cities tolerant to the homosexual community such as San Francisco to endorse and perform gay marriage ceremonies and, in reaction, President George W. Bush's endorsement of amending the US constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage. [441 words, ENI-04-0137]

World Council of Churches' Kobia lauds US church efforts for peace

New York (ENI). The general secretary of the World Council of Churches has lauded the work of US-based churches in global peace-making efforts, noting the difficulties they face in the post 11 September 2001 political environment. "We know it is not easy speaking truth to power in the United States these days," the Rev. Sam Kobia said to about 600 US church leaders and representatives during a keynote address at the Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice. Kobia hailed the tradition of US Christian peace-makers and social reformers, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. whose work he said, "is one of the most dramatic and influential gifts the United States has given to the world, and especially to the oppressed of this world." [900 words, ENI-04-0139]

Greek denominations see Olympic hurdles for inter-church cooperation

Warsaw (ENI). Minority denominations in Greece have accused the country's predominant Orthodox church of hampering church cooperation in advance of August's Olympic Games in Athens, despite calls for hospitality by the country's Orthodox archbishop. "This should have been an ecumenical opportunity," said Christos Danikas, a leader of Greece's Free Evangelical church. "But although Orthodox leaders are using the occasion to present an attractive image of their state church to non-Greeks, here inside the country they've shown no interest whatever in contacts with non-Orthodox churches." An estimated 97 per cent of Greece's 10.6 million people belong to the Orthodox church. [360 words, ENI-04-0138]

8 March 2004

Sofia, 8 March (ENI) - Fire has destroyed a large part of the historical Serbian Orthodox Chilandar Monastery on Mount Athos in Greece, causing damage estimated at around US$10 million. There were no casualties, according to the information service of the Serbian Orthodox Church. A report in Serbia's Novosti daily newspaper said it was believed the blaze was caused by an electrical fault. The monastery is about eight centuries old. [340 words, ENI-04-0134]

Despite Israeli court ruling, appointment of Greek patriarch still on hold

Jerusalem (ENI). The Greek Orthodox Church in the Holy Land is asking for clarification following a surprise ruling by Israel's Supreme Court that seems to be blocking recognition of Irineos I as Greek Orthodox patriarch of the Holy Land. The court had dismissed two separate petitions seeking to prevent recognition of the patriarch. But it then issued an interim order preventing the delivery of the written recognition of the patriarch by the Israeli cabinet. [546 words, ENI-04-0133]

Nobel peace prize winner says Islam is a religion of peace and equality

Geneva (ENI). Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi of Iran has strongly defended Islam as a religion of peace, while also saying Islam had been wrongly used to justify the oppression of women. "Islam is a religion that is against terrorism and violence," said Ebadi, at a press conference in Geneva at the International Labour Organization where she was to take part in a panel discussion to mark International Women's Day. "What happened in Bosnia, we did not say, 'It was Christians'. All the things that happen in Palestine, we do not put it at the door of Judaism," said Ebadi, who asked why Islam should be blamed for the violent actions of individuals who followed that faith. "It is not the religion of Islam that supports terrorism." [393 words, ENI-04-0132]

German Lutheran bishop criticises Catholic stand on ecumenical services

Bielefeld, Germany (ENI). Germany's Roman Catholic bishops have dealt a blow to ecumenism say other Christian leaders, by firmly rejecting a proposal for Catholics and Protestants to celebrate church unity at joint services on Whit Monday. The idea originally came from Germany's biggest Catholic lay organization, the Central Committee of German Catholics, and had been approved by the country's main Lutheran church grouping, the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany (VELKD). [411 words, ENI-04-0135]

5 March 2004

Bern/Geneva (ENI). "There are many campaigns against war, AIDS and terrorism, but few against poverty," says Frei Betto, a liberation theologian working on Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's Zero Hunger programme. "Almost 3000 people died in the attacks on the World Trade Center on 11 September 2001, but 10 times this number die every day from starvation," said Betto in Geneva, during the launch in of the annual ecumenical Lent campaign of Swiss church aid agencies. Betto was twice imprisoned under the military dictatorship that ruled Brazil in the 1960s and 1970s and was invited to join Lula's team soon after Brazil's first president to come from the working class took office in January 2003. [612 words, ENI-04-0129]

Balkan Catholic leaders look to cooperation with Orthodox church

Warsaw (ENI). Roman Catholic archbishops from the Balkans have praised the conciliatory stance of Serbia's Orthodox church leader, Patriarch Pavle, and have pledged to step up ties with the war-torn region's Orthodox and Muslim populations. "The 90-year-old patriarch spoke of the need to be light and salt for Europe, and of the Gospel's radical injunction to pray for and love not only friends but also enemies," Catholic leaders from Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Greece, Serbia-Montenegro, Romania and Turkey said in a statement after meeting the patriarch in Belgrade. [323 words, ENI-04-0130]

Danish court ponders case of church verger believing in reincarnation

Copenhagen (ENI). Denmark's High Court is finalising its judgement over the expulsion of a church verger who believes in reincarnation, and who has sued the government's Ministry of Church Affairs, because he wants to be reinstated. In 1994, Steen Ribers was expelled from Denmark's Lutheran church because he - as a member of a church parish council and as a church official - said he believed in reincarnation, and wrote and talked about it in public. If the judgement goes against Ribers, one in four women and one in 10 men who are members of the church could in principle expect to be expelled from the church, because they apparently believe in reincarnation. [504 words, ENI-04-0131]

4 March 2004

Bontoc, Philippines (ENI). Unless national elections in the Philippines scheduled for May are honest and credible, this fledgling Southeast Asian democracy, whose government had been battered by coup threats, will remain unstable and troubled, warns a Roman Catholic bishop. "Whoever wins in May is not what matters," Bishop Francisco Claver of Bontoc-Lagawe in the northern Philippines told ENI. "What matters is that those who win must win honestly. Otherwise, we are only courting destabilisation and further conflict." [478 words, ENI-04-0127]

S. African churches appeal to Mbeki to promote dialogue in Zimbabwe

Geneva (ENI). Churches in South Africa have made an impassioned plea to President Thabo Mbeki to help revive talks between government and opposition parties in neighbouring Zimbabwe as prospects for dialogue grew dimmer. The South African Council of Churches made the appeal in a letter to Mbeki requesting him to send a delegation to Harare to help get the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change to the negotiating table. [355 words, ENI-04-0128]

3 March 2004

Jerusalem (ENI). Israel's Supreme Court has frozen the appointment of the Greek patriarch of the Holy Land, Irineos 1, whose position was to have been approved by Israel on 3 March, in response to a series of legal challenges. The decision is the latest in a series of actions aimed at preventing the patriarch from confirming his status, more than two years after he was elected. The Israel Cabinet finally gave its approval to his appointment in January this year but this decision has been temporarily suspended. Under a tradition dating back centuries, a new Greek patriarch in Jerusalem has to be confirmed by the rulers of the Holy Land, in this case Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Jordan. [450 words, ENI-04-0126]

Dutch aid group says more than 1 million children detained worldwide

Amsterdam (ENI). More than 1 million children and young people between the ages of 12 and 18 are detained in prisons or police cells, says a Dutch aid agency which is campaigning to end the detention of children aged under 15 years. "The purpose is to get the issue of children higher up on the agenda of the [Dutch foreign affairs] ministry," said Pieter van Abshoven, a consultant with Kerkinactie (church in action), the church-related aid agency which is running the campaign. Kerkinactie is hoping that the matter of children in prison will be raised on Thursday in the Dutch parliament, following a petition the agency presented in February. [398 words, ENI-04-0125]

Indian churches caution against parties exploiting religion in elections

New Delhi (ENI). Indian churches have issued voter guidelines before the national elections in the world's biggest democracy, scheduled to start on 20 April, cautioning against political parties that pursue sectarian agendas. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India called on the electorate to support parties that "will promote true religious values and will not exploit religion for sectarian and divisive purposes". The National Council of Churches in India issued a similar call to its 29 Orthodox and Protestant member churches. Christians account for 2.3 per cent of India's one billion people. There was consternation among some religious leaders, however, after four pastors announced their decision to join the leading party in the federal coalition government, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). [388 words, ENI-04-0124]

2 March 2004

London (ENI). Organizers of a debate at Oxford University to be led by Gene Robinson, bishop in the US state of New Hampshire, have reacted strongly to news that the openly gay Anglican churchman has withdrawn just days before the event was to take place. Robinson was due to speak on 11 March to support the motion: "This house believes a gay lifestyle should be no bar to becoming a bishop" at the Oxford Union. Robinson's consecration in November triggered worldwide controversy and he issued a statement when he said he was withdrawing from the Oxford debate on 1 March - the same day that Anglican Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria boycotted a meeting of church leaders in England in protest at Robinson's consecration. [428 words, ENI-04-0121]

US churches say potential for peace now exists in Haiti

New York (ENI). The US National Council of Churches is hailing the potential for peace in Haiti now that President Jean-Bertrand Aristide has left the country, which has been caught up for weeks in an anti-government rebellion. Conflicting reports were, however, emerging from Haiti about whether Aristide, a one-time Roman Catholic priest who always had difficult relations with Washington, was in fact directly forced out by the United States. [376 words, ENI-04-0123]

Methodists look to bars for new guidance from younger generation

London (ENI). Methodists in Britain have found a way to use alcohol for God's purposes by searching in pubs and bars for an 11th commandment. The teetotally-minded church, which does not allow alcohol to be served on its premises, is distributing 250 000 drink mats nationally, inviting people under 40 to take out their mobile phones and use text messaging to suggest ideas for the extra guidance. The church hopes, however, that the competition will be the start of a dialogue with adults in their 20s and 30s. [345 words, ENI-04-0122]

Russian Orthodox cautiously optimistic about future of Vatican relations

Warsaw (ENI). A spokesman for the Russian Orthodox Church has expressed optimism about inter-church relations in Russia after the Vatican's top ecumenist, Cardinal Walter Kasper, visited Moscow in February. "In the course of the Moscow talks, the cardinal presented a clear standpoint which was close to ours," said the spokesman, Vsevolod Chaplin, who is deputy director of the external relations department of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church. [334 words, ENI-04-0120]

1 March 2004

Blantyre (ENI). The Anglican archbishop in charge of Central Africa has warned Anglican bishops against involving themselves in politics, saying the tendency is contrary to the mission of the church. Archbishop Bernard Malango who heads the church covering Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana urged all clergy aspiring to any political role to resign from their church posts if they want to take part in politics. "The role of the church is a prophetic one. Those indulging in politics, directly or indirectly, are doing so against the will of the church," cautioned Malango. [377 words, ENI-04-0119]

Scandinavian churches accuse Israel of flouting international law on wall

Stockholm (ENI). The building of a barrier by Israel to separate its territory from areas inhabited by Palestinians in the West Bank has drawn strong protests from Lutherans in Scandinavia with some churches reiterating calls to boycott products from Israeli settlements on occupied land. "The wall speaks of hostility," the (Lutheran) Church of Norway said in a statement. "The wall creates hostility, preventing children from going to school and workers from going to work." Furthermore, it said, the wall "prevents contacts between Palestinians and Israelis". [409 words, ENI-04-0117]

Anglican faces trial over 'pavement prayer' in Zimbabwe's second city

Geneva (ENI). A magistrate's court in Zimbabwe's second city, Bulawayo, has set a trial date for one of the church leaders arrested while praying on a pavement in the city centre two years ago. The Rev. Noel Scott, a retired Anglican priest, has received a fresh summons to stand trial on 29 April over the "pavement prayer", one of the priest's colleagues has confirmed. Scott and the other church leaders were arrested while praying on the pavement on their way to a prayer meeting peace in the run-up to a presidential election which was due to take place in the country the following month. [377 words, ENI-04-0116]

Ahead of elections, Spanish Protestants complain of discrimination

Geneva (ENI). Spanish Protestants are protesting about religious discrimination in their country, ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for 14 March, the Swiss-based Adventist Press Service has reported. "Very few things have improved in the matter of religious freedom in our country", in the more than 25 years since the restoration of democracy, said Mariano Blazquez, executive secretary of the Federation of Evangelical Religious Entities of Spain. Blazquez said Protestant denominations had difficulty getting access to public centres for religious activities, and did not enjoy the same tax exemptions as the Roman Catholic Church. [235 words, ENI-04-0118]

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