THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH (TEC) HEAD VISITS IFI

Grateful for the long concordat partnership between The Episcopal Church (TEC) of the USA and the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI), Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori expressed her delight during her afternoon visit at the IFI National Cathedral on Taft Ave., Manila, last 04 June 2008. The Obispo Maximo, The Most Rev. Godofredo David, and the General Secretary, The Rt. Rev. Ephraim Fajutagana, led the welcoming party.

The TEC and IFI have been in communion relationship since 1961. A renewed partnership between the two Churches was signed in New York City last November 2007.

Carving her niche in history of the Christian Church as the first woman head of TEC and leader of 7,000+ local congregations, the Most Reverend Schori also interfaces with 100 dioceses worldwide, including 12 other parts of the world, namely, Honduras, Colombia, Haiti, Venezuela, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, to name a few. With a pilot’s license, a doctorate in science, and university professorship to her credits, she had combined personal family with the oversight of a multi-cultural congregation in the Las Vegas/Nevada area as diocesan bishop prior to her election as Presiding Bishop.

The visit included an audience with the sectoral leaders of the Church beginning with a brief program at the Cathedral. She conferred with the heads of the sectoral organizations, and then met with the National Program staff. Accompanying the Presiding Bishop in her Philippine entourage were The Rev. Dr. Winfred Vergara, chair of the Asiamerica Ministry, and Mr. Peter Ng, chair of the Asian Ministry of TEC.

Earlier, the Presiding Bishop raised her concern about the issue of human rights abuses in the Philippines with US Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney at a meeting at the American Embassy in Manila. "The Episcopal Church is concerned with the issue of violation of human rights because it is part of our baptismal covenant as Christians to 'respect the dignity of every human being' and because it has been a consistent concern of our sister churches and ecumenical partners in the Philippines," she said. She was accompanied to the meeting by the Obispo Maximo, the Most Reverend Godofredo David, and Prime Bishop-elect Edward Malecdan of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines. It is understood that in her meeting with the Ambassador she was pressing for more action on the part of the Embassy to pursue their concerns.