Aujourd’hui est publiée la seconde Encyclique de Benoît XVI, Spe Salvi, qui comprend une introduction suivie de huit chapitres, et qui s’ouvre passage de l’Epître aux romains où Paul dit que nous avons été sauvés dans l’espérance.
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Benedict XVI’s second Encyclical, “Spe Salvi” which is dedicated to the theme of Christian hope, was published today. The document – which has an introduction and eight chapters – begins with a quote from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans: “spe salvi facti sumus” (in hope we are saved).
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At the the end of the Muslim month of Ramadan (Eid al-Fitr), a group of 138 Muslim religious leaders sent an open letter to the Holy Father Benedict XVI and to other Christian leaders. The letter dated October 13, 2007 was entitled: “A Common Word between Us and You.”

On November 19, Pope Benedict XVI replied to the 138 Muslim leaders with a letter signed by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State, and addressed to Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal, president of the Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought and one of the signatories of the original letter.

The letter was published in English in the November 30th edition of L’Osservatore Romano. The letter is as follows:
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A memorial service to commemorate the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 28th at 11:40 a.m. at St. Andrew’s College Chapel (1121 College Drive). This event is co-sponsored by the University of Saskatchewan Campus Ministry and the Saskatoon Peace Coalition. For more information, contact Gertrude at 966-8929.
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From Nov. 22 to 25, the Joint Anglican-Lutheran Commission met in Toronto to review the Full Communion relationship between the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. The two churches have shared this unique relationship since the Waterloo Declaration of 2001, and now, six years later, they are assessing what they’ve accomplished and where they can go.
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The retired bishop of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador, Don Harvey, has left the Anglican Church of Canada to become a bishop in the South American province of the Southern Cone, a decision that the primate of the Canadian church acknowledged would pose “complications” for the already fragile unity within the local church and the worldwide Anglican Communion.
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Made public today was the final document of the plenary assembly of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. The meeting was held in the Italian city of Ravenna from October 8 to 14 under the presidency of Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and His Excellency Ioannis, metropolitan of Pergamo. [Editor’s note: Ioannis of Pergamo is also known to theologians as John Zizioulas]

The title of the final document is: “Ecclesiological and Canonical Consequences of the Sacramental Nature of the Church. Ecclesial Communion, Conciliarity and Authority.”
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Aujourd’hui a été publié le Document final de l’Assemblée plénière de la Commission internationale pour le dialogue théologique catholiques orthodoxes (Ravenne, Italie, 8-14 octobre), qui avait été présidée par le Métropolite Ioannis de Pergame (Patriarcat œcuménique) et le Cardinal Kasper, Président du Conseil pontifical pour l’unité des chrétiens: “Conséquences ecclésiologiques et canoniques de la nature sacramentale de l’Eglise. Communion ecclésiale, conciliarité et autorité”.
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“How can we, aboriginal and non-aboriginal people, walk together to heal our communities by addressing racism, poverty, and crime?” The 2007 Restorative Justice conference will gather to consider this question on November 14 at St. Mary’s RC Hall, 211 Avenue O. South in Saskatoon. The workshop runs from 1:20 to 9 p.m.
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Dr. Kieran Flanagan will present the annual Keenan Lecture at St. Thomas More College, Saskatoon on the theme What’s in a name? The fate of sociology in theology. The lecture takes place on Wednesday November 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the Father O’Donnell Auditorium (room 140) at STM. There will be a reception to follow. All are welcome to attend.

Further information about Dr. Flanagan is included in the complete article.
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When I teach my students about the ecumenical movement, I tell them that the establishment of the World Council of Churches in 1948 is an historic achievement. It is historic because the WCC is the principal instrument of the ecumenical movement in the 20th century. It is historic because it sets a benchmark in church history for the commitment of the churches to walk together. It is an achievement of unparalleled importance because it brought together the historic churches of the Reformation together with the Eastern churches in a commitment to seek visible unity and common witness. However, even in 1948 there was an awareness that there were essential voices missing from the ecumenical table.
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[Nairobi] Réunis au Kenya, des responsables issus de toutes les principales traditions chrétiennes et provenant de différents pays – de l’Arménie au Zimbabwe – ont promis d’organiser des réunions aux niveaux international, régional et local afin d’aller plus loin dans la réconciliation et la compréhension.

“Reconnaissant que l’unité est le tout premier don de Dieu à travers l’oeuvre du Saint-Esprit, nous nous engageons à promouvoir davantage de compréhension et de coopération entre chrétiens, tout en respectant la diversité de nos identités, traditions et dons individuels”, ont déclaré les responsables dans un communiqué publié à l’issue de la réunion, qui s’est tenue du 6 au 9 novembre.
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After four days of meetings, some 240 leaders of a broad range of churches, confessions and interchurch organizations from over 70 countries agreed to carry forward what they call “the Global Christian Forum process”, an open platform for encounter and dialogue whose goal is to “foster mutual respect, explore and address common challenges”.

Participants broke into a spontaneous doxology when the final draft of a “Message from the Global Christian Forum to Brothers and Sisters in Christ Throughout the World” was approved at the last session of the meeting, which took place 6-9 November in Limuru, near Nairobi, Kenya.
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Multi-Faith Saskatchewan will be holding its Annual General Meeting on Saturday, November 10th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Craik, Saskatchewan. The meeting will be held at Solar Restaurant at the Eco-Centre. The AGM guest speaker will be Mr. Paul Hanley. He will speak on the theme of “Faith and Sustainability.” For further information, please contact Jean Parker, secretary at 306-522-1514 or mjean.parker [at] sasktel [dot] net.

Multi-Faith Saskatchewan is a new multi-faith organization formed in 2006 that is provincial in scope. It is open to provincial and regional single faith groups or faith related organizations and to individuals provided they subscribe to the objectives of Multi-Faith Saskatchewan.
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“L’unité de l’Eglise, c’est comme la bicyclette: si on s’arrête, on tombe.” Cette affirmation provocante a été lancée par le missiologue coréen Wonsuk Ma aux participants du Forum chrétien mondial, qui s’est tenu du 6 au 9 novembre à Limuru, prés de Nairobi, Kenya.

Dans un exposé fondamental présenté le deuxième jour de cette réunion, M. Ma a examiné l’évolution de l’unité et de la mission chrétiennes au cours du dernier siècle, affirmant que dans la mission, la manière apparemment contradictoire d’insister sur “la vie avant la mort” et sur “la vie après la mort”, qui a divisé les chrétiens “traditionnels” et “évangéliques” pendant des décennies représentent deux tendances en fait complémentaires et indispensables l’une à l’autre.
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[Nairobi] Leaders meeting in Kenya belonging to all main Christian traditions, and from countries ranging from Armenia to Zimbabwe, have pledged to convene international, local and regional meetings to deepen reconciliation and understanding.

“Recognising that unity is first and foremost God’s gift through the work of the Holy Spirit, our commitment is to press on in promoting ever greater understanding and cooperation among Christians, while respecting the diversity of our identities, traditions and individual gifts,” the leaders said in a statement issued at the end of the 6-9 November meeting.
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Pentecostal theologian and scholar Cheryl Bridges-Johns proposed a radical reinvention of the ecumenical movement in a keynote address delivered on the third day of the Global Christian Forum which takes place 6-9 November in Limuru, near Nairobi, Kenya.

Bridges-Johns, a professor at the Theological Seminary of the Church of God in Cleveland (Tennessee), US, sparked a vivid discussion with her lecture, which elaborated on a statement from the 1961 New Delhi assembly of the World Council of Churches: “the achievement of unity will involve nothing less than a death and rebirth of many forms of church life as we have known them”.
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A video and presentation by Professor R. L. Kushwaha from the University of Saskatchewan’s Department of Agricultural and Bioresource Engineering is scheduled for Thursday, November 8th, from 7 to 9 pm in the St. Thomas More College Auditorium.

The international treaty banning anti-personnel mines was signed with great acclaim in 1997 and Canada’s leadership role in this initiative was a source of national pride to many. In 1999, Dr. Lal Kushwaha received his first grant from the Department of National Defence to develop efficient, cost effective devices for clearing landmines. Dr. Kushwaha will talk about the landmine problem, the work of U of S Landmine Research Group (Agricultural and Bioresource Engineering Dept.), and recent developments. There will be an opportunity to talk with Professor Kushwaha afterwards over refreshments.
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[Nairobi] Evangelical, Pentecostal and Charismatic leaders attending a world Christian forum in Kenya that has brought together many of Christianity’s diverse strands, say it offers new opportunities, but they also warn of possible difficulties ahead.

“When you share your journey and discover how other people have travelled and find similarities in the journey, that helps you to travel together,” commented the Rev. Richard Howell of the Evangelical Fellowship of India.
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“Church unity is like riding a bicycle. We will fall unless we go forward.” This affirmation was posed as a challenge by Korean missiologist Wonsuk Ma to participants at the Global Christian Forum taking place on 6-9 November in Limuru, near Nairobi, Kenya.

In a keynote address delivered on the second day of the forum, Ma analyzed Christian developments in unity and mission over the last century. He affirmed that in Christian mission, the seemingly contradictory emphases on “life before death” and on “life after death” – which have separated “mainline” and “evangelical” Christians for decades – are actually complementary and in need of each other.

Read the complete article on Dr. Ma’s address to the Global Christian Forum on our website.
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[Nairobi] Un éminent représentant du Vatican a déclaré que l’Eglise catholique romaine saluait le Forum chrétien mondial, qui est un rassemblement sans précédent des divers courants du christianisme.

“Lorsque les chrétiens sont divisés, la proclamation de l’Evangile souffre et c’est là une douleur que nous devons tous ressentir”, a déclaré l’évêque Brian Farrell, secrétaire du Conseil pontifical pour la promotion de l’unité des chrétiens.
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[Nairobi] A senior Vatican official has said the Roman Catholic Church welcomes a new Global Christian Forum intended to bring together the diverse strands of Christianity as never before.

“When Christians are divided, the preaching of the gospel suffers and this is a pain we all have to feel,” said Bishop Brian Farrell, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, addressing a 6-9 November meeting of the forum near Nairobi.
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Le professeur John St. H. Gibaut de l’Université Saint-Paul, Ottawa, nommé Directeur de la Commission Foi et Constitution du Conseil œcuménique des églises à Genève. Selon un communiqué de presse de l’université, le professeur Gibaut prendra ses fonctions à Genève, en janvier 2008.
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Professor John St. H. Gibaut, from St. Paul University in Ottawa, has been appointed as the new director of the World Council of Churches‘ Commission on Faith and Order. According to a press release from the university, Prof. Gibaut will take up his duties in Geneva in January, 2008.
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“A Perfect Model of Modesty and Confidence”: Phoebe Palmer and the Quest for Holiness” is the title of the first presentation in the “Friends of Sophia” fall program. Presented by Dr. Sandra Beardsall, professor of church history at St. Andrew’s College, this evening presentation will introduce the fascinating 19th century evangelist Phoebe Palmer, and discuss her writings on the quest for holiness.
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A unique gathering of high level church leaders to start Tuesday, 6 November near Nairobi, Kenya, features the broadest range of Christian traditions ever represented at a global meeting, allowing for a discussion of unprecedented ecumenical breadth on what Christians are called to do – together if possible – in the world today.

The 6-9 November gathering, called the Global Christian Forum, brings together about 250 high level representatives of all the main Christian traditions and of their global organizations at the Jumuia Conference Centre in Limuru, near Nairobi.

The Forum’s stated purpose is to create a new, open space in which a broad range of Christian churches and interchurch organizations can gather in a multilateral setting to foster mutual respect and explore and address together common challenges. It aims to include all streams of Christianity, including those which have not been in conversation with one another. In Limuru about half of the participants will be Evangelicals and Pentecostals.

Over four days, with the theme “Our Journey with Jesus Christ, the Reconciler,” participants will discuss how best to promote dialogue and co-operation on issues of Christian unity and common witness to the world. They will debate proposals for the future of the Forum, and it is hoped that a “Letter to the Churches” will summarize the results of the meeting.
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Une réunion de hauts responsables d’Eglises telle qu’on en n’a jamais vue se déroulera près de Nairobi, Kenya, à partir du mardi 6 novembre. Jamais encore des traditions chrétiennes aussi diverses ne se sont retrouvées pour une rencontre mondiale d’une telle envergure œcuménique; on y parlera de ce que les chrétiens sont appelés à faire dans le monde d’aujourd’hui – si possible ensemble.

Sous le nom de Forum chrétien mondial, cette rencontre, qui se tiendra au Centre de conférences de Jumuia à Limuru, près de Nairobi, rassemblera du 6 au 9 novembre près de 250 représentants de haut niveau de toutes les traditions chrétiennes et de leurs organisations mondiales.
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The Prairie Centre for Ecumenism will present another workshop for lay leaders in local congregations on Saturday, November 3 from 11:00 am to 2:00 p.m. The subject “No other name? Can only Christians be saved?” will be presented by the Rev. Dr. Jan Bigland-Pritchard at St. Timothy’s Anglican Church (2 blocks south of Taylor on Lansdowne) in Saskatoon.
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Women in ministry, both lay and ordained, are invited to a retreat at Queen’s House in Saskatoon, November 18-19, 2007. “Women in Ministry: Naming, Claiming and Celebrating” will be an ecumenical gathering of women in ministry to share and celebrate our journeys of faith and of call, to learn from one another, to become friends and to support each other. Ministry commitments and responsibilities can have a way of insulating us from one another if we are not intentional about making connections and encounters happen. The team of facilitators includes two Roman Catholic women in pastoral ministry, a recently retired Lutheran pastor, and a Presbyterian minister. Please see the brochure for more information and the registration form.
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