|
| |
|
|
|
|
Recomendar |
|
|
Agregar a
favoritos |
|
|
Página de inicio |
|
|
¿Quiénes somos? |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Evangelical
President of Macedonia buried in Skopje
Skopje, March 17th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The evangelical President
of Macedonia, Boris Trajkovski, who died in a plane crash aged
47, was buried with due honour in the capital, Skopje.
Sixty foreign delegations were present at the funeral, and when
the coffin was buried, the national anthem was played and shots
were fired. Shortly before, a Protestant choir from Skopje sang
a spiritual song.
Source: E. PRESS. Editing: ACPress.net
Wanted: a virtual pastor
Oxford, March 17th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The Oxford diocese of
the Church of England has placed an advertisement in the 'Church
Times' for a "web pastor", to run the church they
are setting up on the Internet.
The project is aimed at people who want to join in a Christian
service but cannot be bothered, sorry, do not 'fit into a traditional
worship pattern' and belong to a congregation. "We are
looking for a dynamic Christian, sure of themselves, lay or
ordained, able to build this new community, lead its key members,
and always be available for visitors (to the website, one understands)."
The web church is the brainchild (?) of the Oxford diocese's
Head of Communication, Rev. Richard Thomas, who told the BBC
that in the latest census, 51% of the population said they were
members of the Church of England, but that only 8% actually
go to church. "Internet is part of our community and we
woud be failing in our mission if we did not create a community
for those who meet others via the Net."
The new Internet parish will offer itself as a place of worship
and people will find suggested readings and prayers at the site.
Details may be found at www.i-church.org. Church discipline
shouldn't be a problem; the web pastor can simply key in the
conflictive member's details and press the Delete button. Though
when the writer to the Hebrews penned: 'Let us not give up meeting
together, as some are in the habit of doing', he probably did
not have the Internet in mind.
Source: Agencias. Editing: ACPress.net
Justification declaration
anniversary party planned
Geneva, March 17th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
Most married couples
would probably be hard put to say what material was associated
with the 5th wedding anniversary - glass?, paper?, tin?... -
but one pair are going all out in their preparations for the
big event. Bizarre though it may sound, the World Lutheran Federation
and the Roman Catholic Pontifical Council for Christian Unity
are getting ready for a knees-up on the occasion of the 5th
anniversary of the signing of their Joint Declaration on Justification.
The Declaration was signed at Augsburg on October 31st, 1999
and it claims that both groups are in general agreement as to
the basic truths of the doctrine of justification. In a joint
letter, Ishmael Noko and Walter Kasper, the respective heads
of the two institutions, say: "We sincerely believe this
fifth anniversary...deserves to be celebrated and promote renewed
study all over the world." Since the signing, both churches
have tried to make the consensus broader, and invited Methodists
and Reformed Churches to a consultation on the subject in 2001.
Currently, the World Methodist Council is preparing a theological
reply.
The Lutheran Church published a paper entitled 'The doctrine
of justification today: its reception and meaning' in 2002.
Meanwhile, a joint Unity Commission is now looking at the issue
of apostolic authority in the church, and another meeting is
planned to consider the biblical foundation of the doctrine
of justification. Did they not do this before signing the Joint
Declaration? The letter also raises the question of indulgences,
which the Lutherans are concerned about.
Source: ALC. Editing: ACPress.net
Secrets of the Vatican revealed
Rome, March 17th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
It was said in the later
Roman Empire that a bishop was a difficult thing to catch in
a net. There were certainly some colourful characters, like
Theophilus of Alexandria. If a battle for succession to the
Emperor's throne was imminent, to make sure he ended up on the
winner's side, he would send a monk to Italy with letters of
congratulation for both candidates. His instructions were to
wait to see the result, then hand in the winner's letter and
destroy the other one. By this ingenious method, Theophilus
hoped - not only to ingratiate himself with the new incumbent
- but also to increase his fame as a prophet.
Preventive diplomacy is also the subject of a new book by Eric
Frattini entitled 'Vatican secrets', in which he asks and answers
hundreds of questions, some bizarre, about the goings-on in
the murky and luxurious world of the Vatican. For instance,
did you know that Popes are buried in three coffins, one inside
the other? Not much chance of escaping, whether dead or not.
And which Queen is buried between John XXIII and John Paul I?
Christina of Sweden.
The Vatican has never repealed the death penalty, although the
last official execution took place in 1868 (the mysterious death
of John XXIII notwithstanding). Pius V, of Inquisitional fame,
plotted the return of England to Catholicism. His plan, which
fortunately never saw the light of day, was to have Elizabeth
I assassinated and Mary Stuart enthroned. The lowest rate in
the Holy See (sic ) is, says Frattini with tongue in cheek,
the birth rate. Although there are some women working in the
Vatican, there has never been a birth there (at least, officially).
One woman broke waters in St Peter's, and was rushed by ambulance
to hospital on Italian soil. There is a small hospital in the
Vatican, but it has no gynaecology department nor birth facilities.
Given the current fad for making virtually everyone short of
the cleaning lady into 'saints', it is perhaps surprising that
of the alleged 260 Popes, only 77 have been honoured with such
status.
Source: EL PAÍS. Editing: ACPress.net
|
|
L
a t i n . A m e r i c a |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Evangelical
church building destroyed by Catholics in Mexico
Mexico City, March 12th, 2004
(ACPress.net).
A report from Chenpil
in the Huixtán area of Mexico says traditionalist Catholics
have destroyed an evangelical church building in yet another
attack on Christians in Chiapas Province.
Indigenous evangelicals have faced all sorts of hostility from
Catholics in the region for many years, and a local pastor,
Esdras Alonso, says the destruction is aimed at preventing them
holding services there. A dwelling and a communal kitchen were
also destroyed in the attack. The destruction was agreed at
a community meeting beforehand, simply because the evangelical
Christians do not share their beliefs, and though aimed at destroying
the church building, they also knocked down an adjoining property,
as mentioned above.
The reasoning, if such it may be called, was expressed thus
in the community meeting's minutes: "Those of us who live
in this community are mostly Catholics and we have decided to
take the matter into our hands, as we cannot allow groups of
people to come here to provoke conflict and cause trouble."
The materials taken from the church are now "available
for the benefit of the community", while those from the
Protestant family's house are in the possession of the local
authorities.
Alonzo called for an investigation into the attack and that
the perpetrators be punished. He said it was inconceivable that
such problems of religious persecution could still occur in
Chiapas in the 21st century.
Source: NOTIMEX. Editing:
ACPress.net
Neo-Pentecostalism reaching
Brazil's poor
Rio de Janeiro, March 15th,
2004 (ACPress.net).
Brazil is a religious
paradox. The country with the greatest number of Catholics in
the world is enjoying an evangelical explosion. Christian denominations
have trebled in 20 years, from 7.8 million evangelicals in 1980,
to 26.4 million in 2001.
Growth has not been uniform among all groups. Those which have
grown most notably are certain forms of Pentecostalism which
find great acceptance among the urban poor. The first wave of
Pentecostal growth in Brazil came with the establishment of
two denominations: Christian Congregation in Sao Paulo in 1910,
and the Assemblies of God in Belén in 1911. They met with criticism
from both Catholics and mainstream Protestants, due to their
excessive emphasis on the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Yet many of the poorer people in Brazil felt ignored by the
historic church groups and embraced Pentecostalism with enthusiasm,
delighting in their fervent and spontaneous forms of worship.
Whereas other groups, even the early Pentecostals, offered what
was perceived as complex doctrine, rigid lifestyles and excessive
church authority, modern-day Neo-Pentecostals had a simple premise:
what is not of God, is of the devil.
The second wave arrived with the Church of the Foursquare Gospel
in 1951, with more liberal customs. The fastest-growing Pentecostal
churches today are daughter churches of this movement, and they
use popular music in their worship, extensive use of radio programmes,
and allow a freer lifestyle among their members. Ricardo Mariano,
who has written a book on Neo-Pentecostalism in Brazil, says
"their concern is with this life." Their services
are dynamic and include shouts, songs, catharsis, collective
prayers and applause for Christ. Yet one of their great successes
is to integrate those who have been excluded from society, and
even church, in the past.
Source: EL INDEPENDIENTE.
Editing: ACPress.net
Two more languages get the Bible
La Paz, March 17th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
Two more languages have
God's Word; the Bible has been translated into Chiquitano, spoken
by between 20,000 and 40,000 people, and Guarayo, spoken by
between 7,000 and 8,000. Both languages are spoken in areas
of Bolivia.
The Bolivian Bible Society organised two celebratory events.
One of them was held in Ascensión de los Guarayos and included
music, dance and an indigenous orchestra. The other took place
in Concepción. Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in South
America, and most people earn their living in agriculture, mining
or local crafts.
Source: Bibliopress/SBE. Editing:
ACPress.net
|
|
R
e s t.. o f..
t h e.. W o r l d |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Catholic
priestly paedophile report makes ghastly reading
Miami, March 18th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The final report on child
abuse by priests in the American Catholic Church reveals that
between 1952 and 2002, there were 10,667 complaints of sexual
abuse made against 4,392 priests, who make up about 4% of the
total ordained within the 50-year period.
Archbishop Wilton Gregory, presenting the report, said: "It
is a tragic story, but it is now history." The scandal
broke two years ago when some of the victims went public about
the abuse, and the Catholic Church is now left to try and shore
up one of the most sordid chapters in its chequered history.
The report spreads the blame between the bishops who protected
guilty priests, the lawyers who advised keeping the affair secret
instead of taking it to secular authorities, and the psychiatrists
who treated the paedophile priests. Very few people seem to
have had much thought for the children involved.
Gregory said in future things would be very different because
the dioceses now have resources to tackle the problem. However,
victims' organisations question the figures. "Thousands
of victims have not condemned the abuse and the bishops are
not telling all that they know, because they have no incentive
to do so", says David Clohessy, Chairman of the Network
of Survivors of Clerical Abuse. More than 80% of the attacks
were homosexual in nature, and the number of cases went up 64%
in th 1950s, 76% in the 1970s and 86% in the 1980s.
The report finds no link between the abuse and the sexual orientation
of the priest, saying that it is akin to the situation in prisons,
where men have sex with other men not necessarily because they
are homosexual, but because that is the only opportunity they
have got. In general, they claim, priests have more access to
boys than to girls. Some will not be persuaded by this argument,
seeing it as merely a way of avoiding the politically-incorrect
stance of criticising homosexuals.
Source: EL PAÍS. Editing:
ACPress.net
Chinese aiming to complete
the Great Commission
Peking, March 18th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
Three Chinese house-church
leaders are reviving an 80-year-old vision to take the gospel
from China to Jerusalem - a region that comprises 90% of the
world's unreached people.
After a combined 40 years in prison for preaching the gospel,
Peter Xu Yongze, Enoch Wang and 'Brother Yun' are spearheading
the effort known as the 'Back to Jerusalem' movement. The campaign
seeks to mobilise 100,000 Chinese missionaries who are willing
to evangelise the estimated 2 billion people living in the area
known as the 10/40 Window. This vision was first implemented
by China's 'Jesus Church' in 1949. Most of the missionaries
were imprisoned and died before being freed.
Yongze, Wang and Yun explain their strategy in 'Back to Jerusalem:
Called to Complete the Great Commission', written with Paul
Hattaway, who has written several books about the church in
China. Hattaway said the number of missionaries sent out from
China has already climbed to about 1,000. A spokesman for a
ministry that assesses missions activity inside the 10/40 Window,
added: "The Chinese missionaries will face opposition in
these regions. But they believe the persecution they have already
endured is like a training ground for this difficult mission
that (has) left them equipped to take the gospel through these
territories."
Source: Charisma news, Religion
today. Editing: ACPress.net
Christians facing intense persecution
in Laos
Vientaine, March 18th, 2004
(ACPress.net).
Christians in Laos are
currently undergoing intense persecution for their faith.
On February 19th, a meeting was held at which the Christians
were told "If you do not give up your Christian faith,
leave the village; if you do not give up your faith or leave
the village, you will be punished by death." It appears
that the officials' purpose is to totally eradicate Christianity
in Laos. There are numerous complaints of lands and livelihood
being threatened. One source states: "They are threatening
to destroy our homes and to burn our homes. We are not able
to travel anywhere. We are kept in an area of confinement. They
keep watch on us. If we do not move from our village, they said
they would kill us because the whole village agrees with them."
Source: Religion today, Voice
of the Martyrs. Editing: ACPress.net
Islamic militants slaughter
49 Christians in Nigeria
Yelwa, Nigeria. March 11th,
2004 (ACPress.net).
49 Christians were massacred
by Islamic militants in a raid on the Christian town of Yelwa
on Tuesday 24th February.
Plateau Police Commissioner Innocent Ilozuoke told reporters
how most of the Christian victims had been shot as they ran
to a church desperately seeking refuge. The attackers are thought
to have mainly been ethnic Fulani Muslims. Local security sources
indicate that the merciless guerrilla tactics used in the assault
suggest Islamist fighters from Chad and Niger may also have
been involved. Police and army units have been sent to the town
and order has now been restored.
Local Christians in Plateau State have suffered repeated attacks
from ethnic Hausa/Fulani Muslim settlers since September 2001.
Hundreds have been killed in the violence. Islamic militants
from Chad, Niger and other countries outside Nigeria have repeatedly
been involved. Local Christians believe militant elements within
the Muslim community are working to a strategy to drive out
Christians and Islamise the whole state.
Source: Barnabas Fund. Editing:
ACPress.net
Buddhist monks lead mobs
to attack Christians in Sri Lanka
Colombo, March 18th, 2004
(ACPress.net).
Buddhist monks were at
the head of a mob which attacked a factory where Jeevana Diya
Church meet, in the Sri Lankan town of Moragahahena.
The mob smashed Bible texts which were on the walls, burned
leaflets and stole Bibles, hymnbooks, papers and lists of cell-group
members. The same night they broke into the home of Pastor Wickramasinghe,
the leader of the United Christian Church of Pitiyandala. There
they also stole Bibles, money and other possessions. They painted
a death threat on one of the walls saying they would kill him
unless he moved out of the area immediately.
They issued a similar threat to a pastor in Gonapola if he refused
to stop holding cell-group meetings. Another mob, guided by
20 Buddhist monks - traditionally, promoters of peace and understanding!
-, attacked the home of a pastor in Homagama, telling him to
leave the country or face the consequences. They stole lists
of the church's members. Then they attacked a nearby church,
causing much damage to the building, furniture and musical instruments.
There has been a whole wave of attacks on churches and Christians
across the island in recent months. Three churches were attacked
in Kegalle district and members beaten; one of the churches
was set on fire. Pastors and others have received death threats
and many services have been cancelled in the face of the attacks.
A Christian orphanage in Buruthakele, registered with the government
but run by Christians, was even attacked and set alight. Although
noone was hurt, school equipment, children's clothes and books
were destroyed.
Source: Milamex. Editing:
ACPress.net
U.S. Parliament approves
law to protect unborn victims of violence
Washington DC, March 18th,
2004 (ACPress.net).
The American House of
Representatives has voted by 254 to 163 to grant unborn babies
judicial rights, which means they will be recognised as victims
if they suffer when a pregnant woman is attacked.
This is the third time since 1999 that campaigners supporting
the «Unborn Victims of Violence Act» have tried to get it on
the Statute Book but this is the first time they have got it
through the House. The law does not require the aggressor to
know the state of the woman for him to be found guilty of violence
against an unborn child. The legislation is supported by President
Bush.
The promoter of the Bill, Republican MP Melissa Hart, says the
aim of the Bill is not to limit legal abortions, but to protect
the rights of the unborn in the case of violence against their
mothers. A high-profile case is currently going through the
American courts. Laci Peterson was found murdered when 8 months
pregnant, and her husband is on trial, accused of the crime
which left both mother and unborn child dead.
29 of the 50 states are already preparing legislation in favour
of unborn victims of violence. Indeed, Peterson is charged with
double murder. The next step could be to get abortion seen as
it really is - violence against the unborn.
Source: ABC. Editing: ACPress.net
|
|
|
