Month: March 2017

‘The Promise’ Movie About the Armenian Genocide w/ trailer

By Bishop Keith Ackerman
In one of the Armenian Diasporas, numerous Armenians flocked to the USA.  Due to their economic circumstances, when they arrived they could not build churches, and since they are neither Roman Catholic nor Eastern Orthodox, nor Anglican, nor Protestant and considering how the Jerusalem Armenians were treated by other Christians they sought out Episcopal Churches, and generally in the afternoon they Celebrated their Divine Liturgy.  Therefore, many of us “old timers” were brought up with Armenians friends who were members of the Armenian Apostolic Church.  My Italian wife’s godparents were Armenian. In Jerusalem, of course, within the Old City they have their own Quarter – in part due to the fact that Armenia was the first Christian nation.  Their Cathedral is the Cathedral of St. James built over the site of the martyrdom of St. James of Jerusalem.  In their Quarter they have a seminary and a choir school.  The expansions in the Muslim Quarter and the Jewish Quarter have a major negative impact on the Armenian Quarter.  They are the poorest Quarter, and since they are neither Jewish nor Muslim, they experience mistreatment.  Of course, they are one of the Jurisdictions that has “an official place” in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.  One of the Stations of the Cross is at an Armenian Catholic (smaller group than Armenian Apostolic) Church – and that Station was destroyed probably about 10 years ago by anti Christians.  It has since been rebuilt, but permission must be received from the church in order to unlock the doors to see the church.  The Christian population in Jerusalem has shrunk to such an extent that the vast majority of churches are shrines and museums instead of being places of worship for people of various ethnic and jurisdictional backgrounds.  Christianity in Jerusalem has been reduced by over 30% over a 30 years period, and now has dropped well below 10%.  They are the “in between people.”  They are Palestinians in many instances – but not Muslims.  They are not Jewish – and the non practicing secular Jews of which there are many, do not distinguish.  A Palestinian is a Palestinian.  But if one is a Christian Palestinian they know what it is like to be caught in between.  The Armenians have even more difficulty – they are not Palestinian, they are not Jewish, and they are not Muslims.  They have little standing
.
The history of the people of the first Christian nation is a very, very sad one, and their Holocausts are often unknown, forgotten, or ignored.

I have had the  privilege of being in the Armenian Quarter 15 times, and in the USA of working Ecumenically with them.  Over 40 years ago as I was praying with Armenian Christians, I wondered if their history could ever become our history, as I pondered potential Christian persecution for other Christians, and as I pondered the rise of terrorism which was becomingly, in terms of a revival, a greater potential.  Armenian Christians have rarely become anyone’s “cause” and they do not usually appear on the list of those with whom the culture has bidden us to be politically correct.

I would ask that all Christians recall the history of Armenian Christians – in their native land, in the Holy Land, in Russia, in Turkey and in the United States.  By the way, my friend, Bart Shakarian, did well.  The next time you go to one of his stores, called “GNC” please say a prayer for the repose of his soul.  When his Armenian Apostolic Church closed, he kept on going to the building Sunday after Sunday – earlier than he had for Divine Liturgy, and became an Anglican.  I can still see my friend’s face at my Consecration as a Bishop 23 years ago.  A man whom he had known since that man was a teenager, who demonstrated his love for the plight of the Armenian people was becoming a successor to the Apostles.  I think that Bart hoped that I would remind people from time to time about his people who paid a price to be a Christian.

They are easy to forget – but easy to remember :

Christ –       Ian
Armenian – ian
Shakar –     ian

May we all learn from their story.

Bp. Keith Ackerman

From Glenn Beck’s website

‘The Promise’ Dares to Tell the Truth About the Armenian Genocide

In 1915, leaders of the Turkish government set in motion a plan to expel and
massacre Armenian Christians living in the Ottoman Empire. By the early
1920s, when the massacres and deportations finally ended, 1.5 million
Armenian Christians were dead, with many more forcibly removed from the
country. Today, most historians call this event a genocide — a premeditated
and systematic campaign to exterminate an entire people. However, the
Turkish government does not acknowledge the enormity or scope of these
events. Despite pressure from Armenians and social justice advocates
throughout the world, it is still illegal in Turkey to talk about what happened
to Armenians during this era.

At long last, this forbidden story comes to life in the sweeping new film The
Promise. Glenn had the opportunity to see an advance screening, calling it
“epic, beautiful, tragic and stirring.”

“Join me in spreading the word and getting people into theaters,” Glenn
urged in a series of tweets. “It is not just important. It is a brilliant movie. Let
history be finally told.”

The Promise opens in theaters April 21. Watch the trailer below.

Our Ambassador for Anglican & Ecumenical Affairs Responds

Bp. Keith Ackerman responds to the statement by the Bishop of Maidstone

This is one of the saddest ecclesial stories to have occurred.  This is an excellent “Evangelical” response with the Anglo-Catholic response having been posted several days ago.  (Not all Evangelicals keep us Anglo-Catholics in the loop.). The point is – if anyone wants to see how a hammered out agreement is implemented – here it is.  As long as a Bishop believes that the “ordination” of women is a matter of Doctrinal Truth and that other Biblical principles are also irrelevant – and subject to a vote – this is what happens.

Bp. North is a highly energetic Bishop, who as Administrator of our Anglican Shrine (Our Lady of Walsingham) brought vibrancy, youth, and spectacular plans for evangelization. He was appointed and then consecrated a Bishop (suffragan) and was recently appointed to Sheffield to be the Ordinary.  This is a tragic day for all of us Catholics in the Anglican world – but it is a defining moment.  The  C of E “deed” of 1992 and the later “deed” of two years ago has produced a fourth order of ministry, in my opinion:

Bishops, Priests, Deacons, and Ordained women.  It has now come home to roost in the UK.  In fact – this is what will effectively end our ecumenical relationships with other Catholic Communions such as Rome and Eastern Orthodoxy.  We had always claimed that we simply were Catholic priests or bishops or deacons serving in the Anglican Communion.  The reason was clear – we simply received the Catholic Orders without alteration, as have the Roman Catholic Church, some Old Catholics, and the Orthodox.  In the last few decades we saw the alterations, and yet we struggled to find a place where we could mutually coexist.  I think the sad situation in Sheffield brings further to the light the struggles that Faithful Catholic Anglicans have in having tried to work from within.

There are very many conclusions one may reach – but one of the points to be made is that reform within an ecclesial institution is usually destined to failure unless your name is St. Francis.  For those who know me, you know that I do not believe that Anglicanism is a Protestant Denomination, nor that it was founded in modern Church history in the 16th century, but that it is a continuation of the Catholic Faith that made its way to the British Isles.  But undeniably, Protestant behavior, (we can vote on just about anything) has become the mode in several Provinces.  I counsel priests (wearing my other hat) who are in the larger Communions (Rome, Orthodoxy, Old Catholic, etc) and they clearly are not exempt from numerous challenges and distress within their Communions.  I have also counseled a few Protestant ministers who are distressed with what they see in their church jurisdictions.

More prayer…………..less complaints………..more action………more teaching…..more compassion for those who fight for Truth – wherever they may be serving.  I fear that too many of us see the Church like a talent show, where we sit as judges assigning scores for Orthodoxy.  We need to get out from behind the Judges Desk…..and make a difference.   When I allegedly retired, I tried to give up Social Media, emails, and meetings so that I could be free to teach, write, and work with those who want to make a difference – even if they do so in unfamiliar ways to me (I am starting to learn some evangelical speak as a second language.). But the problems we are encountering are not Anglican or Roman or Orthodox or Protestant problems or sins or challenges.  Satan is interdenominational and interfaith, and he is really enjoying himself.

In Christ,
Bp. Keith L. Ackerman, SSC

FIF-UK’s Statement

See of Sheffield

Forward in Faith wishes to echo all that the bishops of The Society have said in their statement following the announcement of Bishop Philip North’s decision to withdraw acceptance of his nomination to the See of Sheffield.

We are grateful to those of different views from our own, including many female clergy, who have publicly expressed support for his nomination and for the Five Guiding Principles and the House of Bishops’ Declaration. In particular, we wish to express our gratitude to those female bishops who have honourably defended the settlement that was agreed in 2014. As they have emphasized, the continued possibility of traditional catholics being chosen as diocesan bishops was an integral part of that settlement: the House of Bishops’ Declaration imposes no stained-glass ceiling on mutual flourishing.

In the coming weeks, we shall be considering what action now needs to be taken – and by whom – to restore confidence in the House of Bishops’ Declaration, and to correct definitively the false statements that have been made about the Declaration, the Five Guiding Principles, and the beliefs of traditional catholics. We hope that this can be done in partnership with those who bear responsibility for the Church of England at national level.

We envisage making a further statement in due course.

+TONY WAKEFIELD
The Rt Revd Tony Robinson
Chairman

LINDSAY NEWCOMBE
Dr Lindsay Newcombe
Lay Vice-Chairman

ROSS NORTHING
The Revd Ross Northing SSC
Clerical Vice Chairman

The Archbishop of York’s statement is published here.