c. 2007 Religion News Service
Canadian Anglicans Mull Gay Unions As Minister Loses License
TORONTO (RNS) An Anglican priest in Saskatchewan who faces the loss of his minister’s license for performing same-sex marriages may have received an unexpected boost _ from his own church.
Meeting over the weekend, the Canadian Anglicans’ Council of General Synod, which sets ecclesiastical policy, agreed to present a resolution stating that “the blessing of same-sex unions is consistent with the core doctrine of the Anglican Church of Canada.”
The resolution, which is at odds with the global Anglican Communion’s fight against same-sex marriage and gay clergy, will be submitted to this June’s triennial General Synod, the Canadian church’s highest decision-making body.
Even if passed, the measure would be too late for the Rev. Shawn Sanford Beck of Saskatoon, who has refused to obey a 2005 church moratorium on sanctifying gay unions.
“I felt unable to say no to those requests,” he told the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. “That goes against everything else I’m about in my ministry and everything else that the church stands for.”
Saskatoon Bishop Rodney Andrews revoked Beck’s license to minister in January and issued a temporary license that expires at the end of March.
“Shawn has declared his intention to step outside the guidelines and requirements of our church at this time,” Andrews said in a statement. “I have offered to extend his license beyond March 31 if he is willing to refrain from performing same-sex marriages.”
If Beck’s license is not renewed, he will remain a priest but may not preside over baptisms and Communion services unless he receives special permission. His civil license to perform weddings, which is issued by the province, will not be affected.
Beck, who has been a priest for three years, has been unrepentant.
“I’m trying to send a very strong message to the gay and lesbian community, and to other communities that have been alienated from the church, that we don’t all think the same and there are people willing to go to the wall,” he said.
_ Ron Csillag
Time to Make the (Non-kosher) Donuts
(RNS) Two suburban Washington Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants have dropped a rare kosher certification so they can sell non-kosher breakfast sandwiches that include bacon and sausage, prompting complaints from some Jewish customers.
Out of about 5,300 Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants between Chicago and the East Coast, only about 30 are certified kosher and don’t serve menu items that contain sausage or bacon. Kosher laws prohibit Jews from eating pork.
The Potomac and Rockville, Md., restaurants that converted last month are among five owned by Jim Willard; his other three stores have remained kosher. The decision was made during the franchises’ 10-year review, said Andrew Mastrangelo, Dunkin’ Donuts spokesman.
The review determined the demographics of the Washington suburbs had changed, with fewer kosher customers and demand increasing for the company’s non-kosher products.
“When the stores opened 10 or 12 years ago, they were in a predominantly Jewish area, and the area is less so now,” Mastrangelo said, adding that “there still are five other kosher stores within shouting distance.”
Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants are independently owned and operated by franchisees. To receive an exception from serving standard menu items, the owner must provide evidence of customer preference for a kosher menu and obtain proper kosher certification.
Mastrangelo said he was not aware of any kosher franchises scheduled to open, but said the company would approve one if the operator could justify that it’s “a good business decision for everybody.”
For the time being, Mastrangelo said none of the remaining kosher restaurants are preparing to drop their certifications.
“We’re not turning every store from kosher to unkosher,” he said.
_ Nicole Neroulias
Observant Jews Shift Prayer Schedule for Early Daylight-Saving Time
NEW YORK (RNS) The early arrival of daylight-saving time has forced observant Jews to change their prayer routines, inconveniencing those with inflexible morning commutes.
Congress approved the energy-saving legislation last summer, pushing clocks forward three weeks early in the spring and back one week later in the fall. The legislation was opposed by Orthodox and Conservative Jewish groups, who said later sunrises would make it impossible for some to pray in the morning and still reach work by 9 a.m.
In preparation for last Sunday’s (March 11) shift, Jewish congregations and leaders made sure North American worshippers were repeatedly reminded of the new times for sunrise and sunset, said Rabbi Barry Kornblau, a spokesperson for the (Orthodox) Rabbinical Council of America.
The Jewish-calendar day runs from sunset to sunset, with daily and weekly prayers and holidays timed accordingly. Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, begins with the lighting of candles 18 minutes before sunset Fridays, and ends about an hour after sunset Saturdays.
Observant Jews recite morning prayers at sunrise, which jumped from about 6:15 a.m. to 7:15 a.m. over the weekend, Kornblau said.
“Now some observant Jews find themselves in a difficult situation because daybreak has not started when they need to be out and about,” he said. “People have to commute.”
The daylight-saving shift may be a positive change for many commuting Jews on Friday, however, because the start of Shabbat jumped from about 5:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.
“That is a positive aspect of the change, for those who are rushing home,” he said.
_ Nicole Neroulias
Quote of the Day: Lutheran Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson
(RNS) “I suppose one of my greatest frustrations in six years as presiding bishop is, it just feels like we haven’t been able to turn around what I think is a deep ambivalence and resistance in this church to being what we claim in our name, and that’s evangelical.”
_ Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson, announcing a campaign to distribute $10,000 to each of the denomination’s 65 synods to use for evangelization. He was quoted by the ELCA News Service.
KRE/PH END RNS
