Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio became Pope Francis on March 13. (Photo: commons.wikimedia.org)

By Sue Careless

THE 1.2 BILLION Roman Catholics around the globe have a new Pope – and what a great list of firsts his election has generated. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 76, of Buenos Aires, Argentina is the first pontiff from the New World, the first Latin American pope, the first from the Southern Hemisphere, the first Jesuit, the first non-European pope in 1,200 years and the first to choose the name Francis. 

Bergoglio was elected by 115 fellow cardinals as the 266th pope on the fifth vote, after a brief two-day conclave. He had placed second

Benedict XVI will be remembered as one of the Catholic Church’s great theologians.

(Photo: Emanuel Pires / Archdiocese of Toronto)

Comment By Tim Perry

“WILL THE LEGACY of Benedict XVI be that of a great theologian or a poor administrator?” So began one of the many breathless radio reports in the days following the February resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. If we are to assess his legacy honestly and as best we can

Saeed Abedini and his son.

(Photo: www.urbanchristiannews.com)

By Faith J.H. McDonnell

AFTER the exoneration and release from prison of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani in September, it was extremely disappointing to hear of his being arrested once again on Christmas Day. Although authorities indicate that he is only serving out the remaining 45 days of his original sentence, religious liberty advocates are concerned by this bold betrayal

 Yousef Nadarkhani

(Photo: ww.faith2share.net)

By George Conger

THE IRANIAN pastor sentenced to death for apostasy from Islam, but released after three years imprisonment following an international protest campaign, was granted a special visa last month to travel to London to address a gathering of Christians who support

THE ANGLICAN Bishop of Egypt has issued a call to prayer for his embattled country after President Mohammad Mursi issued a decree widening the powers of the president and blocking his actions from judicial review by the courts.  More than 500 people have been injured in clashes between police and protestors angered by the seizure of absolute power

Justin Welby has a strong background in business and conflict resolution.

(Photo: durham.anglican.org)

(Staff)  A FORMER OIL executive with experience in conflict resolution has been chosen to lead the global Anglican Communion.

On Nov. 9^th Prime Minister David Cameron announced the appointment of Justin Welby, currently Bishop of Durham, as the next Archbishop of Canterbury. This caps a meteoric rise in the Church of England hierarchy since Welby quit the oil business and was ordained in 1992. 

At 56, Welby, a priest with only a year’s experience as a bishop,

Archbishop Datuk Bolly Lapok, the Primate of  the Province of South East Asia (left) installs the Rt. Rev. Rennis Ponniah as the ninth bishop of Singapore.

(Photo: Diocese of Singapore)

By Jonathan wong

Singapore – A SUDDEN THUNDERSTORM could not dampen the spirits of the 2,500 people who gathered to witness the installation of the Rt Rev. Rennis Ponniah as the ninth Bishop of Singapore. The Bishop-designate knocked three times on the closed doors of St Andrew’s Cathedral at the beginning of the service. When the doors were opened, so were the heavens.

The Anglican Diocese of Singapore consists of not only 26 Anglican parishes in the populous (5-million-strong) city-state of Singapore but also

The Rt. Rev. Tilewa Johnson

(Photo: episcopaldigitalnetwork.com)

By George Conger

THE ANGLICAN PROVINCE of West Africa (CPWA) has voted to form two internal provinces, one of them comprised of the new province of the Church of Ghana. The vote follows several years of negotiations

Justin Welby

(Photo: durham.anglican.org)

Let's be quiet for a moment and then pray. Come Holy Spirit to the hearts of your people and kindle in them the fire of your love.

To be nominated to this post is both astonishing and exciting. It is something I never expected, and the last few weeks have been a very strange experience. It is exciting because we are at one of those rare points where the tide of events is turning, and the church nationally, including the Church of England has great opportunities to match its very great but often hidden strengths. I feel a massive sense of privilege

Nearly 100 Anglicans from across the world gathered in Bangkok, Thailand for the Global South Conference on the Decade of Mission and Networking.   Photo: www.scribd.com

THERE IS NOTHING like a Global South conference to challenge Minority World assumptions about the Majority World. Such a conference met July 16-21 in Bangkok on the theme “Be Transformed by the Renewing of the Mind to Obedience of Faith for Holistic Mission in a Radically Changing Global Landscape.” The post-colonial reality of the church in Africa,