Dear Friends,
The Assyrian International News Agency (www.aina.org) has published an article about the demolishing of an Anglican Church in Luxor, Egypt by the Egyptian State Security. This news is not correct as we do not have a church in Luxor.
Two major suicide bomb attacks in Baghdad on Sunday, Oct 25, caused serious damage to St. George's Anglican Church and left at least 150 dead and more than 600 injured on the streets outside.
When the coordinated car bombs exploded in downtown Baghdad at 10:30 a.m. the church was empty. "If the bomb had been just a few hours later, the glass from the windows would have ripped through the congregation causing terrible human damage," said the Revd Canon Andrew White, vicar of St. George's, the only Anglican church in Iraq. The explosions damaged the church's clinic, bookshop, school rooms and the Mothers' Union buildings.
On Tuesday, March 10, Bishop Suheil Dawani, Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem, was granted permission to go into Gaza to make a pastoral visit to our diocesan hospital, Ahli Arab Hospital. Bishop Suheil was accompanied by Greek Catholic Archbishop Elias Chacour and Lutheran Bishop Munib Younan. Driving in Bishop Dawani’s car, the three Church leaders made their way through the badly damaged area of northern Gaza to the hospital, which has served over 400 casualties during the recent crisis. There are approximately 3,500 Christians living in Gaza. During his visit, the Bishop said the ‘’Christian presence must be empowered and must remain in the Holy Land.’’ He encouraged Gazan Christians to “look forward and build up what has been destroyed, to keep faith and hope in the future, and carry on living in hope of a more normal situation despite all the hardships they have been facing.”’
Bishop Suheil Dawani, reaffirms his Commitment to Peace and Reconciliation among Palestinians and Israelis
The Right Revd Suheil S. Dawani, the Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem and Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem that includes Gaza, after two hours of waiting was denied entry into the Gaza Strip at the Israeli EREZ security Crossing Point last week along with Lutheran Bishop Mounib Younan.
Both Bishops were on a Pastoral Visit to include the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza, an institution of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and to members of their communities as part of a five member delegation of the Jerusalem Heads of Church. The decision for the Pastoral visit was made two weeks ago and negotiations for the permits were begun with the Israeli authorities for that purpose. They had been informed that their request to enter Gaza had been granted.
The Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, has written to the Israeli Ambassador to London on Tuesday 13th January asking why a church-run healthcare clinic was bombed in Gaza over the weekend.
The Shij'ia Family Health Care Centre in Gaza City, run by the Near East Council of Churches (NECC), was destroyed by direct Israeli missile fire on Saturday night. There are fears too that the mobile dental clinic, also run by the NECC but funded by people in Wales, was also destroyed.
The Diocese of Egypt together with PROCMURA convened the African Interfaith Conference from 8th-13th October 2008. Danmission also partnered in this conference.
The objective of the conference was to affirm and promote the global values of Dialogue, especially in Africa which is in need of stability, security, and development.
Within the Episcopal/Anglican Diocese of Egypt with North Africa and the Horn of Africa
It is with great joy that we announce the formation of a new Episcopal Area in North Africa. We have decided to appoint the Rev. Canon Dr. Bill Musk as Area Bishop for North Africa as well as Rector of St. George’s, Tunis.
It with great sadness that we received the news of the death of Bishop Hassan Dehqani-Tafti, the former Bishop of Iran and former President Bishop our Province. On behalf of my brother Bishops, Clergy and Congregations in the Province I give my heartfelt condolences to his widow, Margaret, his daughter, Guli, family and his many close friends. I pray that the Lord will give them peace and comfort.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has invited BibleLands, a UK non-governmental provider of financial support to the Holy Land, to host a conference at Lambeth Palace on Wednesday 16th April.
"In the evening of the first day of the week, Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, "Peace be with you" and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord and again he said to them "Peace be with you."
From the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem
The Rt Revd Suheil Dawani, Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem, has sent us the following information for ACNS
One and a half million people imprisoned and without proper food or medicine. 800,000 without electricity supply; this is illegal collective punishment, an immoral act in violation of the basic human and natural laws as well as International Law. It cannot be tolerated anymore. The siege over Gaza should end now.
The Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem, Bishop Suheil Dawani, has expressed his concern about the Global Anglican Future Conference planned for the Holy Land in June this year.
‘Regrettably, I have not been consulted about this planned conference,’ said Bishop Suheil. ‘The first I learned of it was through a press release.
Advent and Christmas resource pack from Amos Trust
Amos Trust has launched it's latest resource pack, Voices from the Ghetto - Bethlehem 2007 to assist churches in capturing the reality of present day Bethlehem in their Advent and Christmas services.
Today the former president of Iran, Dr Khatami received the newly installed Bishop in Iran, Azad Marshall along with Bishop Michael Nazir Ali of Rochester and the Presiding Bishop.
We assured Ayatollah Khatami that Bishop Azad had committed himself as a servant of Christ to be a servant to all the people of Iran, regardless of their religion. We had observed that pictures of Muslim Imams showed them with haloes around their heads in common with pictures of Christian saints. This suggests that Iran is a place where civilizations meet together – Christians, Jews and Muslims. It is our duty now to make this happen again.
From the Church of the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East.
The House of Bishops of the Church of the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East met in Iran on the occasion of the installation of Bishop Azad Marshall and issued the following communiqué.
We the undersigned have met in Tehran. We were very pleased and rejoice in the election and installation of Bishop Azad Marshall as the 6th Bishop of the Diocese of Iran. We welcome him as a full member of the House of Bishops. We pray that the Lord will give him the wisdom and love he needs as he leads his diocese as well as Pakistani Christian Urdu-speaking parishes under his oversight in the Gulf.
Bishop Azad Marshall was installed as sixth Bishop in Iran in a multilingual and ceremony of many facets at St Pauls Church Tehran on Sunday August 5.
Over two hundred people attended the three hour service which was marked by outstanding singing in Farsi and English by the House of Worship and Messiah Worship Choir and orchestra. www.honiball.com. The congregation included Anglicans, members of the Assemblies of God,.Roman Catholics, Orthodox, and Muslims. The service was also attended by a senior official from the office of the President who spoke afterwards of the respect and freedom given to all religious minorities.
Bishop Michael Nazir Ali of Rochester preached on the eve of the Feast of Transfiguration on Jesus appearance on the Mountain and hoped that Bishop Marshall would free his people to be followers of the risen Christ, and help them know what they have to put off and what to put on to live his risen life. ‘The glory of God is to be seen in the risen Jesus and also the glory of men and women as they are meant to be which we have lost through sin and rebellion.’
As part of the greetings from religious and civic leaders, an Ayatollah from the Council of Guidance began with giving respect to the great prophet Jesus Christ and his holy mother St Mary. He spoke warmly of religious tolerance. ‘When everyone praises God because they are happy they are linked with us. Anyone in suffering who asks God for help in the middle of the night is our brother. We feel great sympathy and closeness for everyone who believes God in his heart Those priests and bishops who are asking God for help in the middle of the night are paving the way for morality in society’.
The Presiding Bishop of Jerusalem and the Middle East, Mouneer Anis said: ‘Many countries in the Middle East are places where religions and civilizations came together. They speak now of a clash of civilizations. By the grace of God we want to return back to the origin with the civilizations of this region where civilizations came together for a better world and humanity.’ The Archbishop of Canterbury also sent greetings: ‘The task of building relationships with government and religious leaders is an important element in the ministry to which you are called and we look forward to working with you in promoting deeper mutual understanding.’
On the evening before the installation, all the visiting Bishops and Archbishops visited the mausoleum-shrine of Ayatollah Khomeini and laid a wreath. They were accorded a guard of honour and met with government officials.
At the close of the service Bishop Azad said ‘My Christ did not come for only Christians; my Christ is for the whole world. With your help and co-operation I will seek to serve both Muslims and Christians because Christ came to serve all.’
In an intriguing finale, as Bishop Marshall closed his final blessing on the City, Country and Diocese, the power failed and the modern church was plunged in darkness for a few minutes before lighting was restored and the reception could begin.
The Rt Revd Andrew Proud was consecrated as an Area Bishop for the Horn of Africa within the Episcopal/Anglican Diocese of Egypt.
The Consecration took place at St. Matthews Church in Addis Ababa. Bishop Clive Handford, Bishop Mouneer Anis and Bishop Ghais Malik consecrated Bishop Proud.
Last year the Synod of the Diocese of Egypt with North Africa and the Horn of Africa decided to create a new Episcopal Area within the Diocese.
The Resurrection of Christ frees us from hatred
Today as we remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I would like to meditate on the words of Apostle Paul to the church in Rome;
‘For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his’ Romans 6:5
These words are very difficult to understand. How can we unite with Christ in a death like his and how we can we unite with Him in his resurrection?
We learn from the history of ancient Egypt that when a Noble of the first Dynasty died, all of his slaves would be killed and buried with him so that they can serve him in his second life. Later on, this harsh custom stopped and the Ancient Egyptians were content to put small clay figures that represent the slaves in the grave where the Noble was buried. In addition they put the tools he used to use in his first life in the grave so that when he rose from the dead, he would use them in his second life.
Under the auspices of the Rt. Rev. Suheil Dawani, Bishop Coadjutor, and his wife Shafiqa Dawani, a further meeting discussing the empowerment of women within the Diocese of Jerusalem was held on January the 19th. 150 women from all over the Diocese participated in this major event.
This was the second of altogether three meetings to be held in preparation of a General Convention scheduled for autumn 2007, to which all partners of the Diocese from the Middle East, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and the UK are cordially invited.
The third meeting will be held in Amman, Jordan, on February 16th.
