From peoadmin at anglicanchurchsa.org.za Fri Oct 2 14:48:24 2009 From: peoadmin at anglicanchurchsa.org.za (Gail Allen) Date: Fri Oct 2 14:49:54 2009 Subject: [Cpsa.news] Archbishop's statement in support of Bishop Rubin Phillip' condemnation of Kennedy Road Attacks in Durban Message-ID: <9CF667DCE6C20E47B9A4A9DFE93DAED242D4C1CE85@HMC-MBX04.he.businessgateway.co.za> The Archbishop of Cape Town Endorses the Bishop of Natal's Condemnation of the Kennedy Road Attacks in Durban Press Statement, 1 October 2009 The Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town has lent his weight to the Bishop of Natal's condemnation of recent brutality in the Kennedy Road shack settlement of Durban. 'I share Bishop Rubin Phillip's view that it is a profound disgrace to democracy, that militia have been allowed to drive out the leaders of the Abahlahi baseMjondolo movement, and many hundreds of families with them' said Archbishop Thabo Makgoba. 'When we remember how much we suffered, and how hard we struggled, in order to ensure that an armed minority could no longer exert oppression and deny freedom of speech, of opinions and of dissent, it is completely unacceptable that such intolerance should rear its head again in a different political guise' the Archbishop said, strongly endorsing the statement issued by the Bishop of Natal, who also chairs the Kwa Zulu-Natal Christian Council. 'I too shall be making political representations' he added, inviting others to take up Bishop Rubin's proposals for supporting the displaced, whether through political action, through material support, or through prayer for all those injured or bereaved. 'The people of our country deserve better than this' he said. 'Political leaders and the police must ensure that democracy and the rule of law are upheld.' Issued by the Office of the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town Inquiries: Cynthia Michaels on 021-763-1320 (office hours) The full text of Bishop Rubin's Statement is carried below. More details of Abahlahi baseMjondolo are available at http://www.abahlali.org/ Democracy Under Attack in Kennedy Road, Durban I was torn with anguish when I first heard of the unspeakable brutality that has raged down on to the Kennedy Road shack settlement. In recent years I have spent many hours in the Kennedy Road settlement. I've attended meetings, memorials, mass ecumenical prayers and marches. I have had the honour of meeting some truly remarkable people in the settlement and the work of Abahlali baseMjondolo has always nurtured my faith in the power and dignity of ordinary people. I have seen the best of our democracy here. I have tasted the joy of real social hope here. The achievement of our hard won democracy was a great moment of shared grace. The militia that have driven the Abahlali baseMjondolo leaders and hundreds of families out of the settlement is a profound disgrace to our democracy. The fact that the police have systematically failed to act against this militia while instead arresting the victims of their violence and destruction is cause for the gravest concern. There are credible claims that this militia has acted with the support of the local ANC structures. This, also, is cause for the most profound concern. I have shuddered to the core as my thoughts have, with those of many others, turned to the attacks on democratic politics unleashed by apartheid and its allies in the 1980s. Once again people have been beaten, had their homes destroyed, been driven from their community and killed for their political views and practices. Once again an armed minority have used violence to implement a ban on a democratic organisation favoured by a majority. Once again there is just cause for deep concern about the role of the police. Once again we in the churches are looking for safe houses for activists, accommodation for political refugees who have fled with nothing more than the clothes on their backs, doctors for the injured and lawyers for the jailed. Horrors that we all believed to have been buried in our past now stalk the present. This is unacceptable. There can be no compromise on this score. I will take my anger and my fear for the future of our democracy to the highest levels of leadership in our country and to our sister churches around the world. I encourage others to do the same. In 2007 I was part of a group of church leaders that issued a statement testifying to the brutality and political intolerance that the Sydenham Police had unleashed against Abahlali baseMjondolo in our presence. It is clear that the Sydenham Police should not be allowed to police Kennedy Road or to investigate the crimes that have been committed in recent days. A credible and independent force needs to be deployed as a matter of urgency. It is equally essential that all of our political leaders take immediate steps to distance themselves from the actions of the militia that have seized control of the settlement, that they call party members who have been complicit with this militia to account, and that we all affirm that Kennedy Road and its residents have the same right to democratic practices as everywhere else and everyone else in South Africa. This includes the right to dissent. Of course my condolences go out to all those have lost people whom they love and on whom they depend. It seems that some among the militia that launched the attack on the elected leadership of the settlement may also be among the dead. If, as may well be the case, the militia has been exploited by local elites determined to roll back the development of a vibrant popular democracy then we will pray for their own healing and for a turn away from violence and lies and towards life and truth. Many people are asking what they can do. I would like to make three suggestions: 1. It is essential that the attack on democracy in Kennedy Road is widely publicised so that we can all confront what has happened and ensure that it never happens again. We need to give platforms to the victims of these attacks where ever we can. 2. It is also essential that we convey our concerns to our political leaders with urgency and clarity. I will be writing to President Zuma and encourage others to do the same. 3. Many people have fled their homes with nothing but what they could carry. They need urgent financial assistance. I have agreed to co-ordinate a relief fund and donations can be made to: Diocese of Natal Trust Account, First National Bank Account number: 509 3118 7386; Branch code: 257 355, Midlands Mall Branch, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa A democracy that is not for everyone is a democracy in name only. 29 September 2009 Bishop Rubin Phillip Anglican Bishop of Natal (KZN) and Chairman of the Kwa Zulu-Natal Christian Council Email: bishop@dionatal.org.za Gail E Allen (Mrs) Provincial Executive Administrator Provincial Executive Office Anglican Church of Southern Africa 20 Bishopscourt Drive BISHOPSCOURT 7708 Western Cape Fax: 021 797 1329 Switchboard: 086 100 1171 ext 1328 International: 021 763 1300 ext 1328 e-mail: peoadmin@anglicanchurchsa.org.za web: www.anglicanchurchsa.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/cpsa.news/attachments/20091002/ed647390/attachment.htm From peoadmin at anglicanchurchsa.org.za Mon Oct 19 10:51:26 2009 From: peoadmin at anglicanchurchsa.org.za (Gail Allen) Date: Mon Oct 19 10:52:23 2009 Subject: [Cpsa.news] Archbishop's Press Release Saturday, 17 October 2009 Message-ID: <9CF667DCE6C20E47B9A4A9DFE93DAED242D7AF69BD@HMC-MBX04.he.businessgateway.co.za> Archbishop Thabo Makgoba's Address at the Meeting between President Zuma and Religious Leaders of the Western Cape, Bishopscourt, 17 October 2009 Religious leaders of the Western Cape welcomed President Jacob Zuma, President of the ANC and of South Africa, at a meeting at Bishopscourt, the home of the Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, on Saturday October 17. The full text of the welcoming address given by the Most Revd Dr Thabo Makgoba follows below. Issued by the Office of the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town Inquiries: Cynthia Michaels on 021-763-1320 (office hours) [ Please Check Against Delivery] Mr President, Leaders of the Religious Communities, Representatives of Government and the ANC, Honoured Guests, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Bishopscourt this morning - the home of Archbishops of Cape Town for over 150 years. Mr President, it is always good to have the opportunity to speak, and speak freely and honestly, about matters of common interest. Gathered here today are representatives of a great breadth of faith traditions. We are fortunate that within the Western Cape, under the general umbrella of the Western Cape Religious Leaders' Forum, we enjoy good relations with one another. Indeed, we benefit from a rich heritage that comes from living alongside one another over several centuries; and, particularly, from close collaboration forged during the struggle years. I am also glad to say that we work together frequently, and, I confidently believe, effectively - sometimes in partnership with City or Province - to meet various needs, respond to crises and generally further common interests. Of course, our faiths are very diverse, and we may use different language to express our perspectives. Yet at heart we all share the same fundamental commitment: namely, to human dignity and well-being - and to seeking this in the various ways that seem best to us. Our Constitution similarly enshrines the human dignity and well-being of every citizen and resident of this country. We therefore find the Constitution provides a fruitful context for shaping our relations with the public sector - whether elected representatives, government officials or political parties. It is the high principles of the Constitution to which we must hold one another accountable, and encourage one another to defend and advance. Mr President, as you know, all faith communities consider Truth to be one of the highest virtues. You can therefore always expect of us that we should be truthful to you: expressing with honesty and independence whatever is on our hearts and minds, on every matter that concerns us - being critical where necessary, but, I hope, always being constructive. This is the most valuable role, I believe, that we can play. As for the matters which concern us - well, these can be nothing less than the entirety of human life and activity. For either God is God of everything, or he is no god at all. There is nothing in all of creation that lies outside his concern, and therefore outside ours. It is a failure to grasp the essence of what it is to have faith, to imagine that life can be divided into religious and secular spheres. Let me illustrate this from Christian tradition - drawing on the heritage we enjoy from Judaism. (At this point, Mr President, let me mention my regret that the timing of your visit has meant that our Jewish friends were unable to join us this morning; and that the celebration of Diwali has likewise made it difficult for some Hindu representatives.) As the Bible tells us, Jesus said he came that he might bring 'life in all its abundance'. Abundant life is no bad goal for either politicians or faith communities! The scope of this abundant life is reflected in the Two Great Commandments - Jesus' own summary of the teaching of the Hebrew Scriptures. We are created to live in love with God, with all our heart, and soul, and mind and strength. And we are created to live in love with our neighbours, caring for them as for ourselves. Therefore, our aim must be to bring about abundant life in all of these dimensions - heart, soul, mind and strength - and to do so for both individuals and for families, communities, nations, and in all human relations. This gives us a broad and comprehensive matrix - describing the essential elements of what it is to be human and to flourish. This matrix also offers us a framework for critiquing life, bringing into focus whatever it is that in any way diminishes the spiritual, emotional, mental or physical well-being of individual or community. As we each of us - politicians and religious leaders alike - apply it to our own contexts and responsibilities, it will help us put the spotlight on the particular issues and priorities that we are called to address. So, for example, Mr President, when it comes to the vital question of service delivery, we must see this as going beyond ensuring basic needs for people's physical well-being - vital those these are. Service delivery must also engage with the thoughts, the feelings, the fundamental human dignity, of those at whom it is directed - for example, through respectful political engagement and debate with local communities. As Nobel prize-winning economist Amartya Sen demonstrated, upliftment policies are far more likely to be effective and lasting, when those they are intended to assist are given an effective and continuing voice in their shaping and implementation. Before both God and Constitution, every individual matters and all are equal. We who are privileged, forget this at our peril. More than this, those of us blessed with power or influence, bear a special responsibility to be the servants of those without - caring especially for the poor, the weak, the marginalised, the voiceless, the excluded; and doing so in ways that grant them unconditional dignity and respect. Let me add a further element to our vocation to love our neighbours as ourselves. This is the care of the neighbourhood we all share: the planet that is our home. Therefore Mr President, it is fitting that your visit here today will be marked by the planting of a tree. And I hope that seeing the Western Cape in all its spring beauty will encourage you to go to Copenhagen in December - for the Climate Change Conference - determined to act as ambitiously and courageously as necessary. My concern is not merely to preserve the splendour around us; but the realisation that to put this at risk, is to risk destroying our entire planet as a place where humanity can safely thrive. Let me end, Mr President, by returning to the question of what it is to be fully human, and to enjoy abundant life - which is the goal shared by all of us here today. To live abundantly is to find our basic needs met, so we may flourish across the spiritual, emotional, mental and physical capacities of which we are possessed, as both individuals and members of communities. As you, Mr President - elected both as leader and as servant to all entrusted to your care - as you strive to uphold your responsibilities and play your part, in delivering this abundant life to individuals, municipalities, cities, provinces and nation: may you be blessed, and be a blessing to us all. Amen. Thank you. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/cpsa.news/attachments/20091019/c870c9b1/attachment.html From peoadmin at anglicanchurchsa.org.za Mon Oct 19 10:53:04 2009 From: peoadmin at anglicanchurchsa.org.za (Gail Allen) Date: Mon Oct 19 10:53:30 2009 Subject: [Cpsa.news] October Laos Message-ID: <9CF667DCE6C20E47B9A4A9DFE93DAED242D7AF69C1@HMC-MBX04.he.businessgateway.co.za> Archbishop Thabo Makgoba To the People of God - To the Laos October 2009 Dear People of God First of all, may I say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has prayed for me and my family, sent messages, or otherwise supported us, following the death of my mother last month. She was a remarkable lady, who had devoted her life to bringing up our family in the face of great hardship, and who had taught me so much of the life of faith which I was then able to make fully my own. She had reached the grand age of eighty, and, though we knew she was unwell, her death was nonetheless a shock to me. Yet I have felt so supported, so held up, by the prayers of so many during this time. Thank you, ke a leboga, to you all. Last month also saw meetings of the Synod of Bishops, and the Provincial Standing Committee. I hope you have seen the Statement that the Bishops issued. It is on the ACSA website, www.anglicanchurchsa.org. Alongside responding pastorally to the new reality created by South Africa's provision of civil unions for same sex couples (about which I wrote last month), we debated a wide range of issues including theological education, spirituality, youth, social questions and practical matters like our budget. The prime task of the Church remains the same as ever - to preach Jesus as Lord and Saviour, sharing his good news with all people. In order to ensure we did not lose sight of this in the business we had to attend to, within Provincial Standing Committee we changed the format of our agenda, and spent more time each day in prayer and in Bible study groups. We focussed on listening to the word of God, so that in discernment groups and in plenary debate, all that we discussed and decided was rooted and grounded in our worshipping life, in Scripture and in our relationship with Jesus Christ. One area on which we are continuing our work to produce a vision and mission statement for the whole Province, that will help us affirm our common identity and the priorities to which God calls us, alongside the great differences of circumstances we face within our Dioceses. Thank you to all of you who responded to my call last year to send in information about parish vision and mission statements. Our objective is not to dictate to local churches, but rather to keep our common life in mind, so we can be partners together in the gospel - and to make sure that, wherever it makes more sense and provides greater efficiency, we act provincially to resource and support dioceses and parishes. The Anglican AIDS and Healthcare Trust, and the Liturgical Commission are two existing examples of this - though we need to view their work within a more comprehensive understanding of Provincial life and see how we can do more and better. Another major theme of our meetings, and one very close to my heart, was the environment. Stewardship of our creation is a fundamental vocation from God - not least because if we fail in our task then it is not just our physical planet that suffers, but actually we ourselves, and all God's children, together with every other living animal and plant. The enormity of what we face was brought home to us by a very powerful short video, produced on dvd, by the Southern African Faith Communities' Environment Institute. SAFCEI, in which our own retired Bishop Geoff Davies is playing a leading role, are doing some remarkable work, and this is just one of the many excellent resources that are available from them (see www.safcei.org.za or write to PO Box 106, Kalk Bay, 7990). As a result, PSC passed three resolutions - encouraging greater partnership with SAFCEI at every level, including calling on all parishes to become 'eco-congregations'; giving thanks for the 'Season of Creation' material produced last year, inviting parishes to consider making every September a 'Season' when we consider creation and our responsibility towards it; and exhorting us all to take every possible step to reduce our carbon footprint, and, as a mark of commitment to this, to support the 350.org Campaign and the International Day of Climate Action on 24 October. My hope is that before long every Diocese will have their own coordinator for environmental matters - and perhaps every parish too - and that, drawing on the work of SAFCEI and others, we will learn and put into action specific steps as parishes and individuals to become more eco-friendly. Let me say a little more about the 350.org. This global organisation reminds me very much of the Jubilee 2000 campaign - when churches and others all around the world lent their combined weight to put pressure on governments to change their stance on debt to the poorest nations of the world. None of us alone could do this - but together, we made a sufficient impact to force politicians to take the necessary steps. Now we can confidently do the same for the well-being of our world! '350' gets its name because this is the highest level of parts per million of carbon dioxide within our atmosphere that is safe and sustainable - yet current levels are around 390. The immediate goal of the thousands of events being held in over 150 countries of the world is to demand that at the UN Copenhagen Climate Conference in December, governments make firm commitments to get us back to 350 as quickly as possible. (The website, www.350.org, has more details.) I will be taking part in a 'Red Hot Faith-filled Climate Procession' with other faith leaders, that will begin outside Parliament in Cape Town, and weave around the city centre before culminating in a picnic in the Company Gardens. We shall all be dressing in, or painting ourselves, red, to point to the current unacceptable overheating of our planet! We hope to have fun, as we make our voices heard! What will you do on 24 October? Find out if there are events in your area (check with 350.org), and join in! And, if nothing else, make this a focus of your weekend services. Pray for 'Climate Justice Now' (indeed, you might like to do this daily, just as in the past we prayed for political justice). You could have a minute's silence to remember the destruction already being done to our world. Some churches, across denominations, are planning to chime their bells across towns and cities all at the same time on 24 October. Be imaginative, and make sure there are pictures in the papers! We want our governments, as well as those of the richer nations of the world, to take seriously the need to treat God's creation with proper respect, care, and justice, for 'the Earth is the Lord's, and all that is in it'. Finally, I am sure you will join me in expressing congratulations, love and prayers to Archbishop Philip Russell, who celebrates his 90th birthday this month! Yours in the service of Christ, +Thabo Cape Town -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/cpsa.news/attachments/20091019/878baf68/attachment.htm From netman at cpsa.org.za Tue Oct 20 21:52:10 2009 From: netman at cpsa.org.za (Netman) Date: Tue Oct 20 21:52:23 2009 Subject: [Cpsa.news] Anglican RC relations Message-ID: Joint Statement by The Archbishop of Westminster and The Archbishop of Canterbury Posted On : October 20, 2009 11:37 AM Today's announcement of the Apostolic Constitution is a response by Pope Benedict XVI to a number of requests over the past few years to the Holy See from groups of Anglicans who wish to enter into full visible communion with the Roman Catholic Church, and are willing to declare that they share a common Catholic faith and accept the Petrine ministry as willed by Christ for his Church. Pope Benedict XVI has approved, within the Apostolic Constitution, a canonical structure that provides for Personal Ordinariates, which will allow former Anglicans to enter full communion with the Catholic Church while preserving elements of distinctive Anglican spiritual patrimony. The announcement of this Apostolic Constitution brings to an end a period of uncertainty for such groups who have nurtured hopes of new ways of embracing unity with the Catholic Church. It will now be up to those who have made requests to the Holy See to respond to the Apostolic Constitution. The Apostolic Constitution is further recognition of the substantial overlap in faith, doctrine and spirituality between the Catholic Church and the Anglican tradition. Without the dialogues of the past forty years, this recognition would not have been possible, nor would hopes for full visible unity have been nurtured. In this sense, this Apostolic Constitution is one consequence of ecumenical dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. The on-going official dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion provides the basis for our continuing cooperation. The Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) and International Anglican Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM) agreements make clear the path we will follow together. With God's grace and prayer we are determined that our on-going mutual commitment and consultation on these and other matters should continue to be strengthened. Locally, in the spirit of IARCCUM, we look forward to building on the pattern of shared meetings between the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales and the Church of England's House of Bishops with a focus on our common mission. Joint days of reflection and prayer were begun in Leeds in 2006 and continued in Lambeth in 2008, and further meetings are in preparation. This close cooperation will continue as we grow together in unity and mission, in witness to the Gospel in our country, and in the Church at large. + Vincent + Rowan ___________________________________________________________________ Anglican Communion News Service, London From netman at cpsa.org.za Mon Oct 26 17:02:58 2009 From: netman at cpsa.org.za (Netman) Date: Mon Oct 26 17:03:18 2009 Subject: [Cpsa.news] Fw: Phasing out of CPSANEWS Message-ID: After having served a very useful purpose for many years as a ground breaking communication programme in the Church, it hgas been decided that CPSANEWS should be phased out as its news can be accessed on the ACSA Internet Website NETMAN The Revd Canon David Jenkins 9 Chapter Close, 6 Taunton Road Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu/Natal South Africa 3201 Tel: +27333940113 Mobile 0827877494 Skype: canondavid email djenkins@mweb.co.za Alias netman@cpsa.org.za -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/cpsa.news/attachments/20091026/0fc75e5a/attachment.html From peoadmin at anglicanchurchsa.org.za Thu Oct 29 12:11:22 2009 From: peoadmin at anglicanchurchsa.org.za (Gail Allen) Date: Thu Oct 29 12:12:50 2009 Subject: [Cpsa.news] FW: Statement by The Most Revd Dr Thabo Makgoba on Restorative Justice in response to developments at the University of the Free State Message-ID: <9CF667DCE6C20E47B9A4A9DFE93DAED24301F29720@HMC-MBX04.he.businessgateway.co.za> Statement by The Most Revd Dr Thabo Makgoba On Restorative Justice in response to developments at the University of the Free State The Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town has issued the following statement: The Rector of the University of the Free State Prof Jonathan Jansen's decision to withdraw the university's charges against the Reitz students demonstrates that brave and bold steps are unavoidable if these deplorable events are to be resolved, as they should be, through a restorative justice approach. The aim of restorative justice is to bring about solutions that go far beyond addressing wrong-doing, and instead aim to bring healing and wholeness - first, to the victims of injustice, but also to the entire underlying situation. It recognises that sometimes wrong-doing is only a symptom of something greater that is not as it should be, and that needs to be addressed too. In this way, it is as though the bad situation itself becomes the very crucible in which new beginnings are forged; and the wrong-doing is transformed into a stepping stone to a better future. This requires deep and honest encounter between all the concerned parties, that emphasises healing the wounds of everyone involved - whether offended against, or offending, since all are damaged by division. Proper apology must be made, and remorse shown, where these are due. Beyond this, we must ask what will make for greater wholeness in the wider context. One specific aim is that everyone will become contributing members of a community that grows and shapes itself to minimise the possibility of similar harmful attitudes or actions finding fertile ground in the future. That said, restorative justice remains challenging to implement in reality. Whether we are pursuing this at national or more local level, justice, mercy and healing for all remain key, both for the perpetrators and the wronged. What took place at the University was a sad state of affairs, and yet we can choose to learn from it, build on this sore experience, and strive to ensure it does not happen again. Christians follow a God of both justice and redemption, who promises new beginnings for those who repent and acknowledge their wrongdoings; and who calls for forgiveness in response. From this perspective, restorative justice is supremely gospel-shaped. I therefore pray that Prof Jansen will succeed in his pursuit of a just and comprehensive resolution that ultimately benefits not only all those involved in this shameful incident, but also the wider university community - and especially its students, so that they may go on to become reconciling leaders for the good of our nation. Issued by the Office of the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town Inquiries: Cynthia Michaels on 021-763-1320 (office hours) __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 4553 (20091028) __________ The message was checked by ESET Smart Security. http://www.eset.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/cpsa.news/attachments/20091029/0c2c3938/attachment.html