Category - new year

Cardinal makes New Year play for family values

staff writers — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 15:29:48 +0000

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the spiritual leader of the Roman catholic Church in England and Wales, has used his New Year message to stress the importance of marriage and what are thought of as "traditional family values".

Peacemakers involved in challenge to violent toys

staff writers — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 18:29:03 +0000

Supporters of the US- and Canadian-based international conflict transformation organisation Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) - now known worldwide as a result of the 2005-6 hostage crisis in Iraq - have been challenging the prevalence of war toys through nonviolent actions at a well known retailer.

New Year on Julian calendar marks fresh era for Russian church

staff writers — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 21:50:28 +0000

When Russians celebrated the Julian calendar's New Year on 14 January 2007, they concluded an extended Christmas holiday with a particular significance for religion in their country - reports Sophia Kishkovsky from Moscow for Ecumenical News International.

Northern Irish church heads unite in call to end bigotry

staff writers — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 13:15:58 +0000

The leaders of Northern Ireland's four major churches have called for an end to sectarianism and prejudice in a joint New Year message. The move represents an increasing willingness among Protestant and Catholic leaders to speak together in the face of division.

Scots church leaders unite in New Year peace and justice pledge

staff writers — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 16:39:15 +0000

For the first time ever, the spiritual heads of Scotland's Catholics and its largest Protestant church have joined together to make a New Year appeal for peace and social harmony - recalling the sordid history of religiously justified sectarianism in Scotland as the backdrop to their pledge.

Episcopal Primate makes global poverty her New Year target

staff writers — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 17:04:39 +0000

The new head of the US Episcopal Church, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, has made tackling global poverty her 2007 resolution. In a message sent to local congregations and other church and public leaders, the ECUSA Primate highlights the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as a practical Christian priority.

Churches celebrate as Romania and Bulgaria enter European Union

staff writers — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 16:50:44 +0000

Churches joined enthusiastic 2007 New Year celebrations in Bulgarian and Romanian towns and cities earlier today ‚Ä' events which also marked the two countries' entry into the expanding European Union.

Pope links human rights to the quest for global peace

staff writers — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 16:47:46 +0000

Pope Benedict XVI, leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics, has highlighted the links between human rights and human reconciliation in his 2007 New Year message, delivered at St Peter's Rome.

New religious freedom row over Saudi flight Bible ban

staff writers — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 16:43:39 +0000

The New Year has started more-or-less where 2006 left off, with a new row about religious symbolism and artefacts in relation to the policy of a major airline.

Hunger for justice in 2007, says Archbishop of Canterbury

staff writers — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 12:29:04 +0000

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has said that we need to feel the same hunger for justice that ended the slave trade if the world is to be changed for the better.