c. 2003 Religion News Service
Griswold’s Comments on Gay Bishop Cause Flap with Florida Catholics
(RNS) Episcopalians may not use a Catholic church for a bishop’s installation ceremony if the nation’s top Episcopal bishop intends to preside at the service, a Catholic bishop said Thursday (Oct. 2).
Roman Catholic Bishop Victor Galeone of St. Augustine, Fla., said he cannot allow Episcopal Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold to preside in a Catholic church because of Griswold’s views on homosexuality.
Galeone had agreed to let the Episcopalians rent the large St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Jacksonville for the installation of their new bishop, the Rev. John Howard, on Nov. 1.
“Many of my people would be deeply offended to learn that an Episcopal bishop, who holds a position that is radically opposed to what both the Catholic Church and Scripture teach about homosexuality, is using one of our facilities,” Galeone said in a statement.
In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Griswold defended his vote to confirm the church’s first openly gay bishop, and said “homosexuality, as we understand it as an orientation, is not mentioned in the Bible.”
Galeone’s office said the church would still be available as long as Griswold attends as a guest, not a participant.
In a letter to current Episcopal Bishop Stephen Jecko, Griswold said he has concluded that he “must” serve as chief consecrator at the service. He also said his comments to the Associated Press were more “nuanced and sensitive” than the article suggested.
“My ministry as presiding bishop calls me to do all I can through my office and personal presence to help us realize that, in spite of deep disagreements, we are one in the Body of Christ,” he wrote.
“I have been called to serve the whole church as presiding bishop, not only those who hold one view or another.”
Jecko, who voted against the confirmation of openly gay Bishop-elect Gene Robinson, called the situation unfortunate. “I know Bishop Galeone to be a man of deep prayer and spirituality, who would not act impetuously in such an important matter,” he said.
_ Kevin Eckstrom
Conservatives Promote a `Marriage Protection Week’
WASHINGTON (RNS) Stepping up their opposition to same-sex marriage, 25 conservative groups have proclaimed Oct. 12-18 as “Marriage Protection Week,” in which voters will be urged to support legislation favoring traditionally structured families.
“Traditional marriage is the stable model for our society,” said Andrea Lafferty, executive director of Traditional Values Coalition. “Any attempt to elevate same-sex marriages to that same plane will have grave consequences for our nation.”
The rights movement for same-sex couples gained momentum recently on the heels of a landmark Supreme Court decision that decriminalized private, consensual sexual relationships among same-sex partners.
Marriage Protection Week supporters want to “rally churches to this last stand in defense of the institution of marriage,” Lafferty said. The campaign will target religious groups and voters across the country through radio broadcasts and public events.
In a time such as this, we must stand with the truth _ calling something a marriage doesn’t make it one,” she said.
But some people in Washington have different plans for making the case. Just a few blocks away from the meeting, a man drove by in a red, white and blue car, with the Ten Commandments painted on one side.
The other side read: “Impeach the Supreme Court.”
_ Michelle Gabriel
Church Gives $3,500 and `Solidarity’ to France’s Jews, Muslims
PARIS (RNS) It may not heal hate-damaged mosques and synagogues, or end racist attacks in Europe, but the $3,500 gift may go some kilometers toward shoring up interfaith relations on the European continent.
That, at least in part, is the calculus of some 20 American Anglican churches in Europe, who are writing two checks to Islamic and Jewish communities in France.
“The money is specifically earmarked to help pay for repairs of mosques and synagogues in France,” said Bishop Pierre W. Whalon, head of the Convocation of American Churches in Europe, which raised the money. “It’s not a large sum. It’s a symbolic gesture of solidarity.”
Attacks against Jews and Muslims have occurred in a number of European countries over the past three years, mirroring the resurgence of violence in the Middle East. But none have been as devastating _ or as routine _ as in France, home to Europe’s largest communities of Jews and Muslims.
A report published in March by a national human rights commission found 60 percent of violent and racist attacks in 2002 were directed against France’s Jewish community. Synagogues have been firebombed, and Jews assaulted, prompting some to flee the country _ often for Israel.
The likely culprits are no longer members of France’s far right, experts say, but rather disenfranchised young French Muslims. Yet studies find French Muslims are also victims of hate crimes.
A July report by the French anti-discrimination group, MRAP, found Internet attacks against Muslims, in particular, had soared. Some of the virtual violence was authored by neo-Nazi and other far-right groups, MRAP said, but Jewish and Christian “extremists” were also to blame.
In September, the American Convocation donated a first check of $1,710 to Dalil Boubakeur, head of the Paris Mosque, and of France’s newly created Islamic council. The American church group is expected to gift a similar sum to the French Jewish community in the coming weeks.
Nor is the American Christian community in Europe immune from hate threats, said Whalon, bishop of the American Cathedral in Paris. Since Sept. 11, churches have been targeted, he said, but have so far escaped attacks. The American Cathedral, for one, has spent “vast sums” shoring up its security, the bishop said.
“It’s not like we walk on egg shells,” Whalon said. “But it’s there, and we have to deal with it.”
_ Elizabeth Bryant
Jewish Groups Add Environmental Extremists to Watch Lists
LOS ANGELES (RNS) Jewish organizations that specialize in tracking hate crimes now have a new concern; environmental and animal rights extremists who use vandalism and arson to make their point.
“The reason we are concerned is that their methods of spreading the message are consistent with those of terrorist groups,” said Amanda Susskind, Pacific Southwest regional director of the Anti-Defamation League.
Since summer, California has seen a string of arsons, vandalism and bombings at suburban Los Angeles SUV dealerships, San Diego home developments and companies in the San Francisco Bay Area. The crimes, being tracked by federal agents, allegedly have involved the radical groups including the Earth Liberation Front, an offshoot of the animal rights group Animal Liberation Front.
On Sept. 30, an animal rights activist sent the Los Angeles Times an e-mail claiming responsibility for two recent bombings at a biotechnology firm and at the Shaklee cosmetics and vitamin company, both near San Francisco. That followed an earlier e-mail sent to the newspaper from a man who claimed he was an ELF activist and gave details of an arson and vandalism case that only police and perpetrators would know.
The tactic of calling news media to claim responsibility for crimes is similar to Palestinian and Irish Republican Army terrorists calling the news media to take credit for their bombings.
“We are watching it,” said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles.
_ David Finnigan
Chicago Archdiocese Settles Abuse Claims for $8 Million
(RNS) The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago agreed on Thursday (Oct. 2) to pay $8 million to 15 adults who said they were abused by Catholic priests, the Chicago Tribune reported.
As part of the settlement, the archdiocese agreed to post on its Web site for 30 days the names and histories of any additional priests who are removed because of credible abuse allegations.
The church also agreed to donate $35,000 for two years to conferences for victims’ healing, and for individual meetings between victims and Cardinal Francis George.
“A measure of accountability and a measure of justice, at least now, has begun to be delivered by way of this settlement,” said attorney Jeff Anderson, who represented the 15 victims.
The settlement brings to nearly $14 million the amount paid out by the archdiocese this year to settle abuse claims, according to the Tribune. In July, five victims of former priest Vincent McCaffrey received nearly $6 million.
The 10 men and five women who agreed to the settlement were abused between 1954 and 2001 _ before the archdiocese implemented sex abuse reforms. The 11 priests involved are either dead or have been removed from public ministry.
Archdiocesan chancellor Jimmy Lago said the settlement will be paid for through insurance policies and the sale of undeveloped church-owned land. “Nothing representatives of the archdiocese do today can make up for the abuse inflicted on victims of clerical sexual misconduct,” Lago said in a statement.
Executive Director of Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life Resigns
(RNS) The executive director of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has announced her resignation.
Melissa Rogers will step down Oct. 10 and has accepted a position as visiting professor of religion and public policy at the Wake Forest University Divinity School.
“I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to launch and develop this organization,” said Rogers in a statement. “It’s been a great three years but I look forward to having the time to research and write again on religious liberty issues and to be part of the debate on these important topics.”
Rogers will be succeeded in January by Luis Lugo, director of the religion program at the Philadelphia-based Pew Charitable Trusts, said Heather Morton, communications associate with the forum.
Lugo, in a statement, credited Rogers with fostering events that addressed U.S. Supreme Court decisions and the work of the White House Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives.
The Pew Charitable Trusts plans to continue its funding of the Washington-based forum, which seeks to promote improved understanding of the influence religion has on ideas and institutions in this country and beyond.
_ Adelle M. Banks
Quote of the Day: Call to Renewal Founder Jim Wallis
(RNS) “Call to Renewal is a gang truce movement in the church. … We have the National Association of Evangelicals at the table and the National Council of Churches. These two groups are like the Crips and the Bloods. … I sometimes put a Mennonite between them to make sure nothing happens.”
_ Jim Wallis, founder of Call to Renewal, a Washington-based anti-poverty group, speaking at the National Asian American Prayer Breakfast in Washington on Oct. 1.
DEA END RNS
