PLENARY OF PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY

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PLENARY OF PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY

VATICAN CITY, 18 NOV 2010 (VIS) - Participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, who have been meeting to examine the subject "Towards a new stage of ecumenical dialogue", were received this morning by the Holy Father.   Benedict XVI began his address to them by recalling the fiftieth anniversary, which fell yesterday, of the foundation of this dicastery, created by Blessed John XXIII in 1960 on the eve of Vatican Council II. Originally called the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity, it became a pontifical council in 1988 by wish of John Paul II.   John XXIII's decision "represented a milestone on the ecumenical journey of the Catholic Church", said the Pope. "Over these fifty years more realistic knowledge and greater respect for other Churches and ecclesial communities have been acquired, overcoming the sediments of historical prejudice. Theological dialogue has increased, and so has the dialogue of charity. Various forms of collaboration have been developed, including - apart from those that aim to defend of life, protect creation and combat injustice - important and fruitful steps in the field of the ecumenical translations of Sacred Scripture".   The Pope then turned his attention to the "Harvest Project", an initiative of the dicastery to draw up an initial assessment of results. It has, he said, "highlighted areas of convergence and those in which reflection must continue and intensify". In this context the Holy Father invited members of the pontifical council to continue "your task of promoting the correct reception of the results achieved so far, and publicising the current state of theological research on the journey towards unity.   "Today", he added, "some people believe that this journey has lost its impetus, especially in the West. Thus do we see the urgent need to revive ecumenical interest and give a fresh incisiveness to dialogue", facing such challenges as "new anthropological and ethical understandings, the ecumenical education of new generations and the greater fragmentation of the ecumenical panorama".   "The Catholic Church passionately continues her dialogue with the Orthodox Churches and the Ancient Eastern Churches, with which bonds of the 'closest intimacy' exist, seriously and rigorously seeking to develop our shared theological, liturgical and spiritual heritage, and to face the elements that still divide us. With the Orthodox we have reached a crucial point of confrontation and reflection: the role of the Bishop of Rome in the communion of the Church. The ecclesiological question is also at the heart of dialogue with the Ancient Eastern Churches: despite many centuries of misunderstanding and remoteness we have joyfully noted that we have preserved a precious shared heritage".   "Though faced with new problematic situations or difficult points of discussion, the goal of the ecumenical journey remains unchanged, as does the firm intention to continue. This is not however, a commitment that falls into what could be called political categories, in which negotiating ability or greater capacity to reach compromise come into play, and in which the participants hope that, as good mediators, after a certain period they will reach an agreement acceptable to everyone.   "Ecumenical activity has a dual dynamic", the Pope explained. "On the one hand it means searching dedicatedly, passionately and tenaciously for all the unity in truth, devising models of unity, illuminating points of contention and obscurity in order to achieve unity. This must take place through the necessary theological dialogue, but above all in prayer and penance, in that ecumenical spirit which constitutes the pulsating heart of the entire journey. The unity of Christians is and remains prayer, it dwells in prayer. On the other hand there is another operational dynamic which arises from our firm awareness that we do not know the time that the unity of all Christ's disciples will be achieved, and we cannot know it because we do not 'make' unity, God 'makes' it; it comes from on high, ... it is a participation in divine unity. Yet this must not diminish our commitment; quite the contrary, it must make us ever more attentive to recognising the signs and times of the Lord, knowing how to recognise with gratitude what unites us and working to ensure it ... grows".   "In the final analysis", the Holy Father concluded, "also on the ecumenical journey we must leave to God that which is exclusively His and seriously explore, with constancy and dedication, our own task, bearing in mind that that our commitment is characterised by the twofold concepts of acting and suffering, activity and patience, fatigue and joy". AC/                                    VIS 20101118 (760) Published by VIS - Holy See Press Office - Thursday, November 18, 2010

CONSISTORY BEGINS WITH A DAY OF PRAYER AND REFLECTION

RITES OF THE CONSISTORY FOR THE CREATION OF NEW CARDINALS

AUDIENCES

PLENARY OF PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY

HEALTHCARE CANNOT DIVORCE ITSELF FROM MORAL RULES Read more at visnews-en.blogspot.com

 

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The Ecumenical Future

As the Vatican celebrates fifty years of institutional ecumenical efforts, we have seen a corresponding decline in vigor in the mainline Protestantism

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The Ecumenical Future

Posted by Jordan J. Ballor on Friday, November 19, 2010

Today is my last day at the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) meeting in Atlanta. I plan to make my purchases from the various book sellers this morning, having already reconnoitered the exhibits and mapped out my plan of attack.

One thing that has struck me is that there are a number of new books discussing ecumenism and Christian unity from host of different perspectives. On the one hand this shouldn’t be surprising. The unity of the church is a constant theme, one that is confessed in the Nicene Creed (“We believe…in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.”).

But for a period of time it seemed that ecumenism was in decline. After all, it used to be its own area of theological specialization; there have been (and still are some) professors of ecumenics. On the broader level one thing that breathed life into the ecumenical movement in the last half-century was the founding of what is now known as the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (I had the pleasure of meeting the pope’s representative, Fr. Gregory Fairbanks, at the WCRC Uniting General Council earlier this year in Grand Rapids).

An ENI story notes a recent address from Pope Benedict XVI regarding ecumenism: “Today, some people believe that this journey has lost its impetus, especially in the West,” the Vatican Information Service quoted Pope Benedict XVI as saying. “Thus do we see the urgent need to revive ecumenical interest and give a fresh incisiveness to dialogue.”

Now this story is in the context of Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican dialogue. But “new energy” needs to be found in the mainline ecumenical movement as well. I outline some of the reasons for the decline of groups like the WCC, LWF, and WCRC in my book, Ecumenical Babel. And as the Vatican celebrates fifty years of institutional ecumenical efforts, we have seen a corresponding decline in vigor in the mainline Protestant groups. Some evidence of this is the consistent outreach and emphasis on engaging “evangelicals” from the WCC, whose new president expressed such sentiments at both the WCRC Uniting General Council and the recently concluded Cape Town 2010 meeting of the Lausanne Movement.

So says Mark Tooley of IRD. “Sadly, over the last 50 years, it (the ecumenical movement) has faded into the sidelines and is now largely ignored,” he said. In the 1980s Ernest Lefever, founder of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, observed that “the ecumenical movement’s social witness has become obsolescent, marginal, irrelevant, or worse.”

I outline some of the things needed to reinvigorate the mainline ecumenical movement in my book. I outline correctives on three main levels: the ecclesiastical, the social ethical, and the economic. But I conclude too that

Without pursuing correctives along these general lines, the answer to Gustafson’s challenging question, “Who listens to the moral teachings of Protestant churches?” will continue to be indeterminate, and deservedly so. Without doing the hard work of serious ethical deliberation that engages a variety of conflicting perspectives, the ecumenical movement has little claim to possess authentic moral authority in the public square or among the churches.

After the break you can read the full ENI story on the fiftieth anniversary of the Vatican secretariat (now council) for promoting Christian unity. – At 50th anniversary of Vatican ecumenism, new energy ‘needed’ By Luigi Sandri

Rome, 18 November (ENInews)–Ecumenism, which seeks global church unity, is in need of new energy, top Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican leaders have said at commemorations to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of a Vatican group to help bring about Christian unity.

On 5 June 1960, the day of Pentecost, as part of preparations for the 1962 to 1965 second Vatican council, Pope John XXIII established a secretariat for promoting Christian unity. In 1988, John Paul II changed the name to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

“Today, some people believe that this journey has lost its impetus, especially in the West,” the Vatican Information Service quoted Pope Benedict XVI as saying. “Thus do we see the urgent need to revive ecumenical interest and give a fresh incisiveness to dialogue.”

He also said, “The Catholic Church passionately continues her dialogue with the Orthodox Churches and the Ancient Eastern Churches, with which bonds of the ‘closest intimacy’ exist, seriously and rigorously seeking to develop our shared theological, liturgical and spiritual heritage, and to face the elements that still divide us.”

Benedict added, “With the Orthodox we have reached a crucial point of confrontation and reflection: the role of the Bishop of Rome in the communion of the Church. The ecclesiological question is also at the heart of dialogue with the Ancient Eastern Churches: despite many centuries of misunderstanding and remoteness we have joyfully noted that we have preserved a precious shared heritage.”

The former president of the body, German Cardinal Walter Kasper, and the current office holder, Archbishop Kurt Koch of Switzerland, led a ceremony on 17 November in the Vatican to commemorate the founding of the unity secretariat.

Over many years, the secretariat and pontifical council have coordinated their church’s ecumenical relations both through multilateral and bilateral contacts and discussions with many churches and Christian communities, including the World Council of Churches, a grouping that includes more than 500 million Anglicans, Orthodox and Protestants.

Koch said the true aim of ecumenism is to find a, “new rush” for Christian witness and to sustain dialogue, “in spite of difficulties and breaks”.

Representatives of many Christian churches attended the 50th anniversary event in Rome. The Orthodox Metropolitan of Pergamo, Ioannis (Zizioulas), of the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, told the gathering he was committed to ecumenism in order to deepen the notion of the, “Church as communion at the local and universal level”.

Still, he added that the search for Christian unity cannot, “forget differences on the vision of the Petrine primacy”. This was a reference to the differences that exist between Catholic and Orthodox Christians on the understanding of the role of the bishop of Rome, as the Pope is also known. The Catholic Church sees the apostle Peter as the first bishop of Rome.

The Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, who also attended the event, said that ecumenical relationships must be strengthened by, “the new challenges for unity coming from inside the Christian community, and from outside it”.

According to some church observers, Williams has been troubled because some Anglican bishops have recently announced they will became Catholics due to their opposition to the acceptance of women bishops and the ordination of homosexuals by some parts of the Anglican Communion.

In an interview with Vatican Radio, Williams said his reaction to the resignations was, “one of regret but respect”. He explained that two of those who had said they would become Catholics were his assistant bishops but there had been no row, “We have talked about it. We have worked through it and parted with prayers and blessings, so there is no ill feeling there.”

The archbishop told Vatican Radio, “There are still a great many Anglicans in the Church of England who would call themselves traditionalists, and who have no intention of jumping ship.” Still, he acknowledged that these people, “are in considerable confusion and distress, wondering what the Church of England can do for them”.

:: Pope’s full statement :: Read more at blog.acton.org

 

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Drug company greed puts kids at risk, US speaker tells Vatican meeting

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Drug company greed puts kids at risk, US speaker tells Vatican meeting

By Rita Fitch

Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY – The Catholic Church may be the only organization that can counter the corporate greed fueling the over-prescribing of harmful psychiatric drugs to children and young people, said Dr. Barry Duncan, a clinical psychologist and director of the Heart and Soul of Change Project. Flawed methodologies in research and a drastic minimization of actual risks make the cited efficiency and safety of these drugs untrustworthy, he told a meeting of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry. And clinical trial evidence on psychiatric drugs is often skewed by conflicts of interests, particularly when trials are funded by the drug industry or when the studies are conducted by people who are paid consultants of the company under review, Duncan told the Nov. 18-19 meeting. He said because of the church’s broad networking capabilities and international influence, it “may be the only power on earth that can counter the forces of corporate greed that have no moral or ethical conscience.” He called on religious orders, Catholic schools, hospitals, medical associations, media and parishes to become informed and help children and families discover alternatives to psychiatric medications as well as help them have real input when discussing the risks and benefits of such medication. Duncan spoke Nov.19 on “The Question of the Use of Psychiatric Pharmaceuticals in Pediatrics” during the conference, and he spoke about his findings in a separate meeting Nov. 18 with Cardinal Ennio Antonelli, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family. Duncan told the conference that the United States leads the world in the number of psychiatric prescriptions to young people and that the trend to resort to antipsychotics before or in lieu of social and behavioral therapy is on the rise in Europe. Most disturbing, he said, is that poor children in the United States, particularly those in foster care or on Medicaid, are four times more likely to be prescribed antipsychotic drugs and six times more likely to be treated with a number of different psychotropic medications. Poor children are also “vulnerable to dangerous drugs used as interventions of control rather than therapy,” he said. Clinical evidence does not support the practice of prescribing pharmaceutical drugs as a first response to behavioral or psychiatric issues, he said, not only because of the drugs’ questionable long-term effectiveness, but also for the risk of serious health consequences, dependence and disability. “The belief in the power of chemistry over church, community, social and psychological process – fueled by unprecedented promotion from the drug industry that targets all players in health care – forms the basis of pharmacology’s growing centrality in treatment, research, training and practice,” he said. Children have no voice, and they rely on adult judgments and decisions for their well-being, he added. Families, pastoral workers, pediatricians and health professionals “need access to accurate data - to the truth untainted by corporate influence,” Duncan said. Read more at www.catholicreview.org

 

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Italian Priest's Trial Shines Light On Pedophilia

by Sylvia Poggioli

November 19, 2010 Listen to the Story Morning Edition [3 min 49 sec] Add to Playlist Download Transcript

The trial of Don Ruggero Conti, a charismatic 55-year-old priest accused of molesting seven boys, has brought the issue to the Vatican's doorstep. Pope Benedict XVI and cardinals from around the world are meeting Friday to discuss some of the key issues facing the church, including its handling of clerical sex abuse scandals.

Pope Benedict XVI in an unusual move has invited cardinals from around the world to a daylong summit Friday at the Vatican to discuss some of the key issues facing the church, including its handling of clerical sex abuse scandals.

While attention has focused on many abuse cases in the U.S. and Northern Europe, revelations are now emerging on the Vatican's doorstep: A trial has been under way in Italy for months, and the defendant, Don Ruggero Conti, a charismatic 55-year-old priest, is charged with molesting seven boys.

At each hearing, many parents, including Giovanna Baretta, come to cheer the priest and show their support. Baretta, who has known Conti for decades, entrusted her son, now 30, to his care.

"We believe this is a conspiracy, a witch hunt," she said. "They are slinging mud against an exceptional priest. It's all part of an attack against the church."

The atmosphere outside the courtroom is tense. The alleged victims, their lawyers and their families are escorted by the police because of death threats; threats have also been made against the presiding judge.

The alleged victims — some as young as 13 at the time of the alleged abuse — have given detailed descriptions of sexual violence.

One witness, 24-year-old Matteo Mongiu, told the court that boys would often sleep at Conti's house and that the priest would ask one of the boys to sleep with him in his room. Mongiu testified that the priest never abused him, but he said it annoyed him when Conti would fondle him and lick his ears.

Plaintiffs' lawyers say the trial has already made history. They say it's the first time an Italian bishop has taken the stand in such a case.

That bishop, Gino Reali, Conti's direct supervisor, admitted he knew of the accusations made against Conti by numerous people two years before the arrest. Reali was visibly uncomfortable when he was asked why he did not stop Conti's contact with children.

"I tried to stick to facts because I believed I needed to act based on facts, not rumors," he said, in Italian. "Lots of rumors end up on my desk."

The Vatican requires bishops to inform the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith if an accusation has a semblance of truth. The congregation then decides if a church trial is warranted. Reali testified he didn't think there was sufficient evidence.

The bishop's testimony was one of the rare occasions in Italy where a high-ranking prelate has had to answer to civic authorities. But the trial has received minimal coverage in the Italian media.

This is a sign, Vatican watchers say, of the Holy See's influence over everything that happens in what's known as the Shadow of St. Peter's Dome.

Roberto Mirabile, president of an association that works on behalf of victims of pedophilia, laments that in Italy clerical sex abuse is still a taboo topic. "What we see is a very disconcerting mentality of a church hierarchy which still does not grasp the devastating effects of pedophile crimes on minors," he said. "This trial is proof of how much hypocrisy exists around this issue."

Yet continuing revelations of widening sex abuse scandals are beginning to have an impact even in Italy.

Not long after Reali's testimony, the Italian Bishops' Conference acknowledged that it is possible that its members covered up abuse, and it revealed that in the past decade 100 Italian priests have faced church trials for sexual abuse of minors.

But no information on the trials' outcome was made available. Read more at www.npr.org

 

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Moscow Patriarchate, Vatican wage common fight against secular liberalism - Patriarch Kirill

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Moscow Patriarchate, Vatican wage common fight against secular liberalism - Patriarch Kirill

Moscow, November 19, Interfax -Despite a difficult relationship between the Russian Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Churches, they have been effectively cooperating along many avenues, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia told students and diplomats at the Russian Foreign Ministry Diplomatic Academy in Moscow. "Together with the Roman Catholic Church we have been defending the traditional Christian concept of family and human values from aggressive secular liberalism. Our Churches are waging a common fight against medico-biological experiments incompatible with respect for human dignity," His Holiness said. Cooperation with the Roman Catholic Church has become possible thanks to Pope Benedict XVI and is proceeding simultaneously along several avenues. "Starting from 1980, we have been conducting a theological dialogue in the course of which and together with other Orthodox churches we were discussing problems that separate us such as the role of the Roman bishop, the Unia issue and others," the Patriarch said. This has not been an easy dialogue as it is "impossible to find quick solutions to problems that have separated the Christian East and West for a whole millennium". Nevertheless, "thorough theological analysis of all that has happened is being carried out, in particular, our understanding of history because many differences stem from the way we understand it", Patriarch Kirill said. The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church expressed concern over trends in some Protestant communities towards liberalizing theology and Christian morals. Thus, some Protestant communes have sanctioned mono-sex marriages and the ordaining of homosexuals. At the same time, he pointed out that in the majority of Churches in the CIS and Eastern Europe - the Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant Churches - adhere to the traditional understanding of Christian values. For example, Protestants in Russia and the Baltic countries are closer to Orthodoxy than to their Western fellow Christians because "they are not striving to liberalize their doctrine", the Patriarch said.Read more at www.interfax-religion.com

 

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Austria's purported oldest murderess, who was released early on grounds of ill health, then traveled to the Vatican and apparently never returned. Police can't arrest her, though, because she apparently never returned from a trip to see the Pope.

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Austria seeks missing 83-year-old murderess

VIENNA -- Authorities have issued a European arrest warrant for Austria's purported oldest murderess, who was released early on grounds of ill health, then traveled to the Vatican and apparently never returned.

Bronislawa Jarosz, 83, a Polish citizen, was convicted of killing her neighbor in the town of Korneuburg in 2007 and sentenced to 18 years. She was freed early because she was deemed too sick to stay. But a more recent exam found her fit enough to be in prison.

Police can't arrest her, though, because she apparently never returned from a trip to see the Pope, says Wiener Neustadt Court spokesman Hans Barwitzius.

He said Friday a European arrest warrant has been issued to ensure Jarosz serves the remaining "16 years, three days and eight hours" of her sentence. Read more at www.washingtonpost.com

 

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Rome Prepares for Stand-Off with Chinese Government

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Rome Prepares for Stand-Off with Chinese Government

This article comes from AsiaNews.

Chengde: Illicit Episcopal Ordination, the First in Four Years

By Zhen Yuan

Beijing (AsiaNews) - The vice-president of the Patriotic Association, Liu Bainain confirmed to the media that the ordination of Fr Joseph Guo Jincai as Bishop of Chengde (Hebei) will take place tomorrow November 20. The ordination of the 42-year old priest, the first in the last four years, and the obligation of certain bishops to attend were criticized by the Vatican yesterday as "serious violations of freedom of religion and conscience" and "harmful" to the constructive relations between China and the Holy See. Liu Bainian said the ordination is "for the good of the Church". Speaking to the Associated Press he said that "we waited two years for [the view of the Vatican] and we can not wait any longer ... If this will damage relations between China and the Vatican, this is not an issue that concerns us”. In an interview with Hong Kong based Sing Tao Liu said that he did not know the Holy See's approval of Guo’s ordination, since China and the Vatican have no diplomatic relations and he was not aware of the intentions of the Holy See. The Vatican press office released a statement yesterday stating that the ordination of Fr Guo is not approved by the Holy See and therefore, if it takes place, it will be illegal. Fr. Guo, born in Chengde, Hebei, was ordained a priest in 1992. In the early '90s he directed Faith Press publishing house and is now deputy secretary general of the national Patriotic Association a member of the National People's Congress. According to the Vatican yearbook, the diocese is referred to as Jehol. Fr. Guo is the first bishop of the new diocese which has 20 thousand faithful, 15 priests and six nuns. In March last, the Vatican gave specific indication to the bishops in communion with the Pope not to participate in acts (such as assemblies or ordinations of bishops) that are in contradiction with their communion with the pope. According to AsiaNews sources, other bishops are under pressure to participate in tomorrow’s ordination and at least three bishops have been forcibly seized to compel them to take part. In recent days, Mgr. Paul Pei Junmin of Liaoning was in the Diocese of Chifeng (Inner Mongolia) to ordain some priests. On 17 November, members of the Religious Affairs Bureau of Liaoning began phoning him to encourage him to attend the Chengde ordination, but Mgr. Pei refused. That night, the representatives of the government arrived in Chifeng, to the hotel where Mgr. Pei was staying. AsiaNews sources say that the bishop "is under enormous pressure and in great difficulty”. Mgr. Li Liangui of Cangzhou and Mgr. Feng Xinmao Hengshui have also been seized by government representatives to force them to ordain the new bishop of Chengde. A Catholic from Hengshui told AsiaNews that Mgr. Feng has been missing since Nov. 14. "One of our priests - he continued - has managed to contact Mgr. Feng, who said he was taken by members of the Religious Affairs and was discussing with them not to attend the ordination of Chengde. Until now we have no other information about him”. Other sources in Hebei told AsiaNews that Mgr. Li was taken a few days ago by government representatives and has not been heard of since. According to sources contacted by AsiaNews, the Catholics of Chengde are "nervous and confused. This ordination is very mysterious. There has been no announcement of the date, place, or ordaining bishop. The local priests are inaccessible and have turned off their cell phones or do not respond". "The fact that the ordination is not approved by the Holy See – the source adds - it's like a time bomb for the faithful: some want to escape from Chengde, so as not to participate, others are concerned that the new bishop seems too close to the government and Patriotic Association, but far from the local and universal Church. In Hebei, a non-Catholic points out that in Chinese society there is a great need for religion and it is sad that Catholics are subjected to this instability and insecurity.Read more at thevaticanlobby.blogspot.com

 

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Pope: All Nations Must Provide Universal Health Care

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Pope: All Nations Must Provide Universal Health Care

This article comes from the blog In All Things at America.

Apparently, the pope believes that money grows on trees and that national sovereignty and self-determination is a thing of the past.

It must be nice to sit on the sidelines and make impossible demands.

Pope Calls for Guaranteed Health Care

By Kerry Weber

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI and other church leaders said it was the moral responsibility of nations to guarantee access to health care for all of their citizens, regardless of social and economic status or their ability to pay. Access to adequate medical attention, the pope said in a written message Nov. 18, was one of the "inalienable rights" of man. The pope's message was read by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary of state, to participants at the 25th International Conference of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry at the Vatican Nov. 18-19. The theme of this year's meeting was "Caritas in Veritate - toward an equitable and human health care." The pope lamented the great inequalities in health care around the globe. While people in many parts of the world aren't able to receive essential medications or even the most basic care, in industrialized countries there is a risk of "pharmacological, medical and surgical consumerism" that leads to "a cult of the body," the pope said. "The care of man, his transcendent dignity and his inalienable rights" are issues that should concern Christians, the pope said. Because an individual's health is a "precious asset" to society as well as to himself, governments and other agencies should seek to protect it by "dedicating the equipment, resources and energy so that the greatest number of people can have access." "Justice in health care should be a priority of governments and international institutions," he said, cautioning that protecting human health does not include euthanasia or promoting artificial reproductive techniques that include the destruction of embryos. Care for human life from conception to its natural end must be a guiding light in determining health care policy, the pope said. In his own written statement, Cardinal Bertone had strong words in support of the need for governments to take care of all citizens, especially children, the elderly, the poor and immigrants. "Justice requires guaranteed universal access to health care," he said, adding that the provision of minimal levels of medical attention to all is "commonly accepted as a fundamental human right." Governments are obligated, therefore, to adopt the proper legislative, administrative and financial measures to provide such care along with other basic conditions that promote good health, such as food security, water and housing, the cardinal said. Private health insurance companies, he said, should conform to human rights legislation and see to it that "privatization not become a threat to the accessibility, availability and quality of health care goods and services." Cardinal Bertone recommended that government leaders in poor countries use their limited resources wisely and for the good of their citizens. The governments of richer nations with good health care available should practice more solidarity with their own disadvantaged citizens and help developing countries promote health care while trying to avoid a "paternalistic or humiliating" way of assisting, the cardinal said. Cardinal Bertone warned of the "war of interests" between pharmaceutical companies and developing nations who have little access to medicines because they can't pay for them. He said that those manufacturers should not be driven by "profit as the only objective" in the creation and distribution of medicines. Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry, said in opening remarks that to have good health "is a natural right" recognized by international institutions. Despite such recognition, he said, great imbalances persist and developing nations find themselves with inadequate structures and without the ability to provide basic medicines to their people. Wealthier countries, on the other hand, have a "technical" approach to the sick, which ignores "the sick person in his entirety and dignity," Archbishop Zimowski said. The council, created by Pope John Paul II 25 years ago, will continue the church's mission to serve the sick and promote health for all, the archbishop said.Read more at thevaticanlobby.blogspot.com

 

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A Justification Debate Long Overdue

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A Justification Debate Long Overdue

A record crowd of more than 2,500 turned out in Atlanta this week for the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, focused on “Justification By Faith.” The conference’s main event—three papers and debate over justification between New Testament scholars Frank Thielman, Tom Schreiner, and N. T. Wright—might be about three years too late to slow the spread of controversy over justification that has gripped evangelicals. Unfortunately, a planned face-to-face discussion between John Piper and Wright fell through when Piper took an extended sabbatical. But the novelty of pairing Wright on a panel with Schreiner, another key critic, still riveted an audience that enjoyed more than two hours of sustained debate over New Testament texts, Greek terminology, and ancient Near Eastern and Roman society.

Tom Schreiner

Schreiner, James Buchanan Harrison professor of New Testament interpretation at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, opened the long-anticipated exchange by delivering a paper on Wednesday night called “Justification: The Saving Righteousness of God in Christ.” He engaged in a direct and sustained critique of Wright, even as he labored to show common ground with the man he described as a groundbreaking thinker. He acknowledged that Wright is fundamentally correct that first-century Jews incurred the judgment of exile in the form of Roman oppression due to their sin. When Wright responded to Schreiner on Friday morning, he expressed surprise over their agreement on this point.

Schreiner also agreed with Wright that evangelicals who hold to sola scriptura recognize no other authority, including tradition, as final. But Schreiner identified three false polarities that he said Wright perpetuates:

Wright argues that justification is primarily about ecclesiology instead of soteriology.

Wright says Israel’s fundamental problem was failing to bless the world. But Paul focuses on Israel’s inherent sinfulness.

Wright contends that justification is a declaration of God’s righteousness but does not include the imputation of God’s righteousness.

Supporting his first charge, Schreiner said justification is not identical to salvation, redemption, or sanctification. But the word appears in such contexts focusing on how we are saved, such as Romans 3:24 and Romans 4:6-8. Regarding his second point, Schreiner appealed to Romans 2 to show that the Jews’ sin was not primarily excluding Gentiles but rather failing to obey God and his law. Finally, Schreiner said it is strange that Wright maligns imputation when he admits God requires perfect obedience. Indeed, Paul would appear to teach imputation in such verses as 1 Corinthians 1:30 and 2 Corinthians 5:21. It is true, Schreiner agreed with Wright, that no human judge can give a guilty defendant his righteousness. But the law-court metaphor in Scripture should not be considered exhaustive. Indeed, its limitations at precisely this point should lead us to wonder in the gospel of God, who gave up his only Son for guilty sinners.

One Important Phrase, Several Intended Meanings

Frank Thielman

The second plenary address—delivered by Frank Thielman, Presbyterian professor of divinity at Beeson Divnity School—focused on Romans 1:16-17. Thielman offered a mediating position that suggested several intended meanings from Paul for the contested and consequential phrase “righteousness of God.” Original hearers, Thielman said, would have understand this phrase to refer to the saving activity and gift of acquittal from God on the basis of faith. They also would have understood that God is fair, even-handed, and equitable in the way he distributes salvation.

Thielman cited the first commentary on Romans, written by Origen, who spoke and wrote the same Greek language as Paul. Origen understood the apostle to teach that the “righteousness of God” means all, whether Jew or Gentile, may find salvation in the gospel. Thielman illustrated his point by citing several coins used in the Roman Empire. Nero, emperor during the end of Paul’s ministry, appeared on one coin with the word dikaiosune, which we translate in Scripture as “righteousness.” It would seem, Thielman said, that Nero seeks to portray himself not so much as just but equitable in how he distributes grain harvested in Egypt.

Is it really likely, though, that Paul would use one phrase and intend several meanings? Thielman said this practice was common in ancient writing. So Paul did in fact reveal in this famous passage that God counts believers acquitted, as Martin Luther realized. But the inspired apostle also taught that God is fair, and he powerfully rescues his people.

The Main Event

Probably the main attraction, though, was the Friday morning address by N. T. Wright, research professor of New Testament at St. Andrews University and the former bishop of Durham. For years now Wright has faced sustained criticism in the form of books, journal articles, and lectures from a number of the most prominent scholars in ETS. He jumped into the lion’s den in Atlanta with his paper, “Justification Yesterday, Today, and Forever.” From the beginning, Wright displayed his characteristic blend of humor, charm, and wide-ranging intellect with an unrelentingly rapid speaking pace. He has indeed read his critics, but he hardly backed down at ETS. In fact, he seemed more than a little perturbed by the wide range of arguments leveled against his writing on justification. He called for a new ethic of Christian blogging and faulted believers for pulling his statements out of context and reaching false conclusions about his work.

N. T. Wright

In his preliminary remarks, Wright dealt directly with several of the most controversial charges leveled against him and by his defenders. He reasserted his Protestant credentials and said we need to allow Scripture to say things our human traditions have not said.  And he denied that any single person holding to the New Perspective on Paul has joined the Roman Catholic Church. In fact, he said critics who charge him with biblicism have no sense of irony and history; they are the real neo-Catholics. Wright made the case that the Reformers and his modern-day critics ask contemporary questions of Pauline texts, not the ones Paul actually addressed for the benefit of Jews and Gentiles gathered together in one church. Thus, Wright’s critics are the real modern-day demythologizers who abstract bits and pieces of Paul’s thought by tearing them from the original context.

One Big Story

True to form, Wright kept the big story in view as he analyzed specific passages. God’s plan to bless the world through humans was thwarted by the fall. Then he planned to rescue humankind through Abraham and his descendants. But they, too, failed. So God sent his Son, the Messiah of Israel, to announce that God’s kingdom had come with his life, death, and resurrection. Adam’s sin is the problem, Wright said, and God’s covenant with Abraham is the solution.

Known for weaving compelling biblical narratives, Wright rejected any claims that he distorts the meaning of passages by reshaping them to fit his big story. He willingly treated many of the most important verse from Romans, Ephesians, Galatians, and elsewhere. He complained that he continues to vainly search for serious treatments from his critics of Romans 4 as Paul’s exposition of the Abrahamic covenant. “Only by close attention to Scriptural context can Scriptural doctrine be Scripturally understood,” Wright said. Each element must be treated in light of the whole. But we derive our view of the whole by carefully interpreting each element.

Wright made numerous references to his critics and their works. But he referred to few by name. He disputed Simon Gathercole on Romans 4:4-8, which he said borrows the idea of reward from God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 15:1. He faulted the three-volume set Justification and Variegated Nomism—edited by D. A. Carson, Mark Seifrid, and Peter O’Brien—for not considering a crucial passage from the intertestamental Qumran literature that he says sheds light on Paul’s teaching.

During his paper, Wright did not, however, mention John Piper, originally scheduled to engage with him at ETS. But Wright clearly had him in mind. Piper has criticized Wright for undermining Christian assurance with his view on justification. In particular, Piper cites Wright teaching that final judgment will be on the basis of works. Indeed, Wright wrote in Paul: In Fresh Perspective:

The whole point about “justification by faith” is that it is something which happens in the present time (Romans 3:26) as a proper anticipation of the eventual judgment which will be announced, on the basis of the whole life led, in the future (Romans 2:1-16).

But Wright contends he does not mean what Piper and others believe he does. If doubts linger, however, Wright said that he believes final judgment will be in accordance with works—something Piper and Schreiner acknowledge from Romans 2:6—and not on the basis of works. Justification involves spiritual struggle, Wright said, and Christians should beware of antinomianism that neglects this teaching.

Wright appeared especially troubled by the charge that he wouldn’t know what to say to someone dying who asked, “What must I do to be saved?” Wright said, “The gospel is the royal announcement that the crucified and risen Jesus is Israel’s Messiah and Lord of the world. That’s good news.” He would encourage someone dying to find eternal life by confessing the name of Jesus, the crucified and risen One, in whom we find healing, forgiveness, reconciliation, peace, and hope.

Irreconcilable Differences

During more than two hours of discussion that followed these papers, a number of differences remained irreconcilable. Schreiner said justification has ecclesiological implications, but contrary to Wright, he believes it is chiefly about the forgiveness of sins. Wright remains uncomfortable with describing righteousness as a gift, as if it can get passed around. Schreiner cautions against pushing the law-court metaphor hard, but Wright says Paul does just that in Romans 3. And Wright continues to believe that Schreiner and others fail to understand the significance of Paul’s argument in Romans 9-11 that God’s plan to save the world through Israel has not failed.

It’s too early to tell whether this week’s ETS meeting will fundamentally change the debate over justification. Wright ceded little if any ground to his critics. But he offered clarification for at least one of their chief concerns. He continued to disparage the Reformers, particularly Luther, for asking the wrong questions and missing Paul’s point. But Schreiner agreed with Wright that Protestants should privilege no tradition above God’s Word. Schreiner expressed sincere appreciation for Wright’s work. And Wright gave evidence simply by showing up in Atlanta that he takes his critics seriously. For that he and ETS and should be commended. This face-to-face debate was long overdue.

Listen to Al Mohler reflect on the justification debate at ETS:

[Download] Read more at thegospelcoalition.org

 

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A new sci-fi film about Nazis has reignited a debate in Germany about Hitler's development of UFOs.

Amplify’d from www.telegraph.co.uk

Nazi spaceship film sparks UFO debate

A new sci-fi film about Nazis has reignited a debate in Germany about Hitler's development of UFOs.

By Allan Hall in Berlin

The Finnish sci-fi comedy 'Iron Sky' centres on real-life SS officer Hans Kammler who was said to have made a significant breakthrough in antigravity experiments towards the end of WW2.

The film relates how, from a secret base built in the Antarctic, the first Nazi spaceships were launched in late 1945 to found the military base Schwarze Sonne – Black Sun – on the dark side of the Moon.

This base was to to be used to build a powerful invasion fleet and return to take over the Earth once the time was right, in this case 2018.

But a new report out this week in Germany in the magazine PM purports that there is "strong evidence" that a Nazi UFO programme was well advanced.

Hitler ordered Luftwaffe chief Hermann Goering to develop the super weapon that would change the war.

The PM report quotes eyewitnesses who believe they saw a flying saucer marked with the Iron Cross of the German military flying low over the Thames in 1944.

At the time the New York Times wrote about a "mysterious flying disc" with photos of the device seen travelling at extremely high speeds over the high-rise buildings.

The best known of the Nazi UFO projects was the Schriever-Habermohl scheme, named for Rudolf Schriever and Otto Habermohl.

Initially a Luftwaffe project, it fell under the auspices of armaments minister Albert Speer before being taken over once again in 1944 by Hans Kammler.

Eyewitnesses captured by the Allies after WW2 claimed to have seen the saucer produced in Prague fly on several occasions in early 1945.

Joseph Andreas Epp, an engineer who served as a consultant to the Schriever-Habermohl project, stated 15 prototypes were built in all.

He described how a central cockpit surrounded by rotating adjustable wing-vanes formed a circle.

The vanes were held together by a band at the outer edge of the wheel-like device. The pitch of the vanes could be adjusted so that during take off more lift was generated by increasing their angle from a more horizontal setting.

In level flight the angle would be adjusted to a smaller angle, similar to the way helicopter rotors operate. The wing-vanes were to be set in rotation by small rockets placed around the rim like a pinwheel.

Once rotational speed was sufficient, lift-off was achieved.

After the craft had risen to some height the horizontal jets or rockets were ignited. "After this the wing-blades would be allowed to rotate freely as the saucer moved forward as in an auto-gyrocopter. In all probability, the wing-blades speed, and so their lifting value, could also be increased by directing the adjustable horizontal jets slightly upwards to engage the blades, thus spinning them faster at the digression of the pilot," he said. Read more at www.telegraph.co.uk

 

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