| Friday 13th February, 2009 You are here: Home - 13th February 2009 Index Page |
Front Page
Primates confer in Egypt on Anglican Communion issues
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| The first day of the Primates’ Meeting in Alexandria ended with the dedication of St Mark’s pro-Cathedral and the installation of the new dean, the Very Revd Samy Fawzy Shehata, pictured left with the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Rowan Williams. Dr Williams is preaching, with the new dean acting as translator. (Photo: ACNS). |
In a communiqué issued last week at the close of a meeting in Alexandria, Egypt, the primates of the Anglican Communion, referring to current tensions and divisions in the Communion over the issue of same-sex relationships, said that there had been among them "a common desire to speak honestly about our situation". They said that, while they had been aware of "the sense of alienation and pain felt in many parts of the Communion", there had been "a discernable mood of graciousness among us in our engagements" and "honest exchange and mutual challenge at a new and deeper level".
Editorial
A CONSULTATIVE FELLOWSHIP
In their Alexandria communiqué, the primates indicated that successive Lambeth Conferences had urged them "to assume an enhanced responsibility for the life of the Communion", referring to Lambeth Conference resolutions from the 1978, 1988 and 1998 meetings. Full Text
Home News
Irish President praises ‘first class’ Connor cross-community project
By Karen Bushby
President Mary McAleese praised those behind a cross-community project in St Luke’s church, Diocese of Connor, when she recently paid her first official visit to the Shankill area of Belfast. President McAleese said that the Open Hands Centre, to be housed in the vacant St Luke’s building near the peaceline between the Falls and Lower Shankill, would allow both communities to enjoy each other’s company, as well as help bring the area back to life.
Whole-time hospital chaplain commissioned for Cork, Cloyne and Ross
By Sam Wynn
The Revd Daniel Nuzum, formerly rector of the Templebreedy group of parishes, Diocese of Cork, was recently licensed and commissioned for the new position of whole-time hospital chaplain in the Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross. The post was made possible by the generosity of St Luke’s Home (Cork) Incorporated, which has committed to cofunding the position with the Diocese.
Partnership in action as DR Congo bishop pays ‘unique visit’ to Ireland
"This has been a unique visit", claimed Bishop Enoch Kayeeye from North Kivu Diocese, DR Congo, following his recent five-day visit to Ireland. Reflecting on a programme of activities which enabled him to spend time with groups working on the peaceline in Belfast; address a gathering of Church Missionary Society Ireland (CMSI) members in the Society’s offices; speak in churches in Crossmaglen, Co. Armagh, and Killyman, Co. Tyrone; and meet with members of the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont, Bishop Enoch said that his visit had been "very useful in developing the partnership between DR Congo and Ireland".
CIEF meeting to focus on Christian integrity
The Church of Ireland Evangelical Fellowship (CIEF) will continue its ‘Get Real …’ series on Friday 20th February in Belvoir parish church, Belfast, at 8.00pm, with a meeting entitled ‘Get Real in Lifestyle’. The guest speaker will be Mary Pytches, who will deal with the topic of Christian integrity.
Rory McIlroy success a ‘good news’ story - Bishop of Derry and Raphoe
The Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, the Rt Revd Ken Good, himself a keen golfer, has described the success of the young Northern Ireland golfer, Rory McIlroy, in winning the recent Dubai golf classic as "remarkable … an outstanding achievement for any 19-year-old." The bishop went on to praise "this young hero’s demeanour, his maturity and his humility when facing the media afterwards" and called him "quite an inspirational role model."
Lecture series continues on ‘Churches and intolerance’
The next public lectures in the series, ‘The Churches and intolerance’, will take place in Room G10N, Lanyon, Main Quad, Queen’s University Belfast, on Monday 23rd February, from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. The first talk - ‘The responses of the Churches to homophobia’ - will be given by Dr Richard O’Leary, of Queen’s University Belfast, and the second - ‘Bringing the Gospel to gay people and how this will change your Church’ - by Jeremy Marks, Director of Courage UK.
Farewell
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Canon John McCullagh (right), former General Synod Education Officer (Republic of Ireland), is pictured at a farewell reception in his honour with the Revd Ian Ellis, General Synod Education Officer (Northern Ireland). Canon McCullagh recently left the education post to become rector of Rathdrum, Diocese of Glendalough.
Archbishop of Canterbury in surprise greeting for Adelaide pilgrims
A group of around 20 young pilgrims from South Australia last week had an experience they never counted on to end their journey, and one they will probably never forget. The pilgrims, accompanied by Adelaide Archbishop Jeffrey Driver and his wife, Lindy, were on a month’s pilgrimage to the Sudan, Addis Abiba in Ethiopia, and Egypt, where they visited ministries.
Tributes
Revd John Edward Fenning
By the Revd Peter Hanna
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The Revd John Fenning |
John Fenning was born in Bath in England in 1932. Church life was an integral part of his family life, with relatives being church musicians, vergers and sextons. It was hardly surprising, then, that John, after training in Cardiff, became a teacher of religion and music, first at Westhill Technical College and then in his native Bath. Later, he trained as a lay reader and served in Bathampton, a lovely village two miles from the centre of Bath, best reached by a pathway along the Kennet and Avon Canal.
Canon William Thomas Good
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Canon William Thomas Raymond Good |
The following is an abridged version of the address given by Bishop Harold Miller at the funeral service of Canon Raymond Good held in Crinken church, Dublin, on Saturday 3rd January 2009.
Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90: 12) Raymond Good passed into God’s closer presence on New Year’s Day, at about 10.00am, having seen the New Year in, and with his family surrounding him. When Raymond Good was taken into Loughlinstown Hospital, he knew he had literally hours of life left to him. And those became some of the most precious and memorable hours imaginable for Jean and the family.
World News
New Russian Patriarch Kirill I pledges to keep Church unified
Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, who was enthroned in Moscow as Kirill I, the 16th Patriarch in the history of the Russian Orthodox Church, has stressed that it is his task to ensure unity within the Church and to preserve the faith, but he is also seen by some analysts as being a more political leader than his predecessor.
Church leaders reject talk of separate Christian Pakistan province
Church officials in Pakistan have rejected a call for the delineation of an enclave exclusively for the country’s Christian minority in the overwhelmingly Muslim-majority nation. "This demand is absolute nonsense and ridiculous," said Victor Azariah, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches of Pakistan.
European Parliament deplores clergy curbs in Belarus
The European Parliament has condemned restrictions on religious freedom in Belarus, after several Roman Catholic priests and nuns were refused permits to minister to local Church communities. In a 15th January resolution, the members of the European Parliament had said that a "growing number" of Protestant and Roman Catholic clergy had been denied "the right to practise a preaching and teaching ministry" in Belarus.
Jewish group protests to UN rights chief
The Simon Wiesenthal Centre Europe, which combats anti- Semitism and Holocaust denial, has sent a letter to the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights and the World Council of Churches calling for their condemnation of a statement made by a South African Cabinet minister in the presence of a Church official.
Letters to the Editor
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Consultative Group on the Past Full Text
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Name that church! Full Text
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Lent observance and the environment Full Text
Soap
Down at St. David’s
By Ted Woods
To ease some of the new archdeacon’s extra workload, Priscilla Barker decided to allocate Anthony Prescott a non-stipendiary minister. Although Anthony already had a curate - Shaun Barrett - Priscilla knew that Shaun was not particularly happy working with Anthony Prescott; Shaun might not be there much longer; and Anthony Prescott’s reputation as a bully might mean that another appointment of a curate could prove difficult. These kind of things filter back to the students in the Theological Institute - usually embellished! Shortly after becoming Bishop, Priscilla had done a long-overdue reshuffle of NSMs, but, as it happened, a NSM of some years’ standing had come to live in the diocese and had introduced himself to Priscilla and offered his services.
By the Book
The wisdom of numbering our days
Edward Vaughan
On 1st January 2009, Canon Raymond Good passed away. Raymond was a member of our congregation in Crinken, Co. Dublin, but, in former times, had served the Lord in ministry in a number of places, including the Carrigrohane union of parishes, in the Diocese of Cork. Bishop Harold Miller preached at the Service of Thanksgiving held for Raymond. The text was Psalm 90: 12 - Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Musings
Sadness
Alison Rooke
I had been planning this week’s column for some time. It was to have been entitled ‘Eros’, and I had been collecting Valentine verses which I was going to intersperse throughout the writing. It was to have been a lighthearted look at romance; how that word, ‘love’, is overused; and what it can mean in different situations. Yes, I had been looking forward to writing this week’s column and now, I can’t. I can’t, not because of anything that has happened to me; not because someone told menot to write about Valentine’s Day; and, frankly, not because I don’t feel readers could do with a little humour and cheering up. No, I can’t, because my heart is not in it, if you’ll excuse the pun.
Book Reviews
THE USE OF SYMBOLS IN WORSHIP – ALCUIN LITURGY GUIDES 4
Edited by Christopher
Irvine
Publisher: SPCK
JOHN HENRY BERNARD 1860-1927: A STUDY OF A LEADER OF THE SOUTHERN UNIONISTS
Author: R. B. MacCarthy
Publisher: Linden Publishing Ltd, Dublin
JEAN VANIER: OUR LIFE TOGETHER – A MEMOIR IN LETTERS
Publisher: Darton, Longman and Todd
INTER-CHURCH RELATIONS: DEVELOPMENTS AND PERSPECTIVES – A TRIBUTE TO BISHOP ANTHONY FARQUHAR
Edited by Brendan Leahy, Dublin
Publisher: Veritas
News Extra
CGP payment proposal ‘obnoxious’ - Arlene Foster tells Gazette
Northern Ireland Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment and Church of Ireland member, Arlene Foster MLA, has told the Gazette that the £12,000 "recognition payment" proposed by the Consultative Group on the Past (CGP), co-chaired by former Church of Ireland Primate, Lord Eames, and former Policing Board vicechairman, Denis Bradley, was an "obnoxious suggestion"
Former Hard Gospel Project director in new venture
The former director of the Church of Ireland’s Hard Gospel Project, the Revd Earl Storey, has launched a new business, Topstorey Communications, specialising in communications, research and strategic planning services. Mr Storey will continue as a licensed member of the clergy and, over the next two years, will be working about two days a week in Derry and Raphoe Diocese, as well as remaining diocesan communications officer.
Appointments