Der Spiegel writes: Six years after Sept. 11, 2001, America and its Muslim immigrants seem to be on surprisingly good terms. They get along, they discover common interests, and it almost seems as if America’s latest immigrants want to prove to everyone that they are the better Americans.
News came this week that the ban on religious books (other than primary texts like the Bible, the Torah, or the Koran, etc…) in US Prisons has been reconsidered.
October 4 is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi and parishes all around the world are conducting the traditional blessing of the animals. The
Since all kinds of uninformed reporters in the secular media have been adding their opinions to the mix, I thought I’d throw mine in there, which may be worth all the money you’ve just paid to get to see it, and may be just as objective as your hometown newspaper. Here’s a short, slanted, and totally oversimplified summary of what the House of Bishops’ response to the Primates’ Communique says (which, for the record, is nothing new at all).
Spirit of power, we find it hard to come together in the Church,
even within a single congregation.
How shall we learn to be one family, loving and serving the whole of humankind?
Lead us into such unity of purpose that we may receive power:
not the power to threaten or destroy, but the power to restore waste places.
“The Anglican Church’s highest court has cleared the way for women bishops – but the Archbishop of Sydney, Peter Jensen, will carry on the fight against them. The Appellate Tribunal, by a 4-3 majority, found there is no constitutional barrier to women becoming bishops in the Australian church. The decision could lead one day to a woman leading the Australian church.”
The meeting in Pittsburgh of a group of bishops which follows hard on the heels of the House of Bishops’ meeting in New Orleans has issued a statement and a report of some of the principles they have adopted.
The Episcopal News Service has report of the words of the Archbishop of the Province of Mexico, who is taking part in a meeting at Manchester Cathedral beginning tomorrow. The Archbishop reports in particular of his take on the atmosphere at the most recent Primates meeting earlier this year.
Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh (PEP) asks whether or not the statements made at the House of Bishops’ meeting make adequate provision for people such as themselves: progressive believers who are being marginalized in Anglican Communion Network dioceses
Lord Jesus, in a dark hour you spoke of the gift of peace;
we beg that gift for ourselves,
that we may have the inner serenity that cannot be taken from us.
Then we may be messengers of your peace to a strife-torn world.
Give peace in our time, Lord.
Help us to live in peace.