Holy See tribunal for bishops accused of abuse cover-ups

From The Irish Times-

A major step forward may have been taken by the Holy See this week in addressing clerical child abuse with its decision to set up an unprecedented tribunal to judge bishops accused of “cover-ups”.

In effect, it would seem that the much debated principle of “bishop accountability” is about to be written into canon law.

For years, activists on behalf of clerical sex abuse victims have argued that the Catholic Church cannot limit its reaction to the abuse problem to sanctioning only the offender priest.

More here-

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/holy-see-tribunal-for-bishops-accused-of-abuse-cover-ups-1.2244833

No sympathy for Heather Cook

From Baltimore-

It is disgraceful that our legal system sees fit to delay the prosecution of former Episocpal bishop Heather Cook ("Trial of former bishop Heather Cook postponed as attorney considers a plea," June 5).

I have no pity for her and care little that she suffers from a disease.

The delay gives this drunken murderer the entire summer to be free. She can go to the beach, barbecue, get together with friends and even go for a BIKE RIDE. Mr. Palermo can never enjoy summer pleasures again. Where is there any effort at obtaining justice?

I do care greatly, however, that the legal system and the Episcopal Church have found ways to avoid pain and embarrassment for her. She is not the victim, and it is egregious that members of the church successfully hid her addiction to alcohol from their council.

Her mental anguish and suffering notwithstanding, the verdict should have been swift and severe. Her benefactor, a fellow ex-clergyman who is also a recovering addict, and the church, which enabled her to make bail and is paying for her rehabilitation, should be paying the family of Ms. Cook's victim triple that amount as a minimum gesture of support.


More here-


http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bs-ed-cook-trial-letter-20150610-story.html

$1 Million Gift To University Of The South Supports School Of Theology’s Vision

From Chattanooga-

The University of the South announced a $1 million gift from the Episcopal Foundation of Texas. Though the gift is being made to the university as a whole, a significant portion has been designated for the School of Theology.

“We are blessed by our long partnership with Sewanee and we have the distinct pleasure to have many Sewanee graduates among both our lay leaders and our clergy," said the Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas.  "We are grateful to be able to make this gift and pray it will help to support the continued health and vitality of the University of the South and of the School of Theology.” 

More here-

http://www.chattanoogan.com/2015/6/9/302068/1-Million-Gift-To-University-Of-The.aspx

Woman pleads guilty to theft from local church

From Texas-

A former employee of the Episcopal Church of the Nativity has pleaded guilty to multiple thefts from the church.

Assistant Houston County District Attorney Mark Johnson said 44-year-old Rhonda Sue Kidder pleaded guilty to five felony counts of second-degree theft of property.

Johnson said Kidder received a 24-month prison sentence for each of the five charges, with all to be served concurrently. However, Johnson said the court suspended the prison sentence for three years of probation.

Kidder pleaded guilty in front of Circuit Court Judge Kevin Moulton.

Dothan police investigators arrested Kidder in October 2014 charging her with multiple felony thefts.

More here-

http://www.dothaneagle.com/news/crime_court/woman-pleads-guilty-to-theft-from-local-church/article_d2f7337a-0ef6-11e5-acfd-83aaf55bc203.html

Philippines: Priests negotiate surrender, baptism of homicide suspect

From ENS-

On May 28, 2015, Filipino Episcopal priests,  Lito Awakan, Leo Basing-at and Pablo Buyagan of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Philippines, together with members of the Movement for the Advancement of Tribal Unity and Development (MAITUD),  effected the surrender of a suspect in the killing of a 13-year old boy from Bontoc, Mountain Province, which has caused tribal tension between the peoples of Bontoc and Tinglayan, Kalinga, the suspect’s hometown. Both towns are in the Cordillera mountains of Northern Philippines, whose tribes have a history of engagement in violent tribal wars. Prior to the surrender, the suspected assailant, Zaldy Alinong Dalog, confessed to the crime and requested that he be first baptized.

More here-

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2015/06/09/philippines-episcopal-priests-negotiate-surrender-baptism-of-homicide-suspect/

The Strategic Legacy of Bishop Ed Little

From Vital Practices-

From the beginning of his ministry as the seventh bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana, the Rt. Rev. Edward S. Little II has beamed a spiritual focus to follow. Personifying the lighthouse on the diocesan seal, Little has delivered powerful messages that illuminate priorities for Christ centered living and ministry.

Communicating the right priorities is one of the keys to strategic leadership. I offer a glimpse of Little here as a model of such leadership.

Little’s strategic legacy began with his seating sermon in 2000, in which he called on his new flock to embrace the lighthouse as a vision for individual and congregational ministries. To prompt and guide, he set four core values for the diocese:

A passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ
A heart for the lost
A willingness to do whatever it takes
A commitment to one another

More here-

http://www.ecfvp.org/posts/the-strategic-legacy-of-bishop-ed-little/

First woman Anglican bishop for Montreal

From Canada-

Mary Irwin-Gibson, dean and rector of St. George’s Anglican Cathedral in Kingston, Ont., since 2009, has been elected the first female bishop of the Anglican diocese of Montreal in its 165-year history.

Irwin-Gibson, 59, who served parishes in the diocese of Montreal between 1981 and 2009, was elected bishop on a fourth ballot on Sat., June 6,  over another woman candidate, the Rev. Karen L. Egan, 57, director of pastoral studies at the Montreal Diocesan Theological College.

Bishop-elect Irwin-Gibson will be ordained following ratification by bishops of the ecclesiastical province of Canada, made up of seven dioceses in Quebec and Atlantic Canada. She will succeed Bishop Barry Clarke, 62, who will retire in late August after serving since 2004.

More here-


http://www.anglicannews.org/news/2015/06/first-woman-anglican-bishop-for-montreal.aspx

CRANE COLLAPSES ON DOWNTOWN MONTPELIER CHURCH

From Vermont-

A crane that was in place to begin removing blocks of granite from the side of Christ Episcopal Church on Monday collapsed across the roof of the 1868 building when a huge pin supporting the crane dislodged.

The three workers nearest to the crane were not injured, said Rev. Paul Habersang, priest of the church on State Street in downtown Montpelier.

One of the workers was actually on the roof and had to leap to get on to a scaffolding landing where two other workers were, a firefighter at the scene said.

The accident happened shortly after 7 a.m., according to Habersang, who said while the crane’s pressure caused both internal and external damage, including dislodging of roof tiles and plaster on the interior, the fact no one was injured is really all that matters.

More here-

https://vtdigger.org/2015/06/08/crane-collapses-on-downtown-montpelier-church/

Investigators search for cause of fire at Fond du Lac landmark

From Wisconsin-

Although investigators know the origin of Friday's fire at a historic Fond du Lac convent, the Fond du Lac Fire/Rescue said they are still trying to determine what caused it and if foul play was involved.

Division Chief of Fire Prevention Troy Haase said the fire originated in the back of a building on the first floor. According to Haase, bystanders witnessed children skateboarding around the building before the blaze started.

“Somebody was inside the house where they’re not supposed to be. For us to determine whether someone did it accidentally or intentionally, we can’t really go there yet. We have to do interviews and try to figure that out.”


More here-


http://www.fdlreporter.com/story/news/local/2015/06/08/fond-du-lac-convent-fire-investigation-update/28718751/

Catholic priests spread thin as numbers dwindle

From The Pittsburgh Trib-

The newly ordained Rev. Michael Ackerman had a challenging first assignment last summer: Serving more than 3,500 families on a three-priest team across four Catholic churches near the Ohio border in New Castle.

On a typical weekend, Ackerman would celebrate a Mass or two at one church, preside over baptisms and a wedding at another and then drive to a third location for an evening youth group.

“You'd use the commuting time to pray and to think through things,” said Ackerman, 31, a former Riverview School District teacher who grew up in Aspinwall. “You had to be creative.”

In contrast, the Rev. Kenneth Marlovits — ordained into the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh last June alongside Ackerman and two other men — is part of a three-priest team focused on one parish of about 3,000 families, St. Bernard in Mt. Lebanon.
More here-

http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/8458823-74/priests-parishes-catholic#axzz3cU85QSmv

A Growing Number of People See God as a Woman

Fro
m The Guardian-

A growing number of people across the world see God as a woman. Many religions such a Wicca, or people who are Pagan have always worshiped the feminine divine for centuries, but recently even Christian denominations have begun to embrace God as a woman.

Alternative religions have seen an increase in numbers among those who they count as followers. Wicca is now the fasting growing religion in the United States. There are approximately 200,000 registered Wicca members with an estimated eight million unregistered members. It is believed that membership increases double every thirty months. Wicca emerged in the middle of the twentieth century but many believe it has ancient roots that go back thousands of years with many practices dating back to ancient Babylon.

More here-

http://guardianlv.com/2015/06/a-growing-number-of-people-see-god-as-a-woman/

Church of England decline heralds calls for innovative use of church buildings

From The Guardian-

Occasionally, someone will stick their head around the huge wooden door of the church of St Peter and St Paul in Great Casterton and, on spotting the vicar, express surprise. “They say: ‘Oh, does something happen here?’” says the Rev Jo Saunders. “Well, yes: services, every week.”

She notices something similar at weddings, where guests hover outside before the service, a little intimidated about entering. Occasionally, after the service, they will ask if the church is very old and be astonished to learn that parts date from the 12th century. “But that’s lovely,” she says, “because, who knows, maybe they will come back some day?”

Saunders has been vicar at this ancient Rutland parish for six years – and also in the neighbouring villages of Little Casterton, Pickworth, Tinwell and Tickencote. Each has a beautiful ancient church building (though Pickworth is merely Georgian), and each hosts regular services, though not all every week. But while Great Casterton (population 365) can attract up to 50 for a Sunday morning service, its little sibling generally hosts around a dozen. Pickwell boasts the same. Average attendance at Tickencote, once a month, is six.

More here-

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/07/church-of-england-decline-heralds-calls-for-innovative-use-of-church-buildings

Kenya's long, painful road to gay equality

From The Independent-

Three years on, Immah Reid, a Kenyan gay rights activist, is still haunted by a young girl’s text. The girl had been locked in her bedroom in a Nairobi suburb for three days. Her mother had sent in men to rape her, and her little sister was forced to listen to her screams. “I don’t want you to come and get me because they will kill me,” she wrote. “I just want you to know.”

The girl, whom Ms Reid never heard from again, was a lesbian. In an all too common occurrence, her family believed that she could be “cured” through sex with a man in a practice known as “corrective rape”. Some of the girls subjected to such an ordeal never get over it, and end up taking their own lives.

Such is the attitude towards homosexuality in Kenya that many never come out, sometimes turning to religion for answers, sometimes taking a husband and having children.

And yet it is also the country where a little over a month ago, the High Court ordered the government to allow the official registration of a gay rights non-governmental organisation, a landmark ruling that followed years of official stonewalling of pro-homosexual groups seeking legal recognition and status.

More here-

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/kenyas-long-painful-road-to-gay-equality-10302743.html

Ugandan priest: LGBT people are fleeing for Kenya to avoid rampant discrimination

From RNS-

A growing number of LGBT Ugandans are fleeing to neighboring Kenya to escape violence and persecution, a Ugandan Catholic priest says.

People are beaten, raped, evicted and dismissed from their jobs because of their sexual identity or orientation, the Rev. Anthony Musaala said during a talk at All Saints Catholic Church as part of a monthlong visit to the United States and Canada.

Even associating with or advocating for LGBT people may spur discrimination, he said.

Musaala, who spoke at the invitation of the All Saints Parish LGBT Task Force, estimates 500 gay and lesbian Ugandans are seeking asylum in Kenya. He recently met with U.N. officials, seeking increased financial support and human services for resettling “sexual refugees.”
More here-

http://www.religionnews.com/2015/06/05/ugandan-priest-lgbt-people-fleeing-kenya-avoid-rampant-discimination/

Fire destroys historical building in Fond du Lac

From Wisconsin- (with video)

The former Episcopal Convent of the Holy Nativity building in Fond du Lac is a total loss after a fire destroyed the historical building Friday night.

Fire crews were called to the fire, located near East Division and Amory Street, around 7:25 p.m.

Firefighters reported heavy smoke upon arrival.

Fond du Lac Fire Division Chief of Fire Prevention, Troy Haase, says the fire was contained to the former convent and no nearby buildings were damaged.

No one is believed to have been in the building and there are no reported injuries. Fire crews are still putting out hot spots from the outside of the building and have not searched the inside.

More here-

http://fox11online.com/2015/06/05/crews-battle-fire-at-former-convent-building-in-fond-du-lac/

Episcopal Diocese to return offices to Downtown’s Trinity Cathedral

From Pittsburgh-

Episcopal Bishop Dorsey McConnell is moving the offices of the Diocese of Pittsburgh back to its historic location at Trinity Cathedral, Downtown, after a 16-year hiatus that overlapped with a major schism in the diocese.

Bishop McConnell said that by moving his and the diocese’s offices from their current Monroeville location, he hoped to raise the diocese’s visibility and involvement in community affairs, and also to reflect the cathedral’s role as the seat or home base for a bishop. The move is expected to be finished by the end of June.

More here-

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2015/06/06/Episcopal-Diocese-to-move-offices-back-to-Trinity-Cathedral/stories/201505290295

The Costs of Faith in China

From The Living Church-

During a 10-day visit to mainland China, the Archbishop of Canterbury said the heart of Christian witness is “not in aggressive shouting at people,” but in being “ready to give an explanation for the hope that is within you, but with gentleness and grace.”

On Trinity Sunday he told worshipers at Muen Church, Shanghai, that the Greek word martyroi refers to both a witness and a martyr. In many parts of the world today, to be a witness to Jesus Christ very often means dying for the faith, as with the early Christians.

Archbishop Justin Welby was keen to address how Christians contribute to public discourse. The archbishop said that 1 Peter 3 is clear that “the heart of witness lay not in aggressive shouting at people or any other form of manipulation or disruption, but in lives that were lived so clearly that people would ask why the Christian lived in such a way.”

More here-

http://www.livingchurch.org/costs-faith-china

If the Church of England wants to avoid extinction, it needs to have a think about 'Thought for the Day'

From The Telegraph-

Estate agents take note: in about 20 years' time, a glut of very nice properties may come on the British property market, complete with period fittings, historic facades, and plum locations in both urban and rural areas. What is more, should you fancy converting your local church or cathedral into luxury flats or a mini-Hilton, the only people likely to argue with you will be your local conservation group.

According to a new report this week, the Church of England is now losing followers at such a rate that it is on the brink of "extinction" within a generation. The number of people identifying themselves as CoE or Anglican has dropped by 1.7m in the last two years alone, and if the slump continues, there'll soon be no one left at all in churches across the UK.

More here-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/11654043/If-the-Church-of-England-wants-to-avoid-becoming-extinct-it-needs-to-have-a-think-about-Thought-for-the-Day.html

Princess Charlotte set to be christened

From Sky News-

Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, the latest addition to Britain's royal family, will be christened on July 5 near Queen Elizabeth II's Sandringham estate in rural eastern England.

Prince William and his wife Kate's daughter, who is fourth in line to the throne after the couple's first child Prince George, was born on May 2.

'The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are pleased to announce the christening of Princess Charlotte will take place on Sunday 5th July,' read a statement from Kensington Palace, the couple's London residence.

Charlotte's middle names Elizabeth and Diana are a tribute to her great-grandmother the queen and the woman who would have been her grandmother, William's late mother Diana who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

- See more at:

http://www.skynews.com.au/culture/showbiz/celebrity/2015/06/05/princess-charlotte-set-to-be-christened.html

UK Anglicans are in serious decline, say researchers

From The Church Times-

THE decline in the proportion of British people who identify as Anglican has accelerated in the past decade, new analysis from NatCen statisticians suggests.

The proportion who say they are Anglican in the British Social Attitudes survey has fallen from 40 per cent in 1983 to 17 per cent in 2014. In the past decade, the proportion has fallen by two-fifths: from 28 per cent in 2004.

The researchers say that the survey results suggest that the number of Anglicans has fallen by as many as 4.5 million over the past ten years, from about 13 million to 8.5 million.

The biggest group remains those who say they have no religion: 49 per cent, up from 43 per cent in 2004 and 31 per cent in 1983.

More here-

http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2015/5-june/news/uk/uk-anglicans-are-in-serious-decline-say-researchers

St. David's Episcopal Church in Radnor marks its 300th anniversary

From Philadelphia-

 Visitors to St. David’s Episcopal Church in Radnor will feel a sense of peace as they enter the small, white-walled sanctuary in the old stone building surrounded by the tombstones of a centuries old graveyard the church, which is said to have served as a stable for British horses during the Revolutionary War, is marking its 300th anniversary this year.

In 1880 the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a verse about the church, “Old St. David’s at Radnor” and his words ring true today: What an image of peace and rest/Is this little church among its graves!

A larger chapel, finished in 2006 to serve the needs of the 3,300 present-day parishioners, is also clad in Pennsylvania stone and its white sanctuary harkens to the interior of the older church across the street, albeit with a soaring ceiling and polished copper chandeliers, along with a grand pipe organ.

More here-

http://www.mainlinemedianews.com/articles/2015/06/04/main_line_suburban_life/news/doc556da9a97b2d3835507047.txt

Ex-Episcopal Bishop's DUI Trial Postponed Until September

From Baltimore-

A judge on Thursday postponed the trial of a former Episcopal bishop charged in the drunken-driving death of a bicyclist to give attorneys more time to work on a plea deal.

Heather Cook's trial was scheduled to start Thursday, but Baltimore Circuit Court Judge Wanda Heard granted her attorney's request for a postponement after Cook waived her right to a speedy trial. The trial is now set for Sept. 9.

David Irwin, Cook's lawyer, told reporters he was in the "earliest of plea considerations'' and has spoken "very, very briefly'' with prosecutors.

"We would hope that we could resolve the case without trial for everybody's sake, most importantly the Palermo family's sake,'' Irwin said, referring to the family of victim Tom Palermo. "To go through the trauma of a trial, my client certainly doesn't want to have to put them through that.''

More here-

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Trial-to-Begin-for-Ex-Episcopal-Bishop-Charged-in-DUI-Death-306100801.html

Gay marriage, gender identity & the future of religious dissent

From The Tribune Review-

Even LGBT activists were surprised by the margin of victory last week when 62 percent of Irish voters approved a referendum legalizing same-sex marriage. In the United States, a Gallup poll released on May 19 found that 60 percent of Americans favor same-sex marriage. Just two decades ago, that number was only 27 percent.

The rapid shift in public support for gay marriage and LGBT civil rights in Europe and the U.S. has left religious conservatives scrambling.

At the time the Irish were voting, a magistrate and former magistrate in North Carolina were filing suit to challenge the state's requirement that magistrates conduct same-sex marriage ceremonies in the same manner as other marriage ceremonies. The lawsuit seeks religious liberty exemptions for magistrates with religious objections to gay marriage.

Read more:

http://triblive.com/opinion/featuredcommentary/8479425-74/religious-marriage-lgbt#axzz3c7a0Eo00

Rowan Williams: Blasphemy can provoke violence – and be a progressive force within religion

From New Statesman-

For most of human history – and for rather a lot of the world today – blasphemy is the cardinal case of saying the unsayable. What could be more transgressive than mocking or abusing the all-powerful creator of the universe? But what is interesting in the history of religions is that this isn’t always about attacking or rejecting faith itself.

One regular and significant theme in legends, religious texts and historical anecdotes is that “blasphemous” language, ­language attacking, condemning or mocking God, can be forced out of people who are so ravaged and humiliated by their ­suffering that they turn on God in fury. Ajax in classical myth, Job in biblical narrative – these are figures who say, in effect, “I haven’t deserved this and I didn’t expect this. What claim can God have to be called good or just? And if my sufferings are ­supposed to remind me that life is mysterious and God is stronger than I am and so I ought to submit humbly, I can always refuse to accept these terms. I won’t be threatened into silence. How much worse can it get, anyway? At least I can die with my self-respect intact.”

More here-

http://www.newstatesman.com/2015/05/when-faith-tested

Russian Orthodox Church Ends Ties With Protestants Over Gay Marriage

From Radio Free Europe-

The Russian Orthodox Church says it is severing ties with the main protestant churches of France and Scotland over the issue of same-sex unions.

The Moscow Patriarchate said on June 3 that "formal contacts" with the two institutions were pointless after France's United Protestant Church last month voted to allow pastors to bless same-sex marriages and the Church of Scotland approved ordaining clergy in same-sex civil unions.

"We regretfully acknowledge, that today we have a new divide in the Christian world, not only regarding theological subjects, but regarding moral issues as well," the patriarchate said in a statement.

More here-

http://www.rferl.org/content/russian-orthodox-church-cuts-ties-with-protestants-over-gay-marriage/27052909.html

Inclusive women

From National Catholic Reporter-

What next? Now even the Church of England is talking about admitting that maybe, just maybe, inclusive language can be used to describe God. You know, the whole "She Who Is" business.
Next thing, they'll be saying women can image Christ.

Oh, wait, they already did that.

Members of Women and the Church (Watch) meet in Lambeth Palace, the official residence of the archbishop of Canterbury, to talk about women in the Church of England. The palace spokesperson says the group is not an official body but that the archbishop is happy to grant space for its meetings.

Things are very different for Anglican women in England. They have one female bishop to look toward and two more on the way. Just in January, Elizabeth Jane Holden Lane was consecrated a suffragan bishop -- the equivalent of a Catholic auxiliary bishop -- for Anglican diocese of Chester. Married with two children, she is best known as Libby and has created yet another stumbling block -- or yet another excuse -- to complicate ecumenical dialogue.

More here-

http://ncronline.org/blogs/just-catholic/inclusive-women

Former Episcopal bishop scheduled for trial

From Baltimore (via Seattle)

A trial is scheduled to begin for a former Episcopal bishop in Maryland who is charged in the drunken-driving death of a bicyclist.

Heather Cook's trial is scheduled to start Thursday morning in Baltimore. Cook pleaded not guilty during her arraignment in April.

She resigned from her post with the Episcopal Church, and church officials revoked her clergy credentials.

More here-

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/crime/article/Former-Episcopal-bishop-scheduled-for-trial-6305928.php

Should a priest refuse to baptise the child of unwed parents?

From The Tablet-

Last week the Daily Mail reported on a vicar who has allegedly refused baptism to a child because his parents are not married. There is some confusion about the facts as the Anglican Diocese of Chester has claimed that the vicar, Revd Tim Hayes, has not in fact refused to baptise the child. The parish appears to be thriving and the policy the vicar has outlined – which is, it would seem, to ask for baptism to happen after the couple get married (which he has offered to celebrate free of charge) – has been in place for over 20 years.

All of us in ordained ministry have faced this problem. For Catholics we know that simply being unmarried would not be grounds for refusing baptism, and Pope Francis early on in his pontificate roundly condemned priests who did this; such grounds would really only be evidence that parents had no intention of bringing their child up in the Christian faith. On the other hand the Catholic Church and other Christian communities are entitled to ask parents to be properly prepared for the sacrament, and classes for this are increasingly common.

More here-

http://www.thetablet.co.uk/blogs/1/657/should-a-priest-refuse-to-baptise-the-child-of-unwed-parents-

Archbishop Gregory Aymond and others speak up for prisoners returning home: Jarvis DeBerry

From Louisiana-

All those things, the archbishop acknowledged, require us going "beyond our comfort zones." But when we are hesitant to do so, he said, we should ask ourselves, "What happens if we don't say, 'Welcome home?'"

Sunday's event was the brainchild of the Rev. William Barnwell, a retired Episcopal pastor who has been ministering to prisoners since the 1970s, and its chief purpose seemed to prick the consciences of believers, to persuade them to be true to the faith they profess -- and in all situations.

Rhett Covington, assistant secretary in the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, said that he often jokes that Jesus must be in prison. He's seen lots of clergy visit prisons to minister to inmates. But when those same people are released from prison, he said, those ministers don't welcome them as members of their church.

More here-

http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2015/06/welcome_home_sunday.html

Clergy join push to legalize marijuana in mission of social justice

From Chicago-

The marijuana decriminalization bill that could soon go to Gov. Bruce Rauner's desk has an array of supporters, including civil libertarians, prosecutors and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

Its supporters also include clergy. Protestant pastors and Jewish rabbis are lobbying lawmakers in Illinois and in states across the Northeast as part of a push toward legalization, which they see as a moral cause encompassing issues such as race, fair housing and employment.

To that end, the group, called Clergy for a New Drug Policy, is pushing for legislation to tax and regulate cannabis, refer individuals charged with drug-related crimes to treatment, eliminate mandatory minimum sentences and support medical marijuana.

More here-

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-clergy-for-new-drug-policy-met-20150602-story.html