The membership of Germany’s two largest churches is shrinking, but the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), the country’s biggest Protestant grouping, has dropped below 25 million members for the first time since the unification of Germany in 1990.

At the end of 2007, EKD members accounted for 24.83 million of Germany’s 82-million people, the German Protestant news agency epd reported on 17 November. The EKD now has more than a million fewer adherents than it did five years ago.
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Lutheran-Roman Catholic Dialogue continues ‘Hope of Eternal Life’ theme

[ELCA] The U.S. Lutheran-Roman Catholic Dialogue added to its current round of meetings on the topic of “Hope of Eternal Life” a new study on the sacrament of the Eucharist. The Oct. 10-14 session at St. Paul’s College, Washington, D.C., was the sixth of Round XI in the historic relationship between Lutherans and Catholics that began 43 years ago at the end of the Second Vatican Council.

Dialogue participants have explored beliefs and practices related to eternal life in Christ since the round began in 2005. At the October session a special task force from the Dialogue membership welcomed Msgr. John Radano, former undersecretary, Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, The Vatican, as part of a new discussion on areas of consensus and disagreement between Catholics and Lutherans on eucharistic doctrine. The new initiative is the result of conversations between members of the Pontifical Council and the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

In response to a written message from Hanson to Pope Benedict XVI in September 2007, the Pontifical Council suggested that the ELCA and the U.S. Roman Catholic Church seek to formulate a joint teaching statement, said the Rev. Lowell G. Almen, Lutheran co-chair of the U.S. dialogue and former ELCA secretary. The statement would acknowledge the mutual confession of the churches of the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, he said.

“The Eucharist is the place of encounter with Christ who is eternal life,” said the Rev. James Massa, executive director, Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligous Affairs, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, and also one of the two staff coordinators of the dialogue. “I see it as particularly appropriate that we take up Bishop Hanson’s proposal precisely at a time when the dialogue team is talking about prayers for the deceased as part of its overall treatment of eternal life. For many Christian believers the Eucharist is the preeminent prayer of thanksgiving for Christ’s life-giving sacrifice, to which he joins all of the faithful, living and dead.”

The dialogue adopted a time line for conclusion of the current round, which includes a review process for a Common Agreement on Eternal Life. Drafters have presented portions of a draft text that treat the topic from a biblical-historical, systematic and pastoral standpoint. “The report, when completed, will be helpful to both pastors and members of parishes,” Almen said. “It will serve as a resource for teaching and discussion as members of congregations ponder questions about death and dying as well as the promise of eternal life in Christ.”

Almen added, “The report also will highlight the broad reality of the Church throughout time and eternity. After all, as we gather at the table of our Lord, we are surrounded by all the faithful who have gone before us, the great cloud of witnesses, as we anticipate the eternal banquet of our Lord.”

The next session of the dialogue is March 12-15, 2009, in Washington. Participants will examine a complete draft of the common statement and also consider the contents and format of a possible publication that would include the statement along with a series of essays based on papers that have been presented over the course of the round.

Participants in the October 2008 meeting mourned the loss of one of the longest serving members of the U.S. Lutheran-Roman Catholic Dialogue, the Rev. John Reumann, professor emeritus of New Testament and Greek, the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. Reumann, who died June 6, 2008, was remembered by dialogue participants in a memorial service at the end of the meeting.

Last year the dialogue held a memorial mass for the passing of another long-serving member, the Rev. George Tavard A.A., an Augustinian of the Assumption priest and prolific author, who died in 2007.

—
• Information for this release was provided by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
• Information regarding the U.S. Lutheran-Roman Catholic Dialogue is on the ELCA Web site.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or
www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog
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Catholics and Muslims find common ground in Rome

[The Tablet] The first meeting of the Catholic-Muslim Forum of scholars and religious leaders has ended in a joint declaration saying religious minorities have a right to “practise their faith in private and public” and to have their own houses of worship.

Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, ranked this as the most important of the 15 points agreed with delegates from the Common Word project, a dialogue initiative launched last year by 138 Islamic leaders from the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Western countries. The declaration also called for respect for personal “choices in matters of conscience and religion,” which could apply to the thorny question of conversion from Islam, which the delegates discussed briefly but did not seek consensus on.

• See the complete article from The Tablet, November 15, 2008 at www.thetablet.co.uk/article/12282
• See the Final Declaration of the Catholic-Muslim Forum at ecumenism.net/archive/news/2008_11.htm#000787
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Final Declaration of the Catholic-Muslim Forum

[Vatican City • VIS] Made public yesterday afternoon was the final declaration of participants in the First Seminar of the Catholic-Muslim Forum, which took place in Rome from 4 to 6 November on the theme: “Love of God, Love of Neighbour”.

Each of the two sides in the meeting was represented by 24 participants and five advisers who discussed the two great themes of “Theological and Spiritual Foundations” and “Human Dignity and Mutual Respect”. Points of “similarity and of diversity emerged, reflecting the distinctive specific genius of the two religions” the English-language declaration says.

1. “For Christians the source and example of love of God and neighbour is the love of Christ for His Father, for humanity and for each person” reads the first of the fifteen points of the declaration. “Love of neighbour cannot be separated from love of God, because it is an expression of our love for God. … Grounded in Christ’s sacrificial love, Christian love is forgiving and excludes no-one; it therefore also includes one’s enemies”.

“For Muslims … love is a timeless transcendent power which guides and transforms human mutual regard. This love, as indicated by the Holy and Beloved Prophet Muhammad, is prior to the human love for the One True God”.

2. “Human life is a most precious gift of God to each person. It should therefore be preserved and honoured in all its stages”.

3. Human dignity is derived from the fact that every human person is created by a loving God and has been endowed with the gifts of reason and free will, and therefore enabled to love God and others. On the firm basis of these principles, the person requires the respect of his or her original dignity and his or her human vocation. Therefore, he or she is entitled to full recognition of his or her identity and freedom by individuals, communities and governments, supported by civil legislation that assures equal rights and full citizenship.

4. “We affirm that God’s creation of humanity has two great aspects: the male and the female human person, and we commit ourselves jointly to ensuring that human dignity and respect are extended on an equal basis to both men and women.

5. “Genuine love of neighbour implies respect of the person and her or his choices in matters of conscience and religion. It includes the right of individuals and communities to practice their religion in private and public.

6. “Religious minorities are entitled to be respected in their own religious convictions and practices. They are also entitled to their own places of worship, and their founding figures and symbols they consider sacred should not be subject to any form of mockery or ridicule.

7. “As Catholic and Muslim believers, we are aware of the summons and imperative to bear witness to the transcendent dimension of life, through a spirituality nourished by prayer, in a world which is becoming more and more secularised and materialistic.

8. “We affirm that no religion and its followers should be excluded from society. Each should be able to make its indispensable contribution to the good of society, especially in service to the most needy.

9. “We recognise that God’s creation in its plurality of cultures, civilisations, languages and peoples is a source of richness and should therefore never become a cause of tension and conflict.

10. “We are convinced that Catholics and Muslims have the duty to provide a sound education in human, civic, religious and moral values for their respective members and to promote accurate information about each other’s religions.

11. “We profess that Catholics and Muslims are called to be instruments of love and harmony among believers, and for humanity as a whole, renouncing any oppression, aggressive violence and terrorism, especially that committed in the name of religion, and upholding the principle of justice for all.

12. “We call upon believers to work for an ethical financial system in which the regulatory mechanisms consider the situation of the poor and disadvantaged, both as individuals, and as indebted nations. We call upon the privileged of the world to consider the plight of those afflicted most severely by the current crisis in food production and distribution, and ask religious believers of all denominations and all people of good will to work together to alleviate the suffering of the hungry, and to eliminate its causes.

13. “Young people are the future of religious communities and of societies as a whole. Increasingly, they will be living in multi-cultural and multi-religious societies. It is essential that they be well formed in their own religious traditions and well informed about other cultures and religions.

14. “We have agreed to explore the possibility of establishing a permanent Catholic-Muslim committee to co-ordinate responses to conflicts and other emergency situations.

15. “We look forward to the second seminar of the Catholic-Muslim Forum to be convened in approximately two years in a Muslim-majority country yet to be determined”.

The declaration concludes by affirming that all the participants “expressed satisfaction with the results of the seminar and their expectation for further productive dialogue”.
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Address of His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch BARTHOLOMEW to the XIIth Ordinary General Assembly of Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church (The Vatican, 18 October 2008)
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The Role of the Bishop of Rome in the Communion of the Church in the First Millennium
Joint Coordinating Committee for the Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church
Aghios Nikolaos, Crete, Greece, September 27 – October 4, 2008
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The Coordinating Committee of the Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church met in Elounda, Crete, Greece from 27 September to 4 October 2008.

At the opening session, the two Co-Presidents of the Commission, His Eminence Cardinal Walter Kasper (President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity) and His Eminence Metropolitan John of Pergamon (Ecumenical Patriarchate), expressed their joy and thankfulness to God for the continuation of the theological dialogue between the two Churches. They reaffirmed the goal of the dialogue as stated at its beginning in 1980: “The purpose of the dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church is the re-establishment of full communion between these two churches. This communion, based on unity of faith according to the common experience and tradition of the early Church, will find its expression in the common celebration of the Eucharist.”
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At the close of their 2008 Plenary Assembly which met in Cornwall, 22-26 September, the Bishops of Canada issued a pastoral letter, titled “Liberating Potential”, which invites all the faithful “to discover or rediscover,” the message of the Encyclical Humanae Vitae, issued by Pope Paul VI in 1968.
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Au terme de leur Assemblée plénière, qui s’est déroulée à Cornwall, du 22 au 26 septembre, les évêques du Canada ont rendu public un message pastoral intitulé « Un potentiel libérateur ». Les évêques invitent ainsi les baptisés à une découverte — ou une redécouverte — de l’Encyclique Humanae Vitae, publiée en 1968 par le pape Paul VI.
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Catholics can learn from Luther too, says Cardinal Kasper

[Frankfurt/Wittenberg, Germany] Roman Catholics can learn from the 16th-century Protestant reformer Martin Luther, the Vatican’s top official for Christian unity, has said, as Protestant churches in Germany prepare to launch a 10-year series of events leading up to the 500th anniversary in 2017 of the Lutheran Reformation.
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Sacramental sharing in Saskatoon – UPDATE

As reported here in February, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon has issued a revised policy on Sacramental Sharing. This policy is the product of many years of reflection by Bishop Albert LeGatt and the diocesan ecumenical commission. The policy initially introduced in 2005 was revised and re-issued as a result of wide consultations during the implementation of the policy.

When the revised policy was issued last winter, one document originally issued in 2005 remained unchanged. The “Pastoral Notes” issued by Bishop LeGatt are intended to assist priests and lay-people in interpreting and implementing the diocesan policy. Bishop LeGatt has personally undertaken revision of the notes over the past summer, and the revised notes are now available on our website.

• Pastoral Notes for Sacramental Sharing in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon (rev. August 22, 2008)

The Notes and the Directives are commended to the people of Saskatoon for study, reflection, and implementation. Questions and comments may be directed to the Saskatoon Diocesan Commission for Ecumenism through the Catholic Pastoral Centre or to the bishop’s ecumenical officer Fr. Bernard de Margerie.

It should be noted that the diocesan policy described in these documents is based on and derived from the Vatican’s Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism and the Code of Canon Law. Nevertheless, the Saskatoon policy is issued for the Roman Catholic diocese of Saskatoon. It is not intended for the other Catholic dioceses and eparchies in Saskatchewan or elsewhere. In other places, in the absence of local directives the Vatican’s directory and the Code of Canon Law should be consulted.
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Calgary seeks RC director of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs

The RC Diocese of Calgary invites applications for a part-time Director of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. The successful candidate will have an abiding desire for promoting Christian unity and cooperation among peoples of other faiths. He/she will work closely with and report to the Bishop of the Diocese of Calgary, serve as consultant on ecumenical issues for him and other Diocesan offices/institutions, and liaise with representatives of other traditions. She/he will be responsible for providing ecumenical formation for Roman Catholics in the Diocese — parishioners, parish organizations and clergy — in order that the teaching and directives on ecumenism from the Second Vatican Council and post-conciliar documents be put into practice in the diocese.

To do this, the successful candidate will:
• have a solid understanding of Roman Catholic theology on ecumenism and interfaith dialogue;
• be a practicing Roman Catholic, well rooted in his/her faith;
• be ready to dialogue with representatives of other Christian traditions and other faiths;
• have the ability to articulate and communicate Roman Catholic perspectives to others;
• preferably have an advanced degree in Theology and be prepared to pursue ongoing education/formation as necessary.

Closing date for application is November 3, 2008. We thank all applicants for their interest. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Interested persons should send a letter of introduction and curriculum vitae to:
Fran Oleniuk, Administrator, Human Resources
Catholic Pastoral Centre
120 – 17 Avenue SW
Calgary AB, T2S 2T2
By fax (403) 232-6349
By e-mail to humanresources [at] rcdiocese-calgary [dot] ab [dot] ca.
If your e-mail is not confirmed as received, please follow-up by phone to (403) 218-5533
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A Response to ‘A Common Word Between Us’ by the Episcopal Commission for Interfaith Dialogue, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
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On Monday, the General Synod of the Church of England voted to proceed towards the ordination of women to the episcopate. The vote begins a process that is expected to take three years before a final synodal vote. The earliest ordination would likely be in five years. The fallout from the decision is expected much sooner, both at the Lambeth Conference in late July and in the ecumenical dialogues with Roman Catholics and the Orthodox.

The Church of England is not the first province in the Anglican Communion to make this decision. It does, however, come at a time of tension in the Anglican Communion. The Lambeth Conference meeting later this month will address numerous strains on the Communion, including those arising from the ordination of homosexuals and women, and the blessing of same-sex unions. Women’s ordination has been a controversial issue in the Communion since 1976 when the Anglican Church of Canada and the Episcopal Church in the USA decided to ordain women as priests. In the intervening years, many of the other provinces in the Communion have followed their path, including the Church of England in 1992. Once women were ordained as priests, questions were immediately asked about whether women would be ordained as bishops as well.
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Bishop Henry on Alberta’s Human Rights Act

The following letter from Bishop Frederick Henry, Roman Catholic bishop of Calgary (Alberta), to Ed Stelmach, Premier of the Province of Alberta, was recently published on the front page of the diocesan website. Bishop Henry is known for his willingness to speak publicly about controversial issues. The Human Rights Commission has been a particular concern of his in the past. This letter provides further insight into Bishop Henry’s concerns.

Dear Premier Stelmach:

I have raised the issue of the Alberta Human Rights Commission several times with you in the past eighteen months. On each of those occasions, you said that you understood the issues and shared my concerns. However, the situation is continuing to deteriorate across our country and the various levels of governments are seemingly non-responsive.

April 2008: The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has ordered an evangelical Christian charity, Christian Horizons, to rescind its morality code and require employees to undergo anti-discriminatory training. In addition, Christian Horizons has been ordered to pay $23,000 plus lost wages for terminating Connie Heritz’s employment based on a morality code which she freely and knowingly signed as a condition of employment and which she failed to adhere to.

Every religious institution should have the jurisdictional independence to determine its own confessions, doctrines and ordinances, including conditions of employment.

May 2008: A Saskatchewan Human Rights Tribunal has fined a Regina marriage commissioner, Orville Nichols, $2,500 after finding he discriminated against a gay couple when he declined to perform their same-sex ceremony. Nichols, who has performed nearly 2,000 marriages since 1983, had referred the couple to another marriage commissioner because he said his religious beliefs (Baptist) kept him from performing the ceremony.

The conflict between social pressure and the demands of right conscience can lead to the dilemma either of abandoning a profession or of compromising one’s convictions. Faced with that tension, despite the ruling of the Commission, we must remember that there is a middle path which opens up before workers who are faithful to their conscience. It is the path of conscientious objection, which ought to be respected by all, especially legislators.

Every person has the right to have their religious beliefs reasonably accommodated.

Each judgment emanating out of our various Human Rights Commissions seems to be more brazen and bizarre than the one that preceded it. However, for inane stupidity and gross miscarriage of justice our own Alberta Human Rights Tribunal deserves to take first prize for its treatment of Stephen Boissoin.

June 2008: The Alberta Human Rights Tribunal fined Stephen Boissoin, $5,000.

Section 30 of the Alberta Human Rights Act states: “Evidence may be given before a human rights panel in any manner that the panel considers appropriate, and the panel is not bound by the rules of law respecting evidence in judicial proceedings.” It would also seem that this panel is also not bound by reasonable argument or the elementary rules of logic but is free to skewer anyone not espousing and proclaiming politically correct views. Darren Lund, the complainant, said that Boissoin’s words in his 2002 letter to the Red Deer Advocate were hateful, and furthermore, an assault on a gay teenager three weeks later could be connected to them. No proof of either was presented.

Lori Andreachuk, the chairperson of the Tribunal, agreed that his words were “likely” to expose gays, “a vulnerable” group, to hatred due to their sexual orientation. No court in the land would connect the letter and the assault but this silly tribunal did.

Andreachuk acknowledged that “In this case, there is no specific individual who can be compensated as there is no direct victim who has come forward…” However, she also wrote: “Dr. Lund, although not a direct victim, did expend considerable time and energy and suffered ridicule and harassment as a result of his complaint. The Panel finds therefore that he is entitled to some compensation.” One might ask on what grounds?

She concluded that Boissoin “… shall pay to Dr. Lund an award for damages, jointly and severally, in the amount of $5,000.00.” Lund wasn’t the victim of any kind of discrimination and yet he is handsomely paid, and subsequently, feted as Gay Pride Parade Marshall in Calgary.

The tribunal effectively stripped Boissoin of his right to freedom of speech. “Mr. Boissoin ….. shall cease publishing in newspapers, by email, on the radio, in public speeches, or on the Internet, in future, disparaging remarks about gays and homosexuals.” What is meant by “disparaging”? This is tantamount to ruling out honest debate and a plurality of views in the public sphere lest someone be offended by a differing viewpoint.

The tribunal decided to extract a further pound of flesh by way of public humiliation. “Mr. Boissoin and The Concerned Christian Coalition Inc. provide Dr. Lund with a written apology for the article in the Red Deer Advocate which was the subject of this complaint.” What happens if Lund is not satisfied with the apology?

Mr. Premier, we have talked enough about the inadequate provisions of and appointment to the Alberta Human Rights Tribunals, it is time to repeal Section 3(1)(b) of the Alberta Human Rights Act . (“No person shall publish, issue or display or cause to be published, issued or displayed before the public any statement, publication, notice, sign, symbol, emblem or other representation that is likely to expose a person or a class of persons to hatred or contempt because of the race, religious beliefs, colour, gender, physical disability, mental disability, age, ancestry, place of origin, marital status, source of income or family status of that person or class of persons.”) and to protect the rights of religious freedom. Every person has the right to make public statements and participate in public debate on religious grounds.

Sincerely yours,

F. B. Henry
Bishop of Calgary
July 6, 2008
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L’abbé Thévenot est nommé évêque de Prince Albert

(CECC – Ottawa) Le 26 mai 2008, le pape Benoît XVI a accepté la démission de Mgr Blaise Morand, évêque de Prince Albert, en Saskatchewan, et a nommé le Père Albert Thévenot, M. Afr., pour lui succéder.

Au moment de sa nomination, l’évêque-élu était Supérieur provincial de la Société des Missionnaires d’Afrique pour l’Amérique du Nord, dont les bureaux sont situés à Montréal. Quant à Mgr Morand, qui a été ordonné évêque en juin 1981, il prend sa retraite conformément au Code de droit canonique, ayant atteint l’âge de 75 ans en décembre 2007.

Né le 6 novembre 1945, à Somerset, au Manitoba, Mgr Thévenot a joint les Missionnaires d’Afrique en 1964. Après un temps de formation, il a séjourné en Tanzanie, de 1973 à 1976, où il a enseigné au Petit Séminaire de Katoke. Il a ensuite poursuivi des études en pédagogie à l’Université du Manitoba, à Winnipeg, et en théologie au Missionary Institute of London, en Angleterre.

Après son ordination presbytérale, le 2 août 1980, il a successivement œuvré en Tanzanie jusqu’en 1985, puis au Canada jusqu’en 1992, à nouveau en Tanzanie jusqu’en 1998, et à Rome jusqu’en 2004, comme membre du Conseil général de la Société des Missionnaires d’Afrique. Après une année de ressourcement à l’Institut des Dominicains de Montréal, il a été Secrétaire national de l’Oeuvre pontificale de la propagation de la foi, de janvier 2005 jusqu’au moment de son élection comme Supérieur provincial, en juillet 2006.

Le diocèse de Prince Albert compte 21 prêtres diocésains, 8 prêtres religieux et 90 religieuses au service d’une population de plus de 55 450 catholiques répartis dans 87 paroisses et missions.
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Fr. Albert Thévenot is new Bishop of Prince Albert

(CCCB – Ottawa) On 26 May 2008, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Most Reverend Blaise Morand as Bishop of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, and appointed Father Albert Thévenot, M. Afr., as his successor.

At the time of his nomination, Bishop-elect Thévenot was the Provincial Superior for North America of the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers), which is based in Montreal. Bishop Morand is retiring as required by Canon Law, having reached the age of 75 years in September 2007.

Born on 4 November 1945, in Somerset, Manitoba, Bishop-elect Thévenot entered the Missionaries of Africa in 1964. After a time of formation, he went to Tanzania from 1973 to 1976 where he taught in the Minor Seminary of Katoke. After a year of studies in Education at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, he studied theology at the Missionary Institute of London, England.

After his ordination to the priesthood on 2 August 1980, he successively worked in Tanzania until 1985, then in Canada until 1992, again in Tanzania until 1998, and in Rome until 2004 as a member of the General Council of the Missionaries of Africa. After a period of renewal at the Dominican Institute of Montreal, he became the National Secretary for the French Sector of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith from January 2005 to July 2006, just before his election as Provincial Superior.

The Diocese of Prince Albert has 21 diocesan priests, 8 priests who are members of religious communities and 90 religious Sisters serving over 55,450 Catholics in 87 parishes and missions.
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Nouvel évêque des Ukrainiens à Saskatoon

Père Bryan Bayda, C.Ss.R.(CECC – Ottawa) Sa Sainteté le pape Benoît XVI a procédé aujourd’hui à la nomination du Père Bryan Bayda, C.Ss.R., comme évêque éparchial de Saskatoon.

Le Saint-Père a accepté en même temps la démission de Mgr Michael Wiwchar, C.Ss.R., qui occupait ce siège épiscopal depuis 2001. Conformément au code de droit canonique fixant l’âge de la retraite à 75 ans, Mgr Wiwchar avait présenté sa démission au Souverain Pontife lors de son 75e anniversaire, le 9 mai 2007.

Mgr Bayda est né à Saskatoon, le 21 août 1961. Après ses études secondaires au Petit Séminaire Saint-Vladimir, à Roblin, au Manitoba, il a poursuivi sa formation académique à l’Université St. Michael’s College, à Toronto, où il a obtenu un baccalauréat en philosophie, en 1982, et une maîtrise en théologie, en 1987. Il a aussi obtenu un baccalauréat en éducation à l’Université du Manitoba, en 1990.

Mgr Bayda a prononcé ses vœux solennels au sein de la Congrégation des Pères rédemptoristes en 1986 et il a été ordonné prêtre en 1987. Il a ensuite occupé divers postes dans le domaine de l’éducation et de la formation à la vie spirituelle, en plus d’exercer un ministère pastoral dans plusieurs paroisses de l’Ouest canadien. Au moment de sa nomination, il était pasteur de la paroisse Our Lady of Perpetual Help, à Yorkton, en Saskatchewan.

L’éparchie ukrainienne (diocèse) de Saskatoon compte 21 prêtres diocésains, 8 prêtres religieux, 3 diacres permanents et une vingtaine de religieux et religieuses au service d’une population de près de 18 000 catholiques répartis dans 87 paroisses et missions.
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New Bishop of Saskatoon for Ukrainian Catholics

(CCCB – Ottawa) – His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI today appointed Father Bryan Bayda, C.Ss.R., as the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchial Bishop of Saskatoon.

The Holy Father also accepted the resignation of Most Reverend Michael Wiwchar, C.Ss.R., who held the position since 2001. Conforming to the mandatory age of retirement at 75, Bishop Wiwchar formally requested retirement following his 75th birthday in May 2007.

Father Bayda was born in Saskatoon on August 21, 1961. Upon completing high school at St. Vladimir’s College Minor Seminary in Roblin, Manitoba, he pursued studies at the University of St. Michael’s College in Toronto, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy in 1982 and a Master of Divinity in 1987. Further studies included a Bachelor of Education from the University of Manitoba in 1990 and a Diploma in Eastern Christian theology from the Sheptytsky Institute in Ottawa in 1997.

The newly appointed Eparchial Bishop of Saskatoon made his final profession as a member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer on September 13, 1986 and was ordained to the priesthood on May 30, 1987. Redemptionists assignments have included serving as a teacher and director of St. Vladimir’s College and formation director of the major seminary of his community, and serving as parish priest in a number of parishes throughout Western Canada. Most recently, he was the pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Yorkton, within the Eparchy of Saskatoon.

The Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon includes 21 diocesan priests, three permanent deacons and more than 20 men and women religious who serve a population of 18,000 Catholics in 87 parishes and missions.
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Joint declaration from Catholic-Shi’a Muslim colloquium

The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (Vatican) and the Centre for Inter-religious Dialogue of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation (Tehran, Iran) held their sixth Colloquium in Rome from 28 – 30 April 2008 under the joint presidency of His Eminence Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and His Excellency Dr. Mahdi Mostafavi, President of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation.
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CECC : une lettre pastorale sur l’environnement

(CECC – Ottawa) – Dans le cadre de l’Année de la planète terre, telle que proclamée par les Nations Unies, la Conférence des évêques catholiques du Canada (CECC) vient de publier une lettre pastorale dans laquelle elle en appelle à la conscience collective face aux graves problèmes environnementaux qui frappent la planète.

Produite par la Commission épiscopale des affaires sociales, la lettre pastorale a comme titre : « Notre rapport à l’environnement : le besoin d’une conversion ».

Les auteurs de la lettre ne manquent de souligner qu’en dépit des importants engagements pris lors des rencontres de Rio, Kyoto, Johannesburg et Bali, le Canada représente un « cas extrême » de non-respect de ses engagements.

« Après avoir signé le protocole de Kyoto [en 1997], dans lequel nous nous engagions à diminuer nos émissions de gaz à effet de serre à 6 pour cent de moins que celles de 1990, nous les avons plutôt augmentées d’environ 25 pour cent », peut-on lire dans la lettre.

Les évêques notent que la société canadienne n’est pas suffisamment consciente de l’héritage appauvri qu’elle léguera aux générations à venir. Ils souhaitent donc que des ajustements soient apportés dès maintenant afin d’améliorer la situation actuelle, pour le mieux-être des prochaines générations et des populations de l’hémisphère sud.

En vue de rétablir les liens avec la nature, la lettre pastorale identifie un certain nombre d’actions qui pourraient être entreprises afin d’atténuer les effets de cette crise écologique, y compris :

• retrouver le sens de la limite et ajuster notre mode de vie aux ressources planétaires disponibles;
• se libérer de l’obsession de posséder et de consommer et opter plutôt pour « une austérité joyeuse » ou une simplicité volontaire; et
• consentir des efforts personnels en faveur de l’environnement.

Au dire des évêques, il incombe à chaque personne de rétablir les liens qui ont été détériorés avec la nature, de revoir sa conception de la possession et du confort personnels. C’est donc à une solidarité accrue et à de nouvelles formes de partage que sont invités tous les citoyens du Canada.

Déjà, en octobre 2003, la CECC avait publié une première lettre sur l’environnement intitulée : « L’impératif écologique chrétien ». Ce texte, de même que celui qui vient d’être publié, est disponible sur le site Web de la CECC. Des copies imprimées peuvent également être obtenues en s’adressant à mchabot [at] cecc [dot] ca.
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Canadian Catholic Bishops pastoral letter on environment

(CCCB – Ottawa) – As part of the United Nations’ International Year of Planet Earth, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has published a pastoral letter which calls for a collective consciousness to face critical environmental problems affecting the earth.

Produced by the Episcopal Commission for Social Affairs, the pastoral letter is titled “Our Relationship with the Environment: The Need for Conversion.”

The Commission asserts that despite important commitments at summits held in Rio, Kyoto, Johannesburg and Bali, Canada represents “an extreme case” of non-compliance.

“After signing the Kyoto Protocol [in 1997], in which we agreed to decrease our greenhouse gases to six per cent less than those of 1990, we have instead increased them by approximately 25 per cent,” the letter explains.

The Bishops state that Canadians are not sufficiently conscious of the impoverished inheritance they are leaving for the generations to come. As a result, the Commission for Social Affairs calls for immediate adjustments to improve the current situation, particularly for the well-being of future generations and the Global South.

In order to restore humanity’s bonds with nature and lessen the effects of ecological breakdown, the pastoral letter proposes several ways Canadians can change, including:

• Regaining a sense of limit and adjusting our way of life to the planet’s available resources
• Freeing ourselves of an “obsession to possess and consume” and instead choosing “joyful austerity” or voluntary simplicity
• Making personal efforts in favour of the environment

The Bishops insist that responsibility for restoring a healthy relationship with nature falls on each individual, who must re-examine his or her perceptions about possessions and personal comfort. This will demand greater solidarity and new forms of sharing among all Canadians, they said.

In October 2003, the CCCB Social Affairs Commission published an earlier letter on the environment entitled “The Christian Ecological Imperative.” This text, as well as the recent pastoral letter which has just been published, is available on the CCCB website www.cccb.ca/. Printed copies may be ordered from mchabot [at] cecc [dot] ca.
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[Warsaw] The bishop in charge of recruitment for Poland’s Roman Catholic clergy says he does not believe recent scandals are to blame for a sharp fall in vocations, after the church noted a 24 percent reduction in admissions to the country’s 84 Catholic seminaries.

“Decisions about vocations aren’t taken under the influence of short-term events,” said Bishop Wojciech Polak, who heads the church’s National Council for Vocations Ministry. “Today’s culture discourages firm life-long commitments. But we’re not yet seeing any radical, drastic drain in priestly callings, or feeling any tangible shortage of clergy.”
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It is a source of joy that Catholic pastors may, in particular circumstances, administer the sacraments of Eucharist, Reconciliation, and Anointing of the Sick to Christians who are not in full communion with the Catholic Church. On such occasions, we acknowledge the importance of the sacrament as a source of grace for all the baptized.

On December 16, 2007, Bishop Albert LeGatt of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon announced the release of Pastoral Directives for Sacramental Sharing between Catholics and Baptized Christians of Other Denominations. The Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity has reviewed the Directives and found them worthy.

The Pastoral Directives were created to bring awareness to both clergy and laypeople of the occasions when sacramental sharing is possible. Bishop LeGatt desires a sound pastoral and consistent response across the diocese to requests for sacramental sharing.

Saskatoon Diocesan Commission for Ecumenism

For further reading and understanding of the Pastoral Directives, please review the following resources:

• Bishop Albert LeGatt’s letter (December 16, 2007)
• Pastoral Directives (revised February 13, 2007) [PDF 99 Kb]
• Directives Pastorales (13 février 2007) [PDF 94 Kb]
• Pastoral Notes (January 31, 2005) [PDF 67 Kb]
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[CCCB press release] The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) is pursuing the work it began nearly 20 years ago on sexual abuse by publishing Orientations for diocesan sexual abuse protocols.

The document is intended to assist Catholic dioceses in Canada in updating their diocesan protocols for the prevention of sexual abuse and for their pastoral response to complaints about possible sexual abuse of minors by clergy or other personnel under diocesan responsibility.

By publishing the Orientations, the CCCB is supporting the work of the Bishops who continue to ensure appropriate measures in their respective dioceses, so children can be in a safe pastoral environment.

The Orientations repeat, clarify and reinforce the recommendations in From Pain to Hope which has been an indispensable reference since its publication in 1992 by the Catholic Bishops of Canada.

The Orientations are the result of extensive consultations – including with victims – and a long, though necessary and fruitful reflection and analysis. Lay experts were also consulted, including specialists in child psychology and others working with young adults and children on a regular basis. The expertise of dioceses, religious organizations and other institutions such as community groups, schools, and sports clubs was also sought out so their experiences as well as research helped to shape the document being made public today.

“These new orientations add to the wide array of resources which the dioceses already have to help improve their diocesan protocols for sexual abuse. The priority is to prevent abuse of any kind, respond to complaints, offer full collaboration with civil authorities, and reduce the risk of sexual abuse,” stated Most Reverend V. James Weisgerber, Archbishop of Winnipeg and President of the CCCB.

Because each diocesan Bishop is autonomous, each is responsible for adopting a diocesan protocol, as well as initiating, supporting and maintaining the means for preventing sexual abuse, and also for responding to abuse complaints in the diocese.
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[Vatican City, VIS] A “Doctrinal Note on some aspects of evangelization” prepared by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was made public today. Accompanying the publication is an English-language summary outlining the main points of the new document.
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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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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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[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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A new response to the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission on Unity and Mission (IARCCUM) report entitled “Growing Together in Unity and Mission: Building on 40 years of Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue” has been published by Ruth Reardon from the Interchurch Families International Network (IFIN). Reardon’s response is published in the October issue of the IFIN newsletter, “Issues and Reflections.”

The recent agreed statement between the two churches represents the first practical results of the Mississauga meeting in 2000 that charged the new commission with the task “to oversee the preparation of a Joint Declaration of Agreement, and promote and monitor the reception of ARCIC agreements, as well as facilitate the development of strategies for translating the degree of spiritual communion that has been achieved into visible and practical outcomes.” (#12) In Reardon’s response, she assesses the new statement in light of the mandate issued to IARCCUM by the bishops meeting in Mississauga.
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An agreed statement entitled “Growing Together in Unity & Mission” was released today by the Anglican Communion Office and the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. The statement attempts to foster discussion and reflection on the work of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) over the past 40 years. However, the statement insists, “it is more than this: it is a call for action, based upon an honest appraisal of what has been achieved in our dialogue. Despite our present ‘imperfect communion’, there is, we feel, enough common ground to take seriously how we work together.”
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This past summer, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) issued a statement entitled “Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church.” This document immediately attracted attention, comment, spin, appreciation, and criticism from around the world. The document contains five questions and the responses of the CDF, with very little additional comment. The focus of the questions is the meaning of the word “subsists” as it appears in Vatican II’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium), article 8. The council declared that the one Church of Christ “constituted and organized in the world as a society, subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him, although many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside of its visible structure. These elements, as gifts belonging to the Church of Christ, are forces impelling toward catholic unity.”

Much of the criticism of the document has come from within the Catholic community, although notable critiques have also been issued by ecumenical partners. The criticism has addressed the exclusivity with which the new CDF document interprets the word “subsists”, and the insistence of the CDF that other churches are thereby deficient. The responses to the document were more careful and nuanced than those made in 2000 to Dominus Iesus, but many observers connected the two documents, seeing the new text as little more than a re-articulation of the earlier problematic statements.

After considerable thought about whether there was anything further productive to say about the document and the controversy stirred up this summer, I have decided to share some of my initial reflections in the days following the publication of the “responsa.” There are numerous additional perspectives that could be offered, many of which are available online.
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The Vatican has announced the excommunication of certain members of the Army of Mary, a sect in Canada whose teachings have been deemed dangerous and erroneous by church authorities.
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CATHOLIC WOMEN IN MINISTRY: Changing the Way Things Are, by Marie-Louise Ternier-Gommers. Novalis (Montreal, QC ). © 2007, 216pp., $21.95. Reviewed by Gertrude Rompré.
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Margaret Pfeil wants peace. She wants it so much that three and a half years ago she moved into St. Peter Claver Catholic Worker community, a house of hospitality in South Bend, Ind. She believes in radical political participation, so she doesn’t vote except in local elections. Once her student loans are paid off, she hopes to practice tax resistance by living below the poverty line. Pfeil, an assistant professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame, wants peace but sometimes she finds she needs to look outside the Catholic church to find the resources and support to help her live her faith.
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The Apostolicity of the Church is the title of the current study document of the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Commission on Unity. With this document, the Commission completes the 1995-2006 fourth phase of the Lutheran-Catholic dialogue at the global level. The study document of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU) is aimed at contributing toward deepening communion between the Roman Catholic Church and Lutheran churches. The document has been sent to the respective churches of the mandating bodies and to the wider public of persons and groups engaged in the ecumenical movement.
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On Saturday, Pope Benedict XVI issued a motu proprio entitled Summorum Pontificum, on the use of the 1962 Latin Mass. The document has been widely expected for some months now.
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On 23 June, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI named Reverend Murray Chatlain as Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith, Northwest Territories.
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Après leur rencontre privée et l’échange de discours, le Pape et don hôte SB Chrysostomos II de Chypre ont signé une Déclaration commune, dans laquelle ils déclarent leur sincère et ferme engagement à obéir à la volonté du Seigneur en intensifiant leur recherche de la pleine unité entre tous les chrétiens. Le Pape et l’Archevêque désirent que les catholiques et les orthodoxes de Chypre vivent fraternellement et solidairement. “Nous voulons en outre soutenir et développer le dialogue théologique qui, par le biais de la Commission internationale s’apprête à traiter des points les plus complexes ayant marqué la division historique” des Eglises. “Nous devons parvenir à un accord substantiel en vue de la communion parfaite dans la foi, dans la vie sacramentelle et l’exercice du ministère pastoral”.
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Following this morning’s private meeting, and their exchange of speeches, the Pope and His Beatitude Chrysostomos II, signed a Joint declaration in the presence of the Catholic and Cypriot Orthodox delegations. In the declaration, Benedict XVI and the archbishop of New Justiniana and All Cyprus declare their “sincere and firm desire, in obedience to the will of Our Lord Jesus Christ, to intensify the search for full unity among all Christians. … We wish the Catholic and Orthodox faithful of Cyprus to live fraternally and in full solidarity. … Furthermore, we wish to support and promote theological dialogue which, through the competent international commission, is preparing to consider the most onerous questions that marked the historical event of division. It is necessary to reach substantial agreement over full communion in the faith, in sacramental life and in the exercise of pastoral ministry.”
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Church unity hasn’t happened yet, but Catholics and Anglicans have a new list of concrete suggestions for ways to bring the two churches closer. A joint commission of Catholic and Anglican bishops has produced a 42-page report which aims “to bridge the gap between the elements of faith we hold in common and the tangible expression of that shared belief in our ecclesial lives.” The result of work by theologians and bishops in North America, Europe and Australia, Growing Together in Unity and Mission summarizes the agreements reached in 40 years of Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue, setting out common belief in the Trinity, the church as communion in mission, Scripture, Baptism, Eucharist, ministry, authority in the church, discipleship and holiness, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. It also sets out in eight boxed sections areas of disagreement. The disagreements take up 15 of the 126 numbered paragraphs in the document.
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(Ottawa-CCCB) His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI named Bishop Richard Smith as Archbishop of Edmonton. Since his episcopal ordination in June 2002, he has served as Bishop of Pembroke. The Edmonton see has been vacant since Archbishop Thomas Collins was appointed Archbishop of Toronto. The Archdiocese of Edmonton has a population of 333,000 Catholics in 137 parishes and missions served by 75 diocesan priests, 87 religious priests, two permanent deacons and 379 religious Brothers and Sisters as well as 52 lay pastoral workers.
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The outgoing president of the North American Academy of Liturgy and a leading Catholic liturgist has told The Catholic Register the most recent translation of the Roman Missal is “a step backwards” for ecumenical relations.

“It’s going to feel like the ecumenical movement has taken a hit,” Fr. Paul Turner, pastor of St. Munchin Church in Missouri and author of a half-dozen books on Catholic liturgy, said following an opening liturgy for the North American Academy of Liturgy annual meeting in Toronto Jan. 4.

New, more literal, translations from Latin of liturgical texts scheduled to hit parishes in two years are a departure from the Second Vatican Council’s movement toward common texts with Anglican, Lutheran and other churches, Turner said. Those common texts were a specific goal of council fathers in the 1960s, and non-Catholic scholars were consulted by Catholic liturgists and translators in the past.

“That same effort is not being made today,” he said.
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A new statement has been published by Evangelicals and Catholics Together, an ad-hoc group of theologians and church leaders headed by Charles Colson and Richard John Neuhaus. This text, entitled “That They May Have Life,” is the sixth statement issued by ECT since 1994. In their most recent offering, ECT returns its focus to public policy, morality, and the so-called “culture wars.” Seeking to promote dialogue within the US on the “culture of life,” the group affirms that they share common interests and concerns with those who oppose them. These include a common interest in the American experiment and a common humanity with its God-given capacity for reason. The text, which has the tone of a pastoral letter, appears to be interested in a dialogue between secular culture and Christians.

While this latest document is to be welcomed for its clear articulation of certain aspects of the “culture of life,” and for the continuing efforts of Evangelicals and Roman Catholics to speak together on issues of shared concern, it is disappointing for many of the same reasons that the first ECT statement was criticized. There is very little contribution made here to the ecumenical rapprochement between Evangelicals and Roman Catholics. Many of the issues that the participants agreed upon in this statement will divide them from others within their own churches. This statement will likely be received as just another contribution to the abortion debate by the Religious Right. To me, it seems like like they weren’t reaching high enough.
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Le dialogue Anglican Catholique du Canada (ARC-Canada) tient un forum sur le rapport d’ARCIC « Marie : grâce et espérance dans le Christ » le jeudi 28 septembre 2006 à 19:30h chez Montreal Diocesan College, 3473 rue University, Montreal. Des présentations et les réponses seront données par Dr. Cathy Clifford, professeure de la théologie à l’Université Saint-Paul, Ottawa et le révérend Canon Kevin Flynn, directeur des études Anglican à l’Université Saint-Paul, Ottawa. Après les présentations, joindre svp les présentateurs et d’autres membres du l’ARC-Canada pour la discussion et les rafraîchissements.
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The Anglican Roman Catholic Dialogue of Canada invites you to attend a forum on the ARCIC Agreed Statement “Mary, Grace and Hope in Christ” on Thursday, September 28, 2006, 7:30 pm at Montreal Diocesan College, 3473 University St., Montreal. Presentations and responses will be given by two members of the dialogue: Dr. Catherine Clifford, Professor of Theology, St. Paul University, Ottawa and the Rev’d Canon Kevin Flynn, Director of Anglican Studies, St. Paul University, Ottawa. Discussion and refreshments to follow with presenters and other members of the Anglican Roman Catholic Dialogue of Canada.
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During the summer months ecumenical news dries up as church leaders, pastors, and theologians head off on their holiday plans. However, this year a very significant event occurred while we were all at the lake. Since 2001, Methodists have expressed appreciation for the Lutheran-Roman Catholic “Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification” (JDDJ). Not long after the formal affirmation of the JDDJ, representatives of the Methodist World Council and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches gathered with the two signatories to discuss the possibilities of expanding the consensus to include their constituencies. This summer, on July 23, the World Methodist Conference, a gathering of 76 churches in the Methodist tradition, affirmed the Joint Declaration in a signing ceremony together with Lutheran and Roman Catholic representatives.
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Pope John Paul II has invited leaders and theologians of other Churches to help him in seeking new forms for the papal ministry. In this article the Bishop of Rochester makes a contribution from the Anglican Communion’s point of view. As I write, conversations are taking place in Rome on the future of Anglican-Roman Catholic
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