US church-property dispute ends

THE final outstanding court battle between the diocese of Virginia in the United States, and Episcopalian congregations that have realigned has ended. The Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal by the segment of the congregation of Falls Church Anglican which seceded in 2006, against a 2013 ruling that they must return property and $2.6 million to the original Falls Church Episcopal congregation that remained in the diocese. Falls Church Anglican aligned with the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (News, 11 April 2012).

Pope Francis meets Dr Tveit of the WCC

POPE FRANCIS spoke warmly of the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Revd Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, after their first meeting on 7 March. The Pope said that the RC Church had a "fruitful" relationship with the WCC, and urged Christians not to be resigned to the divisions between them, but to work for unity. Dr Tveit said that his conversations with the Pope had been "very positive".

Dr Tunnicliffe resigns as chief executive of WEA

THE chief executive of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), the Revd Dr Geoff Tunnicliffe, will stand down at the end of 2014 after nearly ten years in office. In a statement, the WEA said that Dr Tunnicliffe would leave the organisation in a stronger position than when he took up the post in 2005.

Boko Haram censured by Nigerian bishops

BISHOPS in Nigeria have condemned recent attacks on Christians by the militant Islamist group Boko Haram. Speaking at a service at the Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, Lagos, on Monday, the Primate of Nigeria, the Most Revd Nicholas Okoh, said that nobody was safe, and that the Church was praying to God to help Nigeria. The Bishop of Lagos West, Dr James Odedeji, said that Nigerians must "desist from evil" and "go back to God".