Vatican offers new provisions for Anglican “converts”

Earlier this week the Vatican announced new pastoral provisions for Anglicans seeking to join the Roman Catholic Church that will allow them to keep aspects of the historic Anglican liturgy and patrimony. The announcement came from Cardinal William Levada, the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The CDF is the Vatican office responsible for doctrine. Since 1980, the CDF has supervised a special pastoral provision for former Anglicans in the United States that permitted married Anglican clergy to be admitted to Roman Catholic ministry and in a few cases for entire parishes of former Anglicans to continue to use Anglican liturgical forms. The announcement this week was touted as a means of making the 1980 pastoral provision universal.

Read the complete commentary by Nicholas Jesson on our website…
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In the midst of a protest by a small number of Orthodox monks and faithful, the official Catholic-Orthodox dialogue commission met in Cyprus Oct. 16-23. The meeting of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church focused on a key factor in the ongoing division between Catholic and Orthodox: the role of the pope as bishop of Rome. The protesters — who were arrested Oct. 20, the third day of their demonstration — claimed that the ongoing dialogue between the two churches was aimed at getting the Orthodox to submit to papal authority. According to a statement released by the dialogue commission Oct. 23, the commission’s Orthodox members discussed “the negative reactions to the dialogue by certain Orthodox circles and unanimously considered them as totally unfounded and unacceptable, providing false and misleading information.” The Orthodox delegates “reaffirmed that the dialogue continues with the decision of all the Orthodox churches and is pursued with faithfulness to the truth and the tradition of the church,” said the statement released in Cyprus and at the Vatican.
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The Bruised Reed: A Christian Reflection on Suffering and Hope

More than five years in the making, the Canadian Council of Churches’ Commission for Faith and Witness, has published a beautiful theological text on Suffering and Hope. The book stands apart from others in its highly experiential quality. It follows eight real Canadian stories to give rise to a highly experiential encounter with these challenging theological topics. This resource is an invaluable addition to any library.

This pastoral resource is the result of the Faith and Witness Commission’s being called upon to give shape and form to a paradox: the paradox of finding hope in suffering and suffering in hope.

The Commission for Justice and Peace has also pulled together a must have resource. It is a First Nations reflection on racism, truth, and reconciliation. You may order both resources through Erin Green, Communications Officer, . A donation of $10 is suggested to cover printing and mailing costs.
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[Paphos, Cyprus • Zenit.org] The International Mixed Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church has progressed in its reflection on the role of the bishop of Rome. The commission issued a joint communiqué reporting on its progress at the end of its 11th plenary session, ended today in Paphos. The
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The new agreed statement of the international dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the fostering of vocations were the main topics of discussion at the 2009 meeting of the national dialogue between the two communions.

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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)

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