Indigenous Anglican bishops consecrated for Peru

THE first three Peruvian Anglican bishops have been consecrated in Lima by the Presiding Bishop of South America, the Most Revd Tito Zavala. The new Bishops, the Rt Revd Alejandro Mesco, Juan Carlos Revilla, and Jorge Luis Aguilar, will be responsible for three of four missionary areas, as part of plans for the diocese of Peru to become a separate province. In a letter to the Bishop of Peru, the Archbishop of Canterbury described the consecration as a “bountiful spiritual harvest”.

Iranian Christian released from prison

A MEMBER of the Anglican Church in Iran has been released early from prison in Tehran. Alireza Seyyedian was arrested on 14 March 2012 at the Iranian border, and sentenced to six years on charges of propaganda and “acting against national security”. Christian Solidarity Worldwide was informed that Mr Seyyedian had been released on 27 July. Its chief executive, Mervyn Thomas, welcomed the news, after “three-and-a-half years of unwarranted charges”.

Exorcism performed by helicopter over Italian town

A PRIEST has performed an exorcism from a helicopter over an Italian seaside town that was said be plagued with “moral decay”, a report in The Independent said last week. Residents of Castellammare di Stabia, near Naples, described a series of incidents — including desecrated graves, crosses placed upside down, and thefts from churches — as possibly the work of devil-worshippers. The prayer group that called in the unnamed Roman Catholic priest said: “If Satan exists, he has taken control of Castellammare di Stabia. There was nothing left but to try the exorcist.” Others, however, have blamed the town’s problems on organised crime.