Harare (ENI). The United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF has joined forces with churches and other non-governmental organizations to provide relief to thousands of children caught up in a police operation that has seen the bulldozing of shacks, deemed illegal. This was after teachers' organizations said at least 300 000 children had dropped out of school due to their homes being destroyed in the national campaign dubbed "Operation Drive Out Trash", which locals now call "Zimbabwe's tsunami", conducted over the past month. [290 words, ENI-05-0500]

Release of Lutheran Congo head from prison welcomed by LWF

Geneva (ENI). The Rev. Ishmael Noko, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, has welcomed the release from police custody of Ngoy Mwanana Lusanga who heads the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Congo (ELCC). Noko said in a statement he appreciated that the Democratic Republic of the Congo justice minister Honorius Kisimba Ngoy had considered an LWF appeal to release Lusanga from incarceration. [296 words, ENI-05-0499]

UN, NGOs told Faith-Based Organizations crucial in AIDS fight

Geneva (ENI). Up to 40 per cent of health care in poor countries is delivered by private religious institutions according to the first systematic study of faith-based organizations and HIV/AIDS. Dr Rabia Mathai, the senior vice-president, Global Program Policy, of the US-based Catholic Medical Mission Board, told members of United Nations' and non-governmental organizations in Geneva that faith-based organizations are "true partners" in the struggle against HIV/AIDS. [473 words, ENI-05-0498]

Nigeria's national church centre to be completed by October

Abuja (ENI). A National Ecumenical Centre for Nigeria's churches for which construction began a decade ago and has been declared a national monument by the president is back on track to be completed by October 2005. "This centre is a pride to all Nigerians," said Rochas Okorocha, adviser to Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, after being taken round the ecumenical centre by Dominico Gitto, managing director of the Italian company building it. [207 words, ENI-05-0497]

29 June 2005

Vancouver (ENI). The lower house of the Canadian parliament has passed legislation that will legalise same-sex marriage - an initiative which has divided the country's churches. The measure is expected to become law in July if it is also agreed by the upper house, the Senate, and would make Canada the third country after Belgium and the Netherlands to take such action. [359 words, ENI-05-0491]

Suspected ritual killings in Kenya alarm churches

Nairobi (ENI). Kenyan church leaders have condemned recent killings of children in suspected witchcraft rituals in the coastal city of Mombasa, where over 20 children are reported to have disappeared in the last six months. "We condemn these killings in strongest terms," said the Rev. Wellington Sanga, the conference secretary of the Methodist Church of Kenya. [197 words, ENI-05-0492]

US Catholic bishops extend 'zero-tolerance' policy to abusive priests

New York (ENI). US Roman Catholic bishops have voted to prolong their policies of vigilance against sexual abuse committed by clergy but cases against individual parishes in the country's largest Christian denomination continue. By a 229-3 vote during a meeting in Chicago, the clerics decided to renew policies first adopted in 2002 in the wake of a series of sexual abuse scandals that rocked the US Catholic church. [356 words, ENI-05-0493]

Anti-poverty campaigners pin hopes on Scottish G8 summit

London (ENI). The main leaders of the three monotheistic religions in Britain could not ignore this one. The cause of the world's poorest people has united Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders in Britain ahead of the summit of the Group of Eight (G8) leading industrial nations at Gleneagles on 6-8 July. The religious leaders are urging Prime Minister Tony Blair to press for radical commitments on behalf of the poor when he chairs the G8 meeting, which will bring together his counterparts from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States. [829 words, ENI-05-0494]

28 June 2005

Kaduna, Nigeria (ENI). Religious conflict between Christians and Muslims has claimed thousands of lives in the northern Nigerian state of Kaduna in recent years say Christian and Muslim leaders, seeking to build bridges to prevent such clashes in the future. "We have had a series of religious conflicts in this state between Christians and Muslims, from 1987 to 2004," the Rev. Joseph Hayap, secretary of the Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria told Ecumenical News International in an interview. [438 words, ENI-05-0490]

At Augsburg ceremony Lutheran leader urges church unity progress

Augsburg, Germany (ENI). German Protestants have been celebrating the 475th anniversary of what is sometimes called the birth certificate of the Lutheran church. The general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation used the occasion to urge progress in Christian unity. "We are challenged to find ways of living a shared faith and life in the proclamation of the Gospel and worship life that is expressed in the common celebration of the Lord's table," the Rev. Ishmael Noko said at a service to mark the 1530 Augsburg Confession, the central statement of faith of the Lutheran Reformation. [408 words, ENI-05-0489]

Divided US court continues 10 Commandments display struggle

Cincinnati, Ohio (ENI). The United States Supreme Court has ruled that a Ten Commandments display inside Kentucky courthouses is unconstitutional and must be taken down while a Ten Commandments monument outside the Texas state Capitol can remain. The move signals a deeply split court on the issue of separation of church and state and proves "the justices are agonising over the issue the same way that people in society are," according to one US specialist in constitutional law. [467 words, ENI-05-0488]

New Lutheran leader in Russia says relations with Orthodox sound

Warsaw (ENI). Russia's newly elected Lutheran archbishop has pledged to do more to respond to growing interest in the church around the country. "In major cities, people are interested in our interpretation of the Christian faith," said Archbishop Edmund Ratz, leader of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States. "My main priorities will be to consolidate our congregations and be active in mission work, as well as organizing further training programmes for church leaders, both lay and clerical." [377 words, ENI-05-0487]

27 June 2005

Colombo (ENI). Church leaders in Sri Lanka have welcomed an agreement between the government and Tamil rebels to allow international aid to reconstruct tsunami-hit areas that are under rebel control as an opportunity to unlock the stalled peace process. "This is a decision which should have come much earlier," said Anglican Bishop Duleep de Chickera of Colombo. "We are happy the president has shown the determination to push it forward despite opposition." [395 words, ENI-05-0482]

Anglican council backs investment boycott over Palestine

London (ENI). An international Anglican meeting has supported the removal of investment funds from companies whose activities contribute to the occupation of Palestinian land or violence against innocent Israelis. The Anglican Consultative Council unanimously praised a member church, the Episcopal Church USA, which is considering such a policy, and commended the policy to other churches of the worldwide Anglican Communion. [320 words, ENI-05-0483]

Israeli officials say Anglican decision on divestment is 'one-sided'

Jerusalem (ENI). Israeli officials have condemned as "one-sided" a decision by an international Anglican body supporting divestment from companies believed to help Israel maintain its occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Anglican Consultative Council voted unanimously for the resolution which calls on all its 38 national and regional churches to ensure that they do not invest in companies that support Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories and Jewish settlement activity there. [243 words, ENI-05-0485]

World Council of Churches condemns Zimbabwe mass evictions

Geneva/Harare (ENI). The World Council of Churches has condemned the Zimbabwe government's programme of house demolitions and mass forced evictions that have left hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans homeless. The council called for an immediate end to the crackdown. "To carry out such acts of cruelty with impunity against her own people shows clearly that the government is losing the moral and ethical ground for leadership, healing and reconciliation," the Geneva-based church grouping said. [488 words, ENI-05-0484]

Zambia church leaders urge transparency in corruption row

Lusaka (ENI). Church leaders in Zambia are calling on President Levy Mwanawasa and the country's attorney general to apologise or resign after a U-turn on a controversial legal case involving a former top civil servant. The authorities on 20 June reinstated corruption charges against Kashiwa Bulaya, the former ministry of health permanent secretary, following a public outcry about an earlier government decision to drop the case. [251 words, ENI-05-0481]

Billy Graham, in 'last' New York crusade, suggests others possible

New York (ENI). Evangelist Billy Graham concluded what may be his last crusade in a three-day New York event that drew some 230 000 followers and pilgrims, displaying the rich tapestry and diversity of religious life in the United States. Looking frail and suffering from a number of ailments, including Parkinson's disease and prostate cancer, Graham, who is 86, spoke in a clear, if halting, voice. Despite speculation this was his last crusade, Graham hinted that one in London might be a possibility. [463 words, ENI-05-0486]

24 June 2005

Moscow (ENI). The first official visit to the Russian Orthodox Church by the general secretary of the World Council of Churches, the Rev. Samuel Kobia, was said by members of his delegation to have been easier than that of his predecessor two years earlier. "I have heard from the two most prominent religious leaders in the world that they are fully committed to work toward unity of the Christian Church," Kobia said at a news conference when asked about his recent meetings with Pope Benedict XVI and the Russian Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow, Alexei II. [573 words, ENI-05-0480] Pope Benedict and WCC head support Europe's Christian roots

Rome (ENI). European unity needs to be built on the foundations of its Christian roots, Pope Benedict XVI said at a meeting with the Italian president, soon after the publication of a book in which the pontiff warned about the growth of secularism in Europe. "By virtue of her history and culture, Italy can make a valid contribution, especially to Europe, helping it to rediscover those Christian roots that enabled it to be great in the past, and that still today can favour the profound unity of the continent," Benedict told Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi. [515 words, ENI-05-0478]

Catholic bishops human rights groups decry Zimbabwe demolitions

Harare (ENI). Roman Catholic bishops, Amnesty International and Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights are among organizations that have deplored mass arrests and house demolitions that have left hundreds of thousands in Zimbabwe with no homes and that have killed at least two children. The two children were crushed to death during the police actions, the government-run Herald newspaper reported. [422 words, ENI-05-0479]

Jimmy Carter builds another home for Habitat

Cincinnati, Ohio (ENI). Laquina Johnson, a single-mother and Iraq War veteran, will have a home of her own by the end of this week thanks to a former US president, a Christian ministry to help low-income families build decent, affordable housing, and hundreds of volunteers from more than 50 churches throughout the state of Michigan. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn are leading volunteers from around the world in Benton Harbor and Detroit, Michigan, to build more than 40 homes during the annual Jimmy Carter Work Project, from 19 to 24 June. [463 words, ENI-05-0476]

US air academy faulted, but not guilty of overt religious bias

New York (ENI). A report commissioned by the United States Air Force has chastised officials and some cadets at its training academy for an atmosphere of religious insensitivity that ignored the needs of students who are not evangelical Christians. But the report, issued at the Pentagon, did not find officials of the academy engaged in any "overt religious discrimination" against Jewish students or those who were not evangelical Christians. [407 words, ENI-05-0477]

23 June 2005

Thrissur, India (ENI). Church activists have joined protests against an Indian government claim that the HIV/AIDS infection rate is declining, contrary to international agencies that project the world's second most populous nation has more than 5 million people affected by the disease. "This does not help the fight against AIDS. It gives a wrong message to all involved in the fight," noted Dr Vijay Aruldas, general secretary of the Christian Medical Association of India, commenting on a controversy brewing over the federal health ministry's recent claim that only 28 000 new HIV infections had been reported in 2004. [408 words, ENI-05-0472]

Romania's Orthodox church disowns priest after nun crucified

Warsaw (ENI). Romania's Orthodox church has disowned a monk after he allegedly crucified a trainee nun during an exorcism ceremony that was said to have taken place, and it has closed down the convent where the killing occurred. "The church condemns this deviant act by this strange person of low education," said Costel Stoica, spokesperson for the country's Bucharest patriarchate. "It has nothing whatever to do with Orthodoxy, and nothing of the kind has ever occurred in the history of Romanian monasticism." [376 words, ENI-05-0474]

Kenya church leaders, NGOs warn of danger in AIDS faith healing

Nairobi (ENI). One of the frail people frequently paraded before huge Pentecostal church crusades in Kenya is likely to be an AIDS victim responding to a miracle healing call by a charismatic pastor. But in the longer established churches and among health workers questions are being asked about such apparent healing after only a short prayer. They assert such interventions will undermine efforts to control and manage HIV/AIDS, which is a pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa. [394 words, ENI-05-0473]

Nuclear whistleblower Vanunu tells court he wants his prison writings

Jerusalem (ENI). Nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu has appealed to Israel's highest court to help him recover personal journals and letters written in prison during his 18-year term for spilling Israel's atomic secrets. Vanunu, a Jewish convert to Christianity, said on 23 June he hoped the court would order security authorities to return his private writings which were confiscated before his release last year. He said they contained no nuclear secrets, only scribblings about prison life and his philosophical thoughts. [294 words, ENI-05-0475]

22 June 2005

Warsaw (ENI). Roman Catholic leaders from Eastern Europe have warned that stringent conditions imposed by German officials may prevent their church members attending August's World Youth Day in Cologne, which will also mark the first visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the country of his birth since he became pontiff. ''The embassies are aware some people may not return from Germany, so they're carefully selecting candidates for the festival,'' Rrok Mirdita, the archbishop of Durres-Tirana in Albania, told Ecumenical News International. ''Procedures are very strict and many people are reporting bad experiences.'' [379 words, ENI-05-0470]

African Anglicans will 'reject' aid from US church due to gay dispute

Blantyre, Malawi (ENI). The head of the Anglican church in Malawi has said his church will refuse financial support from its counterparts in the United States and Canada because of a dispute about homosexuality. Archbishop Bernard Malango made his comments as he left Malawi to attend a meeting in Britain of Anglican leaders from around the world who are discussing a decision by the US Episcopal (Anglican) Church to consecrate an openly-gay priest as a bishop. [485 words, ENI-05-0468]

Asian Christians singled out by Saudis says Indian church group

Thrissur, India (ENI). After the release of seven Christians who had been arrested for practising Christianity in Saudi Arabia earlier in June, an unnamed official from the kingdom took the unusual step of denying allegations that those held, who included Indians, had been tortured. A Saudi official speaking in Cairo denied allegations that the kingdom arrests and tortures Christians, the Washington-based Institute on Religion and Public Policy reported. Speaking to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the official said the allegations "don't go with the principles and values of the kingdom and above all our tolerant Islamic belief which guarantees the rights of Muslims and residents of different religions and ethnicities alike". [509 words, ENI-05-0469]

Ex-US seminary head suspended for lesbian daughter's wedding

New York (ENI). A former president of a Reformed Church in America seminary has been disciplined by his denomination for presiding over a wedding ceremony of his lesbian daughter. Norman Kansfield, 65, the one-time president of New Brunswick Theological Seminary in the state of New Jersey, was suspended from the ministry after a church trial in which denominational leaders determined he violated church doctrine for performing the ceremony for his daughter, Ann, and her partner. [317 words, ENI-05-0471]

21 June 2005

Geneva (ENI). European churches have urged leaders of the Group of Eight leading industrialised countries to deliver on multilateral debt, development aid, trade justice and action to counter climate change when they meet in Scotland in July. "We believe in God's commandment to safeguard the world and to guarantee the protection of human dignity, social justice and care for God's creation," the Conference of European Churches (CEC) said in an open letter to G8 leaders. [374 words, ENI-05-0463]

Philippines mourns death of Cardinal Sin

Manila (ENI). Filipinos are mourning the death at the age of 76 of Cardinal Jaime Sin who stirred up citizens of Asia's most Christian country to topple two presidents. "History will mark this day of sadness when a great liberator of the Filipino people and a champion of God passes away," President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said of Sin. [403 words, ENI-05-0466]

Kenyan Anglican leader contrite about AIDS inaction

Nairobi (ENI). Anglican Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi of Kenya has issued an apology for inaction and wrong actions by African religious leaders in the fight against HIV and AIDS. "We want to apologise for not doing what we should have done and doing what we should not have done," said the archbishop. [407 words, ENI-05-0467]

Lutheran bishops say women need access to leadership

Geneva (ENI). Women can bring a different style of leadership to churches, says Bishop Maria Jepsen from Hamburg in Germany who in 1992 became the first Lutheran woman bishop in the world. "Women bishops prefer to work in networks, and especially in networks with other female ordained people, pastors, and also lay people," Jepsen told journalists during a June meeting in Geneva of Lutheran woman bishops and church presidents. [385 words, ENI-05-0465]

Two Zambian ex-presidents back sharing Eucharist with Catholics

Lusaka (ENI). Zambia's first president, Kenneth Kaunda, and the man who ousted him in multi-party elections in 1991, Frederick Chiluba, disagree on many things, but they both support the sharing of the Eucharist between Roman Catholics and Christians from other denominations. In a weekly column in Zambia's Sunday Post newspaper on the challenges facing Pope Benedict XVl, Kaunda, who belongs to the United Church of Zambia, raised the issue of the Catholic Church denying participation in Holy Communion by other denominations. [335 words, ENI-05-0464]

20 June 2005

London (ENI). The choice of Uganda-born John Sentamu as Archbishop of York, the second most senior post in the (Anglican) Church of England, has been hailed in both countries, with a leading Ugandan newspaper describing the move as "a reverse evangelism". Sentamu, aged 56, will be the Church of England's first black archbishop. He was a lawyer and a judge in Uganda, and came to England in 1974 as a political exile from the regime of dictator Idi Amin. [451 words, ENI-05-0459]

Christian leaders protest at bulldozing of property in Zimbabwe

Harare (ENI). Church organizations and opposition leaders in Zimbabwe are protesting against government demolitions of shanty homes and informal businesses, saying the campaign is retribution against the urban population for supporting the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party. "We warn the perpetrators of this crime that history will hold you accountable," the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference said in a statement. [486 words, ENI-05-0461]

Tutu urges people in Ireland not to abandon hope in peace process

Dublin (ENI). Desmond Tutu, the former Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, says people in Ireland should not give up hope in the peace process in the north of the island, noting that the process of reconciliation in his native South Africa had been "a roller coaster". "Don't let the ups and downs get a hold of you," he implored while on a visit to Dublin. "Most people in Northern Ireland want to see peace, want to see Northern Ireland prosper." [289 words, ENI-05-0462]

Lutheran and Reformed Protestants in France to seek closer ties

Paris (ENI). The general synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of France has agreed to continue a process of seeking closer ties with the country's biggest Protestant denomination, the Reformed Church of France. "We need greater unity in order to offer a common witness in French society," said the Rev. Jean Tartier, president of the Lutheran church's executive council. [270 words, ENI-05-0460]

17 June 2005

London (ENI). The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has urged news media to promote public confidence in journalism by being ready to admit that they make mistakes. "We need journalistic work that equips its own critics," he said in a lecture to an audience of media professionals, politicians and church leaders in London. "If the profession [of journalism] is to perform its necessary job, some aspects of current practice are lethally damaging to it, and contribute to the embarrassingly low level of trust in the profession (especially in the UK) shown in most opinion polls." [350 words, ENI-05-0454]

Greek Orthodox bishops demote deposed Jerusalem patriarch

Jerusalem (ENI). Irineos I, the Greek Orthodox patriarch of the Holy Land deposed by his church last month, has been demoted to the rank of monk by a council of bishops. Irineos has been mired in scandal over allegations he approved a controversial land deal that angered the local church's mostly Palestinian parishioners. He has denied involvement in the land scandal in which church property was leased to Jewish investors and has refused to step down, despite a decision in May by leaders of the world's 300 million strong Orthodox churches to stop recognising him as patriarch. [270 words, ENI-05-0458]

Religious minorities look to inter-faith dialogue

Geneva (ENI). Inter-faith dialogue is ever more crucial especially for religious minorities, in an increasingly violent, intolerant and globalised world, says Bishop Samuel Azariah from Pakistan, where Christians account for less than 3 per cent of the predominantly Muslim population. "As a religious minority, we did experience a backlash as a reaction to the situation in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine," said Azariah, who heads the Church of Pakistan in a country where Christians have experienced several violent attacks in recent years. [587 words, ENI-05-0457]

Theodore Gill, US theologian and civil rights activist, dies at 85

New York (ENI). Theodore A. Gill, a prominent US Presbyterian theologian and educator who was also a civil rights activist, ecumenist and magazine editor, has died, aged 85. He was one of a group of white Protestant US church leaders who in the 1960s championed the cause of the US civil rights movement. As president of San Francisco Theological Seminary, Gill led students and staff in accompanying black civil rights leader Martin Luther King during a famous march in 1965 from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. [422 words, ENI-05-0456]

Israeli scientists grow palm from seed of biblical times

Jerusalem (ENI). Israeli researchers have grown an extinct date palm from around the time of Jesus in a world first that they hope will help with research into natural medicines used in biblical times. "The trees that were here in ancient times have been lost to us. Through this tree, we might be able to recreate the forests of the ancient world," said Yuval Cohen, an Israeli botanist conducting DNA tests from the palm's leaves. The palm was grown from a date seed among those found in an archaeological dig at the desert fortress of Masada. Carbon tests have dated it to between 35 BC to AD 65, just before the Roman conquest of Jerusalem. [383 words, ENI-05-0455]

16 June 2005

Rome (ENI). World Council of Churches' general secretary the Rev. Samuel Kobia said on Thursday after meeting Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican that he wanted to work with the Roman Catholic Church on responding to issues such as the decline of Christianity in Europe and its growth in Africa. "We could seek together a stable place of moral clarity and confidence amid today's turbulent human landscape of shifting values, uncertain hopes and crumbling commitments," Kobia said at the audience with Pope Benedict, according to a prepared text of his address released by the WCC. [477 words ENI-05-0453]

Study Bible seeks to reclaim African heritage of Scriptures

Cincinnati (ENI). As sales reach half a million, the Original African Heritage Study Bible is proving popular among black church-goers and stirring debate among biblical scholars in the United States. The text is that of the King James Version. But in contrast to traditional Bibles, it highlights and annotates the passages that refer to Africa or Africans. "We're simply reclaiming our place in the Bible," said the project's general editor, the Rev. Cain Hope Felder, a New Testament scholar at the Howard University School of Divinity in Washington, DC. [450 words, ENI-05-0451]

N. Irish bishop says fewer clergy means church must change

Dublin (ENI). The (Anglican) Church of Ireland has fewer paid clerics than at any point in recent history, says Bishop Alan Harper of Connor in Northern Ireland, and an action plan is needed to deal with the falling clergy numbers and other challenges. "People hate change, but sometimes the choice is between change and a lingering death," Harper told a meeting of his diocesan synod at the beginning of June. [368 words, ENI-05-452]

15 June 2005

Jerusalem (ENI). The leader of the Lutheran church in the Holy Land has urged greater tolerance between Jews, Muslims and Christians and for mutual respect for each religion's holy sites and books. Bishop Munib Younan, the Palestinian head of the world's only Arabic-speaking Lutheran church, issued the statement following allegations about copies of the Quran being desecrated by US and Israeli jailers. [331 words, ENI-05-0450]

Aid agencies launch film showing 'hope and beauty' in war-torn Sudan

Nairobi (ENI). A new film, "Just Peace", highlighting the lives of young people from north and south Sudan who experienced a 21-year-long civil war, has been launched in Nairobi, the capital of neighbouring Kenya. "We wanted to gain support for the peace process not through using sharpened headlines or horrors statistics, but by saying Sudan is not all conflicts. There is hope and beauty," said Sorcha O'Callaghan, speaking for the six aid agencies that produced the film, under the auspices of the Sudan Advocacy Coalition. [445 words, ENI-05-0449]

Zambian churches enter diplomatic fray over action on corruption

Lusaka (ENI). A prominent leader of the Independent Churches of Zambia, Bishop David Masupa, has joined with President Levy Mwanawasa in warning foreign diplomats against meddling in the internal affairs of the country. The warning follows criticism by foreign envoys of the Zambian government's decision to drop the prosecution of the health ministry's former permanent secretary on charges of corruption and abuse of office. But another cleric, the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) general secretary the Rev. Japhet Ndhlovu, said the government needed to take action to restore confidence in its actions to fight corruption. [282 words, ENI-05-0448]

14 June 2005

Geneva (ENI). World Council of Churches' leader the Rev. Samuel Kobia says he will look for concrete steps to promote Christian unity on issues such as the sharing of Communion and joint action on poverty and AIDS during his meeting with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican this week. "If we don't have something to show then I think we will not even be able to convince ourselves that we are making progress," said Kobia, general secretary of the church grouping that encompasses most of the world's Orthodox and Protestant Christians. [555 words, ENI-05-0445]

Blood clot killed Jesus, says Israeli professor

Jerusalem (ENI). Jesus is more likely to have died on the cross from a blood clot than from blood loss or asphyxia as is commonly believed, an Israeli doctor has concluded in an article published in a leading US medical journal. Bible scholars said, however, the physical cause of Jesus' death was irrelevant because it ignored his spiritual suffering. [332 words, ENI-05-0446]

World and African church grouping heads urge Ethiopian restraint

Geneva/Nairobi (ENI). The heads of the World Council of Churches and the All Africa Conference of Churches say they are deeply disturbed by recent events in Ethiopia and have called for restraint by security forces in handling anti-government protests. "It is imperative that the authorities in Ethiopia exercise utmost care and understanding in handling the present crisis so that the situation is not allowed to further deteriorate," WCC General Secretary Samuel Kobia and Mvume Dandala, head of the AACC, said in a joint statement. [265 words, ENI-05-0447]

Old Testament offers advice on beauty pageants, says Malawi cleric

Blantyre (ENI). Beauty pageants have become common in Malawi, but their value is being debated after some clergy questioned whether they are in line with the culture and traditional norms as recommended by either the Bible or the Quran. The wearing of bikinis, evening gowns, traditional and casual wear as women parade before an audience is the norm at local beauty contests. Some churches are, however, not happy as they say beauty pageants degrade women or they can corrupt their morals. [390 words, ENI-05-0444]

13 June 2005

Dublin (ENI). South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu says he is "thrilled" at plans by the British finance minister Gordon Brown to cut debt for the poorest nations, many of them in Africa, and to increase development aid. "A vibrant economy [in Africa] would be a great deal better for all than an Africa that is overwhelmed by poverty, disease, conflict and corruption," said Tutu of items to be discussed at a summit during July in Gleneagles, Scotland, by leaders of the Group of Eight (G8), the most industrialised countries. [409 words, ENI-05-0443]

Clashes between Muslims in Nigeria keep Christians from services

Sokoto, Nigeria (ENI). Christian leaders in the northern Nigerian city of Sokoto have described as senseless the killings their followers have been caught up in during recent clashes between Islamic groups. "Christians are not happy with the senseless killings and destruction in the name of God," Roman Catholic Bishop Kevin Aje of Sokoto, said at a meeting with the governor of Sokoto state, Attahiru Bafarawa, after unrest involving death and destruction of property. [299 words, ENI-05-0440]

Hong Kong leader sparks storm by asking Catholics for prayers

Hong Kong (ENI). Hong Kong's former financial administrator Donald Tsang, a practising Roman Catholic, has edged closer to being chosen as the leader of the territory but a request that people in parishes pray for him has triggered controversy. Tsang became a front-runner for the post when Tung Chee-hwa, appointed by China as Hong Kong's chief executive at the end of British rule in 1997, resigned in March, citing poor health. [417 words, ENI-05-0442]

White US Methodists remember when racism haunted community

New York (ENI). A group of white United Methodist ministers who took on their own community by signing an anti-segregation declaration in the early 1960s say they may be hailed now as path-breakers but they were once condemned as troublemakers. They met last week for a reunion, held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church, and said it was cause for both celebration but also sombre reflection about the era of civil rights activism.

Former barefoot English pilgrim taking Christian unity petition to Pope

London (ENI). Nine pilgrims from an impoverished English village are to travel to Rome where they hope to present a petition for Christian unity personally to Pope Benedict XVI. The pilgrims will be led by the Rev. Peter Needham, the Anglican parish priest of Grimethorpe, Yorkshire. He once walked 40 miles (65 kilometres) barefoot to York, an historic centre of Christian pilgrimage, to raise money for the church. [315 words, ENI-05-0441]

10 June 2005

US Christians in Israel to show solidarity with Gaza settlers

Jerusalem (ENI). Baptist ministers from the United States have joined American-Jewish leaders on a mission to the Gaza Strip to strengthen the resolve of Jewish settlers planning to resist evacuation from their homes this August under Israel's Gaza withdrawal plan. The delegation arrived this week for a four-day mission during which they spent time with Jewish settlers in the southern Gaza Strip where the visit coincided with mortar and rocket attacks by Palestinian militants. [424 words, ENI-05-0435]

World Lutheran leader, African church head plead with Mugabe

Geneva/Nairobi (ENI). The general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation has condemned actions approved by Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe of mass demolitions, arrests and evictions in Harare and other cities during a government crackdown. "I cannot believe that any government genuinely committed to helping the poor and dispossessed could engage in such actions," Geneva-based world Lutheran leader Ishmael Noko, who is a Zimbabwean, wrote to Mugabe. [497 words, ENI-05-0436]

Muslim scholar says multi-faith dialogue ignoring reality will fail

Geneva (ENI). Dialogue between different faiths that does not deal with the harsh reality of life, but only with platitudes will fail, a well known European Muslim scholar has told a large multi-faith gathering in Geneva called by the World Council of Churches. "It is easy here to trust one another ... but in our daily life it is not," Geneva-based lecturer in Islamic studies and activist scholar Dr Tariq Ramadan told the gathering of more than 120 Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Zoroastrian and other religious leaders. [497 words, ENI-05-0438]

9 June 2005

Geneva (ENI). A pastoral letter signed by Protestant leaders in Bolivia has affirmed support for the democratic process noting that, "despite its great limitations it is preferable to any authoritarian solution" to the crisis in the Andean country. The statement is a response to a deepening political crisis that, in the opinion of some analysts and politicians, might tilt South America's poorest nation into a civil war. [512 words, ENI-05-0434]

Launch of US church unity body postponed

New York (ENI). The formal launch of a new body seeking to enlarge the "ecumenical table" in the United States has been delayed because of reported lukewarm support by historic black churches. "The decision was made to delay a formal launch planned for this fall [autumn] in order to continue the productive and positive conversation with churches and organizations actively considering joining," US church leaders organizing the new grouping, Christian Churches Together in the USA (CCT-USA), said in a statement. [343 words, ENI-05-0432]

Tsunami triggers changes in Tamil Nadu women's lives

Chitrapettai, India (ENI). When December's killer tsunami hit the Chitrapettai fishing village on India's eastern coast it swept away houses and ruined the livelihood of many of the fisherfolk there. But 65-year-old Kalari Karasi says that despite the destruction it has brought positive changes for women. "For the first time in my life, I have been sitting with men in public meetings and even speaking out on our requirements," Karasi said, explaining that women had become the focus for relief and reconstruction efforts undertaken by a Lutheran church body. [437 words, ENI-05-0433]

8 June 2005

Geneva (ENI). Israel's first female rabbi says she struggles to promote religious tolerance and pluralism among Jews but sometimes feels helpless as young people adopt fundamentalist religious beliefs or consumer-oriented secularism. "I live in the Middle East, a place that is so volatile," Rabbi Naamah Kelman said in a presentation for a gathering of more than 120 Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Zoroastrian and other religious leaders, hosted in Geneva by the World Council of Churches. [414 words, ENI-05-0429]

British broadcasting chief attacks moral pessimists of religion

London (ENI). The director-general of the BBC, Mark Thompson, has attacked "moral pessimists" who fear that religion has been marginalised in modern life. "Let me tell you, from where I'm sitting, it's front and centre stage: dynamic, complex, potentially explosive," he said, noting that the British broadcaster in its programmes reflected this reality. A recent documentary, "The Monastery" (about a group of men trying the religious life) had attracted more viewers than "Celebrity Love Island", a reality show in which young single men and women are put together on an island. [339 words, ENI-05-0430]

Promote justice along with other faiths says Reformed Christian leader

Geneva (ENI). Christians need to collaborate with other faiths in promoting social justice but they may be impeded in this task because of divisive mission activities in the past, the general secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, the Rev. Setri Nyomi, has warned. "Today Christian mission can be found in the leadership of churches joining hands with Muslim and Jewish leaders," Nyomi noted in a speech made in Edmonton, Canada to mark his acceptance of an award for service on the cutting edge of mission. [356 words, ENI-05-0428]

Church leaders welcome smoke-free Kenya and tax plan

Nairobi (ENI). Church leaders in Kenya are backing a plan to outlaw smoking in public places, a proposal the government says would save the lives of some of the 8000 smokers who die annually and the 4000 others whose deaths are linked to passive smoking. "We welcome it," the Rev. Peter Karanja, the provost of All Saints Anglican Cathedral in Nairobi told Ecumenical News International. "It should have come earlier to protect the public, who are getting sick due to passive smoking." [251 words, ENI-05-0431]

7 June 2005

Geneva (ENI). A senior leader of the World Council of Churches at an interfaith gathering in Geneva has urged the world's religions to exercise moral leadership, against the background of an "unholy alliance" between religion and violence. "Violence for some in the form of terrorism and for others as legitimate war has been justified in the name of religion," Catholicos Aram I of the Armenian Apostolic Church and moderator of the WCC central committee said in an address at the start of the three-day meeting. [454 words, ENI-05-0424]

US teacher at Methodist university deported from Zimbabwe

Harare (ENI). A US citizen teaching at the United Methodist Church's Africa University in the Zimbabwean city of Mutare has been deported after he was caught filming police destroying shacks inhabited by the urban poor in an operation that has left 200 000 people homeless. Howard Smith Gilman, aged 68, an unpaid geography teacher, was held in prison for 10 days after his arrest. But a court on 6 June failed to convict him on charges under Zimbabwe's media laws that carry a two-year jail term for practising journalism without permission from the government. [377 words, ENI-05-0427]

Most African Christians, Muslims still 'involved' in indigenous beliefs

Geneva (ENI). The overwhelming majority of Africans are still very much involved in the indigenous religions and way of life of their ancestors, even though some may go to church on Sundays or attend the mosque on Fridays, a special adviser to Nigeria's president has told religious leaders from many faiths. Speaking at a gathering of more than 120 Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Zoroastrian and other religious leaders hosted by the World Council of Churches in Geneva, Dr Wande Abimbola said: "I am a practitioner of an African indigenous religion - the religion of the Yoruba people." [458 words, ENI-05-0426]

Survey finds four out of 10 people in US say they are 'born again'

New York (ENI). More than four out of 10 people in the United States call themselves evangelical Christians, but a much smaller proportion hold to "core evangelical" doctrine, according to data from two recent surveys. A poll of 1000 US adults conducted in mid-April by the Gallup Organization found that 42 per cent of those surveyed labelled themselves "born-again" or evangelical, Religion News Service (RNS) reported. [353 words, ENI-05-0423]

Bethlehem's new mayor hopes to breathe life into holy city

Bethlehem (ENI). The new mayor of Bethlehem was elected with the support of the militant group Hamas, but he hopes to use his position to revive the diminishing Christian community in the town of Jesus' birth despite his unlikely alliance with Islamists. "We would like to have the Christian community grow in Bethlehem, not dwindle," Mayor Victor Batarseh, a 70-year-old surgeon, who took up his post two weeks ago, told Ecumenical News International. [465 words, ENI-05-0425]

6 June 2005

Lusaka (ENI). Zambia's former vice-president, Pastor Nevers Mumba, has failed to avoid expulsion from the governing Movement for Multiparty Democracy party in what is seen as a critical blow against his ambitions to wrestle power from President Levy Mwanawasa. Lusaka High Court judge Charles Kajimanga dismissed tele-evangelist Mumba's application for an injunction restraining the MMD from expelling him from its national executive committee, The Post daily newspaper reported on 3 June. [267 words, ENI-05-0419]

Anglican archdeacon Colin Williams to head European church body

Geneva (ENI). The Rev. Colin Williams, Anglican Archdeacon of Lancaster, England, will be the new general secretary of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) as of December, the main governing body of the grouping has announced. He will succeed Dr Keith Clements, a British Baptist, who retires at the end of November after eight years of service at the Geneva, Brussels and Strasbourg based church grouping. [332 words, ENI-05-0420]

Best-selling US theologian admits 'hard time with labels'

Cambridge (ENI). Forty years ago, a young Harvard-trained theologian published a book that caused a stir with its claim that secularisation offered a chance to rethink Christian practice from first principles. Harvey Cox's "The Secular City", a small, red-covered paperback, proved a hit: it eventually sold more than 1 million copies, prompting Cox to joke at a recent Harvard symposium to mark the book's 40th anniversary that he wished he had signed an escalation contract. [542 words, ENI-05-0422]

After yakuza snared Filipino, he fights gambling as a pastor

Baguio City (ENI). He used to gamble all his money and engaged in worldly vices as if there was no tomorrow. But Oscar Joaquin says that through "God's love and mercy" he found "liberation in Jesus Christ", escaping bondage in the underworld where he ended after 17 years of gambling. "With all my money, I was living in luxury then," says Joaquin, a 50-year-old former sales-executive and real estate agent. "But I was engaged in practically all the vices of the world - from alcohol, night clubs, gambling, and sometimes drugs." [662 words, ENI-05-0421]

3 June 2005

Geneva (ENI). The inclusion of Bolivia's "indigenous peoples in social and political life" is a prerequisite for attaining meaningful democracy in the country, the World Council of Churches general secretary the Rev. Samuel Kobia has said in a letter to heads of churches in the South American country. Kobia's letter is a response to one he received from the Roman Catholic archbishop of La Paz along with the presidents and bishops of 11 Bolivian Protestant and Pentecostal churches. [248 words, ENI-05-0418]

Claim that tsunami aid may be diverted creates concern in Canada

Vancouver, Canada (ENI). Claims that some donations given to tsunami relief projects have ended up being misused in Indonesia and in Sri Lanka are evoking concern in Canada where churches and aid organizations gave millions of dollars in support. The allegations were made by Sarath Fernando, co-secretary of the Movement for National and Agricultural Reform in Sri Lanka, and Evi Narti Zain, coordinator of Indonesia's Kontras Aceh (The Commission for Disappearances and Victims of Violence) during a recent visit to Canada. [454 words, ENI-05-0414]

Politicians urged to respond to fears after rejection of EU treaty

Geneva (ENI). Social, economic and security fears as well as misinformation are to blame for the rejection in France and the Netherlands of the European Union constitution, says a Roman Catholic official who monitors EU policies, while a Protestant leader in France has warned Europe is facing a social crisis. "Citizens' fears require courageous and coherent responses on the part of our political leaders both at national and European level," said the Rev. Noel Treanor, secretary general of the Brussels-based Commission of (Roman Catholic) Bishops' Conferences of the European Community in a statement about the rejection of the constitution. [285 words, ENI-05-0417]

Zambian bishop rebukes president for U-turn on corruption fight

Lusaka (ENI). Zambian Bishop John Mambo has joined critics who have accused President Levy Mwanawasa of backtracking on his declared crusade in the fight against corruption since he came to power in 2001. The criticism stems from a decision President Mwanawasa has reportedly made in going along with the new public prosecutions director Chalwe Mchenga to try to halt the prosecution of Dr Kashiwa Bulaya, a former top official in the health ministry who had been facing charges of corruption and abuse of office, brought by Zambia's Task Force on Corruption, involving the purchase of HIV/AIDS drugs worth about 3 billion Zambian kwacha (US$643 000). [378 words, ENI-05-0416]

Creation Museum in US Midwest stirs evolution debate

Cincinnati, Ohio (ENI). A Christian group in the US state of Kentucky is creating a US$25 million theme-park type tourist centre called The Creation Museum to promote the idea that God created the world in six, 24-hour days, just 6000 years ago. Founded by Answers in Genesis, an organization defending the literal interpretation of the Bible's creation story, the museum offers displays and exhibits challenging the accepted scientific theory that Earth and its life forms evolved over billions of years. [369 words, ENI-05-0415]

2 June 2005

Harare (ENI). Churches in Zimbabwe have condemned the country's police for demolishing human settlements deemed illegal, as well as homes and business premises throughout the country where authorities say criminal activities have taken place. The Zimbabwe National Pastors Conference, representing clerics from the country's major churches, said the police action showed lack of compassion for human suffering and misery in a country where 80 per cent of the 12.5 million people are said to be unemployed. [487 words, ENI-05-0411]

US, Christian Jewish groups plan Mideast trip after divestment row

New York (ENI). Representatives of a number of US Protestant denominations and Jewish groups are planning a joint visit to the Middle East after criticism of plans of some churches to consider divestment from companies in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. "We Jews and Christians who have been in dialogue since May 2004 agree that it is time to travel together to the region in order to see the situation as much as possible through each other's eyes," said the Rev. Jay Rock, coordinator for interfaith relations for the Presbyterian Church (USA). [327 words, ENI-05-0410]

Peaceful coexistence is aim of world churches' inter-faith gathering

Geneva (ENI). Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu and other religious leaders are to gather in Geneva 7 to 9 June at the invitation of the World Council of Churches which says it hopes the meeting will provide a new impetus to inter-religious dialogue. "The question is no longer why do we need dialogue but rather how do we transform dialogue into peaceful coexistence; how do we translate dialogue into common action?" said WCC moderator Catholicos Aram I of the Armenian Apostolic Church.. [253 words, ENI-05-0412]

Irish priest gets tips on state of punters at the race course

Dublin (ENI). Roman Catholic priest Father Sean Breen is a familiar face to Ireland's race-going public. As unofficial chaplain to the horseracing industry he can be seen at all major race meetings indulging his passion for what in Ireland is dubbed the sport of kings. "Before I became a priest, when I was 18, I moved to Dublin and my brother used to bring me to the Leopardstown races. He gave me the bug," said Breen explaining how he first got interested in horses. [443 words, ENI-05-0413]

1 June 2005

Hong Kong (ENI). Recent speculation around Vatican-China relations has suggested that both Pope Benedict XVI and Beijing are looking to improve relations. But a Roman Catholic cardinal in Taiwan and some researchers have urged caution until China allows religious freedom. The Catholic Church is not allowed to appoint its own bishops in China which is one of a number of countries that do not have full diplomatic relations with the Holy See. [656 words, ENI-05-0409]

Churches to continue Somali tsunami aid despite UNICEF pullout

Nairobi (ENI). Church agencies are continuing with plans to provide help to communities on the Somalia coastline hit by December's lethal tsunami that wreaked global havoc, despite the suspension of operations there by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). "Anybody working under such circumstances has to be ready for anything, but we have seen no reason to suspend our preparations so far," said the Re. Fred Nyabera, acting director of the Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in the Great Lake Region and the Horn of Africa. [355 words, ENI-05-0408]

Polish church leader rejects calls to vet communist-era priests

Warsaw (ENI). The head of Poland's Roman Catholic Church has rejected demands for the vetting of clergy, after a senior priest in Rome was accused of being a former communist-era secret police collaborator who informed on Pope John Paul II for two decades. "We're not afraid of the truth about ourselves and our sinfulness," said Archbishop Jozef Michalik, president of Poland's Roman Catholic Bishops' Conference. "But we also need to reveal the people with whom priests collaborated, and who forced them into it. This is demanded by the principles of social justice." [337 words, ENI-05-0407]

Ghost village in UK battle zone, but its church lives on

Salisbury Plain, England (ENI). The medieval church of St Giles looks onto the remote village of Imber nestling in a fold of Salisbury Plain in southern England. Worship continues as it has for hundreds of years, while visitors particularly admire the rare wall paintings. The graveyard still stands ready to receive villagers when their time has come. What makes St Giles different from hundreds of other churches in the English countryside is that it is in the middle of an "impact area" used by the army for artillery training. Worship and funerals are inevitably limited to times when the military can safely allow access. [599 words, ENI-0406]

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