Bethlehem grotto ceremony symbolises solidarity
TWO Palestinian children in traditional dress lit a red candle in the Grotto of the Nativity in a ceremony to celebrate global Christian solidarity on Saturday — the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. Metropolitan Benedictos, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchal Vicar in Bethlehem, opened the service with a prayer, and clergy from Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions were present. The event was organised by Palestinian church and civic leaders, who have adopted the red candle as an Advent symbol of peace, justice, and solidarity.
Canadian Church denounces Christian nationalism
THE Anglican Church of Canada released a statement on Monday denouncing Christian nationalism and classifying it as “a distortion of the gospel of Jesus and a threat to Canadian democracy”. They described the movement as a “growing threat” and promised to “strive for justice and peace among all people [and] to respect the dignity of every human being”.
Post-COP resources produced with Primate of Brazil
AFTER COP30, Christian Aid has released a series of resources in collaboration with the Primate of the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil, the Most Revd Marinez Bassotto, for use in churches. In a video, the Primate talks about her faith and her work in the Amazon. Other resources include a Bible study guide. She said: “Being a Christian is not simply going to church, praying, or singing, but to live your faith in the midst of the world [and] seeking to transform the unjust structures of this society.”
Nicaraguan RC lay leaders released into house arrest
AFTER spending nearly 16 months in “incommunicado detention”, two Roman Catholic lay leaders, Carmen María Sáenz Martínez and Lesbia del Socorro Gutiérrez Poveda, were released into house arrest in Matagalpa, Nicaragua, on Saturday. The women were detained on 10 August 2024 but have not been charged, tried, or sentenced for any crime. They were believed to have been held in the La Esperanza women’s prison, and for the duration of their detention they were denied any contact with their families or lawyers — even to prove that they were still alive. Both women worked with the now exiled Bishop Rolando José Álvarez Lagos, formerly of the diocese of Matagalpa.
Charities urge warrant against Myanmar commander
THE Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) and Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) have urged the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for the Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Military, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. In a statement, CSW said that the issue was “urgent”, as the Myanmar military junta were attempting to “impose sham elections in Myanmar, underpinned by escalating violence, indiscriminate air strikes, systematic attacks on civilians to retake territory, and draconian legislation”. The prosecutor sought an arrest warrant for Mr Hlaing on 27 November 2024 for “crimes against humanity of deportation and persecution of the Rohingya” committed in Myanmar, and also in Bangladesh, in 2017, but the court’s Pre-Trial Chamber has not yet decided whether to issue it.