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Rev. N. J. L'Heureux, Jr., Publisher & Editor
Rev. Pedro Bravo-Guzman, Editor-in-Chief
An Ecumenical Report of Local and Global News
in God's Household
Published by the Queens Federation of Churches
Churches Launch Campaign for "Trade for People, Not People for Trade" December 12, 2002 – The right to food, health, education, work and an adequate standard of living are part of the internationally recognized framework of human rights standards. That makes them a legal obligation rather than just a policy option. A global campaign launched 10 December by the Geneva-based Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (EAA) argues that the universality of these obligations fundamentally challenges notions of competition and efficiency, which accept that, in the global marketplace, some people and communities may lose these basic entitlements. Holy Father Accepts Resignation of Cardinal Law Official Statement of the Holy See: "The Holy Father has accepted the resignation of pastoral government of the Archdiocese of Boston (U.S.A.), presented by the Most Eminent Cardinal Bernard Francis Law, in conformity with Canon 401 Section 2 of the Code of Canon Law. Celtic Bishops Issue Strong Message of Support for Archbishop Rowan December 2, 2002 – The Bishops of the Church of Ireland, Episcopal Church of Scotland and the Church in Wales, meeting in conference at Llandudno, released a strong message of support for Archbishop Rowan, as he prepares to leave his present ministry as Archbishop of Wales and take up a new ministry as Archbishop of Canterbury. Rock Star in the Pulpit – Bono Strives to Redeem ‘The Least of These' from the Hell of AIDS LOUISVILLE – A wildfire in Africa is consuming people at the rate of 6,500 a day – one every 11 seconds – and the West won't empower firefighters to put it out because the water bill isn't paid. That's why a famous singer and his entourage recently made a 10-day barnstorming trip through the American heartland, yelling, "Fire!" about the global scourge of AIDS. Church's Silence on HIV/AIDS Spells Death, Leaders Warn December 10, 2002, WASHINGTON – More than 200 people from black United Methodist churches gathered in the nation's capital to discuss how the church's silence around HIV/AIDS is killing people. "If we stay silent, we're killing people. Silence with HIV/AIDS means death," said Noemi Fuentes, a staff executive with the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. Advent: Time for Personal and Corporate Repentance December 11, 2002 – This is a Sermon preached by the Most Revd Frank T. Griswold, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the USA, on December 8th, 2002, at All Saints' Church, Margaret Street, London. [Readings: Isaiah 40:1-11; 2 Peter 3:8-15a; Mark 1:1-8] Ad Campaign Launched to Reclaim Christmas December 11, 2002 – The first Scotland-wide advertising campaign to publicise the real meaning of Christmas will be launched on 11th December 2003 in train stations across the nation. Posters in the ground-breaking "Losing the plot" campaign are going up now in, among others, Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street stations. The Scottish Episcopal Church plans to place hundreds more in stations and churches in the countdown to 25th December. CBS Religion Special to Feature United Methodist Ministries December 12, 2002, NASHVILLE – United Methodists will be featured prominently in a 30-minute TV special, "Reaching Out," which will begin airing on CBS affiliates Sunday, Dec. 15. Two United Methodist-related ministries will be part of the program, one at a North Carolina auto racing speedway and the other at a Pennsylvania truck stop. Reasons for Being Episcopalian Fill Website, New Book "God loves you, and there is not a thing you can do to change that." That's the winning entry in an impromptu online contest for the best of "365+ Reasons For Becoming an Anglican/Episcopalian," which will soon be part of a book released by Morehouse Publishing. New Director for Anglican Center in Rome December 9, 2002 – The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and the Governors of the Anglican Centre in Rome are pleased to announce the appointment of the Rt Revd John Flack, Bishop of Huntingdon, as Director of the Centre and the Archbishop's Representative to the Holy See. Bishop Flack will succeed the Rt Revd Richard Garrard who will retire at the end of April 2003. New Interactive Website for the Decade to Overcome Violence Now Online December 10, 2002 – Coinciding with International Human Rights Day, the World Council of Churches (WCC) has today opened a new interactive version of its "Decade to Overcome Violence (2001-2010): Churches seeking Reconciliation and Peace" website. New Edition of the Dictionary of the Ecumenical Movement Published December 12, 2002 – The long-awaited revised and expanded second edition of the "Dictionary of the Ecumenical Movement" has just been published. Produced by the World Council of Churches (WCC), this volume is an essential tool for study and research on the movement and for passing the ecumenical memory on to a new generation. With almost 700 articles, 50 of them new and the others revised and updated, and 370 authors from all Christian confessions and world regions, the new edition of the dictionary is a window into the richness and diversity of ecumenical thought and action. Commission on Lutheran Cooperation Renews Discussions December 10, 2002, ST. LOUIS – Renewed theological talks and more frequent meetings of top leadership are in the offing between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS). Members of the Committee on Lutheran Cooperation (CLC) agreed Nov. 12 they would pursue discussions of issues that divide the two church bodies. December 11, 2002, LOUISVILLE – Religious high school seniors have significantly higher self-esteem and a more positive attitude about life than their non-religious peers, sociologists at the University of North Carolina have found. According to Christian Smith, principal investigator for the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR), regular church service attendance and participation in religious youth groups are associated with higher self-esteem and more positive self-attitudes among young people. 
Ya esta en lmnea el nuevo sitio interactivo del Decenio para Superar la Violencia 10 de diciembre de 2002 – Coincidiendo con el Dma Internacional de los Derechos Humanos, el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) ha puesto en lmnea hoy la nueva versisn interactiva del sitio web del Decenio para Superar la Violencia (2001-2010) Publican nueva edicisn del Diccionario del Movimiento Ecuminico Largamente esperada, acaba de ver la luz la segunda edicisn, revisada y ampliada, del Diccionario del Movimiento Ecuminico. Publicado por el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias, el Diccionario es una obra imprescindible para el estudio, la investigacisn y la transmisisn de la memoria ecuminica a las nuevas generaciones. Human Rights, Religious & Civil Liberty Call for Ban on Muslim Dress Denounced by Church Leaders in Australia A suggestion made by a member of an Australian state parliament that authorities ban Muslim women from wearing traditional dress in public in case they were hiding explosives or guns has drawn strong criticism. Churches to Launch Global Campaign on Trade and Human Rights A global network of churches and related organizations is launching a three-year campaign to press for international human rights, social, and environmental agreements to take precedence over trade agreements and policies. The campaign, called "Trade for people, not people for trade," was launched on International Human Rights Day December 10.
United Methodists Join War Protest near U.N. December 11, 2002, NEW YORK – About a dozen United Methodists were among the 100-odd demonstrators arrested Dec. 10 near the United Nations while protesting a possible U.S. war with Iraq. Following an interfaith rally that drew more than 200 people, some of the demonstrators engaged in an act of nonviolent civil disobedience by blocking the front entrance of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. About 12 to 15 United Methodists, mostly clergy from the denomination's New York Conference, were among those arrested by New York police and charged with disorderly conduct. Others arrested included Ben Cohen, a co-founder of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, and Daniel Ellsberg, the peace activist involved in the Pentagon Papers scandal of the Vietnam War era. Kieschnick says controversy "must never' hamper mission December 12, 2002 – Conflict and controversy "must never stop us from being a forward looking and forward-moving church," Synod President Gerald Kieschnick told this year's LCEF Fall Leadership Conference. "The mission goes on." Church Agency Plans Legislative Briefing for March December 12, 2002, WASHINGTON – The international advocacy agency of the United Methodist Church will hold a legislative briefing for local church leaders March 2-5. The event will help church social action leaders respond to moral and political issues as the new Congress tackles its agenda, the Board of Church and Society said. Canadian Churches Hail Patent Ruling on Genetically Modified Mouse The Supreme Court of Canada has issued a landmark judgement ruling against allowing Harvard University a patent on a mouse that has been genetically modified for medical research. The ruling ends a 17-year legal battle and is a victory for churches that argued that patenting the mouse would mean turning living beings into intellectual property. Four A/G King's Castle Members Killed in Accident in El Salvador December 9, 2002 – On November 6, 2003, after a time of witnessing, a group of King's Castle members, part of A/G World Missionaries Don and Terri Triplett's King's Castle program in El Salvador, were involved in a two-truck accident. Four people involved in the King's Castle program were killed and a number were hurt, some seriously. Reflecting on Palestine and the PC(USA) by the Rev. Fahed Abu-Akel, Moderator, 214th General Assembly (2002). ATLANTA – I recently had the opportunity to lead a delegation of Presbyterians to Palestine and Israel. I saw firsthand the conditions of the Palestinians and the Israelis. Three million Palestinian Arabs – Christians and Muslims – in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem have been under an illegal military occupation for thirty-five years. For the last two years, the Palestinians have waged an uprising against this military occupation. The uprising has resulted in the deaths of 600 Israelis and 1,600 Palestinians. The Israeli defense forces and illegal Israeli settlers have injured more than 40,000 Palestinian Arab Christians and Muslims. Palestinian suicide bombers have also injured scores of Israelis. Groups Launch Win Without War Campaign December 12, 2002, WASHINGTON – A new group of organizations, including a United Methodist agency, is expressing dismay with the Bush administration's talk of possible war with Iraq. Win Without War is a movement of people who oppose a pre-emptive war against Iraq, explained Jim Wallis, at a press conference Dec. 11 to introduce the coalition. Keeping the Faith in Bethlehem – A People Weary of Waiting Marks Advent, a Season of Waiting December 13, 2002, EAST JERUSALEM – Father Peter DuBrul had to talk in a hurry. Students were noisily filing into his religious-studies class at Bethlehem University for the first time in 17 days – the first time since the Israeli army unexpectedly lifted its curfew on the city for six fleeting hours. Ahli Arab Hospital Mobile Outreach Clinic Provides Vital Program December 10, 2002 – Sitting cross-legged on her bed in her white shawl and black dress, a faint smile showing across her weathered face, Hadba looked quite at home while recovering from uncontrolled hypertension at the Ahli Arab Hospital earlier this week. A Christmas Message from St George's College, Jerusalem December 10, 2002 – Merry Christmas to all of you from St George's College Jerusalem. As we celebrate our Lord's birth, it is time for us to pause and reflect a bit on how easily the circumstances in this land consume our total attention. Certainly no one wants to ignore those circumstances, but Christmas rightly brings us back to the fact that we are more – more than victims of strife. Rowan Williams: Will Bring Intellectual Rigor, Chart Theological Path December 12, 2002 – The Most Revd Rowan Williams was recently named as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury. Bishop Williams was the Archbishop of Wales. When he is enthroned at Canterbury Cathedral on February 27th, he will be the first bishop from outside the Church of England to hold this post.
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