Copenhagen (ENI). Danish pastor Thorkild Grosboll, who was suspended by his bishop for not believing in God as creator, has been reinstated and on Sunday started preaching again at his church in Tarnbaek, a small town north of Copenhagen. The pastor, who looked likely to face a trial in a clerical court, was instead welcomed back after the service by his flock with red wine and snacks. Some Christians, however, criticised the Church of Denmark for accepting him back as a practising cleric. [349 words, ENI-05-0404]

German Christians debate shared communion and church unity

Hanover, Germany (ENI). Germany's Protestant Church Convention ended with calls to allow Protestants and Catholics to share in the Eucharist, but with some church leaders urging prudence. "Our hope for eucharistic hospitality remains unbroken," said the convention's president, Eckhard Nagel, to applause from an estimated 100 000 people attending the closing worship of the "Kirchentag". [400 words, ENI-05-0402]

Ecumenical Patriarch asked to mediate in Macedonia church row

Sofia (ENI). Macedonia is to ask Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomeos I, the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, to mediate after the Serbian Orthodox Church said it had recognised what Macedonia sees as a breakaway church. The announcement by the Serbian church was denounced by Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski. [261 words, ENI-05-0405]

Presbyterian leader warns Malawi nurses about casual sex perils

Blantyre, Malawi (ENI). The Livingstonia Synod of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) in Malawi has warned male and female nurses not to exploit the proximity of their accommodation by engaging in casual sex. "Please take yourselves as students with an agenda to fulfil," said the synod's acting general secretary, the Rev. Maurice Munthali. "Bringing you together should not be interpreted to mean you should be engaging in sexual relationships. This is the place of God. Try to keep it holy." [313 words, ENI-05-0401]

30 May 2005

Rome (ENI). Pope Benedict XVI used a visit on Sunday to a city in the south of Italy with strong ties to Orthodox Christianity to reaffirm a "fundamental commitment" to promoting church unity. "Showing good sentiments is not enough," Benedict told the Italian National Eucharistic Congress, meeting in the city of Bari, repeating words he used after becoming pope on 19 April. "Concrete acts that enter souls and move consciences are needed." [551 words, ENI-05-0397]

Greek Orthodox choose temporary patriarch for Holy Land

Jerusalem (ENI). The Greek Orthodox synod of the Holy Land said on Monday it has elected a caretaker leader to replace Patriarch Irineos I, after heads of the world's Orthodox churches at a special synod in Istanbul last week withdrew their recognition of the Jerusalem patriarch. The temporary leader, or "locum tenens", is Cornelius, Metropolitan of Petra, in Jordan. But the ousted patriarch is refusing to accept his dismissal. [283 words, ENI-05-0400]

Catholic groups urge WTO, Lamy to listen to all in agriculture talks

Geneva (ENI). Two Roman Catholic development organizations have marked the appointment of Pascal Lamy, the former European Union trade commissioner, as the incoming director-general of the World Trade Organization by calling for more transparency in agricultural negotiations. The message sent by CIDSE, an alliance of 15 European and North American Catholic development organizations and Caritas Internationalis, a confederation of 162 Catholic relief agencies in more than 200 countries and territories, was made available in Geneva. [437 words, ENI-05-0396]

Former US political rivals spar over environment, religion

New York (ENI). Two former US officials from different sides of the political spectrum have grabbed headlines recently in a heated public debate over the issue of religion and the environment. The debate was triggered by an opinion piece in the Washington Post newspaper by James Watt, a former US secretary of the interior, entitled "The Religious Left's Lies" that evoked a strong reaction from Robert Edgar, the general secretary of the US National Council of Churches. [312 words, ENI-05-0398]

Hindu belief inspires Indian doctor's Zimbabwe eye campaign

Harare (ENI). Dr Narendrakumar Patel is an eye specialist of Indian origin who says he has been inspired by God and his Hindu faith to accept no payment in restoring the eye-sight of more than 40 000 poor people in Zimbabwe over the past 17 years. Most, if not all those eye patients live in scattered rural areas of the southern African country and could have gone blind had they not received treatment as they could not afford the 25 million Zimbabwe dollars (US$2800) normally charged for a simple eye operation. [424 words, ENI-05-0399]

27 May 2005

Hanover, Germany (ENI). World Council of Churches' general secretary the Rev. Samuel Kobia is warning that economic globalisation is affecting solidarity not only between the global North and South but also within the South. "People in Bangladesh were seen as enemies of the people in Tanzania," said Kobia, referring to the saturation of the market of the East African country with cheap clothes from Asia, particularly Bangladesh. [339 words, ENI-05-0395]

Philippines archbishop says gambling scandal could down Arroyo

Baguio City (ENI). A vehemently anti-gambling archbishop in the Philippines is predicting that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo could follow in the footsteps of her predecessor Joseph Estrada who was forced out of office in 2001 over a scandal involving alleged payoffs from a gambling scheme. "The testimony of just one gambling lord can rock the boat of this administration," Archbishop Oscar Cruz of Lingayen-Dagupan told an ecumenical forum in this northern Philippine city on 21 May. [417 words, ENI-05-0392]

Russian Roman Catholic leader says links to Orthodox improving

Warsaw (ENI). Relations between Roman Catholics and Orthodox have improved since the election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI, says the leader of Russia's minority Roman Catholic community. "Today, as never before, Catholics and Orthodox feel the need for a joint witness," said Moscow-based Catholic Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz during a visit to the Vatican. "Confronted by globalisation and existing conflicts ... we need friendlier co-operation, a basic step towards eventual unity." [343 words, ENI-05-0394]

US theologian who forged response to global upheavals, dies aged 87

Geneva (ENI). Paul Abrecht, who has died aged 87, was a Baptist theologian from the United States who forged the response of the World Council of Churches to the political and ethical upheavals of the second half of the twentieth century. In his 34 years at the Geneva-based church grouping where he followed issues of church and society, Abrecht faced post-Second World War social change in Africa, Asia and Latin America; brought together scientists and theologians; and pioneered the term "sustainable society" long before it became part of the stock-in-trade of high-level political summits. [352 words, ENI-05-0391]

French Protestants pay tribute to philosopher Paul Ricoeur

Paris (ENI). France is honouring Paul Ricoeur, one of the 20th century's most celebrated philosophers, who has died at the age of 92 and whose Protestant roots also shaped his thought. "The humanist European tradition is in mourning for one of its most talented exponents," said French Prime Minister Jean Pierre Raffarin after the news of Ricoeur's death. [294 words, ENI-05-0393]

26 May 2005

Geneva (ENI). Recent polls indicate France on Sunday and the Netherlands three days later will reject a European constitution, but a leading representative of Europe's main grouping of Protestant and Orthodox churches has pleaded with voters not to vent their frustrations on national issues in the referendums. "A European Union with a Constitution is better than a European Union without a Constitution," said the Rev. Ruediger Noll, director of the Church and Society Commission of the Conference of European Churches, in a statement about the polls being carried out in some EU countries. [373 words, ENI-05-0389]

Anglican, Catholic bishops rue 'endemic' corruption in Nigeria

Abuja (ENI). Nigeria's Anglican and Roman Catholic churches have expressed dire concern about the endemic nature of corruption which has led to Nigeria being rated the third most corrupt country in the world by German-based Transparency International. While backing efforts by the government to fight graft in Africa's most populous nation, the bishops from the two denominations said firm action was needed to eliminate the scourge. [400 words, ENI-05-0390]

Israeli chief rabbi Metzger may face trial for corruption

Jerusalem (ENI). Israeli police have recommended that the country's chief rabbi be indicted for accepting kickbacks in a scandal that may see him forced to resign. Police officials said they believed there was enough evidence to indict Rabbi Yonah Metzger, one of Israel's two chief rabbis, for receiving free hotel accommodation and meals for himself and his family at a luxury hotel in Jerusalem. [260 words, ENI-05-0388]

Evangelicals target elite US Ivy League universities

Oxford, Ohio (ENI). The United States looks at its elite Ivy League universities and sees stunning medical advances, elite philosophers and future presidents. Matt Bennett looks at these eight schools and sees an anti-Christian environment badly in need of evangelisation. Three years ago Bennett - himself a graduate of Cornell University, one of the prestigious schools - co-founded The Christian Union with the specific mission "to change the world by bringing about sweeping spiritual transformation at the Ivy League University, raising up godly leadership for all sectors of society". [501 words, ENI-05-0387]

25 May 2005

Jerusalem (ENI). The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem will not resign despite a decision by the leaders of the world's main Orthodox churches at a rare synod in Istanbul to withdraw recognition of the patriarch. Patriarch Irineos I issued a statement after the synod meeting, saying the decision was "political" and was not based on any evidence tying him to the controversial leasing of church property in Jerusalem to Jewish investors. [358 words, ENI-05-0383]

Romanian Orthodox sees progress with Catholics under Benedict

Warsaw (ENI). A Romanian church leader has predicted Orthodox and Roman Catholic theologians could reach agreement under Pope Benedict XVI on papal primacy and other issues, thanks to the new pontiff's understanding of Orthodox concerns. "Although we have to be faithful to our own traditions, we also have a chance of moving forward in fellowship if we're more spiritual and less diplomatic," said Orthodox Metropolitan Daniel Ciobotea, who also sits on the presidium of the Conference of European Churches. [353 words, ENI-05-0384]

'Gloom and doom' reporting on Africa denounced at IPI congress

Nairobi (ENI). Church communicators have challenged the international secular media impression of gloom and doom in Africa during a debate by journalists, media managers and owners at the International Press Institute (IPI) World Congress in Nairobi. "The international media tends to exaggerate and over-emphasise on the negative at the total exclusion of the good and positive stories," Polycarp Ochilo, the director of the All Africa Conference of Churches communication training centre told Ecumenical News International during the congress. [401 words, ENI-05-0385]

Pope Benedict invited to Bulgaria, but asked for bones of St Cyril

Sofia (ENI). Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov has, during a visit to the Vatican, invited Pope Benedict XVI to visit his country, but also asked that the bones of St Cyril, the co-inventor of the Cyrillic alphabet, be given to Bulgaria. Most Bulgarians are adherents of the Orthodox Church, and like a number of Orthodox countries, Bulgaria uses the Cyrillic alphabet developed in the 10th century and based on one devised by Saints Cyril and Methodius. The tomb of St Cyril is in Rome, and is a place of pilgrimage for Orthodox Christians, particularly those from Bulgaria, Russia, Serbia and Macedonia, which use Old Church Slavonic in their services. [351 words, ENI-05-0386]

24 May 2005

Nairobi (ENI). Media controlled by evangelical Christians in the United States have come in for a verbal lashing from a Lebanese-based journalism academic for fuelling negative stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims. "The US' faltering public diplomacy and attempts to democratise in the Arab/Muslim world are further being hobbled by these 'holier than thou' false prophets," Magda Abu-Fadil, the director of the Institute for Professional Journalists at the Lebanese American University, has told delegates attending the International Press Institute World Congress in Nairobi. [369 words, ENI-05-0380]

World Council of Churches urges Gaddafi to spare Bulgarian medics

Geneva (ENI). World Council of Churches' general secretary the Rev. Samuel Kobia has appealed to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to spare the lives of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor sentenced to death after a court found them guilty of infecting children with HIV. "The capital punishment operates against the Christian principles of compassion and love dear to all religions," Kobia said in a letter to Gaddafi. [320 words, ENI-05-0381]

Israel names Galilee park after Pope John Paul II

Jerusalem (ENI). Israel has honoured Pope John Paul II for his friendship towards the Jewish people by naming a Galilee park after him and by striking a postage stamp in his memory. A park at the Mount of Beatitudes in Galilee, where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount, will be dedicated to Pope John Paul II. In 2000, during his historic visit to the Holy Land, the pontiff had celebrated Mass at the site overlooking the Sea of Galilee. [259 words, ENI-05-0382]

Christian agencies turn from relief to development in Angola

Luanda (ENI). Three years after the end of Angola's decades-long civil war, human rights groups and church agencies fret that the government of the oil-rich African nation is failing to care for hundreds of thousands of returning displaced persons. The latest crisis to hit the country is the lethal Marburg virus, transmitted by body fluids, but for which there is no effective treatment. The Angolan government says the disease has killed 320 people, and the health system remains in disarray after nearly 30 years of civil war. [485 words, ENI-05-0379]

23 May 2005

Manila (ENI). Alarmed by killings of church human rights workers in the Philippines, senior clerics have called on the help of an independent human rights group to pressure President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's government to probe the alleged involvement of the country's military in the slayings. "We urge your immediate intervention [to ask] the [Philippine] government to initiate urgent measures to address the phenomenon of unrestrained killings of political and human rights activists," the Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission has appealed. [340 words, ENI-05-0375]

Pius Ncube dedicates Scottish peace award to Zimbabwe people

Canterbury, England (ENI). Archbishop Pius Ncube has received Scotland's Robert Burns International Humanitarian Award and has dedicated it to the suffering people of his country Zimbabwe while urging Britain not to send exiles from the southern African nation back to what he says is certain death. "I didn't deserve this award but I accept it on behalf of those in Zimbabwe whose suffering is unabated and whose struggle continues," said Ncube, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Bulawayo. [396 words, ENI-05-0378]

Polish church leader deplores amnesia of Russia's Putin about war

Warsaw (ENI). A Polish Roman Catholic archbishop has urged citizens "not to sink to the level of President Putin" by succumbing to anti-Russian feeling after controversial Second World War commemorations in Moscow. "Let's not be provoked", Jozef Zycinski, the archbishop of Lublin in eastern Poland, said about calls for a boycott of Russian culture because of the failure of Russia's President Vladimir Putin to recognise Poland's wartime role, in a speech to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe. [389 words, ENI-05-0376]

Book tells how churches helped write UN human rights script

London (ENI). As the world this year celebrates the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, a new book has retrieved the almost forgotten story of how churches helped to create one of the key achievements to emerge from the wreckage of the conflict, the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). "They saw themselves as midwives at work in a period of change that would be as far-reaching as Luther's Reformation," says author John Nurser of the team mobilised through the then newly born World Council of Churches and its Churches' Commission on International Affairs. [438 words, ENI-05-0377]

20 May 2005

Thrissur, India (ENI). Church leaders in India have expressed concern after a court reduced the death sentence on the killer of an Australian missionary to life imprisonment and ordered the acquittal of 11 others previously convicted for involvement in the murder. "We are really concerned about this judgement. It gives a wrong signal," said Bishop B. K. Sahu, general secretary of the National Council of Churches in India, which groups 29 Orthodox and Protestant Churches, after the court judgement. [319 words, ENI-05-0374]

WCC leader to meet Pope; Vatican aide urges theological dialogue

Geneva (ENI). World Council of Churches' leader, the Rev. Samuel Kobia, is to meet Pope Benedict XVI in Rome on 16 June, the WCC announced soon after a senior Vatican official urged theological dialogue to be more central to the work of the Geneva-based church grouping. "This will be Kobia's first meeting with the head of the Roman Catholic Church since he became WCC general secretary in 2004," the grouping representing most of the world's Orthodox and Protestant churches said in a statement. [389 words, ENI-05-0373]

Vatican envoy in Zambia rejects use of condoms to fight AIDS

Lusaka (ENI). The Vatican's representative in Zambia has defended the Roman Catholic prohibition on the use of condoms after criticism by an HIV/AIDS expert who said the ban was hampering the fight against the pandemic in the central African country. "The use of condoms still constitutes a false solution to the real problem of HIV and AIDS, although it is a burning issue in Africa," said Roman Catholic Archbishop Orlando Antonini, the Vatican's nuncio (ambassador) to Zambia. [340 words, ENI-05-0372]

Colleagues pay tribute to former Jerusalem correspondent Ross Dunn

Geneva (ENI). Journalists who worked with Ecumenical News International correspondent Ross Dunn have paid tribute to his outstanding work across the globe and his kindness as a person before his death in Sydney, Australia at the age of 49. Dunn, who had been working as a correspondent in Jerusalem, was forced to return to his native Australia with his wife Rosana and five-year-old daughter Sasha, when he was diagnosed with cancer nine months ago. He lived to see the birth of his son Daniel seven months ago but on 3 May succumbed to his illness in Sydney. [408 words, ENI-05-0371]

19 May 2005

Hong Kong (ENI). Christian scholars in Hong Kong underscored the importance of inter-religious dialogue, especially between Christianity and Buddhism, at a meeting on the feast of Pentecost, the same day as Buddha's birth 2549 years ago was commemorated. "God calls us into dialogue with neighbours of different faiths because God is a God of dialogue," said the Rev. John Lemond, a director at the Tao Fong Shan Christian Centre. "Incarnation is the manifestation of God's desire for us to be in dialogue." [523 words, ENI-05-0369]

Christianity's move to the South 'not matched by power shift'

Geneva (ENI). Churches are growing fastest in the southern hemisphere but power remains in the hands of the north, a global gathering of leaders from most Christian traditions has said after an 8-day meeting near Athens. "While the centres of power are still predominantly in the global North, it is in the South and the East that the churches are growing most rapidly, as a result of faithful Christian mission and witness," said a statement after the Conference on World Mission and Evangelism organized by the World Council of Churches. [340 words, ENI-05-0370]

Mushrooms and French soup are a feast fit for a patriarch

Warsaw (ENI). The head of Russia's Orthodox church has revealed that he likes picking mushrooms and eating French onion soup, but he dislikes mobile cell phones, and avoids carrying one himself. "I'm a mushroom collector - it's my real hobby," said Patriarch Alexei II in an interview with Russia's Gazieta daily newspaper, saying he had also developed a yearning for onion soup while staying in Paris four decades ago. [349 words, ENI-05-0368]

18 May 2005

New York (ENI). Pope Benedict XVI's announcement that a US archbishop is to take up a senior post in Rome has put the spotlight on the Vatican's doctrinal office less than a month after the editor of a New York-based Jesuit magazine was reportedly forced out of his post after Vatican pressure. Benedict has named San Francisco Archbishop William Levada as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. This was the post Benedict, who was then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, had before he became Pope in April and in which he was sometimes called the Vatican enforcer. [513 words, ENI-05-0366]

Anti-euthanasia vote by Europeans hailed by Christian leaders

Warsaw (ENI). Church leaders in Europe have welcomed a vote by the Council of Europe parliamentarians not to approve euthanasia, saying they believe instead in good care being provided for terminally-ill patients. "We are convinced there are alternatives to allowing euthanasia, without hiding away from the problem," said the Rev. Richard Fischer, an executive secretary of the Conference of European Churches, which groups 126 mostly Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican churches in Europe. [367 words, ENI-05-0365]

Christian aid groups nervous about food aid to Zimbabwe

Canterbury, England (ENI). Christian emergency response groups in Britain are concerned that food supplies sent to Zimbabweans will be used for supporters of President Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party rather than going to more than five million people whom international aid agencies say face the prospect of starvation later this year. "We're concerned about the situation in Zimbabwe," said Christian Aid's John McGhie in London. [338 words, ENI-05-0364]

US religious monitoring group drops India from 'list of concern'

New York (ENI). A US commission which monitors religious freedom has dropped India from its annual list of "countries of particular concern" but has added the central Asian nation of Uzbekistan, where bloody unrest has broken out recently. There are now 11 countries on the list developed by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent group that advises the US government. [402 words, ENI-05-0359]

World's churches urged to adapt to changing global dynamics

Athens (ENI). A global gathering of church leaders near Athens that assembled divergent traditions including Evangelicals, Pentecostals, Protestants, Orthodox and Roman Catholics, ended with calls to respond to Christianity's rapid growth in Africa and Asia and to engage in dialogue with other believers. [682 words, ENI-05-0360]

Former Sudan child soldier now raps gospel chart toppers

Nairobi (ENI). There aren't many former child soldiers who are "turning machine gun sounds into gospel music tunes". But Emmanuel Jal, a former south Sudanese child soldier is rocking the music charts in Nairobi and beyond, with his debut gospel music album "Gua". "Gua", which is also a single track on the album in Jal's native Nuer language, means peace, good or power. In a staccato rapping in Arabic, English, Kiswahili and Nuer, the singer thanks God and tells of his traumatic experience as a child soldier. [717 words, ENI-05-0367]

17 May 2005

Dublin (ENI). The (Anglican) Church of Ireland leader Dr Robin Eames has warned the two largest political parties in Northern Ireland not to let history judge them badly by refusing to engage in dialogue. Speaking at his church's general synod in Dublin, Eames called on the Protestant-dominated Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland and Sinn Féin, the political wing of the Irish Republican Party, not to adopt stand-off positions. [382 words, ENI-05-0361]

Anglican-Catholic report reaches accord on role of the Virgin Mary

London (ENI). A five-year study by Roman Catholic and Anglican scholars into the place of the Virgin Mary in Christian doctrine has tried to reconcile one of the main differences that have traditionally divided Catholics and Protestants. The Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission declared that prayers to Mary, the mother of Jesus, do not conflict with Christ's unique mediation with God the Father. [446 words, ENI-05-0363]

Church-state separation still partial, says world summit of liberals

Sofia (ENI). Delegates to the yearly conference of Liberal International, an association of liberal political parties from around the world, have expressed concern that many countries have failed to implement true separation between church and state. Professor Ingemund Hagg, of Sweden's Bertil Ohlin Institute, said that liberals saw the separation of the state and organized religion as a great liberal accomplishment, but what had been achieved, in many cases, was only a partial separation. [391 words, ENI-05-0362]

13 May 2005

Athens (ENI). The head of the (Orthodox) Church of Greece has urged a united Christian response to political and ethical issues after members of his own denomination lashed out at his church for helping organize a Christian unity conference being held near Athens. Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens told World Council of Churches general secretary the Rev. Samuel Kobia that "the burning issues of our times ... can only be dealt with effectively through coordinated efforts and a united Christian witness" as he restated support for the WCC. [431 words, ENI-05-0358]

Jordan and Palestinians approve ouster of Jerusalem Patriarch

Jerusalem (ENI). Jordan and the Palestinian Authority have approved the ousting of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Holy Land in a decision likely to see him forced from office. The Jordanian and Palestinian governments have accepted a ruling by the church's bishops to dismiss Patriarch Irineos I after allegations that he authorised the long-term lease of church property in Jerusalem's Old City to Jewish investors. [247 words, ENI-05-0357]

HIV positive priest pleads for church leaders to fight stigma on AIDS

Athens (ENI). An Anglican priest who runs a network of African religious leaders who have tested positive for HIV has urged churches to end an "absolute fixation with sex" that stigmatises those who live with the virus. That attitude hampers efforts to check the spread of the pandemic and for many church leaders "AIDS equals sex, equals sin, equals death", said the Rev. Johannes Petrus (Japé) Heath, coordinator of the African Network of Religious Leaders living with or personally affected by HIV and AIDS (ANERELA+). [451 words, ENI-05-0356]

Monks and nuns lobby UK parliament over global poverty

London (ENI). Legislators will be given a graphic reminder of Third World poverty when about 1000 monks, friars and nuns hold a lobby en masse at the UK parliament on only its second day back after the country's general election. The brothers and sisters will assemble at Westminster in London on 18 May in support of the Make Poverty History campaign. They will go in groups to Westminster Hall, part of the Houses of Parliament, and meet their members of parliament. [308 words, ENI-05-0354]

US religious monitoring group drops India from 'list of concern'

New York (ENI). A US commission which monitors religious freedom has dropped India from its annual list of "countries of particular concern" but has added the central Asian nation of Uzbekistan, which was wracked by unrest last week. There are now 11 countries on the list developed by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent group that advises the US government. [403 words, ENI-05-0359]

Swedish bishop's best-selling bracelet seeks to circle world in prayer

Athens (ENI). There are just 18 coloured glass beads on the bracelet that resembles worry beads so popular in Mediterranean countries. But these are "Pearls of Life" and intended to help focus on prayer as well as meditation. They have become a surprise best-seller for the (Lutheran) Church of Sweden. More than 100 000 have been sold in almost 10 years and now the idea has been launched on a world stage at an international meeting of Christian leaders in Greece. [589 words, ENI-05-0353]

12 May 2005

Athens (ENI). A top Vatican official says formal dialogue between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches was on the point of being "restarted" and he predicted that relations with the Russian Orthodox Church will improve under newly-elected Pope Benedict XVI. "We definitely feel, I think on both sides, that we are at a point where we can build a much more positive relationship," said Bishop Brian Farrell, secretary of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity speaking at a media conference during a World Council of Churches' meeting that has assembled in Athens Orthodox and Protestants that are part of the WCC, as well as Catholics, Pentecostals and Evangelicals. [463 words, ENI-05-0352]

Philippine bishops' reform call triggers fears about military

Manila, 12 May (ENI) --Calls by a group of Philippines Roman Catholic bishops for the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to reverse policies deemed to be imposed by the US and for Arroyo to step down if need be, have triggered some concerns about the potential effect on political stability in the south-east Asian nation. "Don't worry," retired Bishop Julio X. Labayen was quoted as saying in the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper. Social workers who had worked in the bishop's diocese warned the bishops' strongly worded call might be exploited by opportunists and military leaders with an authoritarian bent. [437 words, ENI-05-0348]

Pakistan is again asked to repeal its death-carrying blasphemy law

New Delhi, 12 May (ENI) --The Justice and Peace Commission of the Roman Catholic church in Pakistan has joined other global human rights organizations in a renewed plea for the repeal of its blasphemy law that carries a penalty as severe as death for those found breaking it. In a study by the commission, of the 647 blasphemy cases reported in the Pakistani media since 1988, it was noted that nearly 90 cases were against Christians who account for only less than three per cent of Pakistan's estimated 162 million people - 95 per cent of whom are Muslim. [491 words, ENI-05-0349]

Global migration challenges faiths Athens Christian conference told

Athens (ENI). An increasingly globalised world, marked by religious diversity and tensions between faiths means that Christians need to reconsider the way they relate to other believers, a world meeting of Christian leaders in Athens has been told. "We are living today in a situation of global migration, cutting people off from their religious roots," said Christine Lienemann, a professor at Switzerland's Basel university, speaking at the Conference on World Mission and Evangelism meeting, near Athens. [535 words, ENI-05-0347]

US Catholics promote campaign to fix 'broken' immigration system

New York (ENI). US Roman Catholic bishops and a number of Catholic humanitarian and advocacy groups have initiated a national campaign for reforming immigration laws in the United States. The campaign is called "Justice for Immigrants: A Journey of Hope. The Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform". It aims at both legal reform and tempering what church officials called an increasingly hostile attitude toward immigrants in the United States, particularly the undocumented. [309 words, ENI-05-0351]

Church meeting in Greek army resort aims to promote non-violence

Athens (ENI). A global church gathering on reconciliation is meeting at an army holiday resort in Greece, a country criticised by Amnesty International for its treatment of conscientious objectors. But a prominent Christian campaigner for non-violence is happy about the choice. "It's not for the churches to turn away and close their eyes, it is the mission of the church to be in the world and witness there," said Fernando Enns, a Mennonite theologian from Germany behind the 10-year-long Decade to Overcome Violence (2001-2010) project of the World Council of Churches. [402 words, ENI-05-0350]

11 May 2005

Athens (ENI). Religious groups that offer "miraculous healing" and traditional denominations that stress a "charity approach" are alienating disabled people from churches, an Athens meeting of Christian leaders from around the world has heard. "More often than not, persons with disabilities feel alienated, marginalised, embarrassed and in some cases offended by the treatment meted on them by the Church," said the Rev. Samuel Kabue, a Kenyan Presbyterian who coordinates a global advocacy network for disabled people in the church. [412 words, ENI-05-0343]

China's Protestants aim to show faith as beneficial to all people

Athens (ENI). The mission of China's 16 million Protestant Christians is "to show God's love and to benefit all people" in a society that once saw their faith estranged from the national identity, a church leader from the world's most populous nation has said. The Rev. Cao Shengjie, general secretary of the China Christian Council, participated at one of the programmes during the 13th Conference on World Mission and Evangelism in Athens, Greece. [455 words, ENI-05-0345]

French Protestants prepare response to papal greeting

Paris (ENI). French Protestants said they were apprehensive about the future of church unity after Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected Pope Benedict XVI in April, but now the Pope has sent what is thought to be the first-ever official papal greeting to a French Protestant church. The greeting from Pope Benedict came in a message read to the synod of the Reformed Church of France on 6 May by Roman Catholic Archbishop Claude Feidt of Aix-en-Provence. [438 words, ENI-5-0344]

Zambian Catholic aide faults government for media reforms' delay

Lusaka (ENI). The spokesperson for the Roman Catholic Zambia Episcopal Conference, Father Paul Samasumo, has accused the Zambian government of delaying the implementation of media reforms to bring the laws in line with international standards. Samasumo was reported saying on World Press Freedom Day: "The government has lost the urgency of media reforms. People could only benefit from a vibrant independent media that was not lumbered with unnecessary regulations." [324 words, ENI-04-0346]

10 May 2005

Geneva/Rome (ENI). The leader of the world's biggest grouping of non-Roman Catholic churches on has announced plans to meet newly-elected Pope Benedict XVI in Rome. The Rev. Samuel Kobia, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, told a media conference during a WCC conference in Athens that a meeting with Benedict was being scheduled during a 12-14 June visit to the Vatican. [388 words, ENI-05-0340]

UN Security Council urged on Uganda crisis; churches plea for peace

Nairobi (ENI). The International aid agency Oxfam has urged the United Nations Security Council to actively address the worsening humanitarian situation in northern Uganda as church leaders called for peace due to an upsurge of lethal brutality. "The situation is very bad. They are ambushing, abducting and killing civilians," the retired Anglican Bishop of Kitgum, the Rev. Macleord Baker Ochola II, who is leading a regional peace initiative, told Ecumenical News International from Kitgum in Northern Uganda. [382 words, ENI-05-0342]

Greek Archbishop urges Christians to combat atheism, secularism

Athens (ENI). The head of Greece's Orthodox church has pledged to join forces with Christians of other denominations to promote dialogue and common witness, despite opposition from some Orthodox church members. "Orthodoxy has an important role to play within the wider Christian community, faced with a growing hostility against our faith," said Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens, welcoming more than 500 participants at a World Council of Churches' mission conference to Greece, where 98 per cent of the people belong to the Orthodox church. [427 words, ENI-05-0339]

New demographics compel rethink on mission: World Christian leader

Athens (ENI). The general secretary of the World Council of Churches, the Rev. Samuel Kobia, has urged churches to rethink their ideas about mission in the face of a global shift in Christianity from the northern to the southern hemisphere. "Forms of expressing our faith that grew out of European culture are no longer normative," Kobia, a Methodist from Kenya, told about 500 participants at a WCC-organized Conference on World Mission and Evangelism taking place on the outskirts of the Greek capital. [362 words, ENI-05-0338]

Hong Kong Lutheran church elects first Chinese bishop

Hong Kong (ENI). The Lutheran church in Hong Kong has recently chosen its first Chinese Bishop, 85 years after the denomination began missionary work at Kikungshan, Hunan province in central China. The Rev. Nicholas Tai Ho-Fai, the incoming Bishop of the 14 000 member Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong, told Ecumenical News International his pastoral priority is to seek growth in local congregations, and to upgrade the quality of pastors. [358 words, ENI-05-0341]

9 May 2005

Jerusalem (ENI). Anglican, Lutheran and Roman Catholic leaders have offered to mediate in a scandal that has seen the Greek Orthodox Patriarch for the Holy Land Irineos I deposed by his own bishops over allegations he authorised the transfer of church property to Jewish investors. The allegations that Patriarch Irineos I authorised a long-term lease of church property in Jerusalem's Old City to Jewish investors have caused a split in the church. [507 words, ENI-05-0337]

Nigeria's Christians and Muslims both warn of census boycott

Abuja (ENI). Nigeria's Christian and Islamic leaders are both threatening to boycott the end of year population census in Africa's most populous nation--Christians if religious affiliation is excluded from the data, and Muslims if it is included. Samuel Salifu, secretary-general of the Christian Association of Nigeria, warned that Christian leaders will mobilise their followers to boycott the December census if the Nigerian government does not heed its demand. [379 words, ENI-05-0336]

World church gathering on mission opening in Athens

Athens (ENI). Christians from all around the globe have gathered in Athens for a World Council of Churches' conference due to open on Monday, reaching across a nearly 1000-year breach between Eastern and Western traditions of their religion. The 8-day WCC Conference on World Mission and Evangelism focussing on Christians sharing their faith with others, will bring to the Greek capital about 500 participants from many Christian traditions. [450 words, ENI-05-0333]

Greek Orthodox and WCC leader to speak at Athens gathering

Athens (ENI). The general secretary of the World Council of Churches, the Rev. Samuel Kobia, and Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens, the head of the (Orthodox) Church of Greece, will address a world conference on mission on Tuesday. The WCC's 8-day Conference on World Mission and Evangelism, focussing on Christians sharing their faith with others will bring to the Greek capital about 500 participants from many Christian traditions. [276 words, ENI-05-0335]

6 May 2005

Auschwitz (ENI). Sixty years earlier they would have been lining up in the same spot waiting to be forced onto cattle cars on a train transporting them to their deaths like millions of others. But on Thursday 20 000 marchers vowed "never again" as they stood on the platform at the Birkenau concentration camp. Among the participants was Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon who led the largest ever "March of the Living" commemoration between the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps to mark the 60th anniversary of the liberation from the Nazi Germany's largest death camp complex in southern Poland. [600 words, ENI-05-0329]

Bishop slams Zambia government, unions over Chinese plant blast

Lusaka (ENI). Roman Catholic Bishop Noel O'Regan's berating of the Zambian government and workers' unions for tolerating inhumane conditions after 52 people were killed at a Chinese-owned explosives plant has been followed by the appointment of an independent inquiry into the lethal blast. Mines minister, Kaunda Lembalemba, has appointed an independent investigative team to probe the cause of the blast at the explosives factory at Chambishi, near the Congo border. [429 words, ENI-05-0327]

Attacks on Jews reach 15 year high, Tel Aviv University study finds

Jerusalem (ENI). Anti-Semitic attacks worldwide reached a 15-year high in 2004 and will continue to increase exponentially unless countries take preventive measures, an annual study released by Israel's Tel Aviv University says. The study, which was issued on 4 May, the eve of Israel's Holocaust Memorial Day, said that the rise was mostly due to an increase in violent attacks by marginalised Muslim migrants in Europe. [330 words, ENI-05-0326]

British church leaders to tackle Blair on nuclear subs after election

London (ENI). Leaders of five Christian denominations have placed themselves on a collision course with Prime Minister Tony Blair's re-elected government over nuclear weapons that are on some British submarines. The leaders of the Methodist and United Reformed churches, the Church of Scotland, the Baptist Union and the Anglican church in Wales were responding to reports that the Blair government could spend more than 10 billion British pounds (US$19 billion) to replace Britain's fleet of four Trident submarines, each of which carries multiple nuclear warheads. [329 words, ENI-05-328]

Germany's day of democracy leaves neo-Nazis seething

Bielefeld, Germany (ENI). Germany's churches, politicians and unions have called on all the country's citizens to celebrate a Day of Democracy on 8 May when the Second World War ended in Europe 60 years ago. At Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, Klaus Wowereit, the mayor of the city that was divided for 45 years after the War, was hoping on Friday that many more people would come to the memorial event than to a neo-Nazi march planned in the same vicinity. [449 words, ENI-05-0330]

African church grouping leader urges Togo to protect civilians

Nairobi (ENI). The head of the All Africa Conference of Churches, the Rev. Mvume Dandala, has called on Togo's government to guarantee the security to all citizens, following bloody violence that had plagued the west African country after last month's controversial presidential elections. "As churches of Christ, we seek to uphold the values that sustain life and protection of sanctity of human life," the Methodist from South Africa, who is general secretary of the Nairobi-based Africa-wide grouping of Protestant Churches, said a statement. [319 words, ENI-05-0331]

Nigerian Anglican bishop resists naming university after John Paul II

Awka, Nigeria (ENI). The Anglican bishop of Nnewi in south-eastern Nigeria has said he strongly opposes the decision of the state of Anambra to rename its University of Science and Technology after Pope John Paul II who died on 2 April. Bishop Godwin Okpala said he opposed the renaming because the institution caters to Anglicans, Roman Catholics, and others religious adherents in the state. He argued it was unfair of the parliament, in which Roman Catholics hold a majority, to approve the naming of the institution after the leader of their church. [331 words, ENI-05-0325]

4 May 2005

Jerusalem (ENI). The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem has come under fresh pressure to resign following new accusations that he authorised a controversial land sale deal to win favour with Israel. Patriarch Irineos I has been accused of selling church property in Jerusalem to Jewish investors. He has said that any sales were made by a former financial adviser without his permission. [345 words, ENI-05-0322]

Kenya government and churches warn of looming food shortages

Nairobi (ENI). Church officials in Kenya have warned that food shortages could worsen in some parts of the country if no action is taken, while the government has talked of a looming famine, due to failed rains, affecting about 3 million peasants in dry areas. "We have to do something as a church. We have appealed for support," said the Rev. Gibson Gichuki, who heads a disaster response group at the Presbyterian Church of East Africa. "We do not want to be caught unawares if the drought persists." [387 words, ENI-05-0321]

US religion radio programme clinches 'online Oscar' Webby award

New York (ENI). The Web site of a weekly US public radio programme dedicated to religion and spirituality has won a Webby - an award from the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, often called "the online Oscars". American Public Media's "Speaking of Faith", a programme that bills itself as a "national conversation about belief, meaning, ethics, and ideas", won the honour in the award's religion and spirituality category for its Web site at: http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/ . [350 words, ENI-05-0323]

Religions launch interfaith group to promote ethical investment

London (ENI). Representatives of seven world religions and a range of non-profit making foundations have come together to promote interfaith strategies for ethical investment. The International Interfaith Investment Group, known as 3ig, includes members of the Buddhist, Christian, Daoist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh faiths. [384 words, ENI-05-0324]

3 May 2005

Jerusalem (ENI). Thousands of Christians took part in Orthodox Easter rituals in Jerusalem at the weekend in an annual celebration overshadowed by divisions in the Greek Orthodox Church over a controversial land deal. Yet despite tension among the Orthodox community in the Holy Land, the holy fire ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre went ahead without any serious violence. [289 words, ENI-05-0320]

Malawi bishop like most other African Catholics happy with Pope

Blantyre, Malawi (ENI). In Africa Roman Catholicism is growing strongly and many Catholics on the continent had hoped for an African pope after the death of Pope John Paul II. But southern African Catholics mostly say they are not disappointed in the man chosen for the papacy, Benedict XVI. Catholic Bishop Felix Mkhori of Malawi's Lilongwe diocese said the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was the right replacement for Pope John Paul II although he was not from Africa or Latin America. [543 words, ENI-05-0318]

UN meeting seeks interfaith dialogue to rebuild Asia ecosystems

Baguio City, Philippines (ENI). Interfaith dialogue is needed to remedy harm inflicted over centuries by religions to traditional knowledge systems in Asia, say delegates at a United Nations' meeting on biological diversity, held in the Philippines. "Foreign and introduced religions have damaged traditional knowledge systems and an inter-faith dialogue should be promoted to encourage ... mutual respect and to repair centuries of damage to the traditional knowledge systems of indigenous and local communities," delegates from Asia said after the meeting in Baguio City, northern Philippines. [384 words, ENI-05-0319]

Christian cities Canterbury and Esztergom celebrate links

Esztergom, Hungary (ENI). Two of Europe's great medieval Christian centres, Canterbury in England and Esztergom in Hungary, are reinforcing new-found ties as Hungarians celebrate their first full year in the European Union. "We're twins," said the mayor of Esztergom, Tamas Meggyes, who last year signed a partnership agreement with officials from Canterbury. [423 words, ENI-05-0317]

2 May 2005

Sofia (ENI). Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomeos I, spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, has reaffirmed the Easter message of the triumph of life over death - specifically against the background of terrorism plaguing the world. Many Christian Orthodox churches celebrated Easter this year on 1 May and Bartholomeos marked the event in a message released from his headquarters in Istanbul. [366 words, ENI-05-0315]

Orthodox church leaders note concerns ahead of world Athens' rally

Athens (ENI). Orthodox church leaders in Greece are attempting to allay fears about a world church conference, to begin in Athens on 9 May, amid concern the gathering might aggravate tensions in their denomination about relations with other churches. The conference is being organized by the World Council of Churches and will bring 500 participants to the Greek capital from many Christian churches, including from Evangelical, Pentecostal and Roman Catholic traditions which do not belong to the Geneva-based WCC. [482 words, ENI-05-0314]

UN Human Rights member Zimbabwe accused about hunger

Geneva (ENI). Human rights groups have reiterated calls to reform the Geneva-based United Nations Commission on Human Rights after Zimbabwe's re-election to the 53-member body, while church-backed aid groups say President Robert Mugabe's government continues to hinder actions to stem hunger in the southern African nation. Zimbabwe and China were among nations singled out in the past as human rights violators, and elected on 28 April to serve on the global human rights body, as were Cuba, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia and Sudan. [465 words, ENI-05-0316]

Lesbian Methodist minister in US wins appeal over lost credentials

New York (ENI). A United Methodist minister has won an appeal against a December 2004 verdict that stripped her of her clergy credentials for violating a denominational rule prohibiting a clergy member from being a practising lesbian or homosexual. But despite her reinstatement, due to legal errors in the original hearing, Irene Elizabeth Stroud said she will not formally return as an ordained minister until the issue of her ordination is fully settled, the United Methodist News Service reported. [301 words, ENI-05-0313]

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