Geneva (ENI). The Middle East is the most pressing global issue today, the general secretary of the World Council of Churches, the Rev. Samuel Kobia, has told the organization's main governing body, asserting that church and religious bodies can help attain a solution there. Kobia was speaking on the second day of the WCC's central committee as it met to navigate policy until the next general assembly of the world's largest grouping of churches meets in about seven years. [686 words, ENI-06-0690]

Turkish peacekeepers in Lebanon unacceptable says church leader

Geneva (ENI). A top Armenian church leader in Lebanon has told the United Nations that the participation of Turkish forces as part of the UN peacekeepers in the southern part of Lebanon is "morally unacceptable". "How can a state play a peacekeeping role when the culture of massacre and the ruthless killing of innocent women and children are part of its political culture?" Catholicos Aram I of the Armenian Apostolic Church wrote in a letter to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. [380 words, ENI-06-0692]

Religious leaders pledge to confront violence in own communities

Kyoto, Japan (ENI). World faith leaders meeting in Japan have issued a Kyoto protocol for religions calling on people of religious conviction to assume responsibility for confronting violence in their own communities through what it calls "shared security". The 8th World Assembly of Religions for Peace ended with 800 delegates from more than 100 countries and all major religious traditions endorsing the Kyoto Declaration on Confronting Violence and Advancing Shared Security. [473 words, ENI-06-0694]

Polish church wants atonement from priests who informed

Warsaw (ENI). Poland's Roman Catholic bishops have published a report about their church's infiltration by the secret police under communist rule, calling on priests who were informers to confess their guilt but also warning against "condemnation and revenge". "Collaborating with the church's enemies is a public sin," said the Warsaw-based Bishops Conference. "We do not, however, intend to condemn or name anyone, only to recall principles which are binding always and everywhere on everyone who believes in Christ and belongs to his church." [361 words, ENI-06-0691]

Migration changing the face of churches says world church leader

Geneva (ENI). The steady increase in the movement of people around the globe is one of the main features in today's world and is having a deep impact on churches, the main governing body of the World Council of Churches has heard. "The Waldensian [Protestant] Church in Italy now has many more African members than Italian ones as a result of a deliberate decision by the church to welcome immigrants and to be transformed in the process," WCC general secretary the Rev. Samuel Kobia said in his report to the 150-member central committee meeting in Geneva. [498 words, ENI-06-0693]

30 August 2006

Geneva (ENI). The new moderator of the World Council of Churches has warned that Christianity faces new divisions because of doctrinal and ethical differences, and he has urged a recommitment to the goal of full and visible unity among the churches. "Burning and divisive issues, both doctrinal and ethical, run to some considerable extent internally through many of our churches, resulting in inner tensions, if not in new divisions," said the Rev. Walter Altmann in his first report to the WCC's main governing body. [520 words, ENI-06-0686]

Russian Orthodox Church backs US opponents of female bishop

Moscow (ENI). The Russian Orthodox Church has lauded members of the US Episcopal (Anglican) Church who say they will not recognise the female bishop elected to lead the US denomination, with which the Russian church broke off relations in 2003 over the consecration of an openly-gay bishop. The election of a woman to lead the denomination was a "crude violation of ancient Church tradition", the head of the Moscow Patriarchate's department of external relations, Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, stated in a letter to Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh. [326 words, ENI-06-0688]

Ethiopian protesters lobby world church meeting in Geneva

Geneva (ENI). A meeting in Geneva of the main governing body of the World Council of Churches has opened with a demonstration outside its headquarters against one of the church grouping's eight presidents, Patriarch Abune Paulos of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. About 60 demonstrators gathered outside the WCC's Geneva offices, waving Ethiopian flags and chanting "Paulos is not Ethiopia's spiritual leader," and, "He's not our patriarch." A handful of uniformed police watched them. [371 words, ENI-06-0689]

Latin America is now less Catholic, more diverse, says Lutheran leader

Geneva (ENI). Latin America was once considered a Roman Catholic continent but is now characterised by a religious pluralism that can lead to hostile competitiveness, the main governing body of the World Council of Churches has heard. "An astounding shift is taking place," the Rev. Walter Altmann, moderator of the WCC central committee, said in his report presented to the governing body. "There are no signs to indicate that the consistent trend towards religious pluralism may be reversed over the coming years." [422 words, ENI-06-0687]

ENI signs news agreement with Germany's epd

Geneva (ENI). Subscribers to Ecumenical News International will from 1 September receive more news stories from Germany and some of these will come with the attribution ENI-epd. This follows the signing of a news exchange agreement on 25 August between ENI and the Evangelischer Pressedienst (epd), the Frankfurt-based German Protestant news agency. Thomas Schiller, epd's editor-in-chief said: "epd has a long tradition in covering ecumenical topics. With ENI we have found an international partner who shares our standards of professional and independent news journalism." [163 words, ENI-06-0684]

29 August 2006

Nairobi (ENI). A top Ugandan church leader has said efforts need to be made to keep the peace process in northern Uganda on track after agreement by government forces and rebels belonging to the Lord's Resistance Army to cease hostilities. "It now clear any doubts about the seriousness of these talks and challenges need to focus on things that keep the dialogue on track," the Rev. Grace Kaiso, executive secretary of the Uganda Joint Christian Council, told Ecumenical News International. [283 words, ENI-06-0681]

Israeli-Palestinian pacts failed from no religious input says bishop

Kyoto, Japan (ENI). Peace accords between Israelis and Palestinians have failed because there was no religious input into them, says a Holy Land Lutheran bishop who was among a group of Christians, Jews and Muslims organizing special meetings during a world interfaith conference. "Religion should play a positive role and be a driving force for solution for the sufferer," Bishop Munib Younan told Ecumenical News International. "The Oslo agreement failed because religion was absent there," he said referring to the 1993 peace accord signed in Norway by Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization. [367 words, ENI-06-0680]

German Bishop Kaessmann to undergo breast cancer surgery

Trier, Germany (ENI). Margot Kaessmann, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover, has breast cancer and it to undergo surgery. "The prayers of the whole church and our confidence in God's faithful support are with our bishop," said Eckhart von Vietinghoff, president of the church office of the three-million strong regional church, the German Protestant news agency epd reported. [297 words, ENI-06-0679]

Religion part of the problem in peace building says Jewish leader

Kyoto, Japan (ENI). Religion can be part of the problem rather than a solution in peace-building, an international Jewish leader has said at the assembly of the World Conference of Religions for Peace in Kyoto. "Why is it that religious institutions and religious leadership seem to be an obstacle for peace-building rather than a solution?" asked Rabbi David Rosen, international director of inter-religious relations with the American Jewish Committee and the International Jewish Committee. [345 words, ENI-06-0683]

Indian Jewish official welcomes dropping of Hitler name by eatery

New Delhi (ENI). A restaurant in a Mumbai suburb has changed its name from "Hitler's Cross" after protests from India's small Jewish community and other groups. "We are happy that our sentiments have been respected," said Judas Samuel, vice-chairperson of the Indian Jewish Congress and a spokesperson for the country's estimated 5000-strong Jewish community. Samuel was speaking to Ecumenical News International after the restaurant owner, Puneet Sablok, removed the name of German dictator Adolf Hitler and the Nazi swastika from billboards of the eatery at Navi Mumbai. [270 words, ENI-06-0682]

28 August 2006

Nairobi (ENI). Church leaders and anti-AIDS activists in Kenya are urging people to heed the call for mass HIV tests by US Senator Barack Obama, who has won praise after taking a test while visiting their country. "Leaders, be it politicians or religious ones, have to show the way," said Anglican Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi after Obama took an HIV test in Kisumu. "I am encouraging all the people to be tested so that they can know their status. If we don't go for the test, we are not fighting the epidemic." [306 words, ENI-06-0674]

Bishop appeals for Sri Lanka truce as two clerics go missing

New Delhi (ENI). Fierce battles between Tamil rebels and government forces in Sri Lanka's Jaffna peninsula have led to calls from church leaders for both sides to halt their fighting immediately, while others have expressed alarm at the disappearance of two clerics. "I appeal to you urgently to bring this present conflict to an end and uphold strict observance of the cease-fire agreement," Jaffna's Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Savundaranayagam wrote to President Mahinda Rajapakse. [361 words, ENI-06-0676]

In Japan, religious leaders spurn violence and hijacking of religions

Kyoto, Japan (ENI). All religions are vulnerable to being hijacked by extremists and unprincipled politicians, the head of the world's largest interfaith body has said at the opening of its four-day assembly. "Today, our religions are being hijacked by religious extremists, hijacked by unscrupulous politicians, hijacked by the sensationalist media," said William Vendley, a Roman Catholic theologian from the United States who is secretary general of the World Conference of Religions for Peace. [435 words, ENI-06-0675]

South African Muslim scholar speaks about faith and AIDS

Toronto (ENI). When it comes to responding to HIV and AIDS, Muslims are neither better nor worse than anyone else, says Farid Esack, a scholar of Islamic theology who is director of Positive Muslims, a South African organization that supports people who live with HIV and AIDS. But in its progressive form, Esack asserts, Islam is better prepared to respond than the Vatican. In an interview, this South African Muslim academic and - as he defines himself - AIDS militant, talks about mutual stereotypes, why religions fear sex, and the sacred nature of entering into the life of an HIV-positive person. [1388 words, ENI-06-0678]

25 August 2006

New York (ENI). Religion's influence is declining in the United States, 59 per cent of Americans believe, but they are also unhappy with calls to action by people deemed to be religious conservatives or liberals, a new survey finds. The annual survey on attitudes about religion in the United States, conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, found that most of those polled who expressed concern about religion's declining influence in the US are worried about the perceived decline. [381 words, ENI-06-0673]

Dwindling congregations force Czech church into sell-off of buildings

Warsaw (ENI). The Czech Republic's predominant Roman Catholic church is selling properties at cut prices in an effort to cope with plummeting congregations and donations. "The reason is simple - we don't have the money to keep them," said Martin Horalek, spokesperson for the Prague-based Catholic Bishops' Conference. He told Ecumenical News International it was hoped some churches could be given to local municipalities for a symbolic payment with the aim of getting funds to renovate them, on the understanding that Catholic priests would continue celebrating occasional Masses in them. [298 words, ENI-06-0671]

Former tele-evangelist withdraws from Zambia presidential race

Lusaka (ENI). Despite once claiming that God had anointed him to win the 28 September presidential elections in Zambia, Reform Party leader Pastor Nevers Mumba has withdrawn from the race. The announcement by the former tele-evangelist came after his party failed to galvanise a multi-party alliance as a potential force in the upcoming elections. He said he would aim to be better prepared for future polls. [340 words, ENI-06-0672]

World Council of Churches to focus on Middle East at meeting

Geneva (ENI). The main governing body of the World Council of Churches is to debate the situation in the Middle East at its 30 August-6 September meeting in Geneva. "We are convinced in the WCC the time has come when we should broaden the coordination of the ecumenical response to the Middle East," the church grouping's general secretary, the Rev. Samuel Kobia, said after the return this month of a WCC delegation to Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories. The churches' approach to the situation in the Middle East, needed to be "as broad as possible including what we can do with the Roman Catholic Church", Kobia told journalists. [441 words, ENI-06-0670]

24 August 2006

Manila (ENI). Philippine churches are documenting all killings of clerics and church lay workers, and other human rights violations, so they can file these before the United Nations and other international human rights' bodies, says a church-based human rights group. "We are professionally documenting cases of killings, threats and harassments of church people so we can file complaints before the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, and the Permanent People's Tribunal," Lei Garcia, executive director of the Church Office for International Network in the Philippines, or CONTAK, told Ecumenical News International. [ 350 words, ENI-06-0669]

Tutu appeals to former S. African vice president not to run for office

Cape Town (ENI). Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu says he would like to see South Africa's presidential electoral system reformed and he hopes that Jacob Zuma, fired as vice president last year, will not participate in the race to succeed President Thabo Mbeki. Tutu described Zuma as a "warm, approachable person", but added that "the best thing he could do, if he loves this country, is to elect not to take part in the succession race" that will take place for Mbeki's job before he steps down in 2009. [403 words, ENI-06-0668]

Polish church rebuts party's 'Catholic justification' for death penalty

Warsaw (ENI). A Polish church leader has criticised calls by one of his country's governing parties to restore the death penalty for convicted murderers and paedophiles, rejecting claims the move would conform with Roman Catholic principles. Jozef Zycinski, Catholic archbishop of Lublin, told a meeting of pilgrims that politicians tying to play a "strongman" image sometimes try to make their views appear based on Christian principles. But said Zycinski: "In his encyclical 'Evangelium Vitae', however, Pope John Paul II clearly said the penalty for criminals shouldn't extend to taking life. He taught respect for life at all its stages." [327 words, ENI-06-0667]

23 August 2006

New Delhi (ENI). A bishop in Pakistan has renounced his nationality in protest against discrimination and hatred he says is suffered by the minuscule Christian minority in the world's second largest Muslim nation. "In Pakistan, Christians, including me, are facing extreme hate, discrimination and detestation by Muslims. We are unwanted people in Pakistan," Bishop Timotheus Nasir, who heads the United Presbyterian Church of Pakistan, wrote in a letter to President Pervez Musharraf. [384 words, ENI-06-0664]

US Christian group seeking voter registration said to back Bush

New York (ENI). A Christian advocacy group plans to wage a major voter registration effort in so-called "battleground" states prior to the upcoming 7 November elections for members of US legislative bodies. The drive by the non-profit organization Focus on the Family, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is seen as an effort to get conservative Christians to the polls in states where there are close races for US Senate seats. Those critical of Focus on the Family and its leader James Dobson have asserted the group's efforts favour the Republican Party of President George W. Bush. [322 words, ENI-06-0666]

Bollywood, AIDS and the Catholic Church

Toronto (ENI). It is clear from the beginning that "Aisa Kyon Hota Hai?" is not a typical film on HIV and AIDS, even by the standards of India's flamboyant Bollywood industry, where it was created. The main character, Raj, is a handsome playboy with hidden insecurities who contracts the HIV virus and occasionally breaks into song. The executive producer also stars as a principal of a school in the film. And the unmistakable moral messages are delivered by the Roman Catholic Church. [533 words, ENI-06-0665]

22 August 2006

Nairobi (ENI). Church leaders have urged the Sudanese government to accept a UN peace-keeping force for Darfur where about two million people have been displaced in a three-year-conflict over resources. Sudanese Roman Catholic, Episcopal (Anglican), Presbyterian and Pentecostal church leaders have met in Nairobi as the Darfur conflict continued to escalate with the added concern of aid workers increasingly becoming targets in the hostilities. [313 words, ENI-06-0662]

Canadian church forgoes Israel divestment for 'ethical investment'

Thunder Bay, Canada (ENI). The United Church of Canada has dropped a proposal to divest from companies that contribute to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and has decided to back "ethically responsible business" in the Holy Land. The UCC's general council, the church's highest governing body, meeting in Ontario, adopted a resolution calling for "a pro-investment strategy with companies which engage in ethically responsible business" in Israel and in Palestinian areas. [469 words, ENI-06-0660]

Jews, Arabs, Koreans denounce civil rights leader Young's remarks

New York (ENI). Long-time US civil rights leader Andrew Young has angered Arab, Jewish and Muslim leaders for saying that store owners from these communities had "ripped off" poor urban districts for decades by overcharging them. Young, a 74-year-old ordained minister of the United Church of Christ, a former mayor of Atlanta, United Nations ambassador and one-time colleague of the late Martin Luther King Jr, has since apologised for the remarks, which forced him on 17 August to resign a post with Working Families for Wal-Mart, an organization promoting the large US retail store chain. [370 words, ENI-06-0663]

Tributes flow for Korean cleric who opposed Seoul's military rule

Hong Kong (ENI). The Rev. Kang Won-Yong, a former president of the National Council of Churches in Korea, who campaigned for democratic government in South Korea during more than two decades of military rule which ended in 1987, has died aged 88. "His initiatives, involvement, and influence extended well beyond church circles," the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea noted in a tribute to the cleric who was moderator of the denomination in 1966. He died on 17 August. [335 words, ENI-06-0659]

Japan theologian who wrote about art praised for ecumenical work

Tokyo (ENI). The Rev. Masao Takenaka, a Japanese theologian who championed indigenous arts and culture, has been praised following his death for his role in bringing Christians together. Takenaka died of cancer at a hospital in Kyoto on 17 August, aged 80, and his funeral was held at the city's United Church of Christ two days later. [274 words, ENI-06-0661]

21 August 2006

Toronto (ENI). International development agencies have resources to deliver in the fight to eradicate AIDS, and church-based organizations have the world's largest delivery network, but activists wonder why the two aren't working better together. "There is a growing recognition among international development agencies that faith-based organizations can play a critical role in the response to HIV and AIDS," stated a report released at the end of the International AIDS Conference in Toronto by Tearfund, a Christian relief and development agency. But the agency suggested there are also "clear challenges that need to be addressed". [410 words, ENI-06-0657]

South African court's veto of abortion law hailed by Christian group

Cape Town (ENI). Christian and anti-abortion groups have welcomed a ruling by South Africa's constitutional court invalidating a law that would have expanded those with the authority to sanction and carry out abortions. The highest court of the country has ruled that the parliament has failed to fulfil its obligation to undertake sufficient public participation during the passage of the legislation which affects women's right to abortion. The court declared the Choice of Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Act, passed by the South African Parliament in 2004, to be invalid. [365 words, ENI-06-0658]

Giant cross highlights US controversy about religious symbols

Oxford, Ohio. A 29-foot (8.8 metre) cross in San Diego, California has become the latest focus for continuing struggles about the place of religious symbols in US public life. On 14 August, the cross at the top of Mount Soledad in San Diego's La Jolla district became the property of the US government after President George W. Bush signed a law transferring ownership of the monument to federal authorities. The monument was dedicated 52 years ago. It stands as the centrepiece of several granite circles honouring veterans of the 1950-1953 Korean War. [348 words. ENI-06-0656]

18 August 2006

New Delhi (ENI). Church leaders have joined in widespread condemnation of the disruption by pro-war Buddhist monks of a peace march in Colombo at which an immediate cease-fire was demanded to stop the war raging on the island of Sri Lanka. Anglican Bishop Duleep de Chickera of Colombo said: "It's regrettable that such aggressive acts occurred at an anti-war rally at which several religious dignitaries and peace loving citizens from all religions were present." He told Ecumenical News International, "This was a shameful act." [411 words, ENI-06-0655]

Sudanese Catholic leader foresees secession by Christian south

Nairobi ( ENI). The president of the Sudan Catholic Bishop's Conference, Archbishop Paolino Lukudu Loro, says national unity is failing and there are strong signs that Sudan's mainly Christian and animist south will secede from the mainly Arab, Islamic north. "What we see is the south is going [to secede]," Loro told Ecumenical News International in Nairobi, where he was attending a Sudanese church leaders meeting discussing reconciliation and unity. "Unity has been proved all through to have failed." [397 words, ENI-06-0654]

Russian Orthodox Church strengthens ties with North Korea

Moscow (ENI). A delegation of the Moscow Patriarchate has completed a visit to North Korea that included the consecration of a Russian Orthodox Church in the capital, Pyonyang. Metropolitan Kirill of Kaliningrad and Smolensk, chairperson of the external relations department of the Russian church, led the delegation, which returned to Russia on 17 August. The visit began on 12 August, after a brief stopover in Beijing to meet with Chinese religious affairs officials, in what appears to be a concerted effort expand to the East. [367 words, ENI-06-0653]

17 August 2006

New Delhi (ENI). Churches in Sri Lanka have called for an immediate halt to an upsurge of violence between government forces and rebels seeking autonomy for Tamil-majority areas in the predominantly Buddhist island nation of mainly Sinhalese speakers. "We are in a boiling pot with both going for each other's throat. The only way out is an immediate cease-fire," the Rev. Kingsley Perera, chairperson of the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka told Ecumenical News International. [398 words, ENI-06-0651]

No peace anywhere while no Middle East peace, says Lutheran leader

Geneva (ENI). The global alliance Action by Churches Together (ACT) is urging the international community to ensure all parties engaged in conflict, such as the recent fighting in Lebanon, meet their obligations under humanitarian law with regard to the protection of civilians and access of humanitarian workers to those in need. At the same time, the Rev. Ishmael Noko, a world Lutheran leader, has warned that international airports are becoming places of anxiety and until a solution for a lasting peace is found in the Middle East there will be no peace anywhere, despite UN Security Council Resolution 1701 to halt fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. [520 words, ENI-06-0649]

Press watchdog calls on China to release church demolition reporter

Hong Kong (ENI). The International press freedom body, Reporters Without Borders, is calling on Chinese authorities to release a journalist detained after posting an online report about a church demolition. Zan Ai-zong, the Hangzhou bureau of Beijing-based China Ocean News, who is said to be a Christian, was arrested on 11 August, the day after being sacked by the news outlet. "This new arrest cruelly illustrates that it is impossible for a Chinese journalist to investigate and write about subjects such as the persecution of religious minorities," the press freedom organization says on its Web site. [352 words, ENI-06-0652]

HIV-positive woman who did not fit stereotype, now educates

Toronto (ENI). Sophie Dilmitis suspected she was infected with HIV but her doctor told her that wasn't possible. "He told me not to be stupid. Young Zimbabwean women like me - white, healthy, middle class, not promiscuous - didn't get the virus." The doctor was wrong. When she received the results of the test, she was both devastated and relieved. "Now I could do something about it. I wasn't quite sure what. But at least I knew, which was better than living in fear." [482 words, ENI-06-0650]

16 August 2006

Geneva (ENI). A World Council of Churches delegation to the Middle East has urged a stepping up of talks between Christians, Jews and Muslims to help promote a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue that it sees as the root of the violence in the region. "We need to speak truthfully with each other now," delegation leader the Rev. Jean-Arnold de Clermont, president of the Conference of European Churches, told a press conference in Geneva after the return of the group that visited Beirut, Jerusalem and Ramallah. [515 words, ENI-06-0647]

Christian leaders protest Japan prime minister's visit to war shrine

Tokyo (ENI). Christian leaders are protesting against a visit by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to a Tokyo shrine that commemorates the country's 2.6 million war dead, including a number of criminals. Such high profile visits at this time of the year are seen by China and Korea as supporting his country's aggression before and during the Second World War. But Koizumi said the visit was private and not intended to provoke although made on the date that Japan surrendered at the end of the Second World War. [421 words, ENI-06-0646]

Christian leaders urged to speak more openly about HIV and AIDS

Toronto (ENI). Jennifer Munthali could hardly believe what she was hearing at a church prayer session in rural Zambia two years ago as the pastor told the congregation that condoms were an evil object they must avoid. The reason, according to the pastor, was that the "white man" had injected HIV into condoms at the manufacturing plants. Munthali heard him tell the congregation it was therefore unwise to use condoms to fight the spread of the virus. White herself, Munthali sat through the worship together with her work colleagues, unsure how to respond. Eventually she and her colleagues at the Catholic Relief Services found a way to convince the pastor that he had misinformed church members. [465 words, ENI-06-0648]

15 August 2006

Jerusalem (ENI). The root cause of the Israeli-Lebanese conflict is the failure to resolve the Israel-Palestine issue, an international church delegation visiting Jerusalem has said. Following a United Nations-brokered truce between Israel and Hezbollah, a delegation under the auspices of the World Council of Churches also urged a return to the negotiating table by all parties "with no one left aside due to pre-emptive designation as terrorist.". [456 words, ENI-06-0642]

Christians told to learn from other faiths to overcome AIDS stigma

Toronto (ENI). Christians have much to learn from other faiths about overcoming stigmatisation of people living with HIV, an inter-faith meeting held in conjunction with the 13-18 August International AIDS Conference in Toronto has heard. "Buddhists are amazing because they are so humble. They are an example of a non-judgmental religion," said Dr Manoj Kurian, who coordinates work on HIV and AIDS for the Geneva-based World Council of Churches. "There is no concept of sin. They accept people as they are." [308 words, ENI-06-0645]

Religious intolerance, 'sexual chaos', grip Nigerian Christian lawyers

Kaduna, Nigeria (ENI). Nigerian Christian lawyers who have met at an annual conference in Kaduna, northern Nigeria, have identified religious intolerance, human rights abuses, and sexual chaos as three major problems confronting Africa's most populous nation. Jonathan Kish Adamu, president of Nigeria's Christian Lawyers Fellowship, a body that brings Christian jurists together, said to Ecumenical News International that corruption and an inefficient judiciary were also dire problems confronting the Church in Nigeria. [378 words, ENI-06-0643]

Salvation Army to return to Namibia after 67 years

Windhoek (ENI). The Salvation Army has announced that it is to return to Namibia in November after a 67-year absence from the formerly South African-administered territory. "We feel our caring ministry will make great contributions in such areas as caring for the homeless, the elderly and AIDS, sufferers with special emphasis on children orphaned by the epidemic," Captain Barry Swartz, the army's territorial secretary for Southern Africa, told Ecumenical News International by telephone from South Africa. [332 words, ENI-06-0644]

15 August 2006

Jerusalem (ENI). The root cause of the Israeli-Lebanese conflict is the failure to resolve the Israel-Palestine issue, an international church delegation visiting Jerusalem has said. Following a United Nations-brokered truce between Israel and Hezbollah, a delegation under the auspices of the World Council of Churches also urged a return to the negotiating table by all parties "with no one left aside due to pre-emptive designation as terrorist.". [456 words, ENI-06-0642]

Religious intolerance, 'sexual chaos', grip Nigerian Christian lawyers

Kaduna, Nigeria (ENI). Nigerian Christian lawyers who have met at an annual conference in Kaduna, northern Nigeria, have identified religious intolerance, human rights abuses, and sexual chaos as three major problems confronting Africa's most populous nation. Jonathan Kish Adamu, president of Nigeria's Christian Lawyers Fellowship, a body that brings Christian jurists together, said to Ecumenical News International that corruption and an inefficient judiciary were also dire problems confronting the Church in Nigeria. [378 words, ENI-06-0643]

Salvation Army to return to Namibia after 67 years

Windhoek (ENI). The Salvation Army has announced that it is to return to Namibia in November after a 67-year absence from the formerly South African-administered territory. "We feel our caring ministry will make great contributions in such areas as caring for the homeless, the elderly and AIDS, sufferers with special emphasis on children orphaned by the epidemic," Captain Barry Swartz, the army's territorial secretary for Southern Africa, told Ecumenical News International by telephone from South Africa. [332 words, ENI-06-0644]

Britain's growing Coptic worshippers to get new cathedral

London (ENI). Pope Shenouda III, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, one of Britain's growing denominations, is to fly to London from Egypt for the inauguration of St George's Cathedral in Stevenage in southern England on 2 September. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, and a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Gloucester, will be among the guests from different faiths attending the vespers marking the opening of the first place of worship in Britain built for the denomination. [337 words, ENI-06-0641]

14 August 2006

Nairobi (ENI). The head of Africa's largest church grouping says he prays Somalia will not fall under the governance of one single religious group. The Rev. Mvume Dandala spoke to Ecumenical News International as the group known as the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) captured Beletuein, a town in the central part of the country, during a military advance. "My prayers and hope is that we will not have people who are governing Somalia coming exclusively from any single religious group," said Dandala, the All Africa Conference of Churches general secretary. [326 words, ENI-06-0640]

Britain's growing Coptic worshippers to get new cathedral

London (ENI). Pope Shenouda III, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, one of Britain's growing denominations, is to fly to London from Egypt for the inauguration of St George's Cathedral in Stevenage in southern England on 2 September. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, and a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Gloucester, will be among the guests from different faiths attending the vespers marking the opening of the first place of worship in Britain built for the denomination. [337 words, ENI-06-0641]

11 August 2006

Beirut (ENI). Continued Israeli bombing of Lebanon is strengthening support amongst the Lebanese people for Hezbollah, says an international church delegation in Beirut. They reiterated the appeal of local religious leaders for an immediate cease-fire as aid workers said fear is gripping everyone in the Lebanese capital. "There's one word that has to be spoken and voiced as clearly as possible - an immediate cease-fire," French cleric the Rev. Jean-Arnold de Clermont, part of a delegation led by the World Council of Churches visiting Beirut and Jerusalem, told Ecumenical News International. [597 words, ENI-06-0639]

Aid agencies struggle while Darfur deteriorates as eyes on Middle East

New York (ENI). Aid agencies have warned that their ability to provide relief in the troubled region of Darfur in western Sudan is at risk because of the killings of eight aid workers there in July, a record for a one-month period. "The danger is clear. If we cannot access the people who need assistance then the humanitarian situation is going to rapidly deteriorate," Kurt Tjossem of the New York-based International Rescue Committee said. [387 words, ENI-06-0638]

US Baptist group fined for flouting 'travel regulations' to Cuba

New York (ENI). A Baptist group fined US$34 000 by the US government for activity in Cuba deemed to violate terms of US travel regulations on religious activity on the Caribbean island is defending its actions as being part of its religious itinerary. The Washington-based Alliance of Baptists was fined by the US Treasury Department for travel within Cuba between 2003 and 2005. US regulations require such groups travelling in Cuba to spend the entirety of their trips engaged in religious, rather than tourist, activities. The Baptist alliance's travel was deemed tourist in nature, the Associated Baptist Press news service reported. [325 words, ENI-06-0637]

10 August 2006

Louisville, Kentucky (ENI). Benjamin Weir, a former US Presbyterian missionary who spent 16 months held hostage in Beirut by the Islamic Jihad group, says failure to reach a comprehensive peace agreement in the Middle East is at the root of the violence tearing Lebanon apart. "Hopes for peace are not on the horizon, because the Arab-Israeli issue has not been addressed forthrightly," Weir told the Louisville-based Presbyterian News Service in an interview. [588 words, ENI-06-0634]

Malawi church bombing suspect is sent to psychiatric ward

Blantyre, Malawi (ENI). A man who says he tried to petrol bomb St Francis Roman Catholic church in Malawi's capital of Lilongwe on 16 July has surrendered himself to police and been admitted to a psychiatric hospital for observation. Police said 26-year-old John Kagonegone comes from Zomba, 280 kilometres from Lilongwe, but had been staying in the capital with an uncle. They said he had admitted that he bought a five-litre canister of petrol which he detonated during a Sunday service before fleeing back to his uncle's house. [355 words, ENI-06-0636]

German gardens offer visitors chance to smell and feel the Bible

Bielefeld, Germany (ENI). More than 40 botanical gardens run by churches and Christian groups throughout Germany are inviting visitors to get to know the 120 flowers, bushes and trees mentioned in the Bible. "We want to attract both Christians and lay people," Maik Foerster, head of the Christian association that runs the Oberlichtenau garden near Dresden, told Ecumenical News International. The garden has attracted more than 7000 visitors since it opened in June 2005. [294 words, ENI-06-0635]

9 August 2006

Geneva (ENI). A church official from the Czech Republic, which was under communist rule from 1948 to 1989, says support for Christians in Cuba which has been governed since 1959 by ailing leader Fidel Castro should not only be given through government-backed institutions. "From our own experiences churches in Central and Eastern Europe are aware of what it means to live under a repressive totalitarian regime of the type, which, in our opinion, exists in Cuba," said Jitka Klubalova, general secretary of the Ecumenical Council of Churches in the Czech Republic in a letter to World Council of Churches general secretary, the Rev. Samuel Kobia. [411 words, ENI-06-0632]

African clerics warn Middle East crisis a danger for their continent

Nairobi (ENI). An African church leader has added his voice to those calling on Israel and Hezbollah to agree to mediation, and urging the international community to intensify the search for a diplomatic solution to the crisis, while a Ghanaian cleric has warned the Middle East conflict could have a negative impact in African countries. "It is disturbing that again military intervention and military conflict seems to be the only language that today's world seems to understand as the way to resolve conflicts," the All Africa Conference of Churches general secretary, the Rev. Mvume Dandala, told Ecumenical News International. [446 words, ENI-06-0631]

Child labour ban requires enforcement say Indian church officials

New Delhi (ENI). Church officials engaged in fighting for children's rights in India have welcomed steps by the government to curb child labour, but have warned that the regulation needs to be enforced to stop it being a mere gesture. "We have many good laws that ban child marriage and other evils. Still, child marriages do take place," said the Rev. Enos Das Pradhan, general secretary of the Church of North India. "We hope this ban would not remain a paper tiger." [288 words, ENI-06-0633]

8 August 2006

Geneva (ENI). Leaders of the World Council of Churches and global Protestant groups have demanded an end to "intransigence" by both Israel and Hezbollah and for an immediate cease-fire in the Middle East. They issued their call as an international church delegation left for talks in Lebanon. "Neither the terror of Katyusha rockets nor the destruction of Lebanese homes, schools, and villages can contribute to a lasting peace in the region," the Christian leaders said in a joint statement. [392 words, ENI-06-0630]

Massacre of aid workers in Sri Lanka water war stuns churches

New Delhi (ENI). Churches in Sri Lanka have joined in the widespread condemnation of the killing of at least 15 workers for a French charity during ongoing fighting near Muttur along the east coast of the island in what is being dubbed "the water war". "This is terrible," Santha Fernando, spokesperson for the National Christian Council (NCC) of Sri Lanka, told Ecumenical News International on 8 August. Fernando was reacting to the news of the killing of 15 Tamils working with the French charity Action against Hunger, known by its French initials, ACF. [412 words, ENI-06-0629]

Rwandan girl raped at 6, shunned at 18, due to HIV status

Toronto (ENI). First they killed her mother and three-year old brother. Then they raped her. It was 1994, the genocidal war in Rwanda was at its height and the six-year old was fleeing Kigali with her family. Twelve years later "Anne-Marie" is at school in Byumba in northern Rwanda. She doesn't want her real name used. She doesn't want people at her new school to know she is HIV positive. [421 words, ENI-06-0627]

God's 'left wingers' seek to counter religious right in US elections

Oxford, Ohio (ENI). US clergy are organizing their political positions in advance of mid-term Congressional elections within a preserve once seen as dominated by the right in what some media have dubbed "the emergence of the religious left". Polls showed that the group known as the "Religious Right" helped re-elect President George W. Bush in 2004 with its opposition to abortion and gay marriage, leading many commentators to identify moral values with Bush's Republican Party. But a Democratic Party official in Colorado stated recently her party needed to learn not to ignore issues of faith. [375 words, ENI-06-0628]

7 August 2006

Beirut (ENI). Heavy bombardments that have destroyed bridges and parts of the main road between Syria and Lebanon have put enormous pressure on aid agencies and churches trying to meet the needs of hundreds of thousands of internally-displaced people. "With the isolation of Beirut, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get what we need," said Shad Hajj Nassif, emergency coordinator of the Middle East Council of Churches working with the global alliance Action by Churches Together (ACT) International. [416 words, ENI-06-0626]

Cuban churches urge prayers for Castro's recovery

Geneva (ENI). Cuban Council of Churches leader, the Rev. Rodhe Gonzalez, has called on Christians in her country to pray for the recovery of President Fidel Castro and for the unity of the Cuban people. "As part of our people, we continue praying for our president and imploring God for help and strength to continue being a united nation, working together for justice, love and peace," national broadcaster, Radio Havana Cuba, reported church council chairperson Gonzalez as saying. [342 words, ENI-06-0626]

Vancouver prepares multi-faith centre for 2010 Winter Olympics

Vancouver (ENI). Plans have been unveiled for a 25 million Canadian dollar (US$22.3 million) multi-faith worship centre for the 2010 Winter Olympic athletes which will, after the games, serve Vancouver for years to come. The Interfaith Spiritual Society of British Columbia, representing Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and other faith communities, has announced plans for the project at the Athletes Village site near downtown Vancouver. Construction begins in 2007 and should be completed in 2009. [241 words, ENI-06-0625]

Elvis crooner gets aisles rocking at England's Truro Cathedral

Canterbury (ENI). Elvis imitator Johnny Cowling had more than 1000 people - many of them non-churchgoing teenagers - rocking in the aisles of one of England's best known cathedrals at a Sunday service. "It was a fantastic service. We've tried country music and classical composers but never Elvis," Truro Cathedral's Cannon Perran Gay told Ecumenical News International. "Most of Johnny Cowling's songs were Elvis's best known gospel songs - 'Crying in the Chapel', 'Peace in the Valley', 'His hand in Mine'. [295 words, ENI-06-0624]

4 August 2006

Toronto (ENI). Canada's goal to make affordable medication available to the countries hardest-hit by the AIDS pandemic has not lived up to its promise, say activists preparing for the 13-18 August International AIDS Conference in Toronto. John Dillon of the Canadian ecumenical coalition KAIROS, also criticised Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper for turning down an invitation to attend the conference's opening ceremonies on 13 August. Calling his refusal "an abdication of leadership", Dillon said the prime minister "has not been an advocate for people living with HIV and AIDS". [345 words, ENI-06-0618]

Kenyan bishop says trade agreement with EU would be wrong

Nairobi (ENI). Bishop Gideon Ireri, who heads the justice and peace department of Kenya's Anglican church, has said that some trade deals being advocated by groups of nations like the European Union will cause more poverty and should therefore be rejected. "Any system or structure that would contribute to increased poverty in Africa must be done away with," Ireri said. "The people have not been able to deal with earlier existing structures from the West that have unfairly weighed down on them." [377 words, ENI-06-0622]

Nigerian Christian lawyers demand accountability from leaders

Kaduna, Nigeria (ENI). Christian lawyers meeting in Nigeria's northern city of Kaduna have urged fellow citizen to stand up and demand good leadership based on biblical righteousness and accountability. The call by the lawyers for "righteous leadership" received the backing on 3 August of Ahmad Muhammad Makarfi, the Muslim governor of Kaduna state, during the 26th annual national conference of Christian lawyers. [366 words, ENI-06-0620]

Russian Church and State celebrate paratroopers

Moscow (ENI). Russia's Airborne Forces Day is often feared as an occasion when paratroopers get drunk and harass passers-by. This year, however, the military decided to stress its cooperation with the Russian Orthodox Church by marking the event with another holiday that fell on the same day, the Feast Day of the Old Testament Prophet Elijah, or Ilya in Russian. In Moscow, paratroopers participated in a religious procession with priests, crosses, icons and religious banners that culminated at a service on Red Square to mark the holiday. The service was followed by a demonstration of paratroopers' skills and prowess, and a pop concert [297 words, ENI-06-0619]

Tributes flow to 'Flying Dutchman' who pioneered church unity

Geneva (ENI). Dutch Cardinal Johannes Willebrands, who worked to improve relations between Roman Catholics and other Christians, as well as with the Jewish community, has died at the age of 96. "With the passing of Johannes Gerardus Maria Cardinal Willebrands the Catholic Church, and all churches, have lost an honourable and devoted servant of the Gospel and of the cause of Christian unity," the Rev. Samuel Kobia, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, said in a tribute. For almost 30 years, Willebrands was a key Vatican figure in efforts to promote Christian unity, being nicknamed the "Flying Dutchman" for his travels to bring different denominations closer together. In 1983, at celebrations in the then East Germany to mark the 500th anniversary of the birth of Martin Luther, Willebrands hailed the German theologian whose break with the papacy inaugurated the Protestant Reformation as a "a religious genius". [523 words, ENI-06-0621]

3 August 2006

Geneva (ENI). The head of the World Council of Churches has accused the leaders of Israel, the United States and Britain of seeming immune to the continuing destruction of Lebanon and he has reiterated an appeal for an immediate cease-fire in the Middle East. WCC general secretary the Rev. Samuel Kobia said in an appeal to the international community: "Much needed aid and assistance that could be of help in these dire circumstances has been hampered and is unable to reach those in need." [514 words, ENI-06-0616]

Relations with Rome improving says Russian Orthodox leader

Moscow (ENI). The Russian Orthodox Church leader in charge of inter-denominational contacts has said relations with the Roman Catholic Church have steadily improved since the ascent of Pope Benedict XVI. "After the election of Pope Benedict XVI our dialogue became more intensive," Metropolitan Kirill, the head of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department of External Church Relations, told the Komsomolskaya Pravda daily newspaper. [272 words, ENI-06-0614]

Lutheran leader says Namibia's churches need to democratise

Windhoek (ENI). Lutheran Bishop Zephania Kameeta in Namibia says churches have shrinking congregations and they need to democratise their hierarchies in order to make Christian religion more applicable to the lives of worshippers. "The challenges for religious leaders are for them to bring themselves down to the level of the people, through sharing in their joys, fears and problems," said Kameeta, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Republic of Namibia. He urged empowerment, renewal and ownership as ways to ensure that congregations participate in activities. [367 words, ENI-06-0615]

World Evangelical Alliance opens Geneva office to influence UN

Geneva (ENI). The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) says it has opened a new office in Geneva, Switzerland, in partnership with the Swiss Evangelical Alliance in order to help influence the newly established United Nations Human Rights Council. "In a day of growing global complexities it is critical that WEA increases its impact on the global stage," Geoff Tunnicliffe, international director of the world alliance, said in a statement of the grouping representing more than 400 million Evangelical Christians. [260 words, ENI-0617]

2 August 2006

Beirut/Geneva (ENI). Residents of southern Lebanon waving white flags continue to stream towards Beirut as aid and church agencies warn that the country faces a human disaster and that they have severe difficulties providing assistance. "The humanitarian situation is catastrophic," said Aline Papazian, of the Middle East Council of Churches, a member of the global alliance Action by Churches Together International. "We have almost one million people living as refugees in makeshift buildings, such as churches, parks or schools." [603 words, ENI-0612]

Chinese acknowledge problem over church after clash with Christians

Hong Kong (ENI). China's official media has confirmed that two people have been arrested after reports that about 3000 Christians in eastern China's Zhejiang province clashed with police over the demolition of a church building for a denomination not officially recongised by the government. The acknowledgement of the arrest by the official Xinhua news agency came after the Hong Kong-based Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said that up to 500 Chinese police clashed with Protestant Christians on 29 July when authorities demolished a partially built church building. The centre said the clash left about 20 people hurt, four seriously. [368 words, ENI-06-0613]

Bulgaria's headscarf ban is upheld as Muslims cite concerns

Sofia (ENI). Bulgaria's statutory Commission Against Discrimination has upheld a school's ban on Islamic pupils wearing headscarves, just days after lawmakers and the chief mufti's office issued declarations expressing concern about anti-Muslim actions in the country. Two pupils at a school in Smolyan, south-western Bulgaria, were banned by school authorities from wearing traditional Islamic headscarves, on the grounds that the scarves were a violation of school uniform rules. The town's Organization for Islamic Development and Culture protested to the anti-discrimination commission, which announced that it had upheld the ban. [348 words, ENI-06-0611]

US Jewish group says it accepts Mel Gibson's apology

New York (ENI). The head of the Anti-Defamation League, a US Jewish advocacy group, has accepted a second apology by actor and director Mel Gibson for alleged anti-Semitic remarks following his arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol. "This is the apology we had sought and requested," the league's national director, Abraham H. Foxman, said in a statement after Gibson expressed regret for his "vitriolic and harmful" words and asked the Jewish community for help. Among the comments reportedly made by Gibson, 50, the director of the 2004 film "The Passion of the Christ", during his arrest, were that "Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world". [262 words, ENI-0610]

Go to ENI Home Page