 |
Sharon
Ruiz-Duremdes, General Secretary of the the National Council of Churches in the
Philippines, looks sympathetically at Dr. Constancioo Claver, injured in the attempt on
his life last July that killed his wife, Alyce. He was part of a delegation of church
leaders and human rights advocates from the Philippines who came to Ottawa March 7 to call
on Canadians to speak out against the more than 800 "extrajudicial executions"
of human rights defenders and social activists since the government of President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo came to power in the Philippines in 2001. Their call for help was
supported by the Canadian churches and organizations that sponsored and organized the
meeting, including the Anglican and United Churches, KAIROS, and the Canadian Catholic
Organization for Development and Peace. |
 |
Roman
Catholic priest, Fr. Joe Dizon, chair of KAIROS-Philippines, says 835 people have died in
political killings in the Philippines since the government of President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo came to power in 2001, among them, Catholic Bishop Alberto Ramento. The
one thing they had in common was that, "They were all critics of the Arroyo
government," he said. The priest was part of a delegation of church leaders and human
rights advocates from the Philippines who came to Ottawa March 7 to call on Canadians to
speak out against the killings of human rights defenders and social activists. They were
supported by the Canadian churches and organizations that sponsored and organized the
meeting, including the Anglican and United Churches, KAIROS, and the Canadian Catholic
Organization for Development and Peace. |
 |
Retired
Senator Lois Wilson, a former Moderator of the United Church of Canada -- seated next to
Alex Neve, the head of the Canadian branch Amnesty International -- was chair of a public
meeting with a delegation of church leaders and human rights advocates from the
Philippines. They came to Ottawa March 7 to call on Canadians to speak out against the
more than 800 "extrajudicial executions" of human rights defenders and social
activists since the government of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo came to power in the
Philippines in 2001.They were supported by the Canadian churches and organizations that
sponsored and organized the meeting, including the Anglican and United Churches, KAIROS,
and the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace. |
 |
Controversial Anglican
Bishop Michael Ingham of the Diocese of New Westminster, says faithfulness and committment
should be the primary criterion for Christian sexual theology rather than procreation.
"This is the supreme message of the life of Jesus and it ought to be the principal
standard for Christian sexual ethics – not sexual orientation, not propagation, nor
even marriage," he said in a talk March 7 at the Church of St. John the Evangelist in
Ottawa. Ingham gained recognition as being the first Anglican bishop in Canada – and
the only one to date – to openly bless same-sex unions, an issue that threatens to
divide the worldwide Anglican communion. |
 |
(as above) |
