c. 2004 Religion News Service
Ugandan Archbishop Lays Claim to Two California Churches
(RNS) The Anglican archbishop of Uganda said the Episcopal bishop of Los Angeles has “no jurisdiction” over two parishes in Newport Beach and Long Beach that left the U.S. church and aligned themselves with Ugandan leaders.
On Aug. 17, St. James Church in Newport Beach and All Saints’ Church in Long Beach abruptly left the Episcopal Church and declared themselves under the jurisdiction of Bishop Evans Kisekka of Luweero, Uganda.
The two churches said they could no longer remain in the U.S. church after it approved an openly gay bishop last summer, and could not stay under the control of Los Angeles Bishop Jon Bruno after he presided at a gay union ceremony.
“It is after much deliberation that we came to this conclusion, but it is our only recourse if we are to stay true to the historic faith and teachings of the church,” said the Rev. Praveen Bunyan, pastor of St. James Church.
Bruno has since told three priests and one deacon from the breakaway churches that they may not act as priests in his diocese, and threatened to remove them from the ministry “should they not change their minds.”
He has also vowed to mount a legal challenge to maintain control of the churches’ property. St. James and All Saints’ leaders said, “The Diocese of Los Angeles has no claim against any of the property owned by these churches.”
Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi, the top leader of the 8 million-member Ugandan church, said the clergy now take orders from him and that Bruno “has no jurisdiction over them and we will not recognize his actions.” The Anglican Church of Uganda formally cut ties with the U.S. church last November.
Under normal rules in the Episcopal Church and the wider Anglican Communion, a bishop from outside a local diocese may not control a church, and clergy from outside the diocese need the local bishop’s approval in order to serve.
A third parish, St. David’s in North Hollywood, also left the diocese on Tuesday (Aug. 25) and sought refuge under Kisekka. Bruno imposed similar restrictions on the church’s pastor, according to the Los Angeles Times.
St. James Church is the former church of the Rev. David Anderson, the president of the American Anglican Council, who has led conservatives in the U.S. church in protesting the pro-gay policies of the denomination.
_ Kevin Eckstrom
Second Round of Abuse Audits Begins in Catholic Dioceses
(RNS) A second round of on-site visits to ensure that Catholic dioceses are complying with sexual abuse reforms began in late July, church officials said, with a few modifications.
The audits of all 195 dioceses and Eastern-rite eparchies are being conducted by the Boston-based Gavin Group, which conducted the first round of audits last year. Those audits found that 90 percent of dioceses have complied with abuse reforms adopted in 2002.
Some bishops who felt last year’s audits were sufficient had tried to stop a second round of audits. In June, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops agreed to a second round, but said they will discuss future audits when they gather again in November.
This year, auditors will ask how many abuse allegations dioceses have received since the first audit, in hopes of determining whether children continue to be at risk, according to Catholic News Service.
The first round of audits did not ask about the number of allegations, but a parallel study by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice found allegations against 4,392 involving 10,667 children between 1950 and 2002.
In another change, auditors will accept information from anyone who feels a certain diocese may not be in compliance with the 2002 reforms. Last year, such information was first sifted by the church’s Office of Child and Youth Protection.
Dioceses will also be notified of their status two weeks after the audits are completed. The full report is expected to be finished in February 2005.
_ Kevin Eckstrom
Government Revokes Visa of Muslim Scholar Headed to Notre Dame
(RNS) The U.S. government has revoked the work visa of a Muslim scholar who planned to teach at the University of Notre Dame during the fall semester.
The visa of Tariq Ramadan, a Swiss citizen, was pulled at the request of the Department of Homeland Security, the Associated Press reported.
Ramadan, who has been criticized for remarks labeled anti-Semitic and for alleged ties to Islamic militants, had been scheduled to start teaching Tuesday (Aug. 24).
“This is unjustified,” Ramadan told the AP in a telephone interview. He thinks the revocation was “coming from political pressure.”
Department of Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke said the work visa was revoked because of a section in federal law regarding aliens who have used a “position of prominence within any country to endorse and espouse terrorist activity.”
He said the revocation was due to “public safety or national security interests” and declined to elaborate.
Notre Dame spokesman Matt Storin differed with the department’s assessment, saying Ramadan is a voice for moderation in the Muslim world and a distinguished scholar.
“We absolutely don’t agree with that,” he said. “If we did, we would not have hired him.”
Ramadan, who said he underwent a thorough, two-month background check before he was granted the visa, said he opposes violence of any kind.
“What I’m saying as a Muslim is that when I criticize a policy, for example the Saudi policy or the Egyptian policy, I am not Islamophobic,” he said. “And when I am criticizing the policy of the state of Israel, of (Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon, I’m not an anti-Semite. It’s just a political criticism.”
In a statement, the Council on American-Islamic Relations called on the department to reverse its decision.
“The best way to improve deteriorating relations with the Muslim world is by listening to mainstream Islamic political and religious voices, not by censoring respected scholars whose views are apparently feared by those who seek a monopoly on intellectual debate,” said Nihad Awad, executive director of the Washington-based advocacy group.
Appeals Court Upholds Prayer Ban at School District Meetings
(RNS) An appellate court has ruled that a school district cannot offer prayers during mandatory staff meetings, whether or not a teacher who was offended by them is present.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a ruling issued Tuesday (Aug. 24), said the U.S. District Court in Little Rock, Ark., correctly issued an injunction against prayers during DeValls Bluff School District staff meetings but did so for incorrect reasons, the Associated Press reported.
The appellate court based in St. Louis said an injunction that benefits art teacher Steve Warnock should have been ordered because the school district endorsed a religion and not because Warnock took offense.
“We believe that prayers at mandatory teacher meetings and in-service training conveys … a decisive endorsement,” the appellate court wrote.
In 1999, Warnock, who also is a bus driver, sued the district claiming it openly promoted Christianity and he was harassed by district officials.
The appeals court upheld a $1,000 award to the teacher, rejecting his claim that he should receive more funds because he was harassed after making a complaint.
Quote of the Day: Soon-to-be New Hampshire Resident Floyd Shackelford
(RNS) “I guess I am a missionary at heart. If I have freedom, I have liberty to share my faith with my homosexual neighbor, with my prostitute neighbor. Under tyranny, I don’t have that opportunity, because it’s hate speech. … As long as I have liberty, I can go and wrestle with other people about spiritual matters.”
_ Floyd Shackelford, a member of the Free State Project, a movement whose members aim to relocate to New Hampshire and start a new political party that will foster personal liberties. Shackelford, who plans to move his family from Troy, Ala., was quoted by The Washington Times.
MO/PH END RNS
