Brief news
In the Moluccas, the return of Islamic guerrillas.
New groups of Islamic guerrillas praising jihad (holy war) are disembarking at Ambon, capital of the Indonesian archipelago of the Moluccas. At the outset of this interreligious conflict in the Moluccas, hundreds of members of the Islamic group Laskar Jihad had invaded Ambon. Accused of fomenting confrontations, the extremists had remained on the island until a few months ago. They had left the day after the terrorist assault on Bali, which ended in the death of nearly 200 people.
Boston. The diocese is selling property.
In order to deal with the financial consequences of 70 new lawsuits and a growing budget deficit, the archdiocese of Boston has announced the sale of at least 11 properties and foresees the closing of schools facing financial difficulties, reports the American Catholic press agency CNS.
Switzerland. St. Gall. Protestantization in broad daylight.
It’s the first ecumenical venture for the press of the Church in the canton of St. Gall. For “The Year of the Bible”, the Catholic newsletter “Pfarreiforum” of the diocese of St. Gall and the paper “Kirchenbote” of the Reformed Evangelical Church published a special joint issue.
The recently released issues of the two church periodicals have the same cover and the same text. In the table of contents of this joint issue, there is an interview with the bishop of St. Gall, Ivo Fürer, and the president of the Council of the Reformed Evangelical Church, Dölf Weder, who together underscored the depth of the biblical message.
Here we see the logical outcome of ecumenism: a union that results in confusion.
Anglicanism. The ordination of women remains a problem
Conservative Anglicans are planning to create a province within the Church of England, which would not have women amongst the ranks of priests and bishops. The “Archbishop” of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, sees in this project the means of avoiding a new division within the Church in the event of women being ordained bishops.
These Anglicans, grouped together in an association called Forward in Faith, indicate that this male-only enclave could integrate some 400 parishes which already refuse women priests. This new structure would exist in parallel with the provinces of Canterbury and York, and would have its own hierarchy and colleges.
One must remember that heresy leads naturally to division. Only the faith kept in its purity and integrity is capable of safeguarding unity, for it is the foundation of the promises made by Christ to His One Church.
Cardinal Kasper, doctor honoris causa at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium
President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the Unity of Christians, a post which gives him the opportunity to exercise his thoroughly modernist convictions, Cardinal Kasper, 69, author of works containing heretical theories, has been named doctor honoris causa of what was once one of the great Catholic universities of Europe. This nomination is no accident. The last years have seen other great names obtain this noble title: Lionel Jospin and Romano Prodi.
