PNCC

Adam has a link to pictures from the November 30th Consecrations of four PNCC bishops. Note that the linked site is commercial.

Church and school closings:

Our PNCC seminarian and soon to be cleric, Adam has a post regarding closures in the Diocese of Scranton. See A Sad Situation… He rightly points out that the PNCC, a Church established along democratic lines, develops solutions to pressing issues in a manner that better serves its constituents.

In the same vein, at least one R.C. Bishop is taking first steps in recognizing the democracy and Church can co-exist. See In southern NJ, Roman Catholic churches preparing to consolidate from Newsday. Here’s an excerpt:

Unlike many, though, the bishop is leaving it largely up to lay people to figure out how the church should be reorganized.

Bishop Joseph Galante on Thursday announced a process that will shake up the configuration of churches that serve an estimated 500,000 Catholics in six southern New Jersey counties.

He envisions some parish churches and Catholic schools being closed, some churches sharing priests and perhaps some new churches and schools being planned in growing communities.

Committees from groups of parishes and schools are being formed to work out the plans. Galante said he would make the final decisions.

Anglicans Making Sense?

From the Guardian: Church of Ireland head wants end to ban on Catholic monarchs

Turkish PM – getting it right?

The BBC is reporting that prominent Turkish-Armenian writer Hrant Dink has been shot dead. See Turkish-Armenian writer shot dead. Amazingly, the Turkish PM has condemned the killing as an affront to democracy.

Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the killing and said two suspects had been arrested.

“A bullet has been fired at democracy and freedom of expression,” Mr Erdogan told a hastily convened news conference.

The attack on Hrant Dink was an attack on Turkey and on Turkish unity and stability, Mr Erdogan said, vowing that the “dark hands” behind the killing would be brought to justice.

Hopefully he really believes this and will move to overturn the Turkish Identity Law which prosecutes anyone who exercises freedom of speech and conscience.

Dink, 53, was found guilty more than a year ago of insulting Turkish identity after he wrote an article which addressed the mass killings of Ottoman Armenians nine decades ago.

…

Dink was among dozens of writers in Turkey who have been charged under 301 of Turkey’s penal code with insulting Turkish identity, often for articles dealing with the killing of Kurds and Ottoman Armenians.