Cardinal warns Church of England

LONDON (AP) – A Vatican cardinal warned the Church of England that any move to consecrate women as bishops would make it impossible for their churches to fully reunify.

Cardinal Walter Kasper, head of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, made the remarks at a private meeting of Church of England bishops, who are exploring the possibility of consecrating women bishops.

“Instead of moving towards one another, we would coexist alongside one another,” Kasper said in the June 5 speech.

Three Anglican provinces, including the U.S. Episcopal Church, already consecrate women bishops. The 77 million-member Anglican Communion, a loose association of churches that trace their roots to the Church of England, has been engaged in ecumenical talks with the Vatican for decades. But if the Church of England ordains women bishops, the goal of restoring full relations “would realistically no longer exist,” Kasper said.

In a statement following the speech, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the communion’s spiritual leader, thanked Kasper for his honesty. “Nothing is served by avoiding these hard questions,” Williams said.

Williams is scheduled to go to Rome in the fall for his second meeting with Pope Benedict XVI.

Britain’s Jews mark 350 years

LONDON (AP) – Politicians, dignitaries and religious leaders gathered at Britain’s oldest synagogue Tuesday to mark the 350th anniversary of England’s Jewish community.

It was a bittersweet occasion. Britain’s Jews are established and thriving – but many say they fear anti-Semitism is on the rise.

“Sadly, there is a resurgence of anti-Semitism which we have to fight and deal with,” said one community leader, Rabbi Abraham Levy. “But the Jewish people are happy in this country.”

Britain’s Chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sacks, was joined by Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh leaders at a thanksgiving service at the 300-year-old Bevis Marks Synagogue. Founded in 1701, it is, Levy said, “probably the only synagogue in Europe which has had uninterrupted Jewish worship for 300 years.”

“The rest were affected by Nazi persecution,” said Levy, a leader of London’s Spanish and Portuguese Jewish congregations. “The English record is one of which the English can be proud.”

Britain’s history is not unblemished, however. There was an established Jewish community shortly after the Norman conquest of 1066, but in 1290 all British Jews were expelled by King Edward I following years of anti-Semitic violence. Jews were banned from Britain until 1656, when republican leader Oliver Cromwell authorized their return.

Today there are about 350,000 Jews in Britain, making up a largely affluent, integrated community. But many are troubled by regular reports of anti-Semitic incidents, and wary of a rapidly growing Muslim community that numbers at least 1.6 million.

Fears have been heightened in recent years by radical preachers such as Abu Hamza al-Masri, convicted earlier this year of inciting followers to kill Jews and other non-Muslims. The far-right British National Party – hostile to both Muslims and Jews – also enjoyed a minor resurgence in last month’s local elections in England.

Last month’s vote by university and college lecturers to boycott Israeli academics because of the Jewish state’s treatment of Palestinians was seen in some quarters as reflecting a knee-jerk anti-Israel stance that borders on anti-Semitism.

Religious leaders try to heal rift in Iowa town

POSTVILLE, Iowa (AP) – Faith leaders from northeast Iowa are urging the City Council to provide leadership to help the town overcome religious and ethnic divisions.

Postville has more than 2,300 residents representing more than 24 nationalities, many of whom came to the area to work at the Agriprocessors kosher meatpacking plant.

The trouble began when council member Jeff Reinhardt wrote a May 24 letter to the local newspaper that targeted Jewish and Hispanic residents without specifically identifying them.

Reinhardt said one group of residents “wants to isolate itself, by dressing a little differently, keeping their children out of our public schools and wanting a different day for the Sabbath.” And he said another group “sends money back to other foreign countries and brings with it a lack of respect for our laws and culture, which contributes to unwed mothers, trash in the streets, unpaid bills, drugs, forgery and other crimes.”

Two council members publicly called Reinhardt’s letter bigoted.

At a City Council meeting Monday night, the Rev. Steve Brackett, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church, said religious leaders “pray that Postville will remain a community that welcomes a stranger, respects all peoples and seeks creative ways to positively embrace change.”

Mayor Robert Penrod issued a proclamation declaring the year beginning Monday as “a year of diversity appreciation and community tolerance” in Postville.

Washington Cardinal McCarrick says he will stay busy in retirement

WASHINGTON (AP) – Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the outgoing spiritual leader of the Archdiocese of Washington, plans to stay active after retiring this month.

One of the most visible American church leaders is promising to continue speaking out on behalf of the poor, as well on immigration and family issues.

McCarrick was among a group of prominent religious leaders who endorsed a statement protesting any American use of torture as “morally intolerable.” The White House has said the U.S. does not condone or practice torture.

McCarrick, 76, also is scheduled to visit Rome at least three times between now and November, as well as Kazakhstan, Argentina, Canada, Montenegro and Moscow.

“I think I said yes to too many things,” McCarrick told reporters Monday following Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew.

McCarrick will continue to serve on Vatican tribunals that deal with international justice and peace issues, refugee affairs, Christian unity and Latin America.

Pope Benedict XVI accepted McCarrick’s letter of resignation May 16 and appointed Pittsburgh Bishop Donald W. Wuerl as Washington’s next archbishop. The archdiocese serves 560,000 Catholics in the District of Columbia and five Maryland counties.

McCarrick will celebrate his final Mass as head of the archdiocese Sunday at St. Matthew’s. Wuerl will be installed at a ceremony at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington on June 22 and celebrate his first Mass as archbishop at St. Matthew’s three days later.

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