c. 1997 Religion News Service

British Methodists, Anglicans look to re-start theological talks

(RNS) Against the backdrop of two traumatic failures to heal the 18th-century breach between British Methodists and Anglicans, the Church of England’s general synod will be asked later this month to approve new, formal conversations with the Methodist Church of Great Britain.

However, they will not _ as in the past _ be aimed at merger but will instead seek to draw up a common statement setting out points of agreement and outstanding differences between the two denominations.

Such a statement would be expected to affirm the legitimacy of each body as a church and include a recognition of each other’s sacraments of baptism and the Eucharist.

Among the points of difference such a statement would acknowledge, however,is that of the role of bishop, an office that does not exist in the British Methodist church.

The cautious approach reflects the disappointment felt in both denominations over the failure of a plan for Anglican-Methodist union worked out in the 1960s, which was approved by the Methodist Conference but which in 1972 failed to obtain the necessary three-quarters majorities of each of the Anglican synod’s three houses of bishops, clergy, and laity.

Following that failure, a proposal for the Church of England to enter into a covenant leading to a merger not only with the Methodist Church but also the Moravian Church, the United Reformed Church and the Churches of Christ failed in 1982 to obtain the two-thirds majorities in the synod needed for approval.

The original 1960s plan for Anglican-Methodist unity offended both Anglo-Catholics and evangelicals over the deliberate ambiguity of the proposed system for the mutual recognition of each other’s ministries without any re-ordination.

Also on the Church of England’s agenda is a motion from the Lichfield diocesan synod calling for tighter controls over artificial human fertilization.

The synod is also expected to consider a resolution calling attention to the plight of asylum seekers and asking for a change in immigration procedures.

Boggs sworn in as ambassador to the Vatican

(RNS) Lindy Boggs, a former member of Congress from Louisiana and a devout Roman Catholic, has been sworn in as the new U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, as the Vatican is known in diplomatic circles.

Boggs, 81, took the oath of office Wednesday (Nov. 12) from Vice President Al Gore in a ceremony at the Old Executive Office Building in the White House complex.

As U.S. envoy at the Vatican, Boggs replaces former Boston Mayor Raymond Flynn, who resigned earlier this summer.

Boggs, a Democrat, was the first woman elected to Congress from Louisiana _ in 1973 _ after filling the seat previously held by her husband, Hale Boggs, who was killed in a plane crash in Alaska in 1972. She served in Congress until 1990.

NCC adopts policy statement urging greater access to church for deaf

(RNS) The National Council of Churches, meeting in Washington for its annual General Assembly, has adopted a policy statement calling on member churches to take steps to ease access to worship and other congregational activities for the deaf and those who are hard of hearing.”Now is the time for hearing church workers to use their gifts and experience to facilitate the empowerment of deaf leaders who can then work effectively in their communities to share the good news of God’s love,”the new statement said.

The statement noted that deaf people are divided into several different cultures _ for example, those that use American Sign language, who identify themselves as”Deaf,”and those who use English-like signing and are less likely to see themselves as culturally distinct.

In its recommendations, the NCC statement called for”separate Deaf worship services with pastors and teachers (preferably Deaf) who use American Sign Language”and for access to the Bible translated into ASL on video.

It also said the Deaf should have”freedom to develop indigenous forms of worship that reflect Deaf culture, such as prayer with eyes open, storytelling, drama and the use of drums”as well as freedom to”develop theological understandings that reflect the experience and insights of Deaf people.” For deaf and hard of hearing people, the statement called for churches to use”interpreted services with skilled interpreters who sing in English word order with English mouth movements,”shorter sermons, front row seating to view interpreters and simultaneous, over-head captioning of what is being said.

A policy statement is the highest form of collective action the 34 denominations in the NCC can take and forms the basis for other forms of public pronouncements, from resolutions to congressional testimony.

Vatican OKs sainthood process for Knights of Columbus founder

(RNS) The Vatican has notified the Archdiocese of Hartford, Conn., that the cause for sainthood of the Rev. Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, may proceed.

Knights officials said in the statement they had been told by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints that there are no objections to the opening of the cause, as the preliminary stage of the canonization process is known.

No objections from the Vatican means that Hartford Bishop Daniel Cronin can initiate a formal diocesan investigation of the life, work and virtue of McGivney. During the process, the Knights will gather material on McGivney’s life for diocesan research”Any evidence of (divine) favors or miracles will be examined and this will form the basis of what will be submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints for study,”said the Rev. Gabriel O’Donnell, the chief investigator of McGivney’s cause.

McGivney served at the Church of St. Mary in New Haven, Conn., from 1877 to 1884. He founded the Knights of Columbus, a fraternal service organization, in 1882 out of a concern for the plight of women and children left destitute by the death of their husband or father.

Quote of the day: Episcopal Bishop Craig Berry Anderson

(RNS)”I have a strong belief in the National Council of Churches as a body that needs to be strengthened in an increasingly secular and pluralistic age. If we did not have a strong NCC then we would have to invent one, because the world is looking for a Christian witness that transcends parochialism and is not interested simply in institutional survival.” Episcopal Bishop Craig Berry Anderson, in an interview Nov. 12 before he was installed as the new president of the National Council of Churches.

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