Rome, 24 March (ENI)--Pope Benedict XVI has dropped one of his official titles - that of "Patriarch of the West" - in a move the Vatican says may help church unity but which has been criticised by a prominent Russian Orthodox bishop. In a 22 March statement, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity said the title first used by a pope in AD 642 had been abandoned because it had become "obsolete and practically unusable".

It said, "The renouncement of this title aims to express a historical and theological reality and at the same time ... could prove useful to ecumenical dialogue." The dropping of the title in the official Vatican directory, the "Annuario pontificio", was reported at the beginning of March but at the time the Vatican offered no explanation for the change.

Some analysts speculated it was intended to help the Vatican's dialogue with Eastern Orthodox churches which is seen as one of Pope Benedict's priorities. The role of the papacy is a key stumbling block in the relations between the two Christian traditions, which are scheduled to restart theological talks in September after a six-year break.

Cardinal Achille Silvestrini was reported saying the title had been used in the past to provoke negative comparisons between papal claims of universal jurisdiction by the worldwide "Patriarchate of the West" and the more restricted size and jurisdiction of the traditional Orthodox patriarchates.

However, Russian Orthodox Bishop Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Vienna and Austria, warned that it was not clear "how the removal of the title could possibly ameliorate Catholic-Orthodox relations". The Pope's other titles included that of "Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church", and Hilarion suggested the Pope was seeking to confirm a claim to universal church jurisdiction also over the patriarchates of the Eastern Orthodox church.

"With relation to the pope of Rome the title 'Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church' points to the pope's universal jurisdiction which is not and will never be recognised by the Orthodox Churches," Hilarion noted in a statement carried on the Web site www.orthodoxeurope.org "It is precisely this title that should have been dropped first, had the move been motivated by the * desire for amelioration of the Catholic-Orthodox relations." [381 words]

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Jaipur, India, 21 March (ENI)--More than 20 secular action groups have joined Christians for a silent march in Rajasthan, western India, demanding an end to violence aimed at Christians in the state ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). More than 6000 people marched four kilometres on 21 March under a blazing sun in the capital Jaipur from the hero's monument to the Rajasthan state legislature.

Police erected barricades near the legislature, and protesters including hundreds of Roman Catholic nuns squatted on the road for nearly three hours listening to speeches by activists and church and political leaders. All lambasted the BJP-led state government, saying it was complicit in the attacks on the Christians. Rajasthan encompasses the Thar desert, one of the largest in the world, but Christians in the state make up less than 100 000 of its 57 million people.

The protests came after attacks on the Emmanuel Mission International at Kota. These followed the finding of a book for sale at a stall containing derogatory comments on Hinduism. Despite apologies, Hindu groups attacked and blockaded mission centres including 49 schools, orphanages and a hospital. The state government cut the cooking gas supply to an orphanage at Kota with 2000 residents and froze its bank accounts. It arrested mission officials and withdrew their licenses to operate.

EMI director, Bishop Samuel Thomas was arrested in New Delhi last week by Rajasthan police while he was trying to meet legal officials to seek bail for the charges he expected to be laden on him as the head of the Emmanuel mission. Protestors called for the immediate release of those arrested for the sale of the controversial book, and 24 secular groups along with Christians, in a joint message, urged the government to take "stern action to stop attacks against the Christian community and other minorities".

The Rev. Z. R. Masih, president of the Jaipur Christian Fellowship, told Ecumenical News International that militant Hindu groups had enjoyed a "free run" in Rajasthan since the attacks on the mission began in mid-February. Masih, a Church of North India pastor, said, "They climbed on top of a church here and desecrated the cross by writing on OM [Hindu holy letters] while police looked on." On a Sunday, two weeks earlier, protesters prevented Christians from entering a church for worship despite a police presence. "It seems the police have been clearly instructed not to protect or help the Christians," Masih noted.

Kavita Srivastava, a Hindu, and secretary of the Rajasthan unit of the People's Union for Civil Liberties, told ENI her organization coordinated the protest march with other action groups. "Christians have been scared of coming out to protest", she said. "What can a tiny community do when it is hunted by powerful forces?" [477 words] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Indian church reverses trend and sends missionaries to Wales London (ENI). The Mizos hill people of north-east India who were converted to Christianity by Welsh Presbyterians in the 19th century are now sending missionaries to help what they see as their mother church in Wales. The Rev. Hmar Sangkhuma, from the Mizoram synod of the Presbyterian Church of India, has been operating as a "mission enabler" for the Indian denomination's counterpart in Wales. [343 words, ENI-06-0253] Indian church reverses trend, sends missionaries to Wales ENI-06-0253 By Martin Revis London, 17 March (ENI)--The Mizos hill people of north-east India who were converted to Christianity by Welsh Presbyterians in the 19th century are now sending missionaries to help what they see as their mother church in Wales. The Rev. Hmar Sangkhuma, from the Mizoram synod of the Presbyterian Church of India, has been operating as a "mission enabler" for the Indian denomination's counterpart in Wales. A second missionary from Mizoram, the Rev. John Colney, is due to arrive in Wales in April to share in the work under the umbrella of the Presbyterian Church of Wales. Sangkhuma, aged 49, says he sees his task as helping to remedy a "spiritual void" in society. "Because we are rich here in the West, some people think they no longer require God. We have drawn away from the presence of God, whereas when people are poor, they rely more upon God," he told Ecumenical News International. Accompanied by his wife, a nurse, and four children, Sangkhuma is based at Maestag near Bridgend under a partnership scheme organised by the Council for World Mission. He said much of his time involved counselling young people, such as school children with problems at home, and young offenders in institutions who were frequently depressed. The mission secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Wales, the Rev. Dafydd Jones explained to Ecumenical News International that Welsh Presbyterians had conducted 19th century missions in north-east India, first in the Khasi Hills, and from 1897 in Mizoram. "It is quite moving for us to hear and see how the Mizos describe us as their mother church," Jones noted. Meanwhile, Welsh Presbyterians are being asked to contribute 1 pound sterling (US$1.75) each to a fund to be used to send a medical team to Mizoram to help the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. The Council for World Mission was set up 30 years ago to share people, skills and insights among its 31 member churches which are mainly from the Reformed tradition. [343 words]

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Jerusalem, 10 March (ENI)--Church congregations across the globe are to plant olive trees and hold vigils in solidarity with Christians in the Holy Land who have urged them to press the cause of peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The International Church Action for Peace (ICAP) in Palestine and Israel solidarity week, which will also involve members of International Pax Christi and the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), will be held from 12 to 19 March.

"From Oslo to Cape Town, from Toronto to Jerusalem, concerned groups will lobby parliamentarians, hold public meetings, observe vigils and plant olive trees," said Hermina Damons, local coordinaraor of the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel. Damons told Ecumenical News International that the initiative of the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel, which helps Palestinians in the occupied territories, follows a call from church leaders in Jerusalem.

"Now as the situation continues to deteriorate and opportunities for peace are forsaken it is crucial for Christians to make their voices heard vigorously in the public arena," the message from the church leaders said.

The solidarity week will be launched by a prayer service in Jerusalem led by the heads of the churches. Fifty Christians from eight countries including Korea, Japan, the Philippines, the United States and Britain will visit the Holy Land to attend candlelight vigils along Israel's West Bank barrier and plant olive trees in Bethlehem.

"Together with the strong and deeply treasured actions of prayer and Christian solidarity, the churches in Jerusalem and the Holy Land need you to speak with the moral authority of the Church from the ethical perspective of the Christian faith," the church leaders noted. [293 words]

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New Delhi, 8 March (ENI)--Churches in India have joined in condemnation of twin bomb blasts in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi, in which at least 20 people have been reported killed, warning that the attacks appeared to be aimed at fomenting inter-communal conflict. "We condemn this terrorist act targeting innocent lives," said the Rev. Enos Das Pradhan, general secretary of the Church of North India whose territory includes Varanasi in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh where the bombs exploded on 7 March.

The attacks seemed aimed at "creating communal disharmony", Pradhan told Ecumenical News International. Most of the deaths resulted from the bomb at the Sankat Mochan temple crowded with worshippers. Another powerful blast followed at the city's crowded railway station.

Roman Catholic Bishop Patrick Paul D'Souza of Varanasi described the blasts as a "cowardly" act. "We cannot but condemn this act to create fear and confusion among the people in this holy city," he said. Varanasi is on the banks of the sacred Ganges River and is considered by Hindus to be one of their most holy cities.

"Such violence serves the purpose of fundamentalist and religious extremists who thrive on exacerbating real and imagined divides and grievances which further their pernicious political and social agendas," the All India Christian Council said in a statement deploring the blasts, which have been widely blamed on Islamic militants.

The explosions came days after clashes between Hindus and Muslims in the nearby city of Lucknow. [259 words]

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New Delhi, 7 March (ENI)--A nuclear agreement between India and the United States signed during the visit of President George W Bush to Afghanistan, India and Pakistan has evoked mixed reaction from churches in the region. "This is a sign of recognition of India's importance in international relations," said the Rev. Babu Joseph, spokesperson of Catholic Bishops Conference of India, hailing the nuclear agreement signed in New Delhi between Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Under the agreement, the United States will provide nuclear fuel to India for its nuclear energy programme while India will throw open 14 of its 23 nuclear installations for international inspection. The deal still must be approved by the US Congress. "We welcome this agreement. This will bolster our power production," Joseph told Ecumenical New International on 6 March following the agreement that has raised concerns among India's neighbours, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

However, Amelia Andrews, spokesperson of the National Council of Churches in India, a grouping of 29 Orthodox and Protestant churches, said the NCCI was "alarmed by the euphoria" about the nuclear deal. "Nuclear technology is playing with fire and we should be very cautious on this front," said Andrews.

Her comments follow a statement in February from the World Council of Churches' 9th assembly in Brazil. This urged India and its neighbour Pakistan to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty as non-nuclear states. The two south Asian neighbours are seen as vying with each other to produce nuclear warheads for ballistic missiles. [263 words]

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Geneva, 7 March (ENI)--The rights of women in Church and society are still not guaranteed, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches is warning as the world marks International Women's Day on 8 March.

"The Church is still slow in recognising the urgent call for women's equal partnership with men in all areas of ministry and witness," said the Rev. Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth, executive secretary of WARC's office for Church Renewal, Justice and Partnership.

The United Nations has marked 8 March as International Women's Day since 1975 but its roots go back to the beginning of the 20th century. Sheerattan-Bisnauth described the international day as an opportunity to celebrate the gains made by women while drawing attention to the need for gender awareness, and enacting policies that support the equality of women.

"In spite of all the advancements made, women's rights have not been guaranteed to the optimum level," she noted. "The fact remains that the majority of the poorest people in the world are women. The average woman, even in developed countries, still receives less pay than the average man for the same work.

"And even with all the legislation passed around the world, violent crimes against women, particularly rape and domestic violence, not only continue unabated but have been rising in the last decade," said Sheerattan-Bisnauth in a statement issued by the Reformed grouping, which gathers 75 million Reformed Christians in 218 churches in 107 countries.

In Germany, the country's top Protestant bishop, Wolfgang Huber, issued an appeal to mark the international day by urging action to stop the trafficking of women for enforced prostitution in advance of the soccer World Cup in June.

Trafficking of women often heightens during international sports events, such as the soccer tournament to take place in Germany, church leaders have warned.

WARC's general secretary, the Rev. Setri Nyomi, made a call "to the Church family and society at large to never let up in pursuing justice for women. Until we have that, we will never have true justice". [345 words]

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