As a student back in the seventies, it took a while for Rifat Kassis to come to terms with being both a good Christian, and a Palestinian living under occupation. His call to become a reverend in the Lutheran Church in Palestine brought him to Germany to study theology 40 years ago.
In 2015 Pope Francis designated 1 September annually as a World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation in the Catholic Church. The day of prayer, the pope said, gives individuals and communities an opportunity to implore God’s help in protecting creation and an opportunity to ask God’s forgiveness “for sins committed against the world in which we live”
Posters are now available to download in order to facilitate planning events, within your groups or dioceses, to mark ‘Creation Day’ and the following month of ‘Creation Time’
Download posters here: Day of prayer for care of creation
Copies of the posters will also be available at the NJPN Conference in Swanwick 21-23 July
More information and booking details
Sainsbury’s has taken the globally-known Fairtrade mark off its tea and replaced it with its own lesser scheme, ‘Fairly Traded’. It’s a test, already spotted on shelves in some stores, and if it works, Tesco is reported to be ready to do the same.
Fairtrade producers in Africa have written Sainsbury’s an open letter of protest. “We are extremely concerned about the power and control that Sainsbury’s seeks to exert over us”, they say. “Your model will bring about disempowerment”. One African producer told The Guardian: “We feel that our rights are being taken away from us, this feels like colonialism.”
In 2015 Pope Francis designated 1 September annually as a World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation in the Catholic Church. The day of prayer, the Pope said, gives individuals and communities an opportunity to implore God’s help in protecting creation and an opportunity to ask God’s forgiveness “for sins committed against the world in which we live”.
Click here for more information and resources
The NJPN Environment Group published its first discussion paper about fracking in 2014. This updating paper touches on some of the current evidence about the process, the uncertainties and the controversies surrounding it, and the protests and campaigns, before looking at the place of Christian insights and wisdom to help form a balanced judgement about the role of fracking in the UK.
Read the document here:
Fracking Briefing Paper NJPN May 2017
The Third edition of the Refugee Crisis Newsletter from Arundel and Brighton is now available to download
In his introduction Bishop Moth states:
‘The global refugee crisis is the most significant humanitarian crisis of our age. The numbers of people living as refugees in so many places across the world is truly shocking and, at present, shows no sign of reducing’
He expresses his gratitude to all within the diocese who are involved in the many initiatives offering support to refugees.
In the lead article in this latest bulletin from the North West ‘Called to be Human’ we are reminded that:
‘we are called to assert life and be rooted in love – in all its tenderness, brilliance and strength. The spirit of Pentecost promotes unity and prompts us to resist the forces of division. Above all it calls us to be carriers of light in the world, to be a people capable of witnessing what it means to be a human person.’
The articles that follow provide us with great signs of hope in the goodness of heart of so many people who have found themselves in horrific situations and responded with great love and generosity.
This publication is produced jointly by the dioceses of Lancaster, Liverpool, Salford, Shrewsbury and Wrexham
Download the bulletin here:
News from the North West -July 2017
Dozens of survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire have been left homeless. After the Government promised they would be rehomed locally, people on the ground are reporting that the council is threatening to send them to cities outside of London. These people have lost everything. Some of them have jobs in London. Their children, if they survived, will go to school in the area.
Sign now if you agree that empty properties should be used as homes for Grenfell survivors.
23 June 2017
At the close of this week’s “Consultation on 50 Years of Occupation and the Ecumenical Response,” held in the Holy Land, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit said input received at the meeting will influence the WCC as it refines its policies and programmes related to just peace in Palestine and Israel.
Sometimes something terrible happens from which we can’t turn our face. A tragedy like Grenfell: something that compels us all to look, longer than we would like; to ask questions; to demand answers.
