Women bishops are now a reality in England

The Church of England General Synod has introduced a historic reform making the ordination of female bishops possible

Amidst roaring applause and cries of jubilation, the Church of England has approved the ordination of female bishops, breaking a two thousand year tradition and putting an end to a shrill debate. The Synod reached this historic decision after a five-hour discussion with the liberal wing of the Church welcoming the result of the vote as a healthy and necessary revolution. The conservative wing on the other hand saw it as the tragic end to an institution, which dated back to the dawn of Christianity. The spiritual leader of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who supported the reform said the vote “marks the start of a great adventure.” Significantly, though, Welby swiftly added: “As delighted as I am for the outcome of this vote I am also mindful of those within the Church for whom the result will be difficult and a cause of sorrow.”

The debate over the role of women in the Church of England has gone on for almost fifty years and although it has not brought about a much-feared schism, it has caused rifts that have been deep enough to push some to switch over to the Catholic Church. The conservative minority claims that the new reform contradicts the Bible and tradition, which requires the Church to have an exclusively male leadership since the days of Jesus and his twelve apostles. But the way reformers see it, denying women a more prominent role in the Church goes against the sensitivities of faithful, particularly in a society like Britain’s.

Christians disappearing from Iraq, bishops lament

Two Iraqi archbishops are seeking “faith and hope” in Iraq, while bewailing the continuing exodus of Christians from the country amid continued violence.

Archbishop Yousif Mirkis heads the Chaldean Archdiocese of Kirkuk, in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region.

He said that he “quite definitely” fears the end of Christianity in Iraq.

“We are in the process of disappearing, just as the Christians in Turkey, Saudi Arabia and North Africa have disappeared. And even in Lebanon they now constitute only a minority,” he told the international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need.

Archbishop Mirkis said he is not resigned to defeat, but “trying to be realistic.”

“There is still the hope that faith brings,” he said. While he himself will not leave Iraq, he said he understands why young Christians are leaving in the wake of so many violent deaths.

Knights of Columbus pledge $1.4 million for Special Olympics

The Knights of Columbus have pledged $1.4 million for next year’s Special Olympics World Games, helping to cover participating athletes’ expenses for the Los Angeles event.

“Our support exemplifies our commitment to the dignity of every person, our dedication to assisting with our neighbors’ needs whatever they may be, and our deep appreciation for the great work done by Special Olympics,” Supreme Knight Carl Anderson said in Los Angeles July 14.

The Special Olympics World Games will bring together over 7,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities from 171 countries. It will feature 21 Olympic-type sports.

The pledged funds will support food, transportation and entertainment costs for every athlete from the U.S. and Canada. Anderson has asked Knights of Columbus leaders in each U.S. state and Canadian province to help increase volunteer activity on behalf of the Special Olympics.

Francis apologises for his no-show at Rome’s Gemelli hospital: “I had a headache”

The Pope has recorded a video message, apologising for the indisposition that made him skip his visit to the Roman hospital on 27 June. “Nobody is master of their own life”

The Pope has recorded a video message apologising to the patients and medical and paramedical staff of Rome’s Gemelli hospital for his no-show on 27 June. His visit was cancelled at the last minute because he was not feeling well. “Everything was set. In fact my closest collaborators were already at the hospital but a strong headache came on which got worse and then I felt nauseous,” the Pope explained. I can understand everyone’s disappointment, particularly that of the patients. I truly wanted to be there but we are not our lives’ masters and must accept fragility,” the Pope said in the video message.

In this rare video message, Pope Francis also greeted the president of the Toniolo Institute, the Archbishop of Milan, Angelo Scola, who celebrated mass on the Pope’s behalf at the Gemelli hospital. In the video message aired by TV2000, the television channel of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI), the Pope recalled that the summer was not just a time to rest, but also a “difficult time for the ill who are left alone and have a hard time, particularly in big cities.” In such cases, “problems seem even greater,” the Pope said in his video message.

Skorka: The Pope’s efforts for peace in the Holy Land have not failed

“The path of courage has no alternatives.” The Argentinian rabbi and the escalating Israeli-Palestinian conflict

“Profound and intense pain.” These were the feelings Rabbi Abraham Skorka, Rector of the Latin American Rabbinical Seminary in Buenos Aires, expressed when he was asked to comment on the current events in Israel and Gaza. Events he would have liked not to have seen after the Pope’s visit to the Holy Land in May and the subsequent prayer meeting in the Vatican.

“There needs to be an immediate ceasefire and the parties involved need to tone down the aggression which reached frightening levels with the cold-blooded murder of the three young Israelis and the killing of a young Palestinian who was burnt alive.” Skorka used the same word Francis used in his address to Shimon Peres and Abu Mazen in the Vatican Gardens on 8 June: “courage”. “Not only do we need to pray for courage to once again become the guiding force behind our actions, we also need to be bolder in speaking out against this violence.”

Ibrahim case reflects deeper problems in Sudan, says bishop

The “disgraceful case” of Sudanese Christian Meriam Ibrahim is only one of many examples of discrimination and harassment faced by Christians in Sudan, a bishop in the region has said.

“Christians in Sudan can attend divine service unmolested, but there is no genuine freedom of religion and conscience in the country,” Bishop Edward Kussala told Aid to the Church in Need July 10.

Bishop Kussala heads the Diocese of Tombura-Yamibo in South Sudan, a country which became independent from its northern neighbor in 2011. The region suffered a bloody civil war from 1983 to 2005.