The Presbyterian Church in Canada (PCC) and the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRC) have begun a “bilateral conversation” at the invitation of the CRC. The PCC Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations committee reported to this summer’s General Assembly that the CRC have issued an invitation to “bilateral conversation, or dialogue, about issues of common
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An official application for membership in the Canadian Council of Churches from Mennonite Church Canada was enthusiastically received and unanimously approved by the other member churches of the CCC. This brings the membership of the Canadian Council of Churches up to twenty traditions, including Anglican, Roman Catholic, Protestant and Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches. Mennonite
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En vue de reconnaître et de promouvoir l’animation œcuménique tant au plan local qu’au plan régional, le Centre canadien d’œcuménisme décerne annuellement l’Ordre du Mérite œcuménique canadien. Le nom du récipiendaire sera dévoilé dans notre numéro de décembre 2005. Nous vous invitons donc à soumettre des candidatures accompagnées d’une courte description de leurs réalisations œcuméniques.
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To promote and recognize Grass-roots Ecumenical Leadership on the local or regional level, the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism confers an annual Ecumenical Leadership Award. The recipient will be announced in the December 2005 issue of Ecumenism. We invite our readers to submit the names of the candidates with a brief description of why they are
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The full text of Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ has been published on our website with the permission of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

An Introduction to Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ, prepared by the Rev. Don Bolen, co-secretary of ARCIC II, and staff-person at the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and A Commentary by Jared Wicks, s.j. are available on the Vatican website; A commentary and study guide by Timothy Bradshaw is available on the Anglican Communion website.
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The review, Oasis/al-Waha/Nakhlistan, was launched on 7 March 2005 to promote an open and respectful dialogue with Islam, and to support Christian minorities in predominantly Muslim countries. Initially, Oasis will be published twice a year. Edited by a committee of experts from around the world, it is published in four editions: English-Arabic, English-Urdu, French-Arabic and
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D’après un sondage HCD Research auprès de 1 100 médecins chrétiens, musulmans, juifs, hindous et bouddhistes aux États-Unis, 75% ont dit que la religion fournit un guide nécessaire et fiable dans la vie; 59% prient pour des patients, 58% fréquentent un lieu de culte au moins une fois par mois et 46% font une place à
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The Catholic and Protestant branches of the British Royal Army Chaplains’ Department have been merged into a single ecumenical team. Since 1920 the department has had a Roman Catholic branch and a Unified branch which included the Anglican Church, Church of Scotland, Methodist, Baptist and United Reformed Churches. Under the new arrangements, a single head
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L’archidiocèse du Canada de l’Église orthodoxe en Amérique a inauguré, à l’automne 2003, un Institut de formation théologique, le St. Arseny Institute, afin de répondre au besoin de prêtres, à la proclamation de la foi, à l’accroissement de la compréhension de la foi au niveau paroissial et au besoin de réunir les gens pour le
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The St. Arseny Institute, which began its first official year of classes in the fall of 2003, offers theological training for the Archdiocese of Canada of the Orthodox Church in America. The Institute seeks to respond to the need for priests, for the spread of the faith, for raising the level of understanding of the
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Provinces de l’Ouest Diakonos House, dans le quartier sud d’Edmonton, est une maison d’accueil pour les agents de la paix, les pompiers et les membres du personnel de services d’urgence qui font face à des crises personnelles : ruptures, abus de substances toxiques ou urgences médicales. Administrée par un conseil bénévole de directeurs et financée par
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West Diakonos House, located in South Edmonton, operates like a safe house for peace officers, firefighters and emergency services personnel facing crises such as marital breakdowns, substance abuse and medical emergencies. Managed by a volunteer board of directors and funded by donations, Diakonos House is modelled after a similar residence in Calgary that opened in
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Papal Reflections on Marriage and the Family

I found this article on the Vatican Information Service about Pope Benedict’s comments at a Rome congress on “The Family and the Christian Community.” I think that he has some positive affirmations to make about families, but I find it interesting that as I was trying to attend to the positives, he kept turning to the negatives. So, for example, he speaks about marriage but ends the section by cautioning about “pseudo-marriage” and divorce.

I wonder whether this gives us some insight into Benedict’s character, or at least some insight into his attitude towards married life. He ends his comments by calling for more vocations to the priesthood and religious life. That’s not exactly a rousing endorsement of marriage.

We should remember that Benedict’s favourite theologian is Augustine of Hippo, who had very similar fears about marriage. It is good and natural in theory, but a risky venture that might imperil your salvation. One is better off avoiding it altogether.
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As I have been reading various news reports, blogs, and editorials commenting upon the the new Anglican – Roman Catholic dialogue report on “Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ” I have been a little annoyed to hear critics repeat the same line again and again: that the “old ecumenism” is wishy washy. This is frequently contrasted with a proposed new ecumenism that would be committed to truth. What? Is the “old ecumenism” not committed to truth? The bulk of my annoyance stems from the fact that these critiques are not only rejecting the conclusions of the dialogues (a legitimate response), but also that they present the theologians and churches involved as insincere or unfaithful. Most of time these critiques stem from a general rejection of the ecumenical endeavour, not from any understanding of the content of the dialogues.
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When Catholics hold interfaith dialogue with Muslims, one of the first topics to be discussed is the veneration given to the Virgin Mary in the two traditions. Teaching about Mary is seen as something that unites, rather than divides Catholicism and Islam; yet among Christians, the practices of Marian doctrine and devotion have generally been read as clear indicators of the differences between Catholics and Protestants. They have also, on occasion, signified the differences even between Catholics and Orthodox.

It is only fairly recently, therefore, that ecumenical dialogue groups have arrived at this touchy subject. The most recent statement from the ARCIC (Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission), “Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ” – which was ready many months ago, but had been awaiting approval from Rome before it could be published – has therefore been anticipated with bated breath.
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During Holy Weeek, one Anglican member of ARCIC sent the rest of us the poem, “Good Friday Falls on Lady Day” via email. The poet, G. Studdert Kennedy, also an Anglican, wrote:

She claims no crown from Christ apart
Who gave God life and limb
She only claims a broken heart
Because of Him.

I knew that the Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord would coincide with Good Friday this year, but I did not know the poem, and I was touched to receive it. In a way, this captures something special about the process of producing “Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ”.
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Some of the liveliest debates at ARCIC meetings have been over titles. We worked together for five years on the “Mary document”, so we all have strong feelings about the progress we made and the best way to present it. “Put Mary in the title”, said one member, “and it will fly off the shelves.” “Put grace and hope in the title”, said another, “because that’s how we have approached the two Marian dogmas.” “Put Christ in the title,” we all agreed, because again and again we reminded each other that the Church is interested in Mary because she is the mother of the Lord.

ARCIC does not set its own agenda. We worked on Mary because we were asked for “a study of Mary in the life and doctrine of the Church” and because of the acknowledged differences between our two communions over Mariological teaching.
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[ACNS 3978a | ACO | 16 MAY 2005] The Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) has released its latest document in its continuing dialogue. Also called ‘The Seattle Statement’, the ARCIC Co-Chairs, Archbishop Alexander Brunett of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle, and Archbishop Peter Carnley, Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia, were present
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Since taking over in January as director of the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism, Jan Bigland-Pritchard has been kept busy. The centre has just been host to a shared ministry conference that she describes as “a wonderful event, and extremely gratifying in terms of the number that attended.” This has been a homecoming for Bigland-Pritchard, who
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VATICAN CITY, MAY 13, 2005 (VIS) – The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Anglican Communion Office announced in a communique today that the most recent report of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC), entitled “Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ,” will be presented on May 16, 2005 in Seattle, U.S.A., where the
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According to a VIS report published May 13, 2005, the Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue will be back on track following next Monday’s release of a document on Mary. IARCCUM (pronounced “yar-come”) is the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission. It was established after the Mississauga consultation between bishops of the two communions in 2000. It was intended to parallel the work of ARCIC II (the theological dialogue) with an emphasis on “communion in mission”, that is, to find ways that Anglicans and Roman Catholics can work together to reflect the current stage of our unity. IARCCUM’s mandate was detoured following the 2003 consecration of Gene Robinson and the New Westminster decision to bless same-sex unions.
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by Don Retson, Edmonton Journal EDMONTON – David Johnston says he’s been troubled for years over “compromises” on faith and doctrine by the national leadership of the Anglican Church of Canada. Last Saturday, Johnston, a former Anglican priest in Fort Saskatchewan, and seven of his former parishioners, were received as lay members of the Orthodox
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You would like to participate in the 9-16 May conference in Athens on healing and reconciliation but you can’t be physically present? Why not participate online? Here is how: * Tune in to live broadcasts of the plenary sessions on the internet. * Watch archived videos of the plenaries to be watched at your leisure
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Vous auriez souhaité participer à la conférence qui se tiendra du 9 au 16 mai à Athènes, sur le thème de la guérison et la réconciliation, mais vous ne pourrez pas être présent ? Participez sur Internet ! Voici comment : * Suivez les sessions plénières en direct en vidéo sur Internet. * Regardez les
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As Christian leaders in Saskatoon we are hearing with deep concern the report of the impending closure of the College of Emmanuel and St. Chad, the Anglican theological college in Saskatoon. Theological education on the University of Saskatchewan campus has been a beacon of hope for prairie communities through the cooperation of Anglican, Lutheran and
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Genève — En félicitant le pape nouvellement élu, le secrétaire général du Conseil œcuménique des Eglises (COE), le pasteur Samuel Kobia, a prié pour un “engagement renouvelé” en faveur de “l’ouverture œcuménique” et pour “un dialogue de conversion.” Décrivant Benoît XVI comme un homme “connu pour son intégrité théologique et sa loyauté ecclésiale, sa simplicité
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Geneva — In congratulating the newly-elected pope, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia prayed for “renewed commitment” to “ecumenical openess” and “a dialogue of conversion.” Describing Benedict XVI as a man “known for his theological integrity and ecclesial loyalty, his evangelical simplicity and pastoral sensitivity,” Kobia expressed his hope that his
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For all the Vatican’s increasingly enlightened view of women’s role in the world, prejudice still prevents many from participating fully within Catholicism. Changing that needs to be high on the next pope’s agenda

Last week I stood in a pew at Westminster Cathedral watching the procession to the altar for Solemn Vespers for Pope John Paul II. It was an impressive, dignified sight, with Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, the bishops of Westminster diocese, priests, ecumenical and interfaith guests, and the choir gathering for a service to commemorate John Paul II. Both the procession and the service could be perceived as a metaphor for the Church and its relationship with women. The voice of a woman was heard just once, reading a bidding prayer and the reader, a cleric from another denomination, was one of just two females in the procession. The other was a young teenage altar server. The congregation, however, was different: I would estimate that more than half the people attending were women.
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CHICAGO (ELCA) — Benjamin J. Dueholm received a $500 grant toward his tuition at the University of Chicago Divinity School for his essay, “Separated by a Common Faith: Dialogue and Proclamation in Light of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification.” The Lutheran Ecumenical Representatives Network (LERN) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
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Le personnel du Centre Canadien d’œcuménisme partage le deuil des fidèles et des gens de bonne volonté du monde entier en rendant grâce à Dieu pour la vie et l’oeuvre de Sa Sainteté Jean-Paul II, qui nous a quittés samedi passé. Nous sommes surtout reconnaissants pour les nombreuses instances d’appui que le Saint Père a fournies
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The staff of the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism share the sorrow of the faithful and people of goodwill around the world in thanking God for the life and work of His Holiness John Paul II, who left us last Saturday. We are especially grateful for the many occasions of encouragement which the Holy Father gave to
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The full text of the tribute paid by WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia to Pope John Paul II, highlighting some of the specific achievements of his pontificate, is available from the WCC website. Pope John Paul II has been among the most outstanding personalities during these last decades, with an impact far beyond the Roman
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Le texte complet du tribut rendu par le secrétaire général du COE, le pasteur Samuel Kobia, au pape Jean-Paul II est dans le site web du COE. Ce texte met en évidence certains aboutissements de ce pontificat. Le pape Jean-Paul II a été l’une des personnalités les plus marquantes de ces dernières décennies, et son influence a
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Exprimant la profonde sympathie du Conseil œcuménique des Eglises (COE) à la suite de l’annonce par le Saint Siège de la mort ce jour de sa sainteté le pape Jean-Paul II, le pasteur Samuel Kobia, secrétaire général du COE a déclaré: “Sa Sainteté le pape Jean-Paul II restera dans les mémoires comme l’un des chefs spirituels les
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Expressing the profound sadness of the World Council of Churches (WCC) following the announcement by the Holy See of the death of His Holiness Pope John Paul II today, the WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia stated that: “His Holiness Pope John Paul II will be remembered as one of the most courageous spiritual leaders of
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Faith played a vital role in the lives of our forebears. As villages were established across Saskatchewan, various denominations sprang up with them. It is this aspect of the province’s centennial that Christian church leaders want to celebrate. Rev. Allan Grundahl is head of a committee planning a Celebration of Christian Faith in Saskatoon. “This
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Communion is sign of unity, but often it leaves people feeling excluded, on the outside of the community of the faithful. In the fifth of our series, a Benedictine monk seeks a theological basis for a pastoral re-examination of the problem
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Small writ large, large writ small

When we lived in Cork I had someone come one day to install a Burglar Alarm System. With an intonation in his voice all of his own, which it would be both impertinent and impossible to imitate, he said to me: Twenty years ago, people wanted an Alarm installed because they were out of the house a lot; today they want one installed because they are in the house a lot. Not only had circumstances changed but perspectives had also changed, as indeed had priorities. We too are about such a shift in emphasis and expectation here in the CTBI Assembly. We seek a perspective on the past in order to help to illuminate the priorities of the future. If we are not to become rooted once again in present structures this will require some thinking on our part ‘outside of the box.’ This is all the more necessary as the Assembly seeks a sense of fresh direction.
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“Ministering together when we are small and scattered…” That is how retired Presbyterian minister Jim McKay paraphrased the thrust of the upcoming Collaborative Ministries Conference being hosted by the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism. Marie Klombies puts it this way: “The purpose of the conference is to bring together people in Christian ministry — ordained, lay
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The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is celebrated worldwide from January 18 to 25 each year. In Canada, the observance is slightly modified to span the week during which January 25 falls. This allows for two Sundays to observe the week. In Saskatoon (Saskatchewan) where I live, we have a long tradition of early
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Two churches examine shared ministries: Anglican dialogue with United Church began in 2003 by Solange De Santis, Anglican Journal Nearly 30 years after the Anglican and United churches broke off merger talks, the two denominations are again discussing closer ties – but a merger is not on the table. “It’s still in an exploratory phase,
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The churches in Slovakia have experienced more than a decade of renewal and growth after four decades of living in a political situation that, while allowing the churches to exist, attempted to impede their growth and limit their witness in society. The situation in which this year’s theme: “Christ, the one Foundation of the Church” was developed, is marked by new possibilities for church growth.
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Depuis plus de dix ans, les Églises en Slovaquie connaissent une période de renouveau et de développement, après avoir vécu, pendant une quarantaine d’années, dans une situation politique qui, tout en leur permettant d’exister, empêchait leur épanouissement et limitait leur témoignage dans la société. Ce thème : « Le Christ, unique fondement de l’Église », a été élaboré dans un contexte caractérisé par les nouvelles possibilités de croissance s’offrant à l’Église.
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