ECUMENISM
Cec/Kek: congratulations to Monsignor GiordanoThe Conference of European Churches (CEC/KEK) has issued a communiqué expressing its congratulations to Mgr. Giordano, general secretary of the CCEE, for his appointment as permanent Observer of the Holy See to the Council of Europe, a post he will officially assume in Strasbourg on 1st September. The Rev. Jean-Arnold de Clermont, President of the CEC, expressed his “warm congratulations for this new appointment”, as well as his joy in knowing that “Mgr. Giordano’s ‘distinguished’ knowledge of Europe and ability to develop contacts will now be at the service of relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the Council of Europe”. “This appointment – writes the Venerable Colin Williams, general secretary of the CEC in his letter to Mgr. Giordano – is a clear recognition of your abilities and of all you have brought to the life of the Church during your time at the CCEE”. Williams also thanked Mgr. Giordano for his commitment to the “ecumenical road”, in particular during the preparation of the Third European Ecumenical Assembly in Sibiu and expressed the hope that the cooperation with Mgr. Giordano would continue in his new position, also in the light of CEC’s involvement in various levels of the Council of Europe and the fact that it has an office in Strasbourg. The communiqué of the CEC concludes by recalling that “CEC and CCEE have a decades long close relationship” behind them and have been promoters of a long series of ecumenical meetings in Europe, the most significant being those of Basel, Graz and Sibiu. Romania: an orthodox news agency arisesThe Rumanian Orthodox Patriarchate launches its own press agency, “Basilica”. The new Patriarch Daniel has always been interested in mass media. When he was a metropolitan bishop in Iasi, he launched a newspaper and a radio that eventually covered nearly three quarters of Romania. Just after being appointed Patriarch, he created the “Basilica” media centre of the Patriarchate, which includes the newspaper “Ziarul Lumina” and the radio “Radio Trinitas” – relocated from Iasi to Bucharest -, the TV channel “Televiziunea Trinitas”, which since December has been broadcasting by cable and satellite, and the press office of the Patriarchate. Now he has added the press agency “Basilica” which will electronically provide information on the institutions, activities and positions of the Rumanian Orthodox Church and other churches on different topics. The website of the agency – www.basilica.ro – will be available in Rumanian, English, French and Russian, and information will be available for free to private people or institutions, even in a professional capacity, provided the source is mentioned.Anglicans: towards the “Lambeth Conference””The Catholic Bishops of England and Wales will take part in the Lambeth Conference with card. Murphy-O’Connor and Bishop Declan Lang. The Catholic devotees and their Bishops pray for this time of judgement and decision for the Primate Rowan Williams and all of the Anglican confession”. With these words, mgr. Andrew Faley, in charge of ecumenism in the Bishops Conference of England and Wales, tells how the English Catholic Church is living the preparations for the Lambeth conference, the event that gathers all the Anglican primates in Canterbury every ten years. The “Lambeth Conference” – from 14th July to 4th August – shall tackle a number of problems that are sorely testing the Anglican Communion. Since in 2003 the American Episcopal Church ordained the gay bishop Gene Robinson and since the ordination of gay pastors and gay marriages in church have become widespread, one third of the Anglican Communion has threatened to separate from Canterbury. From 22nd to 29th June, Jerusalem will host the “Global Anglican Future Conference”, a meeting organised by over 280 Bishops (Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, South America and Sydney, and English Evangelical Bishops), to protest against the participation in the Lambeth Conference of American liberal bishops who are in favour of gay marriages and ordinations.Orthodox: messages marking UN Environment DayThe Primates of the two main Orthodox Churches, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, and the Patriarch of Moscow Alexei II have both published a message to mark World Environment Day, celebrated on 5 June, under the auspices of the United Nations Organization. In their two messages, the patriarchs recall the concern shared by the Churches for ecological problems; both emphasize the need for all the Churches to mobilize their energies in the defence of nature. Patriarch Bartholomew addressed his message to members of the Church, whereas Patriarch Alexei II addressed his letter to the Minister for Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation, Iouri Troutnev.
