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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
August 11, 2011 – A religion communicators group called Aug. 7 for responsible discussion of faith groups in news coverage of 9/11's 10th anniversary. The Religion Communicators Council urged journalists and bloggers to "pursue accuracy, respect and understanding of people of all faiths and faith communities." The statement was in a resolution adopted in Philadelphia by the board of governors for the 400-member interfaith council. The 17-member board called "for responsible discussion of religion and of all faith groups, seeking the understanding and acceptance of religious communities." Peace Convocation to Inspire Prayer for 21 September August 11, 2011 – Each year on 21 September the World Council of Churches calls churches and parishes to observe the International Day of Prayer for Peace. This year the WCC is asking the 1,000 people who attended the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation in Kingston in May 2011 to offer a prayer for peace as a follow-up to that important event. Each of the 1,000 participants, as well as all those who have followed the events in Jamaica from afar, are being invited to compose a prayer. They are invited to share it with members and leaders of their church, with people they met at IEPC and within their networks. The WCC will post all prayers received on Facebook. Using Fear as a Weapon Violates the Gospel August 10, 2011 – On a visit to southern Spain, I came across a centuries-old Roman Catholic church that had a large stone post with iron rings placed beside the church door. It was the whipping post, where targets of the Spanish Inquisition were tortured in public and their blood stains left to frighten others into obedience. Whipping posts, stocks, pillories and other instruments of public humiliation and suffering have been standard fare in human societies, but they have been used with special zeal when religion and crown, or religion and state, were making common cause in repression. Religion gave God's imprimatur, the crown or state supplied torturers, and the sharing of repressive power left both institutions more powerful. Storytelling Breathes New Life into Biblical Texts August 8, 2011 – Never underestimate the power of a well-told story. The Rev. Adam Bartholomew was converted to biblical storytelling when the Rev. Thomas Boomershine asked him to serve as his audience while he prepared an audiotape of Mark's Passion narrative as part of his dissertation at Union Theological Seminary in New York, where both were students in the 1970s. First Boomershine read the narrative. Then he told it. "I was absolutely astonished at the difference. That converted me," said Bartholomew, a former United Church of Christ minister and now Episcopal priest-in-charge at Church of the Ascension in Mount Vernon, New York. Iglesia Adventista Del Séptimo Día Celebra Oratón De 24 Horas 9 agosto 2011, JAMAICA – Como culminación de 160 días de oración por distintos motivos sociales, iniciativa de la División Interamericana de la Iglesia Adventista del Séptimo Día, se realizó, este seis de agosto, un Oratón que duró 24 horas y permitió que numerosas personas recibieran, gracias a los medios masivos de comunicación, el llamado de Dios. El Instituto Ecuménico Acoge a Estudiantes De Comunicación 8 agosto 2011 – El Instituto Ecuménico de Bossey, en las afueras de Ginebra (Suiza), inaugura su primera escuela de verano con un curso centrado en la comunicación y la religión a nivel internacional. Diecisiete estudiantes de Alemania, Armenia, Brasil, China, Etiopía, Fiji, Ghana, Sri Lanka y Ucrania participan en el curso, que se celebra del 1 al 14 de agosto de 2011. El Secretario General Del CMI Pide Fin De La Violencia En Siria 10 agosto 2011 – Haciendo un llamamiento para que cese la violencia de todos los bandos en el conflicto político actual en Siria, el secretario general del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) expresó: "es particularmente urgente que el ejército y los organismos de seguridad gubernamentales cesen el uso indiscriminado de la fuerza" contra los manifestantes, y opten por proteger la vida de todos los ciudadanos sirios, su dignidad, sus derechos humanos y sus libertades fundamentales. 10 agosto 2011, CONCEPCIÓN, Chile – Miles de estudiantes marcharon este jueves por las calles de la capital exigiendo una educación de calidad y una educación pública gratuita. En el norte y en el sur de país, ni la lluvia ni el frío ni la represión de parte de carabineros pararon a quienes hicieron escuchar su gritos hasta La moneda, casa de los gobernantes. La Convocatoria Por La Paz Sirve De Inspiración Para La Oración Del 21 De Septiembre 11 agosto 2011 – Cada año, el 21 de septiembre, el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias hace un llamamiento a las iglesias y parroquias a que observen el Día Internacional de Oración por la Paz. Este año el CMI pide a cada uno de los 1.000 participantes en la Convocatoria Ecuménica Internacional por la Paz que se celebró en Kingston, en mayo del presente año, que ofrezcan una oración por la paz en el espíritu de ese importante acontecimiento. El Secretario General Del CMI Pide Fin De La Violencia En Siria 10 agosto 2011, SUIZA – Haciendo un llamamiento para que cese la violencia de todos los bandos en el conflicto político actual en Siria, el secretario general del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) expresó: "es particularmente urgente que el ejército y los organismos de seguridad gubernamentales cesen el uso indiscriminado de la fuerza" contra los manifestantes, y opten por proteger la vida de todos los ciudadanos sirios, su dignidad, sus derechos humanos y sus libertades fundamentales. Iglesias Presbiterianas Y Reformadas Piden Elecciones Sin Violencia 11 agosto 2011, CIUDAD DE GUATEMALA – Representantes de las iglesias presbiterianas y reformadas de América Latina, reunidos en la Asamblea de la Alianza de Iglesias Presbiterianas y Reformadas de América Latina- AIPRAL en esta ciudad, exhortaron este miércoles a las autoridades guatemaltecas a garantizar el próximo 11 de septiembre unas elecciones sin violencia con el fin de fortalecer la democracia. In New Affront, Authorities Say They Will Bury an Iranian Baha'i as a Muslim August 10, 2011, GENEVA – In an outrageous new incident of religious discrimination, authorities in the city of Tabriz, Iran, have refused to allow Baha'is to bury a relative in accordance with Baha'i law – and instead have promised to entomb the deceased woman without a coffin under Muslim rites. "To anyone who understands the culture of the Middle East, the idea that the government would force a family to bury their loved one according to the rites of another religion is beyond the pale," said Diane Ala'i, the representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations in Geneva. WCC Leader Calls for an End to Syrian Violence August 9, 2011 – Voicing an appeal for the renunciation of violence by all sides in ongoing political conflict in Syria, the general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) has stated, "it is particularly urgent that the army and government security agencies cease the indiscriminate use of force" against demonstrators, moving instead to protect all Syrian citizens' lives, dignity, human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit quoted a portion of the message adopted in May 2011 by 1,000 participants at the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation, held hear Kingston, Jamaica: "With partners of other faiths, we have recognized that peace is a core value in all religions..." LWF Volunteer Security Teams Keep Peace in Dadaab Camps August 9, 2011, DADAAB, Kenya/GENEVA – A husband and wife argue over food and money, friends and relatives intervene and the dispute escalates into violence. Two men struggle while others try to pull them apart and the authorities are called. This is a serious business. Except that some of the participants can't help smiling as the action unfolds. For it is actually part of a role-play training exercise for the extraordinary volunteers of the Community Peace and Security Teams (CPSTs), who are on the front line of law and order in the Dadaab refugee camps. The system, devised and delivered by The Lutheran World Federation (LWF), will now be extended to new teams picked from among the 100,000 refugees from Somalia who have come to the camps this year. Church Leaders Launch Call to Action and Appeal for Famine Victims August 10, 2011 – Ecumenical faith leaders in Africa today launched a Call to Action and Appeal for the people affected by famine in the Horn of Africa. The move came after a two day meeting in Nairobi led by the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa and involving the All Africa Council of Churches the Lutheran World Federation, WCC-EHAIA, FECCLAHA, LWF, OAIC, WSCF, EAA, ACT Alliance and World Vision, brought together by the Anglican Alliance for development relief and advocacy. August 11, 2011, GENEVA – The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) General Secretary Rev. Martin Junge has made an urgent appeal for prayer and financial support from the Lutheran communion to help deal with the impact of the current drought in the Horn of Africa. In a letter to LWF member churches and national committees following an LWF delegation to the region last week, Junge said the world is facing a crisis in which more than 12 million lives in the region are at risk due to drought, said to be the worst in 60 years, and conflict. WCC Representatives at World Youth Day in Madrid August 11, 2011 – Consistent with its commitment to strengthen long-standing relations with the Roman Catholic Church and to foster youth involvement in the one ecumenical movement, the World Council of Churches is to participate in the World Youth Day (WYD) in Madrid, Spain, 16-21 August, in the presence of Pope Benedict XVI. The theme of the 2011 WYD is "Rooted and Built Up in Jesus Christ, Firm in the Faith" (Col 2:7). Three members of the Echos Commission on Youth in the Ecumenical Movement, the WCC youth body, were graciously invited by the International Young Catholic Students (IYCS) to join their official delegation. A IYCS delegate represents Roman Catholic youth on the Echos Commission. Tottenham's Faith Leaders to Host ‘Vigil of Hope' August 8, 2011 – Tottenham's faith leaders, politicians and youth leaders from across the local community will attend a "Vigil of Hope," Aug. 8 in a united response to the weekend's violence. The vigil has been organized by local churches from the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, the United Reformed Church and Pentecostalist and Independent churches, with representatives from the Muslim and Jewish faiths also expected to attend, along with David Lammy, Parliament member for Tottenham, and Claire Kober, leader of Haringey Council. The event will include collective prayers for the community and addresses from faith leaders. At Peace Service, Londoners Pray for City and Country August 10, 2011, LONDON – The annual peace service at Westminster Roman Catholic Cathedral acquired fresh significance on the evening of Aug.9 as Londoners gathered to pray for their city and other British communities torn by rioting. A fourth night of unrest brought total arrests in London to more than 700, according to police, and looting and arson continued to spread to other cities in Britain. One man has been reported killed and dozens of citizens and police officers have been injured, authorities said. The rioting began on Aug. 6 after a peaceful demonstration in north London over the police killing of a 29-year-old man. Zimbabwe High Court Awards Custody of Church Properties to Excommunicated Bishop August 10, 2011 – Anglican priests and their families in Zimbabwe may face eviction following a high court ruling awarding custodianship of Anglican church properties to excommunicated bishop Dr. Nolbert Kunonga. Bishop of Harare the Rt. Rev. Chad Gandiya has predicted "distress and chaos" for Anglican priests living in church properties in the wake of the legal decision. In a letter to supporters across the Anglican Communion, he wrote: "The chief justice has at long last given a judgment on an appeal we had made against Justice Hlatshwayo's judgment of 24th July 2009 in which he intended to stop my consecration and also gave the custodianship of the diocesan properties to Dr. Kunonga. August 10, 2011 – In Somalia, 3.2 million people – by some estimates almost half the East African country's population – are in need of "immediate life-saving assistance" and another 11 million in the Horn of Africa have been affected by the region's worst drought in 60 years, according to news reports and the United Nations. Famine and conflict have driven hundreds of thousands of Somalis across the nation's borders in search of asylum and assistance, with some 400,000 inhabitants at Dadaab, the largest refugee camp in the world, located in northeastern Kenya, according the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, African ecumenical faith leaders Aug. 10 launched a ‘Call to Action and Appeal' for people affected by famine in the Horn of Africa. Archbishop of Canterbury Speaks in House of Lords August 11, 2011 – Following the recall of the House of Lords in response to the events of recent days, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams Aug. 11 expressed sympathy with those affected, paid tribute to police and volunteers, and called for a renewed commitment to the building of strong communities, according to a Lambeth Palace press release. "In the events we have seen in recent days, there is nothing to romanticize and there is nothing to condone in the behavior that has spread across our streets. This is indeed criminality," said Williams, reflecting on the loss of confidence in society that many had experienced. |
