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Breaking News: Western Canada Tar Sand Pipeline Decision Delayed Until Late 2013
Sliammon First Nation member Ta'kaiya Blaney at pipeline hearing (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press) While citizens across the United States have been demanding President Obama deny the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, Canadians and First Nations folks have been organizing as well.
One question I’ve been asked repeatedly during the Tar Sands organizing is: “If we stop the mining and oil company from building a pipeline from Alberta to Texas, won’t they just a build one from Alberta to the Pacific and ship the oil to China?”
The companies were only too happy to have us buy their logic. But the truth was that our job in the U.S. was to keep the pipeline out of our backyard, and trust that the Canadian movement would do the same. Well, it turns out they have. First Nations folks pledged to block construction with their bodies and widespread public concern has forced the Harper government to review environmental concerns.
Thanks to Brendan DeMelle at DeSmogBlog for his summary:
The Calgary Herald reports that the decision on the controversial Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline was delayed today until late 2013, a year later than planned. The three-member panel said it “would anticipate releasing the environmental assessment report in the fall of 2013 and its final decision on the project around the end of 2013.”
The joint review panel of Environment Canada and the National Energy Board announced that it will take the additional year to review the widespread public concern over the proposed pipeline, which would cut through First Nations lands in order to shuttle the dirtiest oil on the planet, Alberta tar sands, to Asian export markets.
The delay is not a good sign for Enbridge or KinderMorgan, the two major tar sands pipeline interests hoping to enable the export of Alberta’s climate-killing product overseas. As we learned last week, the oil industry will face a powerful adversary since BC’s First Nations pledged, as a united front, to halt construction and prevent the proposed pipelines from crossing their territory.
Marking their commitment against the pipeline projects, 55 First Nations leaders from across BC signed the Save the Fraser Declaration. “These First Nations form an unbroken wall of opposition from the U.S. border to the Arctic Ocean,” said the group in a statement.
In response to the firm commitment of First Nations leaders, federal Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver said today that Northern Gateway “shouldn’t be held hostage by aboriginal and environmental groups threatening to create a human “wall” to prevent construction,”according to the National Post article, “Oil industry’s ‘nation-building’ pipeline won’t be stopped by protesters.
“The joint review panel will begin community hearings in Kitimat, B.C., on Jan. 10 to hear from both sides on this contentious issue. The hearings are sure to attract a lot of attention, and chances are pretty good that much of it will not be favorable to Enbridge or any other proposed tar sands pipeline.
In the wake of the delay and likely demise of the Keystone XL pipeline, all indications point to a difficult, and perhaps insurmountable, challenge ahead for any tar sands pipeline construction. …
Canadians have been very active in supporting the U.S. fight against the Keystone XL pipeline. Now it’s time for us to return the favor. If you can get to any of the community review hearings to support organizers there, please back up your kit bag and go!
Read Brendan’s complete article.
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John A. Dick: Belgian Catholics Issue Reform Manifesto
Belgian Catholics issue reform manifesto
by John A. Dick
Dec. 2, 2011 – NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTERBRUSSELS, BELGIUM — The week before the start of Advent, four Flemish priests issued a church reform manifesto that called for allowing the appointment of laypeople as parish pastors, liturgical leaders and preachers, and for the ordination of married men and women as priests.
By the week’s end more than 4,000 of publicly active Catholics had signed on to the “Believers Speak Out” manifesto. By Dec. 1, the number of signers had reached 6,000.
Among the supporters are hundreds of priests, educators, academics and professional Catholics. Two prominent supporters are former rectors of the Catholic University of Leuven, Roger Dillemans and Marc Vervenne.
“These are not ‘protest people.’ They are people of faith. They are raising their voices. They hope their bishops are listening,” said Fr. John Dekimpe, one of four priests who launched the manifesto.
“Some people are fearful about approaching church leadership,” said the priest, who lives in Kortrijk. “Is this being a dissident? I don’t think so. The Belgian church is a disaster. If we don’t do something, the exodus of those leaving the church will just never stop. … I really want the bishops to reflect deeply about the growing discontent of so many believers.”
Among the manifesto’s demands, made “in solidarity with fellow believers in Austria, Ireland and many other countries,” are that:
• Parish leadership be entrusted to trained laypeople;
• Communion services be held even if no priest is available;
• Laypeople be allowed to preach;
• Divorced people be allowed to receive Communion;
• “As quickly as possible, both married men and women be admitted to the priesthood.
So far there has been no official reaction from Archbishop André-Joseph Léonard, the Catholic primate of Belgium, any of the other Belgium bishops, or the Vatican. Privately, and off the record, one Belgian bishop has applauded the manifesto.Read the rest here.
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Catholic Priest Jerry Zawada Risks Vatican Censure to Support Women’s Ordination
Thank you, brother Jerry.Despite rumors that Franciscan Fr. Jerry Zawada would be excommunicated and expelled from his order for his participation in a liturgy led by a female priest, Zawada and the leadership of his order say that has yet to be discussed. Zawada participated in the Nov. 19 liturgy while attending the School of Americas Watch in Fort Benning, Ga. Fr. John Puodziunas, provincial minister of the Franciscan Friars of the Assumption BVM Province, told NCR that he has not received any contact from the Vatican on the matter. …
Zawada joined Janice Sevre-Duszynska, who was ordained as a priest in 2008 in the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests, in leading a liturgical service for more than 300 people at the annual SOA Watch in Columbus, Ga., north of Fort Benning. Zawada said he has pondered the issue of women’s ordination for “quite a long time,” adding that there’s “something unjust” with the current structure. “Our structure needs reshaping,” he added.
For him, the opportunity to follow his conscience and to join others to “support the movement” toward female ordination presented itself in the liturgy at SOA Watch. “[It’s what] the Holy Spirit is calling us to do,” Zawada said.
Previous cases involving support of women priests have resulted in latae sententiae, or automatic excommunication. Attempted ordination of a woman was added to the Vatican’s list of “grave crimes” in 2010. Quigley, a law professor at Loyola University New Orleans, said Zawada and others in the church are entitled to due process and a right to a hearing. Quigley said Zawada did not want an adversarial situation, but did want a transparent process.
When asked about a possibility of excommunication, Zawada said the thought was “hurtful on some levels” but told NCR he does not plan to challenge any disciplinary action. “Whatever consequences come for me, I’m willing to accept,” he said, adding he has no intention to retract his opinion and has “no intention of leaving the Catholic church.” … –Brian Roewe, National Catholic Reporter (Nov. 30, 2011)
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Speaking Gig: Church Women United in Atlantic City, NJ
Lisa Sharon Harper On Friday, December 2, 2011, I’ll be in Atlantic City, NJ, with 400 women at Church Women United, one of the largest Christian women’s organizations in the U.S. representing 26 denominations and supporting organizations, to celebrate 70 years of fighting the good fight and running the race.
I’ll join with Lisa Sharon Harper in speaking at the morning breakfast on the role of Sojourners in faith-inspired social justice movements and then Lisa and I will lead afternoon workshops on Christians and the environment.
Our workshop is titled, “For God so loved the world…”: Christians, Climate Change, and Environmental Justice.” From the Genesis creation story to Isaiah’s critique of imperial clear-cutting of the cedars of Lebanon to contemporary issues like the Keystone XL pipeline and fracking, Christians are engaged in advancing environmental justice. What do we need to understand about climate change, environmental racism, and environmental sexism? How do our scriptures give us a firm foundation for entering into very contemporary environmental issues?
For more information, contact Church Women United at (212) 870-234.
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Thanksgiving Blessings
“Prayer Before Meal” by Filipino cubist artist Vicente Manansala.
Thanks
by W. S. MerwinListen
with the night falling we are saying thank you
we are stopping on the bridges to bow from the railings
we are running out of the glass rooms
with our mouths full of food to look at the sky
and say thank you
we are standing by the water thanking it
smiling by the windows looking out
in our directionsback from a series of hospitals back from a mugging
after funerals we are saying thank you
after the news of the dead
whether or not we knew them we are saying thank youover telephones we are saying thank you
in doorways and in the backs of cars and in elevators
remembering wars and the police at the door
and the beatings on stairs we are saying thank you
in the banks we are saying thank you
in the faces of the officials and the rich
and of all who will never change
we go on saying thank you thank youwith the animals dying around us
our lost feelings we are saying thank you
with the forests falling faster than the minutes
of our lives we are saying thank you
with the words going out like cells of a brain
with the cities growing over us
we are saying thank you faster and faster
with nobody listening we are saying thank you
we are saying thank you and waving
dark though it isFrom W.S. Merwin’s The Rain In The Trees (Knopf, 1988)
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#Occupy Love: What if You Lived According to What You Want to Give?
A taste of the upcoming feature documentary, Occupy Love. “Love is the felt experience of connection to another being. An economist says ‘more for you is less for me.’ But the lover knows that more of you is more for me too. If you love somebody their happiness is your happiness. Their pain is your pain. Your sense of self expands to include other beings. This shift of consciousness is universal in everybody, 99% and 1%,” says Charles Eisenstein.
“All of the baubles of the rich are a phony compensation for the loss of what’s really important. The loss of community, connection, intimacy. The loss of meaning – and everyone wants to live a life of meaning.”
“It’s really hard to create community if the underlying knowledge is that we don’t need each other. People get together and consume together. But joint consumption does not create community. Only joint creativity creates community.”
Charles Eisenstein, author of Sacred Economics: Money, Gift, and Society in the Age of Transition, is a teacher, speaker, and writer focusing on themes of civilization, consciousness, money, and human cultural evolution. This is a community funded film. Watch video with Spanish subtitles.
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Rabbi Arthur Waskow on Radio Occupy Faith
Rabbi Arthur Waskow interview with Interfaith “Occupy” Radio.Discussing the Exodus as an example of a general strike, the dissolution of pharaoh’s power, the creation of “islands of decency” within the European Jewish ghettos, freedom of Soviet Jewry used Gandhian nonviolence, and the current coming together of “anti-pharaoh’s freedom values” among various faith communities.
Beautiful description of Kol Nidrei and Isaiah 58 celebrated at Occupy Camps. You can listen to it here: http://anoccupiedfaith.tumblr.com/
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Video: Actress’ Street Performance Against Mayor Bloomberg Gets Her Fired
This is what prophetic action looks like. (See Isaiah 20 and Micah 2 for earlier examples of bold prophetic action against the ruling powers.)
Mary Notari, an actress who pretended to be a representative from the office of New York City’s Mayor Bloomberg in a satirical performance addressing the Occupy Wall Street movement a block away from the mayor’s E. 79th St. residence this past Sunday was fired from her real job as an independent contractor at a market research consulting firm.
“They said my performance had put the company in an uncomfortable position,” said Mary Notari, who learned of her firing from a phone call Monday afternoon. “The mayor has said ‘No right is absolute’—including, apparently, the right to poke fun at him for using violent force against his own people and for bending the law to do so.”
In Notari’s performance, she asked the recently-evicted protesters how they would “feel if someone came to your place of residence and prevented you from moving freely?” She also announced that the protesters had “put the mayor under siege” and had “reduced him to behaving like a medieval warlord.”
Police prevented protesters from entering the E. 79th St. block where the mayor spends weekdays. When asked if the mayor was there at the time, a police officer answered: “No, he’s in Bermuda. He goes there every weekend. He’s a billionaire, he goes where he wants. Learjet.”
“What the police have done is made 79th Street between 5th and Madison a no-First-Amendment zone,” said Norman Siegel, a civil liberties lawyer. “The Constitution doesn’t say you have First Amendment rights except where Mayor Bloomberg lives.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I find drum circles just as annoying as the mayor does,” said Notari. “But the beating of drums is nothing compared to the beatings his police officers have delivered to peaceful protesters this past week.”
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Richard Rohr: ‘Give me your failure … I will make a life out of it’
"The Flower Carrier" by Diego Rivera Give me your failure, God says, and I will make life out of it. Give me your broken, disfigured, rejected, betrayed lives, like the body you see hanging on the cross, and I will make life out of it. This is the divine pattern of promise and transformation which gives such hope to history. It is probably the central Gospel message.
We are all still handicapped and terribly aware of our wounds, but as St. Augustine (354-430) says in his Confessions, “In my deepest wound I saw Your glory and it dazzled me.” He seems to be saying that against all expectations our very failures can be our way through to God and to ourselves. That utterly levels the playing field. Even Julian of Norwich (1342-1416) says, “God sees our wounds, and sees them not as scars but as honors … For God holds sin as a sorrow and pain to us. He does not blame us for them” (From Revelations of Divine Love, Chapter 39, Showing 13).
If the Gospel is true, we might eventually thank God for our very weaknesses and failures.–Richard Rohr, OFM
Adapted from Richard Rohr’s Everything Belongs (p. 166)
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Rose Marie Berger 