• Catholics and Muslims Against Manipulation of Religions

Catholics and Muslims Against Manipulation of Religions
Posted: March 2, 2010Transmis : 2 mars, 2010

[Vatican City • VIS] The annual meeting of the Joint Committee for Dialogue of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue and the Permanent Committee of al-Azhar for Dialogue among the Monotheistic Religions, was held in the Egyptian capital city of Cairo on 23 and 24 February.

At the end of the meeting Sheikh Muhammad Abd al-Aziz Wasil, "wakil" (representative in juridical issues) of al-Azhar and president of the Permanent Committee for Dialogue, and Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, signed a joint declaration.

The declaration explains how "the participants were received by Muhammad Sayyed Tantawi, grand imam of al-Azhar, whom Cardinal Tauran thanked for having condemned the acts of violence in which six Christians and a Muslim policeman died in Naga Hamadi, Egypt, during the Orthodox Christmas, and for having expressed solidarity with the victims' families and reaffirmed the equality of rights and duties of all citizens, regardless of their religious confession. For his part, Sheikh Tantawi said he only did what he thought his duty in the face of those tragic events".

During its meeting the joint committee examined the theme: "The phenomenon of confessional violence: understanding the phenomenon and its causes, and proposing solutions with particular reference to the role of religions in this field".

At the end of the meeting, the participants agreed on the following recommendations: "to pay greater attention to the fact that the manipulation of religion for political or other ends can be a source of violence; to avoid discrimination on the basis of religious identity; to open hearts to mutual forgiveness and reconciliation, which is a necessary condition for peaceful and fruitful coexistence".

They also called "for similarities to be recognised and differences respected as the prerequisite of a culture of dialogue, based on shared values; for both sides again to commit themselves to recognising and respecting the dignity of each human being, without distinction of ethnicity or religion; for religious discrimination in all fields to be opposed (just laws should guarantee fundamental equality); for ideals of justice, solidarity and co-operation to be promoted in order to ensure a peaceful and prosperous life for everyone".

The participants likewise undertook "to oppose with determination any act that tends to create tension, division and conflict in societies; to promote a culture of mutual respect and dialogue through education in families, schools, churches and mosques, spreading a spirit of fraternity between all persons and the community; to oppose attacks against religions by social communications media, especially satellite channels, considering the dangerous effects these transmissions can have on social cohesion and peace among religious communities".

Finally, the members of the joint committee called for steps to be taken "to ensure that the preaching of religious leaders, as well as school education and textbooks, do not contains declarations or references to historical events that, directly or indirectly, may arouse violent reactions among the followers of different religions".

The joint committee also announced that its next meeting will be held in Rome on 23 and 24 February 2011.

• Patriarchal Encyclical On the Sunday of Orthodoxy

Patriarchal Encyclical On the Sunday of Orthodoxy
Posted: February 21, 2010Transmis : 21 février, 2010

Prot. No. 213

Patriarchal and Synodal Encyclical On the Sunday of Orthodoxy (February 21, 2010) + BARTHOLOMEW By God’s Grace Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch To the Fullness of the Church, Grace and Peace From our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Our most holy Orthodox Church today commemorates its own feast day, and – from this historical and martyric See of the Ecumenical Patriarchate – the Mother Church of Constantinople directs its blessing, love and concern to all of its faithful and dedicated spiritual children throughout the world, inviting them to concelebrate in prayer.

Blessed be the name of the Lord! Those who endeavored over the ages to suppress the Church through various visible and invisible persecutions; those who sought to falsify the Church with their heretical teachings; those who wanted to silence the Church, depriving it of its voice and witness; they all proved unsuccessful. The clouds of Martyrs, the tears of the Ascetics, and the prayers of the Saints protect the Church spiritually, while the Comforter and Spirit of Truth leads it to the fullness of truth.

With a sense of duty and responsibility, despite its hurdles and problems, as the First-Throne Church of Orthodoxy, the Ecumenical Patriarchate cares about protecting and establishing the unity of the Orthodox Church, in order that with one voice and in one heart we may confess the Orthodox faith of our Fathers in every age and even in our times. For, Orthodoxy is not a museum treasure that must be preserved; it is a breath of life that must be transmitted and invigorate all people. Orthodoxy is always contemporary, so long as we promote it with humility and interpret it in light of the existential quests and needs of humanity in each historical period and cultural circumstance.

To this purpose, Orthodoxy must be in constant dialogue with the world. The Orthodox Church does not fear dialogue because truth is not afraid of dialogue. On the contrary, if Orthodoxy is enclosed within itself and not in dialogue with those outside, it will both fail in its mission and no longer be the “catholic” and “ecumenical” Church. Instead, it will become an introverted and self-contained group, a “ghetto” on the margins of history. This is why the great Fathers of the Church never feared dialogue with the spiritual culture of their age – indeed even with the pagan idolaters and philosophers of their world – thereby influencing and transforming the civilization of their time and offering us a truly ecumenical Church.

Today, Orthodoxy is called to continue this dialogue with the outside world in order to provide a witness and the life-giving breath of its faith. However, this dialogue cannot reach the outside world unless it first passes through all those that bear the Christian name. Thus, we must first converse as Christians among ourselves in order to resolve our differences, in order that our witness to the outside world may be credible. Our endeavors for the union of all Christians is the will and command of our Lord, who before His Passion prayed to His Father “that all [namely, His disciples] may be one, so that the world may believe that You sent me.” (John 17.21) It is not possible for the Lord to agonize over the unity of His disciples and for us to remain indifferent about the unity of all Christians. This would constitute criminal betrayal and transgression of His divine commandment.

It is precisely for these reasons that, with the mutual agreement and participation of all local Orthodox Churches, the Ecumenical Patriarchate has for many decades conducted official Panorthodox theological dialogues with the larger Christian Churches and Confessions. The aim of these dialogues is, in a spirit of love, to discuss whatever divides Christians both in terms of faith as well as in terms of the organization and life of the Church.

These dialogues, together with every effort for peaceful and fraternal relations of the Orthodox Church with other Christians, are unfortunately challenged today in an unacceptably fanatical way – at least by the standards of a genuinely Orthodox ethos – by certain circles that exclusively claim for themselves the title of zealot and defender of Orthodoxy. As if all the Patriarchs and Sacred Synods of the Orthodox Churches throughout the world, who unanimously decided on and continue to support these dialogues, were not Orthodox. Yet, these opponents of every effort for the restoration of unity among Christians raise themselves above Episcopal Synods of the Church to the dangerous point of creating schisms within the Church.

In their polemical argumentation, these critics of the restoration of unity among Christians do not even hesitate to distort reality in order to deceive and arouse the faithful. Thus, they are silent about the fact that theological dialogues are conducted by unanimous decision of all Orthodox Churches, instead attacking the Ecumenical Patriarchate alone. They disseminate false rumors that union between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches is imminent, while they know well that the differences discussed in these theological dialogues remain numerous and require lengthy debate; moreover, union is not decided by theological commissions but by Church Synods. They assert that the Pope will supposedly subjugate the Orthodox, because they latter submit to dialogue with the Roman Catholics! They condemn those who conduct these dialogues as allegedly “heretics” and “traitors” of Orthodoxy, purely and simply because they converse with non-Orthodox, with whom they share the treasure and truth of our Orthodox faith. They speak condescendingly of every effort for reconciliation among divided Christians and restoration of their unity as purportedly being “the pan-heresy of ecumenism” without providing the slightest evidence that, in its contacts with non-Orthodox, the Orthodox Church has abandoned or denied the doctrines of the Ecumenical Councils and of the Church Fathers.

Beloved children in the Lord, Orthodoxy has no need of either fanaticism or bigotry to protect itself. Whoever believes that Orthodoxy has the truth does not fear dialogue, because truth has never been endangered by dialogue. By contrast, when in our day all people strive to resolve their differences through dialogue, Orthodoxy cannot proceed with intolerance and extremism. You should have utmost confidence in your Mother Church. For the Mother Church has over the ages preserved and transmitted Orthodoxy even to other nations. And today, the Mother Church is struggling amid difficult circumstances to maintain Orthodoxy vibrant and venerable throughout the world.

From the Ecumenical Patriarchate, this sacred Center of Orthodoxy, we embrace all of you lovingly and bless you paternally, praying that you may journey in health through the holy period of contrition and asceticism known as Holy and Great Lent in order that you may become worthy of celebrating the pure Passion and glorious Resurrection of our Savior Lord with all faithful Orthodox Christians throughout the world.

Sunday of Orthodoxy 2010

+ Bartholomew of Constantinople
Fervent supplicant to God for all

+ Constantine of Derkon
+ Evangelos of Perge
+ Kallinikos of Lystra
+ Michael of Austria
+ Alexios of Atlanta
+ Joseph of Proikonnisos
+ Demetrios of Sevasteia
+ Irenaios of Myriophyton and Peristasis
+ Chrysostom of Myra
+ Emmanuel of France
+ Makarios of Gortyna and Arkadia
+ Amphilochios of New Zealand

• Orthodox leader 'resists opposition' with call for church unity

Orthodox leader 'resists opposition' with call for church unity
Posted: February 19, 2010Transmis : 19 février, 2010

by Peter Kenny

[Geneva • ENI] The Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomeos I, a key leader for the world's 300 million Orthodox Christians, has written a Lenten encyclical that stresses the need for greater unity for churches, and counters accusations from some of his bishops that ecumenism is heresy.

At the same time, a letter from the head of the U.S. National Council of Churches to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton shows that Bartholomeos also faces pressure in Turkey. His See is in Istanbul, the capital of Turkey, and his official title is "Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, and Ecumenical Patriarch."

Quoting from the 17 February letter of the church grouping's general secretary, Michael Kinnamon, to Clinton, a press statement on the council's Web site says, "The government of Turkey may wish to minimise the significance of the Ecumenical Patriarch in Istanbul but the National Council of Churches asserts that U.S. Christians regard Patriarch Bartholomeos 'as a world leader whose spiritual and moral authority has influenced us all".

The press statement says that Kinnamon urged Clinton to use the moral authority of the United States to assure the safety of the Patriarch, who is, "isolated and often threatened with violence" in Turkey.

In his Lenten letter that will be read in Orthodox churches worldwide on 21 February, Bartholomeos says, "Orthodoxy must be in constant dialogue with the world. The Orthodox Church does not fear dialogue because truth is not afraid of dialogue."

The encyclical will be read on the day known as the Feast of Orthodoxy. In it Bartholmeos notes, "If Orthodoxy is enclosed within itself and not in dialogue with those outside, it will both fail in its mission and no longer be the 'catholic' and 'ecumenical' Church. Instead, it will become an introverted and self-contained group, a 'ghetto" on the margins of history."

A senior Orthodox official told Ecumenical News International that the Patriarch's letter is significant because it unequivocally states a commitment to the ecumenical movement, and does so in the face of many pressures from church circles bitterly opposed to global church unity.

During 2009, a group of Orthodox clergy in Greece, led by three senior archbishops, published a manifesto pledging to resist all ecumenical ties with Roman Catholics and Protestants. The group said, "The only way our communion with heretics can be restored is if they renounce their fallacy and repent."

The senior clergy behind the manifesto, who fall under the jurisdiction of the Constantinople partriachate, said in their document that they wished to preserve, "irremovably and without alteration" the Orthodox faith that the Early Church had "demarcated and entrenched," and to shun communication, "with those who innovate on matters of the faith".

By contrast, in his Lenten letter, Bartholomeos says, "Today, Orthodoxy is called to continue this dialogue with the outside world in order to provide a witness and the life-giving breath of its faith."

He continues, "However, this dialogue cannot reach the outside world unless it first passes through all those that bear the Christian name. Thus, we must first converse as Christians among ourselves in order to resolve our differences, in order that our witness to the outside world may be credible."

Many Orthodox churches belong to the World Council of Churches, a grouping of some 560 million Anglican, Orthodox and Protestant Christians. The general secretary of the WCC, the Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit, said in a statement on 19 February that he was, "very grateful to the Ecumenical Patriarch for his strong commitment to dialogue and the unity of the Church".

Tveit added, "This encyclical reminds me of another famous text: the 1920 encyclical letter in which the [then] Ecumenical Patriarch proposed the foundation of a fellowship of churches, providing a major impulse for the formation of the WCC."

The letter of the U.S. church council leader tells Secretary of State Clinton, "The Ecumenical Patriarch now experiences threats to his safety that require police protection and barbed-wire barriers." It also describes the situation other Christians in Turkey face, "His All Holiness himself has told a recent 60 Minutes interviewer that Greek Christians in Turkey are treated as second class citizens with diminished rights and freedom of expression."

"We are grieved that his [Bartholomeos'] safety and freedom are constantly threatened," Kinnamon told Clinton. Writing on behalf of the 36 member communions of the National Council of Churches, he added, "Despite the many traditions and histories that our member churches bring to our council, we are emphatically agreed that a threat to the Ecumenical Patriarchate is a threat to Christians everywhere."

• Full text of Bartholomeos' letter

• NCC letter to Clinton

• Ecumenical catechism proposed by Cardinal Kasper

Ecumenical catechism proposed by Cardinal Kasper
Posted: February 9, 2010Transmis : 9 février, 2010

Cardinal asks dialogue partners if an ecumenical catechism might work

By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A Vatican official has floated the idea of a shared "ecumenical catechism" as one of the potential fruits of 40 years of dialogue among Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists and members of the Reformed churches.

"We have affirmed our common foundation in Jesus Christ and the Holy Trinity as expressed in our common creed and in the doctrine of the first ecumenical councils," Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, told representatives of the churches.

Opening a three-day symposium at the Vatican to brainstorm on the future of ecumenism, Cardinal Kasper said it is essential "to keep alive the memory of our achievements" in dialogue, educate the faithful about how much has been accomplished and prepare a new generation to carry on the work.

He said the members of his council "proposed an ecumenical catechism that would be written in consultation with our partners," but "we do not yet have any idea how such a catechism could be structured and written."

One thing for sure, he said, is that there is a need for "an ecumenism of basics that identifies, reinforces and deepens the common foundation" of faith in Christ and belief in the tenets of the creed. The churches may hold those positions officially, but if their members do not hold firmly to the basics of Christian faith, the dialogue cannot move forward, the cardinal said.

Cardinal Kasper, a theologian who will be 77 in March and has led the council for nine years, also said that ecumenical dialogue "is perhaps in danger of becoming a matter for specialists and thus of moving away from the grassroots."

He called for "a people-centered ecumenism" that would support and give new energy to the theological dialogues.

The symposium was a follow-up to the publication in October of "Harvesting the Fruits," a book complied by Cardinal Kasper and his staff summarizing the results of 40 years of official Catholic dialogue with the Anglican Communion, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Methodist Council and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.

As for questions that still must be tackled in order for Christians to reach full unity and be able to share the Eucharist, the cardinal identified two basic areas: a common understanding of the church and its structure; and a common approach to applying the Gospel to modern social and moral concerns without falling into relativism.

Ethical issues, such as homosexuality and women's equality, not only divide churches, he said, they raise more fundamental questions for modern and post-modern society, such as, "What is man, and what does it mean to be a man or woman in God's plan?"

In the area of church structure and ministry, he said, the dialogues have seen progress toward a common agreement on the sacramental nature of ordination and on apostolic succession in the ministry of bishops, and have taken initial steps toward discussing the primacy of the bishop of Rome, the pope.

But on a more basic level, the dialogues must get into "not only what is the church, but where is the church? Has God given his church a specific structure or has he left the church to find its own structure, in such a way that a pluralism of structures is possible?" Cardinal Kasper asked.

The cardinal said the Vatican needs to better explain to its dialogue partners the Catholic conviction that "the Catholic Church is the church of Christ and that the Catholic Church is the true church," even while "there exist many and important elements of the church of Christ outside the visible boundaries of the Catholic Church."

The Catholic Church does believe "there are deficits in the other churches," he said. "Yet on another level there are deficits, or rather wounds stemming from division and wounds deriving from sin, also in the Catholic Church."

Ecumenical dialogue is the place where all Christians "learn to grow and mature in their faithfulness to Christ," he said, and as each moves closer to Christ, they naturally will move closer to each other.

• WCC Faith & Order issues are relevant for Mennonites

WCC Faith & Order issues are relevant for Mennonites
Posted: December 15, 2009Transmis : 15 décembre, 2009

WCC dialogue questions relevant for Mennonites says Neufeld

by Steve Plenert, Mennonite World Conference News Service

[Strasbourg, France] How and where does the global church discuss issues such as the nature and mission of the church, sources of authority and moral discernment in the churches? One long-standing forum for important discussions such as these is the Faith and Order Plenary Commission of the World Council of Churches. This body, while not officially decision-making, gathered in Kolympari, Crete, 7-13 October 2009.

The topics mentioned were the key themes of the conference under the heading, “Called to be the One Church.” More than 150 participants from many countries and a wide range of church traditions gathered to listen, discuss and dialogue.

Mennonite World Conference was also invited to participate. Alfred Neufeld of Paraguay, who is the chair of MWC’s Faith and Life Commission, represented MWC. He made the long trip to the beautiful setting in the Mediterranean Sea to hear what might be relevant for the global Mennonite fellowship.

“I was impressed about the seriousness of the theological discussion and the very earnest search for unity and agreement in theological issues. In Mennonite circles lately there is great hesitation about dogmatics and creedal discussions. But creeds and theology are the software according to which to a large extent churches tick. The search for unity in the body of Christ definitely also has to do with a search for believing and confessing together,” says Neufeld.

His comments are echoed by the opening words of Patriarch Bartholomew who stated, “Because unity is finally a gift of God, it demands a profound sense of humility and not any prideful insistence." His call to the "never-ending search" for unity of the church, also pointed out that it "is also an ever-unfolding journey."

Marianela de la Paz Cot, of the Episcopal Church of Cuba, described interchurch and interfaith dialogue as sources and meeting points of opposing views and potential polarization, but she argued that this provides “an opportunity to develop a deeper unity.”

The argument raised familiar questions on the issue of interfaith and interchurch dialogue: When must respect for others' beliefs give way to a prophetic critique of idolatry? At what point is faith in Christ compromised?

Neufeld comments, “I am sure that the three big topics of Faith and Order - moral discernment in the church, sources of authority, and the nature and mission of the church - are as relevant for Mennonites as for any other Christian denomination. Moral discernment on peace issues and gender issues has been a topic for decades for us. Till now we are far too humble to discuss forces of authority or even use the word 'authority.'

“Structural and sacramental unity do not seem to be key issues at this moment in the Faith and Order movement,” says Neufeld. Participants noted a tendency to give more space to an "ecclesiology from below" based on the concrete experience of "being church in a particular context" rather than describing the church theoretically "from above.”

Neufeld suggests that “reconciled diversity, humble recognition of the limitations of our own denominational convictions and traditions, as well as an appreciation for the gifts in history entrusted to the different denominations seems to be a way not to fear dialogue. The better dialogue partners are informed and convinced about their convictions, the more free they can speak with each other and to each other.”

Mennonites have things to learn from and contribute to gatherings such as the Faith and Order Plenary Commission as the themes are clearly relevant to our on-going task of being faithful to our calling as the church of Christ in the world.

***
Mennonite World Conference is a communion (Koinonia) of Anabaptist-related churches linked to one another in a worldwide community of faith for fellowship, worship, service, and witness.

• Spring Ecumenical Contacts Workshop, Saturday, March 20th.

Spring Ecumenical Contacts Workshop, Saturday, March 20th.

We will be visiting the Shrine to the Venerable Nun Martyrs Olympia and Laurentia here in Saskatoon. Sr. Theodosia (Sisters of St. Joseph), will lead us as we reflect together on the cost of discipleship in our time. We will begin at 9 a.m. and finish at noon. The Shrine is located at 215 Avenue M South (across the street from St. George’s Cathedral). There is ample parking either on the street, or in the Cathedral parking lot. There is no cost. Everyone is most welcome to attend.

• Ecumenical Prayer Service for the ordination of Msgr. Donald Bolen

Ecumenical Prayer Service for the ordination of Msgr. Donald Bolen

Monsignor Donald Bolen will be ordained the seventh bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon on the Feast of the Annunciation, Thursday, March 25. This service is by invitation only to ensure that representatives of every parish are able to attend.

Another celebration dear to Msgr. Bolen's heart will be the Ecumenical Prayer Service held the evening before the ordination, an event which is open to all. The Ecumenical Prayer Service will be held 7 p.m., Wednesday, March 24 at St. Paul's Cathedral (Spadina Crescent and 22 Street, Saskatoon). Bishop-elect Bolen's background in ecumenical studies and dialogue includes several years of work with the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in Rome.

The Ecumenical Prayer Service is open to the public. A number of ecumenical guests have been invited and will have reserved seating. The event is expected to be well-attended, so please arrive early to ensure a seat.

• Rooted in Christ - Global Leaders in Ecumenism share their Hopes and Visions

Rooted in Christ - Global Leaders in Ecumenism share their Hopes and Visions

To celebrate the ordination of the new Roman Catholic bishop of Saskatoon, Donald Bolen, you are invited to an informal discussion:
Rooted in Christ - Global Leaders in Ecumenism share their Hopes and Visions.

Thursday, March 25th, 1-3pm St. Andrew’s College, main lounge (1121 College Drive, Saskatoon on the U of S campus).

Panelists include:
• The Rev. Dr. Geoffrey Wainwright (Duke University) co-chair of the Methodist-Roman Catholic international dialogue;
• Bishop Brian Farrell (The Holy See) Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity;
• Bishop Denis Drainville (Anglican Diocese of Quebec) co-chair of the Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue in Canada;
• Dr. Catherine E. Clifford, professor at the Université St. Paul in Ottawa
• and several other ecumenical leaders.

For info, contact Nick Jesson (jesson@ecumenism.net, 652-1595) or Sandra Beardsall (966-8968). Please note: there is no parking available at St. Andrew’s College.

• Ecumenical Retreat, April 12-15 with Fr. Tom Ryan

Ecumenical Retreat, April 12-15 with Fr. Tom Ryan

The theme will be "Teach us to Number Our Days". This retreat will help participants face their mortality in the light of our hope in Christ. Through talks, journaling, small and large group work, Fr. Tom Ryan will show that acceptance of this life’s limits, rather than being morbid, can release us to live more fully.

Fr. Thomas Ryan CSP is director of the Paulist Office for Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations in Washington, DC. A former director of the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism in Montreal, Fr. Tom has extensive ecumenical experience in Canada and overseas. He is the author of numerous books, including A Survival Guide for Ecumenically-minded Christians, Tales of an Ecumenical Pilgrim, and Interreligious Prayer: A Christian Guide. Fr. Tom is also a well regarded retreat leader.

*Remember to Live*! Awareness and acceptance that we will not enjoy life on this earth forever can bring a clarity and richness to the limited, precious moments of life, and foster a special care for relationships and priorities. This retreat provides opportunities through presentations on ageing, illness, death, the afterlife -- all with an eye towards bringing us to look more clearly at the life that is ours to live now. How do you want to use the time and resources you have; what are the values you want to keep front and centre? We will use a variety of methods to work with these themes such as journaling and guided meditations to awaken us on a deeper level to the gift of life that is ours to live now.

The retreat will be held at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Spadina Crescent & 20th Street E., Saskatoon.
The retreat will be starting at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, April 12th, ending with lunch Thursday, April 15th. There will be daytime sessions only, and an optional activity on Monday evening.
Cost: $95 per person. Bring a bag lunch. Soup, coffee & tea will be provided.
We are asking for billets to enable out-of-town folks to come.

• Returning to Spirit workshop Part II - April 19-23, 2010

Returning to Spirit workshop Part II - April 19-23, 2010

This workshop deals with the pain arising from the Residential Schools legacy. It is also for anyone who wants to move beyond his or her own existing limits and constraints, committed to personal growth and willing to explore new possibilities for the future.

More specifically this is for First Nations and Church/non-aboriginal people who:
• were once involved with the schools and are seeking healing;
• those who have family who may have had positive or negative experiences in the schools;
• those in leadership, dealing with the complexity of issues arising from the schools;
• those striving to foster greater understanding, healing and reconciliation between those affected by the schools and the Church.

Monday to Friday, April 19-23, 2010, Queen's House Retreat & Renewal Center, 601 Taylor St. West, Saskatoon, SK S7M 0C9 Contact: Lucie Leduc, phone (306) 242-1916. To register, please fill out and send the Registration Form along with your deposit to above address c/o Lucie Leduc or by fax to (306) 653-5941 before March 15th, 2010.

PARTICIPATION: Commitment to full participation in every session is a pre-requisite; You will be asked to use your personal life experiences to explore your relationship to the issues of Residential Schools and more. Sessions go from 9 am to 5 pm Monday to Thursday and from 9 am to 3 pm Friday. There are evening assignments.

The Returning to Spirit training program is unique and cutting edge in its approach to healing and reconciliation. It is a three-part training program that involves both First Nations and Religious communities. This program explores the process of creating possibilities for individuals and groups to consciously create a future based on letting-go, empowerment, trust, collaboration and moving forward. It has nothing to do with religion, politics or legal matters. It is focused strictly on facilitating a process for individuals to move ahead in life, creating a future based in empowerment rather than creating a future which is based on creating more of the past.

Individuals take a profound look at how residential school events have played out in their lives. The program explores what it takes to break new ground, to shift from thinking and behaviours that have developed from the past, plague the present, and are destined for the future The “Returning to Spirit” Program is based on returning people to the spirit of who they are rather than reliving their painful experience of residential school.

• World Religions Summit 2010: Interfaith Leaders in the G8 Nations

World Religions Summit 2010: Interfaith Leaders in the G8 Nations

In 2010 the leaders of some of the world's most powerful countries - the G8 - will meet in Canada. Each year these leaders meet to make commitments to alleviate poverty, hunger, HIV/AIDS, malaria, illiteracy, child mortality and poor maternal heather as well as improve environmental sustainability and global partnerships for development. The G8 countries' compliance with their own commitments averages 47%.

Since 2005, global faith leaders have met in tandem with G8 meetings to issue a statement calling on the G8 to fulfil their commitments to the world's most poor and vulnerable, and to ensure concrete, discernible, life giving and life sustaining progress in the lives of all people and of our plant.

• Fall Ecumenical Contacts Workshop, Saturday October 16th.

Fall Ecumenical Contacts Workshop, Saturday October 16th.

Professor Sandra Beardsall will be presenting “An Ecumenical Pilgrimage through Christian History”. Place TBA. Everyone is welcome to attend.

• International Ecumenical Peace Convocation

International Ecumenical Peace Convocation

The culmination of the WCC Decade to Overcome Violence will be an International Ecumenical Peace Convocation on May 4-11, 2011 in Kingston, Jamaica. Work on an Ecumenical Declaration on Just Peace will culminate in its adoption there. The declaration will not be a consensus document but, as a public affirmation of witness that is theological and spiritual in character, it will affirm what can be said together, identify topics for further discussion, recommend examples, and initiate practical services for committed groups. The convocation, expected to have some two thousand participants, will include representatives of other faiths. Planners will search with these representatives for ministries that struggle against the current trend to turn political conflict into religious confrontation. A timeline of preparatory processes has already been outlined, suggestions for participation have been posted, and related events will be listed as information is available. Geiko Muller-Fahrenholz, who is working on convocation preparations for the WCC, has visited the U.S. in March to garner ideas and dialogue about the state of the ecumenical peace movement. Themes for the conference have been identified as: peace at heart, peace at home, peace in the virtual world, peace on earth is peace with the earth, peace in the market place, and make peace not war.

• KAIROS Week of Action: Connecting Climate Justice and Global Poverty

KAIROS Week of Action: Connecting Climate Justice and Global Poverty
Posted: October 9, 2009Transmis : 9 octobre, 2009

Beyond the traditional categorization of climate change as an environmental issue, it is clearly also a development issue; a poverty reduction, food security, economics, health, human rights, governance and equality issue. It is a Millennium Development Goal issue. (UN Millennium Campaign)

As the global community looks towards this December's climate change negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark, we see a sorry record of rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from rich countries, and the relentless march of poverty and growing inequality in countries of the global South. It is people in these countries who are already suffering the worst consequences of climate change. The United Nations Millennium Campaign is an effort to hold governments accountable to the Millennium Development Goals [MDGs] to cut global poverty in half by 2015. It sees the connections between climate change and global poverty quite clearly. Do we?

This year KAIROS is marking two important days for Global Action - October 17 Global Day of Action Against Poverty and October 24 International Day of Climate Action - by calling for a Global Week of Action that highlights the connection between poverty and climate change.

KAIROS has produced a 4 page resource for churches and faith communities which draws the connection between poverty and climate change. Click here to download the resource.

• Preparing for Ecumenical Ministries

Preparing for Ecumenical Ministries
Posted: September 23, 2009Transmis : 23 septembre, 2009

Saskatoon Theological Union (St. Andrew's College) will be offering a "Preparing for Ecumenical Ministries" course from January 18-22, 2010, for credit or audit. It will run from 9-5 daily. The instructor will be Sandra Beardsall (Professor of Church History and Ecumenics).

The course description is as follows:

Increasing numbers of Christian communities are working ecumenically to facilitate mission and ministry, especially in areas of depopulation or other financial struggle. Many of these choose to link formally as “ecumenical shared ministry” congregations or clusters.

This course will explore the dynamics particular to developing and sustaining ecumenical ministry initiatives in congregational settings. It will introduce participants to the structures of such ministries, and consider issues that are unique to ecumenical congregational relationships. It will include the study of pertinent theological documents and denominational agreements, practical issues like the production of covenants and constitutions, and the pastoral challenges that affect all congregations, but with attention to the nuances for ecumenical ministries, attending to sources of support for clergy and other congregational leaders. Finally, the course will engage questions of our personal struggles and delights in confronting Christian identity and otherness.

Participants will identify and strengthen their gifts for ecumenical ministries, in the context of these many aspects of faith, theology, and leadership. It is open to those already serving in ecumenical ministries (may be taken for STM credit) as well as those who wish to explore the possibilities. An audit course costs $300; credit is $600.

For further information, or to register, contact the Registrar at or call 1-877-644-8970.

• A Time for Hope: A National Marriage Enrichment Conference

A Time for Hope: A National Marriage Enrichment Conference
Posted: September 16, 2009Transmis : 16 septembre, 2009

A National Marriage Enrichment Conference

March 19-20, 2010
Sheraton Cavalier, Saskatoon, SK

1-877-661-5005, ext 229
www.marriage2010.ca

Download the brochure or poster

• The Canadian Council of Churches addresses US health care debates

The Canadian Council of Churches addresses US health care debates
Posted: August 14, 2009Transmis : 14 août, 2009

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

• Le Conseil canadien des Églises a écrit aux églises des États-Unis

Le Conseil canadien des Églises a écrit aux églises des États-Unis
Posted: August 14, 2009Transmis : 14 août, 2009

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