directly to your email Inscrivez-vous
pour mises à jour
|
|
||||
News items on this pageArticles de nouvelles à cette page
United Methodist Church Adopts Full Communion Proposal with ELCA
Bishop Burton to move to Dallas
Chrétiens et musulmans doivent souligner ce qu'ils ont en commun et reconnaître leurs divergences, préconise le COE
Des musulmans s'interrogent sur le baptême d'un musulman
Christians and Muslims must enhance common ground and acknowledge differences, says WCC
Baptism of Muslim queried by Islamic leaders
UCC's Observer sponsors evolution exhibit
New Anglican coordinator for ethics & inter-faith relations
CECC : une lettre pastorale sur l’environnement
Canadian Catholic Bishops pastoral letter on environment
United Methodist Church Adopts Full Communion Proposal with ELCA
[Fort Worth, Texas • ELCA News Service] -- By a vote of 864-19, the General Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC) adopted an implementing resolution April 28 that will establish full communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Full communion will be fully realized by both churches should the same proposal be adopted at the next ELCA Churchwide Assembly, which meets Aug. 17-23, 2009, in Minneapolis.
The UMC General Conference, meeting here April 23-May 2, is the Methodist's chief legislative body and meets every four years. The ELCA Churchwide Assembly is the ELCA's chief legislative authority, meeting every two years. The ELCA and UMC have been in formal theological dialogue since 1977, which led to beginning a relationship of "Interim Eucharistic Sharing" in 2005. That relationship called for members to pray for and support each other, to study Scripture together and to learn about each other's traditions in anticipation of achieving full communion.
Full communion means the churches will work for visible unity in Jesus Christ, recognize each other's ministries, work together on a variety of ministry initiatives, and, under certain circumstances, provide for the interchangeability of ordained clergy.
April 28 was "a banner day" because of the UMC General Conference vote on full communion, said the Rev. William Oden, ecumenical officer, UMC Council of Bishops, at an April 29 news conference. "This has been a long time coming. A lot of careful work has been done," he said. Oden emphasized that the proposal is a relationship between the two church bodies and not a "church union."
The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, Chicago, said he eagerly awaits the ELCA Churchwide Assembly vote in 2009 and hopes that it, too, will be a strong affirmation of full communion with the UMC. Hanson also preached at an April 29 worship service at the UMC General Conference.
"This is about revival of two church bodies that are deeply committed to re-presenting themselves in a pluralistic, dynamic changing culture for the sake of mission," Hanson said.
The two church bodies must consider what they can do together as full communion partners that was not possible before, Hanson said. He suggested possible cooperative ministries in campus ministry, global mission, advocacy for justice and peace, to name only a few. He also agreed with Oden's assertion that full communion cannot be successful if it is considered to be a "top down" action. Full communion should be a relationship in which mission initiatives should "bubble up" in the two churches, Hanson said.
"I always think of full communion as merely a step along the way toward a new, possible future because of the relationship," Hanson said. "That new, possible future is the for the sake of the world. It's for the sake of mission. Full communion calls for ecumenical, missional imagination."
Full communion also gives "formal expression" to what is happening in both churches already, said the Rev. Greg Palmer, president, UMC Council of Bishops. "In one way we're leading, and in another way, we're following. We are catching up with people on the ground who are doing things in partnership, in mission and in ministry," he said.
Christians "must find meaningful, significant and substantive ways of honoring the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in one another and together, living that before the world. We must live before the world what God intends for the world," Palmer added.
Assuming the full communion proposal is adopted by the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in 2009, a coordinating council with representatives of both churches will be appointed, said the Rev. Donald J. McCoid, executive, ELCA Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations, Chicago. That council will coordinate how the two churches will plan for mission together and consider practical matters such as interchangeability of ordained ministers, he said.
The ELCA's five full communion partners are the Episcopal Church, the Moravian Church in America, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Reformed Church in America and United Church of Christ.
While the ELCA has successful cooperative ministries with its full communion partners, it must improve how it receives and implements full communion agreements, McCoid said. "We need to do better with how we are able to be intentional (in) sharing ministry. Grassroots sharing is really very critical, and I'll just echo that again and again and again. The best way we can do that is by giving people permission and encouragement."
If adopted by both churches, this will be the UMC's first full communion agreement outside of the Methodist tradition.
The ELCA is one of 140 churches in the Lutheran World Federation and is the third-largest Lutheran church in the world with 4.8 million members. The United Methodist Church is a worldwide church with nearly 8 million members in the United States.
---
Audio of comments made at the April 29 news conference in Fort Worth:
The Rev. William Oden • http://media.ELCA.org/audionews/080429a.mp3
The Rev. Mark S. Hanson • http://media.ELCA.org/audionews/080429b.mp3
The Rev. Greg Palmer • http://media.ELCA.org/audionews/080429c.mp3
The Rev. Donald J. McCoid • http://media.ELCA.org/audionews/080429d.mp3
Information about the Lutheran-United Methodist Dialogue is on the ELCA Web site.
Information about the UMC General Conference is on the Web.
For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or • http://www.elca.org/news • ELCA News Blog
Bishop Burton to move to Dallas
This Pastoral Letter was read in churches across the Anglican Diocese of Saskatchewan on April 20th.
To the clergy and people of the Diocese of Saskatchewan
Dear friends,
This is a difficult letter to write but I must let you know that I have submitted my resignation to the Metropolitan of Rupert’s Land effective September 1, 2008. I begin that day a new ministry as Rector of the Church of the Incarnation in Dallas, Texas.
I cannot begin to express my gratitude for the privilege of serving with you these past 17 years, first as Dean and, since 1993, as Bishop. Our sense of call to Texas is a positive one but at the same time I felt that it would be an opportunity for the Diocese to be overseen with a fresh pair of eyes, and to enjoy the excitement and momentum a change of bishop brings.
Archbishop Clarke will soon be in touch with our Executive Committee to start the process to elect a new Bishop. The person you will choose to carry this ministry forward will be greatly blessed. This Diocese is well known for the singular spirit of cooperation, good will, and thoughtfulness you bring to the challenges of the day. I have good hope and every reason to believe that God has another fruitful season in store for you.
It was said that St. Paul had a thousand friends and loved each as his own soul, and died a thousand deaths when the time came for him to leave them. I suppose every departing bishop feels something of this sense of loss but I feel it acutely today because of the exceptional generosity and openness of heart with which you have consistently encouraged me. I hope to visit with many of you before we go.
Anna, Caroline, Peter and I wish you God’s blessing as you continue steadfast in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers.
Yours in Christ,
Anthony Burton
Bishop of Saskatchewan
Chrétiens et musulmans doivent souligner ce qu'ils ont en commun et reconnaître leurs divergences, préconise le COE
L'amour du prochain est "un élément essentiel et une partie intégrante de la foi en Dieu et de l'amour de Dieu" pour l'islam comme pour le christianisme. La manière dont chrétiens et musulmans peuvent réfléchir ensemble à cet amour constitue le thème central d'un commentaire publié par le Conseil oecuménique des Eglises (COE) le jeudi 20 mars 2008. Rédigé par des experts chrétiens du dialogue avec l'Islam, il suggère aux Eglises de réponses possibles à la lettre intitulée "Une parole commune", signée par 138 responsables musulmans en octobre 2007.
Ce commentaire, intitulé "Apprendre à approfondir l'amour ensemble", s'inscrit dans le cadre des consultations en cours que le COE a lancées auprès de ses Eglises membres et des partenaires oecuméniques en novembre 2007 en les invitant à "approfondir avec les musulmans l'amour de Dieu et l'amour du prochain dans leurs contextes respectifs".
"Nous encourageons nos Eglises à considérer l'invitation lancée par les responsables musulmans comme une nouvelle occasion de dialogue interreligieux", déclare le pasteur Samuel Kobia, secrétaire général du COE. "Nous espérons que ce commentaire constituera un outil utile aux Eglises dans leur réflexion sur 'Une parole commune' et facilitera leur dialogue avec la communauté musulmane."
Le document invite les Eglises à réfléchir aux deux grands thèmes mentionnés dans "Une parole commune": l'amour de Dieu et l'amour du prochain. Il souligne les défis historiques et les nouvelles promesses des dialogues de ce genre et esquisse un processus permettant de poursuivre les échanges entre responsables chrétiens et musulmans. Il est "absolument indispensable que, tout en trouvant comment souligner ce qu'ils ont en commun, chrétiens et musulmans imaginent aussi comment reconnaître et respecter les divergences qui existent entre eux".
"Ce texte marque le début d'un processus", déclare Rima Barsoum, responsable du dialogue entre chrétiens et musulmans au COE. "Il invite à constituer un groupe mixte de planification qui jettera les bases d'un dialogue et invitera les responsables et théologiens chrétiens et musulmans a y participer dans le cadre de manifestations propres à encourager la coopération interreligieuse aux niveaux mondial et local."
Le processus de réponse à "Une parole commune" a été approuvé par le Comité central du COE lors de sa réunion de février 2008 à Genève.
• Texte intégral de "Learning to explore love together" (en anglais)
• "Une parole commune", lettre de dignitaires musulmans aux responsables chrétiens
• Pour plus d'informations sur le Programme "coopération et dialogue interreligieux" du COE
Des musulmans s'interrogent sur le baptême d'un musulman
Rome (ENI) Le baptême par le pape Benoît XVI d'un journaliste italien musulman d'origine égyptienne - connu pour être un virulent critique des restrictions à la liberté religieuse dans les pays musulmans - suscite des interrogations de la part de responsables musulmans en Italie.
Magdi Allam, chroniqueur et rédacteur en chef adjoint du quotidien milanais Corriere della Sera, était l'une des sept personnes de cinq pays différents à avoir été baptisées par le souverain pontife pendant la messe de la veille de Pâques à la basilique Saint-Pierre, au Vatican, le 22 mars.
"Ce qui m'a choqué, c'est le tapage que le Vatican a fait autour de cette conversion", a déclaré Yaha Sergio Pallavicini, vice-président de la Communauté religieuse islamique, une des organisations musulmanes d'Italie. Il s'est demandé pourquoi Magdi Allam n'a pas été baptisé à Viterbo, la ville située à 100 km au nord de Rome, où le journaliste d'origine égyptienne vit.
Magdi Allam est né au Caire en 1952 et a suivi sa scolarité sur les bancs d'une école catholique romaine en Egypte. Jeune homme, il est arrivé en Italie, où il a fait ses études universitaires puis travaillé en tant que journaliste et écrivain.
Expliquant sa décision de se faire baptiser, Magdi Allam a écrit dans le Corriere della Sera : "Lors de ma première fête de Pâques en tant que chrétien, j'ai découvert non seulement Jésus, mais aussi pour la première fois le véritable et unique Dieu, qui est le Dieu de la foi et de la raison". Il a ajouté : "Au-delà de ... l'extrémisme et du terrorisme islamiste qui existent au niveau mondial, les racines du mal sont inhérentes à un islam qui est physiologiquement violent et historiquement propice au conflit."
L'écrivain italien Claudio Magris a indiqué dans l'édition du 25 mars du Corriere della Sera : "La façon dont s'est passée cette conversion et sa déclaration ont manifestement une signification politique."
Magdi Allam est sous protection policière spéciale depuis cinq ans en raison de menaces de mort. Il a été un défenseur zélé de l'intervention militaire américaine en Irak en 2003 et il est l'auteur d'un livre dans lequel il exprime son soutien à Israël.
Selon un article paru dans le journal arabe international Al Quds al Arabi, "le pape provoque l'indignation des musulmans en baptisant un ancien musulman qui soutien Israël et qui est bien connu pour son aversion à l'égard de l'islam."
Toutefois, l'évêque Rino Fisichella, recteur de l'Université pontificale du Latran, à Rome, a déclaré : "Le choix de Magdi Allam a été très spirituel." Le cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, président du Conseil pontifical pour le dialogue interreligieux, a déclaré à la presse : "Je ne connais pas l'origine de cet événement et je ne sais pas qui l'a soutenu."
Christians and Muslims must enhance common ground and acknowledge differences, says WCC
Love for one's neighbour is "an essential and integral part of faith in God and love of God" for both Islam and Christianity. How Christians and Muslims can engage in reflections of this love together is the central theme of a commentary issued by the World Council of Churches (WCC) on Thursday, 20 March. Compiled by Christian experts in Christian-Muslim relations, it addresses the churches and offers suggestions on responding to the widely noticed letter "A Common Word" by 138 Muslim leaders in October 2007.
The commentary entitled "Learning to explore love together" is part of on-going consultations in which the WCC has engaged its member churches and ecumenical partners since November 2007. It invites them "to explore together with Muslim fellows the love of God and the love of neighbour in their respective contexts".
"We are encouraging our churches to consider this invitation offered by the Muslim leaders as a new opportunity for interreligious dialogue" said WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia. "It is our hope that this commentary will be a helpful tool as churches reflect on 'A Common Word,' and begin to engage in dialogue with the Muslim community," he said.
The document invites the churches to reflect on the two major theological themes of "A Common Word," love of God and love of neighbour. It points to the historical challenges and new promises of such dialogues and outlines a process for continuing dialogue among Muslim and Christian leaders. It is "a pressing necessity that while Christians and Muslims must find ways of enhancing what they hold in common, they must also find ways of acknowledging and respecting the differences between them," the document states.
"This document signals the initiating of a process," said Rima Barsoum, WCC program executive for Christian-Muslim Dialogue, "it calls for a joint planning group that will carefully prepare and jointly invite Muslim and Christian leaders and scholars for continuing dialogue events that will encourage interreligious cooperation at the global and local levels.
This process of response was affirmed by the Central Committee of the WCC at its meeting in February 2008, in Geneva.
• Download the document "Learning to explore love together" (pdf, 46 KB)
• "A Common Word", a Muslim letter to Christian leaders
• More information on the WCC Programme on Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation
Baptism of Muslim queried by Islamic leaders
Rome (ENI). Pope Benedict XVI's baptism of an Egyptian-born Muslim Italian journalist, known for being a strident critic of restrictions of religious freedom in Islamic countries, has been questioned by Muslim leaders in Italy.
Magdi Allam, a columnist and deputy editor of the Milan-based Corriere della Sera newspaper, was one of seven people from five countries baptised by the pontiff at the Easter Vigil Mass in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on 22 March.
"What shocked me is the high profile the Vatican gave to the conversion," said Yaha Sergio Pallavicini, vice president of the Religious Islamic community, one of Italy's Muslim groups. He questioned why Allam had not been baptised in Viterbo, the city 100 kilometres north of Rome where the Egyptian-born journalist lives.
Allam was born in Cairo in 1952, and attended a Roman Catholic school in Egypt. He came as a young person to Italy, where he did his university studies, afterwards working as a journalist and writer.
Explaining his decision to seek baptism, Allam wrote in Corriere della Sera, "In my first Easter as a Christian I discovered not only Jesus, but for first time the true and One God, who is the God of faith and of reason". He added, "beyond the ... Islamic extremism and terrorism that has appeared on a global level, the root of evil is inherent in an Islam that is physiologically violent and historically conflictive."
Italian writer Claudio Magris noted on 25 March in Corriere della Sera, "The way in which this conversion happened and his statement obviously have a political significance."
Allam has been under special police protection for five years because of death threats. He was an enthusiastic advocate of the US-led military action against Iraq in 2003, and he has written a book in support of Israel.
An article in the international Arab Newspaper Al Quds al Arabi stated, "The Pope is provoking the indignation of Muslim by baptising a former Muslim who supports Israel and who his well known for his aversion to Islam."
Still, Bishop Rino Fisichella, the rector of the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome, said, "Allam's choice was a very spiritual one." Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, told journalists, "I don’t know the origin of the event, or who promoted it."
UCC's Observer sponsors evolution exhibit
Toronto (ENI). A Canadian church magazine has become the first North American sponsor of a travelling exhibit of the life and work of natural scientist Charles Darwin, whose theory of the evolution of species has long been a source of conflict between scientists and Christians who take the Biblical account of creation literally.
The exhibit, which opened at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto on 8 March, had failed to find support from the museum's usual sponsors. Museum officials said none disagreed with Darwin's theories but cited concerns about a potential backlash from Christians opposed to the idea of evolution.
The editor of the United Church Observer, David Wilson, decided the Canadian magazine should become a sponsor after learning that the exhibit had received no corporate support in other North American cities where it had been mounted.
In announcing the magazine's sponsorship, Wilson said, "There is nothing in the exhibit that threatens or diminishes religion. If anything, it shines a light on the inherent beauty and wonder of a creation that is constantly and eternally evolving. The Darwin exhibit deserves support and we're not afraid to say so."
According to public opinion surveys, significant numbers of Christians in North America oppose Darwin's theory that humans evolved from simple life forms over many millennia. In the United States, school boards in as many as 25 states have been challenged in recent years to include what is called "intelligent design" in science studies, a view that its critics say encourages students to doubt the theory of evolution.
The Rev. Paul Fayter, a professor of science and religion at York University in Toronto and a parish minister with the United Church of Canada, told Ecumenical News International, "The Observer has shown great leadership. This small gesture speaks to the centuries-long, deep and mostly supportive relationship the Church has had with the world of science."
:: Darwin: The Evolution Revolution runs from 8 March to 4 August in Toronto before moving to the Natural History Museum in London, Britain, in time for celebrations marking Darwin's 200th birthday in February 2009.
New Anglican coordinator for ethics & inter-faith relations
[Anglican Journal] Rev. Isaac Kawuki-Mukasa, who serves as a consultant in congregational development for the diocese of Toronto, has been named co-ordinator for dialogue: ethics, congregational development and inter-faith relations, for the Anglican Church of Canada’s faith, worship and ministry department.
One of Mr. Kawuki-Mukasa’s responsibilities will be to staff conversations about the issue of sexuality as mandated in 2007 by General Synod, the national governing body of the Anglican Church of Canada. He will also staff the human life task force, which looks at issues of ethics, and will represent the Canadian Anglican church at inter-faith dialogues and “foster the network of practitioners of congregational development,” according to the announcement.
Ordained a priest in the Church of Uganda in 1985, Mr. Kawuki-Mukasa has been exercising his ministry in Canada since 1992. He has served in the ecumenical shared ministry parishes of Lynn Lake and Snow Lake, Man., diocese of Brandon. He was also a member of the faculty of the Centre for Christian Studies and a consultant for ethnic ministries for the United Church of Canada.
Mr. Kawuki-Mukasa completed a PhD in theology and interdisciplinary studies from the Toronto School of Theology in 2005. He has a masters degree from the University of Zimbabwe, a master of divinity from the Nairobi School of Theology, and a bachelor of arts in political science from Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda.
Recently, he has been helping the diocese of Toronto develop relations with Anglican dioceses in Africa, said Canon Alyson Barnett-Cowan in a notice announcing Mr. Kawuki-Mukasa’s appointment. “He has written extensively and participated in many events discussing issues in the Anglican Communion today. He will bring an important perspective into the work of the General Synod at this time,” she added.
Mr. Mukasa will assume his new portfolio on June 1. He succeeds Linda Nicholls, who was elected a suffragan bishop of Toronto last November.
CECC : une lettre pastorale sur l’environnement
(CECC – Ottawa) – Dans le cadre de l’Année de la planète terre, telle que proclamée par les Nations Unies, la Conférence des évêques catholiques du Canada (CECC) vient de publier une lettre pastorale dans laquelle elle en appelle à la conscience collective face aux graves problèmes environnementaux qui frappent la planète.
Produite par la Commission épiscopale des affaires sociales, la lettre pastorale a comme titre : « Notre rapport à l’environnement : le besoin d’une conversion ».
Les auteurs de la lettre ne manquent de souligner qu’en dépit des importants engagements pris lors des rencontres de Rio, Kyoto, Johannesburg et Bali, le Canada représente un « cas extrême » de non-respect de ses engagements.
« Après avoir signé le protocole de Kyoto [en 1997], dans lequel nous nous engagions à diminuer nos émissions de gaz à effet de serre à 6 pour cent de moins que celles de 1990, nous les avons plutôt augmentées d’environ 25 pour cent », peut-on lire dans la lettre.
Les évêques notent que la société canadienne n’est pas suffisamment consciente de l’héritage appauvri qu’elle léguera aux générations à venir. Ils souhaitent donc que des ajustements soient apportés dès maintenant afin d’améliorer la situation actuelle, pour le mieux-être des prochaines générations et des populations de l’hémisphère sud.
En vue de rétablir les liens avec la nature, la lettre pastorale identifie un certain nombre d’actions qui pourraient être entreprises afin d’atténuer les effets de cette crise écologique, y compris :
• retrouver le sens de la limite et ajuster notre mode de vie aux ressources planétaires disponibles;
• se libérer de l’obsession de posséder et de consommer et opter plutôt pour « une austérité joyeuse » ou une simplicité volontaire; et
• consentir des efforts personnels en faveur de l’environnement.
Au dire des évêques, il incombe à chaque personne de rétablir les liens qui ont été détériorés avec la nature, de revoir sa conception de la possession et du confort personnels. C’est donc à une solidarité accrue et à de nouvelles formes de partage que sont invités tous les citoyens du Canada.
Déjà, en octobre 2003, la CECC avait publié une première lettre sur l’environnement intitulée : « L’impératif écologique chrétien ». Ce texte, de même que celui qui vient d’être publié, est disponible sur le site Web de la CECC. Des copies imprimées peuvent également être obtenues en s’adressant à .
Canadian Catholic Bishops pastoral letter on environment
(CCCB – Ottawa) – As part of the United Nations’ International Year of Planet Earth, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has published a pastoral letter which calls for a collective consciousness to face critical environmental problems affecting the earth.
Produced by the Episcopal Commission for Social Affairs, the pastoral letter is titled “Our Relationship with the Environment: The Need for Conversion.”
The Commission asserts that despite important commitments at summits held in Rio, Kyoto, Johannesburg and Bali, Canada represents “an extreme case” of non-compliance.
“After signing the Kyoto Protocol [in 1997], in which we agreed to decrease our greenhouse gases to six per cent less than those of 1990, we have instead increased them by approximately 25 per cent,” the letter explains.
The Bishops state that Canadians are not sufficiently conscious of the impoverished inheritance they are leaving for the generations to come. As a result, the Commission for Social Affairs calls for immediate adjustments to improve the current situation, particularly for the well-being of future generations and the Global South.
In order to restore humanity’s bonds with nature and lessen the effects of ecological breakdown, the pastoral letter proposes several ways Canadians can change, including:
• Regaining a sense of limit and adjusting our way of life to the planet’s available resources
• Freeing ourselves of an “obsession to possess and consume” and instead choosing “joyful austerity” or voluntary simplicity
• Making personal efforts in favour of the environment
The Bishops insist that responsibility for restoring a healthy relationship with nature falls on each individual, who must re-examine his or her perceptions about possessions and personal comfort. This will demand greater solidarity and new forms of sharing among all Canadians, they said.
In October 2003, the CCCB Social Affairs Commission published an earlier letter on the environment entitled “The Christian Ecological Imperative.” This text, as well as the recent pastoral letter which has just been published, is available on the CCCB website http://www.cccb.ca/. Printed copies may be ordered from .
| Volunteer needed for translation The webeditor is seeking a volunteer translator to assist with English to French translation or proof-reading. If you are interested, please email . |
Donate now through CanadaHelps.org