by Judith Sudilovsky, Ecumenical News International

Nineteen Canadian Christian evangelical pastors are spending nine days on a study tour of Israel that is intended to provide them with information and perspectives that could be used to defend Israeli government policies.

The tour, a project of the Modern Israel Studies Department at Canada Christian College in Toronto in conjunction with the B'nai Brith World Center in Jerusalem, was funded by private donors.

"The evangelical movement has been very supportive of Israel. They are the ally we can rely and depend upon in Canada," said Dr. Frank Dimant, an orthodox Jew who is dean of the Modern Israel Studies Department of the college and chief executive officer of B'nai Brith Canada, part of the international community service organization. According to its website, B'nai Brith International is also a "national and global leader in the fight against anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias."

Official Anglican Communion-Roman Catholic Church dialogue announced
Anglican Communion News Service

The official dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion is undertaken by the Anglican–Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC), sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and the Department for Unity, Faith and Order of the Anglican Communion. The dialogue has taken place over forty years, in two phases of the Commission.

The co-Chairmen and co-secretaries of the new phase of the Anglican–Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC III) have drawn up a plan for the first meeting of the Commission. This will be hosted by the Monastery of Bose, northern Italy, from 17 to 27 May 2011. The new phase of ARCIC's work was mandated by Pope Benedict XVI and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, at their meeting in Rome in November 2009.

The co-Chairmen are the Most Reverend Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham, England (Roman Catholic) and the Most Reverend David Moxon, Archbishop of the New Zealand dioceses (Anglican).

The task of this third phase of ARCIC will be to consider fundamental questions regarding the 'Church as Communion - Local and Universal', and 'How in communion the Local and Universal Church comes to discern right ethical teaching'. These interrelated topics emerged from the Common Declaration of the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The international membership of this new phase of ARCIC represents a wide range of cultural settings, and brings to the Commission a variety of theological disciplines.

by Diana Swift, Anglican Journal

Last month, the national Canadian ARC Bishops' Dialogue celebrated 40 years of bringing Anglican and Roman Catholics closer together. "The Canadian Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue is one of the longest running in the world," says Bishop Michael Ingham of the Anglican diocese of New Westminster in Vancouver.

Unity headed the agenda as five Roman Catholic and four Anglican bishops (one was absent due to illness) met over three days in Pickering, Ont., to discuss -- among other things -- Growing Together in Unity and Mission, a document produced by the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission.

Growing Together encourages practical co-operation at local levels between Anglican and Roman Catholic churches and visible signs of religious unity. "For example, it recommends that the two churches consider offering baptismal preparation together, using the same baptismal certificates or making public professions of faith together at Pentecost or on other significant occasions," says Bishop Ingham.

It also encourages other joint ventures such as non-Eucharistic worship, pilgrimages and social justice initiatives. Religious collaborations are not common now, but Bishop Ingham is optimistic that they may become so. "We discussed how to develop this co-operation in Canada. The bishops will be taking the recommendations back to the House of Bishops. If the bishops are supportive, then they have to go out to the dioceses and encourage the clergy there."

Meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, the members of the Anglican-Methodist International Commission for Unity in Mission (AMICUM) could not forget the courage, conviction and determination of those who had fought against the sin of apartheid and had then set about a process of truth and reconciliation. On a visit to Robben Island where the members heard a commentary by a former political prisoner, the Commission was left in no doubt of the need to be honest with each other if the painful divisions that deny the Gospel call to unity are to be overcome.

During the opening prayer of the WCC Central Committee meeting, the Rev. Dr. Ofelia Ortega spoke on the issues of justice and peace, later chosen for the Assembly theme.

The theme was determined by the WCC Central Committee on Tuesday 22 February following periods of discussion spread over several days. A "theme" is not merely a slogan or motto for a WCC assembly but provides a focus for theological reflection, worship and meditation surrounding the assembly, as well as for planning of programmatic activities before, during and after the event.

The theme of the 9th Assembly, held in Porto Alegre, Brazil in February 2006, was "God, in your grace, transform the world." The theme for the 10th Assembly is also phrased in the form of a prayer.

The proposal of the 2013 theme was accompanied by the citation of a biblical text: Isaiah 42:1-4, depicting the servant of the Lord who neither breaks a bruised reed nor quenches a dimly burning wick (verse 3) and who will not be crushed "until he has established justice in the earth" (verse 4).