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Front Page
English bishops could have to consider positions
over Lambeth Conference – Bishop of Winchester
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Bishop Michael Scott-Joynt (Photo: Diocese of Winchester) |
Following the debate on the Anglican covenant process at the meeting of the Church of England General Synod earlier this month in York, the Bishop of Winchester, the Rt Revd Michael Scott-Joynt, told the Gazette that if the bishops of The Episcopal Church (TEC) in the United States do not meet the demands of the Dar es Salaam Primates’ Meeting required by next September’s deadline, and if the bishops of the Global South decline to attend next year’s Lambeth Conference, as many as six in ten Church of England bishops could be considering their own positions about attending the ten-yearly episcopal gathering. Full Text
Editorial
Vatican View Of Protestant Churches
The Vatican’s statement, in ‘Responses to some questions regarding certain aspects of the doctrine of the Church’ (29th June), that the Churches of the Reformation, according to its teaching, are not Churches in the proper sense, repeats the same view that last appeared in its Dominus Iesus document of 2000. Full Text
Climate Change
Christian Aid has reported its estimate that 182 million people in sub- Saharan Africa could die of disease directly attributable to climate change by the end of the century. The relief and development organisation explains that climate change can be dramatic and confusing, with increasing emissions of greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide and methane), meaning that more of the sun’s radiation is being trapped in the earth’s atmosphere, causing the temperature to rise. Full Text
Home News
Eco congregation project moves forward with apiary opening
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| Canon John Bell (right) shows some of the pupils of Knocknagoney Primary School a colony of bees in one of his observation hives following the opening of the Aslan Centre’s Apiary. |
The official opening of the Aslan Centre’s Apiary took place recently at the Centre in the grounds of the Church of the Annunciation, Knocknagoney, East Belfast, Diocese of Down. The Aslan Centre is a parish and community hall which is named after the central character in the Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis who spent his early years in that area of East Belfast.
Queen’s University Belfast honours Archbishop Tutu
Archbishop Desmond Tutu was honoured by Queen’s University Belfast at one of its recent summer graduation ceremonies. The Nobel prize-winning, anti-apartheid campaigner was awarded an honorary doctorate for distinction in public service. Delivering the citation, Queen’s Chancellor, Senator George Mitchell, said that Archbishop Tutu’s "message of forgiveness and reconciliation has been an inspiration to countless others in areas of conflict around the world."
Cork institution
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Canon Patrick Hewitt was recently instituted as rector of the Bandon union of parishes, Diocese of Cork. He is pictured (2nd left) following his institution with (back row, from left) Wilfred Baker and the Revd Edwin Hunter (front row, from left) the Ven. Robin Bantry White, Bishop Paul Colton, the Revd Walter Hill and the Revd Denis MacCarthy.
Parish Profile
Ballintoy, Dunseverick and Rathlin Island, Diocese of Connor
By Gazette journalist, Harry Allen
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| Jayne, one of the candidates, is pictured outside Ballintoy Church prior to a recent Confirmation service. |
![Confirmation Candidate]#](27070710.jpg)
The grouped parishes of Ballintoy, Dunseverick and Rathlin Island, set on the picturesque north Antrim coast, are considered by many to be one of the most brilliant jewels in the crown of the Church of Ireland. Ballintoy parish comprises 27 townlands and Dunseverick 15, and both are part of the Rural Deanery of Coleraine and Carey. The rector, the Revd Neal Phair, is also acting priest-in-charge of St Thomas’ parish church on Rathlin Island. The latest figures show that approximately 250 parishioners are connected with Ballintoy and about 200 claim attachment to Dunseverick.
Celtic Pilgrimage
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Recently, a group of 30 Celtic students undertook a fiveday pilgrimage to explore some of the ancient monastic and historical sites linked to the early Celtic saints and scholars in England and Scotland. The group, under the auspices of the St Bronagh’s School of Celtic Studies, Rostrevor, Co. Down, was led by Canon Dermot Jameson, a former rector of Kilbroney (Rostrevor), Diocese of Dromore; Fr Michael Hackett, the present parish priest of Rostrevor; and the historian, Fr John O’Riordain, from Limerick. The group is pictured (left) at the St Aidan memorial on Holy Island.
Feature Parish
Ballydehob, Diocese of Cork
One of the most delightful churches, warm, welcoming and used, in the Southern Province is that in Ballydehob, the attractive west Cork village built by the Swanton family in the nineteenth century.
World News
Archbishop given award for environmental role
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has received an award from parliamentarians for his work in helping to promote environmentally friendly causes. The award, presented to the Archbishop by the Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group, recognises the work of the Archbishop and the Church of England in promoting sustainable energy issues to the public and to policy makers.
Death-threat priest plans to return to Iraq
Canon Andrew White, the Baghdad-based Anglican priest, plans to go back to the Iraq capital once the hostages, on whose behalf he was negotiating, are released; he was forced to leave Baghdad and return to Britain following sustained death threats. The British hostages - four security guards and a financial adviser - were abducted from Iraq’s finance ministry on 29th May.
Philippine government told to stop killings of young political activists
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| President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo |
An international youth solidarity fact-finding mission has urged the Philippine government, under President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo, to stop the killings and disappearances of perceived "enemies of the state’’, especially young activists. "We call on the Arroyo government to stop immediately the extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances in the Philippines, particularly of young activists,’’ said those who took part in the mission, which acted under the auspices of the World Student Christian Federation and included young people from 15 Asia-Pacific countries.
Los Angeles archdiocese agrees to settlement in clergy abuse scandal
The archdiocese of Los Angeles’ agreement to a US$660 million clergy abuse settlement will amount to $1.3 million for each plaintiff, and will prevent Cardinal Roger Mahoney, the archbishop of the diocese, from having to testify on the issue. News reports said that the cardinal would not have to disclose whether diocesan leaders might have covered up the incidents of abuse as they occurred.
Letters to the Editor
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Financial aspect of General Synod representation Full Text
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Change Ringers Full Text
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Ecumenical canons Full Text
Focus on Derry and Raphoe
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Canon Sam Barton, Diocesan Communications Officer for Derry and Raphoe, contributes this month’s Diocesan Focus article
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| Hosting a Tradecraft coffee morning in the Diocesan Centre during Christian Aid Week are (from left) Doreen Kidd, the Revd Katie McAteer, Sandra Wallace and Sylvia Donnell. |
Since our last report to the Gazette, there have been a number of changes in the clergy team.
Our very best wishes for a long and happy retirement go to Walter and Sylvia Quill and to Gordon and Sheila Freeman. Scott Harte has now been safely installed in the chapter of St Patrick’s Cathedral Dublin, in the prebendal stall vacated by Walter’s retirement.
Mike Roemmele, one-time curate of Limavady, finishes his tour of duty as Chaplain to the Forces this summer and has been appointed rector of Macosquin. Raymond McKnight, who served as rector of Tobermore and Draperstown in the 1980s and is currently an army chaplain, has been appointed rector of Urney and Sion Mills.
Irene Lyttle has been appointed bishop’s curate of Leckpatrick and Dunnalong. Congratulations to William Seale and to Raymond Fox on their appointment as rural dean of Omagh and of Tirhugh and Boylagh respectively, and to David Griscome, David Morrow and David Slater who have been appointed domestic chaplains to the Bishop of Derry and Raphoe.
We welcome to the diocese after ordination on 29th June Ian Magowan who will serve as curate in Killowen and offer our congratulations to Katie McAteer, David McBeth, Mervyn Peoples and Andrew Quill who were ordained to the priesthood on 24th June.
Soap
By Ted Woods
"Something fishy has happened and I think you should know about it." Gail Anderson, Steve’s churchwarden, was ringing him early on Tuesday morning. The Adams had just got home from their two weeks’ break the night before. "What’s it about?", asked Steve. "Well, Bart, the sexton, claims that the Vestry was broken into between the early morning communion and the 10.30am service last Sunday and that some envelopes were stolen. But there’s no sign of a break-in and he said nothing about it on Sunday morning". "Right", said Steve, "if you’re free, I’ll meet you in the Vestry in half an hour."
Musings
Patience
The Hill in Armagh is famous for many things, but one of its less attractive features is the traffic. Anyone who has had occasion to attend a service in the Cathedral - or who has simply called into the Diocesan Office during a working week - will readily confirm this fact. A narrow road, called Dawson Street, leads up to the Cathedral Close and it is totally impractical for the volume of traffic which daily passes through. At the top of the street, cars are unable to pass one another easily, so some drivers will wait courteously for the oncoming traffic to go by, while others will barge on and many a wing mirror has been sacrificed as a result. Indeed, a certain Dean’s wife could recently have considerably set back ecumenical relations on the Hill, when, in a great hurry, she tried to squeeze her car through, hit the kerb, did a little shimmy and narrowly missed the oncoming vehicle being driven by an eminent church dignitary.
Book Reviews
CAN IT BE ME?
Author: Marjory Foyle
Publisher: Christian Medical
Fellowship, London
THE SPACE FOR BELIEF: THE PLACE OF THEOLOGY IN FAITH
Author: Stephen R. White
Publisher: Columba Press
A Space For Unknowing : The place of Agnosis In Faith
Author: Stephen R. White
Publisher: Columba Press; pp.160
News Extra
Connor clergyman takes part in longest protest march in UK history
By Florence Mutesasira
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The Revd Neil Cutcliffe commences Christian Aid’s ‘Cut the Carbon’ walk. |
Christian Aid’s ‘Cut the Carbon’ 1,000-mile march from Northern Ireland to London started from Bangor Marina, Co. Down, on Saturday 14th July. The aim of the march is to highlight the devastating impact global warming is having on millions of poor people in developing countries. Twenty marchers, including the Revd Neil Cutcliffe, rector of Mossley, Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim, Diocese of Connor, and ten of Christian Aid’s overseas partners, sailed from Bangor to Troon in Scotland in a flotilla of yachts led by the ‘Four Sisters’, a flagship of the Ocean Youth Trust in Ireland. There was a reception ceremony in Troon on Sunday 15th July.
Appointments