Peace, cooperation on clergy's wish list for '08
By Laura Crimaldi
The Boston Herald
December 23, 2007
Religious leaders plan to use the pulpit in 2008 to preach for peace in the Middle East, combat gambling, encourage the faithful to fight global warming, make the church more central to daily life and improve interfaith relations.
In interviews with the Herald, leaders of several churches and faiths said they would advocate against expanded casino gambling in the Bay State through the Massachusetts Council of Churches.
"We have to be more faithful in the community. We have to be more visible in the community," said His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios, spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston. "People are losing their jobs and the church needs to embrace our bretheren and support them in their time of need."
Jewish and Muslim leaders hope to improve relations among faiths.
"The Jewish community is interested in cultivating an improved relationship with moderate Muslisms who recognize the right of Israel to a Jewish state and want to work side by side on shared values in Boston," said Nancy Kaufman, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council.
Imam Talal Eid, Muslim chaplain at Brandeis University and Massachusetts General Hospital, said the new year will bear witness to a "new kind of openness" between Muslims and Christians and Muslims and Jews. "You will see imams and rabbis walking together more and imams and ministers walking together," Eid said. "I am optimistic that will happen now."
The Right Rev. M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, said improved interfaith relations are good news for Middle East peace.
"Peace between Palestine and Israel ultimately means peace in the Middle East and peace in the Middle East means peace in the world," Shaw said. He said the church wants to combat global warming and address immigration and universal health care.
The Archdiocese of Boston declined to comment for this article, pointing instead to pre-recorded statements by Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley slated to be aired on Catholic TV during the holidays.
Metropolitan Methodios said none of the problems faced by Massachusetts can be solved by introducing casino gambling.
"We're not going to solve the homeless problem through gambling. We're not going to solve the problem of crime by setting up gambling casinos," he said. "We need to get people better jobs.'
