Duncan Gray was committed to human rights

From Mississippi-

The slightly-built Episcopal priest in clerical collar pleaded with Army Gen. Edwin Walker at the Confederate monument in Ole Miss’ Grove to urge students — and non-students — to stop the raging riot after federal marshals escorted James Meredith to the campus Sept.30 1962.

Not only did Walker (who weeks before had urged people to protest Meredith’s admission) refuse, but he demanded that the clergyman identify himself. “I’m Duncan Gray, a local Episcopal minister,” said priest. The tall Texan snapped: “You are the kind of Episcopal minister that makes me ashamed of being an Episcopalian.”

This was around 9 p.m. Later in the evening as rioting worsened and Walker egged on the crowd, Gray once again pleaded with the general to help bring peace. Hostile rioters roughed up the minister until a deputy sheriff and several students rescued him.

Gray’s confrontation with General Walker during what would become an insurrection over admitting one African-American student to the prestigious all-white university would become his first hands-on involvement in the struggle of Mississippi’s black citizens for civil rights. Over the next 40 years this son of an Episcopal bishop, who would himself become a bishop, would in his quiet way become a spokesman for racial equality.

More here-

http://www.desototimes.com/articles/2011/04/01/opinion/editorials/doc4d9628c88b9f6949582252.txt

A rush to save Porky's from demolition

This has been all over the news lately and I finally gave in-

Historic preservationists and hot-rod enthusiasts are scrambling to save Porky's from "a rash decision" to have the red-and-white checkered building reduced to rubble.

The iconic 1950s drive-in restaurant will close permanently Sunday, then be sold to the neighboring Episcopal Homes senior facility.

The Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, best-known for its annual "Endangered Places" list, said Friday that it is trying to determine whether the restaurant can be preserved at its location on University Avenue in St. Paul or moved to the State Fairgrounds or elsewhere.

Adding to the sense of urgency is the Minnesota Historical Society saying it has learned that Porky's is seeking a demolition permit from the city.

More here

http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/119073724.html

Episcopal minister born in China shares religious mission

From South Carolina

The Rev. Dr. Tabitha doesn’t want her full named used because she is a missionary priest to the People’s Republic of China and fears the release might jeopardize her mission.

Tabitha came to the United States in 1977 and became a naturalized citizen in 1982. A friend started going to an Episcopal church in Massachusetts and urged Tabitha to come with her because “the priest was nice.”

Tabitha felt a “powerful presence” in the church, plus she said the church had a “sense of warmth” that she had never felt before.

She and her two daughters were baptized in the church in 1980. This led to her “Damascus Road Experience” in 1986.

In a vision she saw Christ “put the Chinese people as precious jewels on a paten and hold them to my heart with a sword.”

Tabitha returned to China and began working in the missionary field. On a retreat in Malaysia in 1998, she met the then rector of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Charleston.

Tabitha came back to the U.S., where she graduated from an Episcopal divinity school and then went on to receive a doctorate from a theological school.

The St. Michael’s rector recommended her to the then-bishop of the lower diocese of South Carolina in Charleston. He ordained Tabitha in 2003.

More here-

http://www2.scnow.com/lifestyles/2011/apr/01/episcopal-minister-born-china-shares-religious-mis-ar-1659658/

Walker's grand slam leads Pirates past Cubs, 6-3

OK let's celebrate while we can! For you soccer fans out there a grand slam is a home run with runners on all three bases.

There was that exceptional blast, the one with the bases loaded in the fifth inning Friday off the bat of Pirates second baseman Neil Walker that bounced clear out of Wrigley Field.

That shot will be the most vivid opening-day memory as the Pirates claimed a 6-3 victory against the Chicago Cubs.

And rightly so, the grand slam was just the second on opening day in Pirates history; the other hit by Roberto Clemente, the Hall of Fame right fielder, against Jim Owens and the Philadelphia Phillies April 10, 1962.

Read more:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11092/1136509-63.stm#ixzz1IN1X6zj3

400-year-old King James Bible found in English church

From England-

A printing error helped a 12th century English village church realize it owned a rare 400-year-old King James Bible, the book that changed the world.

The edition that had been sitting on a ledge in the pretty Anglican church in Wiltshire, central England for the past 150 years, barely touched and much less read, is one of only a handful that still exists.

Although a sign above the book indicated it dated back to 1611, it was only after the parochial church council of St. Laurence in Hilmarton decided to get it authenticated during the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible that they made their discovery.

"I noticed it like everyone who uses the church noticed it as an old Bible that was sort of there, but no one was sure about its origins until very recently," church council member Chris Mastin-Lee told Reuters.

St. Laurence stopped using the Bible after the introduction of more modern versions, and fewer than 200 original printings of the 1611 King James version are believed to exist.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42365422/ns/today-books/

Exclusive: the man who saved the Zurbarans

From The Spectator England- Its about $24m US.

The drama over Durham's Zurbaran paintings has reached an extraordinary conclusion — and one that is revealed exclusively in this week's Spectator. The protest against the Church of England's proposed sale had snowballed into a national campaign, with Jeremy Hunt calling for them to be “enjoyed by the public.” Today we can disclose that they have been bought for £15 million — by an investor (and Spectator reader) called Jonathan Ruffer, who has decided to gift them back to the church. Here, for CoffeeHousers, is Charles Moore's interview with him for the magazine:

‘It’s the pearl of great price,’ says Jonathan Ruffer. Like the merchant in the Gospel, he is selling all that he hath. With the proceeds, he is buying the 12 Zurbaran paintings of Jacob and his Brothers at Auckland Castle, the palace of the Bishop of Durham. And when he has bought them from the Church of England, he will give them back, keeping them in the castle, thus bestowing them upon the people of the north-east in perpetuity. The price is £15 million. He believes in the Big Society and is taking a big punt on it.

Ruffer, who is 59, is a very successful private client fund manager. He is famous for having foreseen the credit crunch, largely by careful study of past crises. ‘I know more about the history of economics than anyone I know,’ he boasts, though, on the subject of his benefaction he is so unboastful as to be almost abject. The credit crunch was the moment when people suddenly stopped trusting their bank deposits. The next big crunch, which he sees as ‘certain’, and which could happen in Britain first, is that trust in the value of the currency will collapse, leading to hyperinflation: ‘It is an airless valley from which there is no escape.’

More here-

http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/6830168/exclusive-the-man-who-saved-the-zurbarans.thtml

Japan archbishop visits devastated Sendai, issues message to Anglican Communion

From ENS-

Archbishop Nathaniel Uematsu of the Nippon Sei Ko Kai, the Anglican Church in Japan, has issued a message to the Anglican Communion following his visit to Sendai two weeks after an earthquake-triggered tsunami devastated the region, claiming more than 11,000 lives and leaving at least 16,000 people still unaccounted for.

In his message, written in Japanese and translated by staff at the Anglican Communion Office in London, Uematsu said he visited Sendai Christ Church, the cathedral in the Diocese of Tohoku, on March 27 "and saw that parts of the walls had fallen down, the walls were cracked. It looked to me as [if] the whole building was lopsided. On the floor of the cathedral there were various piles of goods sent from churches in different parts of Japan such as foodstuff, fuel and clothing."

Because of the frequent aftershocks following the magnitude-9 earthquake on March 11, members of the church council have decided that it is too dangerous to use the cathedral for worship and they are holding services in a nearby church hall instead, Uematsu explained.

More here-

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79425_127782_ENG_HTM.htm

Bishop just a title for former pastor

From Cincinnati-

That old saw about clothes making the man does not apply here. The Right Rev. Michael B. Curry, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, is the same person he was when he came to St. Simon of Cyrene Episcopal Church in Lincoln Heights in 1982.

He was practically a newlywed, had served as the rector of only one other church in his career, and not yet 30-years-old. Even then exhibiting a great capacity to lead with humility and grace, the bishop’s purple shirt, mitre, pectoral cross and staff have not changed any of his good qualities. No pomposity here, folks. Gregarious and caring as ever, his intellectual toolbox remains full.

Bishop Curry spoke at the Transfiguration Spirituality Center in Glendale during a retreat there in March. He taught of living beyond our probabilities, but rather in God’s possibilities.

“If we live our lives only in terms of what is probable, life gets stuck. When life is lived in the direction of new possibilities, it opens up. That’s what the gospel teachings in the life of Jesus are all about.”

More here-

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/tricountytips/2011/03/31/column-bishop-just-a-title-for-former-pastor/

Unforgettable Bob Feller is a baseball legend and an American hero

From Cleveland-

The eve of Opening Day on Thursday was cold, with snow coating the ground and frosting the limbs of the trees outside St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Cleveland Heights. Soon, men in overcoats and women bundled against the elements would go inside.

The organist would play, at first slowly, like a dirge, and then with a joyous finishing peal of thunder, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," as the memorial service for Bob Feller began.

The strains of "The Star-Spangled Banner" would also fill the church soon for Feller was about patriotism as much as baseball.

Near the end of the one-hour, 20-minute service, upon the presentation to Feller's widow Anne of a flag from the USS Alabama, on which he served during World War II, taps was played.

More here-

http://www.cleveland.com/livingston/index.ssf/2011/03/unforgettable_bob_feller_baseb.html

No date yet for local Anglican Ordinariate

From Australia

No date has been finalised yet for the foundation of the Australian Ord inariate, says Bishop Peter Elliott, the Bishops' delegate for assisting lay Anglicans wanting to join the Church, reports the Catholic Weekly.

"In Australia we are quietly moving to that stage when we hope the Holy See will establish an ordin ariate," said Bishop Elliott, auxiliary Bish op of Mel bourne.

It had been hoped the first personal ordinariate would be established by June.

Bishop Elliott said there would be centres in all major cities for those interested - and that the interest was evident from all states at recent ordinariate festivals held in Queensland and Western Australia.

"Formal applications for membership will be possible when the time frame is clearer."

Bishop Elliott said that in the UK, where hundreds of people were ex pected to join the new ordinariate, the situation "is different to Australia"

More here-

http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=25682

Jerusalem bishop appeals Israel's residency denial

From MSNBC-

Jerusalem's Anglican bishop, a Palestinian, is engaged in a legal battle with Israel over its refusal to extend his residency permit, a church official said on Wednesday.

The official, who declined to be named, said Israel's Interior Ministry had written to Bishop Suheil Dawani and accused him of improper land dealings on behalf of the church and the Palestinian Authority, allegations he denies.

A spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry declined to comment, citing an upcoming court hearing.

Dawani was elected Bishop of the Diocese of Jerusalem in 2007, and as a non-Israeli was required by Israeli authorities to obtain temporary residency permits. These were granted to him in 2008 and 2009, but not last year.

Dawani, born in Nablus in the occupied West Bank, lives with his family in East Jerusalem. Both areas were captured by Israel in a 1967 war. Israel annexed East Jerusalem after the conflict in a step that is not internationally recognized.

More here-

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42339462/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa

Episcopalian Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori to present apology for church’s complicity in slavery

From Western NC-

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of the national Episcopal Church will visit the diocese Saturday, April 9, to preside and preach at a major Service of Repentance, Healing and Reconciliation at Trinity, Asheville, located at 60 Church Street in downtown Asheville. The service will begin at 11 a.m.

At this service, Bishop Taylor, presiding bishop of the diocese of Western North Carolina, will extend an official apology for the diocese’s complicity in the institution of slavery and segregation. All 65 parishes in the diocese will be represented and will offer up their history and relationships related to segregation and slavery.

Efforts to coordinate this service have been ongoing for the past two years under the direction of the Commission to Dismantle Racism, which trained teams from dozens of parishes to lead the “truth and reconciliation” process. Subsequently some have reached out into their communities and begun to build bridges across historic racial divides. Additionally many parishes have started collecting oral histories of racially charged events.

More here-

http://www.mountainx.com/blogwire/2011/katharine_jefferts_schori_preaching_in_asheville

Bob Feller Memorial Service: Watch live streaming video

From Ohio- (with link to stream)

Watch live streaming video courtesy WKYC and Sports Time Ohio as Indians fans pay their last respects to Bob Feller.

A public memorial service is being held for the late Indians pitcher, who died on Dec. 15, this morning at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Cleveland Heights. The officiating clergy will be the Rev. Conrad Selnick, rector at Feller's home church in Gates Mills of St. Christopher’s by-the-River Episcopal Church.

Doors open for the service at 10 a.m. The live video can be seen below starting at 10:30 a.m.

http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2011/03/bob_feller_memorial_service_wa.html

House of Bishops meeting ends with an eye toward the church in the 21st century

From ENS-

The Episcopal Church's House of Bishops concluded its six-day retreat meeting at the Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, North Carolina, continuing the theme "selection, recruitment and formation of young leaders," preparing the church for the opportunities and challenges of the 21st century.
"We talked about recruiting, forming and educating young leaders, and that has a great deal to do with inviting members of the church and leaders to get outside church buildings and structures to meet seekers," said Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori during a closing news conference on March 30. "That was a significant part of our conversation."

During their March 25-30 meeting, the bishops addressed several themes, including the relationship between Christianity and Islam, how to reach young adults with the gospel, and the Anglican Covenant, a set of principles intended to bind the Anglican Communion in spite of cultural and theological differences.

The bishops welcomed three international Anglican primates -- Archbishop Fred Hiltz of Canada; Archbishop Henri Isingoma of the Congo; and Archbishop Paul Kim of South Korea -- to observe the sessions and to share their perspectives with the house.

During the news conference, Jefferts Schori, who is also the HOB president, described the meeting as "very full" and said the bishops were "blessed" by the participation of the international bishops, who were there to share the experience, offer insight into their own contexts -- including how their churches developed -- and to share their thoughts on the Anglican Covenant.

More here-

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79425_127781_ENG_HTM.htm

Anglican Communion Women Welcome Primates' Commitment to Tackle Violence Against Women And Girls

From All Africa-

The commitment by Primates at the January meeting in Dublin to work to eliminate violence against women and girls has been warmly welcomed by the Communion's International Anglican Women's Network (IAWN).

IAWN members were part of a delegation of 80 Anglican/Episcopal women and girls who were in New York for the Fifty-fifth Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW55) at the beginning of March.

IAWN steering group member the Revd Canon Alice Medcof of the Anglican Church of Canada said the decision of the Primates' Meeting to put in writing a range of commitments to address violence against women and girls would serve as a new impetus for the churches of the Communion to act for change. She added, however, that in discussion with IAWN women around the Communion it was clear that different cultural contexts amongst the Provinces needed different responses.

More here-

http://allafrica.com/stories/201103291082.html

Ehrich: Churches must plug in to marketplace

From North Carolina-

An Episcopal priest who served in a local parish but has now found his ministry as a writer and church consultant in New York says it's time mainline denominations "break through the denial" and face declining attendance across the board.

This is no new song for Tom Ehrich. Even when he worked in Durham in a high-tech job, he was fearless in writing how churches and congregations were failing to respond to changes in society and culture. He was eager to share his notions about how congregations might energize and find new direction for ministry.

He sampled some local churches, including Durham's Watts Street Baptist where he stayed for a while and where he preached on occasion. But his creative spirit evidently kept calling, and a few years ago he moved to New York City and has since become a voice for church reformation.

I rediscovered Ehrich via the Presbyterian Outlook, a magazine that targets the Presbyterian Church USA, but does not get support from the denomination and is not an official publication of that church. In a recent column , he says we know why attendance at mainline denominations is dropping.

"We just don't want to see it."

Recently, his Weekly Report online had suggestions on "Turnaround strategies" for struggling churches. He says churches need to "Listen to the marketplace."

More here-

http://www.chapelhillnews.com/2011/03/30/63454/ehrich-churches-must-plug-in-to.html

House of Bishops daily account, March 29

From ENS-

The House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church is meeting at the Kanuga Conference Center in North Carolina from March 25 to March 30. The following is an account of the activities for Tuesday, March 29.

Following Morning Prayer and Bible Study, the session was opened by emcee for the day Bishop Victor Scantlebury of Chicago. The readings for the day from St. Paul's letter to the Romans continued the reflections on the Abrahamic families which carried over from yesterday's topics.

The topic for the day was The Anglican Covenant: A New Perspective.

Bishop Neil Alexander of Atlanta introduced a conversation on the Anglican Covenant which included the three Anglican primates in attendance: Archbishop Fred Hiltz of Canada; Archbishop Henri Isingoma of the Congo; and Archbishop Paul Kim of South Korea.

The panelists spoke frankly about the covenant and their provincial context. Each expressed their commitment to continued conversation internally and externally on the topic of the covenant. Everyone affirmed their relationship with the House of Bishops as friends and fellow Anglicans.

The bishops had discussion at table and then the house engaged in conversation with the primates. Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves of El Camino Real facilitated the plenary session with the panelists.

Noon Eucharist was celebrated by Bishop Suffragan Dena Harrison of Texas. Preacher was the Rev. Stephanie Sellers of the Diocese of Massachusetts and chaplain for HOB.

The bishops will resume in session after dinner this evening. The topic will be Selection, Recruitment, and Formation of Young Leadership.

More here-

http://www.episcopal-life.org/79425_127748_ENG_HTM.htm

Episcopal gathering will study connection between aging, spirituality

From Wisconsin-

Some things really do get better with age.

Despite the stereotype that reduces older adults to crotchety collections of their ailments, aging in fact brings a greater self-awareness and increased capacity for empathy and compassion - key elements in the development of spirituality, says Benjamin Campbell, an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

That propensity and openness are the foundations for an upcoming daylong conference where Campbell and a host of others will explore the relationship between aging and spirituality.

Friday's program, sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee, is aimed at seniors and their caregivers, and topics will range from spiritual practices to co-housing and death and dying.

"At this time in our lives, in our 60s and older, people want to talk about the big questions - Is there life after death? What should the purpose of life be in our later years?" said Mary Waller, who sits on the diocese's Elder Ministries Committee and is helping organize the event.

At the same time, she said, they're much more interested in spirituality than denominational divisions and dogma, and that will be reflected in the workshops and presenters, who represent a variety of faith traditions.

The featured speaker, for example, will be the controversial theologian and Episcopal writer Matthew Fox, best known as a proponent of creation spirituality. Fox became an Episcopal priest after being expelled from the Dominican Catholic order in the 1990s.

More here-

http://www.jsonline.com/features/religion/118887134.html

House of Bishops daily account, March 28

From ENS-

he House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church is meeting at the Kanuga Conference Center in North Carolina from March 25 to March 30. The following is an account of the activities for Monday, March 28.
Following Morning Prayer and Bible study, the session was opened by emcee for the day Bishop Julio Holguin of the Dominican Republic.

The topic for the day was: Who is my neighbor? Islam and Christianity.

Bishop Skip Adams of Central New York set the tone for the day and spoke about the realities of Muslims living in our society. He referred to practical, theological and religious aspects.

Presenters for the day were:

The Rev. William L. Sachs, Ph.D, executive director of the Center for Interfaith Reconciliation in Richmond, Virginia, author and parish priest.

Author and leading authority on Islam in America, Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies, American University in Washington DC.

Eliza Griswold, author of the book The Tenth Parallel, an examination of Christianity and Islam in Africa and Asia.

Sachs talked about the global clash of religions and way of life, referring to the "Clash of Civilizations" that has occurred since 9-11-01. He noted that the day's goal was to examine the complexities between Islam and Christianity occurring throughout the world, and to see who is our neighbor today.

More here-

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79425_127733_ENG_HTM.htm

Kampala City Council to close church offices over tax

From Uganda-

Kampala City Council (KCC) has resolved to close the premises of tax defaulters including the Anglican Church Provincial Offices and Rubaga Diocese offices following the expiry of a grace period.

Mr Hakim Kashangire, the director of Bemja Investments Ltd, which KCC contracted to collect the contentious property and ground rent tax on its behalf in Lubaga Division, said city council was losing over Shs3 billion in uncollected taxes in the division alone.

According to Mr Kashangire, the Anglican Church and Rubaga Archdiocese owe KCC Shs24 million and Shs84 million in uncollected property tax respectively. The current city regulations require owners of commercial buildings to pay property tax annually. The Local Government Act empowers districts and urban authorities to attach property of the defaulters to recover its money.

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1134968/-/c3cl62z/-/

Liturgy and Music commission extends deadline for comments on possible hymnal revision

From ENS-

The deadline has been extended for submitting comments through an online survey to the Episcopal Church Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music (SCLM) about a possible revision of The Hymnal 1982 through April 30, according to a press release.
The online survey in both English and Spanish is available at here.

The Rev. Ruth Meyers, chair of the SCLM, noted comments are invited from the entire church in this discussion. She previously said, "We have established this survey as part of the Episcopal Church's ongoing work with liturgical materials and in compliance to Resolution B004 as approved at General Convention 2009. This is important work in the life of our church and we are grateful for participation as our church embraces this task."

Resolution B004 "authorize(s) Church Publishing Incorporated, working with the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, to conduct a feasibility study on the need for revision of The Hymnal 1982 by speaking to congregations, dioceses and all seminaries of this Church, and to report its findings to the 77th General Convention."

The survey is coordinated by the Church Pension Fund's Office of Research.

The survey results, along with recommendations for next steps, will be presented to General Convention 2012 as part of the SCLM report, the release said.

More here-

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/80263_127732_ENG_HTM.htm

Daughter suing 'partying priest'

From New York-

Gregory Malia, the former Northeastern Pennsylvania Episcopal vicar dubbed "the partying priest" by a New York City tabloid, is being sued by his 24-year-old daughter for assault, battery and infliction of emotional distress.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in Luzerne County Court, is the latest legal twist in an ugly family drama that erupted two summers ago when Malia drew a gun during a fight outside a Jenkins Township bar.

Malia, 46, pleaded no contest last September to reckless endangerment and simple assault and agreed to serve two years of probation. Weeks after the fight, Malia's daughter filed a protection-from-abuse petition against him that included details of the altercation.

Now that same daughter, Marilyn, is seeking $100,000 in damages in a lawsuit that describes the conduct of Malia and his girlfriend, Angela Sweet, as "so outrageous in character and so extreme in degree" it went "beyond all possible bounds of decency."

Marilyn Malia also named Sweet as a defendant in the lawsuit.

Gregory Malia, who lives on Wall Street in New York City, could not be reached for comment. A telephone number connected to Sweet's Larksville address was disconnected.

Read more:

http://citizensvoice.com/news/daughter-suing-partying-priest-1.1124860#ixzz1Hz9AMvRR

Jesus Christ the Comeback King - Bishop

From England-

The Anglican Bishop of Shrewsbury has described the resurrection of Jesus Christ as “the greatest comeback of all time.”

Writing in a pastoral letter for April’s parish magazines throughout the Diocese of Lichfield, the Rt Revd Mark Rylands, looks at a number of sporting comebacks, including England’s test match against Australia in Headingley in 1981; Manchester United’s Champions League final against Bayern Munich in 1999; and Walsall FC’s current run of form which has seen them rise from the foot of the League One table; before asking: “Who made the greatest comeback?”

He says: “Jesus of Nazareth, 33 AD, crucified on the Friday and buried in a tomb; but then seen up and about on Sunday, walking, talking and eating” before asking again: “Which is the greatest comeback?”

He writes: “Actually, it was Roger’s phonecall that reminded me of the miracle of Easter. Six years ago, Roger and I were watching the Champions league Final on TV – Liverpool versus AC Milan. We watched the first half only and saw Liverpool being completely over run by the Italian team. At half time they were 3 – 0 down. Some Liverpool supporters left the ground. It looked like game over, so we switched off and went into the kitchen for supper.

More here-

http://www.lichfield.anglican.org/news&newsID=804&newsYear=2011

Libyan intervention: A ‘just war’ or just a war?

From Toronto-

As Canada’s CF-18 fighter jets pummel targets in Libya, joining a wobbly alliance spearheaded by the U.S., France and Britain, many wonder, “Is this military action morally justified?’

Both religious and secular institutions are in the process of formulating that justification.

According to Bishop Pierre Whalon of the Episcopal Churches in Europe, for example, the answer is a definitive “yes.”

Invoking the “just war” theory first proposed by St. Augustine (354-430), and later polished by St. Thomas Aquinas (c. 1224-1274), Bishop Whalon declared that the potential bloodbath of civilians, which would follow Moammar Gadhafi’s likely defeat of the rebels, demanded armed intervention.

Such humanitarian concern for Libya’s civilians also ostensibly prompted UN Security Council Resolution 1973.

Seeking an “immediate ceasefire” in Libya, the UN resolution states that “the widespread and systematic attacks currently taking place in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya against the civilian population . . . may amount to crimes against humanity.”

More here-

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/962164--libyan-intervention-a-just-war-or-just-a-war

National surge in hunger being felt in California

From California-

Lorraine Hanks, a former nutrition instructor, can barely afford to put food on her table.

Two years ago, she was laid off after 17 years working for San Francisco's Recreation and Park Department, teaching people about healthful meal planning. Still unemployed, the single mom manages to feed her children with free produce and dry goods she gets from the San Francisco Food Bank.

Hanks is one of a growing number of Americans struggling to nourish her family, according to a study released this month by the Food Research and Action Center, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit that works to end hunger.

The group analyzed polling by Gallup and concluded that, last year, nearly 1 in 5 people experienced food hardship. That means they answered "yes" to the question, "Have there been times in the past twelve months when you did not have enough money to buy food that you or your family needed?"

Read more:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/03/27/BULV1IJMQR.DTL#ixzz1HtJJyRoH

Empty Bowls raises funds

From Ohio-

Locals gathered at St. Luke's Episcopal Church on Saturday in Marietta for the annual Empty Bowls fundraiser.

Pottery from professional potters as well as local children lined the tables.

Organizer Dana Singer talked about this year's turnout as well as last year's success.

"Last year we made over $300 and we're expecting a similar turnout this year," Singer said.

Local educator Joyce Tharp has made bringing her classes' bowls an annual tradition.

"I think this is the eighth year we've attended," Tharp said. "I think it's good to teach them about doing things for the community and they really enjoy it."

Kristen Stone, another local teacher, brings a group of students every year to the luncheon.

More here-

http://www.newsandsentinel.com/page/content.detail/id/546200/Empty-Bowls-raises-funds.html?nav=5061

Ugandan Sex workers attack religious leaders

From Uganda-

Sex workers in Uganda have lashed out at religious leaders who have condemned their trade but failed to encourage programs and projects to help fight unemployment and poverty in the country.

Sex workers expressed their anger after, Henry Luke Orombi, Anglican archbishop of Uganda, asked police to arrest men who pay for sex with prostitutes.

While addressing youth at St Peters Cathedral in the western Uganda district of Bushenyi recently, Orombi said that "Police should not only arrest the women but also the buyers" arguing that "If there were no men demanding for sex from girls, majority of who are university students, there wouldn’t be prostitution.

But prostitutes have condemned the primate and accused him of interfering in their affairs.

Says Macklean Kyomya, who also heads an organization called Women’s Organization Network for Human Rights advocacy (WONETHA): "As a Human Rights advocacy network we agree with Archbishop Orombi that people get into sex work for survival.

More here-

http://www.afrik-news.com/article19179.html

Marty Marion, Cardinals’s Slick-Fielding Shortstop, Dies at 93

Just found this- (March 16)

Marty Marion, the St. Louis Cardinals’ celebrated slick-fielding shortstop, who was known as the Octopus for his long arms and uncanny range in gobbling up ground balls, died on Tuesday in St. Louis. He was 93 and lived in Ladue, Mo.

His death was announced by his family.

The Brooklyn Dodgers of the 1940s and ’50s had Pee Wee Reese at shortstop, and the Yankees had the Scooter, Phil Rizzuto, both future Hall of Famers. Marion did not make it to Cooperstown, but he was regarded as among the era’s finest fielders at his position.

Known also as Slats for his slender frame, 6 feet 2 inches (unusually tall for a shortstop of his time) and 170 pounds or so, Marion helped propel the Cardinals to four pennants and three World Series championships, including one in 1944, when he was chosen the National League’s most valuable player.

He was an All-Star every season from 1943 to 1950, and he led National League shortstops in fielding percentage four times.

More here-

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/sports/baseball/17marion.html