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PRESS RELEASE   Ambridge, PA 5/14/25     Trinity Anglican Seminary announced the official opening of The Trophimus Center in Ambridge, PA with a ribbon cutting ceremony on May 15, 2025 at 4 p.m. and a dedication and consecration service on May 16, 2025 at 6:30 p.m.   The space serves as a place for Trinity students to engage in liturgical formation, hosts classrooms and events, and invites the local community to participate in worship. It also supports the wider Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) and other mission partners as a keystone institution for leadership conferences.   The Rev. Cn. Dr. Bryan Hollon, Dean and President, said, “The Trophimus Center’s opening is a major advance in Trinity Anglican Seminary's mission to be a global center for Christian formation in the Anglican tradition. With its beautifully restored worship and meeting spaces, the Center equips our students in the beauty of Anglican liturgy while providing our community and the entire Province a central gathering place for learning, worship, and fellowship.   This incredible facility will enable Trinity to form leaders steeped in our rich tradition and better equip the churches we serve to offer the gospel's beauty, depth, and truth to a world desperately seeking all three." To meet the need for a larger event venue and more flexible worship space, The Trophimus Center was purchased in 2019 by a generous donor on behalf of Trinity Anglican Seminary.   The Center accommodates up to 300 guests and provides a majestic setting for preaching, worship, and hands-on liturgical training. It is equipped with modern audio-visual technology suited to Anglican liturgy and includes adaptable classroom and conference spaces for Trinity and its mission partners.   The space which formerly housed the United Presbyterian Church, has been completely renovated and restored. New features include a bowl for the baptismal font which is custom made of stone from the ancient city of Ephesus, the home of Trophimus—the namesake of the center. Also featured are an elevated pulpit, large restored Tiffany-inspired stained-glass windows, a domed ceiling, and soon a restored 1926 pipe organ.   For more information about Trinity Anglican Seminary, visit tas.edu About Trinity Anglican Seminary Trinity Anglican Seminary is to be a global center for Christian formation in the evangelical Anglican tradition, producing outstanding leaders who can plant, renew, and grow churches that make disciples of Jesus Christ. For more information, visit tas.edu Media Contact: Christina Thornburg Associate Director of Media Relations christina.thornburg@tas.edu Work: 724.385.8026 Cell: 724.494.0913 tas.edu

Calvin Robinson too hot to handle is booted from the Reformed Episcopal Church  By Mary Ann Mueller  VOL Special Correspondent  www.virtueonline.org   May 15, 2025      Well, it didn't take long for the Rev. Calvin Robinson to be “cancelled” again. A mere ten days. He is quickly running out of options.    On May 5 Reformed Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Ray Sutton (XVII REC) graciously offered personal episcopal oversight to Robinson so that he could provide sacramental care to his church St. Paul's Anglican Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The congregation voted on May 4 to leave the Anglican Catholic Church – property intact – and temporarily landed under Bishop Sutton's episcopal covering until they can find permanent ecclesial mooring.   Since Robinson has been serving that church as priest under the Anglican Catholic Church, on May 5 Bishop Sutton also granted him faculties – the licensure to preach and provide Sacramental care – for a period of one calendar year “unless revoked by me or my successor.”   Well, Bishop Sutton has revoked Robinson's licensure. With Robinson being notified of the action via email.   “After much prayer and counsel from fellow bishops, who have not required me to revoke licensure, I have decided I must withdraw it effective this day,” Bishop Sutton said in a May 14 email notifying Robinson of his change of status.   Robinson is to receive official documentation of Bishop Sutton's decision through the mail.   “Thank you for your kind and obedient service in the short time you've been under my licensure,” Bishop Sutton continued. “I wish you every best in the service of our Lord.”   Surprisingly Fr. Calvin, as Bishop Sutton calls him, accepted this latest twist in stride.    “It is done,” he posted on Facebook. “Bp. Ray Sutton is a good man. One of the best Anglican bishops I know. If even he can't find a place for me, even temporarily, perhaps God is sending me a message.”   Usually, Robinson excoriates his bishop when he is shown the door. This time he is keeping his tongue.   However, it was Bishop Sutton who ran into a firestorm over shepherding Robinson.     The Reformed Episcopal Church is a founding member of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) and Robinson's even temporary connection with REC was just too close for comfort for Archbishop Steve Wood (III ACNA) who openly voiced his disdain.   “I am concerned to have the Anglican Church of North America affiliated with a leader whose public comments and persona consistently fail to exhibit the love and grace of Jesus Christ,” he explained on May 12 in an ACNA news release. “I have concerns about Rev. Robinson’s ability to uphold the full commitments of our Anglican tradition, and his ability to model the Christ-like virtues of peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, and love, I know all of our permanent licensed clergy abide by in the daily exercise of their priestly duties. I do not do not personally believe the Rev. Robinson is a good representative of the Anglican Church in North America.”   Fr. Calvin Robinson – who is increasingly becoming a church hopping problematic “Anglican” priest who even now, within a space of two weeks, has broken the very loose ties he had with the Reformed Episcopal Church.   But he has mastered the art of “playing priest.” He's all over the board. His priestly ordination came through the Nordic Catholic Church which is an Old Catholic Church body of high church LUTHERAN patrimony, that is based in Norway. The Old Catholic tradition developed as a response to the actions of Vatican I.   The Living Church reports that Robinson was re-ordained deacon by the Nordic Catholic Church in order to be ordained priest because the NCC did not recognize the validity of Robinson's ordination to the transitional diaconate through the Free Church of England.   After his priestly ordination he quickly connected with the Anglican Catholic Church, which is a part of the ANGLICAN Continuum that grew out of the 1977 Congress of St. Louis. He was seeking an altar – any altar and attached pulpit. He seeks ecclesial legitimacy and fraternal acceptance, but he shows little denominational loyalty.    Calvin Robinson is an Englishman who received his sacerdotal ordination through a Norwegian bishop. Robinson now lives in the United States and is known to travel the world. His American visa was recently yanked when he was in Israel and he had to travel to the land of his birth to have the American visa reissued so he could return to his new home in Michigan.   He also frequently hobnobs with conservative traditional ROMAN CATHOLICS who embrace the Tridentine Latin Mass and who ran a fowl of the late Pope Francis.   Now Robinson is himself apparently celebrating the Tridentine Latin Mass, which is no small feat since he has had to spend long hours learning Latin and all the very specific movements that the Traditional Latin Mass entails.   Robinson’s Latin Mass caught the eye of Jeff Walton of Juicy Ecumenism who is quick to point out that with Robinson celebrating Mass in Latin he has chucked Article 24 of the Thirty-Nine Articles. The Articles of Religion are one of the Anglican Formularies.   Walton writes on Juicy Ecumenism: “Robinson continues to make unexpected theological bedfellows, celebrating a Latin mass soon after his licensure by the REC, a jurisdiction that upholds the 39 Articles of Religion, including Article 24 that states ‘public Prayer in the Church, or to minister the Sacraments, in a tongue not understanded of the people’ is ‘a thing plainly repugnant to the Word of God.’”   Robinson is now left licking his wounds. Where does he go from here?    If Robinson is dipping his toe in the Tiber, he could never swim the Tiber with his priesthood intact. He is dragging too much denominational baggage behind him: too many cancellations, too many broken denominational ties, too many public conflicts with bishops, too many foolish actions – behavior unbecoming a priest.      Mary Ann Mueller is a journalist living in Texas. She is a regular contributor to VirtueOnline.

By Obianuju Mbah CHRISTIAN TODAY May 11, 20254   Evangelical leader John Stevens has welcomed new findings from the Bible Society’s Quiet Revival report, saying the data should embolden Christians in the UK and give renewed confidence in the Gospel.   The report, based on a study of 13,000 people by YouGov for the Bible Society, challenges the long-held assumption that churchgoing in the UK is in terminal decline.   It found that church attendance among adults has in fact risen from 8% to 12% in the last six years —an increase of over 2 million people.   Most strikingly, attendance among 18 to 24-year-olds has quadrupled, from 4% to 16%, with young men seeing the largest rise, from 4% to a remarkable 21%.   In a new post on the website of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches, Stevens noted that these changes reflect a deeper spiritual longing: “Young people say they are more spiritual … those who attend church report higher life satisfaction and connection to their communities.   “Secular liberalism has not delivered the happiness and freedom that it promised, with ever-increasing loneliness and mental health issues.   "Young people bear the impossible burden of having to define their own identity, and young men are tired of the relentless castigating of so-called ‘toxic masculinity’.   "Some of the same pressures that have led to a rise in populist policies and alt-right influencers are causing people to turn to church for answers to their pain and frustration.”   This longing has sparked interest not just in evangelical churches but also in Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.   Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy are attracting those drawn to tradition and transcendence, while Bible-teaching evangelical churches are welcoming seekers with a clear message and community rooted in Scripture.   “The lesson is that people want substance not superficiality,” said Stevens, who is national director of the FIEC.   The Chief Executive of the Bible Society, Paul Williams, said the findings of their study were “highly significant" and should “transform the perception of Christianity and churchgoing in England and Wales”.   “Far from being on a slippery slope to extinction, the Church is alive and growing and making a positive difference to individuals and society," he said.   A co-author of the report, Dr Rhiannon McAleer, added, “These are striking findings that completely reverse the widely held assumption that the Church is dying.   "While some traditional denominations continue to face decline, broad-based growth—especially in Catholic and Pentecostal churches—is painting a very different picture.”   Indeed, the denominational landscape is shifting.   Catholics now make up 31% of UK churchgoers, up from 23% in 2018, and Pentecostals have grown from 4% to 10%.   Meanwhile, the proportion of Anglicans has decreased from 41% to 34%.   Across the Atlantic, similar trends are emerging.   The State of the Bible: USA 2025 report by the American Bible Society found a significant increase in Scripture engagement, particularly among men and younger generations.   In the US, 41% of adults now read the Bible at least three times a year outside of church, up from 38% the year before.   Among Gen Z, Scripture engagement jumped from 11% to 15%, and among millennials, from 12% to 17%.   Notably, Bible use among men grew by 19%, closing a long-standing gender gap.   While the findings are encouraging, Stevens sounded a note of caution as migration has contributed significantly to the church growth in the UK while the UK population itself has grown by nearly 2 million since 2018, highlighting the urgent need of “re-evangelising the indigenous population”.   Furthermore, he cautioned, “We need to bear in mind that churchgoing is not the same as genuine Christian faith, and a rise in cultural Christianity, even if expressed more actively, is not the same as a revival.”   Nonetheless, he believes the data points to a spiritual shift: “There does seem to be a new move of God in Britain and a greater openness and response amongst young people, especially men.   “We can often make evangelism and church growth far more complex than it really is and forget that it is the work of the sovereign Spirit.”   After praising the Bible Society for its investment in the report, Steven concluded with a challenge to pray for a shift from a 'quiet revival' to a "mighty revival".   “These signs of new evangelical life in the UK are an encouragement for us to have confidence in the Gospel and to persevere in Gospel ministry," he said.

ANGLICAN WATCH May 13, 2025   The two Pennsylvania dioceses that previously shared Bishop Sean Rowe as part of a partnership agreement voted on May 3 to end their six-year collaborative effort. The announcement spells bad news for both dioceses. It reflects an unwillingness to face the reality that both dioceses are facing an existential crisis that will only get worse with time.   Soon after Sean Rowe was elected presiding bishop, the Dioceses of Northwestern PA and Western New York launched a study to assess the possibility of electing a new shared bishop. While the study identified some positive outcomes of the partnership between the two dioceses, it also found numerous challenges, including a lack of clarity over resource allocation, cultural differences, a yearning for the past, and lingering suspicion and mistrust.   Soon after, the dioceses voted overwhelmingly to end their partnership and pursue separate bishops.   Numerous challenges confront both dioceses.   Both dioceses have historically been small, and membership has plummeted in recent years. Indeed, the two dioceses had a collective 2023 average Sunday attendance (ASA) of 2,665, making them together roughly 60 percent the size of the average Episcopal diocese. You can read more here: https://www.anglicanwatch.com/decision-by-pennsylvania-dioceses-to-have-separate-bishops-underscores-episcopal-unwillingness-to-accept-reality/

He's sort of landed in ACNA through the Reformed Episcopal Church  By Mary Ann Mueller  VOL Special Correspondent  www.virtueonline.org   May 13, 2025      Well, the Rev. Calvin Robinson is on the move — again. This time he's resting (temporarily?) in the Reformed Episcopal Church which is a foundational partner of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).    In a YouTube video posted on Monday (May 12) on the Lotus Eaters channel Robinson announced that on Sunday (May 4) St. Paul's Anglican Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan – the congregation he has been pastoring – had disaffiliated with the Anglican Catholic Church (ACC) and “landed” in REC for the time being accepting “temporary episcopal oversight” so the small parish has “time to think where they want to be long term.”    Robinson immediately followed the Michigan congregation into REC, turning in his resignation to the ACC on Monday (May 5) and receiving “a license from the denomination and the jurisdiction the church has entered.”    In his YouTube announcement Robinson was careful not to identify the “denomination and the jurisdiction” as the Reformed Episcopal Church.   St. Paul's posted this notice on its webpage: “On Sunday, May 4, 2025 the parish voted to remove itself from The Anglican Catholic Church. It is currently seeking another church body with which to affiliate. We will post updates to this website, Facebook page, and "X" as they occur.”   But it isn't until checking the comments on its Facebook page that it is learned St. Paul's has connected with the Reformed Episcopal Church, and by extension the Anglican Church in North America.    “So are you now in the Reformed Episcopal Church, which, last time I looked, was in full communion with the Free Church of England?” Basil Youdell commented.   Robinson doesn't consider himself church hopping. Even though he has in rapid succession gone from the Church of England into the Free Church of England for diaconal ordination. He sought priestly orders in the Nordic Catholic Church and eventually landed an American curacy through the Anglican Catholic Church. Now he is following his parish into personal episcopal oversight by the Reformed Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop, Ray Sutton.   It all gets very complicated.   “I happen to have been relicensed now in the church I began ministry in,” Robinson tried to explain. “So for those of you looking around thinking this is church hopping again or a denominational hop, I'm back where I began.”    Except Robinson didn't sign up again with the Free Church of England. He connected with the Reformed Episcopal Church – which is in communion with the Free CofE – but the REC is a founding member of ACNA. Big difference, and Robinson's fifth separate denomination.   On May 5 REC’s Presiding Bishop Ray Sutton (XVII REC) granted faculties to Robinson to provide sacramental care to the Michigan parish for 365 calendar days.   “Let it be known that I, Ray R. Sutton, a Bishop of the Reformed Episcopal Church, do hereby license our brother, the Rev. Calvin Robinson, to serve in Word and Sacrament at St. Paul's Anglican Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, such authorization will be in force for one year beginning the 5th day of May 2025, unless revoked by me or my successor.”   An ACNA news release explains: “Bishop Sutton agreed to provide personal oversight of St. Paul's Church during this interim season and has emphasized that Rev. Robinson has not been admitted as a member of the REC or the ACNA.”   Juicy Ecumenism’s Jeff Walton also fleshes out Robinson's problematic situation on his X posting: “I have spoken with Reformed Episcopal Church Bishop Ray Sutton who has provided further information regarding St. Paul's Anglican in Grand Rapids and Fr. Calvin Robinson. Sutton has agreed to provide personal oversight while the church determines its future affiliation. Sutton notes that Robinson was ordained to the diaconate by the REC's sister church, the Free Church of England, and that he has a ‘temporary’ license to minister, but is still on the rolls of the Anglican Catholic Church. Neither the parish nor Robinson have joined the REC. As explained to me [Walton], a bishop may provide temporary episcopal oversight, but that's not the same as the parish or clergy joining the Reformed Episcopal Church (and, by extension, ACNA).   ACNA Archbishop Steve Wood (III ACNA) is up in arms about Robinson's using the Reformed Episcopal Church as a Trojan horse to gain backdoor entrance into the Anglican Church in North America.   “I am concerned to have the Anglican Church of North America affiliated with a leader whose public comments and persona consistently fail to exhibit the love and grace of Jesus Christ,” he explained in an ACNA news release. “I have concerns about Rev. Robinson’s ability to uphold the full commitments of our Anglican tradition, and his ability to model the Christ-like virtues of peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, and love, I know all of our permanent licensed clergy abide by in the daily exercise of their priestly duties. I do not do not personally believe the Rev. Robinson is a good representative of the Anglican Church in North America.”   Robinson is a hot potato to be kept at arm's length. The biggest problem Archbishop Sutton, and by extension Archbishop Wood, is going to have is keeping Fr. Robinson tethered to his pulpit (Word) and altar (Sacrament).   Mary Ann Mueller is a journalist living in Texas. She is a regular contributor to VirtueOnline.

By David W. Virtue in Tunis www.virtueonline.org May 13, 2025   TUNIS, Tunisia: The consecration of a bishop in the Anglican Diocese of North Africa this week, marked a milestone in Anglican history; in a part of the world that saw Christianity erased for more than 12 centuries. The blood of the martyrs is not always the seed of the church.   The small Anglican Church, St. George’s, in the back streets of Tunis, was packed with some 150 visitors from across the globe who had come to witness and celebrate the consecration of a beloved friend. It was an historic moment, not only in the life of the Anglican Communion, but for the faith itself. Bishop John Ashley Null, duly elected, was given the final seal of approval by archbishops, bishops, clergy and friends drawn from the four corners of the earth in a ceremony that would have made Thomas Cranmer proud.   This historic election of Dr. Null as the first elected Bishop of North Africa sets the stage for a revival of African Anglicanism.   For a white westerner to inhabit a role in a rapidly changing world where religion, cultures and armies still clash, is, in itself a mark not only of his leadership, grace and wisdom, it speaks volumes to the times in which we live. In an overwhelming Muslim culture, to see 150 Christians, (mostly white), bear witness and stand with a man they have known and loved over many decades, and hear him affirm, “I am so persuaded” is of monumental importance. Ashley Null has the heart of a pastor and the brain of a theologian and historian. It is a combination of gifts one rarely finds in one man.   In his address to the congregation, Alexandria (Egypt) Archbishop Samy Fawzy Shehata spoke of the urgency to hear the voice of Jesus.  “You follow in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd. Be a good shepherd, be a bishop of hope,” he exhorted Null. Be marked by the shepherd’s voice, he said.   Drawing on the history of North Africa, Null, citing Ezekiel 37, asked, “Can these dry bones live again? Only you, oh Lord, know. Can we be an Anglican presence in these five countries, can they be repurposed and be a shining light of God’s love and truth?” can North Africa once again be a source of truth and light for the Christian world at a time of uncertainty about what the gospel is and who we serve.”   “I am formed by Paul’s preaching of Christ. I am confident that He who began a good work in us has not done with the Anglican Church in North Africa. As your bishop I invite you to join me to watch God breathe life into new bones and make all things new again,” Null said.   Present on this historic occasion were; The Most Rev. Dr. Samy Fawzy Shehata, (Alexandria); The Most Rev. Dr. Mouneer Anis Egypt (ret.), The Rt. Rev. Dr. Yessir Eric, (Sudan theologian); The Rt. Rev. Dr. Alfred Olwa, (Uganda); The Rt. Rev. Andy Lines, (Anglican Network in Europe) The Most Rev. Dr. Stephen Kaziimba, (Uganda primate); the Rt. Rev Robert Duncan ACNA (ret.); The Rt. Martin Reakes-Williams (Horn of Africa). There were a number of local clergy including the Rev. Frank Bernardi and the Rev. Herb Hand. Also present was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Tunis, Nicolas Pierre Jean Lhernould.   In his role as bishop, the gospel will once again ring out with clarity and conviction in a world torn by religious dissent. St. Augustine would be proud. 1600 years later his legacy lives on.   You can read more here:  The Rev Canon Dr Ashley Null Consecrated as the Second Anglican Bishop of North Africa   BACKGROUND   The diocese comprises five countries: Algeria, Chad, Libya, Mauritania, Tunisia, as well as the territory of the chair of St. Augustine, bishop of Hippo. St. George’s Anglican Church in the heart of Tunis was built and consecrated by the Bishop of Gibraltar in 1901 largely for ex-pats from England. For some 124 years it has been the spiritual home for Anglicans serving the community. This week marked a milestone in the church’s history. A former American priest and canon was consecrated the first Bishop of North Africa in a service that drew more than 150 persons from across the globe. The Rt. Rev. Canon Dr. Ashley Null knelt before the Archbishop of Alexandria, The Most Rev. Samy Fawzy Shehata of Alexandria and several Anglican archbishops most notably Archbishop Mouneer Anis of Egypt (ret.) and several bishops from across the Anglican Communion. Dr. Null is the second Anglican diocesan bishop of North Africa but the first elected Anglican diocesan bishop of North Africa. His predecessor was appointed. 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, is a world authority on the life and theology of Thomas Cranmer stands in the line of St. Augustine of Hippo, Algeria. The Anglican Communion has an Anglican Church in Algiers, Holy Trinity. The church was consecrated in 1870. 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 to this post is a first. Dr. Null as well as being an honorary canon of three Anglican jurisdictions and a trained theologian is 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. 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. END

I feel sorry for the new Pope Leo  Life as he has known it has turned upside down      By Mary Ann Mueller  VOL Special Correspondent  www.virtueonline.org   May 12, 2025      Papam Americanum Habemus!    There is now an American pope. But I haven't really connected with him as the Pope, Roman Pontiff, the Bishop of Rome or even as the American Pope. I find I'm connecting with him as a Midwesterner.    I come from Wisconsin and he grew up a little bit south of Wisconsin in Chicago during roughly the same fifties through sixties time frame I did. So I understand his Midwestern ties, his Midwestern family roots, his Midwestern accent, his Midwestern Catholicism.    It took just over 24 hours for the 133 voting Cardinals from 70 countries speaking 23 different languages to come to a consensus and elect the next Bishop of Rome – a Chicago-born Augustanian friar named Bob.   Thursday (May 8) after the fourth Conclave vote was taken, the votes counted and properly tallied, it was apparent that Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost received the required two-thirds-plus-one supermajority of votes cast to be elected Pope.    He was then asked in Latin: "Acceptasne electionem de te canonice factam in Summum Pontificem?" (Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff?”)   He replied: “Accepto.” ('I accept')   At that moment Bob Prevost, originally from Chicago, became The Pope – the weight of the Catholic Church descended upon his shoulders and his earthly life, as he knew it, was forever changed. My Midwestern father, whose name was also Robert, used to say “Don't pray for a lighter load, pray for broader shoulders.”   My prayer for Pope Leo is that he has the shoulders of a Chicago Bears defensive end.   Upon giving his consent Robert Francis Prevost was asked in Latin: "Quo nomine vis vocari?" (“By what name do you wish to be called?”)   He replied: “Leonem XIV.”    At this the newly-elected pope was about to be revealed to the world with the first hint of his election being the white smoke which billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney against an azure sky. The gathering crowd below started cheering as bells rang out announcing his election across Rome.   As Pope Leo XIV steps on the world stage he instantly becomes the most identifiable religious figure on the planet. The Chair of Peter dates back nearly two thousand years to the Apostle Peter (1 BC to 64 AD). Robert Francis Prevost is the 267th man to claim the Keys of the Kingdom as priest, prophet and king-in-chief, with the spiritual authority to bind and loose.    The Archbishop of Canterbury dates back to 597 AD and St. Augustine of Canterbury. Currently that see is Sede Vacante awaiting the appointment of a new Archbishop of Canterbury.   Ephraim Mirvis is Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of Great Britain and the Commonwealth.   Siddhartha Gautama – the Buddha – died in the fifth century BC, but at 89-years-old Tenzin Gyatso he is the current sitting Dalai Lama. He is the highest spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism.   Muḥammad died in 632 AD. There is no recognized central Islamic spiritual leader.    No other religious voices are as loud and persistent as is the Pope of Rome.   As Cardinal Bob assumes the role as Pope Leo he is faced with ongoing religious and political shooting wars in Israel and Ukraine and escalating tensions between India and Palestine; a humanitarian crisis in Gaza; and on the home front an American president who is using draconian methods to deal with immigration, migration and worldwide economic trade issues.   Can Leo XIV use his Church’s voice to help bring Christ’s peace to the world and help mitigate world tensions?   In the hours and days following his first appearance on the loggia every word, gesture, tweet, sermon, speech, dress, mannerism and action is scrutinized and dissected. The criticisms have already begun.   What does it mean that Robert Francis Prevost took the name Leo XIV?   What does it mean that he appeared on the loggia wearing the papal red mozzetta and the wide decoratively embroidered papal stole but not the ruby slippers?   What does it mean that he gave his first Urbi et Orbi blessing in Italian and Spanish but not in English, his native tongue?   Already there are those who feel that the new Pope is not traditional enough – he did not wear the ruby slippers. Or that he is too traditional – earlier tweets show his questioning the German synodal way. Or that his very election is invalid because there were more than 120 cardinal-electors in the Conclave.    In 1975 Pope Paul VI decreed there should only be 120 voting cardinals under the age of 80 assembled in a Conclave. There were 133 voting cardinals in this year's Conclave.    Since the American Pope is a registered Republican will he cozy up to President Donald Trump or oppose his executive order method of governance. Will his knowledge of American politics impact and influence him or give him greater political insight on the world stage.    One reporter has already referred to him as “Pope Prevost.” Many ultraconservative Catholics liked to refer to Pope Francis as “Bergoglio” before his death for they questioned the validity of the Francis papacy because of his liberal theology and questionable actions.   Currently, every nook and cranny of Pope Leo's life is being dug into – his background, his history, his education, his Augustinian ministry, his Chicago upbringing, his politics, his Vatican ties, his Peruvian missionary life, his brothers, his family roots. Every branch, twig and leaf of his family tree is being put under a microscope to discover his mixed race Creole Haitian ancestry through his New Orleanian grandparents and what that means.    However, the United States isn't the only country claiming the new pope as theirs. Peru, too, lays claim to Pope Leo XIV as its “American pope” – South American pope.    As an Augustinian friar, Fr. Bob spent many years as a foreign missionary in Peru. Eventually he was naturalized as a Peruvian citizen and for nine years he was the Bishop of Chiclayo before Pope Francis brought him to Rome as the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and later created him a cardinal.   As a result, Pope Leo XIV is a citizen of three countries – the United States, Peru and the Vatican City-State. He holds three valid passports.   Right now, I just feel sorry for him. His world has just been turned upside down, left from right, inside out. Nothing will ever be the same again. How will his monastic life of prayer and service be impacted?    Once Pope Leo donned the white papal cassock, he'll never again wear his familiar Order of St. Augustine habit, the black religious habit he has worn since 1978.    He's a Chicago boy. As a young mid-century Baby Boomer his earliest days were shaped by the post war preVatican II Chicago Catholic culture in which Catholicism was at the heart and core of his being. As a grammar school student, he lived through the upheaval of Vatican II and he was also a schoolboy when President Kennedy was assassinated. Those events were defining moments in the lives of mid-century school children.    I, too, as a schoolgirl, lived through those historic events.   As a Chicago boy Pope Leo will have to imagine never being able to go back to a Fourth of July family reunion, or go see a Sox game at Comiskey Park. Not being with his brothers, nieces, nephews and cousins around a Thanksgiving table or opening Christmas presents together. Never again experiencing the snow crunch beneath his boots while getting out of Midnight Mass with the cold Chicago wind stinging his cheeks. Not hearing the squeal and squeak of the Elevated overhead. Not taking a leisurely stroll along Lake Michigan's shoreline on the Lakefront Trail, or watch as the Chicago River turns green on St. Patrick's Day. He'll also miss being able to step out one evening with his brothers to a neighborhood pub for pizza and a brew and do whatever it is that Chicago brothers do when they are on the town together.    From now on he'll be missing every family event – birthdays, anniversaries, births, deaths, weddings, Baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations, funerals ...   He may be Uncle Rob to his brothers' children – Bob to his friends – but now as Pope Leo he's simply out of comfortable reach to his own Prevost family members.   It's like when a young woman joins a strict cloistered order – Poor Clares … Trappistines … Carmelites – she misses out on familiar family events and usually gets to see her family members a few times a year through her monastery grill.    So, now if family members want to see Uncle Rob they have to travel to Rome, unless he is making a papal visit somewhere in the United States and they can arrange to cross paths.    His natural family is now overshadowed by his papal family. The desires of his Prevost family gets crushed by the greater demands of his worldwide Catholic family.     Pope Leo and his brothers John and Louis are very closely knit. Louis is the oldest, John is the middle child, and Robert is the baby of the family.    Before his elevation to the Throne of Peter the brothers kept in daily contact through email and texting, phone calls and playing the Internet game Wordle. Somehow that will all change. At this point all the three Prevost brothers’ lives have been irrevocably changed.   However, the elevation of little brother Robert to Pope Leo came out of left field. It was unexpected. Cardinal Prevost was the dark horse papal candidate. He wasn't on the radar. Conventional wisdom was that a cardinal born in the United States would not be made the Pope, or at least at this time and in this political climate.   Big brother Louis was sick in bed when he learned his kid brother Rob was becoming Pope. When he heard “Robertum” he knew it was either his brother or Cardinal Robert Sarah who was elected pope. But when he heard “Francescum” he knew it would be his brother because there is no other cardinal with the given name Robert Francis. He didn't need to hear “Sanctae Romane Ecclesiae Cardinalem Prevost” to cement the reality that the Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti was introducing HIS brother to the world as Papae Leonem XIV.   Louis said it was a good thing he was in bed when he learned about Rob’s election or else he might have fallen over and passed out.   A couple of days ago an Associated Press reporter was interviewing the Pope’s other brother – John, who still resides in Chicagoland – when the Pope called. Right out of the gate John had to warn his brother Rob – now Pope Leo: “First you need to know you are on the air right now. We are being filmed and recorded..."    Pope Leo: “Right now?”   Brother John: “Right this very minute.”    The AP reporter said that the Pope did not want his conversation with his brother to be recorded. However, the reporter revealed that John congratulated the Pope and they talked about John making plans to travel to Rome.    Unfortunately, Brother John couldn't simply answer the phone and just say: "Hey Rob … WOW! You're now the Pope! How's that going?"   Another time when Leo XIV called home and John answered the Pope asked: “Are the reporters gone?”    Brother John: “No.”   Pope Leo: ‘‘OK, goodbye,” and he ended the call.   That's not fair to either brother. They need each other, especially at this time when Pope Leo is trying to maneuver through the early days of his pontificate where there is a massive lifestyle change and shift in ministry and responsibilities.   John has already headed to Rome to see his younger brother – the Pope – and to give him much needed moral support and some brotherly wisdom at this critical time in both their lives.   Both papal brothers – John and Louis – are being dogged by the unrelenting press corps.   “My little brother was just made Pope,” Louis told the media a few days ago. “What do I do? How do I act? Do I have to change the way I live? I better behave now."   Brother Louis, who lives in Florida, asks about the changing dynamics of the family unit and how it will impact the three brothers' close relationship.   “Is this position going to take him away where we don't see him any more? We can't talk to him like we used to anymore?” he asks. “We don't know. He's not Rob anymore – he's Leo XIV.”    I really feel and pray for the three Prevost brothers – Rob (Leo) and John and Louis. There are many challenges facing all of them as their sibling relationships play out in newscasts and splashed in headlines.    “Does that mean that as his (Pope Leo) brothers we’re like outsiders now because he's up on top of the Church?” Brother Louis wonders. “I sincerely hope not. He will always be Rob.”   Louis says when he gets to Rome Leo's exalted stature will melt. He has watched his brother's life develop in the Church. He remembers little Rob playing priest when the rest of the boys were playing cops and robbers or cowboys and Indians. Little Rob's vacation revealed itself early.   “We used to tease him about becoming Pope,” Louis recalls. “And now he is! I feel he’s had this calling since birth.”    “I’ll treat him like my little brother – I'll give him a hug and say ‘Rob, you idiot! What have you done? …’” Brother Louis reveals when he next meets his brother – The Pope – “I’ll take his hat off and give him a noogie.”    Mary Ann Mueller is a journalist living in Texas. She is a regular contributor to VirtueOnline.

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