50 years ago--a couple of items related to ecumenism

Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Amos 3:3

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. II Timothy 3:5

Manmade efforts to unite nominal Christian churches have never quite been able to succeed; could that be because God isn't behind these efforts? From back in the days when most newspapers had a religion page and/or section on Saturday, here are a couple of items that appeared on the first page of the religion section of The Edmonton Journal, April 26, 1975 (headlines in original):

Catechism joint effort

LONDON (Reuter)--A new move toward Christian unity--a joint Protestant and Roman Catholic catechism--has been introduced here.

The common catechism, published in Britain on April 21, is the first book on Christian belief to be produced by a mixed team of Protestant and Roman Catholic theologians.

It was first issued two years ago in German, edited by two Swiss theologian scholars.

The English-language translation, published by search press, has the blessing but not the official recognition of both Protestant and Roman Catholic church leaders.

Doctrinal questions such as the existence of God and approaches to faith are tackled in the catechism, which is more than 650 pages long.

The Common Catechism: A Book of Christian Faith, by Johannes Feiner and Lukas Vischer, was the work of Roman Catholic, Lutheran Church, and Reformed Church theologians, and was published in English by Seabury Press on January 1, 1975.

Union losing impetus

ORILLIA, Ont. (CP)--The moderator of the United Church of Canada says the proposed union of the United and Anglican Churches "seems to have slowed down in the past few months."

Speaking at a Muskoka presbytery rally, Dr. Wilbur Howard of Ottawa said the United Church "is waiting anxiously for a circularization in the membership of the Anglican Church to see how mwmbers of the general congregation feel about the union."

He noted that the Anglican House of Bishops recently made public a report affirming a possible union.

But, he said, "they found the plan of union unacceptable."

"In the United Church we did not seem to have a clear understanding of the role of the bishops. Also the United Church believes that women should be ordained.

"Maybe we pushed too hard and maybe we didn't listen enough. But it was a good try. Union can't be imposed, it can only come when we work for it. I think it's part of the future."

Dr. Howard also said that the United Church is including in its "design for the future" husband and wife acting as ordained ministers. He said such ministries are being considered for Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario.

As reported by Henry Overduin of the Montreal Gazette, June 20, 1975 (bold in original):

The decision this week by the Anglican synod meeting in Quebec City to reject the plan of union with the United Church is not as big a blow to ecumenism as might first be believed.

The plan of union was killed early February, when the bishops rejected it, commenting that it did not even provide a useful basis for continuing talks.

The synod, less brusquely but with the same result, confirmed the bishops' decision although accepting the plan as a study paper. But that's just a euphemism for "putting it on the shelf" where the plan of union will gather dust until some historian or archivist decides to peruse it.

LACK OF INTEREST

Lack of interest in schemes leading to organic union among Protestants is simply a fact of ecclesiastical life today.

This lack of interest, for example, is illustrated by the response to the so-called circularization of the Anglican church membership on union talks with the United Church.

That circularization--a poll--was decided on after the bishops rejected the plan of union, and something had to be done fast to assure the United Church that the Anglicans were still sincere about church union.

It was also made plain at the outset that the poll was not a referendum, that its results would not be binding on the church.

Results of the poll showed that while 72.1 per cent of eligible clergy responded, only 11 per cent of the eligible laity did.

The clergy were roughly divided half-and-half on the desirability of continuing talks--494 said yeas, and 473 said no. The general membership was also divided. A total of 33,396 favored continuation of the talks, and 28,930 were against.

But, based on the small sample and its volunteer nature, this poll hardly constituted a reliable gauge of Anglican sentiment.

As has been said before, it would be wrong to read into the synod's negative decision what is not really there, namely, that the ecumenical movement has suffeed a major setback. The concern of the ecumenical movement , in its general sense, was in fact affirmed. In this general sense, the ecumenical movement seeks to express the unity of the church in ways other than organizational charts.

NOTHING NEW

Also, the Anglican synod did go on record as favoring a continuation of talks based on a step-by-step approach to greater unity, instead of the grand plan originally proposed. But that's hardly new.

What can be expected--based on the leadership of the Church of England--is a greater movement toward unity with the Roman Catholic Church.

And, if one is to go by logic, isn't that the only sort of institutional direction the ecumenical movement can take?

As reported by Canadian Press and reported in the Montreal Gazette, June 20, 1975:

...Two decisions of major import affecting the entire church were made at the week-long meeting with synod stating that women can be priests and deciding toend negotiations for union with two other Protestant churches.

Both steps troubled the delegates and feelings during debate ran high...

In his closing remarks Archbishop [E.W.] Scott expressed his personal regrets to representatives of the United Church of Canada and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) as they returned home to face the "difficult task" of officially informing their churches of the church-union decision.

General synod Tuesday found the plan of union that the three churches unacceptable, and though it expressed its willingness to continue to seek unity, its decision was viewed as a final turndown after 32 years of talks.

Among other resolutions pushed through swiftly as the synod sought to clean up its business--much was left unfinished--was one that called upon local committees and other church groups to determine and report if any of their financial investments are in banks or corporations that have trade or have investments in South Africa. The committees were told to sell such holdings as soon as possible.

The church has gone on record as opposing and deploring apartheid--separation of the races--in that country.

All dioceses were asked to study and respond to the concept of a guaranteed annual income for Canadians.

A memorial for the diocese of Edmonton asked that the Anglican Book Centre, a publishing firm, determine if it were financially possible to reprint the 1938 hymn book, now out of print.

It has been superseded by a joint hymn book adopted in 1971 by the Anglican Church and the United Church, which many members do not like. Many churches continue to use the old book

. The Anglican Church of Canada ordained its first six priestesses on November 30, 1976--40 years after the United Church of Canada began doing so--but formal unity of the two churches has never occurred. The two are united, however, in their increasing apostasy. The Anglican Church, according to its own 2019 survey, will be dead by 2040, and it will come as no surprise if the same isn't true for the United Church. The United Church's intention of having husband and wife as ordained ministers seems quaint in 2025; ordaining alphabet perverts wasn't on the radar screen in 1975. To see the United Church of Canada's downward slide as measured by its views on "Gender and Transgender Justice," go here and get the timeline right from the horse's mouth (or should that be the ass's butt?).

40 years ago: Queen Elizabeth II visits Pope John Paul II

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith... I Timothy 4:1a

On October 16, 1555, erstwhile Church of England Bishops Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley became two of the most Protestant martyrs of the Reformation in England when they were burned at the stake in Oxford, England as heretics for refusing to accept Roman Catholic doctrine, particularly transubstantiation. As the flames rose around them, Mr. Latimer reportedly said, "Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man; we shall this day light such a candle by God’s grace in England as shall never be put out." That candle has been put out, evidence of which was an event that occurred the day after the 425th anniversary of the martyrdom of Messrs. Latimer and Ridley.

On October 17, 1980, another step was taken along the road to uniting all denominations under the banner of a false Christianity, as Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to make a state visit to the Vatican, where she and Prince Philip were received by Pope John Paul II. As reported by BBC News, October 17, 1980:

The Queen has made history after becoming the first British monarch to make a state visit to the Vatican.

Pope welcomed Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh, for what was described as a "warm and relaxed" encounter.

The Queen, dressed in a long black taffeta gown in line with Vatican protocol, arrived with the Duke at the Vatican in the rain at 1100 local time and took the lift up to the second floor.

Trumpets sounded and the royal procession moved slowly along the corridor into the Clementine Hall.

The Queen and the Duke were welcomed by John Paul II at the door of his private library.

The Queen then opened her speech with assurances of sincere friendship and good will.

She invited the Pope to her country in two years' time, but made clear this would not be a state visit but one "to the Roman Catholic community in Great Britain where some four million of my people are members of the Roman Catholic Church.

"We support the growing movement of unity between the Christian Churches throughout the world and we pray that your Holiness's visit to Britain may enable us all to see more clearly those truths which both unite and divide us in a new and constructive light."

In reply the Pope welcomed the opportunity of the forthcoming pastoral visit to the UK.

He said: "I render homage to the Christian history of your people, as well as to their cultural achievements.

"The ideals of freedom and democracy, anchored in your past remain challenges for every generation of upright citizens in your land."

They then held private talks and the Pope presented the Queen with a facsimile of the manuscript of Dante's Divine Comedy with its illustration of the Order of the Garter in the time of Edward IV.

In return she offered a book about Windsor Castle by St John Hope and two signed photographs.

After the talks, the Queen and Prince Philip walked out into the Clementine Hall and they went on to meet the Pope's Secretary of State, Cardinal Casaroli, at the home of the British Minister to the Holy See, Mark Heath.

As reported by BBC News:

The Queen's visit was seen as a big step towards forging relations with the Church Of England and the Roman Catholics.

In 1982 John Paul II was welcomed by Her Majesty two years later at Buckingham Palace during a historic visit to Great Britain.

The Queen visited the Vatican again in 2000 to mark the 20th anniversary of their first meeting.

The Pope reinforced their close ties over the years when he said: "Relations between the United Kingdom and the Holy See have not always been untroubled; long years of common inheritance were followed by the sad years of division.

"But in recent years there has emerged between us a cordiality more in keeping with the harmony of earlier times and more genuinely expressive of our common spiritual roots."

The Pope died at 2137 (1937 GMT) on Saturday 2 April 2005 after he failed to recover from a throat operation.

40 years ago: Pope John Paul II meets the Dalai Lama

On October 9, 1980, Pope John Paul II held a private audience with the Dalai Lama at the Vatican. While this blogger is unaware of what was said, it can be reasonably inferred that the audience was one of the events leading up to the World Day of Prayer for Peace, which took place in Assisi, Italy on October 27, 1986, under the leadership of Pope John Paul II, with the Dalai Lama as his right-hand man.

See my post 25 years ago: Representatives of 12 religions join Pope John Paul II at World Day of Prayer for Peace (October 26, 2011).

Interfaith forum in Abu Dhabi celebrates first anniversary of Document of Human Fraternity

This blogger somehow missed hearing of the original event a year ago, but the anniversary hasn't slipped by me. The Antichrist's agenda advances apace, as reported by Ismail Sebugwaawo in the Dubai newspaper Khaleej Times, February 3, 2020:

Abu Dhabi -- Engaging youths in campaigns for unity, intercultural dialogue and denouncing hate speech, and ensuring that schools introduce lessons on tolerance and human values are some of the strategies to ensure that the Human Fraternity document that seeks world peace becomes a reality, according to authorities.

During a media roundtable on Monday, officials from the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, an independent body of religious leaders, educational scholars and cultural figures from across the world, said the inaugural Voices of Human Fraternity Forum will be held in Abu Dhabi today. The event is held on the anniversary of the historic Document of Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar Sheikh Ahmed El Tayyeb, during the Papal visit to the UAE Capital in 2019.

The forum brings together more than 150 students, youth leaders, advocates and educational representatives from around the world to discuss ways to address young people's aspirations for a peaceful future.

Judge Mohamed Mahmoud Abdel Salam, general secretary of the Higher Committee, said: "On the anniversary of the Document of Human Fraternity, we want to honour those who are making human fraternity a reality. It is these people who are shaping the future and we need to hear their voices, understand their concerns and engage with their hopes and aspirations if we are to collectively enable a more peaceful future for all."

He noted that the human fraternity document is for everyone seeking good. "It encourages good deeds, denounces evil and promotes peace and intercultural dialogue," said Salam, adding that the committee is actively pursuing a plan to realise the aspirations of the document and is engaged in a number of major initiatives, including advising on the development of an Abrahamic Family House set to be located on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi. The initiative launched after the signing of the document involves places of worship for three faiths including a synagogue, mosque and a church in one place and the project will be completed in 2022.

"The committee is making strategies on how to introduce lessons about tolerance and human values in schools across the globe. We are also organising workshops involving youths to educate youngsters on the importance of peace and togetherness," said Abdel Salam.

"We shouldn't consider people of other religions or those we disagree with as enemies because we are all one and we should learn to respect and love one another. This is the message youths should spread."

Mohamed Hussein Mahrasawi, president of Al Azhar University, said: "In Egypt, we have conducted various seminars and lectures to promote the human fraternity document which carries great values of peace, tolerance, equal rights for minority groups and respect for each other."

He noted that it's important to educate young people on the values of humanity and peaceful coexistence, empathy, solidarity and the negative effects of hate speech so that "we can become one family".

Officials said the human fraternity document is an absolute confluence of every religion because it calls upon unity and togetherness, advocates for education and goes to as far as dealing with human trafficking and other things that deny people of their human rights like education and living in peace.

The Human Fraternity Committee said it was also engaged in meetings with leaders and projects in vulnerable communities. Most recently, the committee met the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, and other senior UN representatives, to discuss the group's future plans. Following the meeting, Guterres agreed to share the Human Fraternity Document with the 194 member states so that they can benefit from the principles and values it sets out.

As reported by Anjana Sankar in the Khaleej Times, February 5, 2020 (bold in original):

The Document on Human Fraternity, signed last year by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, is proof that "what unifies believers is much more than what divides them", the personal secretary to the Pope said in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

Monsignor Yoannis Lahzi Gaid, who is also the member of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity Council, was speaking on Tuesday at the forum to celebrate the first anniversary of the signing of the historic document on February 4 last year.

"The document is a road map for a better future... to rebuild the torn humanity."

It is hailed as the most important document in human history and a blueprint for collaboration between faiths.

Describing the document as a 'lifeboat', Gaid also said it is a call for all thinkers, philosophers, politicians, leaders, artists, creative people and media to "reinvent the values of peace and witness peaceful coexistence".

Quoting the rich diversity of nationalities living in Abu Dhabi, Gaid said God created a diverse world and true believers will know that all creatures belong to the same source.

"Diversity is there because it is the will of God. To fight against diversity is to go against the will of God."

Gaid said the worship of God without respecting every human being, especially those who are vulnerable, is not real worship.

"Human fraternity is not just a value. It is the main root without which we cannot reach God. It is a reality."

Achieving peace

In his opening remark, Patriarch Bartholomew 1 of Constantinople of the Eastern Orthodox Church spoke about the importance of interreligious dialogue in promoting world peace.

"It is our duty to promote interreligious dialogue because there is no peace in the world without peace among religions. And there is no peace among religions without interreligious dialogue," he said.

The Patriarch raised concerns on how the unprecedented changes and challenges facing the world is spawning a reevaluation of the role of faith. "The acts of fundamentalists support the characterisation and even identification of religion with division and intolerance. So the essential dilemma of humanity nowadays is not between religion and no religion... but what type of religion."

He said the revival of religions should be based on their genuine ability and contributions to reconciliation and solidarity, and that religions can make use of their 'precious spiritual inheritance and philanthropic vision' to promote interreligious dialogue and tolerance.

"In our times, the credibility of religions depends largely on their commitment to interreligious dialogue, peace and solidarity.

"Genuine religion cannot betray earth for the sake of heaven; the present for the sake of future."

He said religions do not absolve humans of their responsibility in the world and for the world, and for true believers, faith is a peaceful approach to resist injustice and work for social cohesion and solidarity. "The solution must be based on projection of human dignity and social justice."

As reported by Wam in the Khaleej Times, February 9, 2020:

Miguel Moratinos, the High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, has commended the steps taken by the Higher Committee for Human Fraternity towards implementing the 'Document on Human Fraternity.' "The document is a blueprint for interfaith harmony and charts the course for promoting a culture of peace, respect of the other and religious pluralism," Moratinos said in a statement on the occasion of the first anniversary of the signing of the document.

The 'Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and living Together' was co-signed in Abu Dhabi on February 4, 2019, by the Head of Catholic Church, His Holiness Pope Francis and His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeb.

The top UN official also "reaffirmed his commitment to collaborate with the Higher Committee in implementing the Document on Human Fraternity."

When I see all this emphasis on peace, I'm reminded of this prophecy concerning the Antichrist (emphasis mine):

And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. Daniel 8:25

Rabbi who specializes in eschatology warns against Pope Francis

As reported by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz of Breaking Israel News, February 11, 2020 (links in original):

Historically, the Vatican was no friend to the Jews but its new initiative aligns the Catholic Church with Islam in a one-world religion that may be the biggest threat ever to the Jewish People. A major event to advance the project will take place on the anniversary of the birth of the State of Israel which, according to one rabbi, is fitting since Judaism is the last bastion, entirely incompatible with a New World Order.

At an address to Vatican diplomats last month, Pope Francis announced that the Vatican will be hosting a global event with titled, “Reinventing the Global Compact on Education.”

“A global educational pact is needed to educate us in universal solidarity and a new humanism,” the Pope said when he first proposed the summit.

A Vatican-backed website to promote the pact added: “Educating young people in fraternity, in learning to overcome divisions and conflicts, promote hospitality, justice and peace: Pope Francis has invited everyone who cares about the education of the young generation to sign a Global Pact, to create a global change of mentality through education.”

The Pope described the need for the global alliance.

“‘Never before has there been such need to unite our efforts in a broad educational alliance, to form mature individuals capable of overcoming division and antagonism, and to restore the fabric of relationships for the sake of a more fraternal humanity,’” he said.

The Pope cited the aphorism “It takes a village to raise a child,” explaining its place in his global vision.

“All change, like the epochal change we are now experiencing, calls for a process of education and the creation of an educational village capable of forming a network of open and human relationships,” he said.

“Education is not limited to school and university classrooms,” the Pope said at the address last month. “[It is] principally ensured by strengthening and reinforcing the primary right of the family to educate, and the right of Churches and social communities to support and assist families in raising their children.”

The education initiative is a continuation of the Pope’s global vision as laid out in his Document on the Human Brotherhood for World Peace and Common Living Together signed by Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, in February 2019 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The agreement between the two religious leaders was criticized for its stance on the diversity of religions.

“The fact that people are forced to adhere to a certain religion or culture must be rejected,” the document read. “As too the imposition of a cultural way of life that others do not accept.”

Rabbi Pinchas Winston, a prolific end-of-times author, noted that in many surprising respects, the Vatican is now practically indistinguishable from secularism.

“It used to be that the Catholic Church was the bastion that stood against liberalism in every way, denouncing it as heresy,” Rabbi Winston said. “This was the case for as long as the Vatican could impose its will on its people and influence the rest of the world. That reality has changed because they don’t have that power anymore. Pope Francis is a result of this change. He is a ‘man of the people.’”

Rabbi Winston noted that traditional values in the Catholic Church are indeed changing in ways that would have been inconceivable not so long ago.

“They used to say that secular values and liberalism were bad but when the people changed and liberalism became widespread, the Vatican reversed that position.,” Rabbi Winston said. “How can a religion claim to be from God when a man can decide to change it?”

Rabbi Winston noted that the theme of one-world order as presented by the Pope was presented several times in the Bible.

“Seeing the world as one is how it was in the days before the Tower of Babel,” Rabbi Winston said. “This was when men joined together to take over the world and kick God out.”

Rabbi Winston noted that the counterintuitive mix of secular intellectualism and religion appeared later in Genesis.

“According to Midrash, Esau impressed his father, Isaac, with questions that seemed to relate to religion but were only leveled on the intellectual level. The real intent of the questions was to generate chaos and division. The erev rav (mixed multitude) works this way, by making it appear that their intentions are pure and that they are good people. But their real intent is destructive; to disable truth.”

“The secular present universalism as the source of all brotherhood but it is exactly the opposite. There is more diversity in the world than ever before in human history. To have one way to worship God before Moshiach (Messiah) comes and brings everyone up to speed is not realistic and harmful to anyone who does not conform. The Pope should be smart enough to realize that there are very good reasons for the differences. People are different. This new initiative by the Vatican is classic liberalism in the garb of religion.”

The date of the global educational summit is May 14, precisely 72 years after Israel proclaimed its independence. Rabbi Winston suggested that this could have a deeper meaning, indicating the inherent conflict between the Jewish People and universal religion.

“They can’t get rid of the Jews and what they represent anymore by simply attacking us, which was how it was done for 2,000 years,” Rabbi Winston said. “Are they trying to get rid of the Jews and the Torah by creating one world religion? Anyone who wants a one-world order has to get rid of the Jews because all of human history has proven that the core of Torah Judaism doesn’t change, even, when necessary, and the cost of death. We are still the same people in the same land with the same Torah.”

One lesson, as always, is: never trust a Jesuit. It speaks volumes about the lack of discernment in our time that Rabbi Winston of thirtysix.org has a better idea of what Pope Francis is up to than do many professing Christian "leaders."

Former chaplain to Queen Elizabeth II converts to Roman Catholicism

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. Galatians 1:6-7

Yet another one, as reported by Nick Hallett of the Catholic Herald, December 17, 2019:

An outspoken former chaplain to the Queen is to convert to Catholicism on the Fourth Sunday of Advent this year.

Gavin Ashenden resigned his chaplaincy in 2017 after criticising a service at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in Glasgow which included a reading from the Koran denying Christ’s divinity. He left the Church of England that same year to become a bishop in the Christian Episcopal Church, a breakaway group of traditionalist Anglicans.

Writing in a forthcoming edition of the Catholic Herald, Ashenden said the Church of England had capitulated “to the increasingly intense and non-negotiable demands of a secular culture.”

“I watched as Anglicanism suffered a collapse of inner integrity as it swallowed wholesale secular society’s descent into a post-Christian culture,” he added.

The former chaplain said he was helped in his conversion by taking up the Rosary and by looking into Eucharistic miracles. “The fact that [the miracles] were unknown amongst those who celebrated the Anglican version of the Eucharist, carries obvious implications,” he wrote.

After failing to find a way to unite orthodox Anglicans into one ecclesial grouping, Ashenden also came to appreciate the Magisterium of the Catholic Church: “I came to realise (too long after both Newman and Chesterton had already explained why) that only the Catholic Church, with the weight of the Magisterium, had the ecclesial integrity, theological maturity and spiritual potency to defend the Faith, renew society and save souls in the fullness of faith.”

Ashenden will be received into the Church by Bishop Mark Davies at Shrewsbury Cathedral. Bishop Davies told the Church Militant website it was “very humbling to be able to receive a bishop of the Anglican tradition into Full Communion in the year of the canonization of Saint John Henry Newman.”

“It has been a special joy to accompany Gavin Ashenden in the final steps of a long journey to be at home in the Catholic Church,” Bishop Davies added.

“I am conscious of the witness which Ashenden has given in the public square to the historic faith and values on which our society has been built. I pray that this witness will continue to be an encouragement to many.”

The Diocese of Shrewsbury said that Ashenden’s Anglican orders will be suspended upon his reception into the Church and he will become a lay Catholic theologian.

See also my posts:

Five Church of England bishops decide to join the Roman Catholic Church (December 6, 2010)

Calgary parish votes to leave the Anglican Church of Canada and join the Roman Catholic Church (December 6, 2010)

More Canadian Anglicans break away to join the Roman Catholic Church (May 16, 2012)

60 years ago: Upcoming talks on Roman Catholic-Eastern Orthodox reunification announced

On September 3, 1959, Vatican radio announced that representatives of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches would meet in Venice for unofficial talks on possible reunification.

I haven't been able to find if such talks have taken place, but formal reunification has yet to take place. There will eventually be a union of false Christianity, however, centred in Rome, during the Great Tribulation when the Antichrist and False Prophet deceive the world. God is making sure that biblical prophecy is fulfilled according to His schedule, which isn't necessarily in accord with the plans of men.

Austrian parliament votes to shut down Saudi-financed interfaith centre

As reported by Agence France-Presse, June 13, 2019:

The Austrian foreign ministry said on Wednesday it would implement a vote by MPs on the topic of closing a controversial Saudi-funded centre. The facility was created for religious dialogue in the capital Vienna.

MPs voted on Wednesday to demand the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) be closed down following repeated criticism of Saudi Arabia's human rights record.

The latest vote was prompted by a recent case in which an 18-year-old was sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for alleged crimes committed when he was a child.

Austria's foreign ministry said that it would comply with parliament's decision and was "checking the necessary legal steps" in order to do so.

The centre would be closed in a way that "will not cause damage to Austria's foreign policy interests and which is in line with international practice," the ministry said in a statement.

The centre has been a periodic source of controversy since opening in 2012, with critics saying it offered the government in Riyadh a way to gloss over accusations of severe human rights violations.

In a statement on Wednesday KAICIID said it had "received the news of today's parliamentary vote with concern".

"KAICIID stands by its record in fostering dialogue all over the world. It should be judged on this record," the statement said.

KAICIID said its "activities cannot... be identified with any particular state".

The centre was opened with great pomp by UN chief Ban Ki-moon and senior figures from the world's main religions.

Its founding treaty was signed by Austria, Spain and Saudi Arabia, with the Holy See participating as a founding observer.

Until recently the centre had always enjoyed a degree of political protection in Austria, particularly from the centre-right People's Party (ÖVP) and its leader Sebastian Kurz.

But the collapse of Kurz's government last month, and his subsequent removal as chancellor in a confidence vote, meant that other parties were able to join forces to vote for Wednesday's motion on KAICIID.

In 2015 the then Chancellor Werner Faymann, who hailed from the centre-left, threatened to withdraw support from the centre unless it condemned the public flogging of Saudi blogger Raef Badawi.

At that time Kurz was foreign minister and the ÖVP did not join Faymann's criticism.

Church of England to recognize monks and nuns for the first time since the Reformation

Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man! We shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out. Hugh Latimer, Church of England Bishop of Worcester, to fellow Protestant martyr Nicholas Ridley, as both were being burned at the stake outside Balliol College, Oxford in 1555, during the reign of Queen Mary I, a Roman Catholic; as cited by Foxe's Book of Martyrs.

That candle has gone out; as reported by Laura FitzPatrick of the London Daily Telegraph, July 8, 2019 (link in original):

Monks and nuns will be formally recognised by the Church of England for the the first time since the Reformation following criticism over its response to a series of child abuse scandals.

For the first time since Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries, between 1536 and 1541, the C of E has voted to create a law, known as a canon, so that it can regulate religious groups.

It follows heightened concerns about safeguarding, after some religious communities faced allegations of sexual abuse in a damning report from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) in May.

The report criticised the Prince of Wales for his friendship with Peter Ball, a former Bishop of Gloucester who abused his position as a senior member of the clergy to “manipulate vulnerable teenagers and young men for his own sexual gratification”.

IISCA’s report concluded that the Church’s response to claims of child sexual abuse was “marked by secrecy, prevarication and avoidance of reporting alleged crimes”.

Addressing the General Synod, Dr David Walker, Bishop of Manchester said: "As Archbishop Justin has already said to Synod, the recently published IICSA report relating to the abuse perpetrated by Peter Ball under the cover of setting up religious communities is truly shocking.

“I live with a sense of shame and disgust as the proper human and Christian response to reading that report."

He cited the IICSA recommendation that asks the C of E to introduce appropriate guidance which deals with safeguarding within the context of a religious community affiliated to the Church”.

It continues: “It must ensure that these organisations meet adequate requirements for safeguarding and child protection. The needs of victims should be prioritised when designing safeguarding policies and practices.”

Following a unanimous vote at the General Synod in York on Monday morning, the House of Bishops has more oversight in how it can regulate monks and nuns.

The regulations specify conditions relating to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults, as well as financial affairs and the making of vows or promises.

Once finalised, the canon will also specify the minimum number of members required for a community to be eligible for regulation. Dr David Walker said that it will provide structure following the “growth in new religious communities”.

One nun, Sister Catherine Harvey of the Sisters of the Love of God in Oxford questioned the canon’s introduction whilst there is a decline in the numbers of those observing private religious life.

“It does seem ironic that after 150 years of religious life in England, the church has chosen a time when we are in terminal decline to regulate and recognise us by canon,” she said.

“The answer most often given is that of safeguarding. It is of course right that the shame of the church should have concrete expression in this form. The need has been highlighted by the death of our brother Peter Hall.”

Pope Francis gives relics of St. Peter to Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople

The ecumenical movement of the last days proceeds apace, as reported by Cindy Wooden of Catholic News Service, July 2, 2019:

VATICAN CITY — In what Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople described as a “brave and bold” gesture, Pope Francis gave the patriarch a famous reliquary containing bone fragments believed to belong to St. Peter.

The only time the bronze reliquary has been displayed publicly was in November 2013, when Pope Francis had it present for public veneration as he celebrated the closing Mass for the Year of Faith, opened by Pope Benedict XVI.

The bronze case contains nine of the bone fragments discovered during excavations of the necropolis under St. Peter’s Basilica that began in the 1940s.

In the 1960s, archaeologist Margherita Guarducci published a paper asserting that she had found St. Peter’s bones near the site identified as his tomb.

While no pope has ever declared the bones to be authentic, St. Paul VI announced in 1968 that the “relics” of St. Peter had been “identified in a way which we can hold to be convincing.”

Pope Paul took nine of the bone fragments, commissioned the bronze reliquary, and kept the relics in his private chapel in the papal apartments.

Pope Francis removed them from the chapel June 29, the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.

Patriarch Bartholomew had sent a delegation led by Archbishop Job of Telmessos to the Vatican for the feast day celebrations. After the solemn Mass, Pope Francis and Archbishop Job went down to St. Peter’s tomb under the high altar to pray.

Then, the archbishop recounted, Pope Francis asked him to wait for him because he had a gift for his “brother” Patriarch Bartholomew. The pope came back and led the archbishop to his little blue Ford Focus and they were driven to the Apostolic Palace.

They entered the chapel of the old papal apartment, where Pope Francis chose not to live, and “the pope took the reliquary that his predecessor Paul VI had placed in the little chapel and offered it to his guest,” according to Vatican News.

“For us, this was an extraordinary and unexpected event that we could not have hoped for,” Vatican News quoted the archbishop as saying.

He phoned Patriarch Bartholomew as soon as he could to tell him the news.

Arrangements quickly were made for Msgr. Andrea Palmieri, undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, to accompany the relics to the Phanar, the Orthodox patriarchate’s headquarters in Istanbul.

It was “another gigantic step toward concrete unity,” Archbishop Job said.

At a ceremony June 30 to receive the relics and venerate them, Patriarch Bartholomew said, “Pope Francis made this grand, fraternal and historic gesture” of giving the Orthodox fragments of the relics of St. Peter.

“I was deeply moved,” the patriarch said, according to the news published on the patriarchate’s Facebook page along with 15 photos. “It was a brave and bold initiative of Pope Francis.”

Pope Francis makes pilgrimage to Geneva to pray for unity with liberal Protestants at World Council of Churches

The religious unity under Antichrist for the end times before the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, prophesied in the Bible, continues to proceed. I missed this item when it was first published; as reported by The Local (Switzerland), June 21, 2018 (bold, links in original):

Pope Francis called on Thursday for deeper unity between the Catholic Church and other Christian faiths as he visited Geneva, a centre of Protestantism, amid Christianity's waning influence in Europe.

"I have desired to come here, a pilgrim in quest of unity and peace," Francis told a prayer gathering at Geneva's Ecumenical Centre, shortly after arriving in the City of Calvin.

#Pope Francis has arrived in #Switzerland. The head of the Roman Catholic Church was received by #SwissPresident Alain Berset (BK) #papalvisit #WCC70 @pontifex @alain_berset pic.twitter.com/kHantFHWCo
— André Simonazzi (@BR_Sprecher) June 21, 2018

The pontiff, who was met by Swiss President Alain Berset at Geneva airport, said Christians were called to follow a path with "a clear aim, that of unity."

He came at the invitation of the World Council of Churches (WCC), which was created in 1948 and groups around 350 Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican churches from more than 100 countries around the world, with around half a billion believers among them.

Pope Francis on Thursday visits the World Council of Churches (#WCC70) in Geneva, Switzerland, with a stop at the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey. #papalvisithttps://t.co/2Sx6EXmNL9

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) June 20, 2018

At the start of his one-day visit, he took part in an "ecumenical prayer" for the organisation's 70th anniversary, highlighting his commitment to unity between various Christian denominations.

'Unbridled consumerism'

"In the course of history, divisions between Christians have often arisen because at their root, in the life of communities, a worldly mindset has seeped in," he told the 230 Christians of various denominations gathered before him.

The pope warned that "indifference prevails in the streets of today's world. Driven by our instincts, we become slaves to unbridled consumerism, and God's voice is gradually silenced."

"How hard it is to leave behind centuries-old disagreements and mutual recriminations," he acknowledged, but insisted that "our differences must not be excuses... We can pray, evangelise and serve together."

"Our world, torn by all too many divisions that affect the most vulnerable, begs for unity," he said.

Historically, divisions between the Catholic Church and the Protestant confessions have run deep.

The dissenting movement launched by Martin Luther more than 500 years ago and its strict interpretation ingrained in Geneva by John Calvin in the mid-16th century launched centuries of often bloody divisions in Europe.

WCC chief Olav Fykse Tveit, a Norwegian Lutheran pastor, told AFP prior to the pope's visit that "it is not difficult to find issues that are still dividing Christians," pointing to attitudes towards "human sexuality and family life".

But he said there was movement towards Christians across denominations becoming "more united, and the pope's visit is a sign of that."

'Speaks for all Christians'

"I think that many Christians, whether they are Catholics or not, see him as a strong voice for what we want to say as Christians today," he said pointing to the pope's message of love and inclusiveness.

"In that sense, he speaks for all Christians," he said.

The Catholic Church is not part of the WCC but Francis is keen to close the gap between its 1.3 billion-strong faithful and the Churches under the WCC umbrella, in particular given the regularity of deadly attacks on Christians.

In April, Egypt sentenced 36 people to death for their role in a string of bomb attacks on Coptic churches in Cairo, Alexandria and the Nile Delta city of Tanta between 2016 and 2017 that killed at least 80 people.

The pontiff has at times faced criticism for making ecumenism and interreligious dialogue -- most notably with Muslims -- one of the priorities of his pontificate.

He has frequently referred to "ecumenism of blood", deploring the indiscriminate murder of Catholics, Orthodox and Protestant Christians.

"If the enemy unites us in death, who are we to be divided in life?" Francis asked in 2015.

Swiss guard

In a nod to his Swiss hosts, Francis's plane was met Thursday by two former Swiss guards, the stoic papal soldiers who have vowed to sacrifice all for the pontiff if need be.

Pope Francis visits #Switzerland pic.twitter.com/VPtJSP3x92

— Christophe Bertschy (@SwissMinipeople) June 21, 2018

The Swiss guard was created in 1506, making it the oldest army in the world, and is made up solely of soldiers recruited among celibate, Roman Catholic Swiss citizens.

The pope is due to wrap up his lightning tour to Geneva by celebrating Mass before some 41,000 Catholics at the city's Palexpo convention centre.

In Switzerland, a country of some eight million people, 41 percent of the population identifies as Catholic, and around a quarter identify as Protestant.

Click on the link for the Vatican's account: Ecumenical Pilgrimage of His Holiness Francis to Geneva to Mark the 70th Anniversary of the Foundation of the World Council of Churches

Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches in Topeka hold "Fellowship in Faith" event

Yet another one, as reported by Phil Anderson of the Topeka Journal-Capital, April 27, 2018:

A Catholic church and a Lutheran church that are separated by a parking lot in west Topeka will hold a special event that will bring the congregations together this weekend.

Members of Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic Church and Faith Lutheran Church will gather for an event called “Fellowship in Faith” from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, April 29. The event will take place in the parking lot of Faith Lutheran Church, just east of S.W. 17th and Gage.

Barb Chamberlain, a member of Most Pure Heart of Mary and a coordinator of the event, said the idea for the event was hatched this past fall when pastors of the two churches were visiting.

The Rev. Greg Hammes, pastor of Most Pure Heart of Mary Church, and the Rev. Jim Bender, pastor of Faith Lutheran Church, “felt we should celebrate being neighbors and friends in Christ,” Chamberlain said.

The fellowship event on Sunday was one of the outcomes of the pastors’ conversation, Chamberlain noted, and is designed to signify the two churches “are neighbors as well as members of the one body of Christ.”

The event will feature a free hamburger and hot dog cookout with sides and desserts; entertainment by the Doug Cafer Band; a children’s activity area hosted by Faith Lutheran’s youth group; and a beer and wine garden “for those who would like to toast to friendships old and new.”

Committee members from both churches have worked on this project since last fall, and are hopeful the event will become an annual celebration.

Increase in pilgrimages prompts Church of England to send chaplains to Spain

Millennials and other pilgrims are trying to fill their spiritual vacuum with man-made religious exercises instead of the grace of God. They may be travelling through France and Spain now, but eventually they'll end up in Rome. As reported by Olivia Rudgard of the London Daily Telegraph, May 4, 2018 (links in original):

A millennial on a post-university gap year might not fit the obvious profile for a religious pilgrim travelling through Europe.

But growing numbers of of then are following a trend for pilgrimage - prompting the Church of England to send chaplains to fulfil their spiritual needs.

For the first time Anglican priests from England as well as sister churches in Canada and Australia will minister to people who have completed the Camino de Santiago, a voyage of hundreds of miles across France and Spain which is normally undertaken on foot.

The Rev Alasdair Kay, a Church of England priest based in Derbyshire, suggested the project after completing the walk himself during a sabbatical.

Many of the English-speaking pilgrims he encountered were "millennials, post-university" who were searching for spiritual meaning in life and needed guidance, he told the Daily Telegraph.

"'I've got my degree, but I haven't sorted out who I am or what I want to do with my life'", was a common theme, he said, adding that many of those he spoke to were not explicitly Christian but were interested in faith.

They were "finding spirituality in and through nature", and wanted "more dialogue and much less dogma," he said.

"There is a spirituality amongst millennials. They wanted to talk about prayer, they wanted to talk about spiritual experience, they wanted to talk about Jesus."

The Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage to the burial site of the Apostle St James, whose body is said to have been brought to Santiago de Compostela following his martyrdom in 44 AD.

Pilgrims have travelled to the city since the medieval era. Numbers fell to a few hundred in the 1980s but a boom in popularity has seen them rise to 300,000 by last year.

Figures show that the number of people under 30 who undertake the pilgrimage has more than doubled in a decade, from almost 35,000 in 2007 to 84,000 in 2017, and this age group makes up almost one in three pilgrims on the route.

British pilgrims are also growing in number, from 1,700 in 2007 to 5,768 last year, according to statistics from the Oficina del Peregrino, which welcomes pilgrims who arrive at the journey's end point, the city of Santiago de Compostela in north west Spain.

The Catholic church provides mass and chaplaincy to pilgrims in Santiago de Compostela and is understood to be supportive of the new scheme to provide services and spiritual guidance for Anglicans and English-speaking Christians of other denominations.

A female Canadian priest has already travelled to the city to begin a 12 week pilot, and Mr Kay is due to join her in June.

A group of Church of England priests are then due to pick the role up in the Autumn after a break for the summer, when the hot weather means few English-speaking pilgrims take on the trip.

Each chaplain would be there for around two weeks, celebrating the Eucharist on Sundays and praying with pilgrims.

Many pilgrims are also workers in the financial services industry who were asking "I've got all this wealth, but why am I alive?", Mr Kay added.

"That was a big modern pain that I hadn't been aware of."

Some travellers are also on the cusp of retirement, had lost loved ones, or recently been diagnosed with or recovered from a life-threatening illness.

Archdeacon of Gibraltar Geoff Johnston, who has oversight of the project, said: “Some people are still searching for some spirituality in their lives, and sometimes the traditional church doesn't resonate with them, but other things could help them to become closer to some kind of spiritual life, and to God, and taking part in a pilgrimage makes them think about what life is about."

French President Emmanuel Macron calls for a repair of church-state relations

While Satan uses atheism for his purposes, he ultimately doesn't want an atheistic world, but one that worships him as God.
Biblical prophecy indicates that the religion of the end times just before the Lord Jesus Christ's return to Earth will not be secular humanism, but rather a false form of Christianity. It's therefore interesting to see the President of France, a country that seems to be as secular as one can find, calling for better relations between church and state. As reported by Henry Samuel of the London Daily Telegraph, April 10, 2018 (links in original):

Emmanuel Macron faced today accusations of undermining French secularism for telling French Catholic leaders that “relations between Church and State have been damaged” and must be “repaired”.

Under a landmark 1905 law, France observes a strict separation between Church and State.

In an unprecedented speech to French bishops on Monday night in Paris, the French president said: “We share in a confused way that relations between the Church and State have been damaged and it is up to you, as much as us, to repair them”.

This, he said, would be done through a "dialogue of truth".

"A French president who takes no interest in the Church and its Catholics would be failing in his duty," added Mr Macron, who called on Catholics to “engage once again with the French and European political scene”.

The remarks infuriated Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the left-wing France Insoumise (France Unbowed) party, who slammed them as "irresponsible".

"Macron in full-blown metaphysical delirium. Outrageous. One expects a president, one gets a sub-priest," Mr Melenchon said in a tweet.

"Secularism is the jewel in our crown. That is what a president of the republic should be defending," new Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure said in a tweet.

Regarding his call for Catholics to get involved in political debate, former family and women’s rights minister Laurence Rossignol, responded with sarcasm that they were “already very politically involved”.

L’église catholique est déjà très engagée politiquement.
Contre: le préservatif, la contraception d’urgence, l’IVG, la PMA, le droit de mourir dans la dignité...#whatelse? https://t.co/Hz3VWFiITZ

— Laurence Rossignol (@laurossignol) April 9, 2018

Catholics were, she wrote, “against condoms, emergency contraception, IVF, assisted reproductive technology, the right to die with dignity...”

The Macron camp said that there was no suggestion the president was tampering with secularism if you read the speech in its entirety.

At one point, the president said: “My role is to ensure that the citizen has the absolute freedom to believe or not believe but I ask him in the same way to absolutely respect without any compromise, the laws of the French republic.”

Interior minister Gérard Collomb, in charge of government relations with religious groups, said there was no cause for controversy.

"What he is saying is that for human beings, there is not only the material world but also the search for absolute values, for spirituality, to find meaning in life," he said. "It is perhaps a new tone but in no way does it break with the great tradition of secularism."

Jordan inaugurates annual Christian-Islamic celebration of the Annunciation to Mary

Bishop Fulton J. Sheen wrote an interesting book in which he predicted that Islam would be converted to Christianity "through a summoning of the Moslems to a veneration of the Mother of God." He reasoned thus:

The Koran...has many passages concerning the Blessed Virgin. First of all, the Koran believes in her Immaculate Conception and also in her Virgin Birth...Mary, then, is for the Moslems the true Sayyida, or Lady. The only possible serious rival to her in their creed would be Fatima, the daughter of Mohammed himself. But after the death of Fatima, Mohammed wrote: "Thou shalt be the most blessed of all the women in Paradise, after Mary."

Sheen goes on to say how remarkable it was that "our Lady" had the foresight to appear in the Portuguese village of Fatima (named after Muhammad's daughter during the Muslim occupation) and thus become known as "Our Lady of Fatima."

Dave Hunt, A Woman Rides the Beast: The Roman Catholic Church and the Last Days (1994), p. 458, citing Fulton J. Sheen, "Mary and the Moslems," The World's First Love (1952)

There will come a day, John Paul believes, when the heart of Islam--already attuned to the figures of Christ and of Christ's Mother, Mary--will receive the illumination it needs. Malachi Martin, The Keys of This Blood: Pope John Paul II Versus Russia and the West for Control of the New World Order (1990), p. 285

Submitted for your approval, the following example of the fulfillment of Bishop Sheen's prediction; note that the emphasis of the celebration is not the Lord Jesus Christ, but the Virgin Mary. As reported by Fr. Rif'at Bader in the Turin newspaper La Stampa, March 22, 2018:

His Majesty King Abdullah II addressed the 71st United Nations General Assembly on September 20, 2016. He said: “Jesus, whom we call ’Christ Messiah’, is named 25 times in the Qur’an. His mother Mary, called the ’best of all women in creation’, is named 35 times. And there is a chapter in the Qur’an called ‘Maryam’. The khawarej deliberately hide these truths about Islam in order to drive Muslims and non-Muslims apart. We cannot allow this to happen.”

From this premise and in light with the King’s address, which is based on the relevant congruent views of the Qur’an and the Holy Bible, the Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM) in Jordan, in cooperation with the heads of the Churches in Jordan, has decided to hold an annual celebration marking the Annunciation to Blessed Virgin Mary as mentioned in the Holy Bible and the Qur’an, so that it would be a national feast celebrated in this grand homeland.

Lebanon, with its different religious affiliations, has been celebrating the Feast of the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary at the national level over the past 12 years after its religious leaders realized that as a character, Virgin Mary brings people together, and that She is neither a source of controversy nor dispute as She maintains a special status in Islam. She also has prominent status in the Holy Bible in Her capacity as the Mother of Lord Jesus Christ. Since the event relevant to the Annunciation is mentioned in detail in both books, the leaderships and the people of good will considered the view to mark this feast as a national and social feast. This feast officially had been celebrated in Lebanon over the past 12 years. It acquired prime importance when it was announced eight years ago, and it culminated with the announcement that it would be marked as a national holiday eight years ago. Its slogan continues to be, “The Islamic Christian Gathering Around Virgin Mary”.

Jordan, with its archaeological sites and national unity, is more qualified than any other country to mark a new renaissance of Muslim-Christian harmony and brotherhood that can be added to the numerous initiative attributed to the wise Hashemite leadership, its people’s awareness, and the harmony between its Muslims and Christians. Jordan issued the Amman Message in 2004 and A Common Word in 2007 in light of the unstinting efforts of His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi Ben Muhammad, the King’s advisor for religious and cultural affairs. Jordan also proposed launching the World Interfaith Harmony Week in 2010 which was adopted by the United Nations members. Jordan also called for convening the “The Challenges Facing Arab Christians Conference” in 2013 and hosted Christians forcibly displaced from Mosul in 2014.

Therefore, Jordan is the country of history, of civilization and of the Hashemites which contains sacred heritage and blessed water. It is the land Moses crossed, and where Elijah was born and from where he ascended to Heaven. It is the country of John the Baptist who baptized Lord Jesus Christ at the site known as Baptism Site. It is also the land crossed by Blessed Virgin Mary where she is remembered in Anjara. The Christian tradition states that she crossed this place with Lord Jesus Christ. Furthermore, a historic grotto was installed there in Her memory and known as Our Lady of the Mount.

There are also several other grottos in our country which are reminiscent of its holiness.

Thus, Jordan of today is the country of common living with its Muslim and Christian population. Since the establishment of the Emirate of Jordan in 1921, and a few years after the Great Arab Revolt, whose centennial was marked two years ago, the Christians and Muslims lived side by side, and contributed to the establishment of the Emirate of Jordan, which later became known as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Consequently, it is not a novel event to have feasts marked by everybody for at a time when His Majesty King Abdullah II assumed his constitutional authorities in 2000, he announced that Christmas would be marked as “an official holiday for all citizens”. We call nowadays for celebrating the Feast of Annunciation so that its religious significance would serve as an incentive to enrich our national unity and social cohesion.

In view of this, the CCSM is holding the ceremony for the first time under the patronage of the Deputy Prime Minister Jamal Sarayrah on Wednesday, March 28. It will be attended by representatives of the General Ifta’a Department, of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs and of the Chief Justice. Present at the ceremony will be head and members of the “Lebanese National Committee for the Celebration of the Feast and Annunciation” and several shades of society who are keen to worship God and to be loyal to the country, its leadership and people.

The Feast of the Annunciation, whose events took place in the holy city of Nazareth, invites us from the side of the immortal river, the Jordan River, to pray for Jerusalem, the Holy City, in light of the injustice and aggression being perpetrated against its history and civilization. We also call on the international community to shoulder its responsibilities by implementing the relevant international resolutions, to preserve the historic Hashemite guardianship, and to give the Palestinian people their right to an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Joint student pilgrimage helps cement ties between Roman Catholic Church and Church of God in Toledo

Though the relationship of the churches in this article seems to be that of equals, the road will inevitably lead to Rome. As reported by Nicki Gorny of the Toledo Blade, March 22, 2018:

Chattering schoolchildren trekked down Collingwood Boulevard on Thursday, waving palms in a first-of-its-kind pilgrimage between two of the most influential churches in the neighborhood.

Approximately 170 students from the K-8 Rosary Cathedral Catholic School began their route at Rosary Cathedral, adjacent to their school, where Catholic Bishop Daniel Thomas welcomed them with brief remarks at 10 a.m. Then they headed a few blocks down the boulevard for a brief and spirited service with Bishop Robert Culp at First Church of God.

Eighth-graders Tatiana Davis and Trinity Alexander were among the young pilgrims. They said en route to First Church that they were enjoying the pilgrimage, which organizers said is the latest collaboration between the increasingly close Catholic school and Protestant church.

“I think it’s cool we get to do new things with the church,” Tatiana said.

Rosary Cathedral Catholic School and First Church of God have grown particularly close this school year, said Sister Lynda Snyder, principal at the school, and Avery Cooper, youth pastor at the church. Church members read with the students in their library after school, for example, and in the fall organized a harvest-themed party in the cafeteria.

Representatives said both communities value the relationship.

“We’re in the same neighborhood and our churches are on the same street,” Bishop Thomas said. “Rosary Cathedral has this school for the children of the neighborhood, and First Church of God is very committed to assisting us in making an education which is based in Christ Jesus and based in virtue.”

This week’s pilgrimage came as a celebration both of this ecumenical relationship, between church and school, and of the Easter season, Bishop Culp said. Palm Sunday, signifying the beginning of Holy Week for Christians, is this weekend.

“This is such an important season in the life of the church,” Bishop Culp said. “We have common ground with our brothers and sisters here.”

Students seemed engaged during the brief service at First Church of God, which invited them to clap in time to praise songs and watch some of their classmates perform a step-dance routine. An alumnus of the school, Raymond Sanders, who is now in his junior year at Central Catholic High School, also shared a brief reflection.

Then the students were invited to lunch at the church.

Sister Lynda estimated that just 10 percent of the students at Rosary Cathedral Catholic School identify as Catholic. Pastor Cooper said that the families of some students attend First Church, which for many years, beginning in 1974, operated its own school.

Bishop Culp and others said they hope to repeat the pilgrimage with the students next year.

“It’s the first of what I hope will be a tradition for us in this season of the year,” Bishop Culp said.

Evangelical Fellowship of Canada continues dialogue with Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Amos 3:3

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. II Corinthians 6:14-17

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, which claims to represent four million Evangelicals, continues its downward and Romeward ecumenical course, as reported by the EFC on January 22, 2018:

The national Roman Catholic–Evangelical Dialogue met for its semi-annual meeting on 13 December 2017 in Mississauga, Ont. Dialogue participants discussed questions relating to evangelization, vocation, and mission based on a variety of readings provided by both the Evangelical and Catholic participants.

A primary focus of the meeting was dialogue surrounding the roles of lay and clerical vocations in relation to mission. The readings recommended by both caucuses contributed significantly to the depth and richness of the conversation. Catholics and Evangelicals affirmed the fostering of vocations within the Church by living the message of Jesus Christ in their lives, both individually and as communities.

The Catholic–Evangelical Dialogue is jointly sponsored by The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. The Dialogue was officially launched in 2010, following recommendations from a working group that was established in 2008-2009.

The goal of the Dialogue is to seek mutual understanding and learning from one another, to dispel harmful stereotypes and to seek ways and means to foster Christian unity. Members of the Dialogue pray together and seek to gather together under the guidance of the Holy Spirit so as to witness to their common faith in Jesus Christ.

The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, 8 May 2018, and will focus on reflections from both caucuses related to tradition, Scripture, salvation and the Church.

New head of European Roman Catholic bishops' commission opposes European nationalism

And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.

And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth...

...And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. Revelation 17:1-9, 18

It comes as no surprise to this blogger that those who suspected that the European Union would be dominated by the Roman Catholic Church and would be used to serve her interests are increasingly being proven right. It's God Himself who split people into nations (see, for example, Acts 17:26), and nowhere in the Bible do you see Him bringing the world together. I can think of only three places in the Bible where the world comes together as one, and in all three instances it's the world coming together in rebellion against God: The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9); at the end of the Tribulation (Revelation 19:19); and at the end of the Millennium (Revelation 20:7-9). In all three cases, the rebellion is unsuccessful. The Roman Catholic Church has decided to put herself on the side that's opposing God--while claiming to represent Him.

As reported by Catholic News Service, March 10, 2018 (link in original):

BRUSSELS – The new head of a commission representing Europe's Catholic bishops pledged to combat populism and promote European unity.

"The European Union is a gain for the common good, and this is why the church should be in constant dialogue with it," said Archbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg, elected president of the Brussels-based Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community March 8.

"But certain citizens have their own preoccupations, and there's now a growing populism. Combating this needn't mean adopting populism's adages, but engaging in a true dialogue of depth and friendship, where everything can be said," he said.

Archbishop Hollerich said he was ready to work with everyone "dedicated to respecting and protecting human dignity" and believed COMECE, as the commission is known, played a vital role in placing people at the center of EU policies.

German Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich-Freising, outgoing president of the commission, also urged church leaders to "get the forces of dialogue going," rather than thinking they had "an answer to everything."

"We need this more than ever in Europe – not to talk about each other, but with each other," Cardinal Marx told Germany's Catholic news agency, KNA, March 8.

"There are different perceptions now of what the EU is, what a free society and open democracy are – and we have to talk about this," he said.

Antichrist Ambrose University President Gordon T. Smith continues to promote ecumenism and Social Gospel

As reported by Peter Biggs in Light magazine, February 18, 2018 (bold in original):

Background

During my research on an article on Worship, some Pastors spoke of their dissatisfaction with the Evangelical ‘liturgy’. Smith’s recent book Evangelical, Sacramental and Pentecostal (Intervarsity Press) is timely. It describes clearly the different approaches to worship. He longs to see these three traditions unite together, and calls for an integration of the three traditions in one faith.

What is your general impression of how the church needs to be responding to our current culture?

First, the whole point of Evangelical, Sacramental and Pentecostal is to stress how vital it is that we learn from one another and not presume that within our own camp we have all the wisdom and grace we need to navigate the complex world of rising secularism. This posture of learning – and humility – also means that we will need to learn how to seek common cause with Christian believers from other theological and spiritual traditions. In our case here at Ambrose University, for example, I am very pleased that we have been able to establish a strong rapport with the local Roman Catholic community. We have our differences, of course; but we have a shared commitment to the ancient truths of the Creeds, and we share common concerns on a whole range of spiritual and ethical issues that directly impact our city and our country.

Second, it is also likely the case that in a secular society we can expect to experience various forms or expression of persecution. However, as 1 Peter stresses, let’s be wise on this and genuinely suffer for the gospel, not for the lack of political or diplomatic skill. We need to be discerning when it comes to which battles we fight and where and when it is more appropriate to not be in constant battle mode.

How is the seminary preparing future Pastors and leaders for the main challenges?

My observation is that in our increasingly secular society there are at least three skills or competencies that need to be cultivated in and with our students – whom we view, of course, to be future leaders of the church in our country and beyond our shores. These are:

1. Preaching for Monday morning. Meaning, of course, that it is not about preaching so that our church grows – getting people into the church – but rather preaching that is focused on equipping and empowering women and men for their service in the world – in business, the arts, education and, indeed, in every sphere and sector of society.

2. Peace-making. A secular society has no real focus or centre; and thus it should not surprise us that the society is marked by very significant levels of conflict. And surely, if we are going to give leadership to the church at such a time as this, the capacity to be an instrument of peace is rather crucial. We need people who are skilled in managing conflict constructively – skilled in conflict resolution and addressing how we can be less polarized within our society. This means, of course, that we need to learn how to address conflict in the church.

3. And third, political savvy. When I was a pastor back in the 1970s, we had little if any civic involvement. But pastors today need political skills – the capacity to engage the social and civic leaders – developing connections, cultivating political capital, advocating for essential causes but all, of course, not in a mind-set of a battle against our culture but as people who are seeking the peace of the city [to use the language of Jeremiah 29].

It is for this reason that I think we need to re-read 1 Peter, which is a New Testament book written to the church “in exile” – well, actually, a diaspora community, and thus one that might be an example to us of what it means to be a minority presence in a culture and society.

Your recent book addresses different worship traditions. It seems your concern is that each actually de-emphasizes either preaching, the sacraments or the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Yes that is true. Take preaching… even the pulpit in some churches has disappeared to be replaced by a coffee table and stool. The ‘preacher’ will have a friendly ‘chat’ with the congregation.

This is fine, but only to a point; it is crucial that we not lose sight of the power of the presence of the word, the scriptures, as the authoritative guide and text for the community of faith and that as a church we are formed and re-formed by the word which challenges, encourages and admonishes us.

Dr. Smith's reference to Jeremiah 29 isn't the first time I've seen that passage of scripture taken out of context in order to support a Social Gospel agenda. As always, it's necessary to look at scripture in context. In Jeremiah 25, God states that because Israel had disobeyed him, He was going to punish the nation with 70 years of captivity in Babylon. In Jeremiah 27, God tells Judah to serve the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar while in captivity. Chapter 28 introduces the false prophet Hananiah, who prophesies that God will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar "from the neck of all nations" within two years. In chapter 29, Jeremiah writes to those who had already gone into exile, who were apparently aware of the prophecies of people such as Hananiah, and were apparently receptive to false prophecies of an early deliverance. Jeremiah is warning the exiles not to be deceived nor to encourage the false prophets. God has determined that the Israelites' exile in Babylon will definitely be for 70 years--which, by that time, was the length of the average human lifespan (Psalms 90:10). The exiles are not going to be delivered during the lifetime of most of the people, and they're not the vanguard of invading army. They're going to be there for a long time, so they should build houses, settle down, have families, and increase in number. This is the context in which Jeremiah 29:7 says:

And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

God is telling the Israelites that he's not going to deliver the exiles or destroy Nebuchadnezzar or his kingdom for the next 70 years, so if they pray and seek for the peace and prosperity of Babylon, God will allow the exiles to prosper. In Jeremiah 30 and subsequent chapters, God promises to restore the people of Israel from exile. These passages of scripture are written to, for, and about Israel in the Old Testament. Jeremiah 29:7 isn't a message to the New Testament church to engage in a Social Gospel program of making this a better world. As always, never trust a Jesuit.

See my previous posts on Ambrose University:

Why is an Alliance-Nazarene college named after a Roman Catholic saint? (March 2, 2009)

The Ambrose-contemplative connection (March 4, 2009)

Ambrose University College trains Nazarene pastors using materials from a company with ties to Mormonism (March 6, 2009)

Ambrose University College and "Transformation" (March 6, 2009)

The Outhouse (aka The Shack) in God's house (May 5, 2009)

Ambrose Seminary teaches contemplative spirituality in 2009-2010 (February 24, 2010)

Ambrose University College hires Jesuit-educated contemplative spirituality proponent as its new president (May 30, 2012)

Ambrose University College's "Jazz Day" provides evidence of increasing worldliness in evangelical schools (March 5, 2014)

Antichrist Ambrose University College continues on its downward, leftward, and Romeward course (March 8, 2014)

Melkite Patriarch Joseph Absi formalizes full communion with Roman Catholic Church by celebrating mass with Pope Francis

As reported by Catholic News Service, February 13, 2018 (link in original):

VATICAN – Formalizing their unity in the intimate setting of the chapel of the papal residence, Pope Francis and Melkite Patriarch Joseph Absi concelebrated Mass together in the presence of members of the Melkite synod of bishops.

Instead of giving a homily at the early morning Mass Feb. 13, Pope Francis explained the special nature of Patriarch Absi's visit.

"He is the father of a church, a very ancient church, and he comes to embrace Peter, to say, 'I'm in communion with Peter,'" Pope Francis said during the Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae. The Melkite church, one of the many Eastern churches in full union with Rome, "has its own theology within Catholic theology, it has a marvelous liturgy and a people of its own."

"At this time, a large portion of that people is being crucified like Jesus," the Pope said, referring especially to Melkites who, like Patriarch Absi, are from Syria. "We offer this Mass for the people, for the people who suffer, for the persecuted Christians of the Middle East."

The 71-year-old patriarch, who was elected in June, told Pope Francis, "I cannot describe how beautiful this moment is," but he said he was "very moved by your fraternal charity, by the gestures of fraternity and solidarity you have shown our church."

At the end of the Mass, Pope Francis asked the patriarch to join him in giving the final blessing to the few dozen people invited to the morning Mass.

The Pope, patriarch and bishops also had met Feb. 12 in the papal library.

"At this difficult time, many Christian communities in the Middle East are called to live their faith in the Lord Jesus in the midst of many trials," the Pope told them. He prayed that the patriarch, bishops and priests of the Melkite church would live in a way that would encourage all the faithful "to remain in the land where divine providence wanted them to be."

Pope Francis urged them to be "pastors – like the Lord with his disciples – who reanimate the hearts of the faithful by staying close to them, consoling them, reaching down to them and their needs; pastors who, at the same time, accompany them up, to seek what is above, where there is Christ, and not the things of earth."

While Pope Francis had called Catholics to join a day of prayer and fasting Feb. 23 specifically for peace in Congo and South Sudan, he told the Melkites, "I will not fail to remember, in a special way, Syria, which has been struck by indescribable suffering these past few years."