US church-property dispute ends
THE final outstanding court battle between the diocese of
Virginia in the United States, and Episcopalian congregations that
have realigned has ended. The Supreme Court declined to hear an
appeal by the segment of the congregation of Falls Church Anglican
which seceded in 2006, against a 2013 ruling that they must return
property and $2.6 million to the original Falls Church Episcopal
congregation that remained in the diocese. Falls Church Anglican
aligned with the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (News, 11
April 2012).
Pope Francis meets Dr Tveit of the WCC
POPE FRANCIS spoke warmly of the General Secretary of the World
Council of Churches (WCC), the Revd Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, after
their first meeting on 7 March. The Pope said that the RC Church
had a "fruitful" relationship with the WCC, and urged Christians
not to be resigned to the divisions between them, but to work for
unity. Dr Tveit said that his conversations with the Pope had been
"very positive".
Dr Tunnicliffe resigns as chief executive of
WEA
THE chief executive of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), the
Revd Dr Geoff Tunnicliffe, will stand down at the end of 2014 after
nearly ten years in office. In a statement, the WEA said that Dr
Tunnicliffe would leave the organisation in a stronger position
than when he took up the post in 2005.
Boko Haram censured by Nigerian bishops
BISHOPS in Nigeria have condemned recent attacks on Christians
by the militant Islamist group Boko Haram. Speaking at a service at
the Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, Lagos, on Monday,
the Primate of Nigeria, the Most Revd Nicholas Okoh, said that
nobody was safe, and that the Church was praying to God to help
Nigeria. The Bishop of Lagos West, Dr James Odedeji, said that
Nigerians must "desist from evil" and "go back to God".