[Michael Swan, The Catholic Register] Anyone who thought a look back at 20th-century history through the eyes of prayer would be comforting, uplifting or anodyne might want to begin with the 1919 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Organizers of this early version of the annual week of prayer pulled no punches when they began, "The crowning horror and blasphemy of our divisions is that we shut one another out from the one great Sacrament of Love."

In the months just after the unprecedented slaughter of the First World War, the organizers of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity had harsh words for Catholics and Protestants alike.

"If it (the Eucharist) be the approach to the Real Presence of Christ, if it be the reception of His actual Flesh and Blood, if it be the representation of and the participation in the one full, perfect and sufficient sacrifice, oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world, whereby we may receive the very Life of God in Christ, how dare we believe that Christ will deign to dwell in us and we in Him until we are reconciled to Him (and) to the brethren for whom He gave Himself?" the 1919 prayer guide asks Catholics.

The 1919 liturgy is one of a century's worth of prayers for Christian unity members of the Faith and Witness commission of the Canadian Council of Churches have been gathering for a book to commemorate the first century of Christians praying together for unity. The Liturgies for Christian Unity: The First 100 Years will be published by Novalis in January, just in time for the 100th anniversary of the annual ecumenical event, and will concentrate on the uniquely Canadian prayers supported by prayers that were prayed in Canada and around the world.

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[CAIR-CAN] Muslims in Canada today started fasting for the holy month of Ramadan. During the month, from dawn to sunset, Muslims around the world abstain from food, drink and marital relations. "Ramadan is a time when Muslims strive to spiritually purify themselves to become better people. The month is marked by charity, worship and prayer.

"Throughout the month Muslims struggle to improve their behaviour, character and relations with family and friends. A lot of emphasis is also placed on staying away from gossip, short-temperedness and other bad habits. "On average, Canadians learn most about the Islamic faith during this month through their Muslim friends," said Sameer Zuberi, CAIR-CAN Communications Coordinator.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Maintaining the fast during the month is considered one of the five pillars of Islam. According to a 2001 Statistics Canada census, Canadian Muslims made up 2% of the population.

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Contact: Sarah Elgazzar, CAIR-CAN Spokesperson, (514) 776-6566;
Sameer Zuberi, CAIR-CAN Communications Coordinator, (613) 254-7904 or (613)
795-2012.

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[John Thavis • Catholic News Service] The Vatican has announced the excommunication of certain members of the Army of Mary, a sect in Canada whose teachings have been deemed dangerous and erroneous by church authorities. The Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, acting with the approval of Pope Benedict XVI, declared the excommunication after the Army of Mary performed ordinations without church permission, the Canadian bishops' conference said in a statement Sept. 12.

The Army of Mary was founded in Quebec in 1971 by Marie-Paul Giguere, who said she was receiving visions from God. The organization's publications suggested that Giguere was the reincarnation of Mary, a claim that led church leaders in 1987 to warn the faithful that the group could not be considered Catholic. The Army of Mary defied church authorities earlier this year when it ordained several new priests. Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Quebec declared that the priest who conducted the ordination had no authority to do so, and the cardinal issued a public warning against the group.

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This past summer, the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) issued a statement entitled "Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church." This document immediately attracted attention, comment, spin, appreciation, and criticism from around the world. The document contains five questions and the responses of the CDF, with very little additional comment. The focus of the questions is the meaning of the word "subsists" as it appears in Vatican II's Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium), article 8. The council declared that the one Church of Christ "constituted and organized in the world as a society, subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him, although many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside of its visible structure. These elements, as gifts belonging to the Church of Christ, are forces impelling toward catholic unity."

After considerable thought about whether there was anything further productive to say about the document and the controversy stirred up this summer, I have decided to share some of my initial reflections in the days following the publication of the "responsa." There are numerous additional perspectives that could be offered, many of which are available online.

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"Ecumenism in Canada" would like to draw attention to a new agreed statement from IARCCUM. For those who do not know this acronym, it is the "International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission on Unity and Mission." It was established in 2000 by the Vatican and the Anglican Communion after a meeting at Mississauga to assess the ongoing dialogue between the two communions.

The agreed statement entitled "Growing Together in Unity & Mission" was released today by the Anglican Communion Office and the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. The statement attempts to foster discussion and reflection on the work of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) over the past 40 years. However, the statement insists, "it is more than this: it is a call for action, based upon an honest appraisal of what has been achieved in our dialogue. Despite our present 'imperfect communion', there is, we feel, enough common ground to take seriously how we work together." Already, as Archbishop George Carey and Pope John Paul II noted, "in many parts of the world, Anglicans and Catholics, joined in one baptism, recognise one another as brothers and sisters in Christ and give expression to this through joint prayer, common action, and joint witness". This statement wishes to put flesh to the growing relationships between Anglicans and Roman Catholics. It offers numerous suggestions of ways that the two communities can implement the unity that has already been found through the past 40 years.

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"Evangelical theology stresses the importance of a personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ and sees the transformation of individuals as an important part of the transformation of the world. However, the notion of a purely privatized faith in which the gospel only affects individual, personal or family life but has no wider implications for society must be rejected as inadequate."

These words, taken from a new statement from the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), point to an increasing commitment of the Evangelical community to address social issues and structures. The Philadelphia Statement on Evangelical Social Engagement is a summary of the discussions at a consultation on faith, providence and political involvement held July 31, 2007 at Palmer (Eastern Baptist) Theological Seminary, Philadelphia. The consultation was conducted by the WEA's Theological Commission. The statement is not an approved policy statement of any Evangelical body.

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New survey shows churches count health care as a priority ministry
Seventy percent of participating churches provide direct health services

New York, Sept. 18, 2007 – A groundbreaking survey of more than 6,000 American congregations reveals that churches spend a significant amount of time, energy and money in the ministries of health care.

The Congregational Health Ministry Survey, conducted by the National Council of Churches USA (NCC) with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, shows that a majority of churches are ministering to their communities by providing health care ministries. As the number of uninsured Americans reaches 47 million people, congregations are supplying health education and direct health care services. Many are advocating on behalf of public policy issues related to health care.

According to the survey, about 70 percent of responding churches provide direct health services, with 65 percent offering health education programs within their community. The survey defines direct services as provision of medical care to individuals by trained health care professionals.

"It is not surprising to find that churches see health care as a part of their faith mission and mandate," said Rev. Dr. Eileen W. Lindner, deputy general secretary of the NCC for Research and Planning, who supervised the survey. "The results of this survey confirm a higher energy for health care than we might have thought, however, and show that effective health care ministries are being developed by congregations of all sizes to meet the urgent needs of their communities."

• Read the complete news report from the National Council of Churches
• The full survey report is also online
• Key findings of the Congregational Health Survey

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On September 21, the International Day of Peace, musicians from Saskatoon will hold a special festival entitled "Musicians for Peace." You are invited to join them at one or both of the following venues. Buy a festival pass and visit both venues. These are a short walk from each other, just off Broadway. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Saskatoon Refugee Coalition and Oxfam.

1) The Refinery @ 8:30pm to 11:30pm (609 Dufferin Avenue)
~ Angie Tysseland, Paul Tobin, Kim Fontaine, Eileen Laverty, Ricasso, Rodolfo Pino-Robles, Joseph Naytowhow, Basso Voce, Shelley Loeffler, Carrie Catherine and more!
This is going to be an amazing evening of music and most of it will be in a workshop format so the musicians can interact.

2) Amigos @ 8:30pm to 2:00am (632 – 10th Street East)
~ Natural Mistik, Leanne Hynde, Sean Viloria and Jeta Grove and more!

Ticket prices = $7 per venue or $10 festival pass. These venues are walking distance from each other. Tickets available at the door at each venue. Further details will be published at http://saskatoonpeace.tk/ as they become available.

Musicians For Peace co-sponsors: The Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee, City of Saskatoon; Saskatoon Peace Coalition; United Nations Association, Saskatoon

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The North American Academy of Ecumenists will be holding their annual conference in Saskatoon, September 28-30, 2007. The theme is "Interpreting the Scriptures Together: Seeking the Visible Unity of the Church."

The keynote speakers are Beverly Gaventa (Princeton Theological Seminary) and
William Tabbernee (Phillips Theological Seminary, Tulsa). Further information and registration details are available on the NAAE website.

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