Sunday, June 11, 2006

Cathedral ‘idolatry’ showdown averted
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/s06060063.htm

By Rosemary Francis in Challenge Weekly, New Zealand
Special to ASSIST News Service
 
CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND (ANS) -- New Zealand’s Christ Church Cathedral has avoided a public confrontation with evangelicals over the planned reception on Pentecost Sunday (June 4) of an altar frontal cloth which contains a Sanskrit text.

The cloth “to be presented by friends of the cathedral” has been crafted by local quilter Sue Spigel, but has caused a widening rift in the Anglican community because of its inclusion of a Sanskrit text.

The offending words, in translation read: “From darkness, lead me to the light. From death lead me to immortality.”

The ancient Hindu prayer is still used in liturgical context within contemporary Hindu idol-worship.

Dean Peter Beck said the cathedral chapter was “profoundly moved by the beauty and impact of the cloth,” which was created to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the cathedral.

However, evangelical Anglicans had circulated letters of protest regarding the cloth, which was one of a number of incidents by which the cathedral has welcomed elements of other Eastern faiths onto its grounds or into services.

Before Pentecost Sunday, Bishop David Coles had been warned that if the cloth were not rejected, there would be visible protest action at the Pentecost service, and future services would be boycotted.

Evangelical spokesman Malcolm Falloon, vicar of Bryndwr Parish, said evangelicals wanted to be heard in the church. It was quite inappropriate to use Hindu script alongside Bible verses and Prayer Book texts.

“Using these on the altar raises serious theological issues, and causes many Anglicans deep concern,” he said.

“The dean should have known that the Hindu text would provoke evangelicals. They consulted the local Indian community but not their fellow church members.

“Who is this cloth for? Who benefits from it? It is for liberals, and furthers their agenda of changing the doctrine of the Church,” said Mr. Falloon.

Responding to the concerns, Dean Beck sent out a letter of compromise, announcing that the altar cloth, instead of being blessed and used, would be received with thanks and placed on display in the cathedral ‘until the issue is resolved.’

“We are very conscious of the strains within our Anglican Communion at present and do not wish to exacerbate them… We hope that we can find a way forward which is grace-filled, rather than marked by threats… We will listen to the views of the wider church before we decide whether or not to place it on our altar. We hope to complete this process of listening before the end of August.”

Evangelicals say they are grateful for this extra time to consider their actions, and agreed not to protest at the Pentecost service. But they say they are not backing down on such an issue.

“It pains us to have to take such a strong stance, but for us to be ‘faithful disciples in this generation’ (as written in the Diocesan Prayer for 2006), we must contend for the honor of God’s house,” Mr. Falloon said.