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Use of Trinity Property Becomes the Focus of Occupy Wall Street

December 15, 2011 – A sliver of property owned by Trinity Episcopal Church, Wall Street, located at Canal Street and Sixth Avenue adjacent to Duarte Square in lower Manhattan has become the focal point of Occupy Wall Street as the movement against greed and economic inequality enters its third month. "If the movement is about economic equity, social justice, proper interaction against civilized folks, that message can be conveyed in a variety of ways without occupying someone else's property," said the Rev. Jim Cooper, Trinity's rector, in an interview with ENS Dec. 12, reinforcing his Dec. 9 statement posted on Trinity's website. Since early in the movement, Trinity has provided meeting space and use of its facilities, when open, for bathrooms and respite to OWS but has held firm on not allowing occupiers on the Duarte Square property.

Durban Outcome Is Not Enough, Says WCC

December 9, 2011 In a statement read on 9 December to government members from around the world at the United Nations climate summit in Durban, South Africa, the World Council of Churches (WCC) reaffirmed the need for a fair, ambitious and binding treaty to effectively address climate change effects on vulnerable communities. "In Durban, religious communities have come together in various ways to express that climate change is also a moral and spiritual crisis. We proclaim together: We have faith. Act now for climate justice" the statement requested. It was read to the High Level segment of the 17th Conference of Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by Elias Crisostomo Abramides, from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

‘Meaningful Climate Action Postponed for a Decade' Says Church World Service

December 13, 2011, WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following Sunday's conclusion of two weeks of talks at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban humanitarian agency Church World Service today issued a statement lamenting the postponement of "meaningful action" on man-made threats to the atmosphere and planet and again called on President Obama and the U.S. Congress to act boldly to address the crisis. The Church World Service statement, sent to President Obama and Congress by the agency's CEO and Executive Director Rev. John L. McCullough, expressed concern that "the negotiators have pushed decisive action many years ahead," while "the global family is in a perilous race against the clock on climate change."

Christmas Messages

Pope's Three Wishes for Christmas

December 9, 2011, VATICAN CITY – Late Wednesday afternoon, 7 December, thanks to a "tablet" connected to the power grid, Benedict XVI lit the largest Christmas tree in the world from the papal apartments. This electronic "tree" is located in the Italian town of Gubbio. Before flipping the switch he addressed a few words – by television – to those attending the ceremony. "Before lighting the tree," he said, "I would like to express three wishes. This Christmas tree is formed on the slopes of Mt. Ingino at whose summit is found the basilica of Gubbio's patron saint, St. Ubaldo. When we look at it our eyes are lifted up, raised toward the sky, toward the world of God."

2011 Christmas Message from ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson

December 15, 2011, CHICAGO – The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), shared a Christmas greeting today with the 4.2 million members of this church. Hanson also delivered his greeting to the ELCA's six full communion, ecumenical and interfaith partners, and member churches of The Lutheran World Federation. The full text of the presiding bishop's message follows: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all (Titus 2:11).

Episcopal Presiding Bishop's Christmas 2011 Message

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE 2011 – See, your salvation comes – Isaiah 62:11 The great prophets before Jesus proclaimed a vision of a nation and a people redeemed. We continue to share that yearning – as the Christmas hymn puts it, "the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight." We've seen abundant hopes spring up in the past year across the Arab world and Eastern Europe, and in the global Occupy movement. Those voices seek a world of greater justice, communities in which decisions and the gifts of creation are more available to all. Our understanding of salvation is most profoundly about justice in community, and as Christians we believe that help and healing for all are grounded in the incarnate presence of God – among us and within us.

General News

Church Challenged to Fight AIDS Epidemic as it Once Did Apartheid
Getting to Zero Infections Needs New HIV and AIDS Competence

December 15, 2011, JOHANNESBURG, South Africa/GENEVA – The coordinator of HIV and AIDS work at The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has called on the church to combat the epidemic as it once took on South Africa's apartheid system. Rev. Dr Veikko Munyika was speaking at the opening of the LWF and Lutheran Communion in Southern Africa (LUCSA) consultation on "Gender and the HIV and AIDS Epidemic" being held from 12 to 15 December in Johannesburg, South Africa. "Like apartheid and its evil consequence during those days, HIV and AIDS need to become part and parcel of our core business as church," said Munyika.

Corona Episcopalian Inspires Support for Wheelchair Ministry
St. John's Church Meets ‘Advent Challenge' and More

December 15, 2011, LOS ANGELES – Erin Tharp of Corona preached a powerfully inspiring sermon Nov. 20 at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church without uttering a single word. The 28-year-old former straight-A student, who has been in a wheelchair and unable to speak for nearly half her young life, inspired the congregation to meet an "Advent Challenge." They promptly and overwhelmingly responded by raising funds to purchase one hundred wheelchairs for the disabled poor in developing countries, reaching their goal just two weeks into the Advent season. Tharp had already donated about $630, enough to purchase ten of the durable, inexpensive wheelchairs through the Free Wheelchair Mission, a ministry Bishop Jon Bruno has encouraged all congregations throughout the diocese to embrace.

Ecumenical News

Unique Tri-faith Initiative Buys Common Ground
Omaha Effort Will Create ‘Multi-faith Neighborhood'

December 13, 2011 – Omaha, Nebraska may not be the place that some imagine as fertile ground for the prospect of the three Abrahamic faiths finding common ground but, the vision of such peaceful co-existence has taken a major step towards becoming reality. The Tri-Faith Initiative of Omaha announced Dec. 13 that it has completed the purchase of four adjacent parcels of land, amounting to about 35 acres, on a former golf course in the heart of Omaha. The course is being turned into Sterling Ridge, a development that will also include single-family homes, an assisted-living facility, office and retail space and a hotel.

Spanish News

¿Podría La "Primavera Árabe" Convertirse En Un "Invierno Cristiano"?

13 diciembre 2011 – Las iglesias de Egipto están orando y ayudan a los migrantes que han abandonado sus hogares a causa de los disturbios políticos, la violencia y un futuro incierto. Es urgentemente necesario desarrollar sociedades democráticas estables para que la "primavera árabe" produzca frutos. De lo contario, podría convertirse en un "invierno árabe" para las minorías religiosas en riesgo de persecución.

) Youssef trabaja en la Organización Evangélica Copta para Servicios Sociales y fue entrevistado por Naveen Qayyum, redactora del personal del CMI.

Red Bíblica Cubana Arriba a Diez Años De Existencia

14 diciembre 2010, LA HABANA, Cuba – La Red Bíblica Cubana, perteneciente al Centro de Estudios del Consejo de Iglesias de Cuba (CIC), celebra sus 10 años de fundada, como espacio que ha servido al análisis de las Sagradas Escrituras desde una relectura popular y contextualizada, de acuerdo al entorno cubano y con una visión ampliamente ecuménica del tema. De ahí que el pasado octubre celebrara un Taller Nacional de Lectura Popular y Comunitaria de la Biblia, en la llamada Casa del Cariño (CESERSE), en el balneario de Varadero, provincia de Matanzas, como parte de la celebración de este decenio.

Iglesias Latinoamericanas Discuten Nuevas Formas De Capacitación Para La Diaconía

14 diciembre 2011 – Cerca de 40 participantes de diferentes denominaciones cristianas se reunieron en Brasil, procedente de varios países latinoamericanos, buscando modos dinámicos de formación ecuménica para el trabajo diaconal, en un Seminario Latinoamericano de Formación para la Diaconía, que tuvo lugar del 21 al 24 de noviembre. La reunión fue promovida por el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) y organizada por el Consejo Latinoamericano de Iglesias (CLAI), en la Escuela Superior de Teología (EST), en São Leopoldo.

Científicos Recomiendan Que Las Monjas Tomen La Píldora Anticonceptiva

15 diciembre 2010 BRASIL – "Las religiosas católicas pagan un precio alto por el voto de castidad," afirmaron los especialistas Roger Short, de la Universidad de Melbourne, y Kara Britt, de la Universidad Monash. En un artículo publicado en la revista científica The Lancet , Roger y Kara recomendaron que ellas tomen la píldora anticonceptiva.

Los Jóvenes Prometen Empeñarse Activamente En Favor De La Justicia Ambiental

16 diciembre 2011 – Después de dos semanas en que han recibido capacitación sobre la teología y política de la justicia ecológica en Durban, Sudáfrica, representantes de la juventud cristiana de todo el mundo han prometido emprender, en sus propios contextos, iniciativas que promuevan las nuevas ideas que han adquirido. Juventud para la Ecojusticia, proyecto conjunto de la Federación Luterana Mundial (FLM) y el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI), reunió a 30 jóvenes, del 28 de noviembre al 10 de diciembre, para una reflexión y diálogo bíblicos sobre el medio ambiente.

International News

More than 4,000 Reached at Sinying Christmas Carnival

December 11, 2011 – Churches in Sinying District in Tainan came together for the first time to host a Christmas carnival on December 3, 2011 at a local park. This Christmas carnival called "Share the Love" first originated in Hong Kong and began to be held in Taiwan beginning in 2006. Based on the themes of grace, respect, and joy, the carnival includes, local cuisine, games, sharing of the gospel, and free services such as massages and haircuts. This carnival sponsored by 11 local churches was the product of 8 months' worth of planning and praying. It attracted a crowd of more than 4,000 people and churches used this occasion, which coincided with the season of Advent, to meet new people and invite them to their respective Christmas celebrations so that residents of Sinying would learn about the origin of Christmas.

Papua New Guinea Approves Covenant and Says it Is "Proud to Belong to the Anglican Communion"
Member Church's Decision Based on its Understanding of the Name "Anglican Communion"

December 15, 2011 – The Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea has announced that its Provincial Council last week approved and accepted the Anglican Covenant. Writing to the Secretary General of the decision on behalf of the House of Bishops, the Bishop of Port Moresby, the Rt Revd Peter Ramsden, said the decision was based on their understanding of the name Anglican Communion. "Anglican" was one of the styles of Christianity brought to this land and people near the end of the nineteenth century," he wrote. "It never pretended to be the only form of Christianity, but it did reflect how one part of the Christian family had developed, built on the importance of scripture, creeds, sacraments and episcopal order.

Joe Takeli's "First" for Solomon Islands in DFID Funded Education Scheme

December 16, 2011 – Joe Takeli, who is due to come to the UK in January to take up a Commonwealth Professional Fellowship, will be the first Solomon Islander to come to London on this type of programme. Joe, the Education Secretary for the Anglican Church of Melanesia, is one of four education administrators from across the Communion to take part in the scheme which is funded by DFID and delivered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission. The scheme has been put together by the Anglican Alliance that will organise the four "fellows" while they are in London. During their time in the UK they will visit education institutions inside London and beyond and will also visit Lambeth Palace, Houses of Parliament, and the Department for Education.

London's Chinese Lutheran Church Reaches out to Migrants
David Lin: "We Provide a Spiritual Home for the People"

December 15, 2011, JARVENPAA, Finland/GENEVA – David Lin advises Chinese migrants in Britain from a London church, but when he was growing up in Hong Kong during the 1960s he was not a Christian. Going to an Anglican primary school first and then a Roman Catholic secondary school he attended Bible studies and was interested in the books of the apostles. Yet it was not until after graduating from university in Hong Kong and working for what is now the Asian Lutheran News service that he became a Christian. "In Hong Kong when parents want their children to get a good education they send them to church schools. My parents are not Christians."

Diakonia Can Light up Communities in the midst of Economic Insecurity
Lutherans in Europe Discuss Faithful Response to Neighbors

December 14, 2011, JARVENPAA, Finland/GENEVA – In Finland snow provides light in the dark days of the Christmas season. Lutherans from different parts of Europe who converged on Helsinki for a three-day workshop on re-forming community diakonia in the region were reminded of this important aspect of snow for Finns. Rev. Jouko Porkka, rector of the Diakonia University of Applied Sciences in Järvenpää, noted during the workshop's opening worship that diaconal service provides similar light to needy communities. "We are people who dwell in a land of deep darkness. We wait for the light to shine on us," said Porkka.