Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan to teach his disciples that they have a duty to those who differ from them in terms of religious belief and cultural tradition. Jesus teaches that people who differ from us are not simply to be tolerated; they are to be respected, cared for and loved.

The targeting of the Muslim community through crude symbols and threats of violence by sinister forces undermines these Gospel principles of respect and compassion as well as freedom of religion which is a fundamental principle of a democratic society.

The placement of a replica mosque atop a bonfire is grossly offensive and raises tensions so soon after the unrest that destroyed property and severely impacted the lives of individuals and families. Christians of all traditions would be aghast at the wanton destruction of Christian imagery. Likewise, we should be appalled at the provocative denigration of symbols associated with faiths that are sincerely held by others.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

“We are ready to be co-workers with God in whatever tasks of mission serve the Gospel. We give glory to God for the gift of unity already ours in Christ, and we pray for the fuller realization of this gift in the entire Church.”

With these concluding words of the Waterloo Declaration, read aloud on July 6, 2001, Lutherans and Anglicans in Canada committed themselves to a shared future in full communion. They chose to treat differences in areas such as church order, faith expression and liturgical style as gifts that can strengthen unity. They chose partnership, mutual responsibility and a reconciled future over inherited division. Through common discernment, joint witness, shared ministry and so much more, we have learned again and again that unity in Christ is not merely an institutional arrangement, but a gift of grace that strengthens the Church for joining God’s mission in the world.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Eleven American Pentecostal pastors sat nervously with Pope Francis at the Vatican in June 2016. The meeting, arranged by Thomas Schirrmacher, then chair of the theological commission of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), was an opportunity for the guests to ask the pontiff anything they wanted. Two years earlier, Francis had publicly apologized for past Catholic persecution of the charismatic movement.

At the time, the Italian Evangelical Alliance had cautioned against growing ecumenical openness where “insurmountable” doctrinal obstacles exist. The American delegation was similarly opposed to Schirrmacher’s engagement but had agreed to the meeting. No one wanted to ask the first question. Amid the awkwardness, Francis took the initiative.

He asked the delegation to pray for him.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Archbishop Sotirios of Canada is resigning in early July, after 52 years of episcopal ministry in Canada. The information of The National Herald was confirmed by the Archbishop himself while he was in Vancouver, Canada, on a pastoral visit, saying: “Your information is true. I am planning on going to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople on the first Saturday of July, where I will discuss it with the Patriarch, and afterwards I will make statements.”

Archbishop Sotirios Athanassoulas recently celebrated his 90th birthday at a major event organized by the Greek diaspora in Canada, about which The National Herald had written in detail.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Amnesty International Canada and the Canadian Council for Refugees have filed a new Federal Court challenge to the constitutionality of the Safe Third Country Agreement with the U.S. that says refugees must claim asylum in whichever country they arrive in first.

In 2023 the Supreme Court of Canada ruled refugees can avoid being sent back to the U.S. if they face unnecessary detention or the risk of deportation to a country where their rights and lives would be threatened.

These considerations are referred to as “safety valves” by people working in the migrant rights sector.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

The Holy See has released the first papal encyclical by Pope Leo XIV, titled ‘Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence’, which invites reflection on the ethical implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on war, relationships and the battle between good and evil. The Pope signed the encyclical on May 15, the 135th anniversary of the release of Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical ‘Rerum Novarum’. The encyclical was then released to the public on May 25.

In this article, Anglican News features some Anglican responses to this important encyclical and their perspectives on the expanding role of AI.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

The Boards of St. Andrew’s College (SAC) and Lutheran Theological Seminary (LTS) have affirmed their intention to move forward together into a new model of theological education and shared ministry.

This decision reflects years of collaboration, conversation, and discernment between the two institutions. As each school continues to be deeply rooted in their own denominational tradition, both share a longstanding commitment to theological education, leadership formation, academic excellence, and service to church and wider society.

The vision emerging from this work is grounded in the belief that theological education is strengthened when institutions work together in pursuit of a common mission. By building on existing relationships and shared ministries, LTS and SAC seek to create a vibrant and sustainable future for theological education across western and northern Canada.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Two denominations with historic ties to John Wesley are strengthening their ties with each other.

Driving the move, in part, is the increasing migration of United Methodists from around the globe to Canada.

The United Methodist Council of Bishops and leaders of the United Church of Canada, at separate meetings this spring, each approved an interim covenant that mutually affirms both denominations’ clergy and opens the door to greater cooperation across national borders.

The covenant also declares the leaders’ intention to propose a formal relationship between the two denominations to their top policymaking bodies — the United Methodist General Conference and the Canadian church’s General Council. Both assemblies are next set to meet in 2028.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

From 26 to 29 May 2026, a Knowledge-Sharing Symposium on the Doctrine of Discovery was held in Edmonton, examining the historical and legal consequences of colonization for Indigenous Peoples, and the Catholic Church’s involvement in that colonization in the 15th and 16th centuries.

The event was hosted by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), with support from the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, and representation from the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. It was organized by a group of Catholic men and women, Indigenous and Church leaders and scholars.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

With its 243 paragraphs and more than 200 references, “Magnifica humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence,” the first encyclical of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, will undoubtedly stand as a milestone in the development of Roman Catholic social doctrine. In retrospect, one better understands Cardinal Robert Prevost’s choice of the name “Leo” a little over a year ago: it signals a clear intention to situate his pontificate within a tradition of continuity, particularly in the Church’s mission to serve the most vulnerable in society, as did Pope Leo XIII.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Since “Rerum Novarum,” Catholic social teaching has generally assumed that the state served as the primary counterweight to concentrated economic power. “Magnifica Humanitas” suggests that this arrangement no longer adequately describes reality.

Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical declares artificial intelligence as the “rerum novarum,” the “new thing,” of our age. And while artificial intelligence is the encyclical’s stated focus, its analysis reaches far beyond AI itself into the broader social order that created the technology in the first place — presenting a critique of economic power that all Christians should wrestle with.

As an Episcopal priest and theology professor, let me begin by acknowledging that Protestants have historically had a complicated relationship with papal encyclicals. Beyond the obvious historical divisions, the very understanding of “church” that grounds Catholic social teaching is not ours. The concept of a magisterium does not bind us, and not all of the doctrinal moves made in the document are ones that we would necessarily share.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Sometimes the pope knows how to nail some theses to the door, too.

In his first encyclical, Pope Leo XIV articulated a message all human beings need to hear—a protest this Protestant can gladly join, against the tech-bro utopia on offer right now. On this matter, every Christian should listen to the pope—both in his warning and in his underlying hope. What’s at stake is the very meaning of the soul.

In Magnifica Humanitas, Leo contends that the accelerating speed of artificial intelligence is not just a technological development or a foreseeable economic crisis but a spiritual and civilizational test that forces us to face what it means to be human. And the danger, the pope rightly warns, is not so much that artificial intelligence will become too humanlike but that human beings will become more like machines.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox leaders took a major step towards healing a 1,600‑year division when Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew welcomed Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Orthodox Church to the Phanar for a celebration of the Divine Liturgy on the Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women at the Patriarchal Church of Saint George. Both hierarchs called for renewed commitment to unity between their traditions.

In his official address at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, His All-Holiness spoke about the relationship between the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches, saying that “the relationship between the Eastern Orthodox and the Oriental Orthodox Churches occupies a unique and privileged place within the broader ecumenical endeavour.” He detailed a path to the restoration of unity between the two Churches, and emphasized that “we have been called to move from agreement to reception, from dialogue to life, from theological convergence to sacramental and pastoral cooperation.”
… Read more » … lire la suite »

As Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical ‘Magnifica humanitas’ is unveiled, Professor Anna Rowlands, theologian at Durham University, tells Vatican News that such a powerful message—addressing both the benefits and dangers of our AI era—will leave an enduring mark on the Church and the world.

“There is not a tomorrow to begin thinking about these issues.”

Professor Anna Rowlands, theologian at Durham University in the United Kingdom, stressed this point in an interview with Vatican News following the release of Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, Magnifica humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence, presented at the Vatican on May 25.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Pope Leo XIV published his landmark encyclical on artificial intelligence, “Magnifica Humanitas”, on May 25, comparing the attempt to build an AI future that excludes God to the “Tower of Babel” and underlining the need to safeguard human dignity as it is “threatened by new forms of dehumanization.”

“The risk of dehumanization — of building a future that excludes God and reduces the other to a means — is an ancient and ever-new temptation that today takes on a technical guise,” Pope Leo wrote in his first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence.”
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Pope Leo XIV’s “Magnifica Humanitas” places human dignity at the centre of the AI age and calls the Church to guide technology with ethics and justice.

On May 25, ten days after Pope Leo XIV signed his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, on safeguarding the human person in the age of artificial intelligence, he made it public, prompting the Church to become the first major institution to offer ethical guidance for the AI era and underscoring the primacy of the human person.

Just a day after signing the encyclical, Leo, through a Rescriptum ex Audientia, established an interdicastery Commission on Artificial Intelligence, bringing together seven Vatican institutions under rotating coordination.

Taken together, the two acts constitute the most significant institutional response to AI by a major religious body anywhere in the world—and perhaps the clearest signal yet that the Vatican intends to do more than issue clever warnings from the margins of the debate.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

“Humanity, created by God in all its grandeur, is today facing a pivotal choice: either to construct a new Tower of Babel or to build the city in which God and humanity dwell together.”

The opening words of Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, Magnifica humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence, summarize its underlying reasons and purpose.

Published on Monday, May 25, the Pope signed the encyclical on May 15, the 135th anniversary of the promulgation of Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum novarum.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

The Consultation on Common Texts supports an ecumenical Festival of Creation and makes editorial changes in the alternative texts for Holy Week, Easter Season, and early Pentecost.

The Consultation on Common Texts (CCT) held its annual meeting in Decatur, Georgia on April 20 to 21, 2026. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship hosted the meeting at its headquarters, with the fellowship’s Executive Coordinator Paul Baxley extending a welcome in person to attending CCT members.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

We are faith leaders from across Alberta – from many traditions, many communities, and many ways of understanding the sacred. What we share is a conviction that faith, at its best, moves us towards one another – towards the neighbour who looks like you and the one who doesn’t. It calls us to lead with humility, to welcome the stranger, and to stand with those the powerful would rather ignore.

We also believe in pluralism – not as a compromise, but as a gift. Alberta is home to people of many backgrounds, many faiths, and many ways of living a good life. That diversity is not a problem to be managed. It is what makes our communities more honest and more compassionate. A public life that only makes room for some voices is diminished for everyone.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

The Anglican Church of Canada has convened a panel of clergy and bishops to study a pair of proposed reforms to the structure of the worldwide Anglican Communion, known as the Nairobi-Cairo Proposals.

Canon Scott Sharman, General Synod’s animator for ecumenical and interfaith relations, says the goal of the informal group—members of which were selected based on their experience in Communion affairs—is to ensure Canadian delegates to this summer’s Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) meeting in Belfast, Northern Ireland are informed and ready to discuss the proposals with representatives from around the world.

The Inter-Anglican Standing Committee on Unity, Faith and Order (IASCUFO) created the Nairobi-Cairo Proposals in 2024 at the behest of the 2022 Lambeth Conference and the ACC. They articulated the proposals along with their reasoning in a 44-page document based on discussions at their 2023-2024 meetings in Nairobi, Kenya and Cairo, Egypt.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

The World Council of Churches Commission of the Churches on Health and Healing released a pastoral message entitled “Peace and Healing in a Time of Conflict: A Call for Reconciliation.”

The message notes that, across the world today, countless communities live under the shadow of war and conflict. “The scale of human suffering is staggering and still growing,” notes the message. “In 2024 alone, an estimated 160,000 people were killed in organised violence, while more than 123 million were forcibly displaced, the highest number in recorded history.”
… Read more » … lire la suite »

An ecumenical prayer vigil was held on Friday, March 20, 2026, in the Church of Santa Lucia of Gonfalone in the centre of Rome. The purpose of the meeting was to pray together in unity for the gift of peace in the turbulent time the world is facing and remember the many needs of the world.

The event was organised as a response to the recent joint call for renewed efforts towards the ‘gift of peace’ – signed and released by the Secretaries-General of the Anglican Communion, Lutheran World Federation, World Communion of Reformed Churches, and World Methodist Council on Thursday, March 5.

This unified vigil came around the one-month anniversary of the pastoral letter issued by the Most Revd Hosam Naoum (the Archbishop in Jerusalem and Primate of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East), in which he invited urgent and unceasing prayer from the Church as the conflict in the Middle East expanded and intensified.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Bishop Johan Bonny of Antwerp has challenged Rome to push forward with synodal reforms by announcing changes including the ordination of married men in his diocese by 2028.

Carefully quoting guidelines for the Synod on Synodality’s implementation phase (2025-2028), his 11-page pastoral letter proposed the viri probati reform alongside the naming of woman pastors, a new understanding of parishes, welcoming new Catholics and updating the Church’s message.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

The Vatican’s International Theological Commission has warned that if humanity places total trust in technology in a “world ruled by machines,” it risks replacing the “living God” with a counterfeit “virtual God.”

The assessment came in a sweeping new document, published on March 4, examining how artificial intelligence, transhumanism and other technological developments can pose profound risks to human identity and dignity. The document seeks to propose a response rooted in Christian anthropology and the Gospel.

The 48-page document, titled “Quo vadis, humanitas? Thinking about Christian anthropology in light of some scenarios for the future of humanity,” was published in Italian and Spanish after being approved by Pope Leo XIV. Its Latin title — meaning “Where are you going, humanity?” — echoes the question tradition holds was put to St. Peter before his crucifixion in Rome.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

God calls every baptized person to proclaim the Good News, entrusting this missionary mandate to all. Within our missionary Church, charisms have historically developed to live out this mission in response to the needs of different times and cultures. In the present historical moment, the Final Document of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (FD), now part of the Ordinary Magisterium of the Pope, has recognized the digital environment as a culture, with its own dynamics, languages, and modes of interaction. In this perspective, the Synod affirms that “digital culture constitutes a crucial dimension of the Church’s witness in contemporary culture and an emerging missionary field” (FD, no. 149).

We all, as the baptized, are called to bring the Good News to people we meet in this environment through missionary approaches that respond to its specific characteristics, engaging its opportunities while facing its challenges and risks directly.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

What does it mean when a church says “I’m sorry”? “Theology of Church Apologies” from the Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue of Canada invites reflection on the significance of church apologies. Drawing on scripture, theology and historical examples, it shows how apologies can help repair relationships and guide communities towards truth, healing and reconciliation.

“I’m sorry.”

Many of us know the profound healing effect of hearing these or similar words spoken, in sincerity and truth, by someone who has in some way wronged us. Many of us also know the deeply humbling feeling of being the one who offers a genuine apology.

In recent years several churches have offered formal apologies to individuals and communities of people who have been harmed – sometimes traumatically – by our words and deeds. In Canada, for example, Catholic and Anglican leaders have formally apologized for our churches’ role in the destructive system of Indian Residential Schools.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Has your faith commitment and organizing experience prepared you or someone you know for this leadership role?

The Canadian Council of Churches is seeking an individual to fill the role of General Secretary on a full-time basis for a 5-year renewable term, beginning September 1, 2026.

The Canadian Council of Churches (the Council) is a broad and inclusive ecumenical body, now representing 26 member churches including Anglican; Eastern and Roman Catholic; Evangelical; Free Church; Eastern and Oriental Orthodox; and Historic Protestant traditions.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

As we approach the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the twelfth anniversary of its illegal occupation of Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine, we once again address Canadian Christians with urgency, grief, and hope. These calls to action build on the witness offered in February 2024 when we released A Canadian Pastoral Letter on Ukraine, Canada and the Church. It arises from relationships of shared prayer, co-suffering, and discernment among Ukrainian Orthodox, Ukrainian Catholic, Evangelical, and other Christian leaders, together with the World Evangelical Alliance Peace & Reconciliation Network, The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, and The Canadian Council of Churches. We write again because the war continues, suffering deepens, and faithful Christian witness remains urgently needed.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

A growing ecumenical movement is reshaping church calendars worldwide. The Feast of Creation — celebrated annually on Sept. 1 and also known as Creation Day or the World Day of Prayer for Creation — is being formally added to the liturgical calendars of many churches.

The World Communion of Reformed Churches is supporting the initiative alongside the World Council of Churches, Middle East Council of Churches, Anglican Communion, Lutheran World Federation, and the World Methodist Council.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, strongly criticised the U.S.-led Board of Peace, an international body chaired by President Donald Trump to oversee the governance and reconstruction of Gaza. During an event at the Roman parish of San Francesco a Ripa Grande, Pizzaballa was asked by moderator Maria Gianniti, Rome correspondent for the Italian news channel RAI, about his thoughts on the Board of Peace.

“What do I think of the Board of Peace? I think it is a colonialist operation: others deciding for the Palestinians,” Pizzaballa said, according to a report by Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore. The cardinal also commented on the invitation extended to the Vatican to join the international body and its $1-billion price tag for a permanent seat on the board.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Catholic and Lutheran theologians meet in Slovenia to begin drafting a joint statement marking the 500th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession.

The launch of the Sixth Phase of the International Lutheran-Catholic Commission on Unity bears fruit in Slovenia.

“We discerned new perspectives and highlighted the deep ecumenical potential of the Augsburg Confession,” said Prof. Dr Dirk Lange, The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Assistant General Secretary for Ecumenical Relations, following the launch of a new phase of theological dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

What is the Catholic Church in England and Wales for, exactly? Some might insist existence is enough and no more needs to be said. When the Catholic Church taught extra ecclesiam nulla salus without qualification, that was clearly an imperative. But the Catechism now states: “Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience – those too may achieve eternal salvation” (quoting Lumen Gentium, 16). Paradise is open to all people of sincere goodwill. So why be Catholic? It is not a question that has yet been fully answered.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has released a new resource, Ten Commandments of Climate-Responsible Banking, calling on individuals, churches, and faith-based organizations to align their financial choices with climate justice and the wellbeing of future generations.

The guide stresses that money entrusted to banks is often invested in industries driving the climate crisis and urges believers to use their economic influence to support a transition away from fossil fuels and toward sustainable alternatives.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Strengthening relations among different Christian churches in Italy, while promoting authentic Christian values within an increasingly secular society. Those were the twin goals of a recent symposium, during which representatives of eighteen churches and Christian communities signed an ecumenical pact pledging to pursue dialogue, joint witness and closer cooperation for the common good.

As dean of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Italy, Rev. Carsten Gerdes took part in the two-day symposium, held in the southern port city of Bari. The gathering included the signing of a bold new agreement between Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Protestant, Pentecostal and Free churches present around the Italian peninsula.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

To mark the 1 to 7 February World Interfaith Harmony Week, LWF’s director for Theology, Mission and Justice reflects on the need to stand united against division and hatred, tending the flame of hope together.

When the United Nations launched the World Interfaith Harmony Week in 2010, the vision was for a week globally dedicated to highlighting common values across faith traditions, including all people of goodwill — love of God, love of the good, and love of neighbour. Sixteen years later, as we observe this week again, the onslaught of the unending bad news reminds me how the world has shifted dramatically. The challenge before us is no longer simply about dialogue and understanding. It’s about solidarity and cooperation for the common good in the face of rising religious nationalism globally.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

With prayer, song, reflection, and the symbolic sharing of the Light of Christ, Christians from many traditions gathered for the closing of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Jan. 25 at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Saskatoon.

Mary Nordick, chair of the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism, welcomed those gathered for the Sunday afternoon worship service, reflecting on the “blessed week” of prayer, events, and reflection from Jan. 18-25.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Sarah Mullally was confirmed archbishop of Canterbury Jan. 28 at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, England. She became the first woman to hold the office in its 1,400-year history.

“It is an extraordinary and humbling privilege to have been called to be the 106th archbishop of Canterbury. In this country and around the world, Anglican churches bring healing and hope to their communities,” Mullally said ahead of her confirmation. “With God’s help, I will seek to guide Christ’s flock with calmness, consistency and compassion.”
… Read more » … lire la suite »

The World Council of Churches (WCC) convened an online meeting of church leaders from Greenland, Denmark, the wider Nordic region, and North America on 23 January.

The meeting followed the WCC general secretary’s statement on 15 January emphasizing that the people of Greenland have an inalienable right to self-determination and are on a clear pathway to independence, that their rights and views must be seriously considered and respected, and that the US Government’s stated determination to own and control Greenland is in diametric opposition to the wishes of the people of Greenland and to their political trajectory towards independence, and is tantamount to neocolonialism.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Two talks in Saskatchewan during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will explore, first, how martyrdom has, time and again, served as a resource for ecumenism, and then how the history of Christians killing Christians can be reckoned with to engender reconciliation and greater unity in the future.

Dr. Jeremy Bergen is the keynote lecturer for the 2026 De Margerie Series on Christian Reconciliation and Unity, with 7 p.m. local time presentations on Jan. 21 at Regina’s Campion College, and Jan. 22 at Saskatoon’s St. Thomas More College.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

The Common Declaration of Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey in 1966, together with the Malta Report (1968), set the agenda for the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, of which I was a member for many years. This agenda was nothing less than the restoration of full communion in faith and sacramental life between the two traditions. Since then, ARCIC has produced a succession of agreements on Eucharist, Ministry, Authority, Salvation, Moral Teaching, and the Blessed Virgin Mary, matters which were seen as Church-dividing. In the year 2000, in spite of some new obstacles, Archbishop George Carey of Canterbury and Cardinal Cassidy of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity were able to call a meeting of bishops to consider how to take forward, in practical terms, the remarkable agreements already reached by ARCIC. Thus was formed the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission on Unity and Mission, of which I was also a member.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Atlantic School of Theology (AST) will establish a pioneering ecumenical shared ministries training program after receiving a US$2.5-million grant from the Lilly Endowment foundation.

Designed for students preparing for ordained or lay professional ministry, as well as continuing education for existing clergy and lay ministers, the program will be the first formal training program of its kind, AST president the Rev. Heather McCance says. Ecumenical shared ministries refer to Christians from different denominations worshipping together or sharing a program, mission, ministry, clergy, staff and/or building.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Archbishop Shane Parker, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, has written an open letter asking the Canadian government to reconsider an amendment to an upcoming bill that would remove religion as a defence against hate speech charges — while other critics describe the bill itself as an attack on free speech.

The primate otherwise expressed his support for Bill C-9, which he described as intended to address a growing number of incidents involving hateful speech or conduct, including antisemitism and Islamophobia.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

This past fall, I attended an event honouring the late Rabbi Reuven Bulka, a loved and respected rabbi from Ottawa. I was struck by the high level of security and how such measures are now common in Jewish circles. I thought, How sad we’ve come to this point in Canada where Jews are constantly forced to prepare for potential physical violence!

Antisemitism isn’t new. For millennia, Jews have faced slander, hatred and violence – and far too often from the Church. In the latter half of the 20th century, many hoped for the end of antisemitism after Auschwitz. Alarmingly, antisemitism is rising yet again.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

GAFCON, a conservative Anglican movement that claims to represent the majority of Anglicans worldwide, particularly in the Global South, is moving toward a formal reordering of global Anglican leadership following its October renunciation of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s authority.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

‘We believe in One God’ is the title of a new publication by the Catholic Church and the World Methodist Council, detailing progress made over the past six decades towards full visible unity between the two Christian world communions.

Printed by the Vatican Publishing House as part of an ecumenical series, the volume draws together the results of 11 reports produced by the Methodist-Roman Catholic International Commission (MERCIC) since their formal dialogue began back in 1967. These reports, named after the cities in which they were presented to the World Methodist Conference, explore topics such as baptism, holiness, Scripture and tradition, Eucharist, nature and mission of the church and the call to visible communion.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

Religious organisations urge Ottawa to consult them before redefining the limits of protected expression for religious groups.

Christian, Muslim and Jewish organisations are responding to a proposal to eliminate a religious exemption to Canada’s federal hate crimes legislation.

In September, the government introduced Bill C-9, the Combating Hate Act, which would introduce offences for publicly displaying symbols such as the swastika, impeding access to places of worship or other social centres, or committing offences motivated by hate.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

A report presenting the results of the Commission’s work has been released. It rules out admitting women to the diaconate understood as a degree of the sacrament of Holy Orders, but says that it is not currently possible “to formulate a definitive judgment, as in the case of priestly ordination.”

“The status quaestionis of historical research and theological investigation, as well as their mutual implications, rules out the possibility of moving in the direction of admitting women to the diaconate understood as a degree of the sacrament of Holy Orders. In light of Sacred Scripture, Tradition, and the Church’s Magisterium, this assessment is strongly maintained, although it does not at present allow for a definitive judgment to be formulated, as is the case with priestly ordination.”
… Read more » … lire la suite »

A Vatican commission studying the possibility of female deacons reported that the current state of historical and theological research “excludes the possibility of proceeding” toward admitting women to the diaconate, a conclusion that slows momentum on one of the church’s most debated questions while stopping short of a definitive no.

In a letter sharing the results of its work with Pope Leo XIV and released by the Vatican Dec. 4, the commission reported a 7-1 vote in favour of a statement concluding that the church cannot currently move toward admitting women to the third degree of holy orders, the diaconate.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

In December, even as the days grow shorter and the nights longer, Jews and Catholics celebrate the holidays of Hanukkah and Christmas. Advent candles and Hanukkah lamps are to be found throughout Canada, their respective symbolisms mirrored in other winter solstice festivals, both ancient and modern, that find spiritual meaning in the calendar’s gradual turn towards light.
… Read more » … lire la suite »

The Public Health Agency of Canada has reached out to Canadian faith groups, asking them to share information about measles with their members.

The agency made its request to the Canadian Council of Churches, the Canadian Interfaith Conversation, and the Canadian Multifaith Federation, three organisations that represent a wide range of faith groups.

The agency’s request followed a roundtable with faith leaders hosted by the Public Health Agency of Canada on Sept. 16.
… Read more » … lire la suite »