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By Dave Brennan CHRISTIAN TODAY May 13, 2025   Assisted Suicide isn't wrong because it's a slippery slope - though it is that, and that is bad.   Assisted Suicide isn't wrong because it lacks safeguards - though it does, and that is bad (but we shouldn't allow for a second the idea that killing innocent people could ever have "safeguards": a contradiction in terms).   Assisted Suicide isn't wrong because it could bring financial pressure to bear on people to kill themselves - though it would do that, and that is also bad.   Assisted Suicide isn't wrong because it might target certain people groups more than others.   Assisted Suicide isn't wrong because it could be exploited by domestic abusers.   Assisted Suicide is wrong, because it is wrong to kill innocent people, even oneself.   We might even dare to use an old-fashioned biblical word and call it a "sin".   We can and should go further.   The shedding of innocent blood - including one's own - is a very serious sin, since we are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27; 6:9) and he alone has the authority to give and take life.   Of course all sin is an offence against God and usurps his authority at some level, but when taking human life, we are committing treason of an especially high order, seizing something particularly close to God's heart. No other creature bears his stamp, his image and likeness. An attack on a human being is in one sense the most immediate physical proxy we have to attacking God himself.   God takes it personally (cf. Ezekiel 16:21).   The only really important reason why this Bill is wrong is that it legislates what is in God's eyes immorality, and immorality of the most serious kind. It condones, by making legal provision, the shedding of innocent blood. This is an abomination, invites God's wrath, and brings a curse on the land (Numbers 35:33-34).   At a time when many are rightly excited about the possibility of some "Quiet Revival", what might happen to these tender saplings of spiritual hunger and new life if our nation - not genuinely challenged and warned by the Church in the necessary terms and with the appropriate strength - legislates and starts to practise yet more bloodshed, on top of the 250,000 babies a year we are already killing? And this with the Church's tacit blessing?   Someone might object that the Church has objected, but in truth we have not really.   Our objections to this Bill (click on the video below) have generally gone along the lines of what's acceptable in the culture - and perhaps that explains why no-one is saying the obvious and most important thing, that suicide is a sin, an offence against God.   It is politically very incorrect to say so: it is better to talk about those seeking death for themselves only as victims. They often are also victims in various ways, and there is much tragedy wrapped up in all of these cases. I myself have lost friends to suicide and it's devastating. There is something so particularly gut-wrenching when this is how a life is ended.   But we cannot allow any of this to cloud the central and all-important point.   Assisted Suicide isn't wrong because of all that it could lead to.   It's wrong because it's wrong.   Always.   Full stop.   So why won't we say so?   END

By Michael Gryboski, Editor THE CHRISTIAN POST May 12, 2025   The Episcopal Church will terminate its partnership to resettle refugees with the U.S. government over a request to resettle a group of white Afrikaners after the administration had effectively halted the U.S. refugee program.   Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe released a letter on Monday regarding Episcopal Migration Ministries, which oversees the denomination's refugee resettlement programs.   Rowe said the Trump administration had informed them a couple of weeks ago that, per the terms of their federal grant, they were expected to help resettle some white Afrikaners from South Africa who had been labeled as refugees under a February executive order that accused South African government of seizing white landowners agricultural properties without compensation. Afrikaners are a people group that descended mostly from Dutch settlers who arrived in South Africa in the 1600s.   The move comes after President Donald Trump suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program shortly after taking office in January, leaving tens of thousands of asylum seekers approved for resettlement in limbo.   "In light of our church's steadfast commitment to racial justice and reconciliation and our historic ties with the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, we are not able to take this step," wrote Rowe.   "Accordingly, we have determined that, by the end of the federal fiscal year, we will conclude our refugee resettlement grant agreements with the U.S. federal government."   The presiding bishop took issue with a "group of refugees, selected in a highly unusual manner," getting "preferential treatment over many others who have been waiting in refugee camps or dangerous conditions for years."   "I am saddened and ashamed that many of the refugees who are being denied entrance to the United States are brave people who worked alongside our military in Iraq and Afghanistan and now face danger at home because of their service to our country," Rowe continued.   "Now that we are ending our involvement in federally funded refugee resettlement, we have asked the administration to work toward a mutual agreement that will allow us to wind down all federally funded services by the end of the federal fiscal year in September."   Shortly after Trump began his second term, EMM announced that it would cut 22 staff members and wind down its refugee resettlement programs due to the president issuing an executive order suspending refugee resettlement.   Rowe stated in a letter that it was a "painful decision" for the EMM to enact such cuts and that the entity "will retain a small team to manage the wind down of EMM's federal grant-sponsored programs."   Last week, it was reported that the Trump administration was planning to resettle small numbers of white South Africans in the United States, claiming that the black-led South African government is engaging in anti-white policies.   "What's happening in South Africa fits the textbook definition of why the refugee program was created," White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said to reporters, as quoted by The Associated Press.   "This is persecution based on a protected characteristic — in this case, race. This is race-based persecution."   Church World Service, an international Christian humanitarian organization, has also expressed concern over the administration's decision to prioritize the white Afrikaners over other refugee groups.   "By resettling this population, the Government is demonstrating that it still has the capacity to quickly screen, process, and depart refugees to the United States," said CWS President and CEO Rick Santos in a statement last week.   "It's time for the Administration to honor our nation's commitment to the thousands of refugee families it abandoned with its cruel and illegal executive order."   END

By Joe Carter The gospel COALITION May 11, 2025   On May 8, 2025, the Catholic Church announced the election of a new pope. American-born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost is now Pope Leo XIV, the head of the Catholic Church and spiritual leader to more than a billion Catholics worldwide. He’ll wield significant influence as the 267th pontiff, guiding Roman Catholic teaching and engaging with global issues. But why should evangelicals care about the new pope? As Chris Castaldo has  said , “Whether we like it or not, the pope is, in a certain (global) sense, the single most significant Christian voice in the world.” What the pope says and does will affect how Christianity is perceived globally—and that includes how the world understands evangelical Christians. Here are nine things you should know about Pope Leo XIV. 1. The Chicago-born Prevost is the first North American pope. Leo XIV was born Robert Francis Prevost on September 14, 1955, in Chicago. Raised in a devout Catholic family in suburban Dolton, he  grew up attending church  with his parents and two brothers. His election marks a historic first since no previous pope has come from the United States or North America. Prevost is also a naturalized citizen of Peru, where he spent much of his adult life and ministry. He later served as a bishop in Chiclayo, Peru. At 69 years old, he’s  slightly younger than recent popes  were at the start of their papacies, suggesting he could, if he remains healthy, potentially serve for many years to come. 2. He is a member of the Augustinian order and served as its leader. Prevost is an  ordained friar of the Order of Saint Augustine (OSA) , a Catholic religious order dating back to the 13th century and inspired by the teachings of Augustine of Hippo. He entered the Augustinian novitiate and took his  first monastic vows in 1978 , and was ordained to the priesthood in the Augustinian order in 1982. Augustinian members, known as friars, preach, evangelize, and serve the poor while living in poverty themselves. Prevost rose to leadership within the order: In 1999, he became provincial superior of the Augustinians in the Chicago area, and in 2001, he was elected prior general (global head) of the Augustinian order. He  served two terms (2001–13)  as the order’s worldwide leader. This background makes Leo XIV the  first Augustinian friar to be elected as pope in modern times  and one of only a handful of popes ever to come from the Augustinians. (Notably, the order also produced Martin Luther—the reformer began his monkhood as an Augustinian friar.) 3. He is highly educated and multilingual. Prevost has an impressive academic résumé. After earning an undergraduate degree in mathematics from Villanova University in 1977, he went on to obtain a  master of divinity (MDiv) from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago  as part of his seminary formation. At age 27, his order sent him to Rome for advanced studies, where he earned both a licentiate and a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (also known as the Angelicum). He’s also fluent in multiple languages (including English, Spanish, and Italian) and has taught subjects ranging from canon law to patristics (study of the Church Fathers) during his  years as a seminary instructor in Peru . 4. Pope Francis was instrumental in his rise to prominence. Leo XIV owes much of his career to Pope Francis, under whom he served in recent years. Francis first selected Prevost to help lead the church in Peru. Then, in late 2014, he named Prevost as the  apostolic administrator (and soon after, bishop) of Chiclayo . Later, recognizing Prevost’s abilities, Francis summoned him to Rome. In early 2023, Francis appointed Prevost as the prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, the Vatican office that vets and oversees the  appointment of Catholic bishops worldwide . This is considered one of the most powerful positions in the Vatican, since it shapes the future leadership of the global church. At the same time, Prevost was made president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, keeping him in close contact with the church in the Americas. Francis also  elevated Prevost to the College of Cardinals in 2023 , a move that signaled trust and positioned him as a potential successor. 5. His election as pope broke an old taboo. When the conclave of cardinals met, Prevost  quickly emerged as a leading candidate  to become the next pope. Still, his election required the electors to overcome a long-standing unwritten rule against choosing an American. For centuries, there was a hesitance to elect a pope from the United States, given America’s status as a global superpower. Many feared a States-born pope might be seen as too politically tied to a dominant nation. Prevost’s unique background helped allay those concerns: Although an American native, he had lived abroad for much of his career and even held dual nationality, highlighting his international perspective. 6. He chose the name Leo XIV. The first act of a new pope after he’s elected is to  choose a new name . This name, Leo, hadn’t been used by a pope in more than 120 years, when the last  Pope Leo (Leo XIII) died in 1903 . By choosing that name, the new pope may be signaling admiration for his namesakes. For instance, Pope Leo XIII is remembered for his intellectual rigor and social teaching, and Pope Leo I (“Leo the Great”) was a champion of orthodoxy in the early church and a skilled negotiator (his papacy included a famous meeting with Attila the Hun where Leo  talked him out of attacking Rome ). While Leo XIV hasn’t publicly explained his choice, the selection of this historic name emphasizes continuity with the church’s past and the papal tradition. 7. He is seen as conservative in doctrine. Vatican observers generally describe Leo XIV as a  moderate or centrist  in the Catholic hierarchy. On doctrinal and moral issues, Prevost tends to be on the more traditional side. For example, he has opposed proposals to ordain women as deacons, aligning with the Catholic Church’s historic practice of a male-only clergy. Similarly, he’s expected to uphold particular Catholic teachings,  such as devotion to Mary . He may champion reforms in church governance or outreach (he notably  supported Francis’s move to include women  in certain Vatican decision-making bodies), but he isn’t seen as a doctrinal innovator. 8. He is less progressive than Francis on LGBT+ issues and gender ideology. While Francis moved the church (at least rhetorically) toward a more liberal stance on sexual ethics, Leo XIV has voiced concern about “gender ideology” and has criticized Western media for promoting “sympathy for beliefs and practices that contradict the gospel,” specifically mentioning the  “homosexual lifestyle” and same-sex families . He opposed government efforts in Peru to introduce gender teaching in schools, describing them as confusing and unbiblical. 9. Leo XIV’s pro-life credentials are strong and consistent. Prevost is widely recognized for his unwavering and public commitment to pro-life principles. As bishop in Peru, he was an outspoken advocate for protecting unborn life. He also participated in and promoted the March for Life in Chiclayo, sharing photos from the event and urging followers on social media to “ defend human life at all times! ” He has consistently amplified Catholic teaching against abortion, retweeting and endorsing statements from other Catholic leaders, such as Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who  called  the womb the “primal sanctuary, where a helpless, innocent, fragile, tiny baby is safe, secure, nurtured and protected.” Prevost’s public record leaves little doubt about his alignment with the Catholic Church’s opposition to abortion. He has also spoken out against euthanasia and assisted suicide. In 2016, he  shared articles  warning of the dangers of legalizing euthanasia, highlighting the experiences of Belgian Catholics who cautioned against such laws. He argued that assisted suicide endangers the vulnerable and undermines the trust between doctors and patients, reinforcing the church’s defense of life until natural death. Addendum : As evangelicals, we at The Gospel Coalition hold to  significant theological differences  with the Catholic Church and the  papacy as an institution . But understanding Pope Leo XIV’s background and convictions helps us engage more thoughtfully with our Catholic neighbors and global Christianity. While Leo XIV’s biography is impressive, and his commitment to life is clear,  his first acts and words as pope  reaffirm Catholic distinctives that set Rome apart from the biblical gospel. His papacy will likely continue the church’s emphasis on Marian devotion and Roman authority. As always, we’re called to speak the truth in love, praying for gospel clarity and faithfulness to Christ alone, even as we seek to understand and engage with this new global leader.

by David G. Duggan © www.virtueonline.org May 11, 2025   Chicago’s two most powerful politicians, Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov. Jabba Pritzker probably couldn’t get elected dog-catcher if they ran outside of this state. The crime, high taxes and pathetic services Chicago and Illinois citizens receive for their tax dollars have made this city and state almost unlivable. So leave it to the Catholic church to reach into the nether regions of Chicago’s long love affair with Roman Catholicism to elect a native son as the holy father.   There is some debate whether Robert Prevost, who took the name Leo XIV, is a real Chicagoan. Pictures of his now-vacant childhood home show a Dolton, IL address. While there are some descendants of French ancestry some 100 miles southwest of Chicago in Marseilles and LaSalle (their ancestors came after the Revolutions of 1848), Prevost claims Creole heritage from New Orleans. He also claims to be a White Sox fan, though that team has been dying to leave Chicago for the last 40 years and stayed only because their owner, Jerry Reinsdorf, cajoled his law school classmate, Gov. Jim Thompson, to build him a new stadium. And now Reinsdorf is threatening to leave again. Nashville, or Indianapolis I’m told could use a team of perpetual losers.   Other ironies abound. Prevost is the second successive “ordered” Catholic priest to be named pope, after a gap of almost 100 years (Franciscan Pius X died in 1914). In the middle ages it was quite common for a pope to be named from a religious order but it fell out of favor probably because the church didn’t want to be seen as inbred or creating a special path to the papacy. Prevost is an Augustinian, often regarded as the most austere of all the orders (even more so than the Jesuits), and that hated reformer, Martin Luther, was an Augustinian who famously said: “that if ever a monk got to heaven by his monkery, it was I.” Sola gratia, Luther discovered.   Then there is his choice of papal name. His immediate namesake predecessor, Leo XIII, who “reigned” from 1878-1903 (one of the longest tenures in Vatican history) issued the seminal papal encyclical: Rerum Novarum, “Of New Things.” Essentially a defense of the right of workers to unionize and a disavowal of the perceived alliance between Europe’s aristocracy and the church, “Rerum Novarum” became a rallying cry for traditionalists. One of the subtexts of Andre Gide’s “Les Caves du Vatican” is that the real Leo XIII was kidnapped and an imposter was put in the role who upended Catholic doctrine that the faith does not require class warfare. Conspiracy theories have long legs.   And the Augustinians haven’t been immune from accusations of childhood sexual abuse. In fact, in Chicago, the hotbed of abuse claims (Cardinal Bernardin was well-traveled on Halsted Street, the center of Chicago’s gay culture and used his seminary, Our Lady of the Lake in suburban Mundelein, as a recruiting ground for those of like inclination), the Augustinians have been quite closed-mouth about their own transgressions. Prevost has been accused of stonewalling two investigations: one in Chicago and another in Peru (where the victims were women, wonder of wonders).   Before the Conclave met, a picture of Donald Trump as pope circulated on his social media platform. Catholics world-wide are probably relieved that didn’t come to pass, but be careful what you wish for. Long live the pope.   END

Historic consecration will mark a milestone for the Anglican Communion By David W. Virtue in Tunis www.virtueonline.org May 8, 2025   The historic election of The Rev. Canon Dr. Ashley Null to be the first elected Bishop of North Africa marks a milestone in African Anglicanism.   The expansion of the Anglican Communion has been steadily growing on the continent of Africa to the point where it is entirely indigenous. It is today among the fastest and largest growing provinces in the Anglican Communion.   The election of an American Episcopalian to this post is a first. Dr. Null is a world authority on the theology of Thomas Cranmer, a trained theologian and a sports chaplain, counseling Olympic and other elite athletes. Null maintains close ties to the Anglican realignment movement as a theological adviser to the Anglican Church in North America's Diocese of the Carolinas.   Null will come under the authority of Egyptian Archbishop Samy Fawzy Shehata, the second archbishop and primate of the Episcopal/Anglican Province of Alexandria, the 41st province of the Anglican Communion. The first archbishop was the Rt. Rev. Dr. Mouneer Hanna Anis of Cairo.   The history of Anglicanism in the area is of recent origin; its theology is in keeping with the great African Christian leaders of the past, many of whom fought heresies and sacrificed their lives for the gospel. In November 2021, Canon Anthony Ball was consecrated as an Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Egypt, with responsibilities across the new Episcopal/Anglican Province of Alexandria and in January 2024 became the appointed Bishop of North Africa in that Province. He became the first diocesan bishop of North Africa and the first Anglican successor to Augustine.   The Province of Alexandria, named after the north Egyptian city which was home to one of the earliest branches of the Christian Church, serves ten countries – five of them in the Diocese of North Africa (Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Chad and Mauritania) and five in the other three dioceses of the Province (Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia).   Bishop Shehata succeeded the Rt. Rev. Bill Musk, who presided over the diocese encompassing Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya from 2008 till his retirement in 2015. He is the author of numerous books, including Kissing Cousins? Christians and Muslims Face to Face (2006) and The Certainty Trap (2013).   Archbishop Samy came under the oversight of Archbishop Mouneer Anis an Egyptian Anglican bishop (2000-2021) and the first Anglican Archbishop of Alexandria from 2020 to 2021. He was the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East from 2007 to 2017, when his diocese was part of that ecclesiastical province.   Archbishop Anis consecrated the Rev. Samy Fawzy Shehata as the first Arab area bishop for North Africa on Feb. 27, 2021.   All of these countries are dominated by Islam, but some, like Tunisia are more tolerant of Christians since the Arab Spring. In Tunisia, it is legal to convert and while it is frowned upon, no one gets killed. In contrast, Coptic Christians face persecution in Egypt, and many Christians of all stripes feel uncertain about the future of Christianity in Syria.   END

Tunis will witness the consecration of the first elected Anglican diocesan bishop of North Africa   By David W. Virtue in Tunis www.virtueonline.org May 8, 2025   TUNIS, Tunisia – Despite its predominantly Muslim population the African country of Tunisia is deeply rooted in Christianity going back to St. Augustine. Its rich heritage dates back centuries.  The legacy of ancient Carthage and the Christian martyrs under Valerian were a group including Montanus, Lucius, Flavian, Julian, Victoricus, Primolus, Rhenus, and Donatian. All were executed during the persecutions of the Roman Emperor Valerian in 259 AD. Their feast day is February 24.  Carthage continues to shape its spiritual identity.   Among the more famous martyrs are Felicitas and Perpetua, two women brought to the amphitheater on March 7, 203 A.D., and faced punishment and death for following Christ.   Tunisia has been called the “Pearl of the Mediterranean.” It overlooks the entire Mediterranean Sea and is like a beautiful window to the desert.   The country borders on Algeria, Libya, and the Mediterranean Sea. It was the home of the Star Wars. The North African country was the filming location for the first six Star Wars movies, with sets still visible in the desert.   Tunis will also be the scene of the consecration of the Rev. Canon Dr. Ashley Null. It will be a momentous occasion for the Anglican Communion.  Dr. Null will be the second Anglican diocesan bishop of North Africa but the first elected Anglican diocesan bishop of North Africa.  His predecessor was appointed. Notable attendees include the former Archbishop of Jos, Nigeria, Benjamin Kwashi, and Anthony Poggo, a South Sudanese Anglican bishop who has been the secretary general of the Anglican Consultative Council and head of the Anglican Communion.   Before Null, all the Anglican bishops of North Africa were area bishops (i.e., suffragan or assistant bishops) appointed by and under the authority of the diocesan bishop of Egypt. This is a game changer. Null will come under the authority of the new Archbishop of Alexandria Samy Fawzy Shehata, an Egyptian Anglican bishop. He is the second archbishop and primate of the Episcopal/Anglican Province of Alexandria, the 41st province of the Anglican Communion.   Dr. Null stands in the line of St. Augustine of Hippo, Algeria. The Anglican Communion has an Anglican Church in Algeria. The first Anglican Church in Algiers was consecrated in 1870. The current congregation is Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Algiers.   Many believe that Christianity is a new religion that came from the West. But roundabout 200 A.D. there was a vibrant church here, said American William Brown who has lived here for 22 years. He pastors the Reformed Church of Tunisia.   Carthage, which is just down the road, serves as a significant center of early Christian thought and home to influential church fathers. American-born Frank Bernardi, a priest who pastors St. George's Anglican Church in Tunis points to Carthage as an important center of Christianity in the 2nd and 3rd centuries—a thriving hub for the faith that served as the seat of the Christian Church for all of North Africa.   "What it produced was this really significant, what I like to call, high-octane church, that had a reputation throughout the world because of how serious they took their faith, and how willing they were to die for their faith," Bernardi told CBN News.   Bernardi says Tunisia's spiritual legacy is not only in ancient ruins but also in the memories of martyrs and theologians.   History has it that Tertullian, a Tunisian lawyer who came to Christ, came up with new vocabulary to try and explain Christian concepts. So even the word 'trinity' originally came from him."   Augustine, who was not from Carthage but was from modern-day Algeria, came over and was a teacher here.   Rough estimates are that there are about 30,000 Christians today who reside in Tunisia, 80 percent of whom are foreigners. Local Tunisian believers number around 5,000.   Although predominantly Muslim, Tunisia recognizes freedom of religion. Since the Arab Spring uprising almost 14 years ago, the government has embraced more democratic values. END ReplyForward Add reaction

Dear editor,     Hopefully the omission of Archbishop Ted Scott participation in the blessing of the civil marriage of deacons Alison Kemper and Joyce Barnett was mere oversight by the/ Journal/ (October). Archbishop Scott, the former primate, pronounced his archepiscopal blessing twice during the service first after the couple’s declaration of lifelong promises of commitment and again at the end of the eucharist. The 10th primate of the Anglican Church of Canada (1971-86) participated with the prior knowledge of Archbishop Terence Finlay and at the invitation of the couple. He was vested, walked in the procession and participated fully in the ceremony.   Hugh McCullum Toronto   CONGO PROVINCE REJECTS ROBINSON CONSECRATION   Statement of the Bishops of the Anglican Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo on homosexuality and blessings of same-sex unions within the Anglican Communion1/5/2004     [Anglican Communion News Service] We, the Bishops of the Anglican Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, (DR Congo) gathered in Kinshasa, its capital city, on behalf of the clergy and laity from the  DR Congo, take this opportunity to officially express our unhappiness regarding the issues which have recently arisen pertaining to the issues  of homosexuality and the blessing of same-sex relationships which we  believe are contrary to Holy Scripture, and to moral law in the Third World. We therefore strongly condemn  - the consecration of Canon GENE ROBINSON, a divorcee and an actively gay bishop of the US New Hampshire Diocese of the Episcopal Church on 2nd November 2003 - the access to priesthood of actively gay and lesbian people - the use of the newly devised Prayer Book published by the Diocese of New Westminster/Canada for the purpose of officiating the blessing of same- sex marriages.     We believe that the above-mentioned acts clearly and deliberately Misinterpret a) the Word of God b) the resolution 110,98 of the Lambeth Conference of 1998 prohibiting homosexuality, an act contrary to Christian calling in Holy Scripture.   In its position of moral keeper, the Church must do all in its power to  prevent immorality and itself avoid being corrupted and in turn corrupting the whole world.     c) the work of the Commission established to study in depth the issue of  homosexuality. The findings of this Commission initiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury to try and establish proper solutions to homosexuality in the Church is due in October 2004. The bishops from the Third World opposed the consecration of Canon GENE ROBINSON as bishop in their meetings at Lambeth Palace, London in October 2003.   We knowingly declare that -   1. The Anglican Province of Congo strongly condemns homosexuality  and wishes to disassociate itself from relations with Dioceses and Parishes involved in homosexuality. Therefore, it disapproves the confirmation and consecration   2. of Canon GENE ROBINSON, a man living openly in a homosexual relationship, as bishop in God’s ministry. The Anglican Province of Congo is in fellowship with all Parishes, Dioceses and Provinces of ECUSA and of the Anglican Church of Canada in opposition to homosexuality. It is happy to support both morally, pastorally and spiritually all Christians from every part of the world within the network of theologically orthodox churches and Dioceses in opposition to homosexuality. 3. The Anglican Province of Congo condemns every immoral act which promotes active homosexuality as a cultural norm. The Gospel purifies all culture and must be in agreement with Holy Scripture.   4. The Anglican Province of Congo rejects the newly published New Westminster Diocesan Book of Prayer promoting the blessing of same-sex union. It20 calls upon each and every women and man of God to think about God’s Word relating to marriage in Genesis 127,28 and encourages abstinence as the appropriate way for those who are not called to marriage. The Anglican Province of  Congo therefore invites any person knowingly involved in homosexuality to repent from his/her sin and return to the fullness of relationship with Chris t. (Lev.18:23 Matt.194-6 Romans 123-27).

By SOLANGE DE SANTIS Staff Writer Anglican Journal   Hamilton, Ont.   The decision to marry two women in Hamilton Christ Church Cathedral last August was either a moment of grace or a moment of error, said Rev. Peter Wall, dean of the diocese of Niagara and rector of the cathedral.   Dean Wall confirmed in an interview that he was the priest disciplined by Bishop Ralph Spence after performing a same-sex wedding in a Niagara parish. The wedding took place Aug. 25 in the cathedral with about 90 people in attendance.   Gay couples have been able legally to marry in Ontario since June, when the provincial court of appeal ruled that limiting civil marriage to heterosexuals was discriminatory and unconstitutional. However, the canons, or church laws, of the Anglican Church of Canada restrict marriage to male-female couples and the church is wrestling with the issue of whether gay relationships should be blessed.     Bishop Spence announced in early September that a priest in the diocese had presided over the wedding of a gay couple that he was suspending the priest licence to marry for an unspecified time and that the priest would continue in parish ministry. Bishop Spence did not identify the priest at the time. The marriage licence was restored Nov. 1.     This was a mind of heart over a mind of reason. Though I disagreed with him, I understood that, said Bishop Spence.     Noting that British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario have legalized gay marriage, Dean Wall said, I need to trust that God’s grace may be extended to same-sex couples. Here were two people who demonstrated to me that the spirit worked within them, that the light shined through.   The couple has been together 14 years.   He had met with the couple earlier in the summer and learned that  they had been turned away from another church. I was showing them around the cathedral. I always thought of the cathedral as a welcoming place and I had either a moment of grace or a moment of error and I said, It is your choice if you wish to get married here, he recalled.     Dean Wall said he modified the marriage service in the Book of Alternative Services to fit the female couple.   Breaking the rules is a dangerous thing to do, he acknowledged, but sometimes the rules need to be bent. He considered, he said, the higher purpose of living what we say we believe against the rules by which we manage ourselves.     Bishop Spence said he learned of the wedding a day later, when Dean Wall came to his office to inform him. Complicating matters was the fact that Bishop Spence had sent an e-mail to all clergy in the diocese a few days prior to the wedding, responding to a newspaper story citing rumours that an unidentified Anglican priest was planning to bless a gay couple in a garden ceremony. (The rumours proved to be inaccurate and were not referring to the planned wedding at the cathedral.)     Bishop Spencee-mail reminded clergy that the blessing of same-sex couples was not permitted in Niagara and that such action would be a matter for discipline.     After receiving Bishop Spencee-mail, Dean Wall met with the couple in his office, then prayed alone. I prayed that I could be someone who could welcome all people into the church. I believe very strongly that God loves us all with all of who we are. I hope I can be part of a church that doesn’t sanction so unkindly the way we live out who we are, he said.     The status of gay people in the church strikes close to home, said Dean Wall, who is married with two children. Significant people in My life have been gay. I had a brother who died of AIDS. They have taught me a lot about what it is to be a real person, a whole person. I consider myself enormously blessed to have lots of good examples of same-sex couples who are deeply committed to each other, deeply cherishing, he said.   Both Bishop Spence and Dean Wall said their meeting after the wedding was very emotional. I felt blindsided, said Bishop Spence, who subsequently told the fall meeting of the house of bishops that he has tried to honour the bishops resolution not to move on the same-sex blessing issue until General Synod 2004 discusses the question.     Dean Wall said his intent was not to defy his bishop. I have the greatest respect and affection for my bishop and I understand and accept his disciplining of me, he said.     Bishop Spence said he has received criticism that his discipline of Dean Wall was too light. I respected his ministry and did not want it to end, said the bishop. He is a creative, dynamic individual that is what makes his ministry successful. He’s been disciplined and told not to do it again. He made a promise to me he would not do it again. Peter ministry is going on.   A cathedral dean is considered the second-highest position in the diocese, after bishop. Dean Wall, 52, is a member of the national church faith, worship and ministry committee and chair of the worship committee for General Synod 2004. He also holds the position of diocesan liturgical officer and is on the board of the Anglican Foundation and serves on the team leading national consultations on how the question of same-sex blessings will come before General Synod. He is also the chair of Liturgy Canada , a national organization that researches and publishes material concerning liturgy.

January 8, 2004   The head of the Anglican Church in Australia, Dr Peter Carnley, has announced that he will step down next year, ending a controversial reign marked by internal church disputes over homosexuality and the role of women in the church. Archbishop Carnley said yesterday that he would retire as primate and as Anglican Archbishop of Perth in May next year, marking the 24th anniversary of his consecration and installation as archbishop.   Dr Carnley was anointed as Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia in 2000. Earlier he had ordained Australia first women priests. He will be 67 when he retires, two years before the compulsory retirement age for clergy in the diocese. Dr Carnley said he was announcing his retirement early to provide an opportunity for a successor to be  appointed and to take up the position with minimal interruption. His final official engagements would be in February next year.   He said that over his years in Perth, there have been some ups and downs but, generally speaking, the downs have been few and overshadowed by far by the positively life-giving and good things that we have experienced.     Dr Carnley’s liberal stance on many issues has attracted fierce criticism from church conservatives.     He has also been critical of the Howard Government policies on asylum seekers and the war in Iraq.     END

Jay L. Greener Jan 8, 2004     In a resounding display of shared conviction, the parish of All Saints Church in Pawley Island, SC, voted tonight to sever ties to the Episcopal Church USA (ECUSA) and to align itself with another Province of the Anglican Communion. Over 500 were in attendance to vote on two resolutions that will alter the church core documents.  A congregation that claims over 1,000 parishioners and deep roots to its founding in 1745, All Saints officially amended its charter to reflect a  revised statement of purpose, as well as its official affiliation. The vote affirmed the unanimous decision of the church vestry, made in October. The church joins nine international Anglican provinces that recently severed ties to the ECUSA an institution whose revisionist and liberal actions are increasingly placing it at odds with much of the rest of the Anglican Communion.   On two separate ballots, those present voted overwhelmingly to declare a new identity and affiliation as a church. On the first, which called for all references to the Episcopal Church to be removed from All Saints charter, the vote was 464 in favor, 42 against, and 1 abstention. On the second ballot, nearly 94% of those present voted to remove All Saints from the Episcopal Church and transfer its canonical residence to another Province within the Anglican Communion.   That other Province will most likely be the Province of Rwanda, and its missionary movement in this country, the Anglican Mission in America. That decision will be finalized at a parish meeting later this month. As people were leaving the meeting, they had opportunity to transfer their letters of membership individually, and the response was overwhelming.   All Saints Rector Emeritus, the Rt. Rev. Charles Murphy, addressed the gathering before deliberations began. He made it clear that it was not a regular parish business meeting, but a special meeting of the corporation concerned with amending the church official charter, adopted in 1902. His comments embraced the following points;  *The Episcopal Church USA of today is very different from the Protestant Episcopal Church of 1902 under which the original charter was drafted *The Episcopal Church has produced, by its actions, a major realignment in the Anglican Communion whereby two-thirds of the world Anglicans are now in a state of broken or impaired communion with ECUSA   *All Saints Church has resisted the revisions of the Episcopal Church for years, working for renewal and change from within *The Episcopal Church has, in effect, abandoned the Faith and Order of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.   *There are now two strategies for addressing the international crisis either to remain inside the ECUSA and become part of an orthodox ghetto, or move outside in order to come out from under coercive structures and canons, which is the strategy of the Anglican Mission in America.   The members of All Saints obviously agreed with their longtime leader, voting to follow an outside strategy from this point on.   All Saints and the Diocese of South Carolina have had strained relations for the last three years, due to actions on the part of the Diocese to claim interest in the church property, refusal of the Diocese to allow All Saints to vote at recent conventions, and recent efforts on the part of the bishop, Ed Salmon, to take over control of the parish.   South Carolinas Judge Breeden has twice ruled that the Diocese has no interest in the property, which was deeded many years before the Episcopal Church even existed. All Saints will continue to worship in their current facilities, even as the diocese continues its efforts to remove them through the courts.   Overall, it was a ˜peaceful meeting where a few people spoke on each side of the issues, with one person observing that ˜the church was ready for this moment. In a recent statement, the leadership of All Saints reasserted its commitment to its members, the inhabitants of Waccamaw Neck Region, the worldwide Anglican Communion, and Christ Great Commission to His Church. The Impact of Robinson’s Consecration. If there is no absolute moral standard, then one cannot say in a final sense that anything is right or wrong. By absolute we mean that which applies to all people, that which provides a final or ultimate standard.   There must be an absolute if there are to be morals, and there must be an absolute if there are to be real values. If there is no absolute beyond man ideas, then there is no final appeal to judge between individuals and groups whose moral judgements conflict. We are merely left with conflicting opinions. - How Should We Then Live? By Francis Schaeffer (Old Tappan, NJ Fleming H. Revell, 1976), page 145.    Dear Brothers and Sisters,   The Robinson consecration is coming home to roost. Slowly but surely, in  one parish after other stories abound of parishes suffering financially, parishioners feeling betrayed and departing, and much more.   It is not just a matter of international opprobrium and rebuke or even of orthodox bishops in ECUSA withholding monies from the national church The New Hampshire action is now filtering down to the parish level. Virtuosity had predicted this would happen, as did many others, and now it is coming all too sadly true.     E-mails coming into Virtuosity mailbox by the dozen, tell stories of individuals and families leaving in despair and disillusionment, taking themselves off to the Anglican Mission in America, one of several Orthodox branches of the Christian Church, the Roman Catholic Church and more.     There is also the interesting side bar of orthodox Episcopal parishes growing as believing families leave revisionist parishes that affirm homosexual behavior or who cannot sign off on the creeds, Scripture and more. So in order to remain in the Episcopal Church they sometimes drive 20 or 30 miles on Sunday to find a biblically faithful parish. And when they do, they rejoice.     One laymen wrote to me his story and I have written it up for you in today’s digest. It is set in America’s heartland, and it is a sad story of the decline of a once proud parish into mission status and, by year end will, in all probability, close its doors.     The sad truth is that there are some 3,465 Episcopal parishes in the ECUSA (nearly 50 percent of the entire Episcopal Church) have 37 members  actually attending on Sunday and the Robinson consecration will push most of them into extinction. It is only a matter of time.     In Pawleys Island, All Saints will make a decision tonight (Thursday)  about what they will do, that is, will they leave the Diocese of SC and ECUSA and officially join with the AMIA, or will they not.     Liberal bishops, who have sat on the fence, are suffering alongside openly revisionist bishops as they watch the slow but inevitable decline. It is now either/or the middle ground of compromise is fast disappearing. Many of the smaller parishes may stay temporarily propped  up now that ECUSA is in concordat with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), but that is a short-term stay of execution. The former Bishop of Colorado now wishes he hadnt voted for Robinson.     One bitter former ECUSA employee wrote I am seeing the destruction of  two ECUSA congregations. . . bit by bit. The destruction is, I think, part of the whole death wish syndrome of sodomites. They are so anxious for the church  -- any denomination -- to declare they are sinless, that they are willing to reduce to ruin anything that appears  to be an obstacle. Here and there, the destruction does give them money and power, both de jure and de facto.   A Lutheran pastor and Virtuosity reader wrote and told me this week, that things were no better in his church, and says that what is  happening to ECUSA is happening to his own church as pansexualists take over and biblically illiterate, theologically flabby Lutheran bishops  have no stomach to fight on scriptural grounds or hold back the flood of sad sack, feel your pain stories from pansexualists.     There is even a story about a Presbyterian pastor (PCUSA) and editor of  The Presbyterian Layman about to be tossed out of his church because he urged Presbyterians to withhold undesignated gifts to the denomination because of its support for partial-birth abortion, homosexuality, and other practices that violate scripture. For daring to stand up to the powers that be, the Bible-believing Presbyterian minister may be stripped of his ordination credentials for criticizing leaders in his denomination.     Writers like George Orwell and Malcolm Muggeridge saw it all coming.   The truth is, we are just seeing the beginning of the decline. On the other side there are wonderful stories of orthodox ECUSA parishes  (both Evangelical and Anglo-Catholic) that are growing, because these rectors have a vigorous understanding of what the gospel is, and how to communicate it.   A group of some 20 top orthodox rectors in the country meet once a year  to exchange stories, to listen and learn what God is doing in their lives and churches. These are parishes with 500 plus members, and while I am not privy to their conversation, it hardly takes a brain surgeon to figure out what they talk about.   The question is, do any of these men have futures as bishops in today moral climate? One doubts it, but one remains hopeful. No wannabe bishop would ever obtain consents if he did not agree to the ordination of  women, and it is only a matter of time, if it hasn’t already come, that Standing Committees will want to hear words like inclusion and diversity if a person steps up to the plate to be a bishop - buzzwords for pansexual acceptance.   These world class rectors may have already reached the height of their  careers. It is a sad indictment of the current sick situation the ECUSA finds itself in - hated by a majority of the primates, despised by  Global South bishops, several of whom now openly accuse ECUSA of using money to bribe them.   The story of Jesus and the temple moneychangers now has a familiar 21st Century ring to it. There is nothing new under the sun. Money (the Western churches have it), Sex, (The Western churches are morally bankrupting over pansexuality) and Power (revisionist bishops are exercising it to abolish faithful orthodox priests) is now writ large over the ECUSA.   All the while the Global South has no money, and their churches are growing like crazy, sex stays within monogamous marriage between a man and a woman, and power is interpreted as authority, not half-crazed power-mad bishops like a Schimpfky or Bennison or Shaw who hate orthodoxy with a living passion, and who would sooner see the church die than compromise their heterodox unbelief.     What heart of darkness so fills these bishops that they can turn the truth of God into a lie? Do they not understand the Last Judgment, the final sorting out of those who believed and those who didn’t. And what of God's first judgement descending on the household of faith. Do they honestly believe that God will wink and nod and say, of course you changed my mind, how brilliant and brave of you.  And then the final word, depart from me I never knew you. Searing and sobering words indeed.   There is no denying it no weaseling one’s way round it. It is there for all to see. The Episcopal Church has sown to the wind and it is now reaping the whirlwind.     BUT OCCASIONALLY THERE IS A RAY OF SUNSHINE. This week the Queen announced a new BISHOP OF READING. We are delighted that Canon Stephen Cottrell is to be the next Bishop of Reading. We warmly welcome the appointment of a dedicated evangelist, a leader in mission and a teacher-pastor to this important post, said Dr Philip Giddings, Convenor of Anglican Mainstream UK. His outstanding work at Springboard has commended him widely as a Catholic Evangelist in the Church of England said Rev David Banting, vicar of St Peter Harold Wood, Essex.   Canon Michael Green, Wycliffe college, Oxford also gave the new bishop rave reviews. Score one for the Bishop of Oxford, Richard Harries who made it possible. Jeffrey John is history.   I WROTE TO CANON PATRICK MAUNEY at National Church headquarters, the church chief dispenser of Episcopal largess to overseas provinces seeking money for various projects, asking whether in light of the Province of Uganda dis-invitation to Frank Griswold to attend the consecration of their new Primate, and alleged bribery charges, would he still go ahead and send the money, (for the Gulus) even though ECUSA’s delegation was not welcome at the new Ugandan Primate consecration? He wrote back saying The DFMS has not declared itself out of communion with anyone and so all our budgeted grants remain on offer and will be sent if accepted.     I’ll write to the Primate in a couple of months and see if they got the check.     MUCH IS BEING MADE ON THE INTERNET about how the AHMANSON FOUNDATION (he is an Episcopalian) is busy funding conservative causes, some of  which are Episcopalian like the Institute for Religion and Democracy and  other orthodox groups as well. There is talk of sinister efforts by Mr. Ahmanson to undermine ECUSA liberal bias. Really. One wishes he had  that sort of power. He doesn’t.   So here is a turnabout for the books. Software entrepreneur Tim Gill of the Gill Foundation is a Colorado-based nonprofit philanthropic organization providing grants to nonprofit organizations, for people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities that make up American society.   Since its inception, the foundation has invested nearly $40 million in nonprofit organizations throughout the country, with a focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and HIV/ AIDS organizations and non-LGBT organizations located in Colorado. With an endowment of approximately $200 million, the Gill Foundation is the country’s largest funder of LGBT organizations. Does ECUSA Integrity org. get money from the Gill Foundation and where did the $300,000 war chest come from that was used to push the PR campaign for Robinson’s confirmation at GC2003?   Inquiring minds want to know?   THEN THERE THE NEW BISHOP-ELECT one James Cowan, 52, of the Anglican Diocese of British Columbia “essentially Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands (13,400 souls) who said in an interview that it’s time for Anglicans to take a page out of some of the New Age spiritual movements.   I hope to set up, fairly soon, a discussion in the diocese about what evangelism for this diocese looks like, he said. This is a very different age. Missionaries would talk about the faith and compare the two faiths, and sometimes there would be baptisms and conversions and sometimes there wouldn’t. But the dialogue was always between people who believed in something. Now, for the first time, you have a complete generation or perhaps more where they claim no religious affiliation.     He said the answer might be in the New Age movement. Perhaps he and New Westminster bishop Michael Ingham can seek enlightenment together while banging Native American drums and dancing in circles, or they could invite Frank Griswold out to the Pacific Northwest teach them both how to dance the Circle Dance of Dispossession. It did wonders for ECUSA House of Bishops, God knows what it will do for Canada’s flaky lot of Purple.     I AM POSTING A NUMBER OF STORIES in today’s digest that should be of interest to you. Based on the Biblical injunction let another man/woman praise thee and not thine own lips, I am posting a story from the Washington TIMES about the Internet and its impact on The Episcopal Church. VIRTUOSITY and this writer receives a favorable review. The writer is Culture Editor Julia Duin.     PLEASE NOTE THAT STORIES ARE NOW BEING POSTED DIRECTLY TO THE WEBSITE ON A DAILY BASIS. You can keep up with the news as it breaks. It is all on the front page. www.virtuosityonline.org .     CORRECTION In my last digest I said that four ECUSA dioceses -  By the time you receive this digest I will be in Charleston, SC to cover the Anglican Communion Institute annual meeting with scholars, Primates and bishops coming together to discuss the issues of the day. I will post directly to the website as the news breaks.     PLEASE MAKE EVERY EFFORT to cover this ministry with your prayers and support it with your charitable dollars. For me to get you the news I do need your support. You can make a tax-deductible donation at the website www.virtuosityonline.org and hitting the PAYPAL link. You can send a check by snail mail to David W. Virtue, VIRTUOSITY, 1236 Waterford Road, West Chester, PA 19380. Thank you for your support.     All Blessings,   David W. Virtue DD

Statement of the Bishops of the Anglican Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo on homosexuality and blessings of same-sex unions within the Anglican Communion.     We, the Bishops of the Anglican Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, (DRCongo) gathered in Kinshasa, its capital city, on behalf of the clergy and laity from the DRCongo, take this opportunity to officially express our unhappiness regarding the issues which have recently arisen pertaining to the issues of homosexuality and the blessing of same-sex relationships which we believe are contrary to Holy Scripture, and to moral law in the Third World. We therefore strongly condemn     - the consecration of Canon GENE ROBINSON, a divorcee and an actively gay bishop of the US New Hampshire Diocese of the Episcopal Church on 2nd November 2003     - the access to priesthood of actively gay and lesbian people   - the use of the newly devised Prayer Book published by the Diocese of New Westminster/Canada for the purpose of officiating the blessing of same-sex marriages.     We believe that the above-mentioned acts clearly and deliberately misinterpret: a) the Word of God b) the resolution 110,98 of the Lambeth Conference of 1998 prohibiting homosexuality, an act contrary to Christian calling in Holy Scripture. In its position of moral keeper, the Church must do all in its power to prevent immorality and itself avoid being corrupted and in turn corrupting the whole world.   c) the work of the Commission established to study in depth the issue of homosexuality. The findings of this Commission initiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury to try and establish proper solutions to homosexuality in the Church is due in October 2004. The bishops from the Third World opposed the consecration of Canon GENE ROBINSON as bishop in their meetings at Lambeth Palace, London in October 2003.   We knowingly declare that the Anglican Province of Congo strongly condemns homosexuality and wishes to disassociate itself from relations with Dioceses and Parishes involved in homosexuality. Therefore, it disapproves the confirmation and consecration of Canon GENE ROBINSON, a man living openly in a homosexual relationship, as bishop in God’s ministry.   The Anglican Province of Congo is in fellowship with all Parishes, Dioceses and Provinces of ECUSA and of the Anglican Church of Canada in opposition to homosexuality. It is happy to support both morally, pastorally and spiritually all Christians from every part of the world within the network of theologically orthodox churches and Dioceses in opposition to homosexuality.     3 The Anglican Province of Congo condemns every immoral act which promotes active homosexuality as a cultural norm. The Gospel purifies all culture and must be in agreement with Holy Scripture.

Consecration will never affect the average Episcopalian. V. Gene Robinson, Bishop-elect of New Hampshire at GC2003   Special Report   By David W. Virtue, DD   The Bishop of New Hampshire is in for a rude awakening. His consecration is affecting not only the entire Anglican Communion causing whole provinces to disassociate themselves from the ECUSA, it is drying up funds to The Episcopal Church from orthodox dioceses, and now it is beginning to affect local parishes as well. Here are the consequences to one parish in America’s Heartland. A lay leader in a conservative congregation in a liberal diocese sent the following report.     The question was raised at a recent parish meeting, where is the Episcopal Church going?     We are really going through a difficult time as a result of the Gene Robinson consecration, he wrote to Virtuosity.     Since September, both our attendance and our giving has declined by at least 20 percent.  We are more than $8,400 in arrears to the diocese--not because we want to withhold it--but simply because we cant pay it.  In pledges for 2004, we only have about $75,000 which is about half of what we had in 2003 from half as many households and not enough to keep a full-time priest, and part-time secretary, organist-choirmaster, and sexton.     And that’s not all.     He writes, “I think everybody on the vestry and about 95 percent of the congregation opposes what the Episcopal Church has done.  The rector tells me there are three or four individuals in the parish who think it was a good thing.  He wants to find a way to hold the parish together and remain in the Episcopal Church, but what are we to do?”     Last Sunday the rector told him that four families had recently left the church.  They told him basically, We stayed until the end of the year--liked you asked--but nothing has happened and so were leaving.     I wish Gene Robinson could come and look this congregation in the face on Sunday morning to see what he hath wrought.  Even for those members who supported his consecration, it still affects them because of what is happening to their parish.     If nothing happens--if the powers that be do not provide an alternative for congregations like ours--I fear that we will dissolve and most members will leave before the end of the 2004. At best, I think most people will still leave and we will become a mission congregation with aid from the diocese.  But I have also heard that this same thing is happening in several other parishes in our diocese.     Gene Robinson’s consecration affects little congregations like ours in America Heartland because we have been told all of our lives that we are a [capital] Church and we do things together and what one diocese or person does affects the whole Church.   Bishops and theologians have told us all our lives that we are not like those congregational churches where congregations and pastors do their own thing.     Now we are learning the truth, our Anglican theology is coming home to roost.     END