Anglican Communion News Service - Digest News

Archbishop Philip Freier will visit today, where possible, some of the areas affected in the weekend’s firestorm.

In an “ad clerum” (correspondence directed to the clergy of the Diocese) Dr Freier has written of his sense of disbelief “about the enormity of the devastation in Victoria”.

“We think of those who have lost their lives, those under care in hospitals, of those waiting for news of family and friends, those now homeless and the many still threatened by fire. The loss of property, while secondary, is beyond imagination, with homes, businesses and even whole townships destroyed,” he said.

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The last stage in the 100 year-plus construction of St John’s Anglican Cathedral has been completed with the lowering of a 13 metre tall copper-clad spire onto its final resting place, the Central Tower.

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The Journey of a New Monastic Community by Paul R. Dekar

For over a millennium, if Christians wanted to read theology, practice Christian spirituality, or study the Bible, they went to the monastery to do so. There, people who inhabited the tradition and prayed the prayers of the church, copied manuscripts and offered fresh reflections about living the gospel in a new era. Two thousand years after the birth of the church, a new monastic movement is stirring.

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Anglicare is celebrating its 25th birthday on the evening of September 24, 2008 with a celebration for members, employees and clients.

During the celebration we will be launching a brief history of Anglicare written by noted Tasmanian historian Dr James Boyce.

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The Anglican Church in Tasmania has received with deep sadness the news of the untimely death of one of its most prominent priests and university academic Associate Professor Christopher Newell.

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The Most Reverend Dr Philip Freier, Archbishop of Melbourne is an ad clerum announced:

It is with much pleasure that I announce that the Revd Canon Barbara Darling has been appointed as the next Assistant Bishop for the Diocese of Melbourne. Her initial role will be that of Bishop for Diocesan Ministries. She will bring a wealth of experience from her years of ministry, both lay and clerical. Barbara is currently the Vicar of St James’ Dandenong; she is an Examining Chaplain, the Senior Canon of St Paul’s Cathedral and currently the chair of the Dean Search Committee.

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The Easter story is still relevant today, Melbourne’s Anglican Archbishop Philip Freier says, and he is more than happy to use today’s new media to talk about it.

Dr Freier has used the popular video website YouTube to deliver this year’s traditional Easter Message from the Anglican Church in Melbourne.

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MU Australia (part of the Worldwide Mothers’ Union) is hosting a unique meeting in Toowoomba from 2nd – 7th March to be attended by members from all over the world.

The meeting, the first of six due to be held outside the UK over the next 3 years, will provide opportunities for 95 Mothers’ Union leaders from countries as diverse as New Zealand, West Indies, India, Canada, USA, Korea, Britain/Ireland, Melanesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia, to meet together to share experiences, to celebrate diversity of cultures, to strengthen relationships, identify common goals and to plan a cohesive future for the international charity work.

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Concerns have been raised by some Melbourne Anglicans over a submission made to the Victorian Law Reform Commission on reform of the state's abortion laws.

A think tank of eight women, by invitation from Archbishop Freier, made the submission in December. The group said that while abortion was a serious moral issue, it accepted that it was not a criminal matter, and that legislation was only a partial response to the issue.

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Archbishop of Melbourne, Dr Philip Freier, has called for Australian support for people affected by political unrest in Kenya this month.

Dr Freier cancelled a planned January visit to Anglican community development partners in Kenya after claims of election rigging by the country’s major opposition party sparked violent protests in one of Africa’s most stable countries.

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The Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia, The Most Reverend Dr Phillip Aspinall has forecast a refocus on mission and church attendance as the Church begins its most important gathering of Anglicans in years.

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A statement from Bishop Brian Farran in response to the recent comments by Kevin Andrews about the Sudanese community and immigration policies.

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The Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne, Dr Philip Freier, has welcomed the decision of the Appellate Tribunal – the Anglican Church’s highest court – that effectively paves the way for women clergy to be eligible for the office of Bishop.

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The Sydney Diocese reclassified three churches to parish status at Synod yesterday and there are still two more to come.

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Explaining why they have not replied to their Lambeth 2008 invitations

Dear Archbishop Rowan,

As Archbishop and Assistant Bishops of the Diocese of Sydney, we send our thanks for your kind invitation to attend next year’s Lambeth Conference. Your invitation has been received with pleasure and it would give us a great deal of joy to be able to join you.

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Brisbane Archbishop, Dr Phillip Aspinall has been the head of the country's Anglican community for the last two years and he's had to answer tough questions on a range of subjects - from the Government's plan for Aboriginal communities to the detention of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay - but still nothing prepared him for the questions of Year 12 students from Mansfield State High School.

Four students from the school prepared questions for the Anglican Primate of Australia as part of Madonna King's Student Press Call.

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Archbishop to lead day of fasting and prayer for the world's poor and hungry

Dr Philip Freier, Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne, will be going without food tomorrow as he leads Melbourne Anglicans in a day of fasting and prayer - as a way of marking the half way point for reaching the United Nations Millennium Development Goal of halving world poverty by 2015.

‘It is shameful that half the world’s population – around three billion people – presently subsist on less than $2US a day,’ he says.

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Resolutions from the Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Sydney

1. Consecration of Canon Bill Atwood

Canon Atwood is well known to and respected by many diocesan leaders in Sydney. He was a friend to many during the episcopate of Archbishop Harry Goodhew; he has maintained these relationships since the election of Archbishop Peter Jensen and is especially highly regarded and respected by Archbishop Jensen.

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Christians today were ‘blind’ to the spiritual dangers of wealth, according to Melburne’s Anglican Archbishop, Dr Philip Freier.

Scriptural teaching about wealth had been ‘totally attenuated’, making it our ‘greatest moral blindness’, he will tell Melbourne Synod today, Saturday 16 June, meeting at Dallas Brooks Hall, Victoria Parade, East Melbourne. All media welcome.

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Dr Peter Carnley, former Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia, is one of five recipients of the highest honour in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

Dr Carnley has been made a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) nearly a decade after being appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 1998 Honours List for his service to the Anglican Church of Australia and to the community through his contributions to theology, the nurturing of ecumenicalism between the churches and their faiths, and in the cause of social justice. Since then he has served as Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia, 2000-May 2005 and Anglican Archbishop of Perth, 1981-May 2005. 

Awards in the Australian honours system represent the highest level of recognition that can be accorded by the nation for attainment of outstanding achievement and service.

Download a list of people from the Anglican Church and other associated agencies and organisations in Melbourne who received Queen's Birthday Honours this year. This list may not be definitive so if we've missed someone, let us know!

Item from: The Anglican Media Melbourne