Tuesday 30 November 2010

Celtic Tiger filled vacuum left by RC church

Theology and ethics in Ireland surfaced in ‘The Financial Times’ on Monday of this week in a review by David Gardner of Irish Times writer, Fintan O’Toole’s book “Enough is enough - How to build a new Republic”. 
O’Toole suggests the Celtic Tiger frenzy filled the God-sized void left by the decline of the Roman Catholic church, and its quasi-theocratic control of sexual morality and social mores. He states,“The Celtic Tiger wasn’t just an economic ideology. It was also a substitute identity. It was a new way of being that arrived just at the point when Catholicism and nationalism were not working any more.”

Gardner comments, “Irish Republicanism is overlain with the history of struggle against English rule, the war of independence, the civil war that followed and divided nationalists into opposing tribes that still dominate the main parties, and, of course, the bloody campaign of the provisional Irish Republican Army to eject the British from Northern Ireland.

“It takes a brave man, then, to call for a new republic – with a small R, but big civic values – rooted in universal republican ideas and ethics

“After the monumental binge of the past decade, in which Ireland’s financial and political elites alchemically transmuted the real Celtic Tiger boom of the 1990s into a vast property bubble, Fintan O’Toole argues that “the republic is still an idea that can frame the search for public morality in a despairing Ireland”.

“Indeed, unless politics and public life are radically transformed, he believes, there is no way out of the financial pit Ireland’s cronyist elites have dug, which all too many Irish citizens happily leapt into. “Irish people have had a crash course in the nature of self-serving elites,” he says, with their “notion that no self-respecting patriot could be expected to get out of bed for less than €250,000 a year plus a pot of gold at the end of the pension rainbow.” To this O’Toole counterposes “a republican ethic of citizenship in which excess is not worshipped, rules are agreed to and kept and responsibility is taken – for ourselves and our society”.

“This is a trenchant critique, written with style and passion, fluency and sardonic wit. (O’Toole is an admirer of Swift, from whom he took the title of his best-selling polemic of last year, Ship of Fools.) A columnist on the Irish Times, O’Toole is an important voice in the debate reverberating across Ireland. Unabashedly on the social democratic left, he tends to polarise opinion in what is still a conservative country.”

Gardner’s review continues,”Now there is a new vacuum – the long-ruling Fianna Fáil is finished as a national movement if not as a party – and leadership, especially of the aspiring middle classes who had most to lose in this bust, is up for grabs. “There is a calculated judgment that the Irish people will take all the pain of shrinking public services, mass unemployment and forced emigration in order to pay off the gambling debts of their betters and that Ireland will remain politically stable,” says O’Toole. He does not believe this. “

For complete review and other O’Toole articles use search engine at:
http://www.ft.com/uk-edition

First Canadian Church to join Rome

A Calgary Anglican parish has voted to join the Roman Catholic Church, becoming the first in Canada to take up an offer made by Pope Benedict last year.
The Calgary Herald reports that parishioners of St. John the Evangelist church in Inglewood voted 90 per cent in favour of joining the Catholics on Nov. 21…
Father Lee Kenyon said his parishioners at St. John's are not leaving out of anger.
"We didn't vote to leave the Anglican Church of Canada, we voted to accept the invitation of the Pope," said Kenyon, who will be ordained as a Catholic priest despite being married with two children.
Many elements of the conversion must still be negotiated including what will happen to the church, built in 1911. Kenyon said his training and ordination should take 12 weeks, but a bishop has to be named by the Vatican to complete his conversion.

Wikileaks - US diplomats got the wrong Pope

Pope Benedict’s election to the papacy took American diplomats by surprise, it emerged this week, according to a report in The Catholic Herald. They predicted that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger would get a flurry of votes from his fellow cardinals at the beginning of the conclave but that he would be unable to muster the support needed to become Pope.
An April 19 2005 telegram from Rome to Washington signed by Bernt Hardt, says diplomats were “shocked” and “speechless” about the election of Cardinal Ratzinger
According to sensitive State Department documents obtained by La Stampa, an Italian newspaper, American diplomats at the US Embassy to the Holy See listed sixteen papabile, or candidates for the papacy on April 18, 2005, the day the conclave following Pope John Paul II’s death began.
Diplomats had drawn up an earlier document for the then Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice only days after John Paul II died, in which they had outlined the likely characteristics of the Pope’s successor.
The document, which was classified as “sensitive”, described the next Pope as a man who was neither too old nor too young so as to avoid having a funeral and conclave too soon, but also to “avoid a papacy as long as John Paul II’s”. The future Pope, they believed, needed to speak Italian in order to control the Vatican’s bureaucracy but would not necessarily be Italian. They thought the candidate would unlikely be from Eastern Europe post-John Paul II, or America because of its status as the last remaining superpower. The future Pope, they wrote, would need to have pastoral experience in order to show his human side and be a good communicator with new media skills.
The Belgian Cardinal Gottfried Daneels was among those considered to be the best candidates by American diplomats. They said Cardinal Daneels “knows how to use a computer” and represents the best compromise between Catholic doctrine and liberalism. Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi the Archbishop of Milan was also considered a likely choice because of his connection with young people, while Colombian Cardinal Dario Castrillon-Hoyos had “organized video conferences with thousands of priests” was considered “the perfect candidate for those who want a Hispanic who knows the Curia”.
In the dossier, American sources cited Cardinal Ratzinger’s brief stint in forced military service in the “last months of World War II”, saying that he would get votes in early ballots but would not be able to get the support. They predicted he would continue to be a “powerful cardinal” and a “guardian of theological orthodoxy”.
The files were released as part of a quarter of a million leaked United States embassy cables which were made public by the Wikileaks website last week.

Anglican Communion news - in brief

Canterbury’s sympathy expressed to New Zealand miners families
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has issued a statement of condolence to families, friends and others affected by the death of the twenty-nine miners in an explosion at the Pike River Mine in New Zealand:
"The tragedy that has overtaken the trapped miners in New Zealand has shocked and grieved people the world over, and our hearts go out to their families and friends.  As we remember them and all those close to them in our prayers, we pray too for those who are supporting the bereaved, especially the ministry at Holy Trinity Greymouth.  I hope they will know that they are being upheld across the world, and that they will be representing a great tide of love and sympathy for those whose lives have be ravaged by this disaster."

Concern for Christian sentenced to death in Pakistan
The Archbishop of Canterbury has written to the authorities in Pakistan expressing his deep concern for Asia bibi, a Christian who has been convicted under section 295-C of the Pakistan blasphemy law and sentenced to death.Concerned for Asia bibi's safety, Dr Williams  called for greater security in light of the recent killings by extremists (on court premises) of those accused of blasphemy and hopes that the Government will be able to offer assurances about her security and that of her family and children whilst she continues in custody.

The Archbishop praised the human rights activists, religious leaders and those in the media in Pakistan who have spoken out on this case, as well as the President of Pakistan for taking a direct and personal interest in the matter. He expressed the hope that the President would pardon Asia bibi and lift the death sentence, as well as urging reform and amendment of the legislation as a matter of urgency. 
Asia bibi was in police custody from June 2009 and then sentenced to death on 7th November 2010 under section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code. She is married with two daughters and they are one of three Christian families in a village of more than 1,500.

The Anglican Church of Thailand has ordained its first priest
Archbishop John Chew of Singapore ordained the Rev. Pairoj Phiammattawat to the priesthood at Christ Church, Bangkok, making him the first native priest in the 105-year history of the church’s work in Thailand.

In 1904 King Chulalongkorn donated the land to construct a Protestant church for Western expatriates in the Southeast Asian nation. Constructed in 1905, Christ Church has conducted services in English since its foundation. But in the 1980’s a Thai language ministry was introduced, and work in the Thai deanery of the Diocese of Singapore has expanded to six congregations, three schools, a social services agency, and a university chaplaincy programme

First African bishop in N Malawi
The Diocese of Northern Malawi has consecrated its first African bishop to succeed the Rt. Rev. Christopher Boyle, the last British bishop in Central Africa.
The Rev. Canon Fanuel Emmanuel Chioko Magangani was consecrated by ten bishops of the Church of the Province of Central Africa at a 5 and a half hour service at a football stadium in Mzuzu on Nov 7.  His consecration fills the last vacancy in the House of Bishops of the Church of the Province of Central Africa, which will now permit the province to elect a new primate to replace Archbishop Bernard Malango, who retired in 2007.

C of I News briefs

New Rector Appointed to Killiney-Ballybrack
The Revd Dr William Olhausen has been appointed Rector of Killiney-Ballybrack. Dr Olhausen is currently chaplain at Monkton School in Monkton Combe, Bath and will take up his new position at Easter. Dr Olhausen was made deacon in 1998 and priested in 1999. He has previously worked as a curate in Reading, Greyfriars, Oxford (1998-2001); substitute chaplain in HMYOI, Reading; associate vicar in Holy Trinity in Cambridge (2001-2004) and Rector in Carrigrohane, Cork (2004-2008)
The biggest event to ever take place in The Good Book Shop, Belfast
Next year marks the 400th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible. To celebrate the occasion, we are planning to have the entire bible read aloud in The Good Book Shop every weekday afternoon (Monday to Friday only) at 4pm starting the 4th January and ending 23rd December 2011. The initiative is entitled KJV@ 4:00.
It's a massive undertaking, but I'm already getting a lot of support for it. Richard Ryan, the bookshop manager, says, “We are looking for volunteer readers who would be interested in taking part in this unique event, and it will be open to everyone who wants to read including clergy, lay readers, youth workers, Sunday school groups and of course our own customers. The first reader on 4th January will be the Archbishop of Armagh, the Rt Rev Alan Harper, who will also officially launch the event on that date as well.”

Auction of celebrity memorabilia in Lisburn for water in Africa
An auction in St Paul’s Parish, Lisburn, which received the support of dozens of celebrities, has helped the parish reach the half way stage of its fundraising target. The auction on November 19 was one of three events aimed at raising a total of £4,000 to provide a water pump to give more than 200 Kenyan families a clean water supply.A host of unique items including books, TV scripts, DVDs and shirts signed by celebrities went under the hammer.  Top sellers on the night were an Ulster Rugby Shirt signed by the squad which fetched £90, a Parker pen donated by Prime Minister David Cameron which made £70, and a book signed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu which auctioned for £54. The pump will be constructed next to the new Oloosuyian Maasai Girls School in Kajiado, a diocese with which St Paul’s enjoys a very vibrant partnership. Within Kajiado, the church operates a number of water projects which allow it to provide educational and health services as well as spiritual work.  The installation of a water pump will be an important community resource, providing clean water which would be used by more than 200 families – many of whom have to walk many miles to their nearest water hole. The overall cost of the pump is £10,000, almost £6,000 of which has already been raised by Church Mission Society Ireland (CMSI). This includes money from St Paul’s own Kenya Fund. The additional £4,000 required to complete this project will also enable a pump house to be built.
Energize celebration draws 200 young people and youth leaders
Two hundred young people and youth leaders from parishes the length and breadth of Connor Diocese participated in the Energize celebration of youth event on Sunday November 7.
Stormy weather was no deterrent as they flocked to the hall of St Patrick’s, Ballymena, for an evening of praise, fellowship, fun and inspiration.
This now annual event was organised once again by Connor Energize Committee and follows three Get Connected networking sessions for youth leaders which took place at venues across the diocese during September.

Monday 29 November 2010

Post for Irish language development in C of I

Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise (the Irish Guild of the Church) is looking to recruit a full-time Irish Language Development Officer for the Cumann. 

Under the title "Towards 2014: Promoting the Irish language within the Community of the Church of Ireland", this project will secure the future of the Cumann as it approaches the 100th anniversary of its foundation in the year 2014.

This will be a three year contract. Applications for the position (by email to cge1914@gmail.com) are being accepted until Wednesday, 15 December and interviews will be held on 22 December. Further information is available on the website http://www.cumanngaelachnaheaglaise.blogspot.com/ or can be obtained by e-mailing cge1914@gmail.com. The new officer will be working in the Church of Ireland community throughout the island to promote the language.

The Irish Guild of the Church was founded in 1914 to (1) promote all that tends to preserve within the Church of Ireland the spirit of the ancient Celtic Church and to provide a bond of union for all members of the Church of Ireland inspired with Irish ideals, (2) promote the use of the Irish language in the Church, (3) collect from Irish sources suitable hymns and other devotional literature, (4) encourage the use of Irish art and music in the Church.

The Guild organises regular services as follows: The second Sunday each month (except July and August) at 8.30 am – Holy Communion in the chapel of the Church of Ireland College of Education, 96 Upper Rathmines Road, Dublin 6; the fourth Sunday each month (except June, July, August and December) at 5 pm – Holy Communion in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin 8. An interdenominational Service is also organised during the Octave of Christian Unity in January in Christ Church Cathedral. Services are organised in other places throughout the country from time to time – for example, St Patrick’s Day, festivals. The Irish Guild of the Church supports Irish language services in Christ Church Cathedral on certain occasions when Evensong is sung by the Cathedral choir.

New journal wants articles

Soma, a new International Journal of Theological Discourses and Counter-Discourses, is now accepting articles on the theme of 'Theology and Globalization' for its inaugural (2011) edition.

Along with a guest editorial by Rowan Williams, the first edition will feature a lead article by Joerg Rieger. In his book, Theology and Globalization (Abingdon Press, 2010) Rieger argues that theology cannot be understood without globalization(s) and globalization(s) cannot be understood without theology. Rieger asks how understandings and practices of globalization(s) impact Christian practices and Christian beliefs about God. What type of power is at work in globalization(s) and how does that relate to visions of divine power? Can any practice of globalization enhance the well-being of human beings?

Articles addressing these issues and related issues will be considered for the first edition of Soma. Articles should be no more than 8,000 words. Submissions should be sent to soma.editor@sjut.org by 30 January, 2011.

Emerging Voices
Soma encourages submissions, in the form of both short articles and book reviews, from unpublished scholars and experienced practitioners for its 'Emerging Voices' section. Submissions should be between 4,000-5,000 words and be sent to soma.editor@sjut.org by 30 January, 2011. A list of books for review can be obtained by contacting the editor.

About Soma
Soma is a peer-reviewed online open access international theology journal based in the heart of Africa. Soma is a word which we have hybridized. In Greek it is a noun. It means “body”. In Kiswahili it is a verb. It means “to read” or "to study". This journal seeks to develop a body of theological knowledge, practice, and reflection across languages, cultures, disciplines and economic backgrounds. In these interstitial spaces and moments theological discourses and theological counter-discourses will emerge. Consequently, while we are interested in modern theology generally, we will give priority to theologizing which is consciously done on the boundaries or margins of well established theological discourses and theologizing which is done on the boundaries or margins of societies.

Bishop Clarke’s lead on economic situation in Ireland

The Rt Revd Ken Clarke, Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh has given a strong lead to his diocese on the recent traumatic week in Ireland.

He said in a ‘Call to the diocese’:
“What a week it has been! We are in unchartered waters in Ireland. The news has been shocking and stark. As a country we are facing a time of extreme cutbacks, stringent measures and financial restraints. Many people are worried, unsure and anxious. The implications are enormous for every single person in our country.

“As followers of Christ and members of His church what should our response be?

“1. Be there! Many people feel angry, lonely and uncared for. They will need to know they are not forgotten. Personal friendship and support can mean so much.  Determine to be there for people we know.  
                        
“2. Show care! God cares for the hurting, the unemployed, the worried and the struggling. We are called to care in thoughtful, generous, and practical ways. Be sensitive but not intrusive. These tough times are a time to care.      
 
“3. Decisive actions! Think of specific people who really need help and help them. It is not enough to think about them, talk about them, or indeed even pray for them. The apostle John couldn’t make it clearer, 'Let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.'

“4. Urgent prayer! In our Anglican liturgy we pray often for those in authority. I ask that we redouble our prayers for politicians, national leaders, financiers and decision makers. They need our prayers and this country needs a praying people. I suggest that each Sunday in the next few months we prioritise praying for those in authority and for our nation. A suggested prayer is below.
“Suggested Prayer:    
God bless our leaders. God bless our country. God bless the church. Forgive our sins of greed and selfishness. Forgive our arrogance and pride. Move among us by Your Holy Spirit bringing hope and healing, progress and employment. Help us to care for one another as You care for us. Thank you for hearing our prayer. In the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord,  Amen”

Anti-catholicism 'deep and wide' says Catholic Church spokesperson

Anti-Catholic hostility is "deep and wide" in Scotland, a spokesman for the Catholic Church said today. The comments follow reports SFA referees chief Hugh Dallas has left his post after claims he forwarded an offensive email about the Pope's recent visit to Scotland, Alan Mackie writes in “The Scotsman”.

Earlier this week, Catholic Church spokesman Peter Kearney demanded Mr Dallas's found to be true.

In a newspaper article published Nov 28, Mr Kearney said that "tasteless" emails may simply be "the tip of a disturbing iceberg of anti-Catholicism in Scottish society".

He said: "Many people have claimed that emails similar to the one in question circulated widely in the weeks leading up to the Pope's visit. These comments are, incredibly, intended to somehow mitigate the culpability of those who were recently being accused."Sadly, they do nothing of the sort. Instead they illuminate the reality of a layer of deep, wide and vicious anti-Catholic hostility in our country."

Mr Kearney said such hostility has often been tolerated by Catholics, but that the recent episode has caused Scots Catholics to "draw a line in the sand".

He wrote: "I detect a new resolve, especially among younger people. Our grandparents and even our parents suffered intolerance and persecution. We will not tolerate it.

"We will not laugh it off or see the funny side - because there is no funny side. Beneath the surface of the nasty emails and the intemperate asides of public figures there are others whose malignancy is altogether more pernicious."

He said that recent examples of the intimidation of priests is only a snapshot of the intolerance suffered by Catholics.
"The bigotry, the bile, the sectarian undercurrents and innuendos must end," he said.

"Such hateful attitudes have had their day, they poison the well of community life, they must be excised and cast out once and for all."

Questions arose about Mr Dallas's future as the SFA's head of referee development after reports claimed a photograph relating to the Pope's September visit had been passed on via official SFA emails.

The photograph showed a road sign featuring a woman and a child with a doctored message referring to the Pontiff below.

Mr Kearney last week demanded swift action over the allegations, saying the email was "gratuitously insulting to the Pope, deeply offensive to the Catholic community of Scotland, and an incitement to anti-Catholic sectarianism".

Algerian Christians face jail for opening church

Prosecutors asked a court on Sunday to sentence four Algerian converts to Christianity to one year in jail each for opening a place of worship without permission, their lawyer said.
The verdict was expected on December 12, lawyer Mohamed BenBelkacem said.
"The trial was conducted in good conditions. The prosecutor asked for one year in prison for each of the accused, which is the minimum sentence provided by the law," he said.
The defendants, aged between 35 and 45 years, are accused of opening a Protestant church close to the town of Larbaa Nath Irathen, 150 kilometres (90 miles) east of the capital Algiers, without permission from the authorities.
One of them has also been charged with accommodating without authorisation a French pastor who had travelled to Algeria to address a Christian community, the defence lawyer said.
The practice of religion in Algeria, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, requires authorities to agree to the place of worship and the preacher in terms of a 2006 law.
Over the past months, several trials have opened in the north African country, where Islam is the state religion, for violation of Islamic precepts and notably involving converts to Christianity.
Eight Muslims who were charged with breaking the daily fast during the holy month of Ramadan in August were acquitted earlier this month.
Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia told parliament last month Algeria would "always guarantee" freedom of religion.
There are about 11,000 Christians in Algeria, according to the religious affairs ministry. The Protestant Church says there are 30,000 Protestants alone.
The country is home to 35 million people, nearly all of whom claim to follow Islam.

Sunday 28 November 2010

Inquest praises Christian ‘hero’ of 7/7 bombings

The Methodist Church’s Connexional Team policy adviser, Steve Hucklesby, has been described as ‘heroic’ for trying to save lives during the London terrorist attacks on 7 July 2005. 

Giving testimony at the inquest, Mr Hucklesby denied his actions were heroic, but the coroner, Lady Justice Hallett, said he ‘may not like the word’ but she could not ‘think of any other word to describe what you did.’ Mr Hucklesby climbed through a broken window into a bombed train at Edgeware Road underground station to attempt to resuscitate a woman, despite having only one day’s first aid training. Mr Hucklesby has been made an MBE in recognition of his efforts.
Source: Methodist Recorder 
 http://www.methodistrecorder.co.uk/

God did create universe, says mathematician

Professor Stephen Hawking is wrong to say that God didn’t start the universe, believes an Oxford University maths professor. Prof John Lennox, a Christian academic who has debated Richard Dawkins three times, challenges Hawking’s theory that gravity created the universe all on its own in his new book God and Stephen Hawking: Whose Design is it Anyway? 

Lennox says: ‘If the mathematics is very beautiful and very elegant one can think, “Well, that’s got to be true”, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be true.’ He adds that life, as well as the universe, shows signs of God’s design, particularly DNA, because ‘inanimate matter, on its own, doesn’t give rise to that kind of complexity’. DNA is ‘a bit like the singularity of the Big Bang… Where God did something special.’
Source: The Times

Empty seats in Dublin as Primates opt out

At least ten Primates from the Global South are now expected to boycott the Primates’ Meeting in Dublin in January, Ed Beavan reports in this week’s “Church Time”.

He writes: In a statement released on Wednesday, five African Primates, members of the GAFCON Primates’ Council, confirmed that they would not attend the two-yearly meeting. In addition, it is understood that the Primate of South-East Asia, Dr John Chew; the Primate in Jerusalem & the Middle East, Dr Mouneer Anis; and the Primate of the Indian Ocean, the Most Revd Ian Ernest, will not go to Dublin.

Furthermore it is expected that two new Primates, Presiding Bishop Tito Zavala, Primate of the Southern Cone, and the Most Revd Onesphore Rwage, Primate of Rwanda, will also boycott the meeting.

In the statement, which came out of a meeting of the GAFCON Primates’ Council in Oxford in October, but was released only on Wednesday, five Primates — Dr Justice Akrofi of West Africa, Dr Valentino Mokiwa of Tanzania, the Most Revd Nicholas Okoh of Nigeria, the Most Revd Henry Orombi of Uganda, and Dr Eliud Wabukala of Kenya — say they “join with other Primates from the Global South in declaring that we will not be present”.

They acknowledge the Anglican Covenant is “well-intentioned” but say they “have come to the conclusion the current text is fatally flawed”.

In response, Canon Kenneth Kearon, sec­retary general of the Anglican Communion, said: “The decision whether to come remains a matter for the Primates.”

The Oxford statement also reveals that GAFCON plans to build partnerships with other denom­inations that “share their con­victions”

More at: http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=104604

Saturday 27 November 2010

The week ahead in the C of I

NOVEMBER 2010

Sun 28
40th anniversary St Andrew's Church Glencairn - Belfast 
Thanksgiving service to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone 10.30 a.m. Preacher: the Reverend Jim Rea, former President of the Methodist Church in Ireland and recently retired as Superintendent of the Agnes St Circuit, which includes Glencairn Methodist Church, which shares St Andrew’s.
http://wwww.glencairn.connor.anglican.orgSun 
Advent Carols - Belfast
Carol Service 3.30 pm, St Anne’s Cathedral
Advent Procession - Dublin
Sung by the Christ Church cathedral choir and cathedral girls' choir,the candlelit Advent procession forms a dramatic turning point in the yearly liturgical cycle of the church. 5.00 pm Music at will include Boles 'Adam lay Y Bounden', Britten 'Hymn to the Virgin', Bruckner 'Virge Jesse', Goldschmidt 'A Tender Shoot', Manz 'E'en so Lord Jesus' and Praetorius 'Magnificat Quinti Toni'. 
http://cccdub.ie/index.php?/special-services/

Advent Procession - Limerick
St Mary’s Cathedral, 7pm. 

Mon 29
St Flannan’s Cathedral - Killaloe 
Mr Sean Donlan, former Irish Ambassador to the USA, will launch the latest in the series of clerical succession lists which have been edited by Canon David Crooks. Clergy of Killaloe, Kilfenora, Clonfert and Kilmacduagh has been published by the Ulster Historical Foundation.
Tues 30
USPG Aids exhibition in TCD
On the eve of World AIDS Day, Mr Peter Power TD, Minister of State for Overseas Development, will open a photographic exhibition in the Gallery Chapel in Trinity College, Dublin. ‘Living Positively with HIV/AIDS’, which  has been jointly organized by the TCD Chaplaincy and USPG, documents how USPG is working with the Anglican Church to support people living with HIV/AIDS in Namibia.

Healing on the Streets with George Newell & Margaret Saunders on ministering healing and wholeness. Willowfield Parish, Belfast.
DECEMBER
Wed 1 World AIDS Day

PRAY For greater awareness of HIV and AIDS,
For greater dignity and rights of people living with HIV and AIDS,
For more compassion and care
For the rejection of discrimination and stigmatisation,
For wider prevention activities that address root causes of vulnerability
For efficient mobilisation of resources and treatments,
For increased access to treatments and care,
For support for those left behind to grieve the loss of their loved ones,
For trust and hope in our God. Amen

The Mothers’ Union, Living Positively, “Prayers and Reflections”
Wed 1 - Thurs 2 
Messiah, St Patrick’s, Dublin
The Culwick Choral @ 8pm. Tickers 30 euro. In aid of One Family
www.culwick.org
www.stpatrickscathedral.ie
www.onefamily.ie - messaiah@onefamily.ie- no booking fee.

Wed 1 
Concert - Christ Church Cathedral - Dublin 
The KISD Choir from Kermit, Texas is a mixed high school choir directed by Vicki Pigmon. They will be performing sacred and spiritual music for their concert in Christ Church Cathedral. Recent tourshave included St Nicholas’ Cathedral in Prague as well as venues in Germany and the Czech Republic. The usual entrance charges will apply. 1.15pm

Concert - Christ Church Cathedral - Dublin
Trinity Orchestra Michaelmas Term Concert conducted by Liam Ryan, and violin solo by Colm O'Braoin. Programme: Franck, Symphony in D minor; Shostakovich, Violin Concerto No. 1; Dukas - Brass Fanfare from La Péri.Tickets: €15 for adults, €5 for students (available at the door). 8.00 pm 

Wed 1 - Fri 3
A Christmas Carol - St Anne’s, Dawson St - Dublin
6.30 pm. Adult 10, Concess 5 euro.
Gospel Concert - Milltown, Portadown
George Hamilton IV (Legend of the 'Grand Ole Opry' in Nashville) and Live Issue (Ireland's top country/gospel band - the only band from Ireland to perform at the 'Grand Ole Opry') 8.00 pm in  Milltown Parish Hall, Derrylileagh Road, Portadown.  Admission free though donations towards expenses appreciated. 
Contact: 028 3885 2626

MU - Derry and Raphoe Branch Committee Training/ Showcase Evening

Thurs 2 
MU Eucharist  - Christ Church Cathedral - Dublin
Chapel of St Laurence O'Toole (Lorcán Ua Tuathail) in the south transept at 11.15 a.m. http://dublin.mothersunion.ie.
Fri 3
MU - Derry and Raphoe Branch Committee Training/ Showcase Evening.
Essential - Christ Church Cathedral - Dublin
3 Rock Youth’s 7th alternative Chrismas experience. Featuring music by the Discovery Gospel Choir and DJ Sam Stott as well as The Fire Guys, short films, massive lighting display and Messenger Greg Fromholz.This event is for secondary school students and older, admission is free. More information: www.3rock.net/events/essential 
Sat 4
Christmas Market Christ Church Cathedral - Dublin 
Santa in the Crypt (10.00)
More information www.cccdub.ie

MU - Derry and Raphoe Trustee Body , Diocesan Centre, Londonderry. 10.00am-1.00pm.

Castleknock Parish Centre - Dublin
Parish Fayre 11-3pm

Taney Parish - Dublin
Christmas Bazaar 10 - 1pm.
MU - Derry and Raphoe Trustee Body , Diocesan Centre, Londonderry. 10.00am-1.00pm.
Irish Association of Change Ringers
Northern District Practice
St Mark’s, Belfast - 14.30 - 16.30

CAP Money Coaches seminar - Belfast
First of three seminars in enabling volunteers from churches to advise on money management and build links with the community. Free information pack from www.capmoney.org/wanttorun.

Concert-Christ Church Cathedral - Dublin  
To celebrate their 30th Anniversary Season, the Hibernian Orchestra has some exciting performances planned for 2010/2011. They begin by welcoming guitarist Redmond O’Toole who will perform Joaquin Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez on his 8-string ‘Brahms’ guitar, played in a cello position. O’Toole was one of the first to adopt this unusual playing style—this is a performance not to be missed. In addition, they will be performing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 and Coriolan Overture. The concert will be conducted by John Finucane. 8.00 pm. Tickets available at the door: €15, concessions €12, children (under 12) €5. To pre-book:
tickets.hibernianorchestra@gmail.com.



Sun 5
Prison Officers’ Carol Service - Belfast
Belfast Cathedral, 3.30pm
St Lucia Concert-Christ Church Cathedral - Dublin
The Adolf Fredrick Youth Choir from Stockholm will perform a traditional Swedish Lucia procession at 8.00 pm They will sing both International Christmas carols and typical Swedish Christmas carols. Premium tickets (€35) include reserved seating and a glögg reception in the crypt. These are available from sccireland@gmail.com. General Tickets (€15.00) available at:
Ticketmaster: www.ticketmaster.ie/event/180045689AA34671
Please note whilst every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the information, please check with the organisers of the event. Please send information on forthcoming events to :  churchnewsireland@gmail.com

Irish church news in brief

Killaloe clergy succession lists published
On Monday evening in St Flannan’s Cathedral, Killaloe, Mr Sean Donlan, former Irish Ambassador to the USA, will launch the latest in the series of clerical succession lists which have been edited by Canon David Crooks. Clergy of Killaloe, Kilfenora, Clonfert and Kilmacduagh has been published by the Ulster Historical Foundation.

USPG Aids exhibition in TCD
On Tuesday evening, the eve of World AIDS Day, Mr Peter Power TD, Minister of State for Overseas Development, will open a photographic exhibition in the Gallery Chapel in Trinity College, Dublin. ‘Living Positively with HIV/AIDS’, which  has been jointly organized by the TCD Chaplaincy and USPG, documents how USPG is working with the Anglican Church to support people living with HIV/AIDS in Namibia.

Clogher in Nigeria
This weekend the Bishop of Clogher contines his two week visit to Nigeria as the guest of the Diocese of Kaduna. He will visit  a number of projects including the Jacaranda Farm Project which has been supported by the Diocese of Clogher, will address several clergy gatherings, and will preach at an Advent Rally.

Thanksgiving service for former Dean of Connor
Tomorrow (Sunday) -  In Christ Church, Derriaghy, Bishop Samuel Poyntz will give the address at a memorial service for the Very Revd Norman Barr, Dean of Connor, 1982-90, and Rector of Derriaghy for almost thirty years.
Cork installation
Tomorrow (Sunday) - The Bishop of Cork will licence and install the Revd Olive Henderson as Chaplain of Kingston College, Mitchelstown

English Church Leaders Visit CITI

A delegation of church leaders from the south-west of England will begin a three day fact finding visit to the Church of Ireland Theological Institute on Monday . 

The delegation will be composed of the Bishop of Plymouth, the Rt Revd John Ford, the Bishop of Truro, the Rt Revd Tim Thornton, and the Archdeacon of Cornwall, the Ven. Roger Bush. They are engaged in examining ministerial formation and training in their region and would like to consider setting up a catechetical institute to meet the needs of a scattered population in south-east England.

The delegation will meet the Director of CICE, the Revd Dr Maurice Elliott and the ordinands, and visit the RCB Library which provides for the reading needs of the Institute. They will hear from Andrew McNeile , Project Coordinator to the House of Bishop, on how the Church of Ireland bishops planned changes to ministry training and from members of the CITI staff -  the Revd Ted Woods will talk about M.Th internships, Dr Katie Heffelfinger  will explain the delivery of distance learning modules and Canon Patrick Comerford will discuss the development of worship in CITI.

Friday 26 November 2010

Death of outspoken liberal Dean

The Very Rev Colin Slee, the dean of Southwark Cathedral, who has died aged 65 after the sudden onset of pancreatic cancer, was one of the most courageously outspoken liberals in the Church of England – almost alone among senior churchman – and in the wider Anglican communion. A close friend of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Rowan Williams, the archbishop of Canterbury, Slee was a doughty defender of another friend, Jeffrey John, the theologian who was denied a bishopric in the Church of England in 2003 when conservative evangelicals launched a campaign against his appointment on discovering that he was gay.

Slee's combativeness cost him a bishopric himself, both inside the Church of England, where safer candidates – less inclined to rock the boat by speaking out against the church's prejudices against women and gays – were preferred; and in New Zealand, where conservatives led a smear campaign to prevent him from being chosen as bishop for the diocese of Christchurch three years ago.

Yet, whatever his detractors alleged, Slee was also an orthodox priest in the Anglo-Catholic tradition, insistent on following the proper form in prayer and dress. It is what led him at one stage to ban the singing of the popular but scarcely Christian Jerusalem from the cathedral and he was critical of the sort of evangelical clergy who do not believe in vestments, like praying vacuously, extempore, and insist that they are the true orthodox.

As he said in a typically robust address at the launch of a liberal Anglican group called Inclusive Church, following John's enforced resignation: "I insist the cathedral clergy wear black shirts because it is a statement of history and origin, a uniform deeply rooted in tradition and monastic antecedents ... (not) the floral extravaganzas more symptomatic of a photocollage of the Chelsea Flower Show than the hard work of saving souls ... All that makes me 'liberal', a moderniser. Then there are those who ... don't wear clerical dress, so you don't know who they are or what they represent ... all that makes them 'conservative'."

That gives a good impression of his forthrightness, but he was very far from pompous or solemn, relishing – and excoriating – the absurdities of the church. His outspokenness in defence of an inclusive church and frustration at Williams's equivocations on the gay issue were evident. Nevertheless, he and the archbishop remained friends, and Williams visited him last week and led prayers for him at Wednesday's General Synod meeting. Colleagues were aware of his deep pastoral compassion. A gay cleric in his diocese said: "Colin was a big man and you always felt you could shelter behind him and he would stand up for you and protect you."

The son of a policeman, Slee was educated at Ealing grammar school, west London, before studying at King's College London – to which he would return as chaplain and tutor in the late 1970s – and training for the ministry at St Augustine's college, Canterbury. He was ordained in 1970. He became curate of Great St Mary's in Cambridge and chaplain of Girton, then still a women's college, from 1973 to 1976. In 1982 he moved to St Albans as sub-dean, in charge of pastoral work, before becoming dean of Southwark in 1994.

At Southwark, Slee was responsible not only for transforming the appearance of the cathedral, overseeing the construction of a sympathetically designed refectory, conference centre and library, but also encouraging greater engagement with the ethnically diverse community in south London, considerably increasing the regular congregation and inspiring a team of canons and lay workers who were devoted to him. He developed close links with the liberally inclined Anglican church in southern Africa and with Harvard University in the US.

Slee was also active in church politics, serving on the General Synod for 15 years until his death and on the crown nominations committee, which chooses bishops and senior clergy.

He married his New Zealand-born wife, Edith, in 1971 and the couple had a son and two daughters, as well as fostering a brother and sister whom they later adopted. All survive him.

Slee, a keen rower and London university "purple" as a student, was a familiar figure cycling around London from the dean's lodging on Bankside until he suffered heart trouble last year
.
In the autumn he had a fall while on holiday on Majorca and x-rays disclosed the cancer which was found to be inoperable. When I visited him in hospital a fortnight ago, he said wonderingly: "I have received so many get-well cards, even from my enemies." "Colin," I said, "Surely you don't have any enemies left?" No, he replied gently, he was beyond all that, and turned to discussing a book he wished to write. It would have been on the episcopacy, arguing against the appointment of bland bureaucratic types in favour of troublemakers. "Peter and Paul weren't smooth men," he said.
Colin Bruce Slee, priest, born 10 November 1945; died 25 November 2010

This tribute was carried in The Guardian. There was also a tribute in The Daily Telegraph.

US perspective on C of E Vote

The C of E General Synod passed a motion moving forward the adoption of the Anglican Covenant with a very clear majority which turned on its head the predictions widely made that it would fail to gain support. The Synod has voted in favour of continuing the process towards adopting the Anglican Covenant, a set of principles intended to bind the Anglican Communion in light of its differences.

The Episcopal News Service carried the following report on the C of E Synod: 

The Nov. 24 decision -- which was passed by synod's three houses of bishops, clergy and laity -- recommends that the church should consider a draft Act of Synod that "solemnly covenants with the other churches which enter into and adopt it in making the affirmations and commitments that it contains."

The bishops voted 39 for, 0 against, with 1 abstention; the clergy voted 145 for, 32 against, with 11 abstentions; and the laity voted 147 for, 25 against, with 8 abstentions.

The draft act will now be sent to the church's dioceses for consideration before returning to General Synod, which may be asked formally to adopt the covenant as early as February 2012.

Before the synod debate, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams encouraged its members to support the motion and the ongoing conversation towards adopting the covenant.

"The drift of the covenant has been towards … ways with which we can, in some sense, act in coherence together for the sake of God's mission," he said. "I hear and partly understand the anxieties about legislating family relations [but] I do want to resist very strongly that the covenant creates a central authority."

Williams said the covenant is about "trying to understand what it is to be completely accountable to one another," acknowledging that the context of the Anglican Communion is a global one to which all Anglicans have a responsibility.

The three-hour synod debate included a broad diversity of opinions about the pros and cons of a covenant, with repeated concerns expressed about section 4 of the document, which outlines a method for resolving disputes in the communion. Some critics of the covenant are concerned that section 4 may be used as a means to discipline certain provinces.
The Rev. Miranda Holmes, chaplain at the University of York, urged synod members to vote against the covenant, saying that the church should decline to use such structures to express its relationships.

"Local and global are increasingly blurred and a clash of contexts is something that we need to keep thinking about," she said. But in section 4 of the covenant, "suddenly our contexts are irrelevant," she added. "This text sounds like a couple in marital difficulties asking their wider family about whether they should divorce or not. I ask you to vote against a document that has such negative and legalistic terms."

The Rev. Mark Beach from Coventry said he hadn't yet decided how to vote but warned that "if the communion survives it will be because we have conversed in mother tongue, not because we have tried to legislate for unity."

Julie Dziegiel of Oxford compared the Anglican Communion with the situation in Northern Ireland in the 1970s -- "two sides entrenched and it doesn't look like a solution can be found," she said.

"The covenant is intended to address these issues," she said, but added that the effect of section 4 "can only be to split the communion further and permanently. What is needed is lengthy and permanent negotiation until both sides agree to respect one another's views and co-exist."

The Rev. Simon Cawdell of Hereford spoke in favor of the covenant, which he believes "is trying to find ways where the disagreement in our common life can be resolved in love."

Cawdell said it is a mistake to understand the covenant in judicial terms and that voting against it would send a negative signal to the rest of the communion.

Following years of discussion and several draft versions, the final text of the covenant was sent in December 2009 to the communion's 38 provinces for formal consideration.
The covenant first was proposed in the 2004 Windsor Report as a way that the Anglican Communion and its 38 autonomous provinces might maintain unity despite differences, especially relating to biblical interpretation and human sexuality issues. The Lambeth Commission on Communion, the group that produced the Windsor Report, was formed in response to the 2003 election of Gene Robinson, an openly gay priest, as bishop of New Hampshire, a development that caused some provinces to declare broken or impaired communion with the Episcopal Church.

Bishop Peter Price of Bath and Wells told synod members about his experience of attending a recent Episcopal Church House of Bishops meeting and finding a church "offering vibrant worship, engaging theology and a profound sense of mission … There was a commitment to addressing differences in an adult way, and a commitment to staying together."

He acknowledged that the Episcopal Church also is committed to studying and considering the covenant.

"Section 4 has been revised and clearly states that it cannot override the canons and constitutions of a particular province," he said. "The issue of governance will not go away [but] if we stay with the process we are not committed to tablets of stone. Although I still have some reservations, I shall nevertheless vote in favor of continuing this process."
Canon Elizabeth Paver of Sheffield, vice chair of the Anglican Consultative Council, the communion's main policy-making body, said that many provinces look to the Church of England for leadership in difficult times. "The covenant should be seen as a positive means for handling our diversity. It calls us to responsibility," she said. "The Church of England, the Anglican Communion, and the archbishop of Canterbury need this vote to go through overwhelmingly so that we can be seen to give some leadership."

Conversely, Bishop John Saxbee of Lincoln said he "will entirely support this process as long as it never ends. The Anglican Communion doesn't need a covenant, because the Anglican Communion is a covenant … If there is grace and goodwill then a covenant will not be necessary."

Saxbee said the covenant seems to be "more about factory-farmed religion that about free-range faith. I hope you will continue to enjoy discussion the idea of a covenant, but hesitate long and hard before signing on."

A procedural motion to adjourn the debate until July 2011 failed as did three proposed amendments to the Act of Synod text.

-- Matthew Davies is editor and international correspondent of the Episcopal News Service.


Thursday 25 November 2010

Number of English Roman Catholic ordinands rises

Vocations to the priesthood have reached their highest level in ten years, with 56 men entering English seminaries in September.

Vocations spokesman Fr Stephen Langridge said there had been a gradual but clear increase and that ‘the number may rise further as people respond to the visit of Pope Benedict’. Vocations directors met last week to identify what was responsible for the trend and what could help in the future. One reason for the rise may be the vocational discernment groups for young people that are run by many dioceses and religious orders. Another is thought to be the Invocation festival held in July, which saw about 300 attendees, and will be held again next year. Other tactics have included advertising on beer mats and the Underground.
Source: totalcatholic.com

Afghan Christian faces trial for alleged conversion from Islam

Matiullah Mati for CNN reports that an Afghan Christian, detained for months for allegedly converting to Christianity from Islam, could face trial as early as next week - and could face a potential death penalty, officials said.

Said Musa was arrested by Afghan Interior Ministry intelligence authorities near the German Embassy in Kabul because of the allegations, said Qamaruddin Shenwari, director of the Kabul courts' north zone. The exact date of his arrest is not known.

The case against Musa has not yet been finalized, said Mohammad Najim Hamidi, director of public security at Zone 3 of the Kabul courts. He could face trial next week if the case is prepared by then, Hamidi said. It was earlier thought Musa's trial would begin on Sunday.

The Afghan Constitution does not mention converting from one religion to another, so the judge will take Islamic law into account, officials said.

"According to Afghanistan's constitution, if there is no clear verdict as to whether an act is criminal or not in the penal code of the Afghan Constitution, then it would be referred to sharia law where the judge has an open hand in reaching a verdict," Shenwari said.

Under sharia law, converting from Islam to Christianity is punishable by death.

It was not immediately clear where Musa was being held and whether he has access to his attorney or relatives.

The U.S. State Department said last week in its annual International Religious Freedom Report that "respect for religious freedom" decreased in Afghanistan in the last year, "particularly toward Christian groups and individuals."

Christians, Hindus and Sikhs - as well as Muslims whose practices don't satisfy the government or society - suffer "intolerance in the form of harassment, occasional violence, discrimination and inflammatory public statements," the report said. It estimated the Afghan Christian community ranges from 500 to 8,000 people