Nairobi (ENI). The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has dedicated a new Anglican cathedral in Renk, southern Sudan, during a visit to Africa's largest country that has been beset by two different conflicts in the south and west. Williams conducted the service at the new cathedral in a region that was until one year ago beset by civil war that pitted Sudan's rulers in the predominantly Arab north against black Africans, many of whom are Christians, in the south. [365 words, ENI-06-0205]

Bible handouts in Kashmir relief work embarrass some Christians

New Delhi (ENI). Churches working in Indian Kashmir say four evangelists forced to stop earthquake relief work after villagers complained about Bibles being distributed along with material such as blankets and food, caused problems for them. "We are really embarrassed by this," said Roman Catholic priest Sebastian Kalappurayil, principal of St Joseph's school in Baramulla, where the church coordinates relief for those hit by the earthquake that struck the region on 8 October. Police in Uri called on Catholic relief workers to identity four detained evangelists who said they were Catholic social workers when complaints from Muslim villagers triggered their detention. [403 words, ENI-06-0203]

US methods in Guantanamo likened to Idi Amin's by Anglican cleric

London (ENI). Britain's second ranking Anglican cleric, John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, has compared detention methods used by the United States at Guantanamo to those used by deceased Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, and he says they are a blight on the conscience of America. "In Uganda President Amin did something similar: he did not imprison suspects because he knew that in prison the law would apply to them, so he created special places to keep them," said the Uganda-born bishop, who fled the Amin regime to Britain in 1977. [314 words, ENI-06-0204]

Greek Orthodox trade punches in tensions over Jerusalem patriarch

Jerusalem (ENI). Tensions within the Greek Orthodox Church over the dismissal of Patriarch Irineos II have not ceased with the appointment of a successor and they recently erupted as fist fights between priests and arguments over the selection of clerics to preside over church rituals. Last week, the church held two ceremonies to mark the start of a holiday celebrating a Greek Orthodox saint - one procession held by supporters of the new patriarch Theophilus III and the other was held by his ousted predecessor Irineos. [323 words, ENI-06-0202]

27 February 2006

Nairobi (ENI). The Uganda Joint Christian Council says that Uganda's first multi-party election in 25 years was not fair and free, but it has urged the opposition to accept the outcome for the sake of peace in the central African nation. "The election though important in the evolution of the democratic process in Uganda, had several short-comings, which rendered the exercise short of our expectation of a free and fair contest," said the Christian Council's co-coordinator, the Rev. Canon Grace Kaiso. [403 words, ENI-06-0199]

World church assembly wants closer moves to Catholics Pentecostals

Porto Alegre, Brazil (ENI). The World Council of Churches ended its once every seven years assembly held in Brazil with calls to reach out to Roman Catholic, Pentecostal and Evangelical churches that do not belong to the Geneva-based grouping. "The quest for the visible unity of the church remains at the heart of the WCC," stated a policy document presented on the last day of the grouping's assembly. "Our ultimate vision is that we will achieve, by God's grace, the visible unity of Christ's Church and will be able to welcome one another at the Lord's table, to reconcile our ministries, and to be committed together to the reconciliation of the world." [836 words, ENI-06-0198]

US watchdog group decries status of religious minorities in Iran

New York (ENI). A US religious freedom watchdog commission says it is "deeply concerned" about what it calls a worsening situation for religious minorities in Iran. "A consistent stream of virulent and inflammatory statements by political and religious leaders and an increase of harassment, imprisonment, and physical attacks against these groups is clear evidence of a disturbing, renewed pattern of oppression," the US Commission on International Religious Freedom said in a statement. [366 words, ENI-06-0200]

Horrified at trend, Malawi churches join to fight domestic violence

Blantyre (ENI). Church leaders in Malawi, disturbed at the rate of domestic violence underlined by the recent case of a wife having both arms chopped off by her husband, are joining hands across denominational lines to find ways to halt the scourge for their society. Leaders from the (Roman Catholic) Episcopal Conference of Malawi, the Malawi Council of Churches and the Evangelical Association of Malawi have met and agreed that gender-based violence is an issue the Church needs to take to the pulpit. [386 words, ENI-06-0201]

24 February 2006

Porto Alegre (ENI). The Rev. Walter Altmann, a Lutheran theologian from Brazil, has been elected the new moderator of the central committee of the World Council of Churches, a WCC official said on 24 February. Altmann is president of the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil (IECLB), a post he has held since the end of 2002. He was born in the southern Brazil city of Porto Alegre in 1944, and it was in that city on the last day of the WCC's 14-23 February assembly, the first held in Latin America, that he was elected to lead the world's biggest grouping of churches. [332 words, ENI-06-0197]

Lutherans say common assembly sought by WCC needs deft planning

Porto Alegre, Brazil, 24 February (ENI)-A top leader of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in welcoming an invitation by the World Council of Churches (WCC) for a common assembly within the next decade with global denominational groupings, has cautioned it would involve dealing with complex issues. The LWF president, Bishop Mark S. Hanson, in a statement released through Lutheran World Information on the closing day of the WCC's 14-23 February assembly in Porto Alegre noted this was a renewed invitation. But he said that planning such an assembly would call for "careful talks" and openness to addressing "complicated questions". [527 words, ENI-06-0194]

Young leaders decry commercialised education, 'corporate' churches

Porto Alegre (ENI). Young people from developing countries are losing the means to be citizens in their own countries due to commercialised education, which stresses producing graduates for the global market, church and youth leaders gathering in Brazil have said. "Young people are losing meaning in their lives, and losing what it means to be citizens in their own country. This is because of a kind of education geared towards producing graduates for the large machine of globalisation," the Rev. Romeo del Rosario, president of the Union Theological Seminary in the Philippines, told participants at a side meeting on the final day of the WCC 14-23 February assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil. [395 words, ENI-06-0192]

Global church grouping eyes new steps to Christian unity

Porto Alegre (ENI). The World Council of Churches is urging its more than 340 member churches to consider a new statement, "Called to be the One Church", that it hopes will enable them to take the next steps towards Christian unity. "Our continuing divisions are real wounds to the body of Christ, and God's mission in the world suffers," the document presented to the WCC's 14-23 February assembly in Brazil states. Still, "Noting the progress made in the ecumenical movement, we encourage our churches to continue on this arduous yet joyous path". [548 words, ENI-06-0191]

World Council of Churches condemns terrorism and 'war on terror'

Porto Alegre (ENI). The World Council of Churches has condemned terrorism but in doing so has urged its members to challenge the idea of the "war on terror", warning that anti-terrorist legislation risks violating human rights. "Every attempt to intimidate others by inflicting indiscriminate death and injury upon them is to be universally condemned," the WCC assembly meeting in Brazil stated in a resolution adopted on 23 February. "The answer to terrorism, however, cannot be to respond in kind, for this can lead to more violence and more terror." [444 words, ENI-06-0190]

Facing income cut, world church council opts for fewer programmes

Porto Alegre (ENI). The World Council of Churches (WCC), the world's largest grouping of churches with more than 340 members representing about 450 million Christians in more than 100 countries, has decided to "do less, to do it well." The WCC's ninth assembly, meeting in Porto Alegre 14-23 February, agreed to focus its work in coming years to four "areas of engagement". These are unity, spirituality and mission; ecumenical formation; global justice; and being an ethical voice and prophetic witness to the world. [497 words, ENI-06-0189]

Dalai Lama meets Israelis, but Palestine visit 'thwarted'

Jerusalem (ENI). The Dalai Lama has met religious leaders during a visit to the Holy Land in which he carried a message of non-violence, religious tolerance and hope, but he was not able to carry that message over to Palestinians in Bethlehem. The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists also urged Jewish and Muslim leaders to play a role in making peace between Israelis and Palestinians even if it meant talking to their most bitter enemies. [415 words, ENI-06-0193]

Martyred Ugandan bishop commemorated with UK statue and trust

London (ENI). Ugandan Archbishop Janani Luwum, who was murdered 28 years ago after standing up to Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, is to have a permanent memorial through a charity launched in London to promote educational and health projects in troubled northern Uganda. "The Trust will promote his passion for the Christian Gospel and the well-being of all people, by supporting poverty relief and promoting educational and health programmes in war-torn Northern Uganda," said the Rev. Jeanette Meadway, a trustee of the newly formed Archbishop Janani Luwum Trust. [301 words, ENI-06-0195]

German aid agency urges Sudan to end Uganda rebels attacks

Nairobi (ENI). A German interdenominational Christian relief organization has urged the government in Sudan to use its influence to end forced abduction of civilians and secure the release of persons in captivity or who have been forcefully conscripted into the Lords Resistance Army (LRA). The LRA is a violent northern Uganda rebel group associated with abduction, brutalising and killing of children. [350 words, ENI-06-0196]

23 February 2006

Porto Alegre (ENI). The World Council of Churches has deplored the publication of cartoons caricaturing the Prophet Muhammad, and urged its members to join in non-violent protests with those experiencing attacks on their religion. "Misuse of the right to freedom of speech should be met with non-violent means like critique and expressions of firm disagreement," the WCC's assembly, meeting in Porto Alegre, stated in a 23 February resolution on the final day of its 10-day assembly. [532 words, ENI-06-0187]

During big sports events, 'trafficking of women increases'

Porto Alegre (ENI). Church leaders who minister to migrants and victims of human trafficking, have disclosed at a global church gathering in Brazil that trafficking of women for enforced prostitution usually heightens during international sports events. "It is now public knowledge that organized syndicates have plans to bring in young women, particularly from eastern Europe and from other poor countries, to Germany in time for the World Soccer Cup 2006 [from 9 June to 9 July]," said Vivi Akakpo, West Africa coordinator for the All Africa Conference of Churches. [366 words, ENI-06-0188]

Climate change a real threat to Pacific Islands, warn church leaders

Porto Alegre (ENI). Pacific islanders are a source of hope for other Christian communities seeking a culturally-based communal economy based on sharing and cooperation, participants at a global church gathering have heard. During the 14-23 February ninth assembly of the World Council of Churches some participants have identified Pacific island communities as an alternative to the type of economic globalisation that happens under regulations adjudicated by the World Trade Organization (WTO). [523 words, ENI-06-0186]

After two-day delay, WCC assembly elects main governing body

Porto Alegre (ENI). The ninth assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) has elected its 150-member central committee, its main governing body, after three days of contentiousness over the lack of youth delegates (aged 18 to 30) on the nominations slate. The assembly also elected on 22 February its eight presidents, representing each of the world regions and the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches with dissent registered only against the candidate from Africa. [368 words, ENI-06-0185]

Conservative group lashes US church leaders' censure of Washington

New York (ENI). A conservative US Christian group has criticised a statement from US church leaders attending the assembly of the World Council of Churches that asks for forgiveness because the church had not done enough to protest against sins leaders said were committed in the name of US foreign and domestic policies. The 18 February declaration by the US church leaders was written as a letter and read during a media conference at the WCC's once every seven years assembly being held in Porto Alegre, Brazil. [439 words, ENI-06-0184]

Anglican leader warns of reprisals over torching of Nigeria churches

Maiduguri (ENI). Nigerian Christian leaders have denounced the killing of at least 51 Christians and the destruction of more than 31 churches in the north of the country during protests by Muslims incensed over the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in Western media. The attacks began on 18 February in the cities of Maiduguri and Katsina and spread to Bauchi two days later and then to Gombe on 22 February with churches as the first targets. But mosques were burned down when Christians retaliated, and church leaders warned more could follow. [410 words, ENI-06-0183]

22 February 2006

Porto Alegre (ENI). The Philippine government must rethink its policy on extractive industries such as logging and mining to avert future disasters waiting to happen, say delegates from the Asian country attending the World Council of Churches (WCC) assembly in Brazil. "It's time our government stops big-scale mining and logging and supports a no-nonsense community-run reforestation programme," Erlinda Senturias, president of the Southern Christian College, told Ecumenical News International during a break in proceedings at the 14-23 February meeting of the WCC in Porto Alegre. [401 words, ENI-06-0180]

AIDS activists look to world churches to provide lead

Porto Alegre (ENI). Campaigners on HIV and AIDS are looking to the World Council of Churches to take a lead in encouraging denominations around the world to help combat the disease and the stigma that often accompanies it. "It is now or never," Dr Christoph Benn of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria said at the assembly in Porto Alegre of the world's biggest church grouping. "AIDS is the only disease in the world that has led to solidarity between the rich countries and people in the poor countries, in a magnitude that has never been manifested for any other disease." [661 words, ENI-06-0181]

Churches challenged to help rebuild East Timor

Porto Alegre (ENI). The fight for freedom from Indonesia for the East Timorese people may have ended after they voted for their president, raised their own flag, and sang their own national anthem on 19 May 2002. But the process of rebuilding the new nation of just over one million people remains a big challenge, which a young former East Timorese freedom fighter presented to delegates of the 14-23 February World Council of Churches' assembly in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre. [411 words, ENI-06-0182]

Openly homosexual church leaders urge inclusive Christianity

Porto Alegre (ENI). A group of openly homosexual church leaders meeting during the assembly of the World Council of Churches have advocated a more inclusive Christian faith that embraces people of all sexual orientations. "We are here, because we do not wish to be segregated or isolated," said the Rev. Nancy Wilson, moderator of the US-based Metropolitan Community Churches. "And we are here to encourage the churches to do justice within their own communions when it comes to people with HIV/AIDS; and those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered." [465 words, ENI-06-0179]

Pakistan Christians lament religious intolerance, attacks on churches

New Delhi (ENI). Christians in Pakistan are pleading with their government to provide protection for them after attacks from Muslims protesting at the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in the Western media. "The properties and places of worship of the religious minorities are increasingly becoming a target for extremist attackers," said the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) of the Roman Catholic Church in Pakistan in a statement on 20 February. [452 words, ENI-06-0178]

21 February 2006

Porto Alegre, (ENI). The World Council of Churches has called on North Korea and Iran to make a "fully verifiable return" to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), while insisting that current nuclear powers have an obligation to work for disarmament. "As more states acquire nuclear arms the risk of nuclear weapons fallinto non-state hands increases - just when it is an international imperative to wisely overcome the violence of terrorism," the WCC's ninth assembly, meeting in Porto Alegre, warned in a 20 February resolution. It urged "all states to meet their treaty obligations to reduce and then destroy nuclear arsenals with adequate verification". [389 words, ENI-06-0175]

World Council of Churches told of decline in funding

Porto Alegre (ENI). Total income and reserves have declined by 30 per cent since its last gathering, the assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) has been told by its finance committee. The committee said that member churches should be declared "inactive" after three consecutive years of non-payment of membership contributions. At present, member churches are declared "inactive" after seven consecutive years of non-payment. [398 words, ENI-06-0176]

Youth protest at nominations list for global church grouping

Porto Alegre (ENI). Young participants at the global gathering of the World Council of Churches have demanded that the label "youth assembly" be stripped from the gathering's rhetoric after just 15 per cent of the nominations for the next central committee of the council came from their ranks. Wearing bandannas tied like gags over their mouths, young people staged a demonstration at the WCC meeting in Porto Alegre when the assembly nominations committee made its report on 20 February. [438 words, ENI-06-0171]

Church-backed peace initiatives 'can help break flow' of small arms

Porto Alegre (ENI). Organizers of church-backed initiatives say that with the right approach, the control of violence stemming from small arms and light weapons, particularly among children and teenagers, is possible. "Preventing small arms-related violence and effecting peace among the youth is not only possible, but practical," asserts Salpy Eskidjian, initiator of the World Council of Churches-supported Peace to the City Network or PCN and the Ecumenical Network on Small Arms (ENSA). [491 words, ENI-06-0170]

Africa must face up to corruption and human rights, says Tutu

Porto Alegre (ENI). Anglican Archbishop and Nobel Peace laureate Desmond Tutu has urged African political leaders to deal with corruption and human rights abuses on the African continent. "In Africa we have had a succession of corrupt governments," the former head of the Anglican church in South Africa told a 20 February media conference during a meeting of the World Council of Churches in Porto Alegre, Brazil. "We have to be honest and say that has happened, although that corruption has been encouraged by the West." [499 words, ENI-06-0169]

African Pentecostal leader proposes 'strategic level' talks with WCC

Porto Alegre (ENI). A prominent African Pentecostal Christian has proposed "strategic level" talks with the World Council of Churches (WCC) that he said could lead to far greater participation by Pentecostal churches in the world's largest grouping of churches. "If the WCC has been able to embrace its current diversity then it should be able to also embrace the Pentecostal churches to create a truly 'world' council of churches," said Michael Ntumy, chairperson of The Church of Pentecost in Ghana. "The Pentecostal sons and daughters are waiting for the father churches to offer them this embrace," he told a media conference on 20 February during the ninth assembly of the WCC in Porto Alegre. [386 words, ENI-06-0168]

Rabbis for Human Rights to receive Niwano Peace Prize in 2005

Geneva (ENI). Rabbis for Human Rights of Israel, a Jerusalem-based organization that promotes peace and social justice for Israelis and Palestinians, is to be awarded the 23rd Niwano Peace Prize, the Japan-based Niwano Peace Foundation announced on 21 February. "This unique organization of Rabbis and rabbinical students in Israel is committed to promoting human rights, justice and compassion for all the people in the region," said the Peace Prize Committee. "In a critical moment in the Middle East and elsewhere, it is of great relevance to highlight such values that are at the heart of Jewish tradition but are marginalised for 'security'." [335 words, ENI-06-0174]

Ugandan church leaders urge citizens to vote wisely in crucial election

Nairobi, (ENI). Church leaders in Uganda are urging voters to resist bribes and vote wisely in polls set for 23 February, the first multi-party elections for 25 years in the East African country, which has been subject to violent campaigning. "We have seen violence, voter bribery and intimidation. These are issues of concern to us," said the Rev. Canon Grace Kaiso, who heads the Uganda Joint Christian Council, a grouping of Roman Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox churches. Speaking to Ecumenical News International from Ntungamo, Western Uganda he added, "But incidents of violence are less compared to other years." [395 words, ENI-06-0177]

Zambian bishop backs condom use in HIV/AIDS fight

Lusaka (ENI). The United Church of Zambia (UCZ) has come out in support of condom use as an appropriate means to prevent the spread of the HIV/AIDS in a country where many churches have opposed the use of prophylactics. UCZ Bishop Lackson Chibuye of Lusaka said the denomination, one of the largest in the Council of Churches in Zambia, had acknowledged the use of condoms in the fight against HIV/AIDS which has taken a heavy toll on the country's people. [275 words, ENI-06-0173]

US rapper Kanye West posing as Jesus triggers media rhetoric

Oxford (ENI). The image of US rap star Kanye West posing as Jesus for a recent cover of Rolling Stone magazine has drawn from editorial writers and religious organizations the sort of pungent rhetoric West himself has been producing for years. The 27-year-old rapper took three more Grammy awards, the music industry's Oscar, on 12 February. But his appearance on Rolling Stone's cover at the same time with a crown of thorns and blood running down his face made as many headlines. The magazine is nearly 40 years old, has a circulation of over 1.25 million and is considered a top publication on music and popular culture in North America. [380 words, ENI-06-0172]

20 February 2006

Porto Alegre (ENI). Churches around the world are hailing the appointment as Bolivian justice minister of a former cleaner who campaigned for the rights of her fellow domestic workers and who is an active lay person in her Methodist congregation. The Methodist Church of Great Britain wrote to the church in Bolivia to offer congratulations for Casimira Rodriguez as justice minister in the cabinet of Bolivian President Evo Morales, the first Indian of South American descent to lead the country. (ENI-ALC) [382 words, ENI-06-0165]

Eritreans urge World Council of Churches to intervene for patriarch

Nairobi (ENI). A group of "concerned Eritreans" has appealed to the World Council of Churches to intervene in the government removal and detention of Abune Antonios, the patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, saying it was unlawful. "We are deeply concerned about the well-being of the Eritrean Orthodox Patriarch Abune Antonios, who was unlawfully removed from his office by the government controlled Synod of the Church," said a group calling itself Concerned Eritreans in a letter to WCC general secretary the Rev. Samuel Kobia. [403 words, ENI-05-0167]

Hollywood cited along with US military and economy for domination

Porto Alegre (ENI). Citing Hollywood, an Argentinian Nobel Peace Prize Laureate has told a gathering of global church leaders in Brazil that the United States' cultural influence over Latin America is just as damaging as its military and economic domination. "When the Berlin Wall fell, we thought there would be a world of cooperation, but instead we have domination by the empire," said human rights activist Adolfo Perez Esquivel, referring to the United States. "And the empire abuses the name of God by naming him to impose conditions and make wars." [369 words, ENI-06-0166]

Uganda worst place in world to be a child, says former UN official

Porto Alegre (ENI). The world's churches are "missing in action" while one thousand children die each week in squalid camps in northern Uganda, a former foreign minister from that country has said at a global meeting of church leaders in Brazil. "The worst place in the world today to be a child is in northern Uganda," said Olara Otunnu, who served as United Nations under-secretary for children and armed conflict from 1997 to 2005. "Where is the church?" he said at an 18 February media conference during the World Council of Churches assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil. "People are being decimated in full view of the world. I hope the assembly will provide a response." [414 words, ENI-06-0164]

US church leaders denounce Iraq war, confess inability to stop it

Porto Alegre (ENI). A group of religious leaders from the United States has issued a public letter criticising the war in Iraq and acknowledging their churches' inability to stop it. "We confess that we have failed to raise a prophetic voice loud enough and persistent enough to deter our leaders from this path of preemptive war," the 18 February letter to the assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) states. It notes that it came from the WCC's US Conference, a grouping of 34 US member churches of the Geneva-based council. There were no individual signatures on the letter. [422 words, ENI-06-0163]

North and South Koreans pray in Brazil for unity

Porto Alegre (ENI). North and South Koreans have prayed together with world church leaders for the peaceful reunification of their divided country and are urging the World Council of Churches, the world's largest grouping of Christian denominations, to give that process a boost. They prayed in the chapel of the Pontifical University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre during the WCC's ninth assembly, the council's highest governing body which meets once every seven years, taking place in 2006 for the first time in South America. [619 words, ENI-06-0162]

18 February 2006

Porto Alegre (ENI). The head of the worldwide Anglican Communion has cautioned against a military incursion into Iran by Western powers who say they are increasingly nervous about that country's revived nuclear technology programme."I hope and pray that the West doesn't embark on another costly and misjudged military adventure that will further destabilise an already unstable region," the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams told a 17 February media conference in Porto Alegre. [473 words, ENI-06-0161]

US church body joins UN in call to close Guantanamo facility

New York (ENI). The US National Council of Churches is calling on the government in the United States to close its detention centre on Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, following a United Nations report that recommended the immediate closure of the facility. The NCC's general secretary, Robert Edgar, sent a letter to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reiterating a request made in 2003 and 2004 that the council be allowed to send a delegation to Guantanamo Bay. He said the NCC, the largest ecumenical grouping in the United States, wanted "to monitor the physical, mental and spiritual condition of the detainees". [412 words, ENI-06-0158]

South Asian church leaders seek to redefine Christianity

Porto Alegre (ENI). Christianity in South Asia needs to be redefined if it is to be relevant and responsive to issues of armed conflict and religion-based animosities, say church leaders from the region attending the World Council of Churches' ninth assembly. "Why are we not being recognised as Christians? Maybe we have failed to follow Christ. Maybe our churches have become worship-oriented rather than service-oriented," said the Rev. Elia Pradeep Samuel of India's Methodist Church. [395 words, ENI-06-0159]

Pakistan Christian leader warns of violence against churches

Porto Alegre (ENI). Churches have been burned down in Pakistan by angry mobs protesting about the caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad originally published in a Danish newspaper, says a Pakistan Christian leader who has urged media in Western countries to show sensitivity to Muslim concerns. "Muslims are among the people on earth who are faithfully and deeply dedicated to their faith, so let us never insult their Prophet Muhammad, even in the name of freedom to write," said the Rev. Victor Azariah, general secretary of the National Council of Churches in Pakistan. He was speaking at a side meeting held during the World Council of Churches' 14-23 February assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil. [359 words, ENI-06-0160]

17 February 2006

Bethlehem (ENI). Christians living in Jesus' birthplace of Bethlehem are bracing themselves as the militant Islamic group Hamas prepares to take power of the Palestinian Authority government after winning legislature elections in January. "There are many Christians who are afraid," said Shatha, a student at the Roman Catholic Bethlehem University. "Since Hamas is new to the government, I doubt they will be able to implement Islamic law," she said the day before Hamas was to take over the Palestinian authority on 17 February. "But it's possible they might in the future." [466 words, ENI-06-0155]

Brazil president urges world churches to support social reform

Porto Alegre (ENI). Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has appealed to a global gathering of church leaders to support his country's efforts to construct a more egalitarian society. "Religious organizations have played an irreplaceable role in transforming Brazil," Lula da Silva told delegates at the World Council of Churches ninth assembly on 17 February, referring to a wide-ranging programme of social reform he introduced after being elected president in 2002. [555 words, ENI-06-0156]

World's faiths seek alternative to 'colonial legacy' of conversion

Porto Alegre (ENI). From Asia and Africa to the United States and Latin America, church leaders are doing away with what has been called the "colonial legacy" to convert other people to Christianity. Instead they are evolving new forms of interfaith dialogue they hope will help promote world peace and harmony. "As we preach about interfaith dialogue, our guiding motto is 'to be Asian is to be inter-religious' because Asia is very pluralistic," said Hope Antone of the Christian Conference of Asia. She was speaking at a side meeting during the 14-23 February assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Porto Alegre, Brazil. [465 words, ENI-06-0153]

Homosexuality a new barrier to Christian unity, warns Vatican

Porto Alegre, (ENI). Disputes in churches about homosexuality are hampering the search for Christian unity, Vatican officials have said during a global meeting of the World Council of Churches in Porto Alegre, Brazil. "In the past all Christian churches had the same position on this question," Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, told a media conference at the WCC's 14-23 February assembly. "But now there are not only divisions between our church and other churches, there are also divisions within churches." [300 words, ENI-06-0150]

Put S Africa in charge of countering nuclear spread says WCC head

Porto Alegre (ENI). The head of the World Council of Churches says South Africa should be put in charge of countering the spread of nuclear arms, because it has renounced such weapons while having the means to build them. "If the leadership in trying to prevent countries to go nuclear is led by those who already have nuclear weapons then that leadership is not credible," Kobia told a media conference at the church grouping's 14-23 February assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil. [389 words, ENI-06-0149]

Vatican official urges churches to celebrate Easter on same date

Porto Alegre (ENI). A top Vatican official says it is urgent for churches around the world to find a common date on which to celebrate Easter, noting this would mark an enormous step forward in promoting Christian unity. "Especially for churches in Muslim countries it is a scandal if Christians cannot celebrate together," Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, told a media conference during the 14-23 February assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Porto Alegre, Brazil. [401 words, ENI-06-0148]

Kenyan church leaders hail resignations over government scams

Nairobi (ENI). Church leaders in Kenya say the resignation of three cabinet ministers implicated in a series of corruption scandals is positive, as the government promised to start freezing accounts, recovering assets and prosecuting individuals named in the fraudulent deals. "What is happening is a move in the right direction," the Rev. Jephthah Gathaka, the executive director of the Ecumenical Centre for Justice and Peace told Ecumenical News International. [420 words, ENI-06-0154]

Religious beliefs said to fuel gender-based violence in Malawi

Blantyre (ENI). A social researcher for the Malawi Council of Churches says religious beliefs that wives should be submissive to their husbands, "as if to the Lord", are fuelling gender-based violence in the country. He cited a recent occurrence in which a woman had her hands chopped off and another was killed for refusing to have sex with her HIV-infected husband. [383 words, ENI-06-0157]

Christian economists challenge 'manufactured' poverty in Brazil - Feature

Porto Alegre (ENI). Poverty is no accident, but is the product of unjust economic structures that churches must fight to reform, a Ugandan economist has told a gathering of world church leaders talking about economic justice in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre. "Poverty doesn't just exist - it is manufactured by those who control the markets," Yashpal Tandon, executive director of the South Centre in Geneva, a think tank working on issues related to trade and economic development in Africa, told journalists during the ninth assembly of the World Council of Churches. [859 words, ENI-06-0151]

16 February 2006

Porto Alegre (ENI). As issues around migration, both voluntary and forced, become more complex, the efforts of churches are becoming increasingly critical to the survival of refugees worldwide, participants at a global church gathering have heard. "We know the long-term solution is peace and stability, so that people can be taken care of in their own homelands," said Georges Mourad of Lebanon. "But that solution is nowhere in the future I see," he told a panel of migration experts at a 15 February side meeting connected to the ninth assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Porto Alegre, Brazil. [418 words, ENI-06-0142]

Church group must leave behind 'ossified' ecumenism, says leader

Porto Alegre (ENI). A growing gap between ecumenical institutions and the churches they were created to serve is deepening the threat of survival faced by groups such as the World Council of Churches (WCC), that body's moderator has warned. "We are at a critical point," Catholicos Aram I of the Armenian Apostolic Church told a media conference on 15 February prior to delivering his address to the WCC's once-every-seven-years assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil. "I see a growing gap between ecumenical institutions and new forms of ecumenism that are appearing." [367 words, ENI-06-0143]

Cooperation with Catholics is vital says WCC leader

Porto Alegre (ENI). The moderator of the World Council of Churches has warned against his grouping's adopting a "self-contained, self-centred" attitude and says cooperation with the Roman Catholic Church is vital for the future of Christian unity. "The World Council of Churches should not remain in a self-contained, self-centred existence," said Catholicos Aram I of the Armenian Apostolic Church at a media conference during the WCC's 14-23 February assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil. "It should open itself to ecumenical partners and particularly the Roman Catholic Church." [501 words, ENI-06-0144]

World Christian leaders hail proposal for joint global assembly

Porto Alegre (ENI). Leaders of two world Christian groupings have reacted positively to a proposal by World Council of Churches general secretary the Rev. Samuel Kobia that the three worldwide bodies jointly hold the next meetings of their highest governing bodies. "I'm thrilled with the proposal of the general secretary that we look forward to a common global assembly," said the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, president of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. "This is an important step forward for the ecumenical movement and for as many Christian world communions to join us as wish to." [501 words, ENI-06-0145]

Russian Orthodox to host global inter-religious summit before G8

Porto Alegre (ENI). The Russian Orthodox Church is to host a world inter-religious summit drawing together top leaders of world faiths in Moscow around the time of the summit of heads of state from the Group of Eight (G8) leading industrial nations. This conference looking at the effects of globalisation was announced on 15 February by the head of the external relations department of the Russian church, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad. [419 words, ENI-06-0146]

Holy Land Christians tell Vatican they fear extinction

Jerusalem (ENI). A delegation of Israeli-Arab Christians has been at the Vatican recently to discuss urgent aid for the struggling Christian communities of the Holy Land. The delegation met earlier in February with members of a Holy See assembly that discusses problems concerning Christians in the Middle East, including Israel, and sometimes approves projects for local communities. The delegates submitted a plan to help revive Christian communities in the Holy Land, whose numbers are dwindling. [364 words, ENI-06-0147]

First openly gay bishop in US says he is being treated for alcoholism

New York (ENI). V. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop of the US Episcopal (Anglican) Church, says he is undergoing treatment for alcoholism. In a letter to the Episcopal churches in New Hampshire state, where he serves as bishop, and made public earlier this week, Robinson said he would spend all of February at a treatment centre, whose location he did not disclose because of privacy concerns. [310 words, ENI-06-0141]

15 February 2006

Porto Alegre (ENI). Economic and technological globalisation has made it easier for strangers to talk as neighbours but is creating profound new challenges for the Christian church says the moderator of the World Council of Churches. "Strenuous efforts have been made in history to transform the world," said Catholicos Aram I of the Armenian Apostolic Church speaking at the assembly of the WCC on 15 February. "All political, religious, economic, ideological and technological attempts have failed." He asserted therefore, "As Christians, we believe that only God's grace can empower, renew and transform humanity and creation." [414 words, ENI-06-0139]

Global churches urged: 'Speak with one voice' on climate change

Porto Alegre (ENI). The top official of the World Council of Churches says climate change represents one of humanity's most dire threats and he has appealed to denominations around to world to speak with one voice to alert political leaders to tackle the issue. "Just as atomic weapons changed the very way we thought about life, so too the potential of major climatic changes put life as we know it in danger," WCC general secretary, the Rev. Samuel Kobia said in his main report presented on 15 February to the ninth assembly of the church grouping in Porto Alegre. [577 words, ENI-06-0140]

Women participants now 45 per cent at world church gathering

Porto Alegre (ENI). Women are playing a stronger role than in the past at the assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) where 45 per cent of participants are females, leaders from the world's largest grouping of churches say. "The World Council of Churches provides a space for women," said Agnes Abuom, the WCC's Africa regional president on 14 February, the opening day of a global meeting of the council's highest governing body that is held once every seven years. [339 words, ENI-06-0135]

Church leaders: Hamas win makes Christian engagement more crucial

Porto Alegre (ENI). The victory by Hamas in recent Palestinian legislature elections makes the churches' engagement in the Holy Land even more crucial, a Palestinian Christian leader has said. "The election is very confusing," the Rev. Naim Ateek, an Anglican and director of Jerusalem's Sabeel Institute, said during a meeting on 14 February at the World Council of Churches ninth assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil. "Hopefully, pressure on Hamas to be responsible in government will help us create a stronger force for non-violence," he said. [390 words, ENI-06-0136]

Christians, Muslims must join hands to douse cartoon 'fire' says WCC

Porto Alegre (ENI). Christians and Muslims must work together to "put out the fire" created by recently published cartoons caricaturing the Prophet Muhammad, the World Council of Churches' top official has said. The Rev. Samuel Kobia said the WCC's ninth assembly which runs from 14-23 February "may well have something to say" about the furore surrounding the cartoons. But ending the crisis, which has resulted in violent demonstrations in several places around the world requires "a global contract for respect". [364 words, ENI-06-0134]

Baptist leader makes appeal after Georgia energy cut-off

Warsaw (ENI). The leader of the Baptist church in the former Soviet republic of Georgia has welcomed support from Western Christians after fuel disruptions caused widespread hardship in the country. "In this severe winter, the lack of gas and electricity has had devastating consequences - neither the authorities nor the population at large were prepared," said Bishop Malkhaz Songulashvili, the head of Georgia's 4000-member Union of Evangelical Baptists. "Large parts of the country are still without fuel, making the lives of the socially under-privileged even harder." [335 words, ENI-06-0137]

Some Kenyan clergy want firearms for protection, others horrified

Nairobi (ENI). Some church leaders in Kenya are considering petitioning the government to license them to carry firearms following an increase in attacks on priests and churches by armed criminals. At the same time others are afraid that such action breaks ecclesiastical ethics, in a country where owning a gun is a privilege and at a time when many religious leaders are joining a global campaign to rein in small arms. [323 words, ENI-06-0138]

14 February 2006

Porto Alegre (ENI). Interfaith dialogue is high on the agenda for leaders of the world's major Christian traditions gathering in the southern Brazil city of Porto Alegre for the once-every-seven-years assembly of the World Council of Churches. The meeting opens on 14 February and takes place against a background of an upsurge in tensions in faith communities triggered by the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in a Danish newspaper and subsequent protests, sometimes violent, against the caricatures. [583 words, ENI-06-0132]

Pope to work with World Council of Churches for Christian unity

Porto Alegre (ENI). Pope Benedict XVI has pledged to continue working with the World Council of Churches - the world's biggest church grouping - in promoting Christian unity. "We look forward to continuing this journey of hope and promise, as we intensify our endeavours towards reaching that day when Christians are united in proclaiming the Gospel message of salvation for all," said Pope Benedict in a message to the WCC's ninth assembly which opened in Porto Alegre on 14 February. [395 words, ENI-06-0133]

Churches denounce harm from cartoons, but also condemn violence

Geneva (ENI). In denouncing the harm that sections of the Christian leaders worldwide have also condemned the violence spawned from angry protests. The general secretary of the Geneva-based Lutheran World Federation, the Rev. Ishmael Noko, said the cartoons were deeply offensive to Muslim religious sentiments, but he warned that the crisis around them should not be falsely presented as a conflict between secular rights and religious values. [441 words, ENI-06-0131]

13 February 2006

Jerusalem, (ENI). A Quaker human rights group has nominated an Israeli and a Committee, a Quaker humanitarian service organisation that won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1947, nominated the two activists, Jeff Halper and Ghassan Adoni, for the award. [318 words, ENI-06-0126]

Polish priest accuses church of failing to confront secret police claims

Warsaw (ENI). A senior Roman Catholic priest in Poland who was harassed and beaten under communist rule has threatened to resign if church leaders fail to take action against fellow clergy who spied on Pope John Paul II for the secret police. "The church authorities should try to resolve this problem, rather than hitting out at anyone who talks about it," Tadeusz Isakowicz-Zaleski told Poland's Catholic information agency (KAI) on 9 February. "I've been given to understand it's a private problem I should solve by myself - and best of all throw all this material in the incinerator." [311 words, ENI-06-0127]

Norwegian editor apologises for publication of Muhammad cartoons

Oslo (ENI). The editor of a Norwegian Christian magazine that published cartoons of the prophet Muhammad which have sparked worldwide protests, some violent, has apologised to Muslims for the journal's action in printing the caricatures. "I am deeply sorry that you as Muslims have experienced that your religious feelings have been offended through what we have done," said Vebjorn Selbekk, the editor of Magazinet, at a press conference in Oslo on 10 February. "I have earlier stated publicly that I ... regret the publication." [353 words, ENI-06-0128]

ENI to offer daily coverage of World Council of Churches assembly

Porto Alegre (ENI). Ecumenical News International is to offer subscribers full daily coverage of the World Council of Churches ninth assembly in Porto Alegre from 14-23 February. ENI will provide coverage of main events at the gathering of the highest governing body of the WCC that is held about once every seven years. [164 words, ENI-06-0129]

Gospel of Mark offered free during Turin Winter Olympic Games

Geneva (ENI). group of Italians have launched the "More Than Gold" campaign during the Winter Olympics in Turin that involves former Olympians in offering hospitality and pastoral care and supported by different Christian denominations. Anyone stepping into a church in Turin and its surrounding areas during the Games will be offered a free copy of the Gospel of Mark under an initiative of the "Committee 2006". The free gospel has been launched by the Waldensian Church, the Roman Catholic bishops of Turin, Pinerolo and Susa and by the Holy Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy. [377 words, ENI-06-0130]

10 February 2006

Jerusalem (ENI). Holy Land Lutheran leader Bishop Munib Younan has urged Christians and Muslims in the West and the Middle East to be more sensitive to each other's religion and culture following a wave of violence that has erupted over the publication of cartoons of the prophet Muhammad. "If we fail to learn to understand one another, we may fulfil the forecasts of those calling this a 'clash of civilisations'. We stand at a crucial juncture in the Middle East, Europe and the West, and these times call for thoughtful prayer and action," Bishop Munib Younan wrote in a pastoral letter. [330 words, ENI-06-0122]

Slovak government nears collapse over stalling of deal with Vatican

Warsaw (ENI). Slovakia's Roman Catholic Church has defended a proposed agreement with the Vatican, after Christian Democrat party government ministers resigned in protest when the pact was blocked by Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda. "Our church has never wanted, and doesn't want, this agreement to cause political tensions in the state - it cannot take responsibility for what has happened," the church's spokesperson, Marian Gavenda, said in a statement. [377 words, ENI-06-0123]

Vatican envoy urges Indian church schools to shed elitist image

Bangalore, India (ENI). Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana, the Vatican envoy to India, has cautioned the Roman Catholic Church in the world's second most populous nation to shed an elitist tag it has gained regarding education. "In spite of all our idealism and good intentions, we are too well aware that many of our educational institutions are largely at the service of the dominant rich and of the neo-liberal and capitalist system that controls our society," Quintana said in Bangalore at the assembly of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India. [449 words, ENI-06-0124]

Despite criticism, Philippines' bishops still opposed to mining law

Manila (ENI). A call by the Philippine Roman Catholic bishops for the government to repeal a controversial mining law, cancel mining concessions, and to reject applications, has drawn a flurry of criticism from the business sector censuring church interference in the economy. "Mining people, mainly engineers and geologists ... are angry that bishops are meddling in economic affairs," Patrick Caoile, treasurer of the Philippine Mines Safety and Environment Association, told reporters.. [429 words, ENI-06-0125]

9 February 2006

Nairobi (ENI). Noble Peace Prize Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu has apologised to the global Islamic community over cartoons in a Danish newspaper caricaturing the prophet Muhammad, but urged Muslims incensed over the publication to exercise tolerance and forgiveness in their protests. "We would wish to send to the [Muslim] community the message of our distress, and hope they will be able ... in the end to forgive what has really upset them very deeply," said Tutu while attending the dedication of an All Africa Conference of Churches ecumenical centre named after him in Nairobi. [460 words, ENI-06-0119]

Anglican archbishop Carey ashamed over Israel divestment decision

Jerusalem (ENI). A former Archbishop of Canterbury has said he is "ashamed to be an Anglican" after a decision by the Church of England to divest from companies whose products are used by Israeli authorities in the Palestinian territories. Lord (George) Carey was quoted in Israel's English-language Jerusalem Post daily newspaper saying the decision - backed by his successor Rowan Williams - was "a most regrettable and one sided statement". [468 words, ENI-06-0118]

Still a long way to go in resumed Sri Lanka peace process say churches

New Delhi (ENI). Churches in Sri Lanka say they are relieved that Tamil rebels and the Sri Lanka government have finalised dates for a resumption of peace talks stalled three years ago in the ethnically divided nation, but note there is still a long path ahead. "Everyone is happy that the peace talks will restart," said the Rev. Jayasiri Peiris, general secretary of the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka. However, Peiris told Ecumenical News International, "We have a long way to go." [454 words, ENI-06-0116]

Anglicans in Britain offer apology for role in slavery

London (ENI). The Church of England has apologised for the damage done by its role in the British transatlantic slave trade in the 19th century and earlier and it has pledged to continue campaigning against modern slavery. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, spiritual head of 77 million Anglicans worldwide, said the church had a duty to acknowledge ancestral guilt. "The Body of Christ is not just a body that exists at any one time; it exists across history and we therefore share the shame and the sinfulness of our predecessors," he said. [292 words, ENI-06-0120]

US officials investigate series of Alabama church fires

Oxford, Ohio (ENI). The US Federal Bureau of Investigation and another federal agency have each have sent 50 agents to the state of Alabama to investigate nine church fires between 3 and 7 February in the western and central parts of the stateThe blazes are reminiscent of destruction by the white extremist Ku Klux Klan of black churches and property in the early decades of the 20th century. More recently, rural black churches were burned across the South throughout the early 1990s. [282 words, ENI-06-0121]

Church leader who promoted Protestantism in China dies

Geneva (ENI). Han Wenzao, a former president of the China Christian Council, a "non-denominational" body set up for Protestants in China, is being remembered for the role he played after the revolution led by Mao Zedong put the communists in power in 1949. "[Han] Wenzao actively promoted the church's mission in Chinese society, encouraged its members to take part in nation-building without compromising their faith, and helped them adapt their religious values to socialist society," noted the Rev. Samuel Kobia, general secretary of the Geneva-based World Council of Churches, which has the CCC as one of its members. [527 words, ENI-06-0117]

8 February 2006

Geneva (ENI). The complexity of a world with many faiths holding differing value systems will be a key issue for the forthcoming assembly of the World Council of Churches, says the grouping's general secretary, the Rev. Samuel Kobia. "All Christians are being challenged to look at their identity in the context of a new religious plurality," Kobia noted in advance of the 14-23 February gathering in Porto Alegre, Brazil, that will bring together more than 4000 people from the world's major Christian traditions. [539 words, ENI-06-0113]

Nigerian bishop warns priest's killer to go to police or face hell

Bida, Nigerian Anglican bishop in Nigeria says the assailants who shot and killed a priest who worked as his administrative assistant at Bida in the central state of Abuja should offer themselves to police to avoid going to hell. Bida's Anglican Bishop Jonah Kolo told Ecumenical News International that the Rev. Elijah Abubakar Yisa was killed by unidentified attackers. The bishop said he wants the killers to "voluntarily offer themselves to the police so that they will not go to hell". He said the killers should "confess their sins and ask for forgiveness". [221 words, ENI-06-0113]

For some Methodists, Bolivian president's arrival fulfils prophecies

La Paz (ENI). Friends and foes agree that Bolivia has inaugurated a new era, but for some Methodist leaders the recent election of Evo Morales as the country's first Indian president is the fulfilment of old prophecies. The first known prophecy was uttered by Tupac Katari, the leader of an insurrection by indigenous Aymara Indians against Spanish colonial rulers in the 18th Century. He was captured and sentenced to death after a prolonged and bloody rebellion. [420 words, 06-0115]

7 February 2006

Geneva/New York (ENI). The Presbyterian Church (USA) after considering possible divestment from companies in Israel has put the matter on hold while Anglicans in England have voted for pulling funds from companies profiting from the "illegal occupation" of Palestinian territories. A Presbyterian committee in the United States studying possible divestment from businesses the denomination said may profit from violence in Israel and Palestine reported that it is not yet ready to make recommendations on the matter. [381 words, ENI-06-0110]

Pakistan Christians decry cartoons as Muslims attack church targets

New Delhi (ENI). Churches in Pakistan that faced attacks by enraged Muslims have decried the publication of cartoons containing caricatures of the prophet Muhammad while European religious leaders have appealed to heads of faith communities to do all in their power to bring an end to the violence. "We appeal to the Western and American Press that the act of disgracing the Holy Prophet of Islam be condemned, no one has any right to disgrace the prophets of other religions," said the National Council of Churches in Pakistan (NCCP), a grouping of Protestant denominations. [469 words, ENI-06-0111]

Lula to attend World Council of Churches assembly in Brazil

Brasilia (ENI). The office of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva says he will speak at the World Council of Churches assembly in Porto Alegre before more than 4000 people from Protestant, Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches and other traditions. The confirmation of Lula's presence at the 14-23 February assembly in Porto Alegre was communicated in Brasilia to the new general secretary of the National Council of Churches in Brazil (CONIC), the Rev. Western Clay Peixoto. The Brazilian president will address the church gathering on 17 February. [391 words, ENI-06-0109]

6 February 2006

Nairobi (ENI). Protestant and Roman Catholic leaders in Kenya have warned the government it will face protests if it ends the teaching of Christian religious education in schools after accusations that the Ministry of Education launched a law-reviewing task force without consulting them. "We take great exception that churches who are major sponsors of educational institutions in the country as provided for by the Education Act of 1968 are not included in the taskforce," the church leaders said in a statement. [330 words, ENI-06-0105]

Christians and Muslims in Norway denounce Muhammad cartoons

Oslo (ENI). The Islamic Council in Norway and the Christian Council of Norway have joined the country's majority Lutheran church in denouncing the publication in Nordic and European newspapers of cartoons of the prophet Muhammad. "When that which is sacred to one religion is attacked, all religions suffer," the joint Christian-Muslim statement said. "The caricatures of the prophet Muhammad published in Danish and Norwegian newspapers offend Muslims' religious feelings." [438 words, ENI-06-0106]

UK evangelical students ponder court action after ban over gay issue

Canterbury (ENI). An evangelical Christian Union at Britain's Birmingham University is considering legal action to counter its suspension by the Guild of Students because the association was deemed not inclusive enough by not stating it would admit people who are homosexual, bisexual or transgendered. The Birmingham University Christian Union said it has instructed attorneys to consider court action after the Guild of Students imposed the suspension and froze its assets when the Christian group refused on religious grounds to make changes to its constitution. [233 words, ENI-06-0107]

3 February 2006

Geneva (ENI). World church leaders have reminded the media in Europe of the power it has and urge the striking of a balance between press freedom and respect for others. Their calls follow growing global protests, some of them violent, by Arabs and Muslims against the publication of cartoon caricatures of the prophet Muhammad in European newspapers. [573 words, ENI-06-0102]

Zimbabwe archbishop urges South Africa: Cut Mugabe's electricity

Johannesburg (ENI). The Roman Catholic archbishop of Bulawayo, Pius Ncube, has urged the South African government to cut off the electricity supply to Zimbabwe in order to bring President Robert Mugabe to his senses. Ncube told Johannesburg's City Press newspaper that South African President Thabo Mbeki would not put such pressure on Mugabe because he felt inferior to the Zimbabwean president. The Zimbabwean cleric was speaking after a South African Catholic Bishops' Conference meeting in Pretoria. "Mbeki kneels before Mugabe," said Ncube, who has clashed bitterly with fellow-Catholic Mugabe on a number of occasions. [348 words, ENI-06-0100]

Bishops in Denmark call for dialogue with Muslims

Copenhagen (ENI). Lutheran bishops in Denmark are urging dialogue with Muslims following a worldwide furore about cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad that first appeared in a Danish newspaper but have since been reprinted in other European countries in an assertion of press freedom. Thousands of Muslims in cities throughout the Palestinian territories in Gaza and the West Bank marched and burned the red Danish flags with the white cross to protest against the publication of the cartoons, one depicting Muhammad wearing a bomb-shaped turban. [401 words, ENI-06-0104]

Korean feminist theologian can forgive Japan but cannot forget it

Tokyo (ENI). Korean theologian Hyun Kyung was brought up to see Japan an enemy but now says she can forgive the nation which once colonised her country. "I cannot forget the Japanese colonialism, but I can forgive this nation," she said speaking during a lecture tour of Japan that took her to Tokyo and other major cities. [463 words, ENI-06-0101]

Kenyan archbishop warns faithful to shun traditionalist Catholics

Nairobi (ENI). A Roman Catholic archbishop in Kenya has urged church members to shun services by followers of the breakaway traditionalist group founded by the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre who have opened a new church in Nairobi. "This [new] church is staffed by members of the schismatic Lefebvrite group, which refuses to acknowledge the authority of the Pope and that of the local bishops," said Archbishop Ndingi Mwana a'Nzeki of Nairobi in a pastoral letter. Still the Catholic World News service had reported Pope Benedict XVI was to meet other Vatican leaders later in the month to work out a strategy for reconciliation with the traditionalist Society of St Pius X, founded by Lefebvre. [370 words, ENI-06-0103]

2 February 2006

New Delhi (ENI). Following several attacks on Christian targets in January, church groups have appealed to India's federal government "to curb and contain hate campaigns and violence" against the country's minuscule Christian community. "Urgent steps need to be taken to restore confidence and check the violence," pleaded the ecumenical All India Christian Council and the All India Catholic Union in a joint statement to federal interior minister, Shivraj Patil. [365 words, ENI-06-0098]

Protestant leaders propose creating World Reformed Communion

Geneva (ENI). The leaders of two worldwide church groupings have proposed the creation of a new global body called the World Reformed Communion to unite the more than 80 million Protestants in their two organizations. "We ... believe that this new, united, Reformed body will be a blessing to the broader ecumenical movement and to the reconciliation of the world," said the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, president of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC), and the Rev. Douwe Visser, president of the Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC), in a joint statement. [386 words, ENI-06-0095]

S African Anglican in bid to shift focus from sex issues to poverty

Cape Town (ENI). South African Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane has announced an initiative to re-focus the mission of the worldwide Anglican Communion towards ending poverty and addressing the effects of climate change, rather than on issues around sexuality that are forcing divisions in the grouping. Ndungane, the archbishop of Cape Town, has been appointed by the Anglican Communion to co-ordinate its efforts on issues of debt, trade, HIV/AIDS and poverty. [334 words, ENI-06-0099]

Zambian churches unite in prayer, exerting some political influence

Lusaka (ENI). Zambia's major denominations melded during January's global week of prayer for Christian unity. And while the churches are expected to play a pivotal role in national elections scheduled to take place by the end of 2006, civil society groups pressing for change wonder if that cohesion can carry over into the political sphere. Leaders of the three largest church groupings in the southern African nation released a joint statement urging church cohesion and the unity of communities. "Being mindful of what we hold in common, allows us to face more effectively things which still divide us," they said. [338 words, ENI-06-0096]

Buyers bid for Pope John Paul II's former home in Poland

Warsaw (ENI). Buyers have pitched bids for Pope John Paul II's former family Wadowice home in Poland, after its US Jewish owner, Ron Balamuth, decided to put it on the market after the pontiff's death in April. "We've had several serious offers, while other potential takers have said they'll send their offers soon," Jacek Michalski, from Warsaw-based solicitors Dewey Ballantine Grzesiak, told Poland's Rzeczpospolita newspaper. [325 words, ENI-06-0097]

1 February 2006

Jerusalem (ENI). The leaders of the major Christian denominations in the Holy Land have given their support to the results of the Palestinian elections in which Hamas won legislature seats by a landslide, but they have also urged the militant Islamic group to use the teachings of Jesus as a guide when it takes over the reins of the Palestinian Authority. Quoting from the Gospels, the leaders urged Palestinians, worried at the Hamas victory in late January, to "not let your hearts be troubled or afraid" and to "be strong and stand firm". [395 words, ENI-06-0094]

African church grouping leader says Darfur violence 'inexcusable'

Nairobi (ENI). The All Africa Conference of Churches has expressed dire concern over the escalating violence in the Darfur region, west of Sudan, where renewed fighting is forcing aid workers to flee. "As Africans and Christians, we are appalled by the reports of random, indiscriminate killings, especially since ethnic and religious hatred is reported to be at the root of aggression," said the Rev. Mvume Dandala, the leader of the African church grouping. [377 words, ENI-06-0091]

Citing mistakes, US Orthodox church to change financial procedures

New York (ENI). The Orthodox Church in America has announced it will issue the results of a financial audit by 31 March, after public allegations from former employees and critics within the denomination of financial mismanagement and misappropriation of funds. In a statement issued in January, the 1-million-member church, based in Syosset, New York, said it recognised past mistakes, after having "reviewed concerns raised in recent weeks by persons formerly associated with the administration of the church. [293 words, ENI-06-0090]

Commission proposes ending Norway's State Church system Oslo (ENI). A majority of members on a government-appointed multi-party commission with representatives of different denominations and religions has recommended abolishing the current State Church system in Norway. It says the (Lutheran) Church of Norway should take over powers now resting with the sovereign and the government, including the appointment of bishops and clergy. [333 words, ENI-06-0093]

Woman ordained in southernmost Church of England cathedral

Canterbury, England (ENI). The (Anglican) Church of England Bishop of Dover has conducted the first ordination at the denomination's southernmost cathedral on Britain's Falkland Islands during a service where local woman Kathy Biles was made a priest. Bishop Stephen Venner stood in for Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in an ordination service at the 100-year-old Christ Church Cathedral, the smallest in the Church of England, thousands of miles from Britain and 300 miles (480 kilometres) from the South American mainland. [246 words, ENI-06-0092]

Coretta Scott King remembered for her civil rights leadership

New York (ENI). Coretta Scott King, the widow of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr, is being remembered for her own leadership in the struggle for civil and human rights in the United States and throughout the world. "She was an unwavering advocate of civil and human rights and a champion of non-violence," said the Rev. Michael E. Livingston, the president of the US National Council of Churches in a tribute to King, who died on 31 January in Mexico. She was 78. [249 words, ENI-06-0089]

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