c. 2005 Religion News Service
Vatican Says Dialogue With Anglicans Back on Track
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Actions by the Anglican Communion to distance itself from U.S. and Canadian church endorsements of homosexuality will permit Anglican-Catholic dialogue to go forward, the Vatican said.
The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity made the statement Thursday (May 12), as part of an announcement of a new joint document on the role of the Virgin May “in the doctrine and life of the church.”
“Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ” will be issued Monday (May 16) in Seattle by the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC).
The council said it had been “concerned” over the ordination of openly gay Episcopal Bishop V. Gene Robinson in New Hampshire, as well as the introduction of same-sex blessing rites in the Anglican diocese of New Westminster, Canada. Both happened in 2003.
Under pressure for his support of Robinson, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, Frank Griswold, resigned as co-chairman of the Anglican-Catholic panel and was replaced by an Australian archbishop.
The Vatican said Catholic officials were encouraged by a high-level Anglican report last October that chastized the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada. In addition, Anglican bishops urged both churches to withdraw members from a council that sets policy for the communion and explain their actions.
Those actions have “offered new hope that our dialogue can continue to make progress towards the full communion which has been its aim,” the Vatican said. The council noted that Anglican leaders also endorsed the “traditional Christian understanding of marriage and human sexuality” that was first approved by worldwide Anglican leaders in 1998.
“These developments affirm the general thrust and conclusions of the understanding of the nature of the church put forward in the ARCIC dialogue to this point, and this provides a foundation for continued dialogue and ecumenical cooperation,” it said.
The document on Mary will conclude the second phase of Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue, which opened in 1966. “It is hoped that the way may be open to initiate a third phase of work for ARCIC in due course,” the Vatican said. Neither side has approved agreements reached in the second phase on such key issues as the nature of the Eucharist and the exercise of authority.
_ Peggy Polk
Report: Anti-Muslim Discrimination up 49 Percent in One Year
WASHINGTON (RNS) The largest U.S. Islamic civil rights organization reported Wednesday (May 11) that acts of anti-Muslim discrimination increased by 49 percent last year.
A study by the Council on American-Islamic Relations reported 1,522 incidents of harassment, violence and discriminatory treatment were reported to the Washington-based organization in 2004, compared with 1,019 cases in 2003.
Anti-Muslim hate crimes increased from 93 cases in 2003 to 141 in 2004. These numbers are the highest the organization has seen since its inception in 1994.
CAIR attributed the boost in complaints to a lingering atmosphere of fear among American Muslims, opinion leaders using anti-Muslim rhetoric and legislation that infringes on civil rights.
“These disturbing figures come as no surprise given growing Islamophobic sentiments and a general misperception of Islam and Muslims,” said Arsalan Iftikhar, CAIR’s national legal director and the report’s author.
According to CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad, anti-Muslim speech by some religious leaders is widening the gap between the United States and the Muslim world. He cited religious broadcaster Pat Robertson and the Rev. Jerry Falwell, a Baptist minister, for making inflammatory remarks.
“It’s obvious that there are key religious leaders that are attacking the Muslim religion,” said Awad. “ … This hurts the fabric of our society.”
Ten states reported 79 percent of all incidents. California (20 percent), New York (10 percent) and Arizona (9 percent) were the top three, with Virginia, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Maryland, New Jersey and Illinois rounding off the list.
There was some good news in the report.
Complaints involving federal and state agencies decreased from 29 percent of all incidents in 2003 to 19 percent last year. Internet harassment declined from 7 percent to less than 1 percent. Workplace discrimination dropped from 23 percent to 18 percent of the organization’s 2004 complaints.
According to Iftikhar, the report was intended to illustrate the mistreatment Muslim-Americans experienced after Sept. 11 so that the Bush administration and Congress might take action.
CAIR supports the Security and Freedom Enhancement Act that would amend the USA Patriot Act, which the report calls “infamous” and “ominous.” The SAFE bill, sponsored by Sens. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., and Larry Craig, R-Idaho, would create checks and balances like restricting searching some records.
_ Helena Andrews
Methodists OK Communion Pact With Lutherans, Episcopalians
(RNS) United Methodist bishops have approved an agreement to share the sacrament of Communion with Episcopalians and Lutherans, the first step in moving the three churches toward “full communion.”
The bishops, meeting in Arlington, Va., approved the pact May 5. Church officials expect similar agreements to be approved by the Episcopal Church and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America within a year.
The three-way agreement allows the three denominations to share Communion and join in ministry together. It also moves the churches one step closer to “full communion,” in which the three churches can swap clergy and recognize one another’s sacraments.
The Episcopal Church and the Lutherans already have a two-way full communion agreement that was formally launched in 2001. The Methodists hope to enter full communion with the Lutherans by 2008 and the Episcopalians by 2012.
“Our oneness is in Christ,” said Methodist Bishop Peter Weaver of Boston, president of the Council of Bishops. “So these agreements are not just about sharing Communion with each other; they’re about recognizing that we are part of one body of Christ and thus one mission for Christ in the world.”
In other action, the Methodists agreed to join a new ecumenical body, Christian Churches Together in the USA, as provisional members. The new body will bring Catholics, evangelicals, mainline Protestants, Orthodox and Pentecostal churches together for the first time. It is expected to be formally launched this fall.
_ Kevin Eckstrom
Disciples Leader Urges Calm After `Difficult Time’
(RNS) The head of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) appealed for calm after several controversies have troubled the internal waters of the 786,000-member denomination and led to a “difficult time.”
The Rev. William Chris Hobgood, general minister and president of the Disciples, said problems surrounding the search for his successor, financial troubles for an anti-racism initiative and the bankruptcy of a social services agency have been “deeply troubling” for him and the wider church.
“We cannot be a fair weather group of folks who sort of like each other some of the time if things are going well,” Hobgood said in a May pastoral letter. “We are the body of Christ, and we are called to be faithful to one another even if we don’t always see eye to eye.”
An initial slate of nominees to succeed Hobgood was rejected by church leaders. A second round produced the Rev. Sharon Watkins of Bartlesville, Okla., as the nominee, but only after some Disciples complained the process took too long.
“Sometimes we just aren’t in sync with God’s schedule, are we?” Hobgood said. Watkins’ nomination will be voted on at the church’s General Assembly in July.
Hobgood rejected criticism that funds had been diverted from an anti-racism initiative but acknowledged that it had not been adequately funded. The church is looking for ways to continue funding the 35-year-old program.
Hobgood also addressed the insolvency of the National Benevolent Association, the church’s social services arm, that was forced to declare bankruptcy and sell 11 senior citizen facilities. He said the larger church did not intervene sooner because the agency was structured to run independently. He said the stock market and rising costs of health care caused financial losses.
Hobgood expressed regret for the bankruptcy, but said there is “no clear answer” and urged the church to move on. “We do tend to turn on each other if someone appears like they are going to mess in our stuff,” he said. “Sometimes, sadly, we even seem to shoot our wounded.”
_ Kevin Eckstrom
Panel Will Broker Disputes Between Anglican Parishes, Bishops
LONDON (RNS) The leader of the Anglican Communion on Wednesday (May 11) formed a “panel of reference” to help broker disputes between conservative parishes and bishops who are at odds over homosexuality and other issues.
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams appointed the primate of Australia, Archbishop Peter Carnley, to chair the panel. Carnley will also help conservative dioceses who feel alienated from the national church.
The panel was recommended “as a matter of urgency” by the primates, or chief bishops, of the Anglican Communion when they met in Northern Ireland in February. The aim was “to protect the integrity and legitimate needs of groups in serious theological dispute” with the church hierarchy.
The panel will likely be especially needed in the Episcopal Church _ the U.S. branch of Anglicanism _ as conservatives continue to protest the installation of an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire.
Many conservatives have demanded oversight by a likeminded bishop beyond their diocese. Some proposals to provide “pastoral care” have been rejected by not going far enough. Some liberal bishops, meanwhile, say conservatives are making unreasonable demands that threaten traditional lines of authority.
The nine-member Carnley panel, which will exist for at least five years, will be charged with supervising “the adequacy of pastoral provisions” for dissident parishes. Williams is expected to name the members of the panel soon.
The panel will inquire, on behalf of Williams, into situations “where there is serious dispute concerning the adequacy of schemes of delegated or extended episcopal oversight.”
The leader of the U.S. church, Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, said in a statement that he welcomed the new panel and said the American bishops “are committed” to ensuring adequate care for all parts of the church.
_ Robert Nowell
Hog Farmer Granted License to Slaughter Halal Lambs, Goats
(RNS) A North Carolina hog farmer who slaughtered lambs and goats for local Muslims has been granted a license to build a $200,000 slaughterhouse that will follow the dictates of Muslim law.
Kenneth Rowe and his son, Eddie, were nearly shut down earlier this year after state agriculture officials learned he had leased his farm to Muslims who slaughtered lambs for the holiday of Eid al-Adha. The holiday commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac.
Rowe had provided lambs to local Muslims for at least five years but was never licensed to operate as a slaughterhouse.
According to the Associated Press, Muslim leaders persuaded officials not to shut down the facility on Eid al-Adha. Officials cited Rowe but allowed him to apply for a license as they continue to monitor him.
Rowe is building the slaughterhouse with the intention of operating it according to Muslim legal guidelines regarding slaughtering, known as halal. Halal animals must be slaughtered with a sharp knife that cuts through both carotid arteries, which Muslims believe is the most humane way of quickly anesthetizing and killing an animal.
Halal animals must be slaughtered by a Muslim, and additionally a Muslim must be present to recite a prayer over the animal. Rowe has said that he will hire a Muslim to recite the prayer, which is translated as “In the name of God, the God is great.” Rowe said he will also allow Muslims to slaughter the animals themselves after purchasing them from the farm.
Muslim officials welcomed the action as a service to the Muslim community, but stressed that Rowe must keep his hogs _ which are not halal _ away from animals that will be consumed by Muslims.
“As long as the sheep and goats are raised without any feed-sharing with hogs, I don’t see a problem,” said Muhammad Chaudry, president of the Chicago-based Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America.
“We are living in a world where different cultures and ethnicities are mingling. Each group has to find their way of doing things. Raising animals is a business,” Chaudry said.
_ Holly Lebowitz Rossi
Rice Says U.S. Will Defend Sanctity of Quran
(RNS) Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the United States will not condone incivility to the Quran or any other sacred religious book after reports that the Muslim holy book was placed on toilets at a U.S. military base in Cuba.
“Disrespect for the Holy Quran is not now, nor has it ever been, nor will it ever be, tolerated by the United States,” Rice said before a Senate subcommittee Thursday (May 12).
According to a Newsweek article on abuse investigation at the Guantanamo Bay prison, the Muslim holy book was placed on toilets _ and one was flushed down the toilet _ by interrogators.
However, conflicting reports have surfaced about whether the acts were carried out by prisoners or interrogators.
According to the Associated Press, Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffs, said prison logs indicate an inmate tearing out pages of the Quran and stuffing them down a toilet in an act of defiance.
Reports of the abuse have sparked outrage and violence in Muslim nations around the world. Anti-American protests in Afghanistan have left seven dead, according to the AP.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations called for a public investigation of the allegations.
“We urge President Bush to initiate an open probe of the incident, make public its findings and punish those responsible,” CAIR said in a statement released Wednesday (May 11).
Rice reassured the Islamic community in the United States and around the world of the government’s commitment to address the claims of abuse. “Our military authorities are investigating these allegations fully. If they are proven true, we will take appropriate action,” she said.
_ Yogita Patel
Organizers Postpone Controversial Gay Pride Rally in Jerusalem
JERUSALEM (RNS) The Israeli organizers of a controversial gay and lesbian festival that was scheduled for August in Jerusalem have decided to postpone the event for a year.
The Jerusalem Open House (JOH), sponsor of the WorldPride international festival, on Sunday (May 15) rescheduled the event for Aug. 6-12, 2006, so that it does not coincide with the planned withdrawal of Israeli troops and settlers from Gaza this summer.
The event had met near-universal opposition from local Christian, Jewish and Muslim religious leaders, although the Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist Jewish movements have voiced support.
Explaining the date change, chairperson Noa Sattath said: “Tolerance, pluralism and equality are WorldPride’s guiding principles. The Gaza pullout would do injustice to those values.
“We have taken this decision out of consideration to the most difficult political climate expected in Israel this August. As a community, we are deeply engaged in the complex reality surrounding us,” Sattath said.
Although the majority of Israelis support the withdrawal, a sizable minority staunchly oppose the uprooting of Jews from front-line communities established decades ago. The internal debate over the settlements is proving to be a severe test for Israeli democracy and threatens to widen the existing gap between various segments of society.
WorldPride was originally set for Aug. 18-28, 2005, a period that would coincide with the new dates just announced for the implementation of the so-called “disengagement” from Gaza.
The JOH announced that the annual local Jerusalem Pride parade will take place this year on June 30. Three such parades have taken place in Jerusalem, all virtually without incident.
“Pride in Jerusalem has already become a symbol for the courage and determination of Jerusalem’s diverse (lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender) community,” said Hagai El-Ad, the group’s executive director. “This June, we will show for the fourth consecutive year in Jerusalem that love has no borders.”
_ Michele Chabin
Religious Groups to Swarm Capitol Hill to Lobby Against Hunger
WASHINGTON (RNS) Frustrated with what they decry as government inaction, religious leaders from many faiths plan to invade Capitol Hill in June to demand a commitment to end hunger in America.
Organized by Christian hunger advocacy group Bread for the World, “Hunger No More: An Interfaith Convocation” will unite dozens of religious leaders at the Washington National Cathedral on June 6, the eve of its all-day lobbying effort on the Hill.
“What’s mainly needed to reduce hunger is stronger commitment, especially from our government,” said the Rev. David Beckmann, a Lutheran minister who is president of Bread for the World, in a telephone press conference Tuesday (May 17). “We are all scandalized by the persistence of mass hunger.”
Beckmann said the effort is needed because President Bush and Congress have shown they “have other priorities” than ending world hunger through their failure to maintain budget commitments to hunger and poverty programs.
Beckmann said more than 1,000 people would be participating in the lobbying effort on National Hunger Awareness Day, and that a request had also been made for a meeting with the White House.
“Elected officials have come together and basically have abdicated the clarion call that this indeed is a problem with a solution,” said H. Eric Schockman, president of Mazon, a Jewish Response to Hunger. “It is a question of equity. … Where do we set our federal spending priorities?”
The convocation is part of the June 4-7 national Bread for the World conference, titled “One Table, Many Voices: A Mobilization to End Poverty and Hunger,” and will feature a sermon by Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane of Cape Town, South Africa, and songs and sacred texts from myriad faiths.
“Theology may separate us and yet we have a lot in common,” said Georgetown University Muslim Chaplain Imam Yahya Hendi. “God wants all of us to take care of the poor and take care of the needy.”
According to Bread for the World, one in 10 American households is living with or at risk of hunger.
_ Shawna Gamache
Quote of the Week: Oakwood College professor Bobby Harrison
(RNS) “I believed it, even though there were people who kept saying, `No, no, no.’ This has been a journey of faith for 30 years and it paid off.”
_ Bobby Harrison, an art and photography professor at Oakwood College in Huntsville, Ala., and the co-author of an article revealing the sighting of the ivory-billed woodpecker, long believed to be extinct. His school is affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church and he was quoted by Adventist News Network Bulletin.
MO/PH END RNS
