New Westminster suspends cursillo for two years: director divided over blessing of same-sex unions.The diocese of New Westminster New Westminster, city (1991 pop. 43,585), SW British Columbia, Canada, on the Fraser River, part of metropolitan Vancouver. Founded in 1859 as Queensborough, it was the capital of British Columbia until Victoria was made capital after the union of British Columbia has suspended Cursillo Cursillos in Christianity (in Spanish: Cursillos de Cristiandad, from "curso" = course, and the diminutive ending "-illo", small course of Christianity) is a ministry of the Roman Catholic Church. activities for two years after a diocesan controversy over the blessing of same sex unions spilled over into the activities of the spiritual and evangelical movement In a letter co-signed by Dean Peter Elliott This article is about the Canadian Anglican priest. For the athlete, see Peter Elliott (athlete). For the Australian Roman Catholic Bishop, see Peter J. Elliott. The Very Rev. Peter Elliott (St. , commissary COMMISSARY. An officer whose principal duties are to supply the army with provisions. 2. The Act of April 14, 1818, s. 6, requires that the president, by and with the consent of the senate, shall appoint a commissary general with the rank, pay, and emoluments to the diocese in the absence of Bishop Michael Ingham
The Right Reverend Michael Ingham (born 1949 in Yorkshire) is a bishop and theologian. , and by Archdeacon Ronald Harrison, the local Cursillo group was asked to suspend its activities and disband dis·band v. dis·band·ed, dis·band·ing, dis·bands v.tr. To dissolve the organization of (a corporation, for example). v.intr. 1. its 19-member secretariat. In an interview, Mr. Harrison said that he and Mr. Elliott were responding to two letters asking for the suspension. Lorraine Bryan, chair of the Canadian Anglican Cursillo secretariat, wrote to Bishop Ingham on Aug. 22. Another letter arrived from five members of the local secretariat, supporting her request. In an open letter to the New Westminster secretariat, Mrs. Bryan explained her request: "The recent split (within the secretariat over last June's decision to bless same-sex unions) has resulted in words and actions that are harmful to the reputation of Cursillo in general, not just to your local movement.... Recent activities do not ... present Cursillo as an example of Christian evangelization e·van·gel·ize v. e·van·gel·ized, e·van·gel·iz·ing, e·van·gel·iz·es v.tr. 1. To preach the gospel to. 2. To convert to Christianity. v.intr. To preach the gospel. or fellowship," she wrote. In an interview, Mrs. Bryan said there were other problems with the movement in the diocese. There are 19 people on the New Westminster secretariat or board, where the norm is eight to 10, and there are no by-laws. But the heart of the problem, she said, is political. "There were factions fighting. They were having trouble working as a unit," she said. The national Cursillo office's concern, she added, also centred on authority. "Cursillo only operates under the auspices of the bishop. Our movement is not like a child in a divorce case where you can go back and forth between different sides." A group of Cursillo people and some secretariat members met informally twice -- on Aug. 12 and again on Sept. 9. Peter Turner Peter Turner was an English mathematician. He gave public lectures on as professor of geometry at Gresham College, London from 1620 to 1630. He held the Savilian Chair of Geometry at the University of Oxford from 1631 to 1649. , who chaired the first meeting, said in an interview that there had not been enough consultation with the larger secretariat before the five, including Cursillo's spiritual advisor, Rev. Catherine Hall, wrote to Cursillo headquarters in Oakville, Ont. and then to the bishop supporting the suspension. "We have over 800 people involved with Cursillo in the diocese," he noted. Mr. Turner said that problems in Cursillo were not related to the diocesan decision on same-sex blessings but centered on personalities. In an open letter to members, Mr. Turner proposed that Cursillo carry on without official sanction. Mr. Turner also wrote that the licenses of several Cursillo priests "are now in jeopardy and hence their participation in Cursillo is impaired.... "If this reflects our bishop's `pastoral plan' then I do not see Cursillo, with evangelism as its primary mission and its whole reason for existing, as ever being compatible under this bishop." Archdeacon Ronald Harrison, in the absence of Bishop Ingham who was in Hong Kong attending the Anglican Consultative Council The Anglican Consultative Council or ACC is one of the four "Instruments of Communion" of the Anglican Communion. It was created by a resolution of the 1968 Lambeth Conference. , said no licenses had been revoked. |
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