| Show The Herald Journal Logan Utah Friday September 20 1985 New Episcopal leader is outspoken liberal By StanW Metzler ANAHEIM Calif (UPI) -The new leader of the US Episcopal Church is an outspoken advocate of liberal causes who opposes the Reagan administration's arms buildup and appears determined to be a key player on the global gameboard Edmond Lee Browning elected presiding bishop of the Church at its triennial convention this month was born in Corpus Christi Texas and now serves in Hawaii His formal consecration is scheduled for Jan 11 He has spent more than half of his clerical career in posts in Asia and Europe He learned Japanese de- veloped an international group of friends including Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa and staked out positions ranging from opposition to the nuclear arms race to support for programs to end world hunger Browning 56 quickly indicated that issues such as apartheid and world hunger will be on the top of his term agenda for his as head of the 28 church In a news conference after his election Tuesday he told 12-ye- ar million-memb- er reporters he will seek greater cooperation between all churches in solving blems of village" pro- "the global On Thursday in a major address to the convention he n promised to visit Central America during the first year of his term then war-tor- added: “To our brothers and sisI ters in Central America want you to know personally of my commitment to you and to the of your dioceses and nations “As in South Africa and Namibia I encourage us to see the root causes of suffering in Central America in its poverty and injustice not in communism" He also announced that he had sent a message to Tutu “offering the full support of my office to his courageous ministry" and inviting him to attend his installation in Washington next January “so that the occasion itself might sacramentally express our love and our support for this man and his people" Despite his outspoken convictions Browning has a reputation as a man who knows how to deal gently with people “He's very reconciling" said the Rev John Engelcke editor of the Hawaii Church Chronicle “He makes use of the particular gifts of those he works with He is a strong man but very pastoral human and humane in his dealing with other people He’s really rather extraordinary" At the time of his nomina- tion earlier this year Browning said the church must work to heal the "conflicts and brokenness” of this age He listed such problems as population growth poverty and starvation economic inequality nuclear conflict After his election he said the church should “use all its influence in support of the poor and hungry" Church rules say the presiding bishop should “speak God’s word to the church and to the world” and Browning has not hesitated to speak out on issues he believes in no matter what the audience In an Easter Sunday sermon last year to a con- gregation that included President Reagan he decried what he termed a shift of resources from the “com- - in UP The Rev Edmond Lee Browning bishop of Hawaii was elected the leader of the Episcopal Church earlier this month passionate face” of government to expenditures for arms In his convention address last week he took up the same theme “I reaffirm now that I believe the production testing and deployment of nuclear chemical and biological weapons to be incompatible with the gospel of Jesus Special fireside scheduled By Elaine Alder and the 38th Ward for young adults living at home rather than in apartments and dorms Christensen who will conduct the fireside explains that since the church has no formal singles organization except for wards plans are now being made to supplement and work with other groups such as the Unique Singles Association In addition he explains that a telephone hotline is being installed to provide specific information for singles such as social activities and cultural events in the community It will run per day and will be recorded weekly correspondent special fireside for adult church members and the general public will be A LDS held this Sunday at 7 pm in the Logan Tabernacle Elder John H Groberg of the First Quorum of the Seventy will be the speaker Elder Groberg has been a member of the Quorum since 1976 He is in the presidency of the Salt Lake City North Area which administers the Cache Valley stakes Previously he has served as an administrator for the church in HawaiiTongaSamoa rs Micronesia Northern NevadaArizona California and the North Central United States areas He has also served as president of the Tonga Mission and a bishop in Idaho Falls He and his wife are the parents of 11 children According to Elder Val R Christensen Regional Representative in Cache Valley the meeting is also planned to introduce single members of the church to the programs and social events scheduled for them through wards and stakes on a re- - ea Religion Elder John Saturday at 6 pm The theme is based on the scripture found in Doctrine and Covenants quoted by LDS Public Communications as “Draw near unto me and 1 will draw near unto you” The general presidents of the Primary Young Women and Relief Society will speak at the meeting which will be telecast via satellite to more than 900 gatherings throughout the United States Canada and Puerto Rico The women of the church will also hear from President Gordon B Hinckley of the LDS First Presidency Liberation theologian to speak A major Protestant theologian just returned from Nicaragua will address the Annual Fall Meeting of Shared Ministry in Utah set for in the Ogden Hilton Hotel Sept professor of theology Dr Jorge Lara-Brau- d Explaining the services multi-region- al being planned Christenen says that while the church has been mainly family oriented in the past leaders now recognize the numbers of adult singles within the membership ever-increasi- "Religious needs will still be met on a ward and stake basis but social needs can be met best when planned for a larger area such as this multi-region- al fireside" he says While he was in charge of American Episcopal in churches 1971-7- 4 — Europe from with congregations including —many US he actively servicemen supported reconciliation with draft resisters and Vietnam War deserters living Europe in During his 10 years in Hawaii he raised the church from relative obscurity to a position of political prominence Browning is an outspoken advocate of civil rights including gay rights and has worked closely with the elderly the homeless alcoholics and immigrants In his convention address he took care to note his approval of a motion expressing support for those suffering from acquired immune deficiency syndrome "We need to affirm each and every one in his or her uniqueness" he said last week US bishop defends Vatican 2 changes calls for more reform By David E Anderson UPI religion writer WASHINGTON (UPI) — Reform has worked for tiie Roman Catholic Church in the United States a leader says and its time to take a new look at priestly celibacy and ways to expand the leadership role of women Bishop James Malone of Youngstown Ohio president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops strongly defended the record of US Catholicism in the 20 years since the end of the Second Vatican Council In a report to the Vatican Malone staked out the US church’s position for the forthcoming extraordinary Synod of Bishops called by Pope John Paul II to assess the impact of the council “As president of the Conference of Bishops in the United States I wish to report my conviction that the church in the United States is fundamentally on the right track in implementing the teachings and decisions of Vatican Council 2" Malone said “While some difficulties have been encountered the state of the church in this country is basically sound" he added In looking toward continued implemention of the reforms inaugurated at the council Malone said “Particular attention must now be given to women both lay and religious “Their role in the church and society must be clarified their rights and dignity must be affirmed and their advancement to positions of must coleadership and decision-makin- g ntinue" he said Malone also said the role of priests must be 14-pa- ge clarified and enhanced “The shortage of new priestly vocations requires specifically addressing such issues as celibacy and the general weakening of the sense of commitment apparent in our culture today” he said Vatican 2 unleashed a wave of sometimes unwieldy reforms in the church including innovations in liturgy religious practices and the creation of national bishops conferences Liberals and conservatives believe John Paul thinks the reforms have in some instances gone too far and would like to rein them in Malone said he hoped the synod — set for Nov 8 and expected to be a major test of 25-D- ec factional struggle among the church's worldwide leaders — will be “a strong reaffirmation of the church’s commitment to Vatican II" In the report requested by Rome Malone acknowledged there had been difficulties in implementing the reforms but downplayed examples of “errors and abuses" “Cultural factors originating outside the church and the council account for many recent problems in Catholic life in the United States as in many other countries” he said “Among these factors are exaggerated individualism the culturally conditioned disinclination of many persons to make permanent commitments the breakdown of marriage and family life the sexual revolution and exaggerated secular feminism “These things have undoubtedly had an adverse effect on the church in the United States in the last 20 years and continue to do so" he said “But they were not caused by Vatican 2" report Drawing near to the Lord is the theme of the annual Women's Meeting of the LDS Church 8 Groberg gional basis Christensen called as a Regional Representative in May 1985 has recently been assigned to work with the single adults in this area which also includes single parents While he was serving as stake president of the Logan East Stake he organized the first singles ward in Cache Valley the Logan 34th Ward for working singles LDS Womens1 conference 27-2- H Christ" he said and culture at the San Francisco Theological Seminary will address delegates to Shared Minstry from five Protestant denominations statewide at 8 pm on the 27th following a 7 pm dinner at the Hilton Hotel He speaks again the next morning at the hotel as part of a 9 am worship service The public is invited On Sept 4 Dr Braud returned to the US from Nicaragua where he was actively working as a member of the National Advisory Board of Witness for Peace beginning in the summer of parishioners who fear they may catch AIDS 1985 A "liberation chalice" theology" advocate Dr Braud's topic will be "Liberation and Unity: A Fresh Word from New Testament Texts" Shared Ministry is the program arm versus ecclesiastical efforts for 64 congregations among Utah's Presbyterian United Methodist American Baptist United Church of Christ and Disciples of Christ churches Priest seeks to quell fear from the chalice although he does not believe the disease can be spread by the sacrament "We are told by the best present medical authorities that it is highly improbable that the disease can be transmitted through the use of the chalice” the Rev Allen R Hingston said in a letter this week “But no one has yet said that it is not possible and I am sure that many of you are vaguely or greatly uneasy about receiving from the To allay their fears Hingston rector of the Episcopal St Stephen's Church in Coconut Grove offered his congregation three ways to take communion Worshipers may continue to receive both the consecrated wafer and wine from the chalice They may take the Eucharist by dipping the wafer in the wine Or they can receive only the wafer bypassing the wine cup entirely communion although not regular in Episcopal churches is acceptable the er Single-eleme- — MIAMI (Li i Episcopal priest has offered alternatives for giving communion to nt priest stressed Pope plans to visit US - WASHINGTON (UPI) Pope John Paul II may make a pastoral visit to the United States in lue uu ui ivoi ana visit several Southern and Western cities the National Conference of Catholic Bishops announced The dates and places have not been determined the bishops said but the trip may last a little more than a week and could include several cities in the West and South “I am deeply grateful that the Holy Father has expressed a desire to return to our country" said Bishop James Malone of Youngstown Ohio president of the Bishops’ Conference "We look forward to receiving him again with joy and affection” In San Francisco the archdiocese spokesman the Rev Miles Riley said the visit will include eight to 10 cities and "San Francisco will certainly be one of his stops" "Basically what we have confirmed is that he is willing and enthusiastic about making the trip" Riley said |
