The Rochester DIocesan Group of Affirming Catholicism has launched its own website. Well worth a look.

Following my comments on the 'boondocks of Central Asia' opposite, I was contacted by John Kinahan from Forum 18. Forum 18 are a Christian organisation working to report threats to religious freedom, whether of Christians or others, in contradiction to Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Forum 18 have been focusing their efforts on the states that once made up the USSR, where Christians, Muslims and local minority religions are often subject to official harrassment. Their regular news bulletins are published on their website.

Affirming Catholicism distributed copies of our booklet, Permanent, Faithful, Stable to every member of English General Synod before its February meeting, which discussed homosexuality and the Church. This helped inform what was generally an inclusive sentiment from Syndod delegates, and was even covered in the national secular press.

A very happy, holy and glorious Holy Week and Easter to all of you.

Gerry Lynch
5th April 2004

Admittedly, this is hardly the first time we've seen communities of Christians being set up on the internet. When Jacques Galliot, Roman Catholic Bishop of Evreques in France annoyed the Vatican too much with his outspokenly progressive views, he was 'transferred' to the titular Diocese of Partenia - a large tract of the Sahara with no Christian community for over a millennium. Bishop Jacques responded by setting up an internet Diocese 'without frontiers' to minister to those marginalised by the Church.

However, I think this is the first time that a Church in the broad Catholic tradition has tried to set up an actual Parish online. The difficulties are fairly obvious - not least the difficulty of developing a meaningful life of worship. However, for those not welcomed by Churches where they live, who live a long way from their nearest worshipping community (try finding a Christian community in the boondocks of Central Asia or China), or who have had profoundly repellent experiences of the institutional Church, it could be a major opportunity.

Not only that, it also provides a gateway for people with little or no knowledge of the Christian faith to explore without feeling they're going to be roped in.

I can't make up my mind whether it's a gimmick or the future, but I'm glad they're making the attempt.

Gerry Lynch