Front Page

Christian Economists Say Poverty ‘Is the Fruit of Deliberate Policy'
Churches Must Challenge Economic Institutions, WCC Is Told

February 17, 2006, PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil – Poverty is no accident, but is the product of unjust economic structures that churches must struggle to reform, a Ugandan economist told a gathering of world church leaders here yesterday (Feb. 16). "Poverty doesn't just ‘exist' – it is manufactured by those who control the markets," said Yashpal Tandon, executive director of the South Center in Geneva, Switzerland, a think-tank that deals with issues of trade and economic development in Africa.

United Church of Canada Expresses Regret over Muhammad Cartoons

February 17, 2006, TORONTO – The United Church of Canada has sent a letter to the Islamic Council of Imams expressing the denomination's "deepest regret that the name of Muhammad has been so tragically misused in the depictions of cartoons first published in Europe, but now also in Canada." The letter, which was addressed to Imam Abdul Hai Patel and Imam Hamid Slimi, was faxed late yesterday afternoon.

NCC Supports UN Call to Close Guantanamo Camp, Renews Request to Rice for Permission to Visit

February 16, 2006, NEW YORK – The National Council of Churches USA has "emphatically supported" a United Nations report released yesterday that calls upon the United States to close its Guantanamo Bay detention facility "without further delay." The report of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights of the Economic and Social Council also recommended that the U.S. refrain from "any practice amounting to torture" and either bring detainees to trial or "release them without further delay."

Religious Leaders Express Concern over Changes in National Park Policies

February 16, 2006, WASHINGTON – Religious leaders from six faith groups, including the National Council of Churches USA, have written to the National Park Service (NPS) expressing concern over proposed changes to park management polices that they believe would dilute the conservation mission of NPS and "open the door for increased air pollution, haze, noise, and damage from off-road vehicles in the parks." According to the letter, the groups are particularly concerned about the removal of language from the management policies that clearly prioritizes conservation, resource protection, and preservation as the "predominant and overarching mission of the park system."

Leaders Urge Calm and Dialogue in Cartoon Controversy

February 14, 2006 – Christians and Muslims should work together to "put out the fire" caused by the controversial publication of cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed, according to Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, general secretary of the World Council of Churches. The publication of the cartoons, which first appeared last year in a Danish paper and have been reprinted in more than 60 papers since, has led to demonstrations all over the world, some of them violent. Speaking in answer to a question at the first press conference of the 9th Assembly in Porto Alegre, Kobia said, "Violent reactions, as well as justifying these cartoons as an expression of freedom of speech, continue to put fuel on the fire." He said that both Christians and Muslims had a responsibility to promote tolerance and address ignorance about the other. He added that while freedom of speech was a fundamental human right, "When it is used to humiliate people's values and dignity, it devalues the foundation it is based on."

World Council of Churches 9th Assembly

Anglicans Have Strong Presence at WCC Brazil

February 17, 2006, PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil – "God has given us the gift of life and we have abused it." These words are from the report by Dr. Samuel Kobia, Secretary General of the World Council of Churches (WCC), to the gathered delegates of the ninth General Assembly that opened on February 14 in Porto Alegre, Brazil with the theme "God, in your grace, transform the world." Bringing together over 3,000 participants from more than 350 churches, communions, and other Christian organisations, the assembly is the highest governing body of the WCC and meets about every seven years.

WCC Looks for Alternatives to Globalization

February 17, 2006, PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil – In the Lord's Prayer, Christians say, "Give us this day our daily bread." But where does that bread come from? Increasingly, as the Rev. Nancy Cardoso Pereira, a Brazilian Methodist, pointed out to participants at the World Council of Churches 9th Assembly, bread and cereal items – along with meat and dairy products – come from transnational corporations located in the United States and Europe.

Leaders of 3 Christian Groups Hail Plan for Joint Global Assembly
WCC, WARC, LWF Agreement Called ‘Important Step Forward' for Ecumenism

February 16, 2006, PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil – Leaders of two worldwide organizations of Christian churches have responded positively to a proposal from the leader of the World Council of Churches (WCC) that all three groups jointly hold the next meetings of their highest governing bodies. The Rev. Samuel Kobia, general secretary of the WCC, made the proposal in an address to the council's current Assembly, saying, "The next assembly of the WCC should provide a common platform for the wider ecumenical movement." "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 (WARC).

Lula Thanks WCC for Longtime Support of Brazilian People

February 17, 2006, PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil – In a special appearance before the World Council of Churches' 9th Assembly, the president of Brazil expressed his continuing gratitude for the council's support of the Brazilian people over the years. "Decades ago, when we were fighting for democracy in our country, we found in the World Council of Churches not only moral and spiritual incentives but active solidarity and effective support for us to go on believing in our own battles," said Luiz Inacio da Silva during a Feb. 17 address.

Cardinal Kasper: Roman Catholics Committed to Ecumenism

February 16, 2006 – The president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity has stressed the "irreversible" commitment of the Roman Catholic Church to ecumenism. According to Cardinal Walter Kasper, who spoke to journalists at the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches, the Church had not become a member of the WCC for structural reasons as the Roman Catholic Church was a universal rather than a local body, but it worked with the Council "with no rivalry or competition, but in friendly collaboration." Both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI had reaffirmed the Second Vatican Council's ecumenical emphasis, he said. "We can do a lot together in this intermediate situation," he added.

Archbishop of Canterbury: "Promise and Risk of Inter-Religious Dialogue"

February 18, 2006 Christians in a world of plural convictions are in a place which is "both promising and deeply risky," according to the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams. "We are called to show utter commitment to the God who is revealed in Jesus and to all those to whom his invitation is addressed," he said. He rejected aggressive efforts to convert those of other faiths, saying, "We are not called to win competitions or arguments in favour of ‘our product' in some religious market-place." In a World Council of Churches 9th Assembly plenary session on Christian identity and religious plurality, Dr Williams urged churches worldwide to keep in mind the sufferings of Christians living as persecuted minorities, drawing applause from the participants.

Assembly Calls for Economic Justice

February 16, 2006 – The World Council of Churches Assembly, meeting at Porto Alegre, Brazil, has called for churches "to act together for transformation of economic injustice." The call, in the form of a prayer, invited Assembly participants to recommit themselves to work for the eradication of poverty and inequality, for justice in international trade relations, for responsible lending and the control and regulation of global financial markets. The "AGAPE call" – standing for Alternative globalization addressing peoples and earth – is intended to stimulate thought and action, came at the end of a plenary session on economic justice.

Anastasios Calls for Christian Action in Transformation of World

February 15, 2006 Since the World Council of Churches' 9th Assembly is taking place in Latin America, the issue of poverty assumes absolute priority for all who worship and follow Jesus. That was the message Archishop Anastasios of Tirana and All Albania brought to nearly 700 delegates and thousands of others present during opening prayer at the WCC Assembly, Porto Alegre, Brazil, on 14 February. The prayer service opened with the energetic singing of a choir composed of members of local congregations, and was built around the prayer chosen as the 9th Assembly's theme: "God, in your grace, transform the world."

Kobia Invites 9th Assembly to "The Feast of Life"

February 15, 2006 A festa da vida – a Portuguese phrase meaning "the feast of life" – was the key-note on Wednesday in general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia's report to the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches. "The festa da vida," Kobia told participants in an afternoon plenary session of the Assembly, is "an invitation to reach out to those we know and to those whom we don't yet know." Kobia depicted the Assembly as an occasion to encourage dialogue among members of the Council, but also between member churches and Roman Catholics, Pentecostals, Evangelicals and representatives of other faiths.

The Exhibition Hall: Sharing Stories and Meeting People

February 14, 2006 – Assemblies of the World Council of Churches see Christians from all over the world come together, and many church-related groups take advantage of the display window this event provides. More than 100 groups are represented in dozens of booths in the assembly's exhibit hall adjacent to the main plenary space on the campus of the Pontifical Catholic University in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Colourful displays cover a variety of issues and topics representing all geographical areas of the world. In one corner of the hall, seven ecumenical "umbrella" agencies – such as Oikocredit, Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance and ECLOF – are sharing a common space.

Disabled People Challenge WCC Inclusivity

February 13, 2006 Disabled people will try to affirm the church as an inclusive community, but the struggle for recognition at the decision-making levels of the World Council of Churches will be a long and difficult struggle since it was only at the 1998 Harare Assembly that the Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network was established as a full programme of the WCC. General secretary Samuel Kobia met with the disabled participants during pre-Assembly meetings and committed himself and the Geneva headquarters to full inclusion in all programmes.

Disability Rights and Wrongs

February 14, 2006 – To a casual thinker, if someone is blind, or has lost a limb, or has cerebral palsy, it's only humane to want to fix it, and if it can't be fixed it is a matter for regret. But according to Gregor Wolbring, a bioethics professor in Canada who is part of the Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network (EDAN) which met over the weekend before the WCC Assembly – and who can speak from personal experience – it is not a simple matter of fixing the problem. There are, he believes, two different issues disabled people are facing. One relates to how their body functions or their "impairment." Another relates to the disability that person actually experiences – "the social discrimination they face due to their impairment," he says. "Both issues need different solutions."

Christian Women of the World United

February 13, 2006 Society, and particularly the roles of men, need to be re-organized as a pre-requisite for meaningful social transformation and so that women can be mainstreamed into church and society, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary, Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia has said. Kobia made these remarks during a dialogue with women delegates attending the WCC's pre-Assembly consultation from 10-13 February. Consultation moderator Rev. Irja Askola from Finland, who welcomed Kobia after a brief performance of singing and dancing by a group of African women, told him, "Brother Sam we are behind you, you are not alone."

Celebration and Transformation on World's Churches' Agenda

February 14, 2006 The first Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in the 21st century opens in Porto Alegre, Brazil, today, 14 February, under the theme "God, in your grace, transform the world." The Assembly, which meets every seven years, is the highest governing body of the WCC, the world's broadest global gathering of churches and Christian organizations. The diverse and dynamic event manifests the churches' commitment to seeking unity, common witness and service to the world. The gathering in Porto Alegre is the ninth assembly since the WCC was formally inaugurated in 1948 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Kyrill, Dandala: Globalized World Presents Faith Challenges

February 16, 2006 – Religious leaders from two hemispheres discussed the edges where cultures and civilizations clash during a 9th Assembly press conference Wednesday afternoon. Metropolitan Kyrill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad and Rev. Dr Mvume Dandala each noted challenges in an increasingly globalized world. Kyrill, chairman of the Department for External Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church, said that relations between religions have been "very peaceful" in his nation, but require close attention and care to maintain that mutual respect. Kyrill said that while most of Russia is Orthodox, 10 percent is Muslim, and other religious traditions comprise another 10 percent.

Indigenous Voices Speak to the Churches

February 13, 2006 Indigenous people from around the globe have had a special place the church for much of its life but, all too often, place has been destructive of their physical, spiritual and cultural heritage as the first nations of the colonized world. Seen as objects of mission rather than people of the living God, these first nations are now represented in the 9th Assembly through the Indigenous Peoples Programme. At a pre-Assembly meeting, some 50 Indigenous representatives praised the WCC's attempts to to support millions of the world's people who are, as one Masai participant described it, "the memory of the earth."

General News

Clowning Around Lands United Methodist on ‘Strong Women' Site

February 15, 2006 – She's a real estate agent by day, a clown by night and a member of an inaugural Web site dedicated to strong women. Ricki Whittle, 60, is among 34 women who do good things for others and are profiled in a collection that recognizes and encourages women to be strong in mind, body and spirit. The women on the Web site differ in interests and professions – most are "ordinary" women while some are celebrities – but each of them is contributing to women in extraordinary ways.

New Charity Commemorates 20th Century Christian Martyr

February 17, 2006 – Ugandan Archbishop Janani Luwum was murdered on 17 February 1977 for standing up to dictator Idi Amin. The Archbishop Janani Luwum Trust will be launched in Westminster Abbey this Saturday, 18 February. The Archbishop of York, the Most Revd & Rt Hon Dr John Sentamu is President of the Archbishop Janani Luwum Memorial Trust. He will join other worshippers for the traditional service of Evensong in the Abbey at 3 pm. After that he will lead hundreds of worshippers a short, exuberant, African-style service with drums and singing.

Can the Bible Be Equated with the Word of God?
Theologians in LWF Study Program Debate Contextual Realities of Biblical Authority

February 17, 2006, WARSAW, Poland/GENEVA – Can the Bible be equated with the Word of God? A group of Lutheran theologians focused on this critical question at their second meeting within the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) study program "The Authority of the Bible in the Life of the Church," February 16, in Warsaw, Poland. The seven theologians had identified crucial topics such as unity and diversity within the Bible, the biblical canon, and methods of interpreting the Bible, to form the basis for individual articles from a contextual perspective, at their first meeting in September 2004.

United Methodists Increase Giving to Church by More than 50%

February 16, 2006, NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Amid a year of natural disasters, United Methodists reached deep into their pockets and increased their total giving to the church's ministries by more than 50 percent over the previous year. The denomination has much to celebrate in "the overwhelming generosity of the people of the United Methodist Church, who increased giving by 53.6 percent compared to 2004," said Sandra K. Lackore, top executive of the denomination's General Council on Finance and Administration in Nashville. She spoke to United Methodist media by telephone and Web conferencing Feb. 15. Total giving in 2005 was $244.7 million, which is $85 million more than in 2004, she said. Of that, $80 million was for tsunami and hurricane relief efforts. Total giving in 2004 was $159.3 million.

NCC General Secretary Says Habitat Puts Christian Message into Action

February 13, 2006, NEW YORK – The General Secretary of the National Council of Churches USA will host a workshop and breakfast promoting the work of Habitat for Humanity Brazil at the World Council of Churches ninth assembly this month in Puerto Alegre, Brazil. Habitat plans a building project near the assembly site, and the Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar said the many communions in the U.S. add similar projects to the agenda of their national meetings. "Many cities have seen national church groups descend upon their hotels, crowd their shopping malls, become part of the bustle in the streets, and then depart as quickly as we came," Edgar said.

Spanish-language Web Site up and Running
Presbyterian Resources En Espanol Are Now Just a Mouse-click Away

February 16, 2006, LOUISVILLE – The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has launched an all-Spanish Web site, putting a compendium of Spanish resources just a few clicks away. The new site is presented entirely in Spanish, even down to the PC(USA) seal and navigation buttons. An English version is available. The new resource allows church leaders and members to find and access nearly 200 items in Spanish available through The Presbyterian Marketplace and elsewhere on the PC(USA)'s Web site.

Zulu Broadcast Brings Upper Room Devotional to New Audience

February 14, 2006 – Snap. Crackle. Pop. No, it is not the sound of a breakfast cereal but the beginning of the first isiZulu translation and radio broadcast of the Upper Room's daily devotional. The broadcast is found on frequency 1170 MW on TransWorld Radio, transmitted out of Swaziland into KwaZulu Natal, one of the provinces in South Africa, via Medium Wave receiver.

Spanish News

Los Jóvenes, Dueños De La Asamblea

2 febrero 2006 – Los jóvenes se adueñaron de la IX Asamblea del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) antes incluso de que comenzara. Desde sus reuniones previas abordaron con ímpetu un número de temas como antesala de lo que está ocurriendo desde el martes en el campus de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Porto Alegre. Colman la sala del plenario. No sólo con su presencia sino, también, con sus criterios en torno a cómo enfocar el tema de la Asamblea: "Dios, en tu gracia, transforma el mundo." En uno de los estudios bíblicos debatieron el pasaje bíblico de Isaías 65:17-25, relacionado con el tema de un nuevo cielo y una nueva tierra.

Kobia Desafía a Fortalecer El Testimonio En Común De Las Iglesias

16 febrero 2006 Fortalecer el testimonio en común de las iglesias y el diálogo interreligioso para enfrentar de manera conjunta los problemas que afectan a la comunidad humana en el día de hoy fue uno de los desafíos expresados por el secretario general del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI), pastor Dr. Samuel Kobia, al presentar su informe ante la IX Asamblea, que se realiza en Porto Alegre, del 14 al 23 de febrero. En su informe, Kobia se refirió a los temas que deben marcar la agenda de este organismo ecuménico.

Católicos: El Diálogo Como Camino

17 febrero 2006 – "El hecho de ser una Iglesia de características universales hace más difícil la membresía de la Iglesia Católica en el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI), sin embargo tenemos un espacio de diálogo que consideramos esencial," afirmó el cardenal alemán Walter Kasper, presidente del Consejo Pontificio para la Promoción de la Unidad de los Cristianos, durante una conferencia ofrecida a la prensa en la IX Asamblea del CMI. Junto a Kasper se encontraban el obispo irlandés Brian Farrell, secretario del Consejo Pontificio y la profesora brasileña Verónica Araujo, coordinadora para el trabajo del Centro para un Diálogo por la Cultura, del Movimiento Focolar.

Cardenal Kasper Pide Autocrítica a Iglesia Católica Por Pase De Fieles a Grupos Evangélicos

16 febrero 2006, PORTO ALEGRE, Brasil – Miles de fieles renuncian cada año a su fe católica en América Latina y pasan a engrosar las filas evangélicas, siendo éste un hecho que preocupa a la jerarquía de la Iglesia, admitió este jueves el cardenal Walter Kasper, presidente del Consejo Pontificio para la Promoción de la Unidad de los Cristianos (CPPUNC), del Vaticano. El fenómeno no es exclusivo de América Latina, es mundial, pero no tenemos que buscar explicaciones en las otras iglesias, sino en la propia Iglesia Católica, que debería hacerse una autocrítica y reconocer deficiencias y vacíos en su trabajo evangelístico y pastoral, aseveró.

Entre El Capitalismo Globalizado Y La Justicia Económica

17 febrero 2006 Un duro cuestionamiento al capitalismo neoliberal, al que se consideró responsable de la tragedia de la pobreza y de la creciente destrucción de la naturaleza y del medio ambiente, fue central en la sesión plenaria sobre Justicia Económica, uno de los temas de trabajo del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias en esta IX Asamblea, que se realiza en Porto Alegre, del 14 al 23 de febrero.

¿Cómo Se Identifican Los Cristianos En Un Mundo De Pluralidad Religiosa?

17 febrero 2006 – Las dificultades de los cristianos y las cristianas en el mundo de hoy, ante el pluralismo religioso, fue el tema central de discusión en la ponencia presentada por el Arzobispo de Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, ante la sesión sobre "Identidad cristiana y pluralismo religioso" de la IX Asamblea del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias, en Porto Alegre. Para el Arzobispo Williams, la identidad cristiana se manifiesta en el trabajo del pueblo, de la comunidad de fe, dando testimonio de Dios, unos a otros, y a los que los rodean, por medio de la acción diaria y del culto.

Líder Del Consejo Mundial De Iglesias Pide Parar Difusión De Caricaturas De Mahoma

14 febrero 2006, PORTO ALEGRE, Brasil –"La difusión de los dibujos de Mahoma debe parar para que pueda haber diálogo," dijo el secretario general del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI), pastor Samuel Kobia, al referirse hoy a las caricaturas que aparecieron en algunos diarios europeos, tras asegurar que cristianos y musulmanes deben cooperar para "borrar el incendio" que éstas provocaron. La libertad de expresión "no es una libertad para decir cualquier cosa.

No Se Permitió Acceso De La Prensa a Conferencia Sobre Compendio De La Doctrina Social De La Iglesia

17 febrero 2006, LA HABANA, Cuba – El cardenal cubano Jaime Ortega Alamino impidió el acceso de la prensa a la conferencia que ofreció el Presidente del Pontificio Consejo "Justicia y Paz," cardenal Renato R.Martino, para presentar el nuevo Compendio de la Doctrina Social de la Iglesia. A la conferencia asistieron la jefa de la Oficina de Atención a los Asuntos Religiosos del Comité Central del Partido Comunista de Cuba, Caridad Diego, varios académicos miembros del Partido Comunista de Cuba y representantes de otras confesiones cristianas.

Cumbre De La Iglesia Evangélica Por La Paz Presenta Primer Informe

16 febrero 2006, SAN ANDRES ISLA, Colombia – Un primer informe que contiene propuestas sobre el proceso de paz,desmovilización, ley de justicia, reparación y reconciliación, que vive el país, resultado de 8 mesas de trabajo, fue presentado el miércoles en la Cumbre de las Iglesias Evangélicas Por la Paz que se desarrolla en esta isla. El documento contiene un mensaje al país y a la comunidad internacional y algunos alcances sobre los antecedentes del conflicto, los diálogos de paz, desplazamiento y desmovilización, política internacional, la situación de la niñez ante y en el conflicto y la situación de la iglesia dentro del enfrentamiento armado.

Se Inició I Cumbre Nacional De La Iglesia Evangélica Por La Paz

14 febrero 2006, SAN ANDRES, Colombia – Más de 100 líderes evangélicos llegaron a San Andrés Isla, convocados por el Consejo Evangélico de Colombia (CEDECOL), para asistir a la Primera Cumbre Nacional de Iglesias Cristianas por la Paz, que se inauguró el lunes. El evento pretende lograr un consenso en materia de incidencia política y presentar al gobierno una serie de propuestas de acercamiento con los sectores armados, bajo el monitoreo de organizaciones no gubernamentales internacionales.

Presidente "Lula" Da Silva Afirma El Rol De Iglesias En La Contrucción De La Democracia

17 febrero 2006 – "La democracia y la libertad conquistadas por el pueblo brasileño le deben mucho a la solidaria participación de las iglesias," expresó el presidente del Brasil, Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva, hablanso ante la IX Asamblea del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) que sesiona en Porto Alegre. "Lula" da Silva habló del orgullo que constituía para él recibir en el país la Asamblea del organismo ecuménico que había acompañado el proceso democrático verificado desde los tiempos de la dictadura militar.

Llamado De Pueblos Indígenas a La IX Asamblea Del CMI

15 febrero 2006 – "Estamos experimentando altos niveles de racismo ambiental," señalan en una declaración los representantes indígenas de distintas comunidades que participaron de la pre-Asamblea de Pueblos Indígenas, realizada en Porto Alegre el 12 y 13 de febrero. "Como las comunidades indígenas vivimos en íntima relación con la tierra y los mares, somos las primeras afectadas por la destrucción de la Creación," continúan, "a pesar de no reconocerlo, toda la humanidad vive en absoluta dependencia de la naturaleza."

Lula Destaca Papel De Las Iglesias En La Democratización Del País

17 febrero 2006, PORTO ALEGRE, Brasil – El presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva instó al Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) a continuar apoyando a Brasil en la construcción de una sociedad cada vez más justa y en el combate al hambre y la pobreza en el planeta. Al mismo tiempo agradeció la solidaridad activa que el organismo ecuménico ofreció en la lucha por la democratización del país. "La democracia y la libertad conquistadas por el pueblo brasileño también fueron conseguidas con la participación solidaria de las iglesias," dijo.

Pastores De Asamblea De Dios Hablarán En Jornada De Trabajo De La Asamblea Del CMI

13 febrero 2006, PORTO ALEGRE, Brasil – El pastor vice-presidente de la Asamblea de Dios del Vale do Sinos, Adalberto Santos y el evangelista Claudiano Pereira van a presentar, en una jornada de trabajo de la IX Asamblea del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI), cómo funciona esa denominación, qué teologia propone y la contribución que da a la sociedad brasileña. "Esa será una oportunidad que tendremos de conocer otras denominaciones y personas.

Secretaria De Gobernación Amonesta a 4 Pastores Por Hacer Proselitismo Político

13 febrero 2006, CIUDAD DE MEXICO, México – Cuatro pastores evangélicos fueron apercibidos por la Comisión Sancionadora de la Secretaría de Gobernación (SEGOB) por hacer proselitismo político a favor del Partido Unidos por México (PUM), pese a que la ley de asociaciones religiosas lo prohíbe expresamente. La SEGOB, responsable de la política interior, dijo en un comunicado que basó su resolución en una información que le entregó el Instituto Electoral del Estado de México (IEEM), que adjuntó los videos de dos actos en los que aparecen los ministros evangélicos pronunciándose a favor del PUM, según publicó el diario El Milenio.

New York Metro News

Manhattan Priest Is ‘Ordained to the World, Not Just to the Deaf

February 16, 2006 – Communicating is not a problem for Christine Selfe. She communicates with everyone she can in many ways-vocally, using American Sign Language (ASL), email-it doesn't matter to Selfe. She has a message, and she communicates it. The Rev. Christine Selfe is the vicar for St. Ann's Church for the Deaf in Manhattan, a calling she has enjoyed "one year exactly on January 5," she smiled. "It's been a wonderful year." While questions were presented to her in ASL through an interpreter, Selfe answered vocally, always with a smile. Her calling to St. Ann's may be only a year old, but she has been a part of St. Ann's since 1982, "when I first came to St. Ann's as a student assistant," she said. "Since then, it's been an ongoing relationship."

National News

Episcopal Migration Ministries Decries Pending Crisis for United States Refugee Program

Anti-terrorism laws cloud refugee-status rulings February 17, 2006 – Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) said that this lack of direction comes at a time when the country has "barely recovered from the substantial decline in the number of refugees being admitted to the U.S. following the 9/11 tragedy." With the passage of the Patriot Act immediately following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and the enactment of the REAL ID Act, another law deemed to be an anti-terrorist measure enacted last year, persons who have given "material support" to "terrorist groups" are now considered inadmissible to the U.S.

Storms Revealed Faces of Poverty in U.S., Bishop Says

February 13, 2006 – Hurricane Katrina blew the face off of poverty in the United States, revealing the plight of the poor in startling detail and forging a church group's resolve to see that people of color are treated fairly in the rebuilding. "We are closer to being a Third World country than one could ever imagine," declared United Methodist Bishop Melvin G. Talbert. Talbert, head of a special commission to advocate for the just rebuilding of the Gulf Coast, said the hurricane also showed "when people of color are involved, there isn't immediate and careful attention given."

International News

Colombian Church Leaders Face Renewed Death Threats
Ufford-Chase Says PC(USA) Is ‘Watching this Situation with Grave Concern'

February 17, 2006, LOUISVILLE – Presbyterian and Roman Catholic leaders active in human-rights ministries in Colombia reportedly are facing death threats once again. The supposed targets include the Rev. Milton Mejia, executive secretary of the Presbyterian Church of Colombia, and Mauricio Avilez, an ecumenical peace worker once detained without charges in Colombia and released for lack of evidence. The person who reported the new threats has gone into hiding after assassins killed two of his companions but missed him.

Tutu Appeals to Haitian Protestors to Stay Calm Following Election

February 14, 2006 – As thousands of protestors took to the streets of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, in response to the country's February 7 presidential election, a crowd of 7,000 stormed the city's Hotel Montana February 13 where former Archbishop of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu, and Executive Council member Louie Crew were guests. Both are safe and have now been transported from the hotel to Haiti's airport. Tutu, a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, appealed to the crowd to remain calm and said that he was very proud of the way that they had responded peacefully to the election.

Middle East News

Bethlehem's Christian Minority Concerned about Hamas' Rule

February 17, 2006, BETHLEHEM – Christians living in Jesus' birthplace are bracing themselves as the militant Islamic group Hamas prepares to take power as the Palestinian Authority government after winning legislative 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 Feb. 17. "But it's possible they might in the future."

Holy Land Christians Seek Vatican Aid
Group Claims Dwindling Minority Will Soon Be All but ‘Extinct'

February 16, 2006, JERUSALEM – A delegation of Israeli-Arab Christians visited the Vatican recently, urgently seeking aid for the struggling Christian communities of the Holy Land. The delegation met earlier this month with members of a Holy See assembly that deals with the problems of 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.

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NCC Study Guide Praises Two Resources from Fortress Press

February 13, 2006, MINNEAPOLIS – Linda Bloom with United Methodist News Service announced today that two books from Fortress Press are featured recommendations in a new study guide from the National Council of Churches. "To help churches take action on poverty, the National Council of Churches has released a new guide, Eradicating Poverty: A Christian Study Guide on the Millennium Development Goals. The Millennium Development Goals are a set of eight goals to end extreme poverty, hunger and disease by 2015, agreed to by world leaders in 2000." Two resources used in the new study were the book, Ending Hunger Now: A Challenge to Persons of Faith, written by Donald E. Messer and former Senators Bob Dole and George McGovern; and Breaking the Conspiracy of Silence: Christian Churches and the Global AIDS Crisis, by Donald E. Messer.