At the Presbyterian General Assembly which met in Belfast last week, delegates voted to allow moderator Rev. Dr Charles McMullen to meet the pope when he attends World Meeting of Families events in Dublin on August 25th and 26th.

Traditionally the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the largest Protestant denomination in Northern Ireland, has been most opposed to Catholicism and its leadership.

Prior to the Assembly McMullan had said, "It all depends on what our Church decides, and I don't want to be presumptuous to expect an invitation.

"Personally speaking, I would have no hesitation in meeting him".

McMullen was educated at Omagh Academy, then at Trinity College Dublin.

He also studied at St Anthony's College in Oxford.

McMullen told the Presbyterian Herald that his time in Dublin and Oxford made him realise "that there were Christians in the world other than Presbyterians.

"It had a whole widening influence on me".

The Presbyterian Church in Ireland has also loosened ties with the Church of Scotland over the latter's moves towards recognising same-sex marriage.

Generally recognised as the mother church of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Church of Scotland has instructed officials to consider changes to its laws to allow its ministers to preside at same-sex-marriage ceremonies.

The proposal to end the relationship was passed by 255 to 171.

Rev. Dr George Whyte, the principal clerk of the Church of Scotland, was attending with its moderator, the Right Rev. Susan Brown.

After the decision was made they said they we have no choice but to leave.

They were both visibly upset and immediately left the assembly hall.

Source

• irishtimes.com
• belfasttelegraph.co.uk
• irishnews.com
• Image: belfasttelegraph.co.uk

The project first saw the light of day in 1950, but it did not come to fruition because the Reverend Maurice Pirani, the vicar at the time, refused to allow the names of the Catholics to be included in the list of those honoured.

So the plans were shelved and forgotten, hidden away in the church's archives until 2010, when Margaret Blair came across them while she was sorting paperwork.

The heart rimu honours board has been made to the original 1950 design by David Kirkland.

It was funded by Plimmerton's St Theresa's Catholic Church, Porirua RSA, Pauatahanui Residents' Association, and families whose names are on the board.

Ruth Galloway, the daughter of one of the men honoured, said she was immensely proud to see the name of her father, Wallace Galloway, carved into the wood.

"It was very emotional for me and my brothers. I know my dad would have been proud his name was up there."

St Alban's Church,was built in 1898. It was the second church to be built in Pauatahanui.

The building is on the old site of the Matai Paua pa, that was built by Te Rangihaeata, the Ngati Toa leader in 1846.

St Joseph's Catholic Church in Pauatahanui was built in 1878.

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• pauatahanui.org.nz

Image: stuff.co.nz

They will meet with Prime Minister John Key and a number of Members of Parliament on 25 June.

The visit is being jointly organised by Catholics and Mormons to expose some of the churches' young adults to the leaders of the nation, and also to introduce Mr Key and MPs to the group.

On the day before the visit to parliament, Tuesday 24 June, the group will assemble personal care kits for men at the Wellington Night Shelter, visit the Wellington Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, learn about Caritas, and attend a devotional service in Porirua with leaders from both churches.

Elder Kevin W. Pearson, a member of the Latter-day Saints' Pacific Area Presidency, will speak to the young adults on Tuesday evening, and also participate in the visit to Parliament.

Sister Catherine Jones smsm, Chair of the NZ Catholic Bishops Committee for Interfaith Relations, will also attend the two-day activity and speak to the young people on Tuesday evening.

Source

• The Human Rights Commission
• Mormonnewsroom.org.nz
• Image: Mormonnewsroom.org

Rika says Waqairatu may well have been installed as Archbishop of Suva rather than President of the Methodist Church. From childhood in Naroi village on Moala, Waqairatu was put on a path to priesthood and encouraged every step of the way by his father and grandfather.

"My father influenced me to go to St John's College at Cawaci and become a priest," Waqairatu reflected a week after his ordination as head of the country's largest Christian denomination. "While he was a Methodist, my grandfather Roko Taito Waqaiqera received the Catholic faith and was the only Catholic person on Moala. "It was my father's wish that I continue the family tradition by becoming a priest trained in Rome."

Cawaci was his first choice for his secondary education. But there were no places available, so the following year, Waqairatu entered Central Fijian School—now Sila Central High—less than two kilometres from the Davuilevu Theological College where he would eventually study for the ministry.

Catholicism would, however, continue to follow the young cleric and later in life, the Methodist minister would marry a Catholic girl, Ioana Banivetaua.

"The support my wife and in-laws have given me has been enormous. There have been times when she has challenged me to ensure that we say our prayers as a family—that's a huge inspiration."

Ioana has also influenced Waqairatu in terms of ecumenism or the relationship between churches. For some years now, she has coordinated joint prayer meetings of Methodist, Gospel and Assemblies of God women, culminating in providing meals for 150 street people once a week.

Waqairatu is open to regular contact with Archbishop Chong. He attending his Episcopal ordination earlier this year. Both men have strong views about reform and development in the church, as well as the role of religion in politics.

Source

• Islands Business
• Image: calnevumcfiji2011.

Mr Waqairatu shared his vision to the church during the induction service in Suva which was also attended by the Indian, Rabi and Rotuman divisions, the heads of the three confederacies and the leaders and representatives from the different churches.

Source

• The Fiji Times
• Image: Fiji Times

The General Secretary of the Council Reverend Ma'auga Motu says a letter of objection has been received and will be discussed in next month's executive meeting.

He says the objection is based on using LMS because the Congregational Christian Church was formerly known as LMS before it changed its name 50 years ago.

The Congregational Christian Church of Samoa traces its beginnings to the arrival in 1830 of missionaries sent by the London Missionary Society, accompanied by missionary teachers from Tahiti and the Cook Islands and a Samoan couple from Tonga.

This Samoan church has continued to forge ecumenical relationships with other churches locally, regionally and internationally. Now it has become a transnational church with eight Districts (synod or diocese) outside Samoa: one in the USA, one in Hawaii, three in Australia and three in New Zealand. It has one congregation each in Fiji and American Samoa.

Source

• Radio New Zealand
• CCCS.org.ws
• Image: Facebook

The aim of the journey was to raise support for "uniting the churches together".

"If the denominations can work together and pray together, I really think that would open the door for the Lord to move more easily in this nation."

Uniting the churches could have a big impact on improving life in New Zealand.

He is carrying pamphlets with the message to hand out along the way.

The journey had not been without its dramas since he left Bluff on May 13.