Posted on 01/18/2008 1:53:03 PM PST by NYer
.- This morning at the Vatican, the Pope met with the Catholic bishops from Arab regions of the world and called upon all Catholics to help Arab Christians to remain in their countries.
The prelates who spoke with Benedict XVI are from the Conference of Latin Bishops in the Arab Regions (CELRA), whose president is His Beatitude Michel Sabbah, patriarch of Jerusalem of the Latins.
In his talk to them, the Pope recalled how their episcopal conference "comprises many different situations in which the faithful, natives of many different countries, often live in small communities within societies chiefly composed of believers from other religions".
The Holy Father reassured the bishops that he shared "the concerns and hopes" of their people, noting how "the constant cycle of violence, insecurity and hatred makes coexistence very difficult, and can give rise to fears for the survival of your communities".
The situation of violence, insecurity and hatred should be an occasion for the bishops to help strengthen the faith and brotherhood amongst the Christian community, the Pope said. This experience of unity will give Christians hope that “is founded on the certainty that the Lord never abandons those who turn to Him".
The Holy Father also addressed the tendency for Christians to leave their countries in search of a better life: “it is necessary to give firm encouragement and support to those who decide to remain faithful to their land, in order to ensure it does not become an archaeological site without an ecclesial life," he said.
To prevent the Holy Land and other areas under the scourge of violence from being emptied of Christians, the Pope gave guarantees of his support for the initiatives taken by the bishops "to contribute to creating socio-economic conditions that may help Christians remain in their own countries", and asked that "the entire Church to support such efforts".
"The vocation of Christians in your countries is of particular importance", he observed. "As builders of peace and justice, they represent the living presence of Christ Who came to reconcile the world with the Father and to bring all His lost children together. Hence the need to reaffirm and develop true communion and serene and respectful collaboration between Catholics of different rites. This will constitute an eloquent sign for other Christians and for the rest of society".
For Catholics in those lands, "meeting members of other religions, Jews and Muslims, is a daily occurrence", said the Pope, noting that "the quality of relations between believers is particularly important, being both a testimony to the one God and a contribution to establishing more fraternal relations between individuals and between the various components of your societies". Another vital factor, he stressed, is "broader mutual knowledge so as to favor ever great respect for human dignity and for equality of rights".
In this context, the Pope expressed his "deep desire" that "authentic religious liberty should be in effect everywhere, and that the right of each person to practice his or her religion, or to change it, should not hindered", because such "is the primordial right of every human being".
The Holy Father asked the prelates to give "priority" attention to helping Christian families, who "face numerous challenges such as religious relativism, materialism and a series of threats to social and moral values". He also praised the efforts of Catholic institutions and religious in the fields of education, healthcare and assistance to the needy.
"I wish to restate my solidarity with those people in your regions who suffer so many forms of violence", the Pope concluded. "You may count on the solidarity of the Universal Church.”
Catholic Ping
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I hope someone listens to +BXVI. As you, and I for that matter, know full well, life for Latin, Eastern Rite, Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Christians in the Arab/Mohammedan world is becoming, and in some areas has become, intolerable, in no small measure due to the policies of the American government. We all should pray unceasingly for our Christian brothers and sisters in those areas.
Yes, this is a great thing. I’m glad he’s come out and said it. We keep tiptoeing around this problem.
Yesterday, I heard a talk by John Allen (NCR reporter, but a very good one). He did a sort of sociological forecast for the Church in 4 areas and talked blithely about the “Global South,” particularly Africa, how the Church was going to grow there, etc. He mentioned other issues such as science, the aging population in Europe, and the loss of tradition. THe talk had its good aspects and its silly ones.
But at the very end of it, a Monsignor from some parish out in the Midwest stood up and said that there was one thing that he thought was very important and John Allen hadn’t even mentioned it: Islam and its attacks on Christianity.
He was absolutely right. Allen did not mention that Christians in the “Global South” are under increasing attacks from Muslims and that could halt Christianity dead if not opposed; he didn’t mention that science depends on us not falling under sharia; he didn’t mention the word “Islam” once until the Monsignor asked.
Then he gave a rather lame answer, stating that, of course, BXVI was dealing with this by asking for reciprocity. This may be true, but not noticing the sword that is hanging over every Christian head either means that you’re totally blind or that your rose colored glasses are way too dark.
“He was absolutely right. Allen did not mention that Christians in the “Global South” are under increasing attacks from Muslims and that could halt Christianity dead if not opposed;”
Want to see the future, L? Unless something is done, look at Israel, look at Lebanon, look at Egypt, look at Kosovo (the very cradle of Serbian Orthodoxy and nationality) and finally, sadly, look at Turkey and what is left of The Great Church of Costantinople.
The American government, whether run by a debauched Clinton or an idiotic Islamophile like Bush, is a partner in that virtual destruction of Christianity.
The future doesn’t look good at all, L. Wouldn’t it be the height of irony if Holy, Orthodox Russia turned out to be the Christian bulwark? Wouldn’t be the first time....
How can anyone “contribute to creating socio-economic conditions that help Christians remain in their own countries” when it is precisely the fear of being murdered that is making people run?
It’s a sore-spot in history, K, but does Russia have anyone like Raymond IV of Toulouse?
“How can anyone “contribute to creating socio-economic conditions that help Christians remain in their own countries” when it is precisely the fear of being murdered that is making people run?”
By supporting Christians first, last and always because its the right thing for us to do. Unfortunately, our elites are so connected to Mohammedanism and its oil and thus $$$$$$$$$, our elites will do absolutely nothing. In fact, as has been true since the 1980s, our elites will actually aid the Mohammedans in their destruction of Christianity in Mohammedan areas. Worse than that, as in Kosovo, again for Arab oil money, the elites will make common cause with Mohammedans to destroy Christianity in formerly Christian lands. At some point, somewhere, that will likely lead to a very violent Christian backlash against American/Western elites and their Mohammedan overlords.
“It’s a sore-spot in history, K, but does Russia have anyone like Raymond IV of Toulouse?”
In Russia’s history? Of course, many such men and women for that matter. Most of the Orthodox lands have people who fought even to the death against the Mohammedans. My own ancestor died on the walls of The City fighting at the side of Constantine XI Paleologos...on a Tuesday. Today? I don’t know. I do know that the MP is more outspoken than even +BXVI about the need to limit Mohammedanism. I know that Russian troops are imbued with Orthodoxy and the role that Russia plays, played or hopes to play as the Protector of Orthodoxy and the Third Rome. I know that the MP and +BXVI share a common vision of a Christian Europe standing up against Mohammedanism and secularism, and I know that Russia has the military might and the guts to use that military might in defense of Orthodoxy. We may well get a much deserved object lesson in that down in Kosovo before too long.
But is not Russia going through a resurgence in the Orthodox faith?
Thanks for your response.
“But is not Russia going through a resurgence in the Orthodox faith?”
So I have been told, BG, so I have been told! :)
I think it is becoming intolerable because of the Intolerant, Murderous Muslims who live there. (For another way of looking at it.) Nice try, blaming America. Let’s just make it Bush’s fault.
But always remember the saying when it comes to the suffering Christian Church community the saying “the blood of martyrs is the seeds of new Christians”. There is massive growth going on in the global south, not just in Africa, but in Asia and in Latin America. This goes not just only for in the Catholic Church, but also much more so because of the missonary work of the Evangelicals. Plus a lot of Muslims have left Islam to embrace the Christian faith in Africa. No doubt this will create conflicts between Christians and Muslims. This is a reminder of what the early Christian Church had to go through during its first 3 centuries.
I first heard about this resugence in Orthodox faith in Russia from a movie that was done by the two French brothers who did the famous documentary on 9/11, about God and faith by talking to a number of spiritual leaders, including the Pope and the Patriarch of Moscow, in the case of the latter, when showing old movie clips of Russia under communism and of new life for the Russian Orthodox Church once communism ended. This was before Christmas of last year, the Sunday before Christmas when CBS showed that movie, called I believed “In The Name Of God”.
Here’s a practical question: how can we laymen with wives and families...how can we help?
And BTW Kolo, I think you hit the nail on the head re: supporting Christians first last and always.
“And BTW Kolo, I think you hit the nail on the head re: supporting Christians first last and always.”
We got talking about this after Liturgy yesterday, mostly in the context of whether or not on account of Bush’s and the congressional Republican party’s anti-Eastern Christian policies the Republican party had forfeited any claim it might have on winning the White House or a majority in either house of Congress.
Our group is very, very conservative, but I must say that in the past 18 months or so there has been a growing estrangement between the “cradle” Orthodox and Republican/Bushite thinking. The converts seemed to be holding firm with their “pre-Orthodox” political thinking. Yesterday, however, two professional men, both converts and very staunch Republicans and Bush supporters said that they had had it with the policies of the Republican party and its support of TROP. One commented that looking at the world through an Orthodox lens had changed more than just superficial things about him. I don;t know what they will do come November. It wouldn’t surprise me if one of them voted for Obama if he gets the D nomination.
BTW, I don’t see things getting any better for the Rs in this regard.
In the meantime, pray unceasingly and ask any national politician you have access to why we are seemingly committed to the destruction of Christianity in the Balkans and the Middle East...and ask them publicly and loudly. If you don’t get the answer you want, work and vote against them.
I’ve seen much of the same kind of political shift among traditional Catholics as well.
What’s TROP?
Its Bush's expression for Mohammedanism, The Religion of Peace.
The most effective assistance you can provide is prayer! On last Wednesday's EWTN transmission of EWTN LIVE, Fr. Mitch Pacwa's guest was Elisabetta Valgiusti, an Italian journalist who is trying to raise world awareness of the plight of Iraqi (and other Middle Eastern) christians. In 2004, she went into Iraq with a video camera and very carefully met with several christian families. She was concerned not to draw attention to them for that would only make their situation worse. Many of the families she met are made up of professionals - doctors, lawyers, etc. They have had to flee from one town to another over the course of the past 4 years.
There is a web site devoted to this situation, as well as that of Kosovo, where Muslims have destroyed 32 Churches. The web site is in Italian but there are a few articles in English.
Coincidentally, I dined with a Lebanese family yesterday at a memorial service for the father of our organist. Another American couple at the table asked them if they preferred the US to Lebanon (rolling my eyes). They explained that they enjoyed the freedom to practice their faith in this country but miss their homeland and hope to return there some day, when they retire. The conversation expanded into the growth of Muslims around the world and their impact on other countries. It was Robert (the Lebanese husband) who brought up Kosovo! He predicts they will one day invade Italy, already weakened by low Italian birth rates.
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