c. 2007 Religion News Service
Former RNS editor Gerald Renner Dies at 75
(RNS) Gerald Renner, a former editor of Religion News Service and a longtime religion writer for The Hartford Courant, died Wednesday (Oct. 24) of cancer. He was 75.
Known for both investigative journalism and off-beat stories, Renner continued his writing career after retiring from the Connecticut newspaper in 2000 after 15 years. He co-authored the book, “Vows of Silence: The Abuse of Power in the Papacy of John Paul II” in 2004.
“He was a grand balance of principled reporter and delightful gentleman,” said Jason Berry, Renner’s co-author. “He was tenacious in the pursuit of truths and he was a very collegial guy to work with.”
Renner, who lived in Norwalk, Conn., was editor of Religion News Service from 1980 to 1984, after becoming managing editor in 1976. He helped with the technological development of the then-New York-based news service and set up its Washington bureau. He moved the service away from its focus on institutional news and began increased coverage of news related to church-state separation.
Renner, an award-winning journalist, also was vice president of the National Conference of Christians and Jews (NCCJ), which was RNS’ parent agency at the time of his leadership. Prior to his work at RNS, he worked in the public information offices of the U.S. Catholic Bishops and the NCCJ.
A native of Philadelphia, Renner began his journalism career in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War.
“He had a weakness for the off-beat story and he did them better than anybody I know,” said William Bole, who was hired by Renner to open the RNS Washington bureau. now an editorial consultant for universities, who lives in Andover, Mass. “But he was an extremely serious journalist and he addressed serious topics.”
Renner is survived by his wife of 50 years, Jacquelyn Breen Renner, a brother, five children and 10 grandchildren.
_ Adelle M. Banks
Anglicans, Catholics still not united on Mary
(RNS) Two years after Anglicans and Roman Catholics said they had reached a common understanding on the Virgin Mary, there’s still something about Mary that doesn’t quite sit right with some Anglicans.
Specifically, some Anglicans remain skittish about Catholic dogmas on the Immaculate Conception (that Jesus’ mother was born free of original sin) and the Assumption (that she was “assumed body and soul” into heaven at the end of her life).
During a recent meeting of the Anglican-Roman Catholic Consultation in the USA, Episcopal and Catholic leaders said the agreement is “significant” but could have done more to ease Anglican concerns about Catholic teaching.
“As a group, we did not find the document entirely satisfactory,” a statement from the meeting said, noting that “our greatest point of discussion and contention” were over the two dogmas about Mary.
Anglicans generally have two concerns about the twin dogmas:
_ Both were proclaimed as infallible by popes (the Immaculate Conception in 1854, and the Assumption in 1950). Anglicans, who split from Rome 500 years ago, question the power of the pope to make such beliefs mandatory.
_ Anglicans say neither dogma is explicitly referenced in Scripture. “Only that which can be read in Scripture or proved on the basis of Scripture can be believed,” the U.S. statement said.
In the 2005 statement, both sides said the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption were “consonant” with Scripture, even if they’re not explicitly mentioned in the Bible. It also said Anglicans might not need to accept both doctrines since Anglicans and Catholics were separate churches when the dogmas were proclaimed.
That question _ what Anglicans would have to believe as part of full communion with the Catholic Church _ deserves more explanation, the U.S. ecumenists said.
“What might be an acceptable diversity of belief in a reconciled church, particularly with regard to doctrines that … the churches have not shared?” the U.S. statement asks.
The Rev. Ronald Roberson, a Catholic consultant to the U.S. dialogue group,said both sides could agree on general principles without getting bogged down in specifics.
“This would not necessarily mean we’d have to use the same words,” he said. “We could agree that different words describe the same reality.”
_ Beckie Supiano
Muslims chide pope for not responding to olive branch
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Muslim leaders who attended an interfaith peace conference with Pope Benedict XVI chided the pope for not responding to a recent olive branch from Muslim scholars, and complained that the reaction of a high Vatican official “misses the very point of dialogue.”
Their complaints stem from an open letter, signed by 138 Muslim scholars and clerics on Oct. 13, which invoked the common principles of “love of the One God, and love of the neighbor” as the ultimate basis for peace between Muslims and Christians.
Several Protestant leaders welcomed that letter, among them the heads of the Anglican Communion, World Council of Churches, Lutheran World Federation and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.
But “Muslims are still awaiting a proper response from H.H. Pope Benedict XVI for this unprecedented initiative,” read a communique from “Muslim scholars” who attended the 21st International Meeting for Peace in Naples, Italy. Benedict attended the session’s opening day on Sunday (Oct. 21).
The Naples conference brought together more than 300 international religious leaders, including the archbishop of Canterbury, the Orthodox patriarch of Constantinople, the chief rabbi of Israel, and several representatives of Islam, Buddhism, Shintoism and Zoroastrianism.
The communique pointedly objected to comments by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, who told a French newspaper that Muslim’s belief that the Quran is the literal word of God makes theological dialogue with Christians “difficult.”
“This attitude, it seems to Muslims, misses the very point of dialogue,” the communique stated. “Dialogue is by definition between people of different views, not people of the same view.”
Recalling the “interfaith work of the late Pope John Paul II,” the communique suggested that under Benedict, the Vatican has become less open to relations with other faiths.
Even an annual greeting to Muslims at the end of Ramadan, “kindly established during the time of John Paul II, has been made polemical of late,” the communique said.
This year’s greeting, from Tauran, denounced terrorism and affirmed the right to “freedom of religious practice” _ an indirect reference to Vatican concerns about religious freedom for Christians in Islamic countries.
_ Francis X. Rocca
Oklahoma lawmakers refuse free Qurans
OKLAHOMA CITY (RNS) At least 17 Oklahoma lawmakers have refused gift copies of the Quran offered in honor of the state’s centennial by the Governor’s Ethnic American Advisory Council.
Marjan Seirafi-Pour, the council’s chairwoman, upset some lawmakers when she sent them an e-mail that said “the Holy Quran is the record of the exact words revealed by God through the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad.”
State Rep. Rex Duncan, R-Sand Springs, voiced objection to the gift, characterizing Islam as a violent religion. “Most Oklahomans do not endorse the idea of killing innocent women and children in the name of theology,” Duncan said.
At least 16 other lawmakers _ all but one are Republicans _ joined Duncan in declining a copy of the Muslim holy book with the Oklahoma centennial seal and the elected official’s name imprinted on it, The Oklahoman and the Tulsa World reported.
But other lawmakers said they would welcome the gift from faithful Muslims.
“It’s a matter of intellectual exercise and understanding what’s going on in the world,” state Rep. Bill Nations, D-Norman, told the Norman Transcript. “All Muslims are not our enemies, just some radical ones, which are the problems.”
Muslim leaders said the idea for the gift came from Centennial Bibles, which the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma gave to lawmakers earlier this year.
The Rev. Anthony Jordan, executive director-treasurer of the Baptist General Convention, said he had no problem with lawmakers refusing the Centennial Qurans.
“America’s laws find their roots in the Holy Bible,” Jordan said in a written statement. “The freedom to openly practice faith, without discrimination, is one of the beautiful tenets of the American way. Likewise, true freedom provides the right to refuse the generosity of others.”
_ Bobby Ross Jr.
Faith groups hold screenings of anti-torture film
(RNS) Jewish, Muslim and Christian houses of worship nationwide are sponsoring more than 500 screenings of a documentary investigating U.S. maltreatment of detainees as part of a new initiative led by the National Religious Campaign Against Torture.
Congregations in all 50 states will view HBO’s “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib” and participate in a nationwide “Spotlight on Torture.” The documentary, released earlier this year, is directed by Rory Kennedy, the youngest child of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.
“The `Spotlight on Torture’ initiative is about faith congregations … speaking with one voice to say that torture is always wrong,” the Rev. Richard Killmer, executive director of the anti-torture campaign, said in a statement. “The moral prohibition against torture in all of our religions is clear.”
Screenings will take place at a Baptist church in North Carolina, a synagogue in Connecticut and mosques in Iowa, among other venues, according to the anti-torture campaign. Iraq war veterans and family members are expected to attend, the campaign said.
“Not only is torture wrong, but young men and women from our country who are in places of conflict like Afghanistan or Iraq are profoundly affected by these abhorrent policies that condone torture _ it puts them at even greater risk,” said Linda Gustitus, the anti-torture campaign’s president.
Some 130 religious groups have joined the campaign, and more than 18,000 people have signed a “statement of conscience” emphasizing that torture is a moral issue, according to the NRCAT.
_ Daniel Burke
Evangelicals call for end of persecution of Dalits
(RNS) The National Association of Evangelicals has called on the U.S. government to take action to reduce persecution of the Dalits, the “untouchable” residents of South Asia.
In their third statement of conscience, board members of the evangelical association acknowledged their previous inattention to the Dalits’ plight and urged both the U.S. and Indian governments to do more to help them. About 250 million Dalits live in India, where they are about one quarter of the population.
“We confess our past indifference and ignorance of the suffering of the millions of Dalits across India and South Asia,” reads the seven-page statement released Tuesday (Oct. 23). “We have not done all within our power to alleviate the suffering of these severely oppressed, marginalized, `broken’ people.”
The statement describes the Dalits as “broken” because they are considered outcasts in India and other parts of South Asia. Many live under dire economic circumstances and are often segregated in hotels, restaurants and classrooms, the statement says, and can be victims of religious persecution.
The statement calls on the U.S. government to acknowledge discrimination faced by the Dalits, issue a State Department report and end agreements that worsen conditions for the Dalits.
“There are those who suggest that to judge the practices of another culture is unsuitable, and a violation of tolerance,” said the Rev. Richard Cizik, the NAE’s vice president for governmental affairs.
“But moral absolutes do exist, there is justice and injustice and evangelicals intend to stand up and demonstrate Christ’s own love for the poor and the oppressed around the world.”
_ Adelle M. Banks
R.I. diocese reports double number of abuse allegations
(RNS) The Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, R.I., reported a significantly higher number of allegations of clergy sexual abuse in a newly revealed legal filing than it had previously acknowledged, raising key questions about how the diocese tracks abuse.
From 1971 to 2007, 125 Rhode Island priests were accused of sexual assault or sexual misconduct and 95 were accused of sexual crimes against minors, according to a court document filed by the diocese in January.
In a nationwide study in 2004, the statewide diocese reported that allegations of sexual abuse against a minor were lodged against 56 priests between 1950 and 2002.
BishopAccountability.org, a watchdog Web site, brought the court document to light earlier this month. It was filed as part of a civil suit now before the state Supreme Court.
The recently revealed number is higher because “the reporting requirements … are substantially different in terminology and scope,” the diocese said in a statement.
The earlier study, completed by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, asked for “plausible, credible allegations,” the diocese said.
The court filing, requested by a judge, asked for any allegation of sexual misconduct against a priest, living or deceased, “whether such allegations were credible, or … vague, anonymous, withdrawn or ultimately to be found false,” according to the diocese.
_ Daniel Burke
Archives, Mormon-related Genealogical Society Announce Joint Project
WASHINGTON (RNS) The National Archives and a Mormon-sponsored genealogical society have launched a joint project that aims to provide free access to thousands of historical records for people delving into their family histories.
The National Archives and Records Administration and FamilySearch are working together to digitize and index more than 3,000 Civil War widow pension application files, they announced Tuesday (Oct. 23). The files include information such as marriage and death certificates, birth records and pages from family Bibles.
FamilySearch, a nonprofit organization sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, will use specialized digital cameras at the National Archives in Washington. The digitized materials will be available for free through its Web site, http://www.FamilySearch.org, and in 4,500 family history centers worldwide.
Allen Weinstein, archivist of the United States, said the National Archives has already had a “very productive relationship” with FamilySearch.
“This agreement expands our relationship to enable online access to some of the most popular and voluminous records in our holdings,” he said.
Wayne Metcalfe, director of FamilySearch Record Services, said the project will give those interested in genealogy “a priceless resource” for their research.
“There is an unbelievable treasure trove of genealogical information housed in the records of the National Archives, the vast majority of which genealogy enthusiasts have never seen,” he said.
Although the focus of a pilot project is the first 3,150 of the pension files, FamilySearch hopes to digitize and index hundreds of thousands more files in coming years.
_ Adelle M. Banks
Conservative wins second election as S.C. bishop
(RNS) The Episcopal Church on Monday (Oct. 29) approved the election of a conservative priest as bishop of South Carolina, one year after officials nullified his election amid fears he would lead the diocese to secede from the national church.
The Rev. Mark Lawrence, 56, formerly a priest in the traditionalist diocese of San Joaquin, Calif., has twice been elected bishop of South Carolina.
Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori threw out the first election last March, ruling that Lawrence did not receive enough “consents,” or approval from a majority of U.S. dioceses, by the required date.
Bishops-elect must gain consents from a majority of the church’s 111 dioceses in order to be consecrated. Lawrence gained 57 last year, but Jefferts Schori ruled that some were submitted improperly.
The Rev. J. Haden McCormick, president of South Carolina’s diocesan standing committee, said Lawrence has already gained the necessary consents this time around. The exact number is still undetermined, however, since balloting remains opens, he said.
McCormick said the diocese has worked closely with Jefferts Schori on the election and has “nothing but a very positive relationship” with her.
He said some dioceses that had blocked Lawrence’s election “had a misunderstanding of Mark Lawrence, and they reconsidered and listened to what he said and what he wrote and had a change of heart.”
Lawrence will be consecrated Jan. 26, in Charleston, S.C.
_ Daniel Burke
Texas Baptists elect first female president
(RNS) The Baptist General Convention of Texas elected its first female president Monday (Oct. 29).
Joy Fenner, a former missionary from Garland, Texas, won on a 900-840 vote, defeating David Lowrie, a pastor of a church in Canyon, Texas.
Fenner, 70, who has served as a church secretary and executive director of the Woman’s Missionary Union of Texas, won with the smallest margin of victory in the state convention’s history, according to a BGCT news release.
Fenner’s election follows the convention’s election of its first black president, in 2005, and its first Hispanic president the previous year.
Convention spokesman Ferrell Foster said Fenner’s gender could have affected the voting.
“Some people believed it was time that we had a woman leader,” he said in an interview from the convention in Amarillo, Texas. “Others were not ready for that step. But there were also other issues. Neither one of the candidates made her gender a primary thing in why they were allowing themselves to be nominated.”
Fenner, who was first vice president of the convention before the election, pledged to emphasize increasing mission work by the 2.3 million-member convention.
Some of the more than 5,600 congregations affiliated with the BGCT are also affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, but the state convention has distanced itself from the more conservative denomination in recent years.
_ Adelle M. Banks
Quote of the Week: Kentucky pastor John Weece
“Take a few minutes and write a note to Britney Spears. No preaching. No criticizing. Just love. As a church, let’s love Britney the way Jesus loves her.”
_ John Weece, pastor of Southland Christian Church in Lexington, Ky., in an entry on the church’s blog (http://voice.southlandchristian.org).
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