At the end of June this year, Fr. Bernard de Margerie retired from active ministry after over 50 years. During these years he has served in parish ministry across the RC Diocese of Saskatoon, and in a number of specialized ministries. The Prairie Centre for Ecumenism claims Fr. Bernard as our own. He was the founder of the Centre back in 1984, and served as the executive director until 1994. He has continued to have an active role in ecumenism in Saskatoon and across the diocese in more recent years. At retirement, he was pastor of Paroisse Sts-Martyrs-Canadiens in Saskatoon, and ecumenical officer for the diocese.

During the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in January 2009, Fr. Bernard was "interviewed" by Jan Bigland-Pritchard during the concluding service at McClure United Church. Jan asked him about his life in ecumenism, his recollections about early ecumenical endeavours in Saskatoon, and the founding of the Centre. Here is an audio recording of that interview.

At the Summer Ecumenical Institute in June 2009, Fr. Bernard participated in a panel discussion about the current state of the ecumenical movement. Reflecting on the levels of ecumenical awareness and commitment today, Fr. Bernard suggested that the churches and their leadership need a new conversion to Christian unity. "The journey has become too long, too heavy, and light has dimmed." As other panellists commented on the apparent "ecumenical winter", Fr. Bernard reminded us that ecumenical achievements come from the Holy Spirit who moves the hearts of faithful Christians to commitment to the will of Christ for unity. Ecumenical conversion remains an important theme in Fr. Bernard's ecumenical vision, as it has throughout his ministry. Reports from the Summer Ecumenical Institute appeared in the Prairie Messenger on June 17:
• Formation of Catholics on unity still 'severely lacking'
• Crisis in ecumenism related to its success
• Prairie Centre hosts Summer Ecumenical Institute

[Anglican Journal • Kristin Jenkins] Canon Alyson Barnett-Cowan has been appointed director for Unity, Faith and Order for the Anglican Communion.

Ms. Barnett-Cowan is currently director of faith, worship and ministry of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada, a post she has held since 1995. She was recently appointed to the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission for Unity, Faith and Order (IASCUFO).

The post, a new one, follows the election of Canon Gregory Cameron as bishop of St. Asaph in the Church of Wales. Previously, he was director of Ecumenical Affairs and deputy secretary general of the Anglican Communion.

"It's an extraordinarily important position and a huge honour," said Ms. Barnett-Cowan in an interview from Christchurch in New Zealand, where she is on sabbatical. "I am very excited that they've accepted a woman [who is an] ordained priest from Canada, particularly when the ordination of women is still an open question for discussion within the Communion and with many of our ecumenical partners.

"It means that the Communion is willing to have ordained women in positions of responsibility," she added. "I feel that I've put my head out into the wind and it's blowing strong there now."

The appointment was announced by the secretary general Canon Kenneth Kearon. "Alyson brings a profound knowledge and experience of both ecumenical and doctrinal issues to this role," he said. "I look forward to having her as a colleague." Ms. Barnett-Cowan will be based at the Communion office in London.

Ms. Barnett-Cowan has extensive experience in the life of the Anglican Communion. In 2003 to 2004, she was a member of the Lambeth Commission on Communion and from 2000 to 2008, she was a member of the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Ecumenical Relations. She was also a member of the Plenary Commission, Faith and Order at the World Council of Churches. Currently, she is a consultant to the Anglican-Lutheran International Commission.

"We in the Anglican Church of Canada are enormously grateful for the outstanding service Alyson has given to our church as director of faith worship and ministry," commented Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada. "While we shall miss her, we rejoice in her new appointment. I am confident the Communion will be well served through her leadership, one which is marked by integrity, passion and a deep love for the church."

It is expected that Ms. Barnett-Cowan will take up her post later in the year. "I am going to miss all my colleagues at Church House enormously," said Ms. Barnett-Cowan. "I told [Bishop] Victoria [Matthews] that I don't know why I'm giving up what I always thought was the best job in the Anglican Church of Canada." (Bishop Matthews, the former bishop of the diocese of Edmonton, is now bishop of the diocese of Christchurch, in the Anglican Province of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.)

The Anglican Communion has 77 million members from national Anglican churches in over 160 countries.

Le Conseil canadien des Églises a écrit à trois des plus grands organismes religieux des États-Unis, soit au National Council of Churches, à la United States Conference of Catholic Bishops et à la National Association of Evangelicalism pour partager avec eux son expérience de débats sur les soins de santé analogues à ceux qui ont eu lieu au Canada.

Observant, d'une part, que les Canadiens savent que certains groupes de pression et médias des États-Unis se servent des références critiques au système de soins de santé du Canada et d'interviews de citoyens pour appuyer leurs arguments et, d'autre part, que les législateurs de Washington n'ont pas proposé le système financé par l'État et à payeur unique que nous avons au Canada, la lettre mentionne que « les principes qui guident notre système de soins de santé ont une affinité incontestable avec l'amour du prochain… »

Le Conseil offre les fruits de son expérience au NCC, à la USCCB et à la NAE dans le dessein de partager sa sagesse avec eux sans rien imposer. Il s'agit ici d'une lettre de solidarité affirmant notre conviction selon laquelle les soins de santé représentent une entreprise morale que les Églises chrétiennes se doivent d'appuyer dans le cadre de leur défense des droits. (disponible en anglais seulement)

L'urgence et la nature critique de ces débats exigent que la voix des Églises se fasse entendre.

Voir ci-joint le texte intégral de la lettre.

Pour en savoir davantage ou pour obtenir une interview, prière de contacter :

Erin Green
Agente de communication
Le Conseil canadien des Églises
416.972.9494 x 42

The Canadian Council of Churches has written to three of the largest church bodies in the United States – the National Council of Churches, The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the National Association of Evangelicals – to share experiences in similar debates on health care that have taken place in Canada.

Noting that Canadians are aware that certain lobby groups and media outlets in the United States regularly use critical references to Canada's health care system and interviews with Canadian citizens to support their arguments, and that a publicly administered, single-payer system such as we have in Canada has not been proposed by Washington law makers, the letter states that, "the principles guiding our health care system have an unmistakable affinity with the love of neighbour..."

The experience of the Council is offered to the NCC, USCCB, and the NAE, with a view of sharing wisdom without imposition. The letter is one of solidarity, which affirms the belief that health care is a moral enterprise that must be undertaken in the advocacy work of Christian churches.

Given the timely and critical nature of these debates, the voice of the churches must not go unheard.

Look here for the complete text of the letter.

For more information or an interview please contact:
Erin Green
Communications Officer
The Canadian Council of Churches
416.972.9494 x 42