The Rt Revd Alan M. Gates, Bishop of Massachusetts, is facing a Title IV complaint after a controversial incident during the Easter vigil. The complaint was filed after Bishop Gates removed the clerical collar of the Revd Tamra Tucker, a priest, during the service at St Paul’s in Boston. A video of the incident shows Bishop Gates snatching the collar from Revd Tucker’s neck and placing it on the altar, jokingly saying “Just kidding!” The Bishop has since apologized for what he described as “misguided mischief” and the complaint will now be referred to conciliation.
In a separate tragic incident, a 73-year-old Pakistani Christian, Lazar (Nazir) Masih, died in hospital after being violently attacked by an extremist mob. The attack occurred after Mr. Masih and his son were accused of burning pages of the Qur’an with their rubbish. The Moderator of the Church of Pakistan, Rt Revd Azad Marshall, expressed deep grief over the incident, emphasizing the need for justice and societal reforms to prevent such atrocities.
Meanwhile, Pope Francis has called for a new international financial architecture to address the debt crisis faced by low-income countries. Speaking at a conference on the debt crisis in the global South, the Pope criticized the current system of “mismanaged globalization” for depriving millions of people of a decent future. He called for a multinational mechanism to manage debt between countries and alleviate the suffering caused by the crisis.