This article comes from AsiaNews. ------------------------------
Al-Azhar against the Vatican: politics and pettiness
By Bernardo Cervellera
Rome (AsiaNews) - The decision to freeze dialogue with the Vatican by the Islamic University of Al-Azhar, seems to many a bolt from the blue, which threatens to cause a clash between Christians and Muslims worldwide. The dialogue – heretofore always friendly - between the Holy See and the world’s highest institution of Sunni Islam, dates back to the '90s. Its positive progress was undoubtedly thanks to the personality of the imam of the time, Muhammad Sayyed Tantawi, who died last March 10, 2010. As of March 19 of the same year, his successor became Imam Mohamed Ahmed al-Tayyeb (see photo). He, January 1st last, criticized Benedict XVI for expressing solidarity with Coptic Christians, accusing him of "interference" in the internal affairs of Egypt.
In fact, the tension with Al-Azhar dates to January 1. In the run up to a meeting that should have taken place in the coming weeks, the Islamic University had requested that the Vatican remove one person in particular from its delegation: Fr. Khaled Akasheh, from Jordan, an expert on Islam, a member of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, who to date had been in charge of relations with the Islamic University.
Msgr. Akasheh is among the most qualified people in dialogue with Islam. He was in the Catholic-Muslim Forum in 2008, following the famous letter of 138 Muslim scholars to the Pope, and engaged in dialogue with Tehran’s Organizations of Islamic Culture.
The Vatican pointed out that in prior arrangements for dialogue, it is written that each delegation has the right freely to choose its members. But Al-Azhar had insisted that if his name is not removed, it would interrupt dialogue.
However, this friction - and threats to freeze dialogue - have far deeper roots. Al-Azhar’s reasons for not wanting Fr. Akasheh are unclear. It is probable that they do not want someone who understands Arabic, who is an Arab, who understands Islam (Mgr Akasheh knows the Koran in depth), in order to feel free, not to be judged (or held to account).
The criticism of the pope, his expression of solidarity for the Coptic community judged as "interference in internal affairs" of Egypt, are thus only instrumental, a way to ostensibly cover up, the most petty of reasons.
But there is another element to consider: the link between Al-Azhar and its traditional support for the Egyptian political power. Hosni Mubarak, is a moderate Islamic leader, eager to advance the country towards secularism – also a demand of Coptic Christians, continually discriminated against in terms of legislation and social development. To this end, Mubarak is pushing ahead in his attempt to exclude fundamentalists from the political framework, especially the Muslim Brotherhood. In an attempt to determine the next presidential election in his favour, Mubarak is trying not to upset the Muslim world. Critics of the Vatican have this aim: lay the blame on the Christian and Western Pope, thus stroking the frustrations of the Muslims towards the (so called) Christian West. Al-Azhar has simply latched on to this trend.
How much weight will this decision carry? Will the rest of the Muslim world follow the line of the "splendid" Sunni university? In our opinion it is not likely. Al Azhar, which is funded almost entirely by Saudi Arabia, is representative of a very traditional Islam and is seen by many Islamic institutions as "too dusty and outdated”. While Tunisia and the Arab world grapple with the struggle and suffering for the future of Middle Eastern society, tackling the problems of human rights, democracy, despotism, poverty and the economy, Al-Azhar has limited itself to merely stating that Islam is against suicide, in some way condemning all those unfortunates who have set themselves on fire out of a despair caused by poverty and injustice. And yet, the sacrifice of these people has fuelled the revolt that led to the fall of Ben Ali and is shaking the Middle East.
This article comes from Al-Ahram. --------------------------
EU and Vatican criticised
The People's Assembly launched a scathing attack against the European Parliament accusing it of disseminating false reports about the "repression of Christians" in Egypt, reports Gamal Essam El-Din
Egyptian MPs, belonging to the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) and opposition, opened fire on the Brussels-based European Parliament, accusing it of interfering in Egypt's internal affairs. Speaker of the People's Assembly Fathi Sorour told MPs in a session on Monday morning that he condemned the way in which the European Parliament had "tried to exploit the attack which hit the Two Saints Church on the New Year's Eve in order to imply that there is a systematic policy of repression against Coptic Christians in Egypt". Sorour said that in a meeting with a delegation from the Bundestag (German parliament) yesterday, he had stressed that "the terrorist attack against the Alexandrian church targeted Muslims and Christians alike and the European Parliament's statements about repression of Christians in Egypt are entirely unfounded".
Supporting Sorour, senior NDP MPs accused the European Parliament of propagating lies about Egypt. Abdel-Ahad Gamaleddin, NDP spokesman in the People's Assembly, insisted that "the European Parliament's statement claiming that Coptic Christians face persecution shows how most European institutions are completely ignorant of the situation in Egypt."
Chairman of the assembly's National Security and Defence Committee Amin Radi urged the European Parliament to exercise restraint before publishing false statements about religious conditions in Egypt.
"The European Parliament should fully understand that the bomb attack against the church was aimed at sowing discord between Christians and Muslims in Egypt," Radi said.
The Ghad Party's Ragab Hilal Hemeida accused the European Parliament of offering money to its clients in Egypt to spread lies and instill a kind of "creative chaos in the country".
MPs also attacked Pope Benedict XVI for issuing a statement that reflected "the spirit of the Crusades".
"Please, Pope of the Vatican," pleaded independent Coptic MP Gamal Assad Abdel-Malak, "stop recalling the spirit of the Crusades. Copts in Egypt do not face repression and are not in need of the protection of the Christian West."
"Since Napoleon Bonaparte's French Expedition and until the Zionist colonialist campaigns of today the West has been trying to exploit what it calls the Coptic issue and other religious minorities to interfere with the internal affairs of Egypt. Yes, there are some discriminatory policies against the Copts but these are nowhere near a systematic policy of persecution."
Abdel-Malak urged the government "not to dig its head into the sand like an ostrich and assume everything is OK with Egypt's Copts". He asked the ruling NDP to enter into "open discussion" of Coptic grievances "so as to close the door to foreign meddling".
Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, was also singled out by MPs for attack. Saad Al-Gammal, chairman of the assembly's Arab Affairs Committee, charged that both "the Mossad and the extremist Islamist organisation Al-Qaeda are seeking to inflame sectarian strife in countries like Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen."
"Mossad now serves the interests of Al-Qaeda and vice-versa. Neither will be able to break the national unity of Egypt."
Raafat Seif, spokesman of the leftist Tagammu Party, refused to join the anti-European Parliament tirade, saving his criticism for the proliferation of policies that allowed the growth of the kind of intolerance that culminated in the Alexandria bombing.
"Such policies include the growth of extremist education in private and government schools, the use of television and print media and mosques to spread hate against others, including Copts, describing them as infidels," said Seif.
NDP MPs tried to stop Seif from continuing until Sorour intervened. He went on to denounce "the extremist ideology of Wahabi Islam which had imposed itself on Egypt at the expense of the moderate and centrist ideology of Al-Azhar, which calls for tolerance, freedom of religion and inter-faith dialogue".
In response, Sorour urged MPs not to link Coptic grievances with the Alexandria bomb attack. "In so doing," he argued, "MPs are repeating foreign allegations that the bomb attack is somehow linked to Coptic grievances and the repression of Christians in Egypt."
Minister of State for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Moufid Shehab reiterated the argument that the bombing was an attempt to sow divisions among Egyptians. He warned MPs against confusing issues "by connecting the crime to Coptic grievances".
NDP MPs also criticised coverage of the attack on television channels. "Coverage of the bombing was at odds with the national interest," said Abdel-Ahad. "Channels which refuse to toe the national line should be closed."
Zakaria Azmi, chief of the presidential staff and a heavyweight NDP MP, accused daily newspapers of being so desperate to obtain a scoop that they had published conflicting reports about the results of the investigation into the Alexandria attack.
"Such irresponsibility could force citizens to lose confidence in the investigating authorities," he said. Newspapers should remember that the penal code criminalises all forms of intervention in ongoing investigations," said Azmi.
This article comes from Zenit. --------------------------------
Recalled Egypt Envoy Meets 1st With Vatican Official
Holy See Affirms Appreciation for Nation's Efforts to Stop Religiously-Motivated Conflict
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 12, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Egypt has recalled to Cairo its ambassador to the Holy See in a show of displeasure at the Pope's defense of the country's Copts. Before leaving the Vatican, she met with Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for relations with states.
Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi informed of Tuesday's meeting between the archbishop and Lamia Aly Hamada Mekhemar.
"During the meeting the ambassador, who is to return to Cairo for consultations with the Egyptian foreign ministry, described the concerns of her government at this present difficult time," a Vatican communiqué explained. "She was also able to receive information and gather the elements necessary in order to report adequately on the Holy Father's recent remarks concerning, in particular, religious freedom and the protection of Christians in the Middle East."
On Jan. 1, a suicide bomber killed 21 Copts as they were leaving the Divine Liturgy at Saints Church in Alexandria, Egypt. Benedict XVI has affirmed his solidarity with the Orthodox Copts, most recently last Sunday during the Angelus address, and Monday during his New Year's discourse to the diplomatic corp.
On Sunday, his comment came in the context of his greeting to a group of Italian Parliamentarians who had attended the midday Angelus address as a show of solidarity with the Egyptian Copts. His Monday statement noted the persecution of Christians in Iraq, after which he noted: "In Egypt too, in Alexandria, terrorism brutally struck Christians as they prayed in church. This succession of attacks is yet another sign of the urgent need for the governments of the region to adopt, in spite of difficulties and dangers, effective measures for the protection of religious minorities."
According to the Vatican communiqué, the ambassador's meeting with Archbishop Mamberti gave the prelate a chance to affirm "how the Holy See shares the emotions of all the people of Egypt, struck by the attack in Alexandria."
He also "gave assurances that it also fully shares the Egyptian government's concern 'to avoid the escalation of religiously motivated conflict and tensions,' and appreciates the efforts being made to that end."
According to a statement from the Egyptian foreign ministry, the call for the ambassador to return to Cairo is because "new statements from the Vatican […] are considered by Egypt as unacceptable interference in its internal affairs," the AFP reported.
The ambassador told Rome Reports that "we do not share the view that Christians are persecuted in our part of the world."
" This is actually a rather interesting radio interview with a former leader of Respect and the SWP (I understand) in Birmingham about why this former atheist converted to Islam. David Asif Hughes comes over as being pretty level headed and reasonable. I'm not sure who are the people he mentioned who mocked and ridiculed him for his new faith?
Meanwhile someone posted this comment about the SWP anonymously yesterday "From the SWP internal bulletin for their forthcoming conference:
“How is it possible for a party like ours to be smaller after 10 years of political upturn than in the long years of political downturn?” They go on: “We are dogged with the twin problems of weak organisation on the ground on the one hand and strong hierarchical tendencies on the other …. The rank and file have openly been called ‘foot soldiers’ and treated with condescension and/or contempt by our ‘officers’. If the ‘officers’ do attend the odd branch meetings it is in the manner of visiting royalty.”
UPDATE: I think this quote comes from here (via Harry's Place).
ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI TO THE MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS
Regia Hall Monday, 10 January 2011
Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am pleased to welcome you, the distinguished representatives of so many countries, to this meeting which each year assembles you around the Successor of Peter. It is a deeply significant meeting, since it is a sign and illustration of the place of the Church and of the Holy See in the international community. I offer my greetings and cordial good wishes to each of you, and particularly to those who have come for the first time. I am grateful to you for the commitment and interest with which, in the exercise of your demanding responsibilities, you follow my activities, those of the Roman Curia and thus, in some sense, the life of the Catholic Church throughout the world. Your Dean, Ambassador Alejandro Valladares Lanza, has interpreted your sentiments and I thank him for the good wishes which he has expressed to me in the name of all. Knowing how close-knit your community is, I am certain that today you are also thinking of the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Baroness van Lynden-Leijten, who several weeks ago returned to the house of the Father. I prayerfully share your sentiments.
As a new year begins, our own hearts and the entire world continue to echo the joyful message proclaimed twenty centuries ago in the night of Bethlehem, a night which symbolizes humanity’s deep need for light, love and peace. To the men and women of that time, as to those of our own day, the heavenly hosts brought the good news of the coming of the Saviour: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined” (Is 9:1). The mystery of the Son of God who became the son of man truly surpasses all human expectations. In its absolute gratuitousness this saving event is the authentic and full response to the deep desire of every heart. The truth, goodness, happiness and abundant life which each man and woman consciously or unconsciously seeks are given to us by God. In longing for these gifts, each person is seeking his Creator, for “God alone responds to the yearning present in the heart of every man and woman” (Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini, 23). Humanity throughout history, in its beliefs and rituals, demonstrates a constant search for God and “these forms of religious expression are so universal that one may well call man a religious being” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 28). The religious dimension is an undeniable and irrepressible feature of man’s being and acting, the measure of the fulfilment of his destiny and of the building up of the community to which he belongs. Consequently, when the individual himself or those around him neglect or deny this fundamental dimension, imbalances and conflicts arise at all levels, both personal and interpersonal.
This primary and basic truth is the reason why, in this year’s Message for World Day of Peace, I identified religious freedom as the fundamental path to peace. Peace is built and preserved only when human beings can freely seek and serve God in their hearts, in their lives and in their relationships with others.
Ladies and Gentlemen, your presence on this solemn occasion is an invitation to survey the countries which you represent and the entire world. In this panorama do we not find numerous situations in which, sadly, the right to religious freedom is violated or denied? It is indeed the first of human rights, not only because it was historically the first to be recognized but also because it touches the constitutive dimension of man, his relation with his Creator. Yet is this fundamental human right not all too often called into question or violated? It seems to me that society, its leaders and public opinion are becoming more and more aware, even if not always in a clear way, of this grave attack on the dignity and freedom of homo religiosus, which I have sought on numerous occasions to draw to the attention of all.
I did so during the past year in my Apostolic Journeys to Malta, Portugal, Cyprus, the United Kingdom and Spain. Above and beyond the diversity of those countries, I recall with gratitude their warm welcome. The Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops, which took place in the Vatican in October, was a moment of prayer and reflection in which our thoughts turned insistently to the Christian communities in that part of the world which suffer greatly because of their fidelity to Christ and the Church.
Looking to the East, the attacks which brought death, grief and dismay among the Christians of Iraq, even to the point of inducing them to leave the land where their families have lived for centuries, has troubled us deeply. To the authorities of that country and to the Muslim religious leaders I renew my heartfelt appeal that their Christian fellow-citizens be able to live in security, continuing to contribute to the society in which they are fully members. In Egypt too, in Alexandria, terrorism brutally struck Christians as they prayed in church. This succession of attacks is yet another sign of the urgent need for the governments of the region to adopt, in spite of difficulties and dangers, effective measures for the protection of religious minorities. Need we repeat it? In the Middle East, Christians are original and authentic citizens who are loyal to their fatherland and assume their duties toward their country. It is natural that they should enjoy all the rights of citizenship, freedom of conscience, freedom of worship and freedom in education, teaching and the use of the mass media” (Message to the People of God of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops, 10). I appreciate the concern for the rights of the most vulnerable and the political farsightedness which some countries in Europe have demonstrated in recent days by their call for a concerted response on the part of the European Union for the defence of Christians in the Middle East. Finally, I would like to state once again that the right to religious freedom is not fully respected when only freedom of worship is guaranteed, and that with restrictions. Furthermore, I encourage the accompaniment of the full safeguarding of religious freedom and other humans rights by programmes which, beginning in primary school and within the context of religious instruction, will educate everyone to respect their brothers and sisters in humanity. Regarding the states of the Arabian Peninsula, where numerous Christian immigrant workers live, I hope that the Catholic Church will be able to establish suitable pastoral structures.
Among the norms prejudicing the right of persons to religious freedom, particular mention must be made of the law against blasphemy in Pakistan: I once more encourage the leaders of that country to take the necessary steps to abrogate that law, all the more so because it is clear that it serves as a pretext for acts of injustice and violence against religious minorities. The tragic murder of the governor of Punjab shows the urgent need to make progress in this direction: the worship of God furthers fraternity and love, not hatred and division. Other troubling situations, at times accompanied by acts of violence, can be mentioned in south and south-east Asia, in countries which for that matter have a tradition of peaceful social relations. The particular influence of a given religion in a nation ought never to mean that citizens of another religion can be subject to discrimination in social life or, even worse, that violence against them can be tolerated. In this regard, it is important for interreligious dialogue to favour a common commitment to recognizing and promoting the religious freedom of each person and community. And, as I remarked earlier, violence against Christians does not spare Africa. Attacks on places of worship in Nigeria during the very celebrations marking the birth of Christ are another sad proof of this.
In a number of countries, on the other hand, a constitutionally recognized right to religious freedom exists, yet the life of religious communities is in fact made difficult and at times even dangerous (cf. Dignitatis Humanae, 15) because the legal or social order is inspired by philosophical and political systems which call for strict control, if not a monopoly, of the state over society. Such inconsistencies must end, so that believers will not find themselves torn between fidelity to God and loyalty to their country. I ask in particular that Catholic communities be everywhere guaranteed full autonomy of organization and the freedom to carry out their mission, in conformity with international norms and standards in this sphere.
My thoughts turn once again to the Catholic community of mainland China and its pastors, who are experiencing a time of difficulty and trial. I would also like to offer a word of encouragement to the authorities of Cuba, a country which in 2010 celebrated seventy-five years of uninterrupted diplomatic relations with the Holy See, that the dialogue happily begun with the Church may be reinforced and expanded.
Turning our gaze from East to West, we find ourselves faced with other kinds of threats to the full exercise of religious freedom. I think in the first place of countries which accord great importance to pluralism and tolerance, but where religion is increasingly being marginalized. There is a tendency to consider religion, all religion, as something insignificant, alien or even destabilizing to modern society, and to attempt by different means to prevent it from having any influence on the life of society. Christians are even required at times to act in the exercise of their profession with no reference to their religious and moral convictions, and even in opposition to them, as for example where laws are enforced limiting the right to conscientious objection on the part of health care or legal professionals.
In this context, one can only be gratified by the adoption by the Council of Europe last October of a resolution protecting the right to conscientious objection on the part of medical personnel vis-à-vis certain acts which gravely violate the right to life, such as abortion.
Another sign of the marginalization of religion, and of Christianity in particular, is the banning of religious feasts and symbols from civic life under the guise of respect for the members of other religions or those who are not believers. By acting in this way, not only is the right of believers to the public expression of their faith restricted, but an attack is made on the cultural roots which nourish the profound identity and social cohesion of many nations. Last year, a number of European countries supported the appeal lodged by the Italian government in the well-known case involving the display of the crucifix in public places. I am grateful to the authorities of those nations, as well as to all those who became involved in the issue, episcopates, civil and religious organizations and associations, particularly the Patriarchate of Moscow and the other representatives of the Orthodox hierarchy, as well as to all those – believers and non-believers alike – who wished to show their sympathy for this symbol, which bespeaks universal values.
Acknowledging religious freedom also means ensuring that religious communities can operate freely in society through initiatives in the social, charitable or educational sectors. Throughout the world, one can see the fruitful work accomplished by the Catholic Church in these areas. It is troubling that this service which religious communities render to society as a whole, particularly through the education of young people, is compromised or hampered by legislative proposals which risk creating a sort of state monopoly in the schools; this can be seen, for example, in certain countries in Latin America. Now that many of those countries are celebrating the second centenary of their independence – a fitting time for remembering the contribution made by the Catholic Church to the development of their national identity – I exhort all governments to promote educational systems respectful of the primordial right of families to make decisions about the education of their children, systems inspired by the principle of subsidiarity which is basic to the organization of a just society.
Continuing my reflection, I cannot remain silent about another attack on the religious freedom of families in certain European countries which mandate obligatory participation in courses of sexual or civic education which allegedly convey a neutral conception of the person and of life, yet in fact reflect an anthropology opposed to faith and to right reason.
Ladies and Gentlemen, on this solemn occasion, allow me to state clearly several principles which inspire the Holy See, together with the whole Catholic Church, in its activity within the intergovernmental International Organizations for the promotion of full respect for the religious freedom of all. First, the conviction that one cannot create a sort of scale of degrees of religious intolerance. Unfortunately, such an attitude is frequently found, and it is precisely acts of discrimination against Christians which are considered less grave and less worthy of attention on the part of governments and public opinion. At the same time, there is a need to reject the dangerous notion of a conflict between the right to religious freedom and other human rights, thus disregarding or denying the central role of respect for religious freedom in the defence and protection of fundamental human dignity. Even less justifiable are attempts to counter the right of religious freedom with other alleged new rights which, while actively promoted by certain sectors of society and inserted in national legislation or in international directives, are nonetheless merely the expression of selfish desires lacking a foundation in authentic human nature. Finally, it seems unnecessary to point out that an abstract proclamation of religious freedom is insufficient: this fundamental rule of social life must find application and respect at every level and in all areas; otherwise, despite correct affirmations of principle, there is a risk that deep injustice will be done to citizens wishing to profess and freely practise their faith.
Promoting the full religious freedom of Catholic communities is also the aim of the Holy See in signing Concordats and other agreements. I am gratified that states in different parts of the world, and of different religious, cultural and juridical traditions, choose international conventions as a means of organizing relations between the political community and the Catholic Church, thus establishing through dialogue a framework of cooperation and respect for reciprocal areas of competence. Last year witnessed the signing and implementation of an Agreement for the religious assistance of the Catholic faithful in the armed forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and negotiations are presently under way with different countries. We trust that they will have a positive outcome, ensuring solutions respectful of the nature and freedom of the Church for the good of society as a whole.
The activity of the Papal Representatives accredited to states and international organizations is likewise at the service of religious freedom. I would like to point out with satisfaction that the Vietnamese authorities have accepted my appointment of a Representative who will express the solicitude of the Successor of Peter by visiting the beloved Catholic community of that country. I would also like to mention that in the past year the diplomatic presence of the Holy See was expanded in Africa, since a stable presence is now assured in three countries without a resident Nuncio. God willing, I will once more travel to that continent, to Benin next November, in order to consign the Apostolic Exhortation which will gather the fruits of the labours of the second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops.
Before this distinguished assembly, I would like once more to state forcefully that religion does not represent a problem for society, that it is not a source of discord or conflict. I would repeat that the Church seeks no privileges, nor does she seek to intervene in areas unrelated to her mission, but simply to exercise the latter with freedom. I invite everyone to acknowledge the great lesson of history: “How can anyone deny the contribution of the world’s great religions to the development of civilization? The sincere search for God has led to greater respect for human dignity. Christian communities, with their patrimony of values and principles, have contributed much to making individuals and peoples aware of their identity and their dignity, the establishment of democratic institutions and the recognition of human rights and their corresponding duties. Today too, in an increasingly globalized society, Christians are called, not only through their responsible involvement in civic, economic and political life but also through the witness of their charity and faith, to offer a valuable contribution to the laborious and stimulating pursuit of justice, integral human development and the right ordering of human affairs” (Message for the Celebration of World Peace Day, 1 January 2011, 7).
A clear example of this was Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta: the centenary of her birth was celebrated at Tirana, Skopje and Pristina as well as in India, and a moving homage was paid to her not only by the Church but also by civil authorities and religious leaders, to say nothing of people of all religions. People like her show the world the extent to which the commitment born of faith is beneficial to society as a whole.
May no human society willingly deprive itself of the essential contribution of religious persons and communities! As the Second Vatican Council recalled, by guaranteeing just religious freedom fully and to all, society can “enjoy the benefits of justice and peace which result from faithfulness to God and his holy will” (Declaration Dignitatis Humanae, 6).
For this reason, as we exchange good wishes for a new year rich in concord and genuine progress, I exhort everyone, political and religious leaders and persons of every walk of life, to set out with determination on the path leading to authentic and lasting peace, a path which passes through respect for the right to religious freedom in all its fullness.
On this commitment, whose accomplishment calls for the involvement of the whole human family, I invoke the blessing of Almighty God, who has reconciled us with himself and with one another through his Son Jesus Christ our peace (Eph 2:14).
Ten stories that are likely to define the coming year
For British Catholics, the past 12 months were both unsettling and exhilarating. Will the year ahead be as dramatic? Given the turbulent nature of the times, it is impossible to know for certain which themes will define the year. But here are 10 stories that we believe are likely to dominate 2011 and have a far-reaching impact on the Church.
The ordinariate: In arguably one of most interesting developments in English Christianity since the Oxford Movement, groups of former Anglicans will form the first personal ordinariate. The English ordinariate will become a model for similar ventures around the world.
Persecution in the Middle East: The bombing of the Coptic church in Alexandria was al-Qaeda’s way of saying that no Christian in any Middle Eastern country is safe. The terror network is likely to wage a concerted campaign this year to drive Christianity out of its ancient heartlands.
Post-papal visit renewal: Many of us are still trying to absorb the impact of Benedict XVI’s trip to Britain. There is a danger that, if we continue to simply bathe in the visit’s warm afterglow, we will miss a key opportunity for spiritual renewal.
The Church and the Coalition: Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster has said that the papal visit seemed to herald a new era in relations between Church and state. But will the new spirit of cooperation survive the Coalition’s decision to place abortion at the forefront of overseas aid and to drive through controversial cuts?
Apostolic Visitation to Ireland: This year the Apostolic Visitators will attempt to discover what went wrong with the Irish Church and how it might be corrected. If Rome can draw the right conclusions about the malaise it can ensure that the scandal is not repeated elsewhere.
Reforming the Legion of Christ: No less important is the radical re-shaping of the most dynamic post-Vatican II clerical religious congregation, the Legion of Christ, and its lay movement, Regnum Christi. Pope Benedict has rejected the easy option of simply abolishing the Legion and will devote much energy in 2011 to salvaging the wreckage left behind by Marcial Maciel.
The referendum in Sudan: This month the people of southern Sudan (many of whom are Catholic) will vote on whether to secede from the north. Khartoum has warned them to expect violence if they opt for independence. Will anyone defend them?
Sino-Vatican ties: Before Christmas relations between Rome and Beijing deteroriated dramatically. Chinese state media accused the Pope of behaving “like a western politician”, while the Vatican said the Chinese authorities had engaged in “unacceptable and hostile acts”. Will Sino-Vatican ties continue to worsen in 2011?
SSPX talks: This might be the year that discussions between Rome and the Society of St Pius X finally bear fruit. As we report this week, SSPX leader Bishop Bernard Fellay is cautiously optimistic about full reconciliation. But we shouldn’t underestimate the obstacles that remain.
The Pope in Berlin: In September Benedict XVI will make his first papal trip to the German capital. Protests are expected, but the Pope may be able to charm the German public just as he did the British people. His scheduled address to the Bundestag is likely to be memorable.
If this vote goes through and southern Sudan does gain its independence, it will be interesting to see how the Catholic Church goes about establishing its political power under the new regime.
This article comes from the Catholic News Agency. ---------------------------------
Church's role is critical in run-up to Sudan independence vote
Baltimore, Md., Jan 4, 2011 / 05:53 am (CNA).- Sudan's Catholic bishops say their country “will never be the same again,” once a January 2011 referendum that could split Africa's largest country in two takes place. Leading up to the vote, the Sudanese Catholic Church is playing a central role in preparing the country for the vote and its possible consequences.
“This is a real case of the Church providing the vision,” said Dan Griffin, Catholic Relief Services' Sudan adviser. Griffin is the agency's main contact between its U.S. headquarters and agents on the ground in Sudan. In the run up to the referendum, he said, “the Church is leading the way, talking about a Sudan that doesn't exist yet – calling people to participate, and engage, in building a nation.”
Most southern Sudanese are said to support full independence from the northern half of Africa's largest country. The ethnically- and religiously-divided nation fought two civil wars –from 1955 to 1972, and again between 1983 and 2005– that left an estimated 2.5 million people dead, and failed to resolve political disputes dating back more than a century.
Sudanese northerners, who are mostly Arab and Muslim, have long attempted to control the resource-rich south, particularly after Sudan gained independence from joint British and Egyptian rule in 1956.
These aspirations have often led to armed conflict with the south, where a myriad of non-Arabic tribes typically practice either Christianity or traditional native religions.
“Currently, the government in Khartoum (the capital) describes Sudan as a Muslim, Arabic country,” Griffin said. “The reality is, Sudan's far more diverse.” While some southern Sudanese factions have historically fought for the goal of a unified Sudan without Islamist rule, others have focused recently on achieving independence from the north, which they see as intractably committed to Sharia law.
Although religious differences have frequently fueled the conflict, Griffin pointed out that there were “multiple reasons” other than religion, for the historic division between the north and the south. The deeper conflict, he said, is “about power and powerlessness.” Currently, power is being retained and defined in Khartoum, but the other regions, “the peripheries of Sudan, (are) being excluded.”
While southern Sudan achieved a measure of political autonomy in a 2005 peace treaty, the region has not made comparable progress on many of its own internal problems. These include a serious lack of infrastructure, extreme poverty and illiteracy, and corruption –or even absence– of government at the local level. These conditions, Griffin said, have forced the Church into a leadership role.
“In many parts of southern Sudan,” he noted, “because of a long history of un-development and underdevelopment, the Church … is the last real vestige of civil society.” In parts of the south, the Church can communicate and work across ethnic and geographical boundaries more readily than southern Sudan's own autonomous government.
In such areas, it falls to the Church to “provide accurate, timely information about the referendum,” and also to build connections and trust between different elements of southern Sudanese society. In these areas, Griffin said, “the Church plays an immensely important role, because it's trusted by the people.”
Sudan's Catholic bishops have not taken a position on the question of full independence for the south. Rather, their priorities are to help voters understand the implications of their decision, and to ensure that the referendum takes place peacefully, fairly, and on schedule. The larger goal, Griffin said, was to make sure the vote and its results would not re-ignite historic conflicts.
At worst, the referendum's results could prompt a third Sudanese civil war– “far more lethal” than the first two, in Griffin's estimation, and “just as targeted against civilians.” Such a war, he predicted, would involve not only Sudan's north and south, but the nine neighboring countries, in what “could be the largest conventional war on the African continent.”
That result, in turn, could de-stabilize large portions of East Africa, immersing other countries in “proxy wars that are ignited and played out across Sudan.” This “worst-case scenario,” according to Griffin, “would make Somalia and Yemen look manageable by comparison.”
Church leaders, he said, have been “very mindful that this could happen,” and consider it their moral obligation to prevent a third civil war. “We've been able to get out and make a lot of interventions, in terms of emergency preparation, conflict mitigation, and peace training. We've been doing this now for more than a year, through the Church networks.”
“Unlike a natural disaster, we know exactly when this referendum is scheduled to take place. So we have to prepare the people for this. We can't stand by and let another humanitarian catastrophe of this size unfold– anywhere in the world, particularly in Africa.”
Griffin recalled that throughout Advent of 2010, Church leaders had continually sought to “appeal to people for calm and patience, not for a return to violence.” He described these messages as “extremely important in giving people an alternate vision (other) than an automatic return to war,” to build confidence that the southern Sudanese “can pursue their rights and self-determination non-violently.”
While a return to civil war is the worst-case scenario, it is not the only possibility that Sudanese leaders and international observers fear. The government in Khartoum has recently indicated it will seek to solidify its Muslim identity, through an increased use of Sharia law, in the event of a southern secession. Popular outrage could also turn against ethnic and religious “southerners” in the north.
Through direct diplomacy and international advocacy, the Sudanese bishops have sought “guarantees of security, not only to the rights of people in the north, but their physical security,” Griffin noted. Such guarantees are urgently necessary, because there are “currently no protection forces whatsoever for the one-and-a-half to two-million ethnically-identified southerners, living in the north.”
In the absence of such protection, huge numbers of people –around 2,000 a day, Griffin estimated– are migrating from the north to the south, which may be severely unprepared to handle the influx of refugees.
Again, the local Church –in collaboration with agencies such as Catholic Relief Services and Caritas– will have to provide whatever accommodation it can, stepping in where the government cannot.
“Until there's a strong civil society, I think much of that falls on the Church,” Griffin said. He reflected that the southern Sudanese administration has faced tremendous challenges in “moving from a rebel guerrilla movement, to a centralized democracy” in only five years.
Some observers believe the south has not handled such transitions well enough to take the more radical step of independence. But Church leaders, who know the southern administration's deficiencies from experience, have judged that the independence vote must nevertheless take place.
The referendum is, among other things, a central condition in the 2005 peace agreement between the north and south– such that it must take place for that treaty's peace process to continue. “There are no guarantees that the people of southern Sudan will be able to move forward peacefully and successfully,” Griffin acknowledged. But under the peace treaty, “they have every right to try.”
“People feel that they have exhausted any meaningful efforts at unity,” he said. “The people of southern Sudan have, in their hearts and minds, turned that corner. They see themselves as a free and independent people, and they're waiting to assert that freedom and that independence.”
Assuming the week-long referendum's results are clear and legitimate, they will not actually take full effect until July of 2011. Whatever the outcome, Griffin said, “we do know that Sudan will be dramatically different” after Jan. 9.
“Not knowing what's going to happen obligates us to prepare for the worst,” he said, “and that's exactly what the Sudanese Church and (international) Church leadership have been doing now for quite some time.”
This article comes from the Catholic News Agency. -------------------------------------------
Benedict XVI calls religious leaders to renew commitment to peace
Vatican City, Jan 1, 2011 / 01:28 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Pope invited religious leaders from around the world to Assisi, Italy to renew their commitment to peace.
Pope Benedict announced plans for the peace summit in his words before the Angelus on Jan. 1. The October gathering will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the first World Day of Prayer for Peace, reported Vatican Radio.
The Pope's announcement came shortly after suicide bombers in Egypt killed 21 Coptic Christians leaving Mass on Jan. 1.
In addition to calling for the October meeting, Benedict XVI asked Catholics to pray “for peace throughout the world.”
“I invite all of you to join in heartfelt prayer to Christ the Prince of Peace for an end to violence and conflict wherever they are found.”
The Pontiff then prayed that those gathered receive “God’s abundant blessings” in 2011.
This article comes from the Catholic News Agency. -------------------------------------------------
Al-Qaida hatred for Pope caused US worries about Vatican security
Rome, Italy, Dec 14, 2010 / 04:55 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Speaking frankly about “the known al-Qaida antipathy to the Pope,” American embassy officials in 2008 asked the U.S. State Department to consider an effort to help Vatican security forces deal with terrorist threats.
The WikiLeaks website recently published a Dec. 19, 2008 State Department cable reputedly from the U.S. Embassy in Rome. The cable, classified as “secret,” documented a request from the U.S. Vatican Embassy to plan and fund a “crisis management tabletop exercise” with Vatican security services.
The stated purpose of this effort was to enhance the Vatican’s crisis response abilities and to “foster a dialogue with the Vatican on counter-terrorism.”
“Al-Qaida has publicly identified the Pope and the Catholic Church as an enemy (‘Crusaders’), and Vatican City attracts hundreds of thousands of American citizen visitors each year, both tourists and pilgrims,” the cable continued.
According to the cable, the head of the Vatican Gendarme Corps Domenico Giani had sought specific security training from the FBI, including explosives ordinance training for Vatican Gendarmerie members at the Quantico Marine Corps base in Virginia. However, the cable reported, Giani has been “reluctant to engage in a comprehensive dialogue with the United States about Vatican capabilities and preparedness to respond to a terrorist attack.”
While the famous Swiss Guard provides security for the Pope and visiting dignitaries, the Gendarme Corps is responsible for general security and law enforcement at the Vatican.
During a November 2008 conversation about al-Qaida’s threat to the Vatican, U.S. Vatican Embassy official Julieta Valls Noyes proposed to Giani a joint tabletop exercise on crisis management, to which he reportedly responded “positively.”
The Rome Embassy cable noted the Holy See’s sensitivity about appearing to be too close to any one state, which the embassy described as a challenge to fostering dialogue about security. Another challenge was “the Vatican’s conviction that its facilities must be easily accessible to all Catholics.”
According to the cable’s analysis, Giani’s interest in a crisis management exercise was an opportunity to better position the U.S. to help the Vatican prepare to respond to terrorist threats. The cable appears to be WikiLeaks’ first release of a Vatican-related document that did not originate with the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See. The cable’s authorship is attributed to U.S. Ambassador to Italy Ronald Spogli.
More than 700 WikiLeaks cables originate at the U.S. Vatican Embassy, while about 100 others originate at other American embassies and consulates.
In a Dec. 3 response to CNA inquiries, the U.S. Vatican Embassy said it could not address the authenticity of any documents provided to the press. The embassy also condemned “in the strongest terms” the unauthorized disclosure of classified information.
For their part, Vatican officials have also advised “great prudence” in examining the WikiLeaks cables. Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi said the reports reflect “the perceptions and opinions of those who wrote them” and cannot be considered as expressions of the Holy See or as exact quotations of its officials.
The Vatican and the Palestine Liberation Organization have resumed diplomatic talks and agreed to establish a working group dedicated to drafting a comprehensive agreement between the two parties.
The talks are aimed at establishing “a comprehensive international agreement regulating and promoting the presence and activities of the Catholic Church in the Palestinian territories, so strengthening the special relations between the Holy See and the PLO,” said a joint statement released by the Vatican Dec. 9.
The statement was issued at the end of initial talks, which were held Dec. 7 “in a cordial atmosphere” at the headquarters of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Ramallah.
The joint statement said the talks were designed to elaborate ways to implement the “Basic Agreement” between the Vatican and the PLO, an agreement signed in 2000 spelling out principles for guaranteeing church rights and religious freedom in territories administered by the Palestinian Authority.
The talks in Ramallah were co-chaired by Msgr. Ettore Balestrero, the Vatican undersecretary for relations with states, and Ziad al-Bandak, the Palestinian presidential adviser for Christian relations.
Iran, Vatican discussing creation of monotheistic religions front
The seventh round of meetings between Iran’s Center for Interreligious Dialogue and the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID) began on Monday at the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (ICRO) headquarters.
At the meeting, ICRO Director Mohammad-Baqer Khorramshad said that the united front can be set up through emphasizing the cultural affinities of the monotheistic religions.
The dissemination of the ways monotheistic religions respond to the basic needs of people can be helpful in the interreligious dialogue, Khorramshad added.
PCID President Cardinal Jean-Louis Pierre Tauran, PCID Secretary General Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata, and a number of other Vatican officials are attending the meeting.
Cardinal Tauran thanked Iran for its efforts to organize the meeting.
Mutual respect and trust and the younger generation should be topics of discussion in the dialogue between monotheistic religions, Cardinal Tauran said.
The belief in a plurality of deities and membership in polytheistic sects are the main blights of modern societies, he added.
Unity within the monotheistic front is the only way to avoid depravity, he noted.
Pope Benedict XVI has sent a personal message to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, the president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue, hand-delivered a letter from the Pontiff when he met with Ahmadinejad on November 9 in Teheran. Cardinal Tauran was in Iran for the latest in a series of talks between Vatican officials and Shi’ite Muslim leaders.
The contents of the Pope’s message to Ahmadinejad were not disclosed. The Iranian government has, on several occasions, sought to enlist the support of the Vatican in its diplomatic conflicts with the US and European nations. While indicating a willingness to act as mediators, Vatican diplomats have declined to become directly involved in the international dispute over Iran's development of a nuclear capacity. The Holy See has, however, argued consistently against nuclear proliferation.
Religion and Society: Christian and Muslim Perspectives
VATICAN CITY, 8 NOV 2010 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue and the Centre for Inter-religious Dialogue of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation of Tehran, Iran, have organised their seventh meeting, due to be held in Tehran from 9 to 11 November. According to a communique released today, the meeting will examine the question of "Religion and Society: Christian and Muslim Perspectives" and will be divided into three sub themes. The event will be attended by eight members of the pontifical council including Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president, Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata, secretary, and Msgr. Khaled Akasheh, bureau chief for Islam. The local Church will be represented by Archbishop Ramzi Garmou of Tehran of the Chaldeans and by Fr. Francesco Pirisi S.D.B., vicar general of the archdiocese of Ispahan of the Latins. Following the inaugural session the meeting will continue behind closed doors, although a lecture due to be held at a university in Tehran will present the theme of the meeting, from the Christian perspective, to a public of professors and students. The meeting will be followed by a visit to Qom, a holy city for Shia Muslims and an important centre for religious teaching and research.
Christians in the Middle East. Crushed between Islam & Israel
ROME, October 19, 2010 – The special synod for the Middle East that has been underway at the Vatican for ten days is shedding light on a segment of the Christian world in dramatic movement, in several directions and with an uncertain future.
The exodus of Christians from those lands is an important part of this movement. But it is not a new phenomenon. During the first half of the twentieth century, the extermination and expulsion from Turkey of the Armenians, and then the Greeks, were of colossal proportions. Today the exodus continues from several places, and in different degrees. The fact is that in comparison with the twelve million faithful of the ancient Eastern Churches who today live between Egypt and Iran, there are now about seven million living elsewhere.
For many decades there have been more Armenians in the diaspora than in their native land. The Maronite Lebanese have dioceses for their emigrants in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Australia. The Syriac Orthodox have an eparchy in Sweden. The Iraqis have created a "Chaldean Town" in the city of Detroit. Most of the Christian emigrants from Bethlehem are going to Chile.
At the same time, however, an inverse movement is also underway in the Middle East. On the Arabian Peninsula alone – according to statements at the synod from the two apostolic vicars of the region, Paul Hinder and Camillo Ballin – three million Catholics have already come from abroad seeking jobs, most of them from the Philippines and India.
The Arab countries of the Gulf "have a great need for manual labor," explained the Syro-Malabar Indian bishop Bosco Puthur, from whose region 430,000 people have departed. But what awaits these emigrants is very bitter, if measured according to religious and civil liberties. The archbishop of Addis Ababa, Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, said that the thousands of women who leave Ethiopia for the Middle East each year, to work as maids, in order to obtain entry visas "change their Christian names to Muslim names, and dress as Muslims, being indirectly forced to renounce their roots," and in any case go to meet a life of "exploitation and abuse."
In describing the living conditions of Christians in Muslim countries in the Middle East, the bishops used understandably prudent words. With a few exceptions.
One of the most unvarnished was the representative in Jordan for the patriarchate of the Iraqi Chaldeans. He said that there is "a deliberate campaign to drive out the Christians. There are Satanic plans by extremist fundamentalist groups against Christians not only in Iraq, but in all the Middle East."
The Iranian Thomas Meram, archbishop of Urmya of the Chaldeans, did not hesitate to quote the psalm of David: "For you we are massacred every day." And he continued: "Every day Christians hear it said, from the loudspeakers, from the television, from the newspapers, that they are infidels, and for this reason they are treated as second-class citizens."
Entirely the opposite of what was asserted at the assembly that same day, Thursday, October 14, by Iranian ayatollah Seyed Mostafa Mohaghegh Ahmadabadi, a guest of the synod, according to whom "in many Islamic countries, above all in Iran, the Christians live side by side in peace with their Muslim brothers. They enjoy all the legal rights of any other citizen, and exercise their religious practices freely."
But the synod is more than a simple recognition of the living conditions of Christians in the Middle East.
From the debate there have emerged critical judgments on the Catholic Church in those countries, and proposals for change.
DIVIDED CHRISTIANS
A first critical judgment concerns the lack of unity in the Catholic Church in the Middle East.
The five great traditions on which it draws – Alexandrian, Antiochian, Armenian, Chaldean, Byzantine – and the even more numerous rites in which it is structured often produce division, misunderstandings, and isolation, instead of mutual enrichment.
"An ethnic and nationalist Church is against the work of the Holy Spirit," warned the Chaldean Iranian archbishop of Tehran, Ramzi Garmou.
And he had reasons to say so. The Coptic Egyptian bishop of Assiut, Kyrillos William, lashed out in the assembly against his Latin rite confreres, because, by also celebrating their liturgies in Arabic, "they attract our faithful and separate them from our Church."
The Greek-Melkite bishop of Australia, Issam John Darwich, also complained about the "growing intolerance among the Eastern Catholic Churches." And he gave the example of "the sad situation of Lebanon, where every Church seems interested in obtaining political benefits for itself, and more than the other Churches."
In effect, Lebanon is indeed a country in which Christians enjoy more freedoms than in other countries of the Middle East, but it was also described this way at the synod by one of its Greek-Melkite bishops, Georges Nicholas Haddad:
"Freedom of religion and of conscience remains the privilege of the 18 historically recognized communities (12 Christian, 4 Muslim, one Druze, and one Jewish). Anyone who is not part of these is excluded from any right to the exercise of his liberties. Any attempt characterized by proselytism on the part of one or another community can prompt extreme and sometimes violent reactions. Every conversion is perceived as a heavy blow inflicted on the community of origin of the convert, and constitutes a social rupture."
Muhammad Al-Sammak, an adviser to the Grand Mufti of Lebanon and another Muslim figure invited to speak at the synod, did not say anything much different when he stated – before the assembly – that "the Christian presence in the East is a necessity both for Christians and for Muslims" and – outside of the assembly, in a press conference – that "belief is a matter of conscience, but when changing religion also means changing 'sides', it becomes an act of betrayal of the state, and it must be treated as such."
Against this background, numerous voices have been raised at the synod to call for more unity among the Catholic Churches in the region, and between these and the Orthodox Churches and Protestant confessions.
In particular, a proposal has been made to arrange as soon as possible a common date for the celebration of Easter.
Some have urged dialogue with "enlightened" Muslims, those open to a "critical interpretation of the Qur'an" and to an "interpretation of Islamic laws in their historical context."
MORE POWER FOR THE PATRIARCHS
A second series of proposals concerned pastoral care for the faithful of the Catholic Church of the Middle East who have emigrated abroad, the role of the patriarchs, and their relationship with the see of Rome.
As a rule, the patriarchs and bishops have jurisdiction over their respective territories, not over the faithful who have emigrated to other countries. But in some cases, the latter have become more numerous than the faithful who have remained in their countries. And if they are left without care, they tend to abandon the traditions of their Churches of origin. A number of voices at the synod have therefore requested that the patriarchs and bishops be given authority over the entire flock of their faithful, wherever they may be, at home and abroad.
Together with this request, some have also asked for the freedom to send married priests for the pastoral care of the Eastern faithful in diaspora. In the West, in fact, where the clergy is celibate, the presence of married Eastern priests with pastoral duties is not permitted. But with the number of emigrants increasing, and almost all of the lower clergy of the Eastern Churches being married, it is increasingly difficult for the Eastern patriarchs and bishops to find celibate priests to send abroad for the care of their faithful. Hence the request to remove the ban.
As for the role of the patriarchates, the request has surfaced several times at the synod to "give back" to them the authority that they had in the first centuries of the Church, in relation to the pope. In particular, by giving them more autonomy in appointing local bishops. And also by associating them "ipso facto" with the college that elects the supreme pontiff, "without the necessity of receiving the Latin title of cardinal." In short, by assigning the pope "a new form of the exercise of the primacy inspired by the ecclesial forms of the first millennium," with the role of the patriarchs reinforced. All of this partly for the purpose of bringing the positions of the Catholic Church closer to those of the Eastern Orthodox Churches.
ON MISSION AMONG THE MUSLIMS
A third block of proposals concerned "the need to recover the missionary aspect of the Church." A new and courageous proposal in predominantly Muslim countries, on the part of Churches that for historical reasons and motives of survival have largely closed in on themselves.
Coptic Egyptian bishop Youhannes Zakaria of Luxor said that in spite of the difficulties and the dangers, "our Church must not be afraid or ashamed, it must not hesitate to obey the mandate of Lord, who asks it to continue preaching the Gospel."
And the Chaldean Iranian archbishop of Tehran, Ramzi Garmou, delved even deeper into this need. After saying that "a new missionary impulse" is vital "to knock over the ethnic and nationalist barriers that threaten to asphyxiate and make sterile the Churches of the East," he recalled "the fundamental importance of monastic life for the renewal and reawakening of our Churches."
And he continued:
"This form of life that was born in the East, was at the origin of an extraordinary missionary expansion and an admirable witness of our churches during the first centuries. History teaches us that the bishops were chosen among the monks, that is to say men of prayer and with a deep spiritual life, having vast experience in the 'things of God.' Today, unfortunately, the choice of bishops does not obey the same criteria and we can see the results which are unfortunately not always happy ones. The bi-millenary experience of the Church confirms to us that prayer is the soul of the mission, it is thanks to this that all the activities of the church are fruitful and bear many fruits. Also, all those who participated in the reform of the church and gave back its innocent beauty and eternal youth were essentially men and women of prayer. For this reason our Lord invites us to pray without ceasing. With regret and bitterness we see that monasteries of contemplative life, source of abundant grace for the people of God, have almost disappeared in our Eastern Churches. What a great loss! How sad!"
It is easy to glimpse in these words a reflection of the theses of pope Joseph Ratzinger, according to whom the secret of good Church governance – and of its reform – is "thought illuminated by prayer."
ISRAEL A "FOREIGN BODY"?
At a synod dedicated to the Middle East, finally, it was to be expected that there would be an important reference to Israel and to the Jews.
But instead, almost no one has talked about it. The only synod father who dedicated his entire speech to it was, on October 11, the patriarchal vicar of Jerusalem for Hebrew-speaking Catholics, Jesuit Fr. David Neuhaus, who expressed his hope for more communion, in Israel, between Arabic and Hebrew-speaking Catholics.
These latter, as is known, are considered by many of their Arab confreres a foreign body. And the Holy See is not helping them, by declining to appoint a bishop to care for them.
On October 13, one of the guest speakers at the synod was Rabbi David Rosen, an adviser to the Grand Rabbi of Israel. His speech was wide-ranging, very positive, and showed great appreciation for the work of the current pope and of his predecessor.
But after him, no one at the synod has followed up on his words of dialogue between Jews and Christians.
Since the assembly has remained in almost complete silence on the issue, an even bigger impact has been made by a document circulated outside of the synod hall: a document entitled "Kairòs – A moment of truth" and blatantly anti-Israeli in its contents. In it, Israel's occupation of the Territories is called "a sin against God and humanity," and the very foundation of the Jewish state is traced back to a sense of blame on the part of the West because of the Holocaust, the healing of which is held to be behind the occupation of Palestinian land. The document ends with a call to boycott Israel.
The origin of "Kairòs" goes back a number of months. When it was made public for the first time, on December 11, 2009, in Bethlehem, the document bore the signatures of a former Latin rite patriarch of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah, of Greek Orthodox archbishop Atallah Hanna (a bitter rival of the Greek Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilus III), of the Lutheran bishop of Jerusalem, Munib Younan, and of thirteen other Arab Christian representatives.
Its most active promoter was the Lutheran Younan. He was successful in involving the World Council of Churches, an association of 349 Christian denominations all over the world, with headquarters in Geneva. And in fact, when a message from the secretary general of the WCC, Olav Fykse Tveit was read at the synod, the "Kairòs" document was cited favorably.
But Younan and the other authors of the document also brought pressure, in the days following its publication, on all the leaders of the Christian Churches in Jerusalem, in order to obtain their support.
What they obtained, on December 15, 2009, was a statement of a few lines, without any explicit reference to "Kairòs," which began with these words: "We, the patriarchs and heads of the Christian Churches of Jerusalem, have heard the cry of hope that our children have raised in these difficult times that we are living through in this Holy Land. We support them."
Nothing more. But from then on, the "Kairòs" document has always been distributed with this statement at the top, as if it were a prologue, and with the signatures of all the leaders of the Christian Churches in Jerusalem, including Latin patriarch Fouad Twal and the custodian of the Holy Land, Franciscan Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, as if they were the true signatories of the entire document.
For those who know and have read the writings of Fr. Pizzaballa, his adherence to the ideas of "Kairòs" and to the boycott of Israel is simply unthinkable. And yet the Custody of the Holy Land, which he heads, contributed along with other Catholic associations like Pax Christi and with former patriarch of Jerusalem Sabbah to giving publicity to the document on October 19 in a facility owned by the Vatican, a few steps from the synod hall.
Not only that. On October 14, Maronite archbishop Edmond Farhat – former apostolic nuncio and official representative of Vatican politics – spoke at the synod.
And the judgments he expressed confirmed that for the Holy See – although it accepts the objective of two states for Jews and Palestinians – the assumption still applies that the ultimate cause of all of the evils in the Middle East is precisely that "foreign body" which is Israel.
Nuncio Farhat said:
"The Middle Eastern situation today is like a living organ that has been subject to a graft it cannot assimilate and which has no specialists capable of healing it. As a last resource, the Eastern Arab Muslim looked to the Church, believing, as he thinks himself, that it is capable of obtaining justice for him. This is not the case. He is disappointed, he is scared. His confidence has turned into frustration. He has fallen into a deep crisis. The foreign body, not accepted, gnaws at him and impedes him from taking care of his general state and development. The Middle Eastern Muslim, in the great majority of cases, is in crisis. He cannot make justice on his own. He finds any allies neither on the human nor the political level, let alone the scientific level. He is frustrated. He revolts. His frustration has resulted in revolutions, radicalism, wars, terror and the call (da’wat) to return to radical teachings (salafiyyah). Wishing to find justice on his own radicalism turns into violence. He believes there will be more of an echo if he attacks the constituted bodies. The most accessible and fragile is the Church."
If one of the intentions of the Vatican authorities was to "moderate" the intransigent aversion to Israel of the Arab Churches of the Middle East, the words of nuncio Farhat have done the opposite.
________________
The documents of the synod, on the Vatican website:
Pope closes Middle East Synod with impassioned call for peace
Vatican City, Oct 24, 2010 / 03:46 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Peace is possible and urgent in the Middle East, where wars, violence and terrorism have gone on for “too long,” said the Pope at the concluding Mass of the Vatican's synod on the Middle East. He invited prayers for the region and assured its Christian inhabitants that they are “never alone.”
The synod, two weeks of discussions on the state of Christians and the Church in the Middle East, concluded on Sunday with a Eucharistic celebration that showed the "unity in diversity" of the Catholic Church. Joining Pope Benedict XVI in the celebration of the Mass were 177 bishops from all over the Middle East and neighboring nations who had taken part in the summit.
The meetings brought many challenges, hopes and concerns to light while maintaining a focus on the synod's theme: "Communion and Witness: now those who believed were of one heart and soul."
Among the matters receiving the most attention during the sessions were communion among the variety of Eastern Catholic traditions; problematic emigration from the Middle East; and inter-religious relations and dialogue. The topics of violence, peace, and religious freedom were also prominent.
During the homily at the synod’s closing Mass, Pope Benedict called the encounter a "truly extraordinary experience," not just for participants, "but for the good of the Church." He told the many Synod Fathers that they now return home from this "powerful moment of ecclesial communion" to their missions, knowing that they are united and remain in God's love.
He hoped that the positive experience of being "united, heart and soul, in faith, in hope and in charity," would be repeated in Middle Eastern communities. Guided by prayer and by living true unity, he said, Catholics in the region will also be able to pursue dialogue with other Christians more readily.
While Christians in the region are few, the Pope observed, "they are the bearers of the Good News of the love of God for man ... and it is the only Word which is able to break that vicious circle of vengeance, hate and violence." He prayed that initiatives for peace might arise from all levels of society.
"Conflicts, wars, violence and terrorism have gone on for too long in the Middle East," he emphasized. "Peace, which is a gift of God, is also the result of the efforts of men of goodwill, of the national and international institutions, in particular of the states most involved in the search for a solution to conflicts.
"We must never resign ourselves to the absence of peace. Peace is possible. Peace is urgent," he said.
It is also the "indispensable condition for a life of dignity for human beings and society" and "the best remedy to avoid emigration from the Middle East," he added.
Referring to Psalm 122's call to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, he said "we pray for peace in the Holy Land. We pray for peace in the Middle East, undertaking to try to ensure that this gift of God to men of goodwill should spread through the whole world."
Christians can also contribute to the promotion of "authentic freedom of religion and conscience" in the region, he said, proposing this as a topic of Christian-Muslim dialogue.
Turning to Christians in the Middle East, headed: "may the experience of these days assure you that you are never alone, that you are always accompanied by the Holy See and the whole Church, which, having been born in Jerusalem, spread through the Middle East and then the rest of the world."
He also announced during the homily that the next assembly of bishops would take place in 2012 to examine "new evangelization."
