Accuses Kansas Governor of protecting Tiller
NEW YORK, May 31 /Christian Newswire/ -- Fox News host Bill O'Reilly rebounded from a six-month silence to issue a scathing segment on the notorious late-term abortionist George R. Tiller that aired the evening of May 30. During the segment, O'Reilly blasted Tiller for "executing fetuses" for "vague medical reasons."
He was equally critical of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, who vetoed a bill that would have required Tiller to provide specific medical reasons for abortions after 21 weeks of pregnancy.
"Incredibly, Gov. Sebelius is protecting Tiller," O'Reilly said during his broadcast. "And Gov. Sebelius is allowing him to continue the slaughter. How the governor sleeps at night is beyond me."
O'Reilly produced a document showing that Tiller has a lengthy history of campaign contributions to Sebelius going back to 1994.
O'Reilly's guest was Rep. Ben Hodge, who resigned a committee post in protest of the lack of action by Speaker Melvin Neufeld to bring Tiller to justice.
When asked by O'Reilly if this was a disgrace upon everyone who lives in Kansas, Rep. Hodge responded, "Yes, I think it is. I think at times in American history there will be times when branches of government fail the people and I think this is one of those times."
"O'Reilly's remarks underscore what our own research and work has revealed about the web of corruption that surrounds and protects Tiller," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman, who worked behind the scenes with Kansas legislators in an attempt to bring Tiller to justice.
"Because women come from every state to abort late- term babies at Tiller's Wichita abortion mill, this is a national problem. We pray that the national exposure O'Reilly brings to this scandal will force the people of Kansas to begin taking meaningful action to clean up governmental corruption and bring Tiller to a court where he can be held accountable under the law as soon as possible," said Newman.
VIEW THE VIDEO HERE. (8 min. 15 sec.)
http://www.kansasmeadowlark.com/2007/ShameOfKansas/OReilly-2007-05-30/index.htm
(Video and photo capture courtesy of kansasmeadowlark.com.)
Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation. Operation Rescue recently made headlines when it bought and closed an abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas and has become the voice of the pro-life activist movement in America. Its activities are on the cutting edge of the abortion issue, taking direct action to restore legal personhood to the pre-born and stop abortion in obedience to biblical mandates.
Christian Newswire
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Catholic Clergy Respond to 18 Democrats
MARYSVILLE, Penn., May 24 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Confraternity of Catholic Clergy denounces the recent attempt by 18 Democrat members of Congress to rebuke Pope Benedict XVI in a public letter issued on May 14. That letter was self- incriminating of those who signed it as it betrayed a complete lack of priorities on the part of the politicians if not a distorted view at least. The CCC is not only an association of priests and deacons dedicated to ongoing formation (spiritual, theological and pastoral, in a fraternal setting), it is also composed of tax- paying, voting citizens of this nation. As fellow Americans and as Catholic Christians, we resent these 18 members of Congress interfering with the pastoral duty and obligation of the Pope. As the supreme pastor of the universal church, it is his prerogative to continue the three-fold ministry of Christ (priest, prophet & king) by sanctifying, teaching and shepherding. The Pope, therefore, has every right to "teach" the faithful on the immorality and evil as he sees it and has every right to discipline those who refuse to abide by the laws of God.
Abortion and euthanasia are contrary to the Divine Law and to Natural Law, regardless of which nation, state or municipality 'legalizes' these. Even though the Supreme Court issued their infamous Dred Scott and (1857) and Plessy v. Furguson (1896) decisions, slavery and racial segregation remained unjust, evil and immoral, despite their apparent 'legality' by the highest court of the land. Likewise, Roe v. Wade (1973) may have 'legalized' abortion across the land, but its inherent injustice to the unborn human child remains a moral and civil evil upon our country.
Anyone who supports abortion is a formal cooperator in evil while those who 'personally oppose abortion but uphold a woman's right to choose abortion' are material cooperators in evil. When he was still Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope Benedict sent a letter to the US Bishops in 2004 which said "a Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in evil, and so unworthy to present himself for holy Communion, if he were to deliberately vote for a candidate precisely because of the candidate's permissive stand on abortion and/or euthanasia." He also said that Catholic politicians who consistently campaign and vote for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws are formal cooperators in evil and they are "not to present themselves for Holy Communion." Our words and actions make us worthy or unworthy. Church law merely ratifies our decision by telling us to refrain from Communion when we should not be taking it.
http://www.christiannewswire.com/
Abortion and euthanasia are contrary to the Divine Law and to Natural Law, regardless of which nation, state or municipality 'legalizes' these. Even though the Supreme Court issued their infamous Dred Scott and (1857) and Plessy v. Furguson (1896) decisions, slavery and racial segregation remained unjust, evil and immoral, despite their apparent 'legality' by the highest court of the land. Likewise, Roe v. Wade (1973) may have 'legalized' abortion across the land, but its inherent injustice to the unborn human child remains a moral and civil evil upon our country.
Anyone who supports abortion is a formal cooperator in evil while those who 'personally oppose abortion but uphold a woman's right to choose abortion' are material cooperators in evil. When he was still Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope Benedict sent a letter to the US Bishops in 2004 which said "a Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in evil, and so unworthy to present himself for holy Communion, if he were to deliberately vote for a candidate precisely because of the candidate's permissive stand on abortion and/or euthanasia." He also said that Catholic politicians who consistently campaign and vote for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws are formal cooperators in evil and they are "not to present themselves for Holy Communion." Our words and actions make us worthy or unworthy. Church law merely ratifies our decision by telling us to refrain from Communion when we should not be taking it.
http://www.christiannewswire.com/
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
No Lambeth Invitation for Vicky Gene
The Bishop of New Hampshire will not be invited to participate in the 2008 Lambeth Conference, according to the Rev. Canon Kenneth Kearon, secretary of the Lambeth Conference.
Invitations to the conference were mailed May 22 to more than 800 bishops of the Anglican Communion by the conference’s host, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams.
The Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns, Bishop of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) and the Rt. Rev. Charles Murphy and his suffragans, the bishops of the Anglican Mission in North America (AMiA) will not receive invitations either, the conference organizers said.
Invitations to two other diocesan bishops, including the Bishop of Harare, Zimbabwe, the Rt. Rev. Nolbert Kunonga, have been held pending further “consultation,” said Canon Kearon, who is also the ACC secretary general.
In a letter accompanying the invitation, Archbishop Williams stated he hoped the meeting would be “a place where we can try and get more clarity about the limits of our diversity and the means of deepening our Communion, so we can speak together with conviction and clarity to the world.”
He noted that Lambeth would not be “a formal Synod or Council of the bishops of the Communion,” nor does attending the conference commit a bishop to accept “the position of others as necessarily a legitimate expression of Anglican doctrine and discipline, or to any action that would compromise your conscience or the integrity of your local church.”
Archbishop Williams said he had reserved the right “to withhold or withdraw invitations from bishops whose appointment, actions or manner of life have caused exceptionally serious division or scandal within the Communion,” but did not name names.
Canon Kearon stated there was “no question that Gene Robinson had been duly elected and consecrated” Bishop of New Hampshire in 2003. However, paragraph 133 of the Windsor Report recommends the archbishop “exercise very considerable caution in inviting or admitting him to the councils of the Communion,” he said.
The “archbishop recognizes the widespread objections in many parts of the Communion to [Bishop Robinson’s] consecration and to his ministry," Canon Kearon said. However, the “archbishop intends to explore the possibility of inviting [Bishop Robinson] to Lambeth as a guest or observer,” he added.
Bishop Robinson was traveling when the announcement was made, but issued a statement in response to the news.
“It is with great disappointment that I receive word from the Archbishop of Canterbury that I will not be included in the invitation list for the Lambeth Conference, 2008," he said. "At a time when the Anglican Communion is calling for a 'listening process' on the issue of homosexuality, it makes no sense to exclude gay and lesbian people from that conversation. It is time that the bishops of the Anglican Communion stop talking about gay and lesbian people and start talking with us.
“While I appreciate the acknowledgement that I am a duly elected and consecrated bishop of the Church, the refusal to include me among all the other duly elected and consecrated bishops of the Church is an affront to the entire Episcopal Church," he said. "This is not about Gene Robinson, nor the Diocese of New Hampshire. It is about the American Church and its relationship to the Communion. It is for The Episcopal Church to respond to this challenge, and in due time, I assume we will do so. In the meantime, I will pray for Archbishop Rowan and our beloved Anglican Communion."
Bishop Robinson was not expected to comment further until he has spoken with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori.
The bishops of the AMiA would not be invited to Lambeth because of the decision taken by Archbishop George Carey in 2000. Archbishop Carey “wrote to them saying he could not recognize their ministry” and that their “consecrations were irregular,” Canon Kearon explained. This decision was “confirmed at Oporto” by the primates in 2000, and the “decision was already fixed” by Archbishop Williams’ predecessor.
The case of CANA Bishop Martyn Minns exhibits “no difference” from the AMiA and he falls into the same category, Canon Kearon said.
On Bishop Kunonga, Archbishop Williams is “seeking further advice,” Canon Kearon said, but noted his case and that of one or two others had “nothing to do with the Windsor process.”
In 2002, the United States and the European Union banned Bishop Kunonga from travel to Europe and America in response to his complicity with the crimes of the regime of Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe.
The Rev George Conger
Invitations to the conference were mailed May 22 to more than 800 bishops of the Anglican Communion by the conference’s host, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams.
The Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns, Bishop of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) and the Rt. Rev. Charles Murphy and his suffragans, the bishops of the Anglican Mission in North America (AMiA) will not receive invitations either, the conference organizers said.
Invitations to two other diocesan bishops, including the Bishop of Harare, Zimbabwe, the Rt. Rev. Nolbert Kunonga, have been held pending further “consultation,” said Canon Kearon, who is also the ACC secretary general.
In a letter accompanying the invitation, Archbishop Williams stated he hoped the meeting would be “a place where we can try and get more clarity about the limits of our diversity and the means of deepening our Communion, so we can speak together with conviction and clarity to the world.”
He noted that Lambeth would not be “a formal Synod or Council of the bishops of the Communion,” nor does attending the conference commit a bishop to accept “the position of others as necessarily a legitimate expression of Anglican doctrine and discipline, or to any action that would compromise your conscience or the integrity of your local church.”
Archbishop Williams said he had reserved the right “to withhold or withdraw invitations from bishops whose appointment, actions or manner of life have caused exceptionally serious division or scandal within the Communion,” but did not name names.
Canon Kearon stated there was “no question that Gene Robinson had been duly elected and consecrated” Bishop of New Hampshire in 2003. However, paragraph 133 of the Windsor Report recommends the archbishop “exercise very considerable caution in inviting or admitting him to the councils of the Communion,” he said.
The “archbishop recognizes the widespread objections in many parts of the Communion to [Bishop Robinson’s] consecration and to his ministry," Canon Kearon said. However, the “archbishop intends to explore the possibility of inviting [Bishop Robinson] to Lambeth as a guest or observer,” he added.
Bishop Robinson was traveling when the announcement was made, but issued a statement in response to the news.
“It is with great disappointment that I receive word from the Archbishop of Canterbury that I will not be included in the invitation list for the Lambeth Conference, 2008," he said. "At a time when the Anglican Communion is calling for a 'listening process' on the issue of homosexuality, it makes no sense to exclude gay and lesbian people from that conversation. It is time that the bishops of the Anglican Communion stop talking about gay and lesbian people and start talking with us.
“While I appreciate the acknowledgement that I am a duly elected and consecrated bishop of the Church, the refusal to include me among all the other duly elected and consecrated bishops of the Church is an affront to the entire Episcopal Church," he said. "This is not about Gene Robinson, nor the Diocese of New Hampshire. It is about the American Church and its relationship to the Communion. It is for The Episcopal Church to respond to this challenge, and in due time, I assume we will do so. In the meantime, I will pray for Archbishop Rowan and our beloved Anglican Communion."
Bishop Robinson was not expected to comment further until he has spoken with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori.
The bishops of the AMiA would not be invited to Lambeth because of the decision taken by Archbishop George Carey in 2000. Archbishop Carey “wrote to them saying he could not recognize their ministry” and that their “consecrations were irregular,” Canon Kearon explained. This decision was “confirmed at Oporto” by the primates in 2000, and the “decision was already fixed” by Archbishop Williams’ predecessor.
The case of CANA Bishop Martyn Minns exhibits “no difference” from the AMiA and he falls into the same category, Canon Kearon said.
On Bishop Kunonga, Archbishop Williams is “seeking further advice,” Canon Kearon said, but noted his case and that of one or two others had “nothing to do with the Windsor process.”
In 2002, the United States and the European Union banned Bishop Kunonga from travel to Europe and America in response to his complicity with the crimes of the regime of Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe.
The Rev George Conger
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Catholic Priest Invites Gang of 18 To Leave Church
FRONT ROYAL, Va., May 17 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer, STL, president of Human Life International, (HLI) today said "Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-3) and seventeen other members of Congress who describe themselves as Catholic not only are ignorant of their faith but also need a civics lesson."
Father Euteneuer was responding to their rebuke of Pope Benedict XVI in a press release from DeLauro's office which stated that the Pope's recent comments that Catholic politicians risk excommunication and should not receive Communion by saying, "Such notions offend the very nature of the American experiment and do a great disservice to the centuries of good work the church has done."
Father Euteneuer said, "It is an embarrassment that a Catholic, much less a member of Congress should make such an absurd statement. Even if this statement were true, the Holy Father answers to a Higher Power than Rep. DeLauro and the Gang of 18."
"The truth is," Father Euteneuer said, "nothing threatens the American experiment more than the legal but unjust killing of human beings by abortion which stands in stark contrast to the very first right enumerated by our Declaration of Independence: The Right to Life. The humanity of the unborn child is no longer even debated. It is a scientific fact. Abortion is murder, and murder is against the law. Like Dred Scott before it, which violated certain citizens' Right to Liberty, Roe v. Wade is bad, dishonest law and will eventually fall."
"Excommunication is a pastoral and medicinal penalty, not a political one. The Pope is well within his free expression of religion guaranteed by the US Constitution-and his pastoral duty-to warn any Catholic when their eternal salvation is jeopardized by their actions" Father Euteneuer said. "This is what the Catholic Church teaches and what Catholics believe. If the Gang of 18 believes otherwise, honesty and integrity requires they find another church that tells them what they want to hear. If they have that much of a problem being Catholic, no one is forcing them to stay. We certainly don't need their hypocrisy."
Founded in 1981, Human Life International is the world's largest pro-life, pro-family organization that is dedicated to defending life, faith and the family, with branches and affiliates around the world.
Christian Newswire
Father Euteneuer was responding to their rebuke of Pope Benedict XVI in a press release from DeLauro's office which stated that the Pope's recent comments that Catholic politicians risk excommunication and should not receive Communion by saying, "Such notions offend the very nature of the American experiment and do a great disservice to the centuries of good work the church has done."
Father Euteneuer said, "It is an embarrassment that a Catholic, much less a member of Congress should make such an absurd statement. Even if this statement were true, the Holy Father answers to a Higher Power than Rep. DeLauro and the Gang of 18."
"The truth is," Father Euteneuer said, "nothing threatens the American experiment more than the legal but unjust killing of human beings by abortion which stands in stark contrast to the very first right enumerated by our Declaration of Independence: The Right to Life. The humanity of the unborn child is no longer even debated. It is a scientific fact. Abortion is murder, and murder is against the law. Like Dred Scott before it, which violated certain citizens' Right to Liberty, Roe v. Wade is bad, dishonest law and will eventually fall."
"Excommunication is a pastoral and medicinal penalty, not a political one. The Pope is well within his free expression of religion guaranteed by the US Constitution-and his pastoral duty-to warn any Catholic when their eternal salvation is jeopardized by their actions" Father Euteneuer said. "This is what the Catholic Church teaches and what Catholics believe. If the Gang of 18 believes otherwise, honesty and integrity requires they find another church that tells them what they want to hear. If they have that much of a problem being Catholic, no one is forcing them to stay. We certainly don't need their hypocrisy."
Founded in 1981, Human Life International is the world's largest pro-life, pro-family organization that is dedicated to defending life, faith and the family, with branches and affiliates around the world.
Christian Newswire
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Fort Worth: Executive Council and Standing Committee release statement reaffirming pursuit of APO
THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF FORT WORTH
2900 Alemeda Street • Fort Worth, TX 76108
817-244-2885 voice 817-244-3363 fax
www.fwepiscopal.org
THE RT. REV. JACK. LEO IKER, Bishop
May 16, 2007
For immediate release
DIOCESE REAFFIRMS PURSUIT OF APO
FORT WORTH, Texas – The Executive Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth has adopted a statement of the diocesan Standing Committee calling for the diocese to move forward with its appeal for Alternative Primatial Oversight (APO).
The Bishop and Standing Committee of the diocese first appealed for APO at the General Convention in June 2006. That appeal was endorsed by the diocesan Executive Council in September 2006 and by the Diocesan Convention in November 2006. The Bishop and diocese remain firmly convinced of the need for alternative oversight; therefore, the Standing Committee, meeting Monday, May 14, adopted the following statement as an assessment of the current situation and a proposal to actively pursue all viable options. It was adopted by the Executive Council in its regular bimonthly meeting. The mood of the council was both thoughtful and sad, yet it was considered prudent to “explore the possibilities and count the costs.” According to the Constitution of the diocese, the Executive Council “exercises the powers of the Convention between meetings thereof.”
The text of the statement is as follows:
Where are we with the appeal for Alternative Primatial Oversight?
When the Diocese of Fort Worth first appealed for APO at the General Convention in June 2006, it was hoped that a special pastoral relationship could be established with an orthodox primate, in the interest of preserving unity and fostering mission, in the face of an impaired relationship with the newly elected Presiding Bishop. The original appeal was made in good faith and was directed to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Primates of the Communion and the Panel of Reference. (Subsequently, it was decided not to approach the Panel of Reference about this in light of other pressing cases already before it.)
As seven other dioceses made similar appeals during the course of the summer, it was agreed to combine them into one appeal, asking the Archbishop of Canterbury to appoint a commissary who would act on his behalf, providing a special primatial relationship with the appellant dioceses. He arranged a summit in New York in September with interested parties to discuss the matter in an attempt to come up with “an American solution to an American problem.” This meeting failed to reach an agreement, with the PB-elect claiming that she has no primatial oversight of TEC dioceses and cannot therefore give to another what she does not have. Subsequently, representatives from the appellant dioceses met in November with the steering committee of the Global South Primates to present their requests for APO. This meeting ended with the assurance that they would respond with a plan to address the expressed needs of the appellant dioceses.
On November 18, 2006, the Fort Worth Diocesan Convention voted overwhelmingly in support of the APO request that the Bishop and Standing Committee had made in June. A second New York meeting was held later that month, but none of the appellant bishops attended because no proposal had been made for discussion. This meeting ended with the Presiding Bishop offering a plan for a Primatial Vicar, to be appointed by her and be accountable to her. The appellant bishops rejected the proposal as unacceptable.
The APO requests were presented to the Primates Meeting in Dar es Salaam in February 2007. At the conclusion of the meeting, a Communiqué was issued that proposed the establishment of a Pastoral Council, which would oversee the ministry of a Primatial Vicar, to be selected by the Windsor Bishops coalition and be accountable to the Council. This plan was rejected by the House of Bishops at their March meeting at Camp Allen even though their approval was not sought. Nothing further has been heard about this from the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Every attempt to find “an American solution to an American problem” has failed. Following the two meetings in New York and the House of Bishops’ rejection of the Primates’ proposed Pastoral Council at their March meeting, it now seems clear that there is no desire on the part of the present TEC leadership to provide an acceptable form of Alternative Primatial Oversight within The Episcopal Church.
The Presiding Bishop of this church has refused to accept the key recommendations of the Windsor Report, has failed to seek implementation of the essential requests of the Dar es Salaam Communiqué, and has denied basic tenets of the teaching of the New Testament. By her statements and actions, the course she wishes to pursue is clear: to lead TEC to walk apart from the Anglican Communion. This is a course we cannot follow. For all these reasons and others, we do not wish to be affiliated with her, nor with anyone she may appoint or designate to act on her behalf.
So where does this leave the Diocese of Fort Worth’s appeal for APO?
While we remain open to the possibility of negotiation and some form of acceptable settlement with TEC, it appears that our only option is to seek APO elsewhere. This may entail a cooperative effort with other appellant dioceses in consultation with Primates of the Anglican Communion, to form a new Anglican Province of the Communion in North America. A second possibility would be for the diocese to transfer to another existing Province of the Anglican Communion. Athird possibility would be to seek the status of an extra-provincial diocese, under the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury, as presently recognized in several other cases. We believe that we must now explore these possibilities.
The Bishop and the Standing Committee of
The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth
May 14, 2007
The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth consists of 55 congregations serving 24 north central Texas counties. The major cities in the diocese include Fort Worth, Arlington, Hurst-Euless-Bedford, Wichita Falls, Grand Prairie, Richland Hills, Brownwood, and Stephenville. The Rt. Rev. Jack L. Iker has served as the third Diocesan Bishop of Fort Worth since 1995. The diocese enjoys companion relationships with the Dioceses of Northern Malawi and Northern Mexico.
Contact: Suzanne Gill
Director of Communications
The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth
sgill@fwepiscopal.org
2900 Alemeda Street • Fort Worth, TX 76108
817-244-2885 voice 817-244-3363 fax
www.fwepiscopal.org
THE RT. REV. JACK. LEO IKER, Bishop
May 16, 2007
For immediate release
DIOCESE REAFFIRMS PURSUIT OF APO
FORT WORTH, Texas – The Executive Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth has adopted a statement of the diocesan Standing Committee calling for the diocese to move forward with its appeal for Alternative Primatial Oversight (APO).
The Bishop and Standing Committee of the diocese first appealed for APO at the General Convention in June 2006. That appeal was endorsed by the diocesan Executive Council in September 2006 and by the Diocesan Convention in November 2006. The Bishop and diocese remain firmly convinced of the need for alternative oversight; therefore, the Standing Committee, meeting Monday, May 14, adopted the following statement as an assessment of the current situation and a proposal to actively pursue all viable options. It was adopted by the Executive Council in its regular bimonthly meeting. The mood of the council was both thoughtful and sad, yet it was considered prudent to “explore the possibilities and count the costs.” According to the Constitution of the diocese, the Executive Council “exercises the powers of the Convention between meetings thereof.”
The text of the statement is as follows:
Where are we with the appeal for Alternative Primatial Oversight?
When the Diocese of Fort Worth first appealed for APO at the General Convention in June 2006, it was hoped that a special pastoral relationship could be established with an orthodox primate, in the interest of preserving unity and fostering mission, in the face of an impaired relationship with the newly elected Presiding Bishop. The original appeal was made in good faith and was directed to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Primates of the Communion and the Panel of Reference. (Subsequently, it was decided not to approach the Panel of Reference about this in light of other pressing cases already before it.)
As seven other dioceses made similar appeals during the course of the summer, it was agreed to combine them into one appeal, asking the Archbishop of Canterbury to appoint a commissary who would act on his behalf, providing a special primatial relationship with the appellant dioceses. He arranged a summit in New York in September with interested parties to discuss the matter in an attempt to come up with “an American solution to an American problem.” This meeting failed to reach an agreement, with the PB-elect claiming that she has no primatial oversight of TEC dioceses and cannot therefore give to another what she does not have. Subsequently, representatives from the appellant dioceses met in November with the steering committee of the Global South Primates to present their requests for APO. This meeting ended with the assurance that they would respond with a plan to address the expressed needs of the appellant dioceses.
On November 18, 2006, the Fort Worth Diocesan Convention voted overwhelmingly in support of the APO request that the Bishop and Standing Committee had made in June. A second New York meeting was held later that month, but none of the appellant bishops attended because no proposal had been made for discussion. This meeting ended with the Presiding Bishop offering a plan for a Primatial Vicar, to be appointed by her and be accountable to her. The appellant bishops rejected the proposal as unacceptable.
The APO requests were presented to the Primates Meeting in Dar es Salaam in February 2007. At the conclusion of the meeting, a Communiqué was issued that proposed the establishment of a Pastoral Council, which would oversee the ministry of a Primatial Vicar, to be selected by the Windsor Bishops coalition and be accountable to the Council. This plan was rejected by the House of Bishops at their March meeting at Camp Allen even though their approval was not sought. Nothing further has been heard about this from the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Every attempt to find “an American solution to an American problem” has failed. Following the two meetings in New York and the House of Bishops’ rejection of the Primates’ proposed Pastoral Council at their March meeting, it now seems clear that there is no desire on the part of the present TEC leadership to provide an acceptable form of Alternative Primatial Oversight within The Episcopal Church.
The Presiding Bishop of this church has refused to accept the key recommendations of the Windsor Report, has failed to seek implementation of the essential requests of the Dar es Salaam Communiqué, and has denied basic tenets of the teaching of the New Testament. By her statements and actions, the course she wishes to pursue is clear: to lead TEC to walk apart from the Anglican Communion. This is a course we cannot follow. For all these reasons and others, we do not wish to be affiliated with her, nor with anyone she may appoint or designate to act on her behalf.
So where does this leave the Diocese of Fort Worth’s appeal for APO?
While we remain open to the possibility of negotiation and some form of acceptable settlement with TEC, it appears that our only option is to seek APO elsewhere. This may entail a cooperative effort with other appellant dioceses in consultation with Primates of the Anglican Communion, to form a new Anglican Province of the Communion in North America. A second possibility would be for the diocese to transfer to another existing Province of the Anglican Communion. Athird possibility would be to seek the status of an extra-provincial diocese, under the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury, as presently recognized in several other cases. We believe that we must now explore these possibilities.
The Bishop and the Standing Committee of
The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth
May 14, 2007
The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth consists of 55 congregations serving 24 north central Texas counties. The major cities in the diocese include Fort Worth, Arlington, Hurst-Euless-Bedford, Wichita Falls, Grand Prairie, Richland Hills, Brownwood, and Stephenville. The Rt. Rev. Jack L. Iker has served as the third Diocesan Bishop of Fort Worth since 1995. The diocese enjoys companion relationships with the Dioceses of Northern Malawi and Northern Mexico.
Contact: Suzanne Gill
Director of Communications
The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth
sgill@fwepiscopal.org
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
In Memory, The Rev Jerry Falwell
Rest eternal grant to him, O Lord: And let light perpetual shine upon him.May his soul, and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Planned Parenthood Continues to Harbor Men Who Rape Children Ohio Lawsuits Reinforce Life Dynamics Undercover Investigation
DENTON, Texas, May 15 /Christian Newswire/ -- During a two-year
investigation, family planning clinics associated with
Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion
Federation were caught on tape covering up what they
believed was the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl.
As part of the undercover operation, Life Dynamics
Incorporated of Denton, Texas, recorded over 800
calls to facilities across America in which a female
caller portrayed a 13-year-old girl who was pregnant
by an adult and wanted an abortion in order to hide the
illegal sexual relationship from her parents and the
authorities. On the tapes, many of the clinic workers
are heard telling the caller that this situation was
unlawful and that they were legally mandated to report
it to the state. However, even after acknowledging
this, 91 percent of the 800 facilities contacted agreed
to illegally conceal it. In fact, representatives of these
organizations-often operating on tax dollars-routinely
instructed a child who they believed to be a sexual
assault victim to:
* lie about or conceal her age or the age of the man
who impregnated her
* participate in illegal activity in order to circumvent
the state's parental notification law
* use a fictitious name, phone number or address
when she came to the facility
* keep the situation hidden by altering what she
would say when she came to the facility
* be more careful about what information she gave
out and to whom
Now, two lawsuits against Planned Parenthood in
Cincinnati show the real world effects of this
pedophile protection racket. In the latest suit, a
teenage girl says a she was forced to have an
abortion by her father who was raping her. She
claims that she alerted the Planned Parenthood staff
about this but they did the abortion anyway and made
no report to the authorities. She also says that the
abuse continued after the abortion.
Commenting on these revelations, Life Dynamics
President, Mark Crutcher, said, "The tapes from our
investigation clearly prove that these places are little
more than corporate accomplices for child rapists.
This Ohio situation makes it clear that if you are a man
who targets minor girls for sex-even your own
daughter-you have no better ally than Planned
Parenthood."
For additional information visit www.ChildPredators.com
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=busy74bab.0.qor974bab.tuqepibab.16055&ts=S0255&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.childpredators.com%2F)
For an interview call Life Dynamics at (940) 380-8800
Christian Communication Network | 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW | Washington | DC | 20006
investigation, family planning clinics associated with
Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion
Federation were caught on tape covering up what they
believed was the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl.
As part of the undercover operation, Life Dynamics
Incorporated of Denton, Texas, recorded over 800
calls to facilities across America in which a female
caller portrayed a 13-year-old girl who was pregnant
by an adult and wanted an abortion in order to hide the
illegal sexual relationship from her parents and the
authorities. On the tapes, many of the clinic workers
are heard telling the caller that this situation was
unlawful and that they were legally mandated to report
it to the state. However, even after acknowledging
this, 91 percent of the 800 facilities contacted agreed
to illegally conceal it. In fact, representatives of these
organizations-often operating on tax dollars-routinely
instructed a child who they believed to be a sexual
assault victim to:
* lie about or conceal her age or the age of the man
who impregnated her
* participate in illegal activity in order to circumvent
the state's parental notification law
* use a fictitious name, phone number or address
when she came to the facility
* keep the situation hidden by altering what she
would say when she came to the facility
* be more careful about what information she gave
out and to whom
Now, two lawsuits against Planned Parenthood in
Cincinnati show the real world effects of this
pedophile protection racket. In the latest suit, a
teenage girl says a she was forced to have an
abortion by her father who was raping her. She
claims that she alerted the Planned Parenthood staff
about this but they did the abortion anyway and made
no report to the authorities. She also says that the
abuse continued after the abortion.
Commenting on these revelations, Life Dynamics
President, Mark Crutcher, said, "The tapes from our
investigation clearly prove that these places are little
more than corporate accomplices for child rapists.
This Ohio situation makes it clear that if you are a man
who targets minor girls for sex-even your own
daughter-you have no better ally than Planned
Parenthood."
For additional information visit www.ChildPredators.com
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=busy74bab.0.qor974bab.tuqepibab.16055&ts=S0255&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.childpredators.com%2F)
For an interview call Life Dynamics at (940) 380-8800
Christian Communication Network | 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW | Washington | DC | 20006
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Our Mother’s Day
BY Father Owen Kearns
National Catholic Register - North Haven,CT,USA
Publisher
May 13-19, 2007 Issue | Posted 5/8/07 at 8:00 AM
It’s appropriate that we are celebrating Mother’s Day this year on May 13, the anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady of Fatima.
After Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger wrote about the apparition in the year 2000, many commentators hinted that he was not an enthusiastic supporter.
That misimpression needs to be changed.
Pope Benedict XVI not only loves Our Lady of Fatima as much as his predecessor did, he finds great consolation in her.
“A sure way of remaining united to Christ, as branches to the vine, is to have recourse to the intercession of Mary,” he said last year, “whom we venerated yesterday, May 13, in a particular way, recalling the apparitions at Fatima, where she appeared on several occasions to three shepherd children, Francisco, Jacinta and Lucia, in 1917.
“The message that she entrusted to them, in continuity with that of Lourdes, was a strong appeal to prayer and conversion; a truly prophetic message, considering that the 20th century was scourged by unheard-of destruction caused by war and totalitarian regimes, as well as widespread persecution of the Church.
“Moreover, on May 13, 1981, 25 years ago, the Servant of God John Paul II felt that he was saved miraculously from death by the intervention of ‘a maternal hand’ — as he himself said — and his entire pontificate was marked by what the Virgin had foretold at Fatima.
“Although there is no lack of anxiety and suffering, and although there are still reasons for apprehension about the future of humanity, what the ‘Lady in White’ promised the shepherd children is consoling: ‘At the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.’”
So, happy Mother’s Day to all our mothers — and from us to the Mother of us all. We thank her for the great hope she has given us at the Register — and the mission to pass that hope on every week to you.
National Catholic Register - North Haven,CT,USA
Publisher
May 13-19, 2007 Issue | Posted 5/8/07 at 8:00 AM
It’s appropriate that we are celebrating Mother’s Day this year on May 13, the anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady of Fatima.
After Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger wrote about the apparition in the year 2000, many commentators hinted that he was not an enthusiastic supporter.
That misimpression needs to be changed.
Pope Benedict XVI not only loves Our Lady of Fatima as much as his predecessor did, he finds great consolation in her.
“A sure way of remaining united to Christ, as branches to the vine, is to have recourse to the intercession of Mary,” he said last year, “whom we venerated yesterday, May 13, in a particular way, recalling the apparitions at Fatima, where she appeared on several occasions to three shepherd children, Francisco, Jacinta and Lucia, in 1917.
“The message that she entrusted to them, in continuity with that of Lourdes, was a strong appeal to prayer and conversion; a truly prophetic message, considering that the 20th century was scourged by unheard-of destruction caused by war and totalitarian regimes, as well as widespread persecution of the Church.
“Moreover, on May 13, 1981, 25 years ago, the Servant of God John Paul II felt that he was saved miraculously from death by the intervention of ‘a maternal hand’ — as he himself said — and his entire pontificate was marked by what the Virgin had foretold at Fatima.
“Although there is no lack of anxiety and suffering, and although there are still reasons for apprehension about the future of humanity, what the ‘Lady in White’ promised the shepherd children is consoling: ‘At the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.’”
So, happy Mother’s Day to all our mothers — and from us to the Mother of us all. We thank her for the great hope she has given us at the Register — and the mission to pass that hope on every week to you.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Bishop Minns Installation
Filmed at Hylton Chapel
Woodbridge, VA
Produced by Kevin Kallsen
by AnglicanTV
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Bishop Minns: Pre Installation Press Conference
Filmed at Hylton Chapel
Woodbridge, VA
Produced by Kevin Kallsen
by AnglicanTV
Friday, May 04, 2007
IRD Supports CANA, All Orthodox Anglicans on Eve of Bishop Martyn Minns' Installation
WASHINGTON, May 4 /Christian Newswire/ -- On Saturday, May 5, Bishop Martyn Minns will be installed by Archbishop Peter Akinola of the Anglican Church of Nigeria as missionary bishop for the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA). Bishop Minns served as the rector of Truro Church from 1991-2007. He was consecrated as a bishop in August 2006. CANA is a missionary arm of the Church of Nigeria for Nigerian Anglicans in the United States and other orthodox Anglicans who cannot in good conscience remain in the Episcopal Church.
IRD Director of Anglican Action Ralph Webb said,
"Bishop Minns has served faithfully as an Anglican rector in many different types of parishes. His strong leadership qualities, unwavering commitment to orthodox theology and social witness, pastoral heart, and great concern for the poor are but four of many traits that will serve him well in his CANA responsibilities.
"Bishop Minns now is leading a flock composed largely of orthodox Anglicans who have left the Episcopal Church and joined CANA to, from their point of view, best serve God and remain faithful Christians and Anglicans. Others have left the Episcopal Church either for other groups or for oversight under another province. Some orthodox Anglicans remain in the Episcopal Church out of a sense of God's calling. They are committed to maintaining and, by God's grace, expanding orthodox faith and social witness within a denomination that even past Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold once said was in conflict with its own Scriptures.
"We at the IRD strongly support orthodox Anglicans in all of their various structures and callings, whether they remain within the Episcopal Church or leave it. We join them in contending for a healed Anglican Communion marked by a strong, vibrant commitment to a Scripturally-sound, orthodox faith, practice, and social witness. Our prayers and support, then, are not only for CANA upon Bishop Minns' installation, but for all orthodox Anglicans-and, indeed, for the health of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Christian church worldwide."
The Institute on Religion and Democracy, founded in 1981, is an ecumenical alliance of U.S. Christians working to reform their churches' social witness, in accord with biblical and historic Christian teachings, thereby contributing to the renewal of democratic society at home and abroad.
IRD Director of Anglican Action Ralph Webb said,
"Bishop Minns has served faithfully as an Anglican rector in many different types of parishes. His strong leadership qualities, unwavering commitment to orthodox theology and social witness, pastoral heart, and great concern for the poor are but four of many traits that will serve him well in his CANA responsibilities.
"Bishop Minns now is leading a flock composed largely of orthodox Anglicans who have left the Episcopal Church and joined CANA to, from their point of view, best serve God and remain faithful Christians and Anglicans. Others have left the Episcopal Church either for other groups or for oversight under another province. Some orthodox Anglicans remain in the Episcopal Church out of a sense of God's calling. They are committed to maintaining and, by God's grace, expanding orthodox faith and social witness within a denomination that even past Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold once said was in conflict with its own Scriptures.
"We at the IRD strongly support orthodox Anglicans in all of their various structures and callings, whether they remain within the Episcopal Church or leave it. We join them in contending for a healed Anglican Communion marked by a strong, vibrant commitment to a Scripturally-sound, orthodox faith, practice, and social witness. Our prayers and support, then, are not only for CANA upon Bishop Minns' installation, but for all orthodox Anglicans-and, indeed, for the health of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Christian church worldwide."
The Institute on Religion and Democracy, founded in 1981, is an ecumenical alliance of U.S. Christians working to reform their churches' social witness, in accord with biblical and historic Christian teachings, thereby contributing to the renewal of democratic society at home and abroad.
Archbishop Akinola Responds to Kate on CANA Installation
Church of Nigeria
Source: The Church of Nigeria (via e-mail)
2nd May, 2007
The Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori,
Episcopal Church Center
815 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10017, USA
My dear Presiding Bishop:
My attention has been drawn to your letter of April 30th ostensibly written to me but published on the Episcopal News Service website.
In light of the concerns that you raise it might be helpful to be reminded of the actions and decisions that have led to our current predicament.
At the emergency meeting of the Primates in October 2003 it was made clear that the proposed actions of the Episcopal Church would “tear the fabric of our Communion at its deepest level, and may lead to further division on this and further issues …” Sadly, this proved to be true as many provinces did proceed to declare broken or impaired communion with the Episcopal Church. Since that time the Primates have established task forces, held numerous meetings and issued a variety of statements and communiqués but the brokenness remains, our Provinces are divided, and so the usual protocol and permissions are no longer applicable.
You will also recall from our meeting in Dar es Salaam that there was specific discussion about CANA and recognition – expressed in the Communiqué itself – of the important role that it plays in the context of the present division within your Province. CANA was established as a Convocation of the Church of Nigeria, and therefore a constituent part of the Communion, to provide a safe place for those who wish to remain faithful Anglicans but can no longer do so within The Episcopal Church as it is currently being led. The response for your own House of Bishops to the carefully written and unanimously approved Pastoral Scheme in the Communiqué makes it clear that such pastoral protection is even more necessary.
It is my heartfelt desire – and indeed the expressed hope of all the Primates of the Communion – that The Episcopal Church will reconsider its actions – and make such special measures no longer necessary. This is the only way forward for full restoration into fellowship with the rest of the Communion. Further, I renew the pledge that I made to your predecessor, Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, that the Church of Nigeria will be the first to restore communion on the day that your Province abandons its current unbiblical agenda. Until then we have no other choice than to offer our assistance and oversight to our people and all those who will not compromise the “faith once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 1:3)
You speak in your letter of centuries old custom regarding diocesan boundaries. You are, of course, aware that the particular historical situation to which you make reference was intended to protect the church from false teaching not to prevent those who hold to the traditional teaching of the church from receiving faithful episcopal care. It was also a time when the Church had yet to face into the challenge of different denominational expressions of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I also find it curious that you are appealing to the ancient customs of the church when it is your own Province’s deliberate rejection of the biblical and historic teaching of the Church that has prompted our current crisis.
You mention the call to reconciliation. As you well know this is a call that I wholeheartedly embrace and indeed was a major theme of our time in Tanzania. You will also remember that one of the key elements of our discussion and the resulting Communiqué was the importance of resolving our current differences without resorting to civil law suits. You agreed to this. Yet it is my understanding that you are still continuing your own punitive legal actions against a number of CANA clergy and congregations. I fail to see how this is consistent with your own claim to be working towards reconciliation.
Once again please know that I look forward to the day when this current crisis is behind us and we can all be reunited around our One Lord and only Saviour Jesus the Christ. Until then be assured of my prayers for you and The Episcopal Church.
In Christ,
Signed
The Most Revd. Peter J Akinola, CON, DD
Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of all Nigeria
Date: 5/3/2007
Source: The Church of Nigeria (via e-mail)
2nd May, 2007
The Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori,
Episcopal Church Center
815 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10017, USA
My dear Presiding Bishop:
My attention has been drawn to your letter of April 30th ostensibly written to me but published on the Episcopal News Service website.
In light of the concerns that you raise it might be helpful to be reminded of the actions and decisions that have led to our current predicament.
At the emergency meeting of the Primates in October 2003 it was made clear that the proposed actions of the Episcopal Church would “tear the fabric of our Communion at its deepest level, and may lead to further division on this and further issues …” Sadly, this proved to be true as many provinces did proceed to declare broken or impaired communion with the Episcopal Church. Since that time the Primates have established task forces, held numerous meetings and issued a variety of statements and communiqués but the brokenness remains, our Provinces are divided, and so the usual protocol and permissions are no longer applicable.
You will also recall from our meeting in Dar es Salaam that there was specific discussion about CANA and recognition – expressed in the Communiqué itself – of the important role that it plays in the context of the present division within your Province. CANA was established as a Convocation of the Church of Nigeria, and therefore a constituent part of the Communion, to provide a safe place for those who wish to remain faithful Anglicans but can no longer do so within The Episcopal Church as it is currently being led. The response for your own House of Bishops to the carefully written and unanimously approved Pastoral Scheme in the Communiqué makes it clear that such pastoral protection is even more necessary.
It is my heartfelt desire – and indeed the expressed hope of all the Primates of the Communion – that The Episcopal Church will reconsider its actions – and make such special measures no longer necessary. This is the only way forward for full restoration into fellowship with the rest of the Communion. Further, I renew the pledge that I made to your predecessor, Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, that the Church of Nigeria will be the first to restore communion on the day that your Province abandons its current unbiblical agenda. Until then we have no other choice than to offer our assistance and oversight to our people and all those who will not compromise the “faith once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 1:3)
You speak in your letter of centuries old custom regarding diocesan boundaries. You are, of course, aware that the particular historical situation to which you make reference was intended to protect the church from false teaching not to prevent those who hold to the traditional teaching of the church from receiving faithful episcopal care. It was also a time when the Church had yet to face into the challenge of different denominational expressions of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I also find it curious that you are appealing to the ancient customs of the church when it is your own Province’s deliberate rejection of the biblical and historic teaching of the Church that has prompted our current crisis.
You mention the call to reconciliation. As you well know this is a call that I wholeheartedly embrace and indeed was a major theme of our time in Tanzania. You will also remember that one of the key elements of our discussion and the resulting Communiqué was the importance of resolving our current differences without resorting to civil law suits. You agreed to this. Yet it is my understanding that you are still continuing your own punitive legal actions against a number of CANA clergy and congregations. I fail to see how this is consistent with your own claim to be working towards reconciliation.
Once again please know that I look forward to the day when this current crisis is behind us and we can all be reunited around our One Lord and only Saviour Jesus the Christ. Until then be assured of my prayers for you and The Episcopal Church.
In Christ,
Signed
The Most Revd. Peter J Akinola, CON, DD
Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of all Nigeria
Date: 5/3/2007
Bishop Duncan to Attend Biship Minns' Installation
Bishop Robert Duncan, moderator of the Anglican Communion Network, will join Anglican leaders from around the world in Woodbridge, VA on May 5 to celebrate the installation of the Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns as the Missionary Bishop of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA).
Bishop Duncan said he was happy to be a part of this historic moment for CANA. “Martyn and CANA are partners with the Network. Most, if not all, CANA congregations also maintain their affiliation with us. We are fellow bishops of the worldwide Anglican Communion. I am looking forward to being part of this celebration of Martyn’s new ministry.”
Responding to uninformed concerns that have recently been raised about the relationship between CANA and other orthodox Anglicans, Bishop Duncan also made it clear that he has absolute trust in Bishop Minns’ and CANA’s commitment to a unified orthodox Anglican presence in the United States. “CANA has made it quite clear they desire to be a partner, not a competitor, in the ongoing realignment of Anglicanism here. I intend to take them at their word and join them in mission and ministry whenever and wherever possible,” said Bishop Duncan.
Posted on 5–04–07
Bishop Duncan said he was happy to be a part of this historic moment for CANA. “Martyn and CANA are partners with the Network. Most, if not all, CANA congregations also maintain their affiliation with us. We are fellow bishops of the worldwide Anglican Communion. I am looking forward to being part of this celebration of Martyn’s new ministry.”
Responding to uninformed concerns that have recently been raised about the relationship between CANA and other orthodox Anglicans, Bishop Duncan also made it clear that he has absolute trust in Bishop Minns’ and CANA’s commitment to a unified orthodox Anglican presence in the United States. “CANA has made it quite clear they desire to be a partner, not a competitor, in the ongoing realignment of Anglicanism here. I intend to take them at their word and join them in mission and ministry whenever and wherever possible,” said Bishop Duncan.
Posted on 5–04–07
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Nigerian Primate Helps US Anglicans
From The Washington Post
By RACHEL ZOLL
The Associated Press
Thursday, May 3, 2007; 3:52 PM
-- A powerful Anglican leader from Nigeria is strengthening the network of U.S. parishes he formed as a conservative alternative to the liberal-leaning Episcopal Church.
Archbishop Peter Akinola of the Anglican Church of Nigeria plans to lead a ceremony Saturday at a nondenominational chapel in Woodbridge, Va., where he'll install Martyn Minns, a former Episcopal clergyman, as bishop and U.S. leader of Akinola's Convocation of Anglicans in North America.
The installation is occurring as the world Anglican Communion, represented in the U.S. by the Episcopal Church, is on the brink of breaking apart. Anglican rifts over whether homosexuality is biblically acceptable broke wide open in 2003 when the Episcopalians consecrated the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.
Anglican leaders have given the U.S. denomination until Sept. 30 to step back from its support of gays or risk losing its full membership in the 77 million-member Anglican fellowship.
Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has "strongly urged" Akinola not to enter the United States to install Minns. In a letter to him this week, she said his visit would violate the Anglican tradition that national church leaders, called primates, only minister to churches within their own provinces.
Akinola responded Wednesday that "the usual protocol and permissions are no longer applicable" because of what he called the "unbiblical agenda" of the U.S. church.
He said he created CANA "to provide a safe place for those who wish to remain faithful Anglicans but can no longer do so within the Episcopal Church as it is currently being led."
Minns said there was an urgent need now to create a place for theological conservatives, who are a minority in the 2.3 million-member Episcopal Church.
"For us, we felt that waiting for one more meeting and one more deadline _ too many folks were getting lost in the middle, so for us, it was time to move on," Minns said in a teleconference with reporters Thursday.
The convocation started in December when two of the most prominent and conservative parishes in the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia _ Truro Church in Fairfax, which Minns led, and The Falls Church in Falls Church _ broke from the U.S. denomination and joined the network.
Several smaller Virginia parishes followed suit. The diocese and the breakaway parishioners are now fighting in court over who owns the properties, which are worth tens of millions of dollars.
Minns said that about 30 parishes and 50 clergy have joined the breakaway group, which includes churches for Nigerians living in the United States. He said most of the churches are in northern Virginia, with other parishes in Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta and New York.
Episcopal Bishop Peter Lee of Virginia, in a letter to his diocese, said Akinola's visit "will serve only to inflame the differences we have been struggling with."
"There are impatient forces seeking to provoke conflict," Lee wrote, "when humility, respect and patience are in order."
By RACHEL ZOLL
The Associated Press
Thursday, May 3, 2007; 3:52 PM
-- A powerful Anglican leader from Nigeria is strengthening the network of U.S. parishes he formed as a conservative alternative to the liberal-leaning Episcopal Church.
Archbishop Peter Akinola of the Anglican Church of Nigeria plans to lead a ceremony Saturday at a nondenominational chapel in Woodbridge, Va., where he'll install Martyn Minns, a former Episcopal clergyman, as bishop and U.S. leader of Akinola's Convocation of Anglicans in North America.
The installation is occurring as the world Anglican Communion, represented in the U.S. by the Episcopal Church, is on the brink of breaking apart. Anglican rifts over whether homosexuality is biblically acceptable broke wide open in 2003 when the Episcopalians consecrated the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.
Anglican leaders have given the U.S. denomination until Sept. 30 to step back from its support of gays or risk losing its full membership in the 77 million-member Anglican fellowship.
Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has "strongly urged" Akinola not to enter the United States to install Minns. In a letter to him this week, she said his visit would violate the Anglican tradition that national church leaders, called primates, only minister to churches within their own provinces.
Akinola responded Wednesday that "the usual protocol and permissions are no longer applicable" because of what he called the "unbiblical agenda" of the U.S. church.
He said he created CANA "to provide a safe place for those who wish to remain faithful Anglicans but can no longer do so within the Episcopal Church as it is currently being led."
Minns said there was an urgent need now to create a place for theological conservatives, who are a minority in the 2.3 million-member Episcopal Church.
"For us, we felt that waiting for one more meeting and one more deadline _ too many folks were getting lost in the middle, so for us, it was time to move on," Minns said in a teleconference with reporters Thursday.
The convocation started in December when two of the most prominent and conservative parishes in the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia _ Truro Church in Fairfax, which Minns led, and The Falls Church in Falls Church _ broke from the U.S. denomination and joined the network.
Several smaller Virginia parishes followed suit. The diocese and the breakaway parishioners are now fighting in court over who owns the properties, which are worth tens of millions of dollars.
Minns said that about 30 parishes and 50 clergy have joined the breakaway group, which includes churches for Nigerians living in the United States. He said most of the churches are in northern Virginia, with other parishes in Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta and New York.
Episcopal Bishop Peter Lee of Virginia, in a letter to his diocese, said Akinola's visit "will serve only to inflame the differences we have been struggling with."
"There are impatient forces seeking to provoke conflict," Lee wrote, "when humility, respect and patience are in order."
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Mrs Schori's rant against Bishop Minns' Installation
"A battle currently is raging for the soul of the Anglican Communion." -- IRD Director of Anglican Action Ralph Webb
WASHINGTON, May 2 /Christian Newswire/ -- On Saturday, May 5, the Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns is scheduled to be installed as missionary bishop of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA). CANA is a missionary arm of the Church of Nigeria for Nigerian Anglicans in the United States and other orthodox Anglicans who cannot in good conscience remain in the Episcopal Church. In a letter dated April 30, Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori asked Church of Nigeria Archbishop Peter Akinola not to proceed with the installation of Bishop Minns.
IRD Director of Anglican Action Ralph Webb commented,
"Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori's letter, coming as it does just a few days before Bishop Minns' installation, cannot be a serious attempt to stop the installation. Instead, it just restates what has already been known-- that the Episcopal Church objects to the installation and, indeed, the very presence of CANA in the United States. She insultingly charges that the installation will jettison Anglican tradition, set back reconciliation efforts, and only contribute to division--actions that the Episcopal Church is guilty of many times over in its stances taken toward the Anglican Communion.
"Most offensively, Bishop Jefferts Schori says that the installation 'would not help the efforts of reconciliation that are taking place in the Episcopal Church and in the Anglican Communion as a whole.' Yet the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops recently rejected a 'pastoral scheme' offered by the leaders of worldwide Anglican provinces (called 'primates'). The 'scheme' was intended to promote reconciliation between the largely progressive Episcopal Church, its orthodox members, and the Anglican Communion worldwide.
"A battle currently is raging for the soul of the Anglican Communion. Most Anglicans increasingly see the need for a greater interdependence among the Communion provinces rooted in orthodox faith and practice. The Episcopal Church, however, seemingly prizes its autonomy and its own increasingly heterodox theology and social witness above the larger Anglican Communion.
"The ball remains in the Episcopal Church's court. Will it contribute to the healing of the Anglican Communion, or will it exacerbate division and disunity?"
WASHINGTON, May 2 /Christian Newswire/ -- On Saturday, May 5, the Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns is scheduled to be installed as missionary bishop of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA). CANA is a missionary arm of the Church of Nigeria for Nigerian Anglicans in the United States and other orthodox Anglicans who cannot in good conscience remain in the Episcopal Church. In a letter dated April 30, Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori asked Church of Nigeria Archbishop Peter Akinola not to proceed with the installation of Bishop Minns.
IRD Director of Anglican Action Ralph Webb commented,
"Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori's letter, coming as it does just a few days before Bishop Minns' installation, cannot be a serious attempt to stop the installation. Instead, it just restates what has already been known-- that the Episcopal Church objects to the installation and, indeed, the very presence of CANA in the United States. She insultingly charges that the installation will jettison Anglican tradition, set back reconciliation efforts, and only contribute to division--actions that the Episcopal Church is guilty of many times over in its stances taken toward the Anglican Communion.
"Most offensively, Bishop Jefferts Schori says that the installation 'would not help the efforts of reconciliation that are taking place in the Episcopal Church and in the Anglican Communion as a whole.' Yet the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops recently rejected a 'pastoral scheme' offered by the leaders of worldwide Anglican provinces (called 'primates'). The 'scheme' was intended to promote reconciliation between the largely progressive Episcopal Church, its orthodox members, and the Anglican Communion worldwide.
"A battle currently is raging for the soul of the Anglican Communion. Most Anglicans increasingly see the need for a greater interdependence among the Communion provinces rooted in orthodox faith and practice. The Episcopal Church, however, seemingly prizes its autonomy and its own increasingly heterodox theology and social witness above the larger Anglican Communion.
"The ball remains in the Episcopal Church's court. Will it contribute to the healing of the Anglican Communion, or will it exacerbate division and disunity?"
Missouri Supreme Court Says Parents Have Rights Too
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., May 2 /Christian Newswire/ -- Concerned Women for America (CWA) of Missouri applauds the decision of the Missouri Supreme Court to uphold parental rights and responsibilities when it comes to health decisions regarding their minor daughters. In Planned Parenthood v. Nixon, the court ruled that parents have a right to hold responsible those who performed an abortion on their minor daughter.
Bev Ehlen, an Area Director for CWA of Missouri, stated, "The assertion by Planned Parenthood that a fifteen-year-old girl has a First Amendment right to have an abortion without her parent's knowledge, or consent, is absurd. Parents have a right and responsibility to protect their children." Thankfully, the court agreed. Schools require permission for children to receive any kind of medication, yet Planned Parenthood claims that a young girl should be able to have a risky medical procedure performed on her without the knowledge of her parents. "This is not about 'protecting a woman's right to choose,' it is about promoting an agenda and making money off abortions performed on young, uninformed girls."
While Planned Parenthood claimed that this case was about freedom of speech, Bev Ehlen explains that it was about protecting life and parental rights. "A law requiring parents to be informed about their daughter's medical procedure in no way violates free speech. The real concern from opponents of parental consent is the belief that this may hinder minors from going through with an abortion which would reduce the income of abortion providers."
CWA of Missouri believes this decision is a step in the right direction because it upholds the rights of parents and encourages young girls to think more thoroughly about ending the life of an innocent human being.
Concerned Women for America is the nation's largest public policy women's organization.
Bev Ehlen, an Area Director for CWA of Missouri, stated, "The assertion by Planned Parenthood that a fifteen-year-old girl has a First Amendment right to have an abortion without her parent's knowledge, or consent, is absurd. Parents have a right and responsibility to protect their children." Thankfully, the court agreed. Schools require permission for children to receive any kind of medication, yet Planned Parenthood claims that a young girl should be able to have a risky medical procedure performed on her without the knowledge of her parents. "This is not about 'protecting a woman's right to choose,' it is about promoting an agenda and making money off abortions performed on young, uninformed girls."
While Planned Parenthood claimed that this case was about freedom of speech, Bev Ehlen explains that it was about protecting life and parental rights. "A law requiring parents to be informed about their daughter's medical procedure in no way violates free speech. The real concern from opponents of parental consent is the belief that this may hinder minors from going through with an abortion which would reduce the income of abortion providers."
CWA of Missouri believes this decision is a step in the right direction because it upholds the rights of parents and encourages young girls to think more thoroughly about ending the life of an innocent human being.
Concerned Women for America is the nation's largest public policy women's organization.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Saint Philip and Saint James Apostles
God our Father, every year you give us joy on the festival of the apostles Philip and James. By the help of their prayers may we share in the suffering, death, and resurrection of your only Son and come to the eternal vision of your glory. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
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