Posted on 04/30/2006 2:26:50 AM PDT by MILESJESU
There Is a Catholic Oasis in Dubai. And Another Has Sprung Up in Venice
The life of a fervent parish on the Arabian peninsula, according to an account by its bishop. And a sneak preview of the new international magazine "Oasis" conceived by Cardinal Scola.
by Sandro Magister
ROMA, January 31, 2005 – At the beginning of February the first edition of a new international magazine conceived by the patriarch of Venice, Cardinal Angelo Scola, will be published.
It will be a very special magazine, beginning with its title, which is in three languages: "Oasis / Al-Waha / Naklistan." The second of these words is the Arabic translation of the first.
And the third translates it into Urdu, the language spoken in India and Pakistan. Each issue will be printed in multiple languages and multiple editions: Italian, English, French, Arabic, Urdu, and in the future, Indonesian as well.
(Excerpt) Read more at chiesa.espressonline.it ...
The life of a fervent parish on the Arabian peninsula, according to an account by its bishop. And a sneak preview of the new international magazine "Oasis" conceived by Cardinal Scola.
by Sandro Magister
ROMA, January 31, 2005 – At the beginning of February the first edition of a new international magazine conceived by the patriarch of Venice, Cardinal Angelo Scola, will be published.
It will be a very special magazine, beginning with its title, which is in three languages: "Oasis / Al-Waha / Naklistan." The second of these words is the Arabic translation of the first. And the third translates it into Urdu, the language spoken in India and Pakistan. Each issue will be printed in multiple languages and multiple editions: Italian, English, French, Arabic, Urdu, and in the future, Indonesian as well.
This is because "Oasis" will travel from Venice to the Orient. From the Arabic countries to what was once Persia to India and central Asia, along the roads of the ancient Silk Route and farther to the south, on the trail of a modern-day St. Francis Xavier.
It will come to Muslim-majority countries, and is aimed above all at the Christian minorities living in those regions. Its first recipients will be the bishops, and from there will be formed a network of interested readers, Christians but also Muslims and other religious adherents.
It will begin with 3,000 copies. The first edition will feature an exclusive interview with the Custodian of the Holy Land, Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, a report from Damascus and Beirut on Christians who have fled to there from Iraq, and a round table discussion on the co-existence of Muslims and Christians in Pakistan.
Among the authors of this first edition are scholars, essayists, and journalists from various countries. And there are three bishops: that of Tunisia, Fouad Twal, that of Islamabad-Rawalpindi, Anthony Lobo, and that of the apostolic vicariate of Arabia, Paul Hinder.
Hinder resides in Abu Dhabi and governs the most expansive Catholic territory in the world, covering more than 3 million square kilometers of terrain and encompassing six states: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and Yemen.
The Catholic faithful in the whole territory are usually estimated at 1,300,000, almost all of them immigrants from non-Arabic countries. But in reality there are many more. For example, in Saudi Arabia there are about a million Filipinos, the great majority of whom are Catholic, who are not counted. In an interview in "Mondo e Missione" no. 8, 2004, bishop Hinder said:
"For safety reasons I cannot give precise data on Saudi Arabia. The situation there is very similar to that of the first Christian communities. There is a lively Church in the hands of lay leaders who direct the many base communities. It is a Church praying and hoping that one day it will be able to emerge from the catacombs."
In the Emirates, Qatar, and Bahrain the boundaries of religious liberty are relatively broader. But there are few priests to serve the people, and entry restrictions do not permit increasing their number.
In recent years, the presence of "Evangelical" and Pentecostal Churches in the Arabian Peninsula has grown. Their missionary expansion has induced the local governments to tighten controls.
Some Catholics are also joining these new Churches. Or they become Muslim, which makes a huge splash in the media. The reverse also happens, Muslims converting to Christianity, but on this there is a requirement of absolute secrecy. Hinder says in the same interview:
"We could never permit ourselves to accept a converted Muslim. This eventuality would create extremely serious risks, not only for the persons concerned, but for the entire Church." * * *
But what is life like for one of the relatively more free parishes of the apostolic vicariate of Arabia?
In the following article, which will be published in the first issue of "Oasis," bishop Hinder recounts the life of the largest and most fervent parish of Dubai, St. Mary's Church, which reaches a peak attendance of thirty thousand faithful during the celebrations of Holy Week.
Dubai is the Singapore of the Arabian peninsula: a mini-state undergoing strong economic expansion, with a high average standard of living and in the avant-garde of modernity (it is building the tallest skyscraper in the world, approximately 900 meters high, with an unveiling planned for 2009). The Al-Maktoum family of emirs rules the country in an authoritarian style, but with boundaries of tolerance that are broader than in other Gulf countries. It has not yet experienced terrorist attacks, and radical Islam has not prospered there.
Hinder, a 63-year-old Swiss Capuchin friar, was once the order's superior for the Middle East. He speaks fluent German, Italian, English, and French. He has been bishop for a year.
Dubai, the Diary of St. Mary’s Church
by Paul Hinder, Bishop of the apostolic vicariate of Arabia
On the occasion of my nomination as auxiliary bishop of the apostolic vicariate of Arabia, many people asked me: "What will you do in those countries? There aren’t any Christians".
Were someone to stop by on Friday or better yet, during Holy Week at St. Mary’s Church in Dubai, they would immediately be convinced of the opposite and would become witness to a vibrant Church made up of Christians from a hundred countries, especially from India and the Philippines.
Dubai, one of the seven United Arab Emirates, UAE, has become the most important commercial centre in the region. According to data from 2003, the UAE’s population is 3,150,000. Christians make up 35% of the population with 1,100,000 people, of whom 900,000 are Catholic. 29% of the population lives in Dubai. If this information is correct then there are nearly 300,000 Catholics in Dubai, many of whom are non-practising or rarely so. All the Christians are immigrants there for work reasons. Among them are many Arab-speaking Catholics who come from the Christian minorities of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Iraq.
St. Mary’s Church in Dubai is the largest parish in our vicariate. For several years now, there has been a second parish in Jebel Ali, about 30 km from Dubai city, in a developing zone. As in the other Emirates, Dubai’s Christians enjoy freedom of religion within the walls of the parish complex which includes: the largest church in the Middle East (2,000 person capacity), the parish house with adjacent spaces for activities, the house of the Combonian nuns and the large school run by them, with nearly 2,300 students (76% Christian). In the same city the Daughters of Mary the Immaculate of Baghdad run another school with more than 1,700 students (95% Muslim). The pastoral care of St. Mary’s Church is entrusted to the parish priest and four clergymen, all of them Capuchins: three Indians, one Philippine and one Lebanese.
Since Friday is the Muslim day of rest, Sunday mass is not only held on Sunday, but also Thursday evening and Friday. These are the most attended masses. Those who want to participate in the mass have to come to St. Mary’s Church. There the faithful form a crowd every week that any European parish would envy. In high times, Christmas, Holy Week and Easter, the crowd is dramatic. In 2004 I presided over the mass of the Holy Dinner on Holy Thursday: the faithful did not just fill the church, but also the school rooms, the square in front of the church and the sports fields behind the church. From these positions they followed the celebrations on large screens. I have been told that there were at least 30,000 people present. English is the lingua franca. However, there are regular services in Arabic, Malayalam, Tamil and other languages.
So large and complex a parish cannot be run just by the priests. Its vitality is largely due to the nuns and to the immense number of men and women who use their charisma in service to the church. Catechism for children (in 2003 there were 4,300) takes place Thursday and Friday. Furthermore, a group of volunteer catechists and nuns prepare the children for their first communion (in 2003 there were 600) and confirmation (450 in 2003). Associations and prayer groups (Couples for Christ, Legio Mariae, etc.) are also very numerous and active. A training course is organised every year for their leaders. Many of the faithful give their time and services to the church: chorus, altar boys, cleaning, guards, etc.
This is an Islamic country. For this reason all public religious activities must take place within the church walls and in parish spaces. Since space is limited, it is inevitable that there are conflicts, due to the large and diverse number of the faithful. It is as if all the public religious activities in Milan had to take place inside the Cathedral and adjacent spaces. There would immediately be problems: who can use a particular space, what day, what time, for how much time. If we add the fact that there are people of different nationalities, different languages and rites, one can understand that it is not always easy to control the situation.
But apart from these problems which are to be expected in a multicultural and multiracial parish, there is an incredible faith here. For many believers, St. Mary’s Church is an essential reference point for their Christian identity: here they pray together, they meet, they encourage one another, and when there is need, they help one another. It is true that ethnic or linguistic groups tend to meet amongst themselves, but the reality is that this is a Church in which one experiences catholicity in a manner which is impressive for anyone who comes to Dubai for the first time.
St. Mary’s Church is a stable reference point for the pilgrim population. Few Christians remain in Dubai all their lives. They are impeded not just by the immigration laws, but also by their desire to go to another country (Australia, Canada, the USA, Europe) or to return in their own country. Within this “passage” on a rotating international platform, the Church helps Christians not to lose the essential: Jesus Christ.
But, despite the large crowd of faithful who participate in the liturgy, worship and meetings in the Dubai parish, we cannot hide the fact that too many Christians are losing faith because of the lack of pastoral care (necessarily limited) and the seduction and pressure coming from other religious groups and from Islam. The words of Jesus to Simon Peter are, in Dubai, a challenge not just to pastors, but also to every believer: “I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. Strengthen thy brethren" (Lk 22-32).
There Is a Catholic Oasis in Dubai. And Another Has Sprung Up in Venice PING!
PLEASE FREEPMAIL ME IF YOU WANT ON OR OFF THIS LIST
THERE IS A CATHOLIC OASIS IN DUBAI. AND ANOTHER HAS SPRUNG UP IN VENICE BUMP
This line makes me nauseous.
Dear Straight Vermonter,
Could you please explain what makes you nauseous exactly ?
Remember, living as a Catholic in an Islamic Country is fraught with very dangerous consequences in terms of Evangelization specially Conversions to Catholicism by Muslims or Moslems as they are called in the United States.
For those Catholics who live in the West and who have never lived in the Persian Gulf -- it is impossible to understand the situation of Catholics in those countries.
All I have to say is that imagine if you are a Catholic living in an Islamic Country -- and if you are a Catholic Priest and a Bishop it is much worse.
You have to check every move you make.
I am sure this Bishop in Saudi Arabia is positive with regard to Moslems joining the Catholic Church but at the same time he has to be careful.
IN THE RISEN LORD JESUS CHRIST,
"We could never permit ourselves to accept a converted Muslim. This eventuality would create extremely serious risks, not only for the persons concerned, but for the entire Church."
I have to say that quote makes me upset as well. Not quite nauseous; I have a strong stomach. But it is disturbing.
I think what disturbs me about such a quote is that it so completely misses the point of evangelization. It also denies the reality that our early Christian bretheren faced. If my memory serves, 11 of the Apostles were eventually (blood) Martyred for the faith. And many additional blood Martyrs followed. And that history of blood Martyrdom continues to this day.
What we face in dealing with the cult of mohammed is not so different than what the early Christians faced 2,000 years ago in dealing with the tyrants of Rome. There are risks, physical risks, to evangelizing in areas dominated by the mohammedans. There were risks, physical risks to evangelizing romans during the tyranny of Nero.
I don't recall St. Peter stating that: "We could never permit ourselves to accept a converted roman. This eventuality would create extremely serious risks, not only for the persons concerned, but for the entire Church."
I would agree that there are dangerous consequences to being Christian in mohammedan dominated countries. And I would also agree that the institutional churches should take reasonable steps to protect their parishioners. However, to simply refrain from evangelizing as a result is an over-reaction, and not in consonance with the directions given to us by our Lord.
Unfortunately, our institutional Catholic churches have a propensity toward corporate-style governance. They look at evangelization from the point risk versus return. And predictably, often see the the risks of evangelization outweigh the benefits.
The direction given to us is not to perform Return on Investment analyses. The direction is to spread the Good Word.
BTTT!
I agree with you whole heartedly. May be the Bishop said what he said only for "Public Consumption" of the Authorities.
It could be that the Catholic Church in some parts of the Persian Gulf where there is more Religious Freedom than in other places is involved in evangelization but desires a low profile on this issue.
These are just my thoughts on this subject.
IN THE RISEN LORD JESUS CHRIST,
So it is better to leave souls to burn in hell when they wish to enter the sanctuary of the Church? No, of course not.
They could take a page from the way the Church has operated for centuries in hostile nations. The Church functioned under persecution in the British Isles and parts of the continent during the reformation. It functioned in the parts of Europe occupied by Nazi Germany. It functioned under Soviet oppression. It functions today under oppression in India and China.
While it takes the faith of a saint to operate under these conditions it is the reason why the priests are sent there. What will be the excuse when these people stand before God and are asked why these converts were left knocking on a locked door?
Unfortunately it is worse than this. Many converts in the US are turned away. When Scott Hahn converted the priests tried to turn him away. There is far too much syncretism in the Church today.
Dear Straight Vermonter,
I agree with you whole heartedly. The only point I was trying to make to you and to Freeper RKBA Democrat is that what the Catholic Bishop of Saudi Arabia was saying was perhaps for "Public Consumption".
One cannot speak about Evangelization openly in Saudi Arabia or else you could end up in Jail or be deported to your country of Origin.
Remember, Saudi Arabia is a country which acts oppresively to all Religions except Islam but it particularly oppresses Christianity and Catholicism.
Let us pray for Catholic Missionaries in all countries where Catholic Christianity is oppressed.
BTW, I am an Orthodox and Traditional Catholic of South- Asian Origin. So, I am quite familiar with Persecution and Oppression of Catholic Christianity.
IN THE RISEN LORD JESUS CHRIST,
"Unfortunately it is worse than this. Many converts in the US are turned away."
It wouldn't surprise me, but I'm trying to be charitable.
BTW, if you run into a church where this is their practice, feel free to send the converts and re-verts our way.
:-)
"It could be that the Catholic Church in some parts of the Persian Gulf where there is more Religious Freedom than in other places is involved in evangelization but desires a low profile on this issue."
It's possible I guess.
BTW, please don't read my replies as challenging you. I simply didn't like the quote in the original article. I'd be surprised if Straight Vermonter was doing anything other than commenting on that quote, either.
Dear RKBA Democrat,
I am quite sure you were not challenging me as was "Straight Vermonter". However, the way he put it across did not come across very appropriately to me.
It was sort of accusatory specially one comment where he asked me whether I want some souls to go to hell etc.
I am quite sure he is an Orthodox Militant Catholic specially by the way he speaks and that is good but he needs to understand the context in which it was said by the Apostolic Vicar of Saudi Arabia not that I am taking up for that Bishop.
I am just trying to visualize being in his boots.
Actually, this Article has been taken by me from the web site of a very Conservative Italian Catholic namely "Sandro Magister" who does not agree with the Catholic Church and some Cardinals regarding their Ecumenical Relations with the followers of Islam.
I tend to agree with him. He believes that Ecumenism with Islam is going nowhere and is rather leading to a weakening of the Catholic Faith among the Faithful in Europe as well as in other places around the world.
IN THE RISEN LORD JESUS CHRIST,
A friend asked me to post this....
As a Catholic living in the Middle East, I thought it would be appropriate for me to respond to the misconceptions on this thread.
First off, conversion by Muslims to any religion (but especially Christianity) is forbidden BY LAW in the most liberal of states in the Gulf and elsewhere in the Arabian Peninsula. Attempting to do so will, at the least, land someone up in jail followed by deportation (and I’m talking about the most liberal and most publicized cases). I would not know/tell if a converted Muslim has joined the Church, nor would such knowledge be made public to anyone, as it would be the starting point for shutting down the relatively few church buildings all over the Gulf. I know that cases have been registered against converted Muslims who converted in other countries where they were free to do so- they had to pack their bags and leave here in a hurry. I also know that it is extremely difficult for the Church to evangelise- far more difficult, perhaps than any of the posters can imagine. Several times, the police come checking on whether the churches (as in the broad sense to include Protestant ecclesial communities) are accepting Muslim converts. One incident I particularly recall was when, in a Protestant church, a plainclothes policeman showed up wanting to buy a Bible- he actually had an order in his pocket to close the whole Church down if the transaction went ahead. Many unsuspecting Evangelicals from the subcontinent have been tricked in this way.
It is not that the Church here is abiding by ‘syncretism’. The Church regularly accepts converts from other religions e.g. Hinduism. As I said it would not be made public as to whether a Muslim convert was accepted. All Christians in the Middle East (including the Evangelicals) tread very carefully with such people on account of the reasons mentioned above. I was particularly sad to read comments by posters accusing the Apostolic Vicar of being unfaithful to the Gospel, based on a single comment in the article, reflecting a reality which I doubt the posters have experienced, and based on little or no knowledge of his character. From what little I know of His Excellency, he is a wonderful, reverent and holy bishop, absolutely faithful to the teachings of the Church, who ministers at great personal risk even to Christians in Saudi Arabia. He exhorts the community to constantly reveal Christ in our actions when we are unable to do so by words. He, together with the priests of the Church is ever mindful of his responsibility- in fact, when I converted and happened to mention that there were fallen-away Catholics I knew, I was immediately and am still constantly encouraged to try and win them back to the Church. The posters should learn more about the bishop and the priests, and attempt what they exhort others to do before jumping to a conclusion that has no basis and is absolutely untrue.
Dear netmilsmom,
Thanks for posting this Long message which was very informative and was a good post by you; but since I am a South Asian Catholic Christian -- I was and I am aware of the dangers of evangelization in the Persian Gulf.
I feel it is sad when Catholic Freepers do not seem to understand what Catholics in predominantly Islamic Countries are going through or the difficulties they have in evangelizing or living oyt their Catholic Faith.
Freepers RKBADemocrat and Straight Vermonter had a debate with me as to how could The Apostolic Vicar in Saudi Arabia could have said this or that.
They are not aware of what is involved in just practicing your Catholic Faith in Islamic Countries. I am aware regarding the practice of the Catholic Faith in Islamic Countries as i still have some relatives in Pakistan.
I tried to explain to two freepers on this thread about what was said by this Bishop but one of them accused me of wanting to send souls to hell.
I wish some Freepers would take up the challenge of living and evangelizing the Catholic Faith in any Islamic country.
It will certainly not be a pleasant experience.
Two Posters on this Thread spoke about Martyrdom of the Saints of the Catholic Church and if neccessary it should take place in Islamic Countries so that the Catholic Faith may be spread.
All I would like to say to any Catholic Freeper living in the West is would you like to be a Missionary to any Islamic Country and give up your Life for Christ -- leaving your family behind.
I am not sure what their answer would be. I would love to give up my life for Christ but I also wish to live in the Present.
I was the original Freeper who posted this Thread and I was not the one with the misconceptions as I have a lot of Friends who are Indian Catholics and who live in Dubai, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia etc.
I am well aware of what is going on in all the countries in the Persian Gulf and I am sure Catholics in the Arabian peninsula are more than grateful that some Emirs as in the case of Dubai have given their permission for the construction of Catholic Churches and Shrines unlike in the case of Saudi Arabia.
In Kuwait I think there is a Catholic Church dedicated to Our Lady of Arabia.
Dear Freepers in Christ,
Many Thanks to Freeper NetmilsMom for posting that wonderful Message from obviously a Catholic Friend who lives in the Persian Gulf.
Catholic Freepers who live in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or in any part of Europe have immense freedom to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ as well as to spread the Catholic Faith.
Although, I have never met Bishop Paul Hinder who is the Apostolic Vicar for Saudi Arabia and for some countries in the Persian Gulf -- I believe based on this article as well as on some other articles that I have come across on the Internet that he is a Holy Man and is a True Shepherd in more ways than one.
Unless, one lives in the Persian Gulf -- one will never be able to even understand what Catholics or Christians from a number of Ethnic Groups are going through.
You continue to either misunderstand or misrepresent what I said. I have tried to explain myself, maybe language is an issue, I don't know. I have no ill will towards the bishop or anyone else who are doing God's work in the Muslim world.
I still think saying publicly that converts are not welcome is a bad idea. You disagree that's fine. I never accused YOU of wishing to send souls to hell, I did suggest that the end result of turning away converts is souls going to hell. That would seem to hard to dispute.
BTW, if you are going to talk about me to others on this forum I would ask that you to ping me to the post so I can respond.
Dear Straight Vermonter,
Let me say this one and for all. I have not misrepresented or misunderstood what you very clearly said to me last week in Comment 9 that you made last Sunday on this Thread that I posted.
Your Comment 9 did not show any sort of goodwill towards the Bishop or what he said.
Language is not an issue with me. I have been speaking English from the age of 5. English is the primary and main language in my household.
I did not like the tone of your post Number 9, and you did accuse me of sending Souls to hell-- it was your tone of language that I was offended by and that I am still offended by.
The Bishop is quite right in saying publicly that Converts to the Catholic Faith are not welcome and I for one living in South Asia in a predominantly Non- Christian Environment agree with him whole- heartedly.
You have obviously never lived in an Islamic Country as a Catholic practicing your faith.
Also, I would like to add by saying that I did ping you to my previous reply to Freeper netmilsmom.
Take a good look at Comment number 16 that I posted earlier in the day today. Your name is on that list.
Here is the Link.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1624059/posts?page=16
Finally, Let us move on -- obviously I cannot convince you what it means to live as a Catholic or as a Catholic Bishop in the Islamic World.
Blesings to you.
P.S.- I am a Conservative South Asian Catholic Christian and I know what I am speaking about.
I have relatives in Pakistan as well as Friends and Relatives in the Persian Gulf.
You just cannot evangelize period and I support Bishops who say that publicly or else they would be in Prison or deported or brutally killed.
Have it your way. I did not mean you any ill will but if you are happier felling that I did so be it.
BTW, look at your post #14.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.