Pope Benedict XVI celebrates a Mass in the Holy Spirit Catholic Cathedral in Istanbul in December 2006.
Posted on 03/23/2008 6:26:24 AM PDT by NYer
The Catholic Church is pushing for the construction of a Christian meeting center at the birthplace of the Apostle Paul in Turkey. German bishops are demanding tolerance for Christians in Turkey in exchange for their support for mosques in Germany.
There is little left from the days when the town of Tarsus was not Turkish but part of the Roman Empire: a handful of columns, a few old walls -- and a house where, about 2,000 years ago, a man who would become a central figure in Christianity was born.
"I am a Jew from Tarsus," the Bible reads. The man who was quoted as saying these words went down in history as the Apostle Paul, who brought the Christian faith into the world.
Every year, thousands of visitors travel to Tarsus, which is near the Turkish-Syrian border. But Christians who wish to worship in the Church of St. Paul, built several centuries ago, must overcome bizarre hurdles to do so. A permit is required from the local authorities to celebrate mass in the church. In addition, worshippers are charged an entry fee and required to bring along the essentials -- from the altar crucifix to candles -- and then promptly remove them after the service. The church was used as a military depot for several decades, before the Turkish government suddenly declared it a museum in the 1990s.
Rome has never come to terms with the fact that Christians have such a difficult time of it in the birthplace of the apostle. But this year, which Pope Benedict XVI has declared the "Year of St. Paul," it will become a topic of public debate. In June, Cardinal Walter Kasper, the president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, will celebrate a mass in Tarsus.
(Excerpt) Read more at spiegel.de ...
For the German bishops, the matter has become a touchstone in the Church's relationship with Islam. A group of German leaders plans to travel to Tarsus in September. Cardinal Meisner already went to Tarsus more than half a year ago and held a church service there.
Meisner was horrified by the conditions under which Christians must live in the aspiring EU member. In 1920, 20 percent of the Turkish population was Christian. That figure has declined to only 0.1 percent today, and the state and local authorities make life difficult for this small contingent. The largest group consists of roughly 60,000 Armenians in Istanbul, who are barred access to higher government positions simply because the word "Christian" is stamped in their identification cards.
I know it does not matter much to most people but Paul was of the tribe of Benjamin, youngest son of Jacob.
Acts 11:1 I say then, Hath God cast away His people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
So, it matters a lot to me, and thank you so much for posting that information.
You are welcome, however, I must correct the Scripture notation as I just realized I put Acts, when in fact it should be Romans 11:1. Duh on me.
Thanks for posting the entire story.
I’m not Catholic, but I am also horrified about the way Catholics and others who label themselves Christians are treated in Turkey. Turkey needs to straighten up its human-rights record in this regard. If it doesn’t, then it doesn’t deserve EU membership. It certainly doesn’t deserve to remain in NATO, either, nor does it deserve one dime of foreign aid from any other country, not even the U.S. Hey, Mr. President. Hey, Congress, are you listening to what I am saying?
apparently “tolerance” doesn’t apply to Muslim countries.
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