As houses of worship throughout the Mid-Atlantic region were closed yesterday because of the nearly three feet of snow dumped on us over the weekend, about 100 people joined an unusual telephone worship service organized by an AME pastor in Washington.
The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops denounced a Maryland-based Catholic group that works for gay rights, saying it “has no approval or recognition from the Catholic Church and … cannot speak on behalf of the Catholic faithful in the United States.” The group’s leader said he was “astonished” at the statement, since the USCCB never contacted them.
Three top Southern Baptist leaders, including a member of President Obama’s faith advisory council, sent the White House a letter asking for help in getting the 10 American missionaries released from Haiti. Meanwhile, the NYT reports that the leader of the group, which has been charged with kidnapping, has a “complicated financial history.” Speaking of complicated, the Times’ Jerusalem bureau chief’s son is serving in the Israeli Army. They won’t resassign the journalist, though, says editor-in-chief Keller.
A Muslim group filed a civil rights complaint against a California mayor who said he was “growing a Christian community,” in a state-of-the-city address last week. A Korean-American missionary has been freed and returned home after 43 days in the totalitarian state.
The Church of England’s synod is meeting this week and is expected to take up the complicated issue of whether and how women can become bishops. Pope Benedict XVI deplored that the Catholic Church, has, at times, violated the rights of minors. China said it is resolutely opposed to Obama meeting with the Dalai Lama.
British officials have started an investigation after Cherie Blair, the former PM’s wife and a part-time judge, said she gave a lenient sentence to a man because he is a religious person. Hindus in Singapore are piercing their body for a diety (image at top left). A Nigerian Christian group says 20 of its members were killed in last month’s violent clashes with Muslims.
