Anglican bishops plan February meeting to discuss marriage canon

At their autumn meeting in Niagara Falls, Ont., members of the Anglican Church of Canada’s House of Bishops agreed to convene a special meeting from February 23-26 to discuss the report of the Commission on the Marriage Canon.

In a communiqué released October 26, the bishops said this meeting would “pay particular attention to the theology of marriage, the nature of episcopacy, and the synod’s legislative process” and “wrestle with how to honour our roles as guardians of the Church’s faith and discipline and signs of unity both locally and universally.”

The question of legislative process — how General Synod 2016 will approach the divisive vote on whether or not to allow same-sex marriage — has raised some anxiety among bishops, and was brought up in the communiqué.

“We are concerned that parliamentary procedure may not be the most helpful way to discern the mind of the Church, or of the Spirit, in this matter,” it stated. “We would ask those in charge of designing the process whereby the draft resolution comes to the floor…to consider ways in which trust and understanding can be deepened and promoted.”
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Posted: October 30, 2015 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=8830
Categories: Anglican Journal, Communiqué • In this article: Anglican Church of Canada, human sexuality, marriage Transmis : 30 octobre 2015 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=8830
Catégorie : Anglican Journal, Communiqué • Dans cet article : Anglican Church of Canada, human sexuality, marriage

Lutheran-Catholic ‘Declaration on the Way: Church, Ministry and Eucharist’

Drawing on 50 years of national and international dialogue, Lutherans and Catholics together have issued the “Declaration on the Way: Church, Ministry and Eucharist,” a unique ecumenical document that marks a pathway toward greater visible unity between Catholics and Lutherans. The October 30 release of the document comes on the eve of the anniversary of Martin Luther’s posting the 95 Theses, which sparked the Protestant Reformation.

“Pope Francis in his recent visit to the United States emphasized again and again the need for and importance of dialogue. This Declaration on the Way represents in concrete form an opportunity for Lutherans and Catholics to join together now in a unifying manner on a way finally to full communion,” said Bishop Denis J. Madden, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Catholic co-chair of the task force creating the declaration.

“Five hundred years ago wars were fought over the very issues about which Lutherans and Roman Catholics have now achieved consensus,” said ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton. “Church, ministry and Eucharist have been areas of disagreement and even separation between our two churches, and we still have work to do both theologically and pastorally as we examine the questions. The declaration is so exciting because it shows us 32 important points where already we can say there are not church-dividing issues between us, and it gives us both hope and direction for the future,” she said.
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Posted: October 30, 2015 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=8839
Categories: Documents, News • In this article: Catholic, dialogue, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, statements, US Conference of Catholic Bishops Transmis : 30 octobre 2015 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=8839
Catégorie : Documents, News • Dans cet article : Catholic, dialogue, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, statements, US Conference of Catholic Bishops

Historic gathering of global Christian leaders urges churches and governments to address growing concern for persecution of Christians

An historic consultation of church leaders, drawn from 56 nations, to focus on intensifying ‘discrimination, persecution and violence’ against Christian communities around the world has called on churches globally to pray, support and be in solidarity with those suffering persecution due to their faith. In a two pronged response the leaders: offered “repentance” for times when churches had “persecuted each other and other religious communities in history”; and, urged churches “to urgently strengthen the solidarity of all Christians” in the face of discrimination, persecution and martyrdom in the 21st century. In a greeting from the Vatican, Pope Francis said, “I think with great sadness of the escalating discrimination, and persecution against Christians in the Middle East, Africa and Asia and elsewhere throughout the world. “In various parts of the world, the witness to Christ, even to the shedding of blood, has become a shared experience of Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans, Protestants, Evangelicals and Pentecostals,” he said. The consultation also called on governments to “respect and protect the freedom of religion and belief of all people as a fundamental human right.”
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Posted: November 7, 2015 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=8857
Categories: Communiqué, News • In this article: Global Christian Forum, persecution, religious freedom Transmis : 7 novembre 2015 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=8857
Catégorie : Communiqué, News • Dans cet article : Global Christian Forum, persecution, religious freedom

Unity, Faith and Order body welcomes Primates Meeting

The body responsible for promoting the deepening of communion between the churches of the Anglican Communion and its ecumenical partners, the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity Faith and Order (IASCUFO), has welcomed next month’s Primates Meeting in Canterbury. The Commission has described Archbishop Justin Welby’s invitation to his fellow-primates as “an opportunity for a new, redeemed conversation within the Communion.”

The comment was made in a communiqué issued by the Commission after their meeting last week in Elmina, Ghana, in the Province of West Africa’s Diocese of the Cape Coast. The Commission say that they are “greatly heartened” by the forthcoming meeting and are “ready to assist in any way consistent with its remit.”
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Posted: December 14, 2015 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=9259
Categories: ACNS, Communiqué • In this article: Anglican Consultative Council, IASCUFO, Primates Meeting Transmis : 14 décembre 2015 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=9259
Catégorie : ACNS, Communiqué • Dans cet article : Anglican Consultative Council, IASCUFO, Primates Meeting

Episcopal Church’s Primate speaks on actions at Primates Meeting

Before I say a word about our gathering here at the Primates Meeting, I just want to say a word of thank you to you for all of your prayers: your prayers for this meeting, your prayers for me personally, both here and in my earlier sickness. We are well, and God is God, and I thank you. Let me say a word about the meeting. This is not the outcome we expected, and while we are disappointed, it’s important to remember that the Anglican Communion is really not a matter of structure and organization. The Anglican Communion is a network of relationships that have been built on mission partnerships; relationships that are grounded in a common faith; relationships in companion diocese relationships; relationships with parish to parish across the world; relationships that are profoundly committed to serving and following the way of Jesus of Nazareth by helping the poorest of the poor, and helping this world to be a place where no child goes to bed hungry ever. That’s what the Anglican Communion is, and that Communion continues and moves forward.
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Posted: January 15, 2016 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=9272
Categories: ACNS, Communiqué • In this article: Anglican Communion, Episcopal Church, human sexuality, Primates Meeting Transmis : 15 janvier 2016 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=9272
Catégorie : ACNS, Communiqué • Dans cet article : Anglican Communion, Episcopal Church, human sexuality, Primates Meeting

Anglican Primate of Canada concerning the Primates’ Meeting in Canterbury

Having met this week in Canterbury, England, the Primates of the Anglican Communion committed–even in the face of deep differences of theological conviction concerning same sex marriage–to walk together and not apart. Our conversations reflected the truth that, while the Anglican Communion is a family of autonomous Churches in communion with the see of Canterbury, we live by the long-held principle of ‘mutual responsibility and inter dependence in the Body of Christ’. While our relationships are most often characterized by mutual support and encouragement, there are times when we experience stress and strain and we know our need for the grace of God to be patient with each other. Such was the experience of the primates this week. We struggled with the fragility of our relations in response to the actions taken by the General Convention of The Episcopal Church in changing its canon on marriage, making provision for the blessing of same sex marriages. We talked, prayed and wrestled with the consequences considered by the meeting. Some of us wept.
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Posted: January 15, 2016 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=9276
Categories: Anglican Journal, Communiqué • In this article: Anglican Church of Canada, Anglican Communion, human sexuality, Primates Meeting Transmis : 15 janvier 2016 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=9276
Catégorie : Anglican Journal, Communiqué • Dans cet article : Anglican Church of Canada, Anglican Communion, human sexuality, Primates Meeting

Communiqué of the Ecumenical Patriarchate about the Synaxis of the Primates in Geneva

The Ecumenical Patriarchate announces that, following an invitation by His All-Holiness to Their Beatitudes the Primates of the local most holy Orthodox Churches, he will chair a Synaxis at the Orthodox Center of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambésy, Geneva, from January 21st to 28th, 2016.

All of the Primates have declared that they will attend the Synaxis in person, with the exception of Their Beatitudes Patriarch John X of Antioch and Metropolitan Sawa of Poland, who are prevented for health reasons, and Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, for personal reasons, while all three will be represented by officially authorized representatives.
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Posted: January 18, 2016 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=9243
Categories: Communiqué, News • In this article: Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Great and Holy Council, Orthodox Transmis : 18 janvier 2016 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=9243
Catégorie : Communiqué, News • Dans cet article : Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Great and Holy Council, Orthodox

The official announcement of the Primates of the Orthodox Churches

The Primates of the Orthodox Churches convened to finalize the texts for the Holy and Great Council. In the framework of the Synaxis, on Sunday, 24th January, a Divine Liturgy was held at the Holy Stavropegic Church of St. Paul. Along with the Ecumenical Patriarch, who presided, Their Beatitudes and Heads of the delegations of the Orthodox Churches concelebrated the Liturgy, with the exception of the Head of the delegation of the Patriarchate of Antioch.

During the Synaxis, whose sessions were held in the apostolic spirit of “speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4.15), in concord and understanding, the Primates affirmed their decision to convene the Holy and Great Council. The Council will be held at the Orthodox Academy of Crete from June 16th to 27th, 2016. To this end, the Primates humbly invoke the grace and blessing of the Holy Trinity and fervently invite the prayers of the fullness of the Church, clergy and laity, for the period leading to and the sessions of the Holy and Great Council.
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Posted: January 27, 2016 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=9247
Categories: Communiqué, News • In this article: Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Great and Holy Council, Orthodox Transmis : 27 janvier 2016 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=9247
Catégorie : Communiqué, News • Dans cet article : Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Great and Holy Council, Orthodox

Confessional Lutherans & Anglicans Draw Closer Together

Participants in the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), and Lutheran Church-Canada’s (LCC) ongoing ecumenical dialogue have released an interim report on their work so far. Entitled “On Closer Acquaintance,” the document is the culmination of six years of regular discussions between the three church bodies, and highlights the discovery of significant doctrinal agreement between the Anglican and Lutheran participants.

The authors are clear that there is still much work to be done before altar and pulpit fellowship between the two sides would be possible. Nevertheless, they have found the discussions promising enough to publicly declare their prayer “that, in the time and manner of His choosing, our Lord would grant each side in our conversations to acknowledge our ‘first cousin’ to be in fact a true sister church, with the result that we would welcome each other wholeheartedly to our respective altars and enjoy the blessed situation in which our clergy and people would be interchangeable with each other as we stand under the grace of God and work for His kingdom.”

In the meantime, they encourage all three church bodies to “consider the ways in which we can cooperate and come together in ways that fall short of full communion but do allow the greatest measure of cooperation while maintaining full theological integrity.”
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Posted: February 23, 2016 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=8987
Categories: Communiqué, News • In this article: Anglican Church in North America, dialogue, ecumenism, Lutheran Church Canada, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Transmis : 23 février 2016 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=8987
Catégorie : Communiqué, News • Dans cet article : Anglican Church in North America, dialogue, ecumenism, Lutheran Church Canada, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod

Le Dialogue hindou-catholique encourage l’hospitalité et l’ouverture du cœur dans l’accueil des réfugiés

À la suite de sa dernière réunion, le 6 février 2016 à Toronto, le Dialogue hindou-catholique du Canada a publié une déclaration commune pour réaffirmer l’importance de l’hospitalité pour accueillir l’étranger et bien recevoir le réfugié. « L’hospitalité est une valeur des plus sacrées dans plusieurs traditions religieuses, dont l’hindouisme et le christianisme », ont affirmé les membres du dialogue. La déclaration concluait par un appel à toute la population du Canada afin d’offrir « des prières pour ceux et celles qui souffrent des conséquences de la guerre, de la terreur et de la haine… » et par une interpellation à « toutes les Canadiennes et tous les Canadiens à faire preuve d’ouverture d’esprit, de sollicitude et de générosité à l’endroit des réfugiés qui arrivent chez nous, de même qu’à l’égard de tous les étrangers parmi nous. Le dialogue et la rencontre sont les ressources les plus importantes dont nous disposions pour répondre aux exigences de la crise actuelle des réfugiés. »

Le thème de la dernière réunion du Dialogue hindou-catholique portait sur la théologie de l’incarnation pour les traditions catholique et hindoue. Huit délégués de la Conférence des évêques catholiques du Canada (CECC) participent à ce dialogue national, dont le coprésident catholique, Mgr Daniel Miehm, évêque auxiliaire à Hamilton. M. Tinu Ruparell, Ph.D., professeur d’études religieuses à l’Université de Calgary, est le coprésident hindou. Le dialogue catholique-hindou se réunit deux fois par année, et sa prochaine réunion est prévue pour août 2016.
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Posted: March 31, 2016 • Permanent link: ecu.net/?p=9049
Categories: Communiqué, Dialogue • In this article: Canada, Catholic, dialogue, doctrine, Hindu, incarnation, interfaith Transmis : 31 mars 2016 • Lien permanente : ecu.net/?p=9049
Catégorie : Communiqué, Dialogue • Dans cet article : Canada, Catholic, dialogue, doctrine, Hindu, incarnation, interfaith