Dalai Lama tells Buddhists to reject materialism

Gaya, India — The Dalai Lama led Tibetan Buddhists’ highest worship ceremony, calling for the rejection of materialism, greed and violence.

“Money breeds greed, jealousy and other social vices. It can never bring joy,” the spiritual leader said Sunday, as he led 20,000 Tibetans from across the world in the prayer ceremony called Kalchakra, or Wheel of Time. It is the biggest annual gathering of Buddhism’s Mahayana sect.

The Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 with thousands of supporters after a failed uprising against China. Since then, he has headed a government-in-exile in the northern Indian town of Dharmsala. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his nonviolent struggle against Chinese rule of his homeland.

The prayer ceremony is held in the eastern Indian city of Gaya, where the religion’s founder is believed to have attained enlightenment.

Clergy accuses bishop of violating teaching

Chicago — A group of United Methodist clergy and lay people has accused Chicago Bishop Joseph Sprague of violating church teaching on salvation and the virgin birth of Jesus.

The complaint, filed Jan. 7 with Bishop Bruce Ough, head of the College of Bishops for the North Central Jurisdiction, starts a complex church discipline process that carries a range of punishments and could force Sprague from ministry.

Sprague declined to comment, saying the complaint process is supposed to be confidential.

The Rev. Thomas Lambrecht of Greenville, Wis., spokesman for the 28 people who signed the complaint, said Sprague denied the virgin birth of Jesus and rejected church teaching that Christ is the only way to salvation. The statements allegedly came in a speech last year and in his writings.