c. 2006 Religion News Service

Vatican Criticizes U.S. Stance on Middle East Conflict

VATICAN CITY (RNS) The Vatican on Thursday (July 27) offered a downbeat assessment of recent Middle East peace talks that failed to produce a consensus on the deepening conflict between Israel and Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon.

In an interview with Vatican Radio that was issued by the Holy See press office, Vatican Foreign Minister Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo said the Middle East summit in Rome involving Arab, European and U.S. leaders on Wednesday produced “valuable” results, including the pledge to send a multinational peacekeeping force to patrol the region.

He took issue, however, with the stance pressed by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that conditions for a “sustainable” peace must be reached before any demands for a cease-fire are made. Critics say Rice’s position allows Israel to continue its bombing campaign with the aim of weakening Hezbollah.

Lajolo said the “killing of innocent people” would not pave the way to a sustainable peace, and reaffirmed earlier calls by the Holy See for an immediate cease-fire.

“An immediate suspension of hostilities is possible and therefore it is a duty,” he said. Lajolo said the conference’s refusal to place demands on Israel was “problematic” and morally ambiguous.

_ Stacy Meichtry

China Warns Canada Over Honorary Citizenship for Dalai Lama

TORONTO (RNS) China has warned Canada that Ottawa’s conferral of honorary citizenship on the Dalai Lama will hurt relations between the two countries, hinting that growing economic ties will specifically suffer.

Canada’s Parliament in June unanimously approved the granting of honorary citizenship to the Dalai Lama in advance of the Tibetan spiritual leader’s visit to the country Sept. 9-11.

An irate China denounced Canada’s move.

“We said that the Dalai Lama is a separatist, so I don’t think he should be honored with that and that will harm the Canadian image and also harm the relationship between China and Canada,” Zang Weidong, minister-counselor at China’s embassy in Ottawa, told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday (July 26).

China is Canada’s second-biggest trading partner (after the U.S.), with annual trade worth $26.4 billion in 2004, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Zang hinted that Canada’s decision could bring economic repercussions.

“We have 1.3 billion population and we are developing and the future for China is bright and China has a big market and we hope we can cooperate with all the countries in the world,” said Zang, who spoke in English.

“But if some problems or troubles always appear or emerge in the bilateral relationship, certainly the other relationships will be hurt. So we have to manage all the differences and difficulties with caution.”

Asked if China was threatening Canada, Zang smiled and said: “I don’t think it’s a threat. I’m just trying to make things clearer. It is a clear fact and very easy to be seen.”

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He also dismissed a report by two prominent Canadians who said earlier this month that China has been killing practitioners of the outlawed Falun Gong spiritual movement so it can harvest their organs.

“Based on rumors and false allegations, the report is biased and groundless,” Zang said, adding that the authors had close ties with Falun Gong.

The honor marked only the third time Canada has bestowed honorary citizenship. The other honorary citizens are former South African President Nelson Mandela and Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, who saved the lives of thousands of Hungarian Jews in World War II.

_ Ron Csillag

Street Preacher Wins Suit Over Arrest at Gay Pride Festival

HARRISBURG, Pa. (RNS) City police improperly arrested a street preacher during Harrisburg’s gay and lesbian PrideFest celebration last year, a federal judge has ruled.

U.S. Middle District Court Judge William Caldwell ruled that officers improperly applied the state’s defiant trespassing law in arresting a preacher during the event. Caldwell also said that portions of the city’s noise ordinance, which the preacher was accused of violating, are too broad.

But the judge stopped short of barring police from arresting preachers if they violate either ordinance during this year’s PrideFest on Saturday (July 29).

Members of the World Wide Street Preachers Fellowship picket PrideFest each year to condemn homosexuality, and had asked the judge for an injunction against city police.

“We are confident that at the 2006 PrideFest the city will abide by our analysis in this memorandum and that a final disposition of the noise ordinance can await the end of this litigation,” Caldwell wrote in the 19-page decision.

The decision is the latest in a series of lawsuits filed by the street preachers.

One of the preachers, Ron McRae, filed a lawsuit in December after having been arrested at the 2005 PrideFest while preaching from a sidewalk across from the festival. McRae was convicted of trespassing and violating the noise ordinance and he is appealing in a county court.

In his ruling, Caldwell said that portions of the noise ordinance “appear to cover a substantial amount of legitimate First Amendment activity or would operate to chill that activity.” The judge ruled that police improperly arrested McRae under the trespassing statute.

Caldwell has upheld the preachers’ right to free speech in previous lawsuits. In May, Caldwell ruled that city police violated street preacher James Grove’s rights by forbidding him from preaching in Riverfront Park during the 2003 event.

In 2002, Caldwell struck down a city ordinance that required those handing out leaflets to first obtain a permit.

_ Reggie Sheffield

Baptist World Alliance Executive Plans Retirement

(RNS) The Rev. Denton Lotz will retire as general secretary of the Baptist World Alliance at the end of 2007.

Lotz, who gave notice of his plans earlier this year, made the date official during the General Council of the global organization that was held in early July in Mexico City.

Lotz, 67, has served as general secretary since 1988 but will have worked for the organization for a total of 27 years when he retires. He previously directed evangelism and youth ministries for the Falls Church, Va.-based group.

Over the course of his leadership, the alliance has grown to 214 member bodies. But one of its most prominent members, the Southern Baptist Convention, broke ties in 2004 claiming the alliance had a “leftward drift,” a charge Lotz and other officials denied.

Since that time, several moderate Baptist state conventions in the United States have joined the alliance. The Baptist General Convention of Missouri joined at the July 3-8 meeting, along with the India Baptist Convention and Ethiopia Addis Kidan Baptist Church.

In March, Lotz said he wanted to retire “at a time of unity” and he believes he has achieved that goal.

“Although some may leave us, the fact is the Baptist World Alliance more than ever is God’s instrument for uniting Baptists worldwide,” he said.

During his tenure, the organization has addressed global issues related to human rights, evangelism and relief efforts. At the July meeting, the organization passed a resolution on AIDS in which it acknowledged “that worldwide the disease disproportionately affects women, children and those living in poverty.”

_ Adelle M. Banks

Quote of the Day: Chicago Roman Catholic Cardinal Francis George

(RNS) “You meet the Lord in prayer every day. The idea of meeting him is, while disquieting, not something I think I am afraid of.”

_ Chicago Roman Catholic Cardinal Francis George, who was scheduled to undergo surgery for bladder cancer on Thursday July 27. He was quoted in the Chicago Tribune.

KRE/PH END RNS