Victorian Council of Churches

October 7 was a day of immense horror. Terror came to Israel when Palestinian militants attacked people attending a music festival and stormed a number of kibbutzim. Hundreds of women, men and children were slaughtered and many were taken hostage.

Since that time, the Israeli Defence Force has launched air strikes on Gaza, where hostages were taken by Hamas militants, and ordered Palestinians to evacuate the north prior to the launching of a ground incursion aiming to eliminate Hamas.

The Pope recently noted that a humanitarian crisis is emerging in Gaza. More adults and children are being killed in the on-going missile strikes and the diminished supply of food, water, medicines and other medical supplies, and fuel is worsening the crisis.

The Pope is also concerned about the conflict spreading to other parts of the region.

In light of these circumstances, the Holy Father implored, “Lay down weapons and heed the cries for peace from the poor, the people, and the innocent children.”

“War solves no problems,” he added. “It only sows death and destruction, increases hatred, multiplies revenge. War erases the future, it erases the future.”

The Holy Father went on to urge all believers to take one side only: that of peace. “But not with words,” he continued, “with prayer and with total dedication.”

In this spirit, Pope Francis invited everyone to a day of prayer, fasting, and penance for peace. He invited Christians, people of other faiths and peace advocates everywhere to participate in the ways they saw fit in this day of prayer, fasting and penance on this Friday, 27 October.

An hour of prayer at 6:00 PM will be held in St. Peter’s Square, with the goal of invoking peace for the world. The Pope invited churches all around the world to organise similar times of prayer on the day.

The Board of Trustees of the Parliament of the World’s Religions – after much thought, prayer and heartfelt deliberation, realizing the complex and critical situation at hand – issues the following non-unanimous statement on the Israel-Hamas War: 

In the midst of the Israel-Hamas War, the Parliament of the World’s Religions prays for those suffering. We acknowledge the right of a people to self-defense within the bounds of international law and call for the release of all hostages and the cessation of hostilities. We call for the norms of international humanitarian law to be respected by all parties as they seek to resolve this escalating war through peaceful dialogue and negotiation.

Our traditions teach us of the dignity of all human beings, and that all life must be respected and cherished as sacred and inviolable. Terrorism, violence, killing, rape, and kidnapping committed against civilians is NOT ACCEPTABLE in any situation or against any person or group of people whether committed by individuals, non-state actors, or states. As an Interfaith organization, we particularly abhor the destruction of sacred spaces, the misuse of religion for violence, and the demonization of entire communities of people. Our hearts grieve for the lives lost and the peoples now living in fear.

We extend an urgent call to respect the human rights of all people. We demand that the United Nations and the international community commit to the de-escalation of violence and to the immediate provision of humanitarian aid and assistance to all those in need.

We commend the interfaith and humanitarian organizations working on the ground to bring humanitarian aid and assistance to the victims of these attacks and the communities most affected by this escalating war.

In times like this, when the death toll rises, every minute is critical. We must stand resolute with the understanding that all humanity is our family and what hurts one, hurts us all.

May peace prevail on Earth.

The global community is deeply shocked by what has taken place in Israel and Gaza. Hundreds have been killed and thousands injured, and buildings, homes and livelihoods destroyed. Deeply mindful of the anguish, sorrow, pain, heartache, despair, grief, loss, uncertainty, fear and anger – including here in communities in Australia.

Another son is killed, Another daughter dies,
And loving, waiting homes are filled with loved ones’ cries.
As rivers never sleep, so wars flow on and on.
Hang up your harps, sit down and weep for those now gone!

 

We grieve for children lost, for hearts too sad to pray;
We mourn, O Lord, the growing cost of hatred’s way.
And sure as threats increase and anger turns to war,
We pray that we may find a peace worth struggling for.

 

(Words: Carolyn Winfrey Gillette)

Words may offer comfort and solace. Words can also be divisive – by intent, accident or oversight. Words matter, so as not to fuel further division, or cause hurt, or disregard lived experience.

The words below from church leaders focus on the intentionality to pursue peace – even in the face of violence, anger and despair. They may be words that offer a way to navigate a time of such immense tragedy and sorrow.

Statement by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Light of the Tragic Events in the Middle East (Sunday, October 8th, 2023)

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) calls upon all Christians and people of faith to pray for peace – not an empty peace devoid of justice, equality, and hope for all people, but a deep, lasting, and just peace that addresses core systemic issues of the conflict, from Palestinian needs for self-determination and freedom to Israel’s needs for safety and security.
Read more here.

A statement by Pope Francis
Pope Francis has called for attacks to cease as he prays for peace in Israel and Palestine. “Please stop the attacks and the weapons and understand that terrorism and wars do not lead to any solution, but only to the death and suffering of so many innocent people. War is always a defeat! Every war is a defeat!”
Read more here.

A prayer for peace in Palestine and Israel

“They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain...”
Isaiah 11:9

God of Comfort,
send your Spirit to encompass all those whose lives
are torn apart by violence and death in Israel and Palestine.
You are the Advocate of the oppressed
and the One whose eye is on the sparrow.
Let arms reach out in healing, rather than aggression.
Let hearts mourn rather than militarize.
God of Justice,
give strength to those whose long work for a just peace
might seem fruitless now. Strengthen their resolve.
Do not let them feel alone.
Show us how to support their work and bolster their courage. Guide religious leaders to model
unity and reconciliation across lines of division.
Guide political leaders to listen with their hearts as they seek peace and pursue it.
Help all people choose the rigorous path of just peace and disavow violence.
God of Love, we lift up Palestine and Israel
– the people, the land, the creatures.
War is a monster that consumes everything in its path.
Peace is a gift shared at meals of memory with Christians, Muslims, and Jews.
Let us burn incense, not children.
Let us break bread, not bodies.
Let us plant olive groves, not cemeteries.
We beg for love and compassion to prevail
on all your holy mountains.
God of Hope,
we lift up the cities of the region: Gaza City and Tel Aviv,
Ramallah and Ashkelon, Deir El Balah and Sderot,
so long divided, yet so filled with life and creativity.
Come again to breathe peace on your peoples
that all may recognize you.
God of Mercy,
even now work on the hearts of combatants
to choose life over death, reconciliation over retaliation,
restoration over destruction.
Help us resist antisemitism in all its forms,
especially in our own churches.
All people, Israelis and Palestinians,
deserve to live in peace and unafraid,
with a right to determine their future together.
God of the Nations,
let not one more child or elder be sacrificed on altars of political expediency.
Keep safe all people from unjust leaders who would exploit
vulnerability for their own distorted ends.
Give wise discernment to those making decisions to pursue peace.
Provide them insight into fostering well-being, freedom, and thriving for all.
Teach all of us to resolve injustices with righteousness, not rockets.
Guard our hearts against retaliation, and give us hearts for love alone.
Strengthen our faith in you, O God of All Flesh,
even when we don’t have clear answers,
so that we may still offer ourselves nonviolently
for the cause of peace. Amen.
(prayer by Rose Marie Berger, a senior editor of Sojourners magazine, October 9th, 2023)

A Prayer for Palestine and Israel
God of peace, God of justice, God of love, we pray for Israelis, Palestinians, and all the people living in Palestine and Israel.
We grieve for the violence that has broken out.
Comfort all who mourn for those killed in Israel and in Gaza. Work healing in all who are injured.
Turn all people from overt violence.
Guide leaders and people to work to end the ongoing violence of occupation.
Draw the people to live together.
Show the world how to be helpful.
Speed the day when justice rolls down for all, allowing peace to finally prevail in the land so many call holy, the land where Jesus, in whose name we pray, walked and taught of peace. Amen.
(Prayer by Rev. Mark Koenig)

A reflection by Rev Dr John Squires, Minister in the Uniting Church in Australia and editor of With Love to the World.

Apostolic Exhortation
Laudate Deum
of the Holy Father
Francis
To all people of goodwill on the climate crisis

Wednesday 4th October

Pope Francis has released a new document on the environment that he has described as the “second part” of his 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’, and warns of “grave consequences” if humanity continues to ignore the threat of climate change.

Laudate Deum’s publication date – October 4th – is the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, from whom Pope Francis drew his pontifical name at the start of his papacy in 2013. It is also the start date of the first month-long assembly in Rome of the ongoing Synod on Synodality.

The apostolic exhortation, titled Laudate Deum (“Praise God”), is meant to address what Pope Francis calls the “global social issue” of climate change. He said that in the eight years since Laudato Si’ was published, “our responses have not been adequate” to address ongoing ecological concerns. In 2021, he launched the Catholic Church’s seven-year “Laudato Si’ action plan: “We need a new ecological approach that can transform our way of dwelling in the world, our styles of life, our relationship with the resources of the Earth and, in general, our way of looking at humanity and of living life”. Later that year the Pope joined religious leaders in calling upon the global community to “achieve net zero carbon emissions as soon as possible” to head off potentially devastating temperature rises.

Releasing Laudate Deum this week, the Pope noted that climate change is one of the principal challenges facing society and the global community impacting the world’s most vulnerable people, and that the climate issue is “no longer a secondary or ideological question.” The effects of climate change “are here and increasingly evident”. He warned of increasing heat waves and the possible melting of the polar ice caps, which he said would lead to “immensely grave consequences for everyone.”

“No one can ignore the fact that in recent years we have witnessed extreme weather phenomena, frequent periods of unusual heat, drought, and other cries of protest on the part of the earth that are only a few palpable expressions of a silent disease that affects everyone”.

In 1985, the United Nations designated the first Monday of October of every year as World Habitat Day to reflect on the state of our towns and cities and the basic right of all to adequate shelter. It is also intended to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat.

Yesterday was President Jimmy Carter’s 99th birthday. Until poor health prevented them from being involved, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter were enthusiastic hands-on partners in the Habitat for Humanity team. This year the build commenced on Sunday 1st October, without the active involvement of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter.

Habitat for Humanity is the world’s largest non-profit provider of housing for low-income families. In Victoria H4H has several projects to build affordable housing across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria. Among the staff and volunteers there are many actively involved in their local church as well, seeking to put God’s love into action and bring people together to build homes, communities, and hope.

H4H work is premised on these values:

• We believe access to appropriate and affordable housing is a basic human right
• We believe in the empowerment generated by home ownership
• Home ownership provides a foundation for a better life for Partner families today and for future generations
• With support from the community, Habitat for Humanity Victoria helps Partner families build the strength, stability and independence they need to create improved outcomes for themselves and their families in areas such as education, employment, health and lifestyle.

Recent projects have seen homes built in Drouin, Geelong, on the Mornington Peninsula and in Yea.

The biggest affordable housing project is the Yea Heights Estate development at Prospect Rise, Yea. It had its origins in the desire to assist families affected by the 2009 Black Saturday Bushfires. After developing the site and connecting all required services, 21 affordable houses have been built on this estate which provides “a place to call home” for our partner families and their children.

Crib Point
In February 2018 new parcel of land in Crib Point was acquired, on the Mornington Peninsula. Habitat is building six 3-bedroom houses, each with a modest garden. The build is well underway and five families have been selected to become Habitat homeowners. Crib Point is Habitat for Humanity Victoria’s first project under the new ‘development model’. Additional to the support of the Hugh Williamson Foundation and the hard work from the Rosebud Restore, the Crib point project is funded by selling two of the houses to offset the cost of the remaining four. This makes our model more sustainable and self-sufficient, growing the impact we have.

Crib Point story in the media

H4H also mobilise volunteers to assist shelter accommodation and vulnerable homeowners with maintenance projects they’re unable to tackle themselves. If you’re a handy person, that might be one way to be involved.

Volunteer overseas for International Women’s Day 2024
Join a team of passionate men & women in Siem Reap, Cambodia in March 2024. Support gender equality to enable and empower women as you build safe homes side by side with local communities. Perfect for individuals, groups and corporate teams looking to make a true difference.

03 8720 9200; vic.info@habitat.org.au

 

 

On 14 December 1990, the United Nations General Assembly designated October 1 as the International Day of Older Persons (resolution 45/106). This year’s United Nations theme is ‘Fulfilling the Promises of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for Older Persons: Across Generations’. It highlights the importance of ensuring older people can enjoy their rights and fundamental freedoms.
Globally, the number of older people (defined as those aged 65 years or older) tripled from around 260 million in 1980 to 761 million in 2021.
Since 1991 the general Australian population has aged, with those aged over 70 years old rising from 10% to 15%.
In the same period, the percentage over church attenders over 70 has increased from 16% in 1991 to 36% in 2021.
Church attendees in Australia are more likely to be aged over 60 (48%) than the population at large (26%).

Churches are enriched by older people who watch faithfully for where God is leading and nurture others across the generations. We take a moment today to give thanks for their wisdom, many gifts and loving care – and to give thanks to God who calls people of all ages to abundant life and wholeness.

The first Sunday in October is the suggested day to celebrate, but you can celebrate on any day that suits your community!

Uniting Care Worship resource (PDF)
Worship resources online here.

The final report by the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability has been tabled in Federal Parliament. It is Australia’s largest-ever investigation into the lives of people with disability.

There are 222 recommendations for change including:

• Phasing out segregated education
• Establishing a Federal Government portfolio for disability
• Creating a Disability Rights Act
• Establishing a new complaints mechanism
• Changing guardianship legislation
• Creating a national disability commission
• Changing laws around sterilisation
• Improving accessibility to information and interpreters
• Reforming the way the justice system interacts with people with disability
• Increasing culturally-safe supports for First Nations people and removing barriers to the NDIS in remote communities

Commissioners said:

The social transformation needed to make Australia truly inclusive requires us to take account of the history of exclusion that has shaped the settings, systems and daily lives of people with disability through to today. Inclusion involves social transformation that enables people with disability to live, learn, work, play, create and engage alongside people without disability.”

NDIS Minister Bill Shorten says this report is a ‘historic moment’

“It is literally, genuinely, a historic moment for Australians with disability and, in fact, all Australians. The numbers and the stories in this very important royal commission are harrowing. The fact that the Royal Commission estimates that for people over 20 with a disability, there are 400 avoidable deaths each year, the fact that really, for the last quarter of a century and beyond, that 47 in every 100 adults with a disability are excluded from the labour market, is shocking.”

In 2016, the Faith Communities Council of Victoria (which includes the Victorian Council of Churches) issued this statement concerning people with disability:

As representatives of many religious traditions and different faiths, we stand together in affirming that all people have gifts and contributions that enliven and strengthen the community to which they belong and seek to ensure that people with disabilities have equal opportunity to participate in the faith community of their choice.

The Council recognises the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (2006) which states discrimination should not occur on the basis of religion amongst other factors. Furthermore, the Australian Disability Discrimination Act 1992, (DDA) makes it unlawful to discriminate against people on the basis of disability.

For people with disabilities, and their families and carers, participation and belonging have at times been problematic because of a range of architectural, cultural and theological factors. People with disabilities request the following from faith communities:

Please see the information below regarding the predicted summer season outlook. 

“VCC Emergencies Ministry is gearing up for the summer season ahead.”

Australia is officially in an El Niño event after a La Niña pattern brought three years of cool temperatures and record-breaking rain.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has made the long-awaited announcement ending months of speculation.

What is El Niño and how is it different to La Niña?

The cycle of La Niña and El Niño – known as ENSO, or the El Niño-Southern Oscillation Index – works a bit like a pendulum.

La Niña occurs when water in the eastern tropical region of the Pacific Ocean is cooler than average as the “trade winds” – the planet’s prevailing east-to-west winds – strengthen, creating warmer-than-normal water around Indonesia and Australia’s east coast.

This leads to increased rainfall and brings the risk of heavy flooding in Australia.

However, when those conditions are reversed – trade winds are weaker, and water is warmer than average in the eastern tropical Pacific but cooler close to Australia – an El Niño is declared, and our continent will experience hot, dry conditions and come under the threat of drought.

When the “pendulum” sits in the middle and ocean temperatures are closer to average, it is referred to as “neutral” ENSO conditions – and it is more likely to bring less extreme weather conditions.

And, if you’re wondering what the two terms mean, “La Niña” is Spanish for “the girl” or “little girl”, while “El Niño” translates to “the boy” or “little boy”.

What is El Niño predicted to bring?

Put simply, the weather event will bring hotter, drier conditions, which will, in turn, increase the likelihood of bushfires.

It is Australia’s first El Niño event in about eight years.

The declaration came two months after the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organisation had previously declared El Niño’s arrival, predicting hot weather and tumbling temperature records.

Conditions for an El Niño event have met the required three of four criteria, the BoM said today.

“Oceanic indicators firmly exhibit an El Niño state,” it said in its climate driver update today.

“Central and eastern Pacific sea surface temperatures continue to exceed El Niño thresholds.

“Models indicate further warming of the central to eastern Pacific is likely.

“Overall, there are signs that the atmosphere is responding to the pattern of sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific and coupling of the ocean and atmosphere has started to occur.

“This coupling is a characteristic of an El Niño event and is what strengthens and sustains an event for an extended period.”

When was the last time Australia had an El Niño?

Australia’s last El Niño event occurred during the summer of 2015-16, while the last time the Bureau declared an El Niño alert was in April 2019.

The country had a severe drought throughout 2019 and the strong El Niño system was partly responsible.

The 2019 drought was measured by the BoM to be Australia’s most intense ever recorded.

In preparation for the Summer season, VCC EM is actively recruiting new volunteers Statewide and will be hosting core training and refresher training sessions for our EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) volunteers, along with recruiting additional volunteer Operations Officers to bolster our capability and capacity for the months ahead.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer with VCC Emergencies Ministry, please visit vccem.org.au to find out more, or call any of the staff on (03) 7037 6010 for additional information.

Information provided by Edmund Murphy, Chief Operations Officer, VCC Emergencies Ministry

 

The Armenian Apostolic Church has declared a worldwide day of prayer for October 1.

Summary
Armenians have controlled Nagorno-Karabakh since 1994, after a three-year war resulted in the deaths of 30,000 people, displacing an additional 100,000 in mutual exchange between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but is populated mainly by ethnic Armenians who have run their own state there – the Republic of Artsakh – since the 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union. In December 2022, Azerbaijan began a blockade of the Lachin corridor, the only connection between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia. In February, the International Court of Justice in The Hague issued a binding order that Azerbaijan must immediately allow the unimpeded movement of people and goods along the corridor. Azerbaijan ignored this. During the summer, the situation worsened for the 120,000 residents of Nagorno-Karabakh, with acute shortages of food, petrol and medicine. Malnutrition was rife. The situation became so serious that several organisations warned of a possible genocide under Article II, (c) of the Genocide Convention: “Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.”
The bombardment on September 19 has finally driven the ethnic Armenian population from their homes. More here.
The Nagorno-Karabakh enclave is home to around 400 holy sites now at risk of erasure, some of these were desecrated or destroyed after Azerbaijani forces retook territory in and around the region during a 44-day war in 2020.

Update: 29th September 
Karabakh Armenians dissolve breakaway government
Ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh say they are dissolving the breakaway statelet they had defended for three decades, where ~ 85,000 people (75% of the population) have fled since Azerbaijan launched a lightning offensive on September 19th. One official stated that 99.9% of Artsakh’s Armenians will cross the border to Armenia, the world’s first Christian nation. In a statement, they said their self-declared Republic of Artsakh would “cease to exist” by January 1 in what amounted to a formal capitulation to Azerbaijan. More here.

As a result of the Azerbaijani attack on the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh on September 19 and the forced exodus that followed it, this region will soon be empty of ethnic Armenians – for the first time in more than two millennia. Armenia’s Apostolic Church is distinct from both Orthodoxy and Catholicism, and is closely related to the Ethiopian and Egyptian Coptic churches. It is central to the identity of Armenia, with its many historic monastery complexes.

****
27th September
There is grave concern about the unfolding crisis in Azerbaijan, with thousands of Armenian refugees fleeing their ancestral homeland over fears of ethnic cleansing. Until last week, Armenians in the region claimed self-sovereignty under the auspices of the “Republic of Artsakh.”
The contention is over Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnically Armenian region within the borders of Azerbaijan (between Russia, Turkey, and Iran). For decades, the local population (ethnic Armenians) has wanted to become part of the nearby nation of Armenia, a request that’s been forcibly denied by Azerbaijan, with ethnic killings on both sides.
In recent times there’s been an uneasy truce maintained by Russian peacekeepers, but since the end of last year, Russia has pulled back and Azerbaijani troops blockaded the region, causing food and medicine shortages.
Then, a week ago, those troops stormed Nagorno-Karabakh, with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev claiming to have restored Azerbaijani sovereignty “with an iron fist”.
There have been reports of deadly explosions in the area. Ethnic Armenians are fleeing to find safety. (adapted from The Squiz)

See also this article, posted September 25, 2023 by Catholic News Agency.

A prayer for Armenians in the conflict zone
Blessed are you, O Lord who dwells in the heights, and blessed is the glory of your greatness.
As we have in the past, we come to you in a supremely difficult time for our nation. With broken hearts and tears filling our eyes, we are united in grief over the loss of our ancestral holy lands of Artsakh. We are forced to leave behind our sacred temples of worship, and silence our joyful prayers within our glorious churches.
In this state of unbearable pain, we appeal to you, O Lord, to hasten to our aid in your divine mercy and love. Dispel our deep sorrow; heal our wounded spirits; pull us back from the error of hopelessness and despair. Grant us the humility and wisdom to accept the things we can no longer change; and give us courage to effect needful change where we still can.
Lord, today we are overwhelmed by the sense of loss and tragedy that has come upon us. But we know that you are always near to the brokenhearted, and you rescue those who are crushed in spirit [cf. Psl. 34:18 2]. We trust that all things are possible through you [cf. Philip. 4:13 3]. Help us realize that even when matters lie beyond our understanding, you still know the plans you have for us – plans to help us prosper and not come to harm; plans to give us hope for the future [cf. Jer. 29:11]. We cast our anxiety to you, lean not on our mortal understanding, and trust in you with all our heart [cf. Prov. 3:5]. For we have faith that in all things, you work for the good of all who love and honour you [cf. Rom. 8:28].
We are humble, Lord, and you are our glory; your very name is wondrous, triumphant, and holy. Surrounded by the great cloud of our newly martyred witnesses to you, we praise you along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages and ages. Amen.
(Source: Armenian Church)

Slow and Silent Genocide: Please Pray for Artsakh’s Endangered Armenian Christians
From an article by Lela Gilbert
After the demise of the Soviet Union, Artsakh’s Christians voted to secede from neighbouring Azerbaijan and to unite with Armenia. As with many such disputes in today’s world, there is a religious component. The Armenian Christians chose to be independent of the Muslim, Turkish-oriented Azerbaijanis. Unsurprisingly, the horrific memory of the Armenian genocide in the early 20th century is never far from their minds. Meanwhile, the enclave is surrounded by Azeri Muslims, some of whom are radically opposed to Christian believers.

Only one roadway, the Lachin Corridor, provides a highway to and from Artsakh and Armenia. And for the past several months that road has been blockaded by the Azeris, cutting off the delivery of all provisions to Karabakh, including food, medication, and emergency services.

In the early 1990s, the dispute over this territory turned violent and deadly. A ceasefire was signed in 1994. However, in the early 2010s, the peace agreement began to fall apart. In the spring of 2016, there was a four-day conflict, which led to many casualties. Since 2020, violence has continued.

Today, the Christians in Artsakh are in dire straits. The Lachin Corridor, the sole roadway connecting Artsakh with the most basic necessities, has been blocked for several months, gradually leaving the Christian community without food, medication, electricity, and other basic provisions. And unless international intervention takes place, some 120,000 Christians may either find it necessary to flee their beloved homeland or lose their lives to starvation, violence, or disease.

The International Court of Justice has ordered Azerbaijan to lift the blockade, which is widely condemned by human rights groups, including the United Nations and the International Red Cross. In 2021, French President Emmanual Macron declared, “Azerbaijani armed forces have crossed into Armenian territory. They must withdraw immediately. I say again to the Armenian people: France stands with you in solidarity and will continue to do so.” Yet Azerbaijan continues to resist.

In February 2023, Reuters reported:

“The World Court ordered Azerbaijan on Wednesday to ensure free movement through the Lachin corridor to and from the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, as an intermediate step in ongoing legal disputes with neighbouring Armenia. The Lachin corridor, the only land route giving Armenia direct access to Nagorno-Karabakh, has been blocked since Dec. 12, when protesters claiming to be environmental activists stopped traffic by setting up tents …”

But such protests have fallen on deaf ears in Azerbaijan. In fact, the situation has deteriorated even further. In July, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev declared that Azerbaijan would “return more than 150,000 people to the Karabakh and East Zangezur regions” over the next three years. According to Aliyev, “the return of 140,000 people is envisioned by 2026 in the Karabakh region alone.”

The Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh will be expected to surrender their international right to self-determination. They will be forced, against their will, to become citizens of Azerbaijan — an anti-Armenian authoritarian regime, with an awful track record of human rights violations. Local people are terrified that the deal will be signed over their heads.

Today, the disturbing story of Artsakh’s endangered Christians continues to unfold. Those Christians who have chosen to remain in their homeland have run out of food and medication. For months, the only way of escape has been the Lachin Corridor, which is barricaded by Azerbaijan. No matter how many times world leaders call for the Azeris to withdraw from the Christian enclave, nothing changes, and the deaths continuously rise.

Let’s remember the little enclave of Artsakh, where a few thousand struggling Christians are holding on to their faith, their hope, and their very lives. Please remember the Armenian Church in your prayers.

 

The sun shone brightly as animal lovers with their pets and friends gathered in the garden at the front of St Mary’s Catholic Church on 24th September. The event was the Blessing of the Animals, an annual event organized by the Combined Churches of Yarram.

Dogs of many shapes and sizes, cats, snails, a miniature goat were in attendance and all behaved very well.

Father Antony and Rev Tony led the service and representatives from each congregation took part in the prayers, readings and music.

Father Antony, who recently returned from his hometown in India, spoke of the significant part animals can play in our lives and our responsibility to nurture and care for them. A spectacular afternoon tea followed as all enjoyed chatting and sharing animal stories in the sunshine.

Photos below:

The elderly French bulldog receives a blessing.

Father Antony blesses Sue’s snails

Lily, the King Charles Cavalier receives a blessing.

Father Antony and Rev Tony with Max reading the prayers.