Church News

General Assembly adjourns and looks to the future

The General Assembly of the National Council of Churches and Church World Service, celebrating the biblical call to rejoice, pray and give thanks, also called upon churches and governments to take additional steps toward worldwide justice and peace. The General Assembly adjourned Thursday night following the installation of National Council of Churches President Peg Chemberlin and President Elect Kathryn Lohre in St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral here. In its three-day meeting here, the General Assembly voted the Apostolic Catholic Church into membership, adopted a resolution calling for nuclear disarmament, and issued messages regarding the tragedy at Ford Hood, citing the urgency of health care reform, and urging that money saved by international reductions in military spending be used to reduce infant mortality and extreme poverty. The General Assembly also issued a message of appreciation regarding the recent visit of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to the U.S. Bible Study, on I Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Rejoice Always, Pray without ceasing, Give thanks in all circumstances," the Assembly's theme, was led by the Rev. Dr. Charles Amjad-Ali, Martin Luther King Jr. Professor for Justice and Christian Community and Director of Islamic Studies at Luther Seminary in Minneapolis. More.

This report comes from a priest of exceptional courage who carries the very marks of the Gospel on his body. I am proud that the same is true of several other Apostolic Catholic priests. It is so very great an honor to be the bishop for priests who so fully image Jesus with their lives.

Chuck
September 30,2008

September 30, 2008
Brasilia,

Well, I want to give you an update on what has been happening here in Brazil.

To start with, today, September 30, is the 34th anniversary of the day I was kidnapped by the Brazilian military in Recife, Brazil, where I was working as a missionary for the United Methodist Church.

Last Friday was the 100th birthday of Dom Helder Camara, the archbishop I worked with in Recife back in the early 70s. He was the most courageous of the bishops in Brazil under the military dictatorship that was installed by the CIA in 1964, and which stayed in power for 21 years by its use of torture, rape, murder and disappearing of opponents. He was world famous for his efforts at non-violent social change and received hundreds of invitations to speak in Europe and the US. On every occasion he denounced the military for their violence and human rights violations. He also denounced their acceptance of the US economic model for Third World countries, which guaranteed their permanent poverty and subservience to the First World powers.

The Amnesty Commission of the Ministry of Justice of today’s civilian government in Brazil, has been holding “Amnesty Caravans” over the past two years. They have been going to various parts of the country and holding hearings on the cases of persons who have filed suit against the government for human rights violations in the period of the military dictatorship. At these hearings, they present the results of their findings of the merits of the cases and then they grant some form of indemnification (financial) as a symbolic gesture of apology and formally ask the plaintiffs for forgiveness for what was done to them by the government 30-40 years ago.

About a month ago, I received an email from the Commission inviting me to the Caravan which would be held on September 26 (Dom Helder’s birthday) at the headquarters of the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops (CNBB) in Brasilia, as my case would be dealt with on that day, as my kidnapping and subsequent torture and final expulsion from Brazil in 1974 was the result of my close association with Dom Helder in Recife. I gladly accepted the invitation and Argentina and I flew to Brasilia on September 23 and then attended the Amnesty Caravan on the 26th. Jessica and Erick, two of my Brazilian children, and their mother, Tereza, were present, along with my dear friend, Alanir Cardoso, the Brazilian who was kidnapped and tortured together with me in 1974, as his case was also on the agenda.

The Caravan began its session at 9:30 a.m. There were about 200 people present, many Catholic bishops, the head of CONIC, the Brazilian Council of Churches, several Ministers and/or vice-Ministers of the Brazilian government, a bishop of the Brazilian Methodist Church, representing the College of Bishops, and lots of friends and other persons concerned with human rights. There were 13 cases on the agenda.

Two of the Ministers, the president of the CNBB and the president of the Amnesty Commission made welcoming speeches, some quite eloquent and heroic in their affirmation of human rights and their denunciations of the abuses that were committed by the military dictatorship during the period from 1964 to 1985 when it was in power. One of the Ministers had been a victim of that regime himself. The most remarkable part of this to me was that the Brazilian Methodist Bishop, speaking in the name of the College of Bishops of the Brazilian Methodist Church, formally asked me for forgiveness for the fact that that church did not support me in any way back in 1974. I was, and am, amazed, and deeply grateful

Shortly before noon, my case came up, as the first of the 13. It was different from the others in that I am a US citizen. The fact that I was tortured was, in itself, extraordinary, and the fact that the Brazilian government was in the process of granting me indemnification and asking my forgiveness was even more extraordinary.

After the Vice-President of the Commission, Dr. Sueli Bettola, a Catholic nun who is an attorney, and was the “relator” of my case made her report, I was given an opportunity to speak. (They said I had 10 minutes and I only took abut 25—I explained to them that when a preacher has a chance to address a congregation in 34 years, 10 minutes weren’t enough.) My remarks were a limited summary of what had happened to me 34 years ago and an expression of thanks and appreciation for the people who supported me. I was surprised at the depth of emotion that at times overwhelmed me. I wasn’t aware of some of the feelings that I had apparently been keeping bottled up all these years. It was, for me, a remarkably therapeutic experience. Judging from the tears being shed throughout the room, it was deeply emotional for many others as well. (I will translate those remarks sometime20soon and send them to any of you who might be interested.)

At the end, the president of the Commission, Dr. Paulo Abrão, said I was being awarded a symbolic lump sum to compensate for the loss of salaries I suffered as the result of my being expelled from Brazil, and a monthly pension for life. Unbelievable.

And then he said, in the name of the government of Brazil, that they wanted to ask for my forgiveness for what had been done by the government and its agents in 1974. Absolutely unbelievable. It was as if the US government were to apologize for the victims at Abu Grahib and Guantanamo and ask for their forgiveness. Unthinkable. But it happened, much to the credit of the Brazilian government.

After lunch the session continued until 8:30 p.m. as the other 12 cases were heard and indemnification was awarded and forgiveness asked. A remarkable day. A remarkable event.

Argentina and I are going to São Paulo tomorrow for a visit with my son, Erick, who lives there with his companion, Adriana. He works at the Paulo Freire Institute, promoting grassroots democracy in Brazilian schools. Jessica, who is Director of the Master’s programs at the Law School of the University of Miami, had to return home. (She is also on the Board of Directors of Amnesty International USA and has been dedicating her career to the promotion of human rights.)

We will be returning to Panama on Sunday, October 5, where we will be preparing for our move to Nicaragua on November 1.

We are deeply grateful to God for having inspired people in the Brazilian government to carry out this program, and for the opportunity we had to be with so many friends and family here in Brazil. And deeply moved by the action of the Brazilian Methodist Church after all these years.

If you would like to get the translation of my remarks to the Commission, please let me know, as I won’t send it unless requested.

Peace and love,

Fred and Argentina Morris

Bishop Chuck Leigh, President of the Florida Council of Churches met with Governor Charlie Crist. Chuck stated that "We were able to get a committment from the governor to reinstate funding for children's health that had been removed from the medicaide budget. He also committed to back summer nutrition funding for poor children."

Just One Church, an ecumenical faith community, meets at the Coronado Golf and Beach Resort each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. All are invited to participate.

Father Bernie and Rev. Dr. Patricia
meet Dr. Elizabeth S. Tapia,
the featured speaker.

The Apostolic Catholic Church supports the following declaration of the NCCC Conference:

We Churches of the United States have a message of hope for a fearful time.

Just as the churches responded to the harshness of early 20^th Century industrialization with a prophetic “Social Creed” in 1908, so in our era of globalization we offer a vision of a society that shares more and consumes less, seeks compassion over suspicion and equality over domination, and finds security in joined hands rather than massed arms.

Inspired by Isaiah’s vision of a “peaceable kingdom,” we honor the dignity of every person and the intrinsic value of every creature, and pray and work for the day when none “labor in vain or bear children for calamity” (Isaiah 65:23). We do so as disciples of the One who came “that all may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10), and stand in solidarity with Christians and with all who strive for justice around the globe.

In faith, responding to our Creator, we celebrate the full humanity of each woman, man, and child, all created in the divine image as individuals of infinite worth, by working for:

· Full civil, political and economic rights for women and men of all races.

· Abolition of forced labor, human trafficking, and the exploitation of children.

· Employment for all, at a family-sustaining living wage, with equal pay for comparable work.

· The rights of workers to organize, and to share in workplace decisions and productivity growth.

· Protection from dangerous working conditions, with time and benefits to enable full family life.

· A system of criminal rehabilitation, based on restorative justice and an end to the death penalty.

In the love incarnate in Jesus, despite the world’s sufferings and evils, we honor the deep connections within our human family and seek to awaken a new spirit of community, by working for:

· Abatement of hunger and poverty, and enactment of policies benefiting the most vulnerable.

· High quality public education for all and universal, affordable and accessible healthcare.

· An effective program of social security during sickness, disability and old age.

· Tax and budget policies that reduce disparities between rich and poor, strengthen democracy, and provide greater opportunity for everyone within the common good.

· Just immigration policies that protect family unity, safeguard workers’ rights, require employer accountability, and foster international cooperation.

· Sustainable communities marked by affordable housing, access to good jobs, and public safety.

· Public service as a high vocation, with real limits on the power of private interests in politics.

In hope sustained by the Holy Spirit, we pledge to be peacemakers in the world and stewards of God’s good creation, by working for:

· Adoption of simpler lifestyles for those who have enough; grace over greed in economic life.

· Access for all to clean air and water and healthy food, through wise care of land and technology.

· Sustainable use of earth’s resources, promoting alternative energy sources and public transportation with binding covenants to reduce global warming and protect populations most affected.

· Equitable global trade and aid that protects local economies, cultures and livelihoods.

· Peacemaking through multilateral diplomacy rather than unilateral force, the abolition of torture, and a strengthening of the United Nations and the rule of international law.

· Nuclear disarmament and redirection of military spending to more peaceful and productive uses.

· Cooperation and dialogue for peace and environmental justice among the world’s religions.

We—individual Christians and churches—commit ourselves to a culture of peace and freedom that embraces non-violence, nurtures character, treasures the environment, and builds community, rooted in a spirituality of inner growth with outward action. We make this commitment together—as members of Christ’s body, led by the one Spirit—trusting in the God who makes all things new.