Week Ending 11/5/18

Bishops in Central America Urge Hospitality Towards Migrants

Six Anglican and Episcopal Bishops have signed a letter asking the Anglican Communion to officially support migrants moving through Central America and Mexico. They urge all Christians to treat migrants with that same hospitality. They specifically ask for protection of children and family unity. They also demand that migration should not be criminalized since it is a human right.  The letter was signed by the primates of the Anglican Communion provinces of Mexico (Francisco Moreno, primate and Bishop of Northern Mexico) and Central America (Julio Murray, primate and Bishop of Panama), the bishop of South East Mexico, and by the Episcopal Church's bishop for Guatamala, and bishops from El Salvador and Honduras in the Anglican Province of Central America.

Episcopal, Lutheran, and Roman Catholics Ask Trump Administration to Continue Aid to Palestinian Hospitals

The Presiding Bishops of the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops have issued a joint letter to the U.S. President that his decision to end humanitarian aid to Palestinian hosptials in East Jerusalem be rethought. They point out the basic medical services provided by two Anglican/Episcopal, one Lutheran, one Catholic and two Islamic hospitals provide including the only available treatment centers for eyes, cancer, pediatric kidney dialysis, and children with disabilities. One hospital is a maternity center.

Continuing Coverage of Previous Posts

Sydney Continues to Stir Up Controversy on LGBTQ Rights

The Update reported on the controversy raised by the Province of Sydney (part of the Anglican Church in Australia) vote to close church properties to a variety of groups, including LGTBQ groups.  Now 34 Anglican school heads in Sydney have asked for an exemption from legislation being planned to protect LGBTQ students and teachers.  This request has led to protests by alumni and students at one of the schools.  It also led one Australian member of parliament to say the Sydney Anglicans should be apologizing for their attempts to influence the phone poll on same-sex marriage that preceded the country legalizing same-sex marriage,  rather than bullying LGBTQ teachers and students.  The province has responded that their request was "misinterpreted" and was a request for a temporary exemption until wording could be worked out guaranteeing church schools religious freedom.  

Former Bishop Denied Clemency

The deposed suffragan bishop of Maryland, Heather Cook has hit another rejection in her multiple efforts to find a way to be released from prison early.  Maryland Courts have rejected her plea for clemency. Cook, who killed a Maryland bicyclist in a hit-and-run accident while texting and drunk, was turned down last year on a request for parole.

New Filings in Fort Worth Property Cases

The Update had reported earlier this fall that the Fort Worth schismatics had filed an appeal with the Texas State Supreme Court when the Appeals Court awarded Church property to the Episcopal Diocese.  In October the Episcopalians filed two documents opposing further appeals and the schismatics have now answered those documents.  It is now up to the Supreme Court to decide if it will hear this case a second time.  The court initially returned the case to the trial judge to rehear the case using a standard of neutral principles of law rather than deference. All the documents are one the schismatic group's web site.  The Episcopalian documents are here and here. The schismatic response is here. 

Tiny Houses Help Those Displaced by Volcano in Hawaii

Episcopalians have joined with other churches in Hawaii to build tiny houses for some of those displaced by the volcano eruptions on the island of Hawaii.  FEMA help for those displaced by the major eruption on the island of Hawaii has ended and emergency shelters have closed.  Over 100 people lost their homes and many also lost their jobs.  Connect Point Church (Assemby of God) had land, but no money to build a tiny house village of 10 units.  Holy Apostle Episcopal Churh, Catholic Charities and  other interfaith groups  raised the money for the construction.  Holy Apostle raised $28,000 to build homes in addition to other forms of support it offered families earlier in the crisis. The homes will serve as transitional housing.  Each unit is a bed/sitting room.  A separate bathroom facility has been constructed, and residents use the church kitchen.  Update has been following the use of tiny houses for homeless people by Episcopal Churches.

Colorado Bishop-Elect to Undergo Cancer Treatment

Last week Update reported on the election of Kym Lucas as bishop of Colorado.  She was one of several women recently elected diocesan bishops.  This week she announced that a mammogram done as part of a routine health check-up had detected a stage one (early and small) cancer in her breast.  Doctors are saying her treatment should be complete before the scheduled consecration (assuming rapid approval of her election by diocesan bishops and standing committees). 

South Africa Diocese Endorses Same-Sex Blessings

The Anglican Province of Southern Africa includes South Africa, St. Helena and Tristan da Cunha, Mozambique, the Republic of Namibia, the Kingdom of Lesotho, the Kingdom of Swaziland and Angola.  While South Africa legalized marriage for same sex couples in 2006, the other countries have not.  Efforts by some dioceses within South Africa to be permitted to bless these unions were defeated at the provincial assembly in 2016.  The primate then responded in 2017 by asking for conversations in each diocese on the issue.  Now, one diocese, Saldanha Bay (Cape Town area) has voted to endorse blessing of same-sex marriages. This means that the provincial assembly will face the issue again.