NEWS ABOUT THE CHURCH & THE VATICAN

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TERESA BENEDETTA
00sabato 21 luglio 2007 19:14
CAPTORS TOLD FR. BOSSI THEY BELONG TO AL-QAEDA FACTION
Osservatore Romano devoted much of its front page today for this story about Fr. Giancarlo Bossi, filed from Manila.




The joy expressed by the Holy Father
is the synthesis and peak of
common feeling in the Church



MANILA, July 20 - Joy is the prevailing feeling among everyone for the liberation yesterday of Fr. Giancarlo Bossi, 57, a missionary of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME, from its Italian acronym) who was kept captive for 3 days in Payao, the parish he has been serving in Zamboanga province, on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao.

The joy expressed by Pope Benedict XVI upon hearing the news is the synthesis and peak of the feeling that pervades the Church. Joy and thanksgiving unite Catholics to all men of goodwill, in the Philippines and the rest of the world, which has feared and prayed for Fr. Bossi all this time.

"The Pope has prayed so much for this to happen. The news is an occasion of the greatest joy for all the Church and for the Holy Father himself," said Fr. Federico Lombardi, Vatican press office director.

There is authentic Christian joy and profound relief for the happy outcome of difficult work undertaken these past few weeks by the governments in Rome and in Manila, working with Church officials.

"During those 39 days, we frequently moved from one place to another. The kidnappers treated me well, and I prayed for them every night," said Fr. Bossi during a brief meeting with newsmen arranged soon after his release.

Philippine President Gloria Arroyo immediately made a private plane available to take Fr. Bossi to Manila where she later met with him at the Presidential palace.

Fr. Bossi's release came opportunely on his mother's 87th birthday. The family had taken care not to make her aware of his kidnapping, so when he called from the Philippines on Thursday, she simply had the joy of hearing his annual birthday greeting as she had come to expect.

The release of Fr. Bossi, under the auspices of the Philippine constabulary (national police), took place just a few kilometers from his parish church in Payao, where he has served for 27 years. The negotiations were carried out by Philippine authorities coordinating closely with Italian government representatives.

Fr. Bossi recalls he was kidnapped by 11 armed men when he was on his way to say Mass in Bulawa, a village of Payao. His abductors, later reduced to 5 men who kept guard over him, told him they belonged to the Islamic fundamentalist group Abu Sayyaf, which is linked to Al Quaeda. However, both the Philippine police and PIME doubt this claim.

In any case, the conference of Filipino bishops issued a statement saying that "No ransom was paid to obtain the release of Fr. Bossi. All we had to do was pray that the event would resolve itself in the best way possible."

PIME issued a statement today to "thank everyone who worked for Fr. Bossi's release, particularly the Italian government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the office of crisis management, the Philippine government, its police and local leaders."

The statement said: "Having received with great joy the news of Fr. Bossi's release. PIME wishes to express its gratitude to God above all, for having returned our brother to us, safe and sound. The Lord has really listened to the intense prayers of so many people - Christians, Muslims, people of other faiths - who joined their prayers to ours and to those of the Holy Father."

"There have been many initiatives of solidarity that began in support of Fr. Bossi's release, and we know that several more are in progress. May these initiatives be further occasion to celebrate, as it was for Fr. Bossi's family, particularly for his mother Amalia, whom he was able to call on her birthday. We thank everyone from the heart, and for all, we ask the Lord's blessing and the gift of peace."
TERESA BENEDETTA
00domenica 22 luglio 2007 00:04
GEORGE WEIGEL ON THE CDF STATEMENT

Although he's out in Poland running a summer seminar on the thought of John Paul II, George Weigel did file this piece earlier this week on his 'blog' at the Wahnington Post/Newsweek's turly eclectic site called 'On Faith'.


One Body, Imperfect Parts
By George Weigel
Poted 7/18/07



To those for whom religious 'preference' is of no more consequence than any other lifestyle choice - something like Saab or Volvo, Nationals or Orioles, medium-rare or rare, chardonnay or chablis - the recent document from the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, clarifying once again the self-understanding of the Catholic Church vis-a-vis other Christian communities as that self-understanding was expressed at the Second Vatican Council, can only sound strange, even offensive.

To those who take seriously Christ's promise that he would preserve his Church in truth through the power of the Holy Spirit, the CDF clarification (approved by Pope Benedict XVI) is an invitation to serious theological conversation. That conversation emphatically includes theologically serious Christian believers in non-Catholic Christian communities. So let's try a little theology.

There is one Church of Christ for, as St. Paul taught, the Church is the body of Christ and Christ has but one body.

The unity of the one Church of Christ fractured (formally) along an east-west fault-line in 1054.

The unity of western Christianity fractured in the 16th century and has been re-fracturing ever since (witness the latest sorrows of the Anglican Communion, or the northern Baptist/southern Baptist split during the American Civil War, or any of hundreds of other examples).

But whatever the fractures, and along whatever fault-lines, all those who are baptized in the name of the Trinity are baptized into the one body of Christ. So all the baptized are in a real but imperfect state of communion with each other.

Why 'imperfect'? Because different Christian communities have different understandings of the nature of the Church that is the one body of Christ. To ignore these differences as if differences make no difference is to say that the truth of the Church which Christ bequeathed to the Church makes no difference.

So genuine ecumenism means engaging differences with respect and civility, not ignoring differences. Rodney King was no theologian, and "Why can't we all just get along?" is not a maxim for serious theological dialogue.

The Catholic Church, at the 'liberalizing Second Vatican Council' (to use the standard journalistic trope), declared that, according to its self-understanding, it is the fullest, most rightly-ordered expression of the will of Christ for his church. The Catholic Church also acknowledged, at Vatican II, that there are important and life-giving elements of sanctification and grace in other Christian communities.

So the question became, how say both of these things at once: how say that the Catholic Church is the most rightly-ordered expression of Christ's will for his Church, and that the grace of Christ works through Christian communities that have a deficient concept of Church order from the point of view of Catholic doctrine?

The Council fathers decided to use the Latin phrase subsistit in - the one Church of Christ 'subsists in' the Catholic Church - in place of the Counter-Reformation formula, according to which the one, true Church of Christ 'is' the Catholic Church, for that formula seemed to preclude the possibility of grace operating through other Christian communities.

An ocean of ink has been spilled over the nuances of 'subsistit in' since Vatican II, but the essential points remain: the Catholic Church believes itself to be the most rightly-ordered expression of the will of Christ for his Church and the Catholic Church believes that the grace of Christ, in the Holy Spirit, works in and through other Christian communities. (Which of these communities are "Churches" and which are "ecclesial communities," as the Catholic Church understands them, has to do with the sacramental system, or lack thereof, in these various expressions of Christian faith.)

The Catholic Church cannot, will not, and, frankly, should not suggest that it is but one consumer option in a supermarket of Christian possibilities. To do so would be to reduce ecumenical dialogue to a vague exchange of pleasantries, of no real consequence because the exchange really has nothing to do with the truth - the truth that Christ promised to the Church.

That the self-understanding of the Catholic Church creates tensions with other Christian communities is obvious; those are, however, creative tensions, as they lead to genuine exchanges of insight. That is the lesson of the most developed ecumenical dialogues of the past forty years - between Catholics and Anglicans, Catholics and Lutherans, Catholics and evangelicals - and, because of the nature of the Church and the nature of religious truth, that's the way it's going to be in the future.

One part of the one Church of Christ has achieved full unity, as the late Pope John Paul II taught - and that is the Church of martyrs. Having given their lives for Christ, and thus having borne the fullness of witness to the truth of Christ, the martyrs now live in the fullness of unity with Christ that continues to elude the Church in history.

The 20th century was the greatest century of martyrdom in Christian history, more Christians having been killed for their fidelity to Christ in the last century than in the previous nineteen together. Those martyrs were Anglicans, Orthodox, Protestant, and Catholic. Their unity in Christ ought to be a spur to an intensified quest for unity-in-truth in the body of Christ here and now.




benefan
00domenica 22 luglio 2007 02:00

Italian priest kidnapped in Philippines to meet pope at youth event in September


The Associated Press
Saturday, July 21, 2007

VATICAN CITY: An Italian missionary priest held hostage for over a month by Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines will tell Pope Benedict XVI of his ordeal at a youth meeting in September, officials said Saturday.

The Rev. Giancarlo Bossi will address the pope and Italian youths gathered for the Sept. 1-2 meeting in the central Italian town of Loreto, said Monsignor Giuseppe Betori, secretary-general of the Italian bishops' conference and chief organizer of the event.

Bossi's "courageous experience as a missionary will enter into the hearts of many young people," Betori said in a statement.

Bossi, 57, was kidnapped June 10 on his way to celebrate Mass in southern Zamboanga Sibugay province, and was dumped Thursday night along a road, where police picked him up.

Before Betori's announcement, Bossi told the Vatican-affiliated missionary news agency AsiaNews that he is due to return to Italy in mid-August, and that he would be glad to take part in the Loreto event.

"It would be a truly marvelous moment: I have never met the Pope it would really have great meaning for me," Bossi told the agency on Saturday.

In an interview with Vatican Radio on Friday, Bossi thanked Benedict, who said last week that he was praying daily for Bossi.

The priest said after his release that he lost 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms) on a meager diet of fish and rice during his ordeal, but that he was not threatened by his captors and was treated with respect.

Filipino police have said Bossi's release followed negotiations with the captors — rogue elements of a Muslim separatist group or the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf — and that no ransom was paid.
TERESA BENEDETTA
00domenica 22 luglio 2007 15:40
The Teflon cardinal:
Mahony's history, going back to his days as a seminarian,
could help him weather the abuse scandal.
By David Rieff
Los Angeles Times
July 22, 2007



At first glance, it seems difficult to imagine how Cardinal Roger M. Mahony can survive the pedophile scandal. Far from putting the matter to rest, the $660-million settlement that the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay the victims of the abuse - child rape, alas, is often the more accurate term - can only lead to further wonder, and worry, about the cardinal's conduct throughout the course of the scandal.

By his own admission, Mahony decided not to inform the police when he learned what was going on, and, indeed, he allowed the most predatory of the priests to return to their ministries after treatment programs the cardinal himself now concedes were ineffective.

Saying, as he now does, that he wishes that the victims' lives were like "VHS tapes" that could be rewound to a point before the crimes were committed seems like an extraordinarily self-exculpating way of describing what went on.

And skeptics can surely be forgiven for wondering why the archdiocese decided to settle only a few days before Mahony would have been obliged to testify in open court.

And yet, however grotesque it may appear to those who are understandably unwilling to forgive Mahony for what he now concedes were grievous errors, my guess is that he will survive relatively unscathed in his position - unlike, say, his counterpart Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston, a prince of the church who had to be removed from office by the Vatican and transferred to virtual exile in Rome.

Indeed, Mahony is not only likely to remain in office but can be expected to do so with his power and his moral authority among the overwhelming majority of his parishioners largely intact.

How to account for the 'Teflon' quality of L.A.'s cardinal? In large measure, the answer lies in the enormous changes in the Catholic Church in the United States in recent years changes whose ground zero is to be found in the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Above all, this means the deepening Latinoization of the L.A. flock and Mahony's role as perhaps the most powerful friend Latino immigrants have, not just in the Catholic Church but in the country as a whole.

Anyone who has any sense at all of Roman Catholic America knows how fundamentally the church has changed over the last several decades. Once largely composed of people with European roots, the church now increasingly serves Latinos, both immigrant and native-born.

Nationally, Latinos account for 39% of the Catholic population. In Los Angeles, the archdiocese estimates that Latinos make up more than 70% of the total Catholic population. It is a huge increase both proportionally and in absolute numbers, and is almost entirely attributable to the vast and continuing immigration from Mexico and Central America of the last three decades.

Demography is destiny, and it is simply a fact that the fate of the Catholic Church in the United States is now bound up with the destiny of these immigrants and their children and grandchildren.

Understandably, this transformation has been enormously complicated for the church, whose hierarchy is still dominated by the descendants of Italian, Polish and, above all, Irish immigrants like Mahony himself.

What distinguishes Mahony, however, is that since his days as a seminarian, he has thrown in his lot with the Latin Americanized Roman Catholicism whose center has always been Southern California (even if it is now a nationwide phenomenon).

Many of the cardinal's critics, appalled by his conduct throughout the pedophile scandal, have argued that his continual focus on immigrant issues and his emphasis on the Latino community have been part of a cynical effort to change the subject from the ongoing coverup. But Mahony's involvement with Latino issues long predates his rise to eminence within the church.

In fact, he has been remarkably consistent from his early days as a seminarian in the 1950s, when he ministered to Latino farm workers in Ventura County, to his days as a priest intimately involved in Cesar Chavez's United Farm Workers movement, to his time heading former Gov. Jerry Brown's California Agricultural Labor Relations Board, to his time as bishop of Stockton in the 1980s, to his current activism on behalf of immigrant rights and labor rights (issues that in Southern California are inextricably linked).

Indeed, Mahony, who was born in Hollywood in 1936, and whose father ran a poultry processing plant that even in the 1940s employed mostly Latino workers, once told me about a raid of the factory by border patrol agents.

"These guys came in with guns drawn as if a bank robbery was taking place," recalled Mahony, who was a kid working in the factory at the time. "And the way they treated people! It was as if they were dirt. Even now, I can close my eyes and see it as if it were yesterday. From that day forward, I believe my life and that of immigrants have been intertwined."

Far from resisting it, Mahony has welcomed the growing Latino nature of the church. Certainly no L.A. Latino was surprised when the cardinal participated in the huge pro-immigrant rally last spring (wearing not his usual cardinal's garb but a T-shirt that read "We Are America" in English, Spanish and Korean). He even tacitly encouraged parishes to involve themselves in the planning for the demonstration.

As a result, the affection and respect in which Mahony is held in Latino Los Angeles is enormous and is unlikely to be shaken even by the pedophile scandal. To the contrary, "Rogelio" Mahony, as he is known in East L.A., will almost certainly retain the allegiance of the vast majority of his parishioners.

It is this fact that explains the difference in the way the church sex abuse crisis has played out in L.A. and the way it has played out in cities like Boston.

As a shrewd lay Catholic friend of mine in Los Angeles pointed out to me recently, in Boston there eventually was organized lay opposition beyond that of victims organizations - and that was what finally made Cardinal Law's position untenable. In the end, Law also lost the allegiance of many of his own parish priests. Nothing could be further from Mahony's situation.

When I spent six weeks reporting a long story last year on Mahony and the Catholic Church in L.A., not one Latino Catholic I spoke to at parish churches all over the city raised the sex abuse issue. Despite criticism of the cardinal from Anglo parts of town (Catholic and non-Catholic alike), the fact is that, like it or not, the pedophile scandal is simply not a central issue in most L.A. parishes.

Should it be otherwise, given the fact that the scandal is all too real? In considerable measure, this depends on who you are. Undoubtedly, many Latino Catholics are dismayed by the scandal, many of whose victims and perpetrators were Latino themselves. But Latinos in general and immigrants in particular have found a powerful champion in Mahony at a time when the powerful are more given to immigrant-bashing than to compassion or solidarity.

Viewed from this perspective, it should not be surprising if Mahony's congregants overwhelmingly choose to forgive him for what he did and did not do. Mature self-interest dictates nothing less.

Whether Mahony failed to deal with the troubled priests, whose depredations he ignored for so long because it was a distraction from these social issues he deemed more important, is of course something only the cardinal could tell us. And with the settlement having relieved him of that obligation, he is unlikely ever to do so.

David Rieff is the author of many books, including "At the Point of a Gun: Democratic Dreams and Armed Intervention" and "A Bed for the Night: Humanitarianism in Crisis."


===================================================================

Gerald Augustinus has this informative item today:

“In 1998, Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony was a central figure in one of the most notorious sex-abuse trials in Catholic church history. The case involved two Stockton-area brothers who had been abused by a priest from the time they were toddlers until they were in their late teens, both before and after the Stockton diocese had received complaints against the priest. A jury was so disturbed by the drama that unfolded in San Joaquin County Superior Court, it awarded $30 million in damages to the brothers, an amount later negotiated to $7 million. Mahony was not a defendant in the case, but he was bishop of Stockton during a critical period addressed in the lawsuit. He had ordered an evaluation after the priest himself admitted he was a molester, then reassigned him to another parish, where he abused victims for years to come.”



TERESA BENEDETTA
00domenica 22 luglio 2007 22:29
IN PRAISE OF FLEXIBILITY
This is a most informative interview conducted in Shanghai last May by Gianni Valente of 30 GIORNI magazine, before the release of the Pope's letter to the Catholics of China, with the 91-year-old Bishop of Shanghai, who is very clear about where he stands and why he has been cooperating with the Chinese government.

The most interesting thing is that many of his positions coincide with those that Pope Benedict XVI would recommend and instruct in his letter.

This is a translation from Italian:






An interview with
Aloysius Jin Luxian,
'Patriarch' of Shanghai

By Gianni Valente

Today, when anyone talks to him, the first thing he does it to apologize that "I am a poor old man who is half-deaf." It's a clever Jesuit's way of breaking the ice.

Everyone knows quite well that Aloysius Jin Luxian, Bishop of Shanghai, despite the aches and pains of a man his age, has a very sharp mind. And is as clear-sighted as ever.


Bishop Aloysius celebrating Mass on May 1.


Q: May is a month of pilgrimage even to Our Lady of Sheshan, the sanctuary that is on a hilltop just outside Shanghai. How did it go this year?

Our Lady of Sheshan (Mary, Help of Christians)has been Shanghai's main shrine since the 19th century, and in the 1920s it became a national sanctuary. So every year, starting in mid-April, pilgrims start arriving from all over China. Last year, there were more than 70,000. May first is the peak day, when we always get more than 10,000 pilgrims visiting.

This year, we started greeting our Patroness when the procession was just starting at the foot of the hill. On the way up, we prayed, sang and offered flowers. When we got to the Church, I celebrated Mass. The Church can only hold about 3,000, so most of the pilgrims heard Mass outside. But they were so packed outside that if it had rained, the ground would not have gotten wet.


The Cathedral of SheShan


Q: Two years ago, you consecrated as auxiliary bishop the young Joseph Xing, who in theory, would succeed you? How is it going with him?

Xing was nominated by Rome, and two years ago, I consecrated him. He works very well. His primary responsibility is pastoral work in the dioceses. We have 140 churches for 150,000 faithful.

We had hoped that the underground Catholics would recognize him, because he was nominated by Rome. But reality is not that simple. The underground bishop has forgotten him altogether. The Vatican representative in Hongkong named a vicar general for the underground community here. That's why here, people don't believe Rome really wants to have the clandestines come out into the open. [Well, then, the Pope's letter must have surprised them pleasantly!]


Q: When will Xing take over the diocese?

He himself does not want it to happen right away because he is still young, the diocese is large, and the situations are rather complicated. Moreover, by canon law, Xing is only the auxiliary bishop, and that does not give him the right of succession. That's why I am waiting for Rome to make him bishop coadjutor with the authorization of the government. As far as I am concerned, I would want him to take over tomorrow - after all, I am 91.


Q: The nomination and ordination of Xing seemed to be a model for all China - nominated by the Vatican, voted on by teh representatives of the diocese, approved by the government. But then in 2006, there were new illegitimate ordinations...

I truly hope his nomination becomes a model in order to resolve this problem of bishops' nominations. But things are not that easy. A foreign diplomat told me that to do things in China, once must. first of all, have a lot of patience, then one must persevere, and one must be very attentive to tactics.


Q: Meanwhile, the Bishop of Beijing, Michael Fu Tieshan, died in April.

Bishop Fu died after an illness that lasted more than two years. But no one took advantage of the time to prepare for his succession. That's really a great pity. I hope that the Holy See and the Chinese government have good contacts about this to avoid unnecessary problems.


Q: But now, everyone's awaiting the Pope's letter. Personally, what do you expect?

The faithful all over China are awaiting this letter because it is very important. I have no doubt of the Pope's acquaintance with the Chinese situation, of his profound love for our people, and of his trust in us. I think the letter will be a milestone in the history of the Church in China. And I hope that the 'post Papal-letter time' will come soon for the Catholics of China.


Q: The missionary Jeroom Heyndrickx wrote that the Papal letter should answer a crucial question that has been pending since the 1980s - whether the priests and faithful of the official Church and the underground Church can celebrate the Eucharist and the sacraments together.

I read Fr. Heyndrickx's article. He understands China and loves the Church. I hope that officials on both sides will study his article and agree with his considerations.


Q: Cardinal Zen hopes above all that the letter will set clear rules which everyone should follow to avoid perpetrating the impression that there is an independent Chinese Church. Do you think this will be useful?

I read Cardinal Zen's intervention along with the news about the meeting that the Holy See held last January to discuss the China question. At the end of that meeting, there was a brief official communique that It thought was very good and that I appreciated. There hasn't been any other published news since then.

But I would like to say a few things. First, with some singular exceptions, all the Catholics of China have a profound love and perfect obedience for the Vatican. Speaking for Shanghai, I guarantee 100% absolute obedience to the Pope by the faithful.

Second, there is no question of an independent church in China. Let me say it again, the Chinese Catholics absolutely do not want to see the Church of China separated from the Pope. On the contrary, they despise all those who are trying to promote such a separation.

Third, the problem of episcopal ordinations is not the only issue that needs to be resolved. There are others. For my part, those so-called 'eight points' issued by the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in 1988 [which prohibited full sacramental communion with the priests and bishops registered with the Patriotic Association] are no longer useful.


Q: Even you accepted being ordained without Rome's approval and for many years were considered illegitimate. What is the difference between the situation in the early 1980s and today in 2007?

I became an auxiliary bishop in 1985 without the Pope's nomination. But the circumstances then were completely different. At that time, it was impossible to be in contact with Rome. Before my ordination, I invited Fr. Tang Han from Hongkong and Fr. Murphy from the USA to be present at the ceremony. Their presence was a great comfort to me. I felt that if the Vatican had not been in favor, it would have been impossible for them to come here.


Q: The international community everywhere else - even in the Muslim and Communist countries - has accepted that the nomination of bishops is properly the Pope's jurisdiction, and that it does not constitute a threat to national sovereignty. Why is this principle not accepted in China?

Bishops serve to guarantee the apostolic succession and the validity of sacraments - they are not political agents of a foreign power. So I hope the Chinese government will understand the situation and that a solution can be reached through dialog.

In the past, the Holy See entered into treaties with Mussolini in Italy and Franco in Spain to resolve similar problems. I don't see why it should not be possible to come to similar terms with the Chinese.

I think we should protect our principles, but there should be come flexibility in applying them. In its dealings with Christians today, China is conditioned by her history, but I hope that the passing of time will help overcome some misunderstandings.[I feel so frustrated when an interviewer does not follow up. What misunderstandings, for example?]


Q: Some observers say it's the leaders of the Patriotic Association who are in the way of normalizing relations among the Chinese government, the Church in China and the Holy See.

Perhaps some of those in the PA do not want diplomatic relations established because they fear they may lose power. But I personally think that the PA cannot have anything to do with the political decisions of the government. As long as there is someone at the right political level in Beijing who will decide to start diplomatic relations with the Vatican, then it will be impossible for the PA to throw up any obstacles.


Q: Many times in the past and even in some cases today, the Holy See has agreed that civilian governments have some part in the selection of bishops. What model do you think could be adopted for China?

The selection of bishops is a decision of the Holy See - the principle must be affirmed. But because the political historical and economic context differs according to the country, the Holy See often decides to enter into specific agreements with the individual governments. I hope the Vatican and China can enter into such an agreement with respect to bishops' nominations.

Vietnam is an example. The Vatican proposes two candidates, the government chooses one of them. It is said that the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of the United Front of the Vietnamese Communist Party and the Office of Religious Affairs sent a delegation to visit the Bishop of Ho Chi Minh City in order to understand the Vatican nomination process better. I think that indicates a trend for the future.





Q: The problem is that among Catholic Chinese, many - looking back at the history of the past 50 years - maintain that authentic faith demands a refusal to be subject in any way to civilian authority. What do you think?

The attitude of most Chinese Catholics is this: Above all, we obey the teaching of Christ, and he said "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's..." We also follow what St. Paul said to the Romans: "Everyone must be subject to constituted authority. There is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are established by God." [No citation is given - so I cannot look up the exact passage. This is translated from the Italian.] St. Paul also says that "Those who govern are not to be feared when they do good, only when they do bad."

For him, "it is necessary to be subordinate, not out of fear of punishment, but for reasons of conscience" and that one must render "what is due to everyone: tribute, taxes, fear, respect."

Here, the government of the Communist party was established 60 years ago, and since then, it has been the effective government of China.
The last few decades have shown that the present government has been the best in the history of the People's Republic. Why should Catholics, who represent less than 1 percent of the population, oppose the government?


Q: On the part of the Chinese leadership, they cannot grasp the true sacramental nature of the Church which they consider to be a political entity. What do you think can help to overcome such equivocation?

The Chinese government is materialistic, because its basic parameter is Marxism. So it will be difficult to get rid of that influence on their perspective. Many political developments in Eastern Europe confirmed the Chinese government's view of the political role carried out by the Catholic Church. I think objective reality will show that the Vatican does not have any political objectives, and before such objective facts, the Chinese government may change its attitude about the Vatican.


Q: The reconciliation between the two Catholic communities will be difficult because of psychological conditioning. The underground Catholics may feel like the workers who were there from the beginning and are concerned that those who started late will get the same compensation. And those in the open church sometimes think the underground Catholics are like prodigal sons who should acknowledge that their choice to live the faith outside state control was a wrong one.

Yes, reconciliation and reunification will be difficult. Today, both sides await the Pope's letter with different attitudes. We are very confident, and we await the Pope's letter with relative optimism. We guarantee that we will receive it with fervor. The clandestines cannot help being concerned - and they even fear excommunication, which is reflected in bitter articles written by some priests out of Taiwan.

I think their concerns are unnecessary. We believe firmly that the Church is a merciful mother, that the Holy See will treat us like a merciful father. We should forget about any fears of being rejected.

There are young Chinese now who become Christians without knowing anything about the history of the Church in China. In view of persistent divisions, isn't there a risk that even its glorious past of martyrdom and Christian witness may become a burden?

In China today, there are many young people who are seriously facing the great questions of life. They have had very little contact with the virtues of ancient morality, because after the Revolution, traditional virtues were not preserved or appreciated.

Now, in this consumer society, dominated by economic power, there are many young people who feel the void. And they would like to know about Jesus. Some of them end up becoming Christians. They know nothing of the past in China. But time goes forward, so it's important to look to the future. Personally, I don't think it is necessary to talk to them about a difficult past. I do hope that with the Spirit of Christ, they may take their place in the society of the future and help to build it.


Q: For long periods in your life, you have been misunderstood. Some have called you the 'red bishop' or even the 'yellow Pope'. When you look at the actual situation of the Church in China today, what concerns you and what comforts you?

Some have also said I am an enigma. Here almost all the old bishops have been in prison, and became bishops after coming out of prison. In general, there has been no muttering against them. They are all well regarded, even abroad.

About me, what they are saying inside China now is generally positive - my frank way of speaking is appreciated, and they consider me to be politically transparent. But abroad, so many wrong things are being said about me, and often contradictory. I can only laugh about it all. I don't want to judge anyone.

What concerns me is the present and the future of the Church in China because everything is urgent. Se should protect our priests, our seminarians and our nuns from being contaminated by the outside world so they can truly be witnesses for Christ. This is the most important thing on which we should focus our energies.

Moreover, the politics and economy of China are advancing in giant steps. In less than 20 years, the role of China in the world will be much more significant. A society of one billion, 300 million Chinese wish to create a harmonious society. I hope the Church can make its contribution to this process.

Under these circumstances, I truly would not like to see the Church in China split. At the very moment when the entire Chinese nation is involved in achieving a great economic and civic miracle, I hope that the 10 million Chinese Catholics will not take an isolated position with respect to the multitude of their countrymen. I hope they will not to choose to be out of tune with everyone else so that they will not find themselves emarginated in the future.

Please pray to God for us. I hope that whoever is in a position can use his influence to guide our Church in China to internal harmony, to the harmony of the Church of China with the universal Church, so that we may all be members of the One Body, in communion with each other.

=====================================================================

Valente's sidebar - a biographical sketch of Bishop Jin - is even more fascinating:


ALOYSIUS'S CHOICE
By Gianni Valente


Now that he can look back at his long life from a vantage point of 91 - almost 92 - years, Aloysius Jin Luxian can say that time has been kind to him.

For his still numerous detractors the 'Patriarch' of Shanghai remains a living enigma. But his life, as it emerges from an invaluable biography by the French journalist Doran Malovic (Le pape jaune [The yellow Pope], Perrin Editions, 2006) is a unique road map to retrace - up to its most intimate and sorrowful details - the unprecedented story of the Church in China over the past 60 years.

When Luxian was born in the Christian village of Pudong - then an area of ricefields and now the Skyscraper City of the new Shanghai -
the city was already a cosmopolitan megalopolis chockfull of traffics, Russians who had fled from the Soviet Union, opium dens and prostitutes.

His mother was a devout Catholic, and his father was a bon vivant who liked to stay out with friends drinking and smoking Havanas. He was baptized in and heard his childhood Masses in an old pagoda that missionaries had transformed into a Church.

His Jesuit training took place in a church with very colonial features, where the superiors did not speak Chinese and the lifestyle of the Jesuit novices - electricity, central heating, eggs and cheese, meat every day, after-dinner coffee - now seems to him like an island of privilege in a sea of misery.

He was sent to Europe for further studies right after the Second World War - first in France, and then two years in Rome, where he earned his doctorate with a thesis on the Trinity. He became a f4riend and confidante of Fr. Henri de Lubac, before the latter and some of his fellow Jesuits ran afoul of the Holy Office in the 1940s.

When Mao Zedong took power in China, Jin defied his superiors and decided to return to China, where he was promptly accused by the Communists of being a spy sent by Pope Pius XII to organize a counter-Revolution. But he was soon suspect even in Church circles. The Vatican Nuncio told his Jesuit superiors that he was a questionable element because of his ideas about a necessary 'decolonization' of the Church in China.

Nevertheless, the brilliant young Jesuit who had just completed his studies in Europe was named the rector of the Shanghai seminary. When the Chinese government started expelling foreign missionaries, he joined an underground network aiming to combat the effects of Communist propaganda on the faithful.

In September 1955, he and his closest collaborators were arrested in a government clean-up campaign against dissidents and thrown into jail. Jin said he learned from that "Never ever do anything clandestine with Communist masters."

He spent 20 years in Mao's prisons. But in 1973, when he was transferred to a jail in Beijing, he was co-opted to work as an official translator for the government. The most infamous accusations were made against him, many of them coming from his own fellow Jesuits abroad. They claimed that during interrogatories in the 1950s, he had betrayed some of those he had worked with. One claim had it he was being coerced into working for the government to save a daughter he had sent to America in secret.

When in the 1980s, he accepted to become Bishop of Shanghai named by the 'official' Church, but without the Pope's approval - while his predecessor Bishop Gong was under house arrest - Jin's reputation as a career-chaser and a puppet of the regime came to be accepted even in the Vatican.

At that time, while other bishops who had been ordained without Vatican approval sought thereafter to be validated by the Vatican, Jin did not join them, opening himself to accusations of schism.

He knew that the Holy See had already recognized the clandesine consecration of another Jesuit, Joseph Fan*, to become the eventual legitimate successor of Gong, and that by canon law, there cannot be two bishops for a single diocese. He bided his time because he felt that his choice would help return the church in Shanghai to normalcy after a period of great persecution.

"My duty as a priest," he explains in the biography, "was to convince the Chinese authorities of my good faith, of my identity as a Chinese patriot, and of the inoffensive nature of our Catholic faith."

He tells Malovic that during those years, there were many who were more courageous than he was. And it is certainly debatable whether he is right that he was more effective serving the Church by being friendly to the authorities - even while having an irregular canonical status - in order to avoid suspicions and repression from the regime.

But time takes its course, and the facts speak for Jin. Shanghai became the first diocese to be able to bring back the daily prayer for the Pope. Its seminary and its entire diocesan structure flourished. Jin never had to sign any document supporting an 'independent' Chinese Church.

And the nomination eventually of his candidate successor Joseph Xing Wenzhi - who was nominated by the Pope, 'elected' within the diocese, and approved by the government - was a masterwork of diplomacy and sensus Ecclesiae that actually worked out even in the tricky minefield of Vatican-China relations.


Bishop Jin consecrates
his potential successor.



Jin's role in all that finally earned him the canonical recognition he had so desired from the Vatican, and Benedict XVI even invited him to come to Rome for the Bishops Synod in 2005 (although the Chinese government did not allow the four invited bishops to go).

"If I were living abroad, I could have been an anti-Communist hero," Jin told Malovic. "But not in my own country."

He expresses the hope that the silent martyrdom he underwent by being accused as an accomplice of those who persecuted the Church may somehow lighten his penance for his sins. "God alone knows where my loyalty has been, and it is His judgment I care about, not that of other men."

[*What happened to Bishop Fan then? What a fascinating story this is!]


TERESA BENEDETTA
00lunedì 23 luglio 2007 14:34
WHAT DID THE POPE'S LETTER TO CHINESE CATHOLICS REALLY SAY?
Unless it will involve the Pope directly, I will post all news/commentary about the China issue in this thread.


The Pope Writes,
but Beijing Authorities Don't Respond


Caution and reserve after Benedict XVI's letter to the Church of China.
Two political approaches collide. But there's also controversy among the Catholics.
Cardinal Zen accuses the sinologist Heyndrickx of distorting the pontiff's thought.

by Sandro Magister



ROMA, July 23, 2007 - Benedict XVI's letter to the Catholics of China was shown to the Beijing authorities ten days before its publication, at the end of June.

But "there have been no official reactions so far," Vatican secretary of state Tarcisio Bertone said on July 18. There was only a terse message from the Chinese foreign ministry a few hours after the publication of the letter, with the ritual re-proposal to the Vatican of the two constant pre-conditions: non-interference in China’s internal affairs, and the breaking of diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

The reservation of the Chinese authorities is judged in the Vatican as 'a positive reality'. It is supposed that there is a difference in viewpoints, in China, between the highest political authorities - who are aiming at greater 'harmony- with the Church - and the apparatus of the communist party, which is more hostile.

On June 28 and 29, on the eve of the publication of the papal letter, the United Front - an organism that works in the shadow of the communist party for the implementation of its religious politics - had gathered in Huairou, near Beijing, a good number of bishops officially recognized by the regime, in order to drum into them for the umpteenth time the doctrine that the Chinese Church must be national and independent from Rome.

This difference of viewpoints is shown especially in the appointment of bishops for the official Church, the one recognized by the government.

On July 5, the Hong Kong newspaper Wen Wei Po, which is close to the communist party, wrote that new official bishops will be installed within the next few months, without and against the approval of Rome, in the dioceses of Guangzhou, Guizhou, Hubei, and Ningxia.

But in the meantime, the first new bishop elected in China according to official procedures, after the publication of the pope's letter, is that of Beijing. And the person pre-selected is such that in the Vatican the news of the appointment was taken not as an affront, but as a relief.

The new bishop-elect is Joseph Li Shan, 43, of Beijing, from a strongly Catholic family, a favorite of the faithful who had him as a pastor in the commercial neighborhood of Wangfujin: entirely the opposite of his predecessor, Michael Fu Tieshan, an adherent of the communist regime who has never reconciled with the pope.

Cardinal Bertone described the new bishop-elect as 'a very good and suitable person'. And he added: "The election took place according to the canons of the official Church, and now we are waiting for the bishop-elect to ask for the approval of the Holy See. We are optimists."

The official procedures established by the communist authorities, in China, prescribe that every new bishop be designated not by Rome, but by an official assembly of priests, sisters, and laymen from the area, and that he then be confirmed by the council of Chinese bishops recognized by the regime. Ordination takes place after this.

In the judgment of the Holy See such an ordination is sacramentally valid, but illicit. In order to rectify his illicit state and re-enter into communion with the Church, the new bishop must ask for and obtain the pope's approval. In fact, almost all the official bishops present in China today have obtained this, more or less explicitly.

The letter written by Benedict XVI to the Catholics of China dictates exactly the conditions for leading back to unity - in the fidelity of all to Rome and in accord with the state authorities - the Catholics of this country, healing the fracture between the official Church and the clandestine one.

The first reactions in the Catholic camp seem to be heading in this direction. For example, the clandestine bishop of Qiqihar, Joseph Wei Jingyi, had read at all the Masses a pastoral letter of his on the application of the pope’s guidelines. In it, he said he wanted to reconcile with some priests of the diocese who had refused obedience to him because they saw him as too accommodating toward the communist regime. And he invited all to participate in the sacraments administered by the official bishops and priests, provided that they were in communion with Rome.

But there is no lack of disagreement and controversy among the Catholics, not only over how to interpret the letter from Benedict XVI, but also over the accuracy of the Chinese translation released by the Vatican.

Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, bishop of Hong Kong, has pointed out what he judges as two serious discrepancies.

The first, at the end of chapter 7 of the letter, is where the pope writes that "in the process of recognition [on the part of the civil authorities] the intervention of certain bodies obliges the people involved to adopt attitudes, make gestures and undertake commitments that are contrary to the dictates of their conscience as Catholics.{

This happens – he writes – 'in not a few particular instances'. But the Chinese version omits the translation of these next words of the pope: 'indeed almost always'.

Cardinal Zen highlights a second discrepancy in the unsigned explanatory note that the Holy See released together with the pope’s letter.

While the papal letter, in chapter 8, limits itself to describing in a neutral way the behavior of some bishops who "under the pressure of particular circumstances, have consented to receive episcopal ordination without the pontifical mandate", the explanatory note goes farther: it adds that these bishops have done this "especially concerned with the good of the faithful and with an eye to the future".

Zen complains that the note, in bestowing this praise upon the bishops who accept illicit ordination, "puts the others, who refused to surrender to pressure, in a very bad light, as if they neglected the good of the faithful and were short sighted." And he adds: "I dare to protest in the name of the latter".

As the tribune for this denunciation, on July 3, cardinal Zen chose UCA News, the most important Catholic news agency in East Asia.

And he did the same on July 18, to reply to a comment on the papal letter written a few days earlier, again for UCA News, by one of the most renowned Catholic sinologists: Fr. Jeroom Heyndrickx, from Flanders, director of the Ferdinand Verbiest Institute at the Catholic University of Louvain.

Fr. Heyndrickx had maintained that the papal letter encourages the members of the clandestine Church to come out into the open, to ask for and obtain the recognition of the civil authorities and to share the sacraments with the bishops and priests of the official Church.

Cardinal Zen replies that nothing of this is found in the letter by Benedict XVI; that the sacraments can be shared only with the bishops and priests of the official Church on communion with the pope, and not with those in schism from Rome; that the clandestine Church will continue to have a reason to exist as long as the communist authorities presume to control and subjugate the Church; and that the clandestine bishops have no motive to ask for official recognition if this involves – as 'almost always' happens – taking on obligations 'contrary to the dictates of their conscience as Catholics'.

"It is astonishing," writes cardinal Zen, "that intelligent and learned as Fr. Heyndrickx is, he could possibly misread the pope's letter to the Catholics in China".

The cardinal advances a suspicion: that Fr. Heyndrickx's frequent study visits to China 'can become liabilities' and that "his every initiative needs the approval of Mr. Liu Bainian, head of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, and has to be carried out according to conditions imposed by him."

A deadly doubt. Because a great number of Chinese Catholics, including the members of the official Church, maintain that Mr. Liu Bainian is their worst enemy, the one who most embodies the politics of the Church’s submission to the regime.

From Louvain, Fr. Heyndrickx reacted to the cardinal Zen's accusations with a note published by UCA News on July 20.

He repeats that the principal aim of the letter from Benedict XVI is that of encouraging the two Chinese Catholic communities, official and clandestine, to pray and to celebrate the Eucharist together.

He maintains that his interpretation of the papal letter is shared by many representatives of the Chinese Church: and he brings in as an example the pastoral letter of bishop Wei Jingyi.

He insists that he obeys only the Church and the pope, and not the Chinese officials with whom he makes an effort to dialogue.

Because "dialogue is not equal to weakness, but is the spirit of the popes letter, which we all should follow. [...] An open dialogue between a united Chinese Church and a united Chinese government will solve more problems than confrontation between a divided Church and a divided government."



=====================================

I've gone to the UCAN site to pick up the two items referred to above - Cardinal Zen's July 20 reply to a July 18 article by Fr. Heyndrickx - plus Fr. Heyndrickx's original commentary on the Pope's letter from July 6 (which I had posted in NEWS ABOUT BENEDICT) and am posting them here for reference. I don't have time to read the two 'new' articles through just now. I'm posting them here in chronological order .



I
Pope's Letter Begins New Phase
in China Church History


LEUVEN, Belgium, July 6 (UCAN) -- An expert on the Catholic Church in China says the letter that Pope Benedict XVI recently issued to Chinese Catholics has opened a new page of Church history in the mainland.

Father Jeroom Heyndrickx, a member of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and director of Ferdinand Verbiest Institute at Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, applauds the letter for clearly answering important pastoral questions that have long perplexed mainland Catholics.

The priest, who often visits China, says in a UCA News commentary that China's Catholics and government have awaited the letter anxiously, and many Church people now find its pastoral guidelines even more concrete than they had anticipated.

The commentary Father Heyndrickx wrote for UCA News follows:


The Beginning of a New Phase
in the History of the Church in China:
Reflections on Letter of Pope Benedict XVI
to the Church in China



The pastoral letter of Pope Benedict XVI to the Catholic Church in China, published on June 30, is remarkable and historic for its content and style.

The pope speaks like a father to the Chinese Catholics and with respect to Chinese authorities, and he puts forward clear principles to both of them.

In carefully chosen words, he expresses his understanding of the sufferings of the "underground community," which refuses to cooperate with the government, but also for the "official community" and for its decision to cooperate.

He expresses some fundamental theological principles asking both communities to reconcile, and he calls on civil authorities to enter into dialogue beyond the misunderstandings of the past.

The letter is remarkable for its content because it gives a clear answer to the burning pastoral questions that have divided the Chinese Church internally for 20 years. Only Rome can clarify the confusing discussions of the past.

I understand the meaning of the pope's letter as follows:

There is only one Chinese Catholic Church and it is faithful to the Holy See. Bishops and priests of both communities may concelebrate, but the pope encourages them first to express among themselves their unity by a profession of faith. For the Church to live underground is not a normal situation. There is at present no longer any reason to keep an underground Church community going in China. The pope, therefore, revokes all privileges that were conferred to China's underground community in the past. Chinese faithful may also take part in the Eucharist of priests of the official Church community.

The pope expresses these pastoral guidelines after he, in the first part of his 26-page text (English version), exposes at length some basic theological principles on the communion of particular Churches with the universal Church, reconciliation, and the need for dialogue and cooperation in charity and truth between Church and state, while giving to God and to Caesar respectively what belongs to each.

The pope promised in January that he would write a letter to the Catholic Church in China. Since then, they awaited this letter impatiently, and so did civil authorities. There was even some tension. All planned ordinations and other important Church activities were postponed "until after the letter of the pope," even if it was not said in just those words.

The causes of this uncertainty in China were calls expressed outside the mainland for confrontation with Chinese authorities, as well as last year's illicit episcopal ordinations in China at which Chinese bishops recognized by Rome had been forced to participate.

Everybody wondered: will the pope's letter threaten to apply canonical sanctions for illicit ordinations that may happen in the future? Or will the letter instead be a friendly though urgent call for unity and dialogue?

The large majority of Catholics in remote places in China's countryside had other concerns. The vital question for them has existed for decades: yes or no, may we participate in the Eucharistic celebration of the "open" (official) Church communities? Do we commit a mortal sin if we do, as we were taught?

So much confusion has been caused by what was said, preached and written about these questions that only the highest Church authority could give a clear answer. This is what happened in the pastoral letter. The pope says there: only one Catholic Church exists in China. Let Chinese Catholics peacefully celebrate the Eucharist together.

But there is more in the letter. The pope admonishes the official bishops appointed by the Holy See to make their appointment public. They apparently did not make that sufficiently clear in the past. The pope does not speak a warning language to bishops ordained without papal appointment, but he does ask them to clarify their relation to Successor of Peter now. Underground bishops are encouraged to apply for recognition by civil authorities.

An underground Church "is not a normal feature of the Church's life" for the Catholic Church, says the pope. All bishops should now unite so that Rome can finally recognize officially the already existing Chinese Bishops' Conference. This could not be done until now because the underground bishops are not members, while some other members of the conference are not appointed by Rome.

The pastoral letter touches here upon an extremely delicate point related to Church-state relations. It suggests that the present statutes of the Chinese Bishops' Conference still need to be amended.

In the present situation, one entity "desired by the State" -- apparently referring to the Patriotic Association -- stands above the bishops and makes important pastoral decisions, some even related to the appointment of bishops. Doing so, it in fact directs the Church. This situation takes the pastoral authority away from the bishops, which is against Catholic teaching: "Only a legitimate Episcopal Conference can formulate pastoral guidelines, valid for the entire Catholic community of the country concerned."

The pastoral letter contains more concrete pastoral guidelines than many of us may have anticipated. But they are all important, useful guidelines urgently needed in the Chinese local Church and they are included in Canon Law.

Priests are reminded that they should be incardinated in one clearly defined diocese. Dioceses that have a limited number of priests and experience difficulty in finding a suitable candidate-bishop are encouraged to ask neighboring bishops to help find alternative candidates. Bishops are reminded to set up structures required in their dioceses to promote cooperation and dialogue in pastoral work, such as: diocesan curia, presbyteral council, college of consultors, diocesan pastoral council and financial commission.

The letter even refers to the importance of registering Church properties in the name of the Church, not of individuals. It all shows how well the Holy See is informed about and concerned with the concrete needs of the Church in China.

The pope pleads for the principle of separation between Church and state, a relation in charity and truth to be realized through open dialogue. However, he introduces some points that, from the side of the Church, are not discussable.

The proposal to set up a Church independent from the Holy See is incompatible with Catholic doctrine. The principle that bishops must be appointed by the successor of Peter is crucial for the Church, since only appointments by the pope assure the unity of the Church and the apostolic succession of bishops. These appointments have no political character at all. The pope refers to internationally accepted documents that state the appointment of Catholic bishops by the pope is part of true freedom of religion.

For some readers, the letter may create the impression of being "too clear" and "too explicit," leaving nothing to be discussed and clarified in the dialogue with diplomats. This is the opinion of some friends in China who stress that in China one should leave some things to be cleared up by private bargaining. But here, too, the problem is that years of discussion have created confusion around matters of principle that are crucial for the Church.

Just as pastoral guidelines were urgently needed for the Chinese Church, so too is there need to make clear what is and is not discussable with regard to relations of the Church with the state.

Some people would have criticized the pope if he did not clarify these points. But he repeatedly expresses his hope and trust that, through dialogue, all these questions can be clarified and agreed upon.

As a concrete example, the pope cites the new division of dioceses that civil authorities introduced over the past 50 years but never previously agreed upon with Rome. The pope says this can be discussed whenever opportune and helpful.

This is the beginning of a new phase in the history of the Chinese Catholic Church. Together with the letter in which Pope John Paul II offered excuses for what happened in the 19th century, this pastoral letter is undoubtedly the most important and historical document ever written by Rome to the Chinese Church.

The key words are: reconciliation, unity and dialogue. Nowhere in this letter does the pope call for confrontation. Marked by reconciliation and unity inside the Church and dialogue with civil authorities on the basis of equality and mutual respect, it initiates a new phase in Chinese Catholic Church history.



II
'Don't Misread Letter Of The Pope,'
Says Cardinal Zen


HONG KONG, July 20(UCAN) -- Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun of Hong Kong says he is pained that "some serious blind spots" appear in a recent UCAN commentary.

Father Jeroom Heyndrickx, a member of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and director of Ferdinand Verbiest Institute at Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, wrote the commentary, "Pope's Letter Begin New Phase in China Church History," and UCA News published it on July 6.

In it, Father Heyndrickx says the letter of Pope Benedict XVI to the Chinese Catholics, released on June 30, will have positive long-term impact.

Cardinal Zen also applauds the pope's letter but laments that the commentary demonstrates Father Heyndrickx has been misled and no longer enjoys "a vast consensus and positive regard among China-watchers."

In a message to UCA News, the cardinal lists "mistakes" in the commentary, and says he is providing such feedback because "I cannot allow people to be misled in their understanding" of the papal letter.

Cardinal Zen's feedback on the commentary by Father Heyndrickx follows:

Don't misread the Pope's letter


Fr. Jeroom Heyndrickx is surely a most respected Sinophile and has done a lot of work to bridge the Chinese Catholic community with the universal Church. So it pains me to see some serious blind spots in his recent mindset. There used to be a vast consensus and positive regard among China-watchers for the many undertakings by Fr. Heyndrickx, who enjoys the benefit having the support of a well-established Verbiest Foundation and a Catholic Leuven as the venue for many initiatives.

Sometimes, however, achievements can become liabilities. The effects of our actions are not always immediately seen. Now, Fr. Heyndrickx's every initiative needs the approval of Mr. Liu Bainian, of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, and has to be carried out according to conditions imposed by him, Mr. Liu's prestige has thus been steadily built up.

The enormous power of Mr. Liu has allowed him to oppress and humiliate our bishops. Now, fearful that his position will be undermined by the normalization of ties between China and the Holy See, and with the support of the Religious Affairs Bureau, he masterminded the illegitimate Ordination of bishops last year using threats, deceit and even forceful abduction.

Fr. Heyndrickx did not see things that way, but blamed the confrontation on us (on me?). It is astonishing that intelligent and learned as he is, he could possibly misread the Pope's letter to the Catholics in China.

Out of respect for the Holy Father's letter, I cannot allow people to be misled in their understanding of it. Here I want to point out the mistakes in Fr. Heyndrickx's reading:

(Fr.H. = Father J. Heyndrickx, commentary in UCAN on July 6)

Fr.H. (1): Paragraph 1 (starting from "I understand the meaning of the Pope's letter as follows.") "Bishop and priests of both communities may concelebrate..."


Paragraph 7 "Let Chinese Catholics peacefully celebrate the Eucharist together."

Objection: It is not precise to state matters so simply. What is allowed is concelebration with Bishops in the "official" Church, who are now in communion with the Holy Father, but not with those who are still illegitimate and not reconciled.

Fr. Heyndrickx seems to attach too much importance to unity in celebrating the Eucharist, but such unity without real hierarchical communion would be a lie.


Fr.H. (2): Also in Paragraph 1 "There is at present no longer any reason to keep an underground Church Community going in China."

Paragraph 8 "underground bishops are encouraged to apply for recognition by civil authorities."

Objection: No. This is not in the letter. What the letter says is:
"The clandestine condition is not a natural feature of the Church's life" and those who "have felt themselves constrained to opt for clandestine consecration" did so because they did not wish "to be subjected to undue control over the life of the Church." Now, if that control is still there in the official Church, then there is reason for people to remain in the underground.

The underground bishops are not encouraged to apply for registration; they are only given the faculty or, rather, the heavy responsibility to make a "very difficult decision" for their individual dioceses as to whether they should seek recognition.

Actually, what precedes in the letter seems rather to discourage them from seeking recognition because, as the letter says: "In not a few particular instances, indeed almost always, in the procedure of recognition, the intervention of agencies obliges the people involved to adopt attitudes (accept an independent Church), make gestures (concelebrate with illegitimate bishops) and undertake commitments (join the Patriotic Association) that are contrary to the dictates of their conscience as Catholics."


Fr.H. (3): Paragraph 5 Fr. Heyndrickx appears to oppose "canonical sanctions" to calling for unity and dialogue".

Objection: Of course the letter centers on unity and dialogue, but Article 1382 of Canon Law is still explicitly mentioned in the Pope's letter where it states: "The code of Canon Law (cf. c. 1382) lays down grave sanctions both for the Bishop who freely confers Episcopal ordination without an apostolic mandate and for the one who receives it: such an ordination in fact inflicts a painful wound upon ecclesial communion and constitutes a grave violation of canonical discipline." (Part 1, Section 9, Paragraph 1

Fr. Heyndrickx seems to be confused; he reads too many things into the letter of the Holy Father. This risks disturbing the wonderful balance achieved in the letter between truth and charity, and it is a serious matter.


Cardinal Joseph Zen, SDB




III
'In Obedience To The Pope,
Not To Any Partner In Dialogue'


LEUVEN, Belgium, July 20 (UCAN) -- Given the complex situation of the Church in China, it is not surprising that the pope's recent letter to Catholics there is understood differently by different people, says Father Jeroom Heyndrickx.

The veteran Church-in-China observer makes this point in responding to two critiques of his earlier commentary on the pope's letter, titled The Beginning of a New Phase in the History of the Church in China, which UCA News published on July 6.

In this response, Father Heyndrickx replies to points raised by Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun of Hong Kong in the cardinal's commentary, Don't Misread the Pope's Letter, which UCA News published on July 18. He also answers points he said were raised in a critique written by an unnamed "friend from China."

Father Heyndrickx is a member of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and director of Ferdinand Verbiest Institute at Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium.

His article follows:


In obedience to the pope,
not to any partner in dialogue


I was asked to write comments on the pastoral letter of Pope Benedict XVI to the Church in China and I have done so in my article "Pope's Letter Begins New Phase in China Church History."

As always before, I express therein only personal views, not representing any institute. Besides the critique expressed by Cardinal Zen and a friend from China, I have received many reactions from open as well as underground Church communities in China confirming that they fully agree with my understanding.

The pastoral letter of underground Bishop Wei Jingyi speaks exactly in the same line as I do. It makes me feel that I am in good company. We share our opinions as Christians and friends to help each other to read the letter of the pope correctly. My two friends have written their critique to my article with the same intention.

Given the dramatic and historic complexity of the situation of the Church in China, one should not be surprised that some of us understand the pope's letter differently. To search for the right way to understand the letter of the pope, and to do that in the media in charity and truth, is in itself healthy and will do no harm.

I am now very tempted, however, to correct the unjust interpretations of my article by both my friends and to answer the personal attacks against me by Cardinal Zen. But then I realize that we should discuss that further among us. To turn to the media to state how wrong somebody else is ends up in harming both charity and truth. It leads to confrontation and causes even more division. We should rather seek concrete ways towards dialogue and unity inside our communities. That is obviously what the pope wants us to do and this does not preclude expressing our different views among us.

But unity can only grow when we pass beyond existing different views and encourage each other and all our friends inside the two Catholic communities - open and underground -- to look for opportunities to pray and celebrate the Eucharist together. The pope encourages Chinese Catholics to do exactly that. This is undoubtedly the most crucial pastoral guideline in the pope's letter. Anyone who ignores this misreads the letter. Let us all learn from underground Bishop Wei Jingyi.

We should not put more conditions than the pope does for celebrating the Eucharist together; and if the pope says that "the clandestine condition is not a natural feature of the Church's life," why then search for reasons to justify keeping an underground Church community alive?

The pope's letter expresses the same priority concern of the Lord Jesus, namely: to create a united, internally reconciled Chinese Church. If we read the letter properly, we should take concrete steps into that direction. The Spirit will work more efficiently through such concrete steps than He works in any discussion or confrontation in the media.

The pope's letter demonstrates to all of us that it is possible to make one's own principles crystal clear in a language of dialogue and mutual respect without having to enter into open confrontation. In the course of the recent 25 years, during which I visited the Chinese Church and dialogued also with civil authorities in China, I have tried hard to walk that road of dialogue. I do not pretend that I always succeeded.

But I have learned that it does not take much courage to use the media to prove one's own views and criticize others while it takes a lot of guts to sit down with those who disagree with you and have long personal dialogues to overcome differences and seek the common ground.

Dialogue is not equal to weakness. Yet dialogue is the spirit of the pope's letter, which we all should follow. And of one thing I am sure: I have always remained true to my own self and to my identity as a Catholic missionary. To dialogue or to cooperate in any activity has never required me to deny any Church principle.

Being blacklisted in China, falsely accused, misunderstood, interrogated for hours, or even being declared "persona non grata" for three years, has never made me leave the road of dialogue. I remain today in obedience only to the Church and the pope, not to any partner in dialogue as was mistakenly and unjustly surmised in one of the two articles.

The pope's letter is for all Chinese Catholics a compass on the road towards one reconciled Chinese Church. A joint and frank open dialogue between a united Chinese Church and a united Chinese government will solve more problems than confrontation between a divided Church and a divided government.

Jeroom Heyndrickx CICM




TERESA BENEDETTA
00lunedì 23 luglio 2007 17:51



The Countdown Begins
Inside World Youth Day 2008

By Catherine Smibert

Preparing with Prayer Power

SYDNEY, Australia, JULY 22, 2007 (Zenit.org).- With one year to go, the host city for the 2008 World Youth Day is buzzing with what some on the ground are describing as "holy anticipation."

And to honor the request of Benedict XVI and his predecessor, prayer is playing a vital role in the variety of preparatory activities occurring throughout Sydney and other national dioceses.

Last Friday, July 20, a year from the day of the final papal Mass, young and old alike united in one of the oldest churches in Sydney for what the coordinator of WYD '08, Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Fisher, dubbed "A Holy Hour of Power."

The evening began with a stunning rendition of the already popular WYD theme song, "Receive the Power," performed by young Catholic performing arts students.

Tears then sprang to the eyes of some of those gathered as they witnessed a screening of Benedict XVI's most recent audience emphasizing his encouragement in the Australian mission.

But following some more song, Scripture and a personal testimony from ex-professional football player-turned WYD director of evangelization and catechesis, Steve Lawrence, it was really Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament who took center stage.

Learning from the first Aussie faithful

As Bishop Fisher pointed out, the exact location for the sacred event emphasized the challenge Sydneysiders face today.

He recounted the history of St. Patrick's Church as dating back to the early 1800s when the first Catholics in the nation tried to obtain a grant of land for a church and the government refused their request. Then, the only priest was expelled by the British Authorities, leaving behind just one consecrated Host.

But this didn't stop the Aussie Catholics witnessing to their faith, the bishop told us. The picture of persecuted Catholics gathering secretly for prayer was used to describe those early years as a "catacomb" era.

"The lay faithful continued to guard and adore Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament for an entire year … until another French priest arrived to consume it and say a Mass for them again," the bishop explained.

So, as we returned to the roots of our faith in this continent, Bishop Fisher encouraged Australians to try and tap in to that dedication of our forefathers and to revive devotion to God's truth and will.

Such encouragement echoes the Pope's appeal in his WYD message when he instructs youth to become the new soul of humanity by being credible witnesses to the Church's mission to the world.

Here Benedict XVI clarifies that we can only be Christ's missionaries if we allow ourselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit.

And this is echoed by the willingness of every parish across Sydney and the 'WYD SYD' (as it's affectionately known here) team.

Twenty-six-year-old Ivan Yau, WYD Coordinator for the Military Ordinariate of Australia, told me that "already the Spirit-filled experiences surrounding the event here in Sydney are really firing us up to do our part in responding to the Pope's request that we help launch a new Pentecost for the Church and humanity in the third millennium."

"We're sure the visitors of the world will share in our abundant sense of commitment to live up to our calling not to fear becoming great evangelizers," he added. "Now we tangibly know we can do anything with the Holy Spirit!"

Indeed the instructions and urgency of mission as presented in Benedict XVI's 6-page message for this occasion are already being followed Down Under.

In paragraphs 7 and 8 of the document, the English translation of which has still not been released, the Pope especially highlights young peoples' growing unease about their future, their questions regarding fighting injustices and suffering and how they should react to violence and egoism which seem to prevail in today's society -- but most importantly, how to give meaning to their lives.

In response to these concerns, Benedict XVI appeals to the world's youth not to forget the greatness of God's gifts which are the fruits of the Holy Spirit -- love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, meekness and self control.

The Pope says that these can heal the wounded world and above all the world of today's youth.

The Holy Father calls on youth to become the new soul of humanity by being credible witnesses to the Church's mission to the world.

"Once again," he writes, "I tell you that only Christ can fulfill man's innermost desires"

Benedict XVI clarifies that we can only be Christ's missionaries if we allow ourselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit.

And though he's aware that "some people may feel that by presenting the precious treasure of their faith to people who don't share the faith means being intolerant … this is not so -- because representing Christ does not mean imposing Christ."



loriRMFC
00martedì 24 luglio 2007 00:48
Don't let adultery charge divert attention from Zimbabwe crisis, region's Catholic bishops urge

July 23, 2007
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

PRETORIA, South Africa (Catholic Online) - Allegations of adultery against an archbishop who has been an outspoken critic against the Zimbabwean government should not divert attention about the political and economic crisis gripping the African nation, said the region's Catholic bishops.

In a letter published July 20, president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference, Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg, expressed "sadness and concern" about the suit filed against Archbishop Pius Ncube of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second largest city, by a state worker who charged the church leader had sexual relations with the man's wife who worked for the archdiocese.

It has been suggested that the charge of adultery may be a part of a campaign to silence the church's leading voice against bad governance in the country.

"These allegations (and corresponding publicity) unfortunately come at a time when Zimbabwe is facing one of its worst political and economic crisis in its history, a crisis which Archbishop Ncube has consistently expressed great concern about and which we believe the country should be focused on," Archbishop Tihagale said, noting that the crisis has caused many from crossing the border to find refuge in neighboring countries.

The region’s bishops' conference hopes, he said, that "Zimbabweans and the international community will not be sidetracked by these allegations in their efforts of finding a lasting solution to the serious problems bedeviling the country at present."

Archbishop Ncube's "voice of reason," he said, is "very important and should continue to be heard."

"At the moment, the archbishop's guilt or innocence has yet to be proved and therefore we appeal to the media and everyone concerned to allow the law to take its course without passing premature judgment on the archbishop aimed at casting doubt on his credibility reputation and dignity," said Archbishop Buti Tlhagale, urging Catholics in Zimbabwe and throughout the world to offer prayers for the church leader.


SOURCE: www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?...
loriRMFC
00martedì 24 luglio 2007 00:51
Bishops appeal for restraint in 'all-out-war' against Islamic rebels

July 23, 2007
UCANews (www.ucanews.com)

MANILA, Philippines (UCAN) - Bishops have warned that "all-out war" against Islamic rebels who reportedly ambushed government troops searching for a kidnapped Italian missioner will not solve the conflict in the southern Philippines.

Armed men kidnapped Father Giancarlo Bossi of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions from his parish in Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay on June 10 and freed him on July 19, reportedly without ransom.

Bishop Martin Jumoad of Isabela, in whose prelature the fighting is to focus, told UCA News that "all-out war" against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) "is not the solution" to the conflict in Basilan. His prelature serves the island province, 900 kilometers (about 560 miles) southeast of Manila.

If fighting erupts, the bishop told UCA News on July 23, "more civilians will be affected and children will suffer most." Intensified warfare would also "heighten the animosity" between the military and the MILF, he said.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita told reporters on July 20 at Malacanang Palace that the armed forces have deployed "several battalions" of marines to Basilan. That same day, Brigadier General Romeo Prestoza, commander of the Presidential Security Group (PSG), told reporters he too will deploy a company to "augment" the forces in Basilan in "punitive action" against the rebels.

Prestoza said "the PSG is ... giving its all-out support to the AFP and the government in their continuous effort to suppress these acts of terrorism."

Fourteen marines were killed in a clash with rebels on July 10 as they reportedly searched for Father Bossi in Basilan, where he reportedly was seen with his kidnappers. Ten marines in that encounter were found beheaded.

MILF officials have confirmed that their troops clashed with soldiers who entered their area without coordination but denied responsibility for the beheading, asserting that such an act is against Islam. When the clash occurred, the MILF, established in 1977 to fight for an independent Islamic state, was under a ceasefire with government to allow for peace negotiations.

Bishop Leopoldo Tumulak, head of the military ordinariate, has openly stated that "all-out war" against Islamic rebels is not a "permanent solution" to the conflict in Basilan. "The permanent solution is attending to the needs of the people," he said on July 20 in an interview over church-run Radyo Veritas.

Bishop Tumulak's ordinariate ministers to all military personnel, their dependents and civilian employees of the AFP and the Philippine National Police. The prelate said some soldiers do not want war but are "forced" to respond to "killings" and "ambush" to "protect our people."

He urged people to pray for the members of the armed forces because "they do not know what is waiting for them" when they head out on their assignments.

General Hermogenes Esperon Jr., AFP Chief, told reporters on July 21 in Manila that "all-out war" is the government's "last resort" in "seeking justice" for the slain Marines.

Even so, Lieutenant Colonel Bartolome Bacarro, AFP public information office chief, told a media briefing on July 23 "an order has already been" issued to "run after the perpetrators of this beheading." He said government troops are "conducting detailed operations" and the operation commander has to say "when to start the operations, referring to the punitive actions."

Bacarro said there is "always need for coordination" with national police headquarters, but it is "not necessary" to seek a "go signal" from headquarters if their "targets" are sighted. "The order has been issued to run after the perpetrators and bring them to the bar of justice," he said.

Armed Forces, police and local government officials presented Father Bossi in Zamboanga City, 850 kilometers (about 530 miles) southeast of Manila, on July 20, hours after his kidnappers freed him. The priest was taken to Manila later that day where he met with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. In their "very short conversation," Father Bossi told reporters after the meeting, Arroyo had mentioned the Basilan encounter and the beheading of Marines.

"I feel so sorry because if I was not kidnapped, they (the marines) would still be alive," the 57-year old priest said. He added that he wants to meet the families of slain marines, and "I'll try to see how I can help them."


SOURCE:http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=24787
loriRMFC
00martedì 24 luglio 2007 19:48
New Mass dress code seen as reasonable to some, unacceptable to others

July 24, 2007
UCANews (www.ucanews.com)

MANILA, Philippines (UCAN) - Women are refraining from wearing shorts and clothes with plunging necklines to church, but others believe people should dress as they please, despite Manila Archdiocese's new guidelines on proper Mass attire.

Lanelyn Carillo, a 30-year-old office worker, says she became "conscious" of the way she dresses for Mass after seeing a poster outside the church showing what is and what is not "appropriate attire."

She told UCA News on July 5 after Mass at Saint John the Baptist Church in Quiapo, downtown Manila, she used to go to Mass in jeans and a shirt, but she carefully picked a top with sleeves on that Sunday. "I believe the guidelines will strengthen" the respect Filipinos have for a "holy place," she added.

Posters outside the church list and illustrate "proper attire" for Mass. Other parishes in the archdiocese have displayed the posters since June 19 when its Ministry for Liturgical Affairs (MLA) gave the guidelines to priests.

Men are asked to wear collared shirts with sleeves, and jeans or slacks, but caps, sports jerseys and shorts are "improper." For women, collared blouses, dresses, skirts, "corporate or office attire or school uniforms" are advised.

The list also provides examples of "improper" attire for women at church – blouses with spaghetti straps or tank tops, miniskirts or skimpy shorts, sleeveless dresses or those with revealing necklines.

In Carillo's view, there is "nothing wrong" with dressing up "the way you want yourself to be seen by others," though such "freedom" has limits.

On July 6 at Our Lady of the Abandoned Church in Marikina City, east of Manila, 64-year-old Lito Limbo criticized the dress code as an "unacceptable" imposition. "What is in the person's heart is more important," he told UCA News. Limbo also expressed concern that the dress code would lead to a further "decline" in the number of churchgoers.

The Church's National Filipino Catholic Youth Survey of 2002 described most Filipino Catholic youths as "nominal Catholics." Some 44.9 percent of Catholic Filipinos aged 13-39 reported "seldom practicing their faith," and up to 3.8 percent said they "never practice their faith." The survey defined "nominal Catholics" as people living their faith in a "personal way," such as by praying or doing good deeds, yet "very seldom" going to church for Mass.

But Tonton Casado, an MLA program assistant, told UCA News on July 19 that parishioners asked the MLA in June to issue guidelines on proper Mass attire.

Priests shared the feedback of parishioners at archdiocesan clergy meetings before deciding to draft the guidelines. Father Godwin Tatlonghari, MLA's assistant minister, issued a circular letter containing the guidelines on June 19 to parish priests, chaplains and shrine rectors in the archdiocese.

According to the circular, parishioners themselves had asked priests to take note of the "increasing number" of people attending Mass and other church functions "garbed in a way that disrespects the sanctity of the House of God and the sacredness of the liturgical celebration."

Corazon Yamsuan, Manila Archdiocese's communications director, told UCA News on July 13 that the liturgical ministry did not discuss sanctions, such as refusing Communion or entry to churches. "Parishes may choose to just talk individually to those who are not in proper attire, but only to remind them," Yamsuan said. The guidelines were issued as a "reminder" to churchgoers about the "proper attitude" or "disposition" in church and at Mass, she explained.

The media have discussed questions about penalties parishioners may face.

In Cebu City, 565 kilometers (about 350 miles) southeast of Manila, Monsignor Esteban Binghay told reporters that pastors tend to be "considerate" about how people dress depending on their situation. If the church is near a park or public place, he said, people understandably come to Mass dressed for a picnic.

He also said that some laborers, especially in the construction industry, work even on Sundays and want to attend Mass. He said undershirts and shorts may seem "improper" in one context but are alright in another. He stressed that improper dress could "distract" the congregation but is not sinful.

Msgr. Cayetano Gerbolingo, Cebu cathedral's administrator, told UCA News that he favors giving parishioners "fatherly advice" and cautions priests against "humiliating" Massgoers.


SOURCE: www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?...
loriRMFC
00martedì 24 luglio 2007 21:53
Holy Land church must say 'enough' to occupation, 'logic of violence,' archbishop says

July 24, 2007
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

MAYNOOTH, Ireland (CNS) - The Catholic Church in the Holy Land, in the face of "painful suffering," must "raise our voices to say 'enough'" to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories, to killings, to other human-rights violations and to "the logic of violence," said the coadjutor of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Addressing more than 100 members of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher here, Coadjutor Archbishop Fouad Twal made a heartfelt appeal for negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians "mediated by an impartial party" and an end to "threats and violence from both sides," and said that Christians have a vital role to play in building peace in the Holy Land.

"In front of this painful suffering, we raise our voices to say 'enough': enough to the occupation and the suffering of human beings; enough to killing and to unchecked violence; enough to the lack of security and stability; enough to the violations of human rights and human dignity of all men and women, whoever they may be; enough to the logic of violence," he said.

"It is time to stand in front of God, who is the father of all, and the judge of all, in order to change our ways and return to him," he added.

The archbishop, who was on his first visit to Ireland since becoming coadjutor in 2005, was here to help celebrate the investiture of new members of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher, a long-standing organization dedicated to undertake charitable works in support of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and Christian sites in there, and to respond to the needs of Catholics in the Holy Land.

Archbishop Twal, who noted that he is set to "take the responsibility of the Latin Patriarchate" from Patriarch Michel Sabbah in 2008, said that Jerusalem is "the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict … the key to peace in the Middle East … and that (which) urges us to scrutinize the future."

While noting that the Christian community there, made up of about 370,000 of 17 million living in Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Territories, is a "demographically modest" 2 percent of the population, the archbishop stressed that "it still has great influence and can help shape the future of the Holy Land."

Yet, the Holy Land community of Palestinian and Jordanian Arab Christians, Israeli Hebrew-speaking Christians, foreign-born Christians coming from Eastern Europe, Asia and other countries and pilgrims from throughout the world is under siege, Archbishop Twal said.

"Many suffer from the killings, home demolitions and imprisonment, and others from lack of security and stability. The list of sufferings is quite long, and affects all men and women who lived or still live in this Holy Land," he said.

"This sad situation created separation among individuals and peoples, man became the enemy of man, and the language of force and violence prevailed. Our churches were affected negatively: closed borders separated our faithful, and obscured the hopes for living in dignity and for a better future; many have left the land of their ancestors, diminishing the size of our Christian communities," the archbishop said, noting that the number of Christian Palestinians, who live outside the Holy Land, is more than double the number still living there.

It is a paradox, he said, that the conflict that exists is centered in the place that is the home to the world’s three major monotheistic religions.

"Conscious of the unique significance of Jerusalem ," the archbishop said, "in front of God and humanity, we find it fitting, that the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faithful, work together, with sincerity and in mutual trust, so that this city, may truly be able to fulfil its divine calling: a universal symbol of fraternity and peace and a place of encounter and reconciliation among religions and peoples."

Archbishop Twal said that it is now "time to intensify action" through negotiations that can lead to an end of the Israeli occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Such a state, with "borders clearly defined," can give both Israelis and Palestinians "human dignity, security and equal opportunity."

Negotiations, he added, cannot be "made under threat" if they are to be effective. "The negotiations we need require real dialogue, mediated by an impartial party," he said. "Unfortunately, what we see, threats and violence from both sides."

Yet, noting that 40 years has passed since the 1967 Israeli-Arab war, the archbishop pointed out that, while Israel has “won almost all the wars with the Arabs, till now Israel never won peace and security.”

Israel, he said, "relies only on its military power, rather than on international rules and resolutions."

"Only a return to the negotiating table on an equal footing, with due respect for international law, is capable of disclosing a future of brotherhood and peace for those who live in this blessed land," he said. "All individuals [must] see their fundamental rights guaranteed: both the Israeli people and the Palestinian people are equally entitled to live in their own homeland in dignity and security."

The Catholic Church of the Holy Land must work through the frustration and desperation of "the ongoing injustice and the lack of peace," Archbishop Twal said.

The church there has a vocation and a mission, he stressed. "Our vocation is to remain, despite our small number, in the land, where Jesus preached, redeemed humanity and founded the church," he said. "Our mission is to be witnesses of the gospel of love and reconciliation, being a bridge amidst a Moslem and Jewish majority."

During the Mass that preceded Archbishop Twal's remarks, Archbishop Sean Brady of Armagh and primate of All-Ireland, addressed the current plight of the Christian community in the Holy Land and the need for a new initiative to establish a just peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

"It is very sad to see so many Christians leave the Holy Land. What a shame to hear Bethlehem, so dear to Christians, now described as a vanishing Christian community, an isolated town, with boarded up shops and surrounded on three sides by an eight-meter high concrete wall. I believe the Christian presence in the Holy Land is a moderating influence and is essential to achieving peace."

Renewing the call for both Jewish and Palestinian leaders to continue to work towards bringing all the interested parties to the negotiating table, Archbishop Brady said that "the future of all peoples of the Holy Land depends on the securing of a just and lasting peace."

"Only a just and lasting peace with the Palestinians will offer security to Israel. Only a just peace will set Israel free from its present anxiety. That just peace will only be found if and when the needs of the weak are given priority over the wishes of the powerful and both sides begin to hear each others voices and to recognize each others rights," he said.


SOURCE:http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=24799
benefan
00mercoledì 25 luglio 2007 17:29
What the church is – New Vatican document clarifies misunderstandings

By Father Raymond J. DeSouza
7/24/2007
National Catholic Register

Reaching out to one group can look like reaching away from another.

In substance as well as timing, a new Vatican document can be understood as being of a piece with the motu proprio apostolic letter “Summorum Pontificum” (“Of the Supreme Pontiffs”), which normalized the use of the old Latin Mass.

Like the Latin Mass document, the new question-and-answer document was signed on June 29 and released July 10. It’s called “Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church,” and it was signed by Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The document is meant to clarify Catholic doctrine on the church. But soon after its publication, it was accused of damaging ecumenical relations. The document restates how Orthodox and Protestant Christians lack essential elements of what Christ willed for his church.

Yet that reaction is beside the main point, in that the document was aimed not at ecumenical relations with the church’s traditional partners, but at fostering unity with traditionalist Catholics who broke away after the Second Vatican Council.

The document answers five questions.

The first three deal with how Catholics understand the Catholic Church: Did the Second Vatican Council change the Catholic doctrine on the church? What is the meaning of the affirmation that the church of Christ subsists in the Catholic Church? Why was the expression “subsists in” adopted instead of the simple word “is”?

The fourth and fifth questions, respectively, ask why the Catholic Church uses the word “church” for the Orthodox churches, but not the “Christian communities” that emerged from the Protestant Reformation.

The main point of the document is that the Catholic Church is the one, true church, lacking nothing that Christ Jesus willed for his church to be. That is what is meant by “the church of Christ subsists in the Catholic Church.”

At the same time, elements of “sanctification and truth” can be found in other Christian denominations and communities, even if they lack all that Christ willed for his church.

That is why the phrase “the church of Christ is the Catholic Church” was not used – to recognize that the grace of Christ is not absent from other Christians. Because the Orthodox lack the communion with Peter that Christ willed, they do lack something “constitutive” of the church. Yet because they have maintained apostolic succession and maintain valid ordinations, sacraments and the Eucharist, they are properly called “churches.”

The Protestants, on the other hand, cannot be called “churches,” as they lack apostolic succession, valid ordinations and, consequently, the Eucharist.

Such clarifications of authentic Catholic doctrine can be painful for other Christians to hear, but are essential for ecumenical dialogue to proceed on a solid basis. The recent document only restates the principal points of Vatican II.

“The church is not backtracking on its ecumenical commitment,” Dominican Father Augustine Di Noia, undersecretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, told Vatican Radio. “But ... it is fundamental to any kind of dialogue that the participants are clear about their own identity.”

Yet the unity and uniqueness of the Catholic Church were clarified just seven years ago in Dominus Iesus (The Unicity and Salvific Universality of Jesus Christ and the Church), a Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith document on the church, signed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. At the time, it raised such howls of protest that Pope John Paul II took the extraordinary step of defending the document in an Angelus address. So why return to this now?

The key is the first question: “Did the Second Vatican Council change the Catholic doctrine on the church?”

That is not a question urgently put by either Orthodox or Protestant theologians. Yet it is of principal importance to those who follow the path of the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who believe that the church did in fact change her teaching at Vatican II.

“The Second Vatican Council neither changed nor intended to change this doctrine, rather it developed, deepened and more fully explained it,” Dominus Iesus begins. “This was exactly what John XXIII said at the beginning of the council. Paul VI affirmed it and commented in the act of promulgating the constitution Lumen Gentium: ‘There is no better comment to make than to say that this promulgation really changes nothing of the traditional doctrine. What Christ willed, we also will. What was, still is. What the church has taught down through the centuries, we also teach.’”

To hammer the point home, the document does something unusual.

In an extensive footnote, it not only quotes from the council documents, but cites several of the debates at the council and earlier drafts.

The document takes pains to show that not even the intention or spirit, let alone the letter, of conciliar teaching attempted to change the traditional doctrine on the church.

The clear audience for such arguments are the Lefebvrists; for everybody else the Congregation for the Doctrine for the Faith responses merely restated what was already well known.

For years, Lefebvrists have complained that the Catholic Church’s ecumenical outreach was more vigorously pursued for those farther from the church than it was for them.

There are reasons for that, but to the extent that it was true, it has been partially corrected by this document.

The message is plain enough: If you are concerned that Vatican II changed Catholic doctrine on the church, be assured that it didn’t.

The same teaching that was, still is.

- - -

Father Raymond De Souza is the National Catholic Register’s former Rome correspondent.

=====================================================================

Father De Souza, as usual, cuts to the core, and is very good at presenting facts/arguments clearly and simply. I thank him for the insight that the CDF explanation could have been particularly addressed to the Lefebvrists - it had not occurred to me to look at it as anything more than a general re-statement of one of the most basic of Catholic doctrines to show, of course, that Vatican-II had not changed anything.

From earlier stories I had read about the Lefebvrians in the past two years, it seemed as though their rejection of Vatican-II was total, which I thought was absurd. But in Father Fellay's last interview, he says their problem was with the ambiguities in the Vatican-II documents. I wish someone would list exactly which ambiguities they have problems with, because that covers a lot of ground and tens of thousands of words.

In this respect, a remark made by one of Father Z's readers about his piece on Vatican-II (posted today in NEWS ABOUT BENEDICT] is very opportune:

The object of the leaders of this [progressive] majority [of Council theologians] was to dispense with features of Catholic faith and tradition that they did not like; in order to achieve this goal, which could not have been attained if it was made explicit, they arranged to have the conciliar documents formulated in ambiguous ways, in order to be able to give a heterodox interpretation of them after the council.

Because the documents were ambiguous, it is in fact possible to understand them in a Catholic sense – so the documents are not discontinuous with the faith...

My main problem with Mons. Lefebvre's blanket rejection of Vatican-II is that he was a participant, and all the reports I've seen say he signed off on all the Vatican-II documents. So why did he go off in a huff? He could have just dug in and led the 'traditional' resistance - at a time when it was most needed - to the interpretations of the progressives whose mindset came to dominate the post-Conciliar years till now.

Teresa


benefan
00mercoledì 25 luglio 2007 21:48

Venezuela: Chavez calls cardinal a clown

Caracas, Jul. 24, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has again escalated his criticism of Catholic Church leaders, referring to a cardinal from Honduras as an "imperialist clown."

Chavez lashed out against Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigapla, Honduras, after the cardinal, in an interview with a Venezuelan news agency, said that Chavez "seems to think that he is a god and can trample over others."

Chavez responded by saying that the Honduran cardinal was a "parrot" serving the forces of imperialism which, he said, sought to undermine his regime.

The statement by Cardinal Rodriguez fell in line with the criticism of the Venezuelan president by his own country's hierarchy. The bishops of Venezuela have frequently provoked the wrath of Chavez by criticizing his plans to consolidate power in his own authoritarian regime.

loriRMFC
00sabato 28 luglio 2007 03:04
Hope beginning to return to Darfur, U.S. bishops report on trip to region

July 27, 2007
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

EL GENEINA, Sudan (Catholic Online) – Hope is beginning to return to Darfur as peace efforts continue and as aid helps alleviate those displaced by the conflict in the devastated African region, said two U.S. bishops.

On a two-week trip to the African nations of Zimbabwe, Burundi and Sudan, Bishop John H. Ricard of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Fla., and Bishop Patrick R. Cooney of Gaylord, Mich., pointed to the difficult situation those in Darfur are living under, but stressed the impact of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and other aid agencies are making.

The bishops, here July 25 and 26 as part of a week in West Sudan, are providing ongoing reports of their African trip on the CRS blog (http://crs-blog.org). The conflict in Darfur "is now four years old, and it is far from resolves," said Bishop Ricard in his report of July 26. "But hopefully the tide is turning as a new mood emerges and peace efforts continue."

"It is clear that CRS and other leading agencies are making a difference in people’s lives here," he said. "The work is difficult and challenging, especially due to security concerns. Risks are very real, and adjustments have to be made daily, which can be very costly and impact the scale of the response. But the overall situation seems to be stabilizing in terms of reaching people in need."

He pointed to the thousands living in the Ardamata camp just outside of El Geneina, where CRS built in the last month 750 new shelters for families "recently driven from their homes." The planned community "mimics village life," he said, noting that while living close to each other "each family's area is clearly defined, and schools and water pumps bring the community together."

"The mood," Bishop Cooney said on July 25, is "hopeful, but peace is a long way away."

Acknowledging the feeling of "deep sorrow of the people living here," Bishop Cooney said that "people seem very happy to have received some assistance, but they are all looking for better times."

"An opportunity exists to achieve peace in Darfur and throughout Sudan. Both sides seem to be in a more positive frame of mind. But people continue to suffer - good, hardworking people who deserve the help of the world," he said.

The bishop suggested that the time is now for "Americans, and especially as American Catholics, to reach out with what we have to support and help other people." He noted that that aid providing food, medication and housing, coupled with assistance from throughout the world, can allow the Sudanese to "reap many benefits in the years and decades to come."

Bishop Ricard said that he saw evidence of "greater level of cooperation and collaboration between the local government and aid agencies. There is also recognition of their contribution to this difficult to this difficult situation rather than troubling indifference of animosity."

He called Sudan "a vast, beautiful country with considerable resources," but crippled by the conflict in Darfur that must be resolved in order for the country to move forward.

He urged American Catholics to "continue to provide financial contributions to support ongoing emergency interventions," and called on the Bush Administration to work to "bring all involved parties together so that these skirmishes and disruption can cease."

"All Sudanese must be able to live in peace to realize their whole human potential," Bishop Ricard said.

On June 22, the two American bishops attended the Sudan Catholic Bishops Conference plenary meeting in Khartoum, which was the first time the bishops from the north and south of the country had met in almost 20 years. Bishops Cooney and Ricard participated in the open-air Mass for about 5,000 gathered on the grounds of St. Matthew's Cathedral.

"The Sudanese bishops," Bishop Ricard said in a July 24 message, "are deeply concerned for their country."

"They are working closely together to address common problems and are speaking with a unified voice. This represents a new day and is clearly the result of the long-term commitment of CRS and other NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) who stuck by the Sudanese people, walking with them and accompanying them in their struggle."


SOURCE: www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?...
loriRMFC
00sabato 28 luglio 2007 03:10
Ambassador to Holy See says nothing can eradicate Christians from Iraq

July 27, 2007
Catholic News Agency (www.catholicnewsagency.com)

ROME (CNA) – The Iraqi ambassador to the Holy See, Albert Edward Ismail Yelda, said this week Christians in the that country "are the seeds of the land of Mesopotamia, and I don't think there is a force on this earth strong enough to eradicate them."

In an interview with the SIR news agency, Yelda spoke of the persecution of Christians in Iraq, "which the Holy See follows with particular concern."

He condemned "all of the atrocities committed against Christians in Iraq and other minorities by radical and extremist groups in collusion with and sustained by those who supported the former regime."

"Islam as a religion is quite distant from these actions" that "seek to create chaos in order to undermine the new government's efforts in the fight against terrorism, extremism and religious radicalism," he stated.

Asked about the idea of creating a Christian enclave in Nineveh, the ambassador noted that "no plan exists for a separate zone for Christians. Most Christians in Iraq do not want it. They are spread out all over the country and have lived side by side with Shiites, Sunnis, Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen and other religious minorities. I hope they continue to peacefully coexist in the conservation and exercise of their own constitutional rights," Yelda said.

"In order to have a secure Iraq," he continued, "we must have a reliable security force that guarantees the protection of the borders, preventing terrorists from entering Iraq and killing innocent civilians." In order to accomplish this, the country needs "more help from the international community," greater "intelligence operations" with neighboring countries," as well as "coordination with our government by the multinational forces in Iraq, including U.S. troops, which should inform us of their political and military operations before carrying them out."

Referring to relations between Iraq and Iran, Yelda said the two countries should work together "in benefit of their peoples."

"Normal relations between the United States and Iran will have positive repercussions in the political, social and economic aspects of Iraq and the entire region," he added.

A stable and peaceful Iraq will bring stability to the entire Middle East, Yelda emphasized, and will contribute to "promoting the peace process, especially between Arab and Islamic states and the state of Israel," he said.


SOURCE: www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?...
TERESA BENEDETTA
00sabato 28 luglio 2007 16:30
THE RECENT ELECTIONS IN TURKEY

I apologize for this belated post. I had been made aware on and off the past week about the victory of Prime Minister Erdogan's party in the recent Turkish elections and was waiting for a Church-oriented story about it, but was not really looking. Here is how CNS reported it opportunely. I will add to this post as soon as I find other relevant items.


Bishop says Turkey's poll results
should be good for Catholics

By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service


ROME, July 24 (CNS) - An overwhelming victory for Turkey's ruling Islamic-oriented party should be a "positive thing" for the nation's Catholics, said Bishop Luigi Padovese, apostolic administrator of Anatolia, Turkey.

"The relationships the prime minister has built up with Europe over the past years are such that it is difficult to imagine (there would be any) fundamentalist involvement" in shaping future Turkish policies, Bishop Padovese told the Rome newspaper Il Messaggero July 24.

Bishop Padovese said he thought "Catholics might also demand" some of the reforms many moderate Muslims are asking for, such as greater freedom of expression.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and Development Party secured more than 46 percent of the votes at the end of general elections July 22. The win gave the center-right, conservative party an absolute majority in the new parliament, with 341 of the 550 legislative seats.

"Erdogan will continue his platform of reforms," Bishop Padovese said.

Turkey's Constitution establishes strict controls over public expressions of religious belief and policies, which include restricting Muslim women from wearing head scarves and a general decree against private religious colleges.

Bishop Padovese said if secularism in the past helped foster the development of democracy in Turkey and "did not allow real religious pluralism, now it is desirable that (such pluralism) be put into effect."

He said the prevailing opinion of most Catholics and the Orthodox and Armenian patriarchs "is support for Erdogan. He has moved toward reforms and he offers, in this aspect, guarantees," the bishop said.

The prime minister called the victory a "triumph of democracy" and promised the party would "press ahead with reforms and economic development" as well as membership in the European Union, the Rome-based news agency AsiaNews reported July 23.

Erdogan said the party would strive for national unity and respect for "democracy and (the) secular nature" of Turkey's government, reported AsiaNews.

TERESA BENEDETTA
00sabato 28 luglio 2007 16:37
EVANGELIZATION ON THE NET

Another belated post.

Jesuit magazine discusses dangers,
opportunities in digital worlds

By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service


ROME, July 26 (CNS) -- Digital worlds where viewers can interact with each other and create vast social networks carry several risks, but they also might be grounds for evangelization, said an influential Jesuit magazine.

One virtual world called Second Life is gaining such widespread popularity that it is not "possible to turn a blind eye to this phenomenon, or offhandedly pass judgment glorifying it or condemning it," said La Civilta Cattolica (Catholic Civilization) in an August 4 article released to journalists July 26.

The Rome-based biweekly, reviewed by the Vatican Secretariat of State before publication, dedicated most of the 13-page article to discussing Second Life. That virtual world, which can be found online at secondlife.com, is entirely created and owned by its more than 8 million residents.

From shopping to chatting to studying university courses, residents also are making room for God and spirituality, said the article written by Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro.

Cathedrals, mosques, synagogues, temples - and even convents and cloisters "with spartan rooms for virtual rent" - are peppered across the user-created world, giving residents a chance to pray alone or with others, it said.

"Virtual churches exist in which it's possible to find a minister who is able to welcome and strike up a dialogue with whomever enters," it said.

The popularity of virtual worlds may reflect people's longing for "another life" and the human need for becoming better people, the article said.

With so many people looking online for meaning beyond the temporal world, the article said, "at heart, the digital world may also be in its own way considered to be mission territories."

"The best way to understand (the Second Life phenomenon) is to enter into it, (and) live inside it to recognize its potential and dangers," it said.

But living a second, virtual life also could carry some risks, it said.

Because one's real identity is confidential, one's virtual appearance can be completely open and honest, "but on the other hand one can also get caught up in a spontaneity that knows no limits or discretion," it said.

It also said that in creating or being part of such a lifelike, imaginary world, one might become alienated from the real world and begin to identify oneself according to one's self-created myth.

"There may be a kind of diffidence and resignation in opting for the simulated" instead of real life, it said.

Another problem is that events or experiences are erased easily without consequences, it said. Simulated realty allows the user to do almost anything at a "low level of risk," it said.

"This has worrying emotional and affective consequences," noted the article. In the virtual world everything is "under control and reversible," making the real world look frightening.


TERESA BENEDETTA
00sabato 28 luglio 2007 23:26
Apology to Protestants over Vatican letter
From The Tablet
July 28, 2007


A GERMAN Catholic bishop has published an open apology to Protestants over offence caused by the recent Vatican document that claims Reformation Churches “suffer from defects”, writes Christa Pongratz-Lippitt.

Numerous Catholic and Protestant church and secular papers in Germany have printed the open letter from Bishop Gerhard Feige of Magdeburg entitled “Do not let yourselves be discouraged”. Addressed to his “Protestant Sisters and Brothers”, the letter contains an apology for any hurt that may have been caused by the recent document from the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) asserting that the Catholic Church is the one true Church.

In the letter, dated 22 July and published in the Leipzig Catholic weekly Tag des Herrn, Bishop Feige said: “Salt has again been strewn in an open wound. Why again and why now remains a mystery to me, but the vital ecumenical opening achieved at he Second Vatican Council has not been taken back, and that is at least as noteworthy.”

=====================================================================


What do you do about bishops like Feige, who obviously does not understand - or feigns he does not - the CDF statement nor Vatican-II's statement of the Catholic doctirne of the Faith? Is there a re-education camp for obtuse and stubborn bishops anywhere?

Incidentally, FEIGE in German is an adjective that means 'cowardly', or as an adverb, 'like a coward' or 'in a cowardly way'.



TERESA BENEDETTA
00domenica 29 luglio 2007 01:31
REARGUARD ACTION BY 'DEFEATED' FRENCH BISHOPS

No sign of a rapprochement
By Alain Woodrow
The Tabblet
July 28, 3007





For France, more than any other country, publication of Benedict XVI’s motu proprio permitting a wider use of the Tridentine Mass is a defining moment for the Catholic Church.

The largest number of traditionalist Catholics (intégristes as they are called) is to be found in France and it is there that the row between traditionalists and progressive Catholics has continued fiercely for more than 40 years since the Second Vatican Council.

It is a quarrel between liberal Catholics – their heroes include De Lubac and Congar and those responsible for the aggorniamento of the Council – and the admirers of the French bishop Marcel Lefebvre, who led the crusade against all the conciliar reforms.

After years in the wilderness, the traditionalists experienced a marked thawing in relations with the Vatican following the election of Pope Benedict XVI.

In August 2005 Benedict XVI granted an audience to Bernard Fellay, the present superior-general of the Fraternity of St Pius X, the seminary for dissident priests, founded by Mgr Lefebvre, in Ecône, Switzerland, after his excommunication in 1988. (The schism became inevitable when Mgr Lefebvre ordained four bishops, illicitly, before his death in 1991.)

Then, last year, the Vatican created the Institut du Bon Pasteur in Bordeaux, without consulting the archbishop of that city, Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, who is also president of the episcopal conference.

This institute, for priests and seminarians of the Fraternity who are reconciled with Rome, is answerable directly to the Pope, who appointed as its superior Fr Philippe Laguérie, who was recently expelled from the Fraternity for disobeying the superior-general.

Cardinal Ricard was received – at his request – by the Pope to whom he voiced his fears concerning the situation in France, pointing out that the traditionalists had waged an unceasing war against the official Church, branded as “neo-protestant and neomodernist”, preaching against the reforms of the Council and occupying churches illegally, often resorting to violence. Fr Laguérie, for example, took over the parish of Saint-Éloi in Bordeaux without permission.

“The traditionalists consider the Latin Mass as the flag of a wider cause,” said Cardinal Ricard, “since a religious rite is more than a liturgical expression, it is a political vision of the Church and the world.” [What a strange statement to make! Liturgy as politics - that has been the basic fallacy of the dissident French bishops' view!]

Today, after publication of the motu proprio, many French bishops feel that they have been ignored and that the traditionalists have won the day. [They have not been ignored. Benedict XVI just did not think they were right. He decided against them - that's not the same as being ignored.]

Cardinal Ricard, who is a member of the Roman Commission Ecclesia Dei, which deals with the traditionalists, admitted that the Pope’s decision went further than he had expected, [AHA!] “opening wide the door to the traditionalists” since they may use the breviary and celebrate the sacraments according to the old ritual (published in 1962). But he added that they have to recognise the riches of the Council’s liturgical reform and cannot refuse to celebrate Mass according to Paul VI’s Missal.

The cardinal’s main worry is that the fundamental questions (ecumenism, interreligious dialogue, religious freedom) are not addressed by the motu proprio and that sectarian divisions will be exacerbated. [Oh, please! The cardinal is being disingenuous. The MP was never meant to address problems other than the Mass. And both the MP and its explanatory letter are explicit that whatever Vatican-II decreed stays as it is. This is an obstinately pigheaded and selfish spin to salve wounded pride. Where is the generosity that the Pope is asking bishops to show?]

Many bishops point out that the traditionalists already have access to the Tridentine Rite in 80 per cent of France’s dioceses: more than 120 such Masses are authorised by the bishops every week, not to mention the 170 Sunday Masses celebrated by the schismatic priests of the fraternity.

The Archbishop of Paris, André Vingt-Trois, and the Archbishop of Lyons, Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, both consider that the needs of the traditionalists are fully met in their archdiocese. In Marseilles, according to Archbishop Georges Pontier, “the requests for Mass in Latin are on the decline and only concern a few hundred Catholics”. [These bishops are always downplaying the numbers - then why are they so 'threatened', so paranoid really????]

Bishop Claude Dagens of Angoulême is more pessimistic: “While I understand the need for unity I fear that the risk of dissension between the faithful is real. We must not sacrifice the truth nor instrumentalise the liturgy in a political and cultural power struggle.” [Hey, wait a minute! Who is doing that if not you bishops who are so hostile to the traditionalists? Is Mons. Dagens saying the Pope is instrumentalizing the liturgy? And what 'political and cultural power struggle'? The Pope as keeper of the Faith has every right to speak up for the 'conservative' role of the Church which does not at all rule out making necessary changes that are not incompatible with Church doctrine!]

The Bishop of Nancy, Jean-Louis Papin, is perhaps the most outspoken in his criticism of the document. “The Tridentine liturgy is quite different from that of Vatican II,” he observed. “For many traditionalists the Tridentine Mass is a pretext to criticise the Council and they have already admitted that the Pope’s decision is only a first step in their fight to turn the clock back. Frankly I don’t think that the motu proprio can be put into practice. I don’t see how I can bother my young priests who are already overworked and have never studied Latin!” [Don't bother your poor burdened head about it, Mons. Papin. The Catholics in your area will find a way to hear the traditional Mass if they want to, if they find any priest in your diocese who can say it. And if they don't, I doubt they will even bother to ask you. They'll find some other way that does not have to go to someone as narrow-minded as you are.]

According to an opinion poll organised by the Catholic magazine Le Pèlerin, 65 per cent of practising Catholics are opposed to the Tridentine Rite. [So? The Church is not a civilian institution nor a parliamentary democracy, nor swayed by polls. In this particular case, it is granting a freedom and does not impose on anyone! If anyone is against the traditional Mass, they can ignore it completely. It's no skin off their teeth!]

The lay workers in the Church are the most critical of the papal document. One 69-year-old catechist, Marie-Thérèse Aubry, saw it as a regression, “a return to the old rigorist Church which turns the young away, when we need them more than ever”, while a lay director of the liturgy in Lille, Richard Delecroix, called the decision “detestable, divisive and retrograde”. [Oh, such petty, closed minds! Who is being retrograde and rigorist in this case- wanting to deny a freedom to other Catholics which does not in any way impinge on theirs? ]

As for the traditionalists, they are pleased but circumspect. The fraternity published a statement welcoming “the Church’s return to its liturgical tradition. If the decree is properly implemented this will create a climate of confidence in which to discuss the fundamental problems as yet unresolved”, indicating, it would seem, that this could well be a prerequisite to the opening of doctrinal discussions raised by the Council and the lifting of the excommunication of the schismatic bishops.

One can see why the bishops fear the motu proprio could well rekindle the fire of revolt. And this quarrel between the factions of the French Church plunges its roots deep in the country’s history, going back to the Reformation and the Revolution.

[It is blatantly wrong and unfair of the writer to make the following general statements he makes about 'traditionalist' Catholics, as if everyone belonged to one 'school'. The more extreme Lefebvrians may hold these views, but from what Mons. Fellay has been saying lately, even he is not this kind of extremist.]

Traditionalist Catholics remain faithful to the Counter-Reformation, decided by the Council of Trent in the sixteenth century to answer the criticisms of Luther and Calvin, and refuse all dialogue with “heretical” Protestants. They consider the conciliar Church to have succumbed to liberalism and modernism (conscience as opposed to authority, the rights of man rather than the commandments of God) and refer exclusively to their papal champions: Pius V and his liturgical reform (1566), Pius IX and his Syllabus of Errors (1864), Pius X and his encyclical Pascendi (1907), condemning modernism, “the mother of all heresies”.

Their political he roes are equally typecast: Charles Maurras, whose far-right Action Française was finally condemned by Pius XI in 1926, the Catholic dictators Franco, Salazar, Pinochetand Videla, and French fascist leaders from Pétain and his Vichy regime, collaborating with the Nazis, to Jean-Marie Le Pen and his racist Front National.

Liberal Catholics, on the other hand, were largely responsible for the aggiornamento of the Church, from the nineteenth century to the Second Vatican Council. Lammenais defended religious freedom and the Sillon association of Marc Sangnier launched a Catholic social movement that produced Christian trade unions.

Jacques Maritain answered Maurras in his seminal work Humanisme intégral (1936) and Emmanuel Mounier founded the Catholic intellectual monthly Esprit. The magazine Témoignage Chrétien, founded clandestinely by the Jesuit Pierre Chaillet in 1941, inspired many Catholics to join the Resistance.

The “Action Catholique” movements formed such social and political leaders as Jacques Delors. Worker-priests and many leading theologians, like Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Henri de Lubac and Yves Congar, wre reduced to silence by Pius XII, but they came into their own with the Council, which was largely the fruit of their labours [Excuse me!], thanks to Pope John XXIII.

Today, as the struggle between these two contradictory visions of the Church continues, the French bishops’ concern is not only that the traditionalist minority will take advantage of Benedict XVI’s benevolent gesture in their favour to reinforce their influence in France. It is that they will move inexorably to further influence in Rome. [And that is really the crux of it all - the progressives cannot take this 'setback' because they cannot bear to see their false interpretations of Vatican-II institutionally rejected by the Church, as Benedict XVI is starting to do. Do they honestly believe Benedict XVI will yield a millimeter about the doctrine of the Church no matter how much 'influence' the traditionalists gain in Rome?]

Alain Woodrow writes from France for The Tablet.
=====================================================================

What Woodrow fails to mention in his tendentious historical 'review' is that Jacques Maritain was a supporter of the traditional Mass, and that Congar and De Lubac were in the Balthasar-Ratzinger group [which set up the journal Communio to propagate their views against the progressives of Concilio] that advocated the aggiornamento-cum-ressourcement interpretation of Vatican-II!


benefan
00lunedì 30 luglio 2007 20:28

Pope names new official to lead small-scale assistance to the poor

By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The face of Pope Benedict XVI's small-scale assistance to the poor is about to change.

Pope Benedict has named 70-year-old Spanish Archbishop Felix Blanco Prieto, currently nuncio to Malta and Libya, to be his new almoner, the official in charge of responding to individual requests for assistance with expenses like medical or utility bills and rent.

The office of "the Almoner of His Holiness" has existed since the 13th century.

Archbishop Blanco Prieto was named July 28 to succeed Archbishop Oscar Rizzato, who was retiring at the age of 78. The archbishop had been the almoner since 1990.

In addition to responding to individual requests for emergency assistance, the office provides continuing grants to several agencies in Rome, including a Vatican-based pediatric medical clinic, an organization that provides clothing and diapers for newborn infants, a residence for foreign students, a home for recently released prisoners and a center for immigrants.

The almoner's funds come both from donations given directly to Pope Benedict and from the fees and donations people give the almoner's office in exchange for decorative parchments attesting to a papal blessing.

benefan
00lunedì 30 luglio 2007 20:44

Chinese officials arrest four underground priests

Stamford, Jul 30, 2007 / 10:59 am (CNA).- Chinese officials arrested four priests, belonging to the underground Catholic Church in China, this past month.

According to the Cardinal Kung Foundation, a nonprofit group that monitors freedom of religion for Christians in China, eight civilian-clothed policemen apprehended three priests July 24 at the home of a Catholic believer in the Ximeng region of Inner Mongolia.

They were arrested because they are loyal to Pope Benedict XVI and refused to join the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, the foundation stated.

The three priests, originally of Hebei, were hiding in Inner Mongolia in order to avoid the arrests, but they were finally hunted down by the Security Police.

The priests are: Frs. Liang Aijun, 35; Wang Zhong, 41, and; Gao Jinbao, 34.

During the initial phase of the arrest, the priests were locked up in an iron cage. They were not allowed to talk to anyone. Water brought to them was refused by the police. They have now all been transferred to an undisclosed location.

The fourth priest, Fr. Cui Tai, 50, of Zhuolu County, was in a minor motorcycle accident in early July. After the accident was resolved, the authorities transferred him to the public security and religious bureau. He has been detained in the Zhuolu County detention cell ever since. Fr. Cui has also refused to register with the Patriotic Association. He belongs to the diocese of Xuanhua, Hebei.

Joseph Kung, president of the Cardinal Kung Foundation, underlined that there are still five bishops in jail and many others under house arrests and close surveillance. In addition, about 15 priests and some Catholic lay people are also in jail.

“While we need to 'love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us,' as Pope Benedict told us in his China letter, we also need to awaken the world to the ongoing persecution of the Roman Catholic Church in China,” said Kung.

“The freedom-loving and powerful countries of the world should take into greater consideration - consistently, and persistently, and not haphazardly - all human rights violations in China when forming and implementing their political and commercial decisions in relation to China,” he stated.

"In the meantime, we urge the Chinese government to take steps immediately to stop all persecution throughout China and release all Roman Catholic bishops and clergy together with those faithful of other faiths from prisons," he said in a statement.



TERESA BENEDETTA
00martedì 31 luglio 2007 20:24
SPEAKING UP FOR PIUS XII
Pius XII Sought To Save The Jews
bY Sister Margherita Marchione
Special To The Jewish Week
7/27/2007



As the Vatican moves toward announcing the beatification of Pope Pius XII, some prominent American Jewish leaders continue to insist that the Church should desist from that long-overdue action. They claim that Pius was guilty of not doing enough to prevent Hitler’s genocide of Jews during the Holocaust.

Even putting aside the impertinence of people from outside the Catholic faith presuming to dictate to the Vatican whom the Church can or cannot beatify, the charges they levy against Pius XII are simply untrue.

In reality, the wartime pope did far more to save Jews than did other leaders of the day, including people like Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, who, unlike Pius, had enormous military assets at their command.*

Yet for some incomprehensible reason, it is Pius, the only world leader who made sustained efforts to save Jews during the Holocaust, who is scapegoated for the world’s failure to act forthrightly in the face of evil.

In an effort to counteract the inaccuracies of some historians, I have gathered documentation that proves how outrageously incorrect are the misrepresentations about Pope Pius XII’s so-called 'silence' and 'anti-Semitism.'

In my book, Did Pope Pius XII Help the Jews? (Paulist Press, 2007), I proved that Pius XII was neither silent nor anti-Semitic. Just consider the testimonials of Jewish leaders of his day thanking him for his efforts, and the gratitude the 5,000 Jews saved during the Nazi occupation of Rome evinced for the pope.

They understood that the pope had to be prudent while moving behind the scenes to protect as many Jews as he possibly could. Had he taken a more public and provocative stand, he would have infuriated Hitler and invited Nazi retaliation against the Vatican, thereby endangering the lives of thousands of Jews who, at his direction, were hidden in 155 convents and monasteries in Rome alone.

In reality, Pius XII was a saintly man, a man of peace and compassion. He condemned strongly the anti-Semitic persecutions, the oppression of invaded lands and the inhuman conduct of the Nazis. He was a champion of peace, freedom, and human dignity. He encouraged Catholics to look on Christians and Jews as their brothers and sisters, all children of a common Father.

For his part, Pius was totally committed to playing the role of universal pastor, the kind and loving father to all victims, regardless of their religious background.

Many people who dedicated themselves to the cause of rescuing Jews during those terrible years paid tribute to the efforts of Pius XII. For example, Sir Francis Osborne, a non-Catholic British diplomat in the Vatican from 1936 to 1947, had this to say in The Times of London (May 20, 1963): “...Pius XII was the most warm, humane, kindly, generous, sympathetic and, incidentally, saintly character that it has been my privilege to meet. ...Without the slightest doubt, he would have been ready and glad to give his life to redeem humanity from its consequences. And this quite irrespective of nationality or Faith.”

Consider Pius’s own words during those terrible days. In response to Roosevelt’s letter of Dec. 31, 1942, the Pope expressed his readiness to collaborate with him to achieve peace and “to do everything in Our power to alleviate the countless sufferings arising from this tragic conflict.” (Jan. 5, 1943)

During an audience with the Pope, a young Jew told Pius XII about a group of shipwrecked Jewish refugees, who were then starving in a prisoner-of-war camp on an island in Greece. The Pope listened carefully and then said to him, “You have done well to come and tell me this. Come back tomorrow with a written report and give it to the [Vatican] secretary of state who is dealing with this question ... My son, I hope you will always be proud to be a Jew!” Pius XII lifted his hands to bless him, then stopped, smiled, touched the author’s head with his fingers and lifted him from his kneeling position.

Documents show that renowned Jewish contemporaries of Pius XII strongly defended him — among them, Israeli Foreign Minister Golda Meir, who said, “When fearful martyrdom came to our people in the decade of Nazi terror, the voice of the Pope was raised for the victims.”

Nor can Albert Einstein’s statement (Time magazine, 1940) be ignored: “Only the Church stood squarely across the path of Hitler’s campaign for suppressing the truth.”

Jewish historian Pinchas Lapide tells how Pope Pius XII sent his Papal Nuncio in Berlin to visit Hitler in Berchtesgaden to plead for the Jews. That interview ended when Hitler smashed a glass at the Nuncio’s feet. From Hitler’s reaction, the pope was convinced that public pronouncements would have sealed the fate of many more Jews.

Indeed, after this incident, Hitler, who often raged against the Pope to his henchmen for protecting Jews, conceived a plot — fortunately never realized — to kidnap Pius XII from the Vatican and bring him to Germany.

I implore Jews of good will and open minds to take another hard look at the evidence concerning the wartime Pope. If they do, I am convinced that they will come to the same conclusion that I have: that Pius XII is blameless of the charges against him.

Indeed, rather than being scorned as a moral failure unworthy of beatification, Pius deserves to be acclaimed as a righteous gentile for his courageous efforts that saved thousands of Jews from certain death.

Margherita Marchione, a resident of the Villa Walsh convent in Morristown, N.J., for 72 years, is author of 10 books on Pius XII, including Did Pope Pius XII Help The Jews? (Paulist Press, 2007). Her e-mail is Sr.Margherita.Marchione@att.net.

====================================================================

*I previously commented about this - in a rejoinder to an article posted in READINGS - that the Allied Powers at the time obviously made a conscious decision to dedicate all available resources to defeating Hitler first as the best way to deal with Nazi inhumanity, rather than undertake any special-interst missions.

So it was left to private individuals like Oskar Schindler and Raoul Wallenberg, to mention only the best-known names - and Pius XII - to do what they could, on a small scale or large, to rescue Jews from the Nazi orgy of unreason.

A list of those persons identified as 'righteous Gentiles' by the Jewish people and recognized by name at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem may be found on
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Righteous_Among_the_Nations_by_country#Sweden_.28Tot...

The list had 21,758 names as of January 1, 2007. It includes several Catholic priests and nuns, including Pope John XXIII, who was credited with active intrervention inf avor of Jews when he was the Apostolic Nuncio in Istanbul during the war years.

'Righteous among the Nations' (Hebrew, Tzadikei Umot HaOlam‎), which may at times refer to the B'nei Noah or Noahides as well, is a term used in Judaism to refer to non-Jews who abide by the Noahide Laws (the Seven Laws of Noah) and thus are assured of meriting paradise. In secular usage, the term is used by the State of Israel to describe non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust in order to save Jews from extermination by the Nazis.


Yad Vashem honors the Righteous Gentiles with a medal which quotes, in Hebrew and in French, a verse from the Jewish Talmud: "He who saves one life, it is as if he has saved the entire world."

If the Talmudic verse is to be the criterion for 'righteousness', why then, cannot Yad Vashem - with its terrible photo-exhibit numbering Pius XII among those who kept 'silent about the Shoah' - not investigate just one single case of a Jewish life who was unquestionably saved because of Pius XII's direct action and proclaim his 'righteousness'- instead of working only from their prejudice against him? Don't the words of Golda Meir and Albert Einstein carry any weight at all?


TERESA



benefan
00mercoledì 1 agosto 2007 18:29

13 million hits in first three days of new Vatican City State website

Rome, Aug 1, 2007 / 10:54 am (CNA).- The General Secretary of the Governorate of the Vatican City State, Bishop Renato Boccardo, said that since its launch, the Vatican City’s new website www.vaticanstate.va “received 13 million hits during the first three days.”

“The objective of this site is to offer a good service to pilgrims and tourists,” the bishop explained. “Therefore I think it is necessary to use the modern means, as was always the desire of John Paul II and now Benedict XVI,” he said.

“We are in the heart of Vatican City State, called the ‘Governorate.’ This is where the administration of this small State is. This is also where the server for the new site is,” he continued.

The new site’s webmaster, Eugenio Hasler, said, “The Vatican is very complex. Its interior is divided into sectors. We have, for example, the Holy See, the State, etc. Therefore we thought that we would present these facts through the new website in order to provide information about the departments, sectors and officials that are here.”

“This is something new for the Vatican and it has attracted many people. Its one of the reasons the site has had so many visitors,” Hasler said.


benefan
00giovedì 2 agosto 2007 19:40

Reunited

Renewed Church Convinced Schismatics to Return

BY WAYNE LAUGESEN
National Catholic Register
August 5-11, 2007 Issue | Posted 7/31/07 at 11:45 AM

SPOKANE, Wash. — Fifteen nuns left a schismatic community and are now in communion with the Catholic Church under the auspices of the Diocese of Spokane.

The sisters had been part of the Religious Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen at the religious community of Mount St. Michael in Spokane.

Mostly K-12 teachers, they left Mount St. Michael June 22, at the end of the Mount St. Michael Academy school year. One of the nuns who left had been teaching at the congregation’s small, two-teacher school in Detroit — a move that has closed the school.

“This is an answer to prayers,” said Spokane Bishop William Skylstad, “We are really grateful for the courage of these sisters, as some were part of that community for 30 to 35 years.”

The priests and nuns at Mount St. Michael are sedevacantists, believing that no pope has served legitimately since Pope Pius XII, who died in 1958. Members of the Mount St. Michael community say they prefer the term “traditionalist” over sedevacantist and argue that the Novus Ordo Mass is similar to a Protestant service, in that it has no references to the Mass as a sacrifice. Some acknowledge that Pope Benedict XVI has worked to restore traditionalism and to facilitate the Latin Mass, but they complain that Vatican II still reigns.

The mother general of the 36 nuns who didn’t flee said the split has left “traditionalists” concerned that others in the movement may follow the lead of the 15.

“I do have that concern, and I do get the sense that traditionalist Catholics are alarmed by these sisters leaving and believe that this may cause others to leave for the official Church, for lack of a better term,” said Mother Mary Dominica.

Pope Benedict’s decree to allow wider celebration of the Mass according to the 1962 Missal was made to advance the cause of unity with traditional Catholics who have gone into schism over their dissatisfaction with Novus Ordo Missae (Mass of Pope Paul VI).

Mother Dominica was elected mother general of Spokane’s sedevacantist sisters because the reigning mother general and the past mother general were among those who left.

Mother Mary Katrina had served as mother general of the order for decades, and taught Mother Dominica in the seventh grade. As a child, Mother Dominica had attended St. Joseph the Worker Catholic School in Los Angeles, and her parents pulled her out because of their disagreements with Vatican II.

“They put me in public school for a short time, and then we moved to northern Idaho to be with people who were holding on to the traditional Latin Mass,” Mother Dominica said. “My first teacher in Idaho was Mother Katrina. She’s the one who taught me why the traditional Mass was important. She taught me all about my faith. So this has been really hard. She came to say goodbye to me, and she went on for a while about how she had come to this decision. She was actually hoping that all of us would go together and be reunited with Rome.”


Rome Pilgrimage
Though Mother Dominica suspects some other adult sedevacantists might follow the lead of the 15 nuns, she’s certain the children at her school are questioning much of what the school teaches.

“Many of the students in our school here have been shaken by this, and some are saying maybe we should give this whole thing another look,” Mother Dominica said. “I hate what it is doing to these kids.”

Mother Dominica said some of the students have such respect for the nuns who fled that they can’t help but desire more information from them about Pope Benedict, the Church and even the Novus Ordo. Some of the students, she said, are planning visits to the departed nuns.

“We can’t tell the kids not to go see them, and what may result from these visits is a concern for me,” Mother Dominica said.

The nuns who left are living at Spokane’s Immaculate Heart Retreat Center, where Bishop Skylstad said they will pray and spend the next year discerning how to serve.

“This is their home now, and they are absolutely welcome here,” said Deacon John Ruscheinsky, director of the retreat center. “Their long-term future? That will be determined by God’s will.”

The 15 sisters declined to speak with the Register, and Deacon Ruscheinsky said they have chosen to convene speaking publicly only after selecting their new habits through a process of prayer and discernment that could take weeks.

“They want to keep their focus on that right now,” Deacon Ruscheinsky said. “This has been a very difficult time for many of them.”

Several sisters told the Inland Register, the news magazine of the Diocese of Spokane, that they began seriously questioning their separation from the Vatican during a 2000 visit to Rome.

“It was not what we had been told,” Sister Francis Marie said. “Every church was full. There was modesty, confessions. Masses. We saw an extraordinary pilgrimage of holiness.”


Stereotypes
Five years later, the funeral for Pope John Paul II caused them to seriously question their separation from the Church. The televised rites, said Sister Francis, were “very moving and rich. … We were moved by that loss.”

She and other sisters began following the story of Pope Benedict XVI, and his former work as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

“I noticed the good that he was doing,” Sister Francis said. “I sat up and paid attention: We had a good man, a good pope.”

As the sisters questioned their distance from the Church, they began meeting with Bishop Skylstad and with priests in the diocese.

One priest, who worked with the nuns as they made their decision, reported to the Inland Register that a sister began to hear truths about the Church by listening to Sacred Heart Radio.

Mother de Lourdes, who was serving as mother general of the sedevacantist nuns during the breakup, said: “We did this because of the promises of Christ to his Church: that it was founded on Peter, and that Christ would be with them for all days.”

Mother Dominica said she has been trying to understand why the departed sisters felt “misled” about the Church and the Novus Ordo Mass. She thinks it might have to do with stories of extremes, sometimes told in sedevacantist circles to highlight the community’s points of contention with the Church.

“Sometimes, when we have spoken of the errors of Vatican II, we have stressed some of the more outrageous things, like the folk Masses and the clown Mass,” sister Dominica said. “So maybe they got the idea the Novus Ordo could never be done in a reverent way, which isn’t true, just because there’s a clown Mass. So maybe when they saw that it could be done in a reverent way — that it’s not always a folk Mass or a clown Mass — they began to question some of the notions they had developed about it being some extremely weird thing all of the time, which clearly it is not.”


Charity Rules
Mother Dominica said she has questioned her own stand, and she suspects all “traditionalists” go through bouts of doubt.

“This has not happened to me recently,” Mother Dominica said. “I’m very strong in my beliefs right now.”

Mother Dominica said the split has been stressful, but cordial.

“I think we would still consider ourselves friends,” Mother Dominica said. “We certainly keep them in our prayers all the time, and there’s still a very deep love for all of them, and I’m sure they feel the same about us.”

Mother Dominica said her congregation has agreed to pay the health insurance of the departed nuns for the next year, and will continue giving them a small stipend while they spend a year praying and discerning their future direction.

“We also gave them a couple of cars and let them take their computers,” Sister Dominica said. “On both sides this has been done as charitably as possible.”

Bishop Skylstad said he doesn’t know whether the reunited nuns signify a trend, or whether it’s an isolated event. He plans to continue praying that all believers will come to know the truth about the Church and will submit to the authority of the pope.

“There are people who felt that Vatican II was such a tremendous break with past tradition that they could no longer be part of the Church at all,” Bishop Skylstad said. “It’s pretty strong stuff to say that the Pope is not the pope, and to set oneself aside from the Church. I think our role in this is to pray and to be available as healers and reconcilers.”

benefan
00giovedì 2 agosto 2007 19:44

During Dark Hours in L.A., Catholics Move Forward

BY SUE ELLIN BROWDER
National Catholic Register
August 5-11, 2007 Issue | Posted 7/31/07 at 11:11 AM

LOS ANGELES — As the Archdiocese of Los Angeles prepares to sell off property and slash expenses to pay its share of the $660 million sexual-abuse settlement reached with more than 500 claimants, faithful Catholics here report a sense of “sadness” but also of moving forward.

This latest settlement will cost the Church $250 million. About 100 cases against religious orders that work within the archdiocese remain outstanding.

Shortly after the settlement, Pope Benedict XVI expressed his pain and concern over the “devastating scale” of clerical sexual abuse in Los Angeles, according to Catholic News Service.

The New York Times reported this latest payment “leaves the archdiocese free to move on, its leadership untouched and its parishes and schools unaffected.” But, in fact, the sex scandals are something Catholics here will never “get over,” said Deacon David Estrada, executive director of the archdiocese’s Office of Synod Implementation.

“On the contrary,” Deacon Estrada said, “this will remain in our collective memories for a long, long time and, historically, be part of our heritage forever.”

And yet in the middle of this dark hour, Deacon Estrada said Catholics here also feel a sense of moving forward with “new hope and new challenge.”

Religious Sister of Charity Edith Prendergast, director of the archdiocesan Office of Religious Education, also expressed hope.

“We don’t know which of our programs, if any, will be affected. It’s all too soon,” she said. She noted, however, she has heard that when anyone on the staff in the chancery leaves, they will not be replaced.

The chancery building is up for sale to help pay the settlement costs. Whether the chancery will have to vacate the premises depends on whether or not the new owners will be willing to lease back the building.

In anticipation of the sex-abuse payouts, Cardinal Roger Mahony announced in May that some 50 properties owned by the archdiocese would soon be up for sale, with possible others to follow. The properties to be sold were acquired to establish parishes, schools and convents, and for other similar ministry purposes, the cardinal said.

“No parishes or parish schools will be closed to fund these settlements,” Cardinal Mahony promised.

One program Sister Edith directs that will remain unaffected by the financial cuts is the Religious Education Congress, the largest annual gathering of Catholics in the nation. The 2007 Congress, held in Anaheim Stadium, was a record-breaking event, with 40,886 registrants and 196 speakers.

And that’s not the only bright light in the darkness.


People of the Resurrection
Interviewed before the lawsuits were settled July 15, Humberto Ramos, associate director of religious education, said, “I think the greatest news here is the people: People of the Resurrection. We feel the pain. But there is also a sense of hope, of moving on.”

Every Sunday throughout the archdiocese, Mass is offered in more than 40 languages. Each year, some 800 people pour through the catechist formation program, 600 of them in the Spanish-speaking community alone.

“With the fact that we have fewer priests, into the future we want to be sure that our laypeople are well-trained, well-formed,” Sister Edith said.

Although numbers don’t tell the whole story, they tell part of it. And the numbers are growing. Between 1950 and 2006, as the Los Angeles population rose from 4.5 million to 11.3 million, the percentage of Catholics leaped from 18.3% to 38.6%.

“In 2004 alone, we had 90,000 infant baptisms in the Los Angeles Archdiocese, more than the Chicago and New York archdioceses combined,” Deacon Estrada said. “Our Catholic population is growing here. What a wonderful gift!”

Years before the latest round of sex-abuse charges hit, the synod — a coming together of Catholic laity and hierarchy — was set up to chart the course for the archdiocese into the third millennium based on a renewed vision of Church.

And despite the archdiocese’s struggles, that renewal remains on the move.


Eucharist-Centered Lives
Msgr. Lloyd Torgerson, pastor of St. Monica Catholic Community in Santa Monica, said, “The thing that’s extraordinary is that with all of the struggle that [the sex-abuse tragedy] has brought to our communities, our people continue to support their local churches. They are attending Mass in record numbers in some areas.” St. Monica serves 6,300 families.

“It’s a struggle, and we have to face that,” Msgr. Torgerson added. “But amid that struggle, folks are still finding the Eucharistic community central to their lives.”

As the number of diocesan priests has fallen by a few hundred, permanent deacons have moved in to help make up for the loss. The number of permanent deacons in the archdiocese jumped from 26 in 1976 to more than 300 today. In June alone, 60 men were ordained to the diaconate.

Catholic News Service reported the celebration in Santa Barbara as “the largest group of deacons ordained at one time in the history of the archdiocese and possibly in the country.”

Meanwhile, educating the burgeoning Hispanic population is a top priority.

Through the Church, Spanish-speaking Catholics in Los Angeles can take basic and advanced courses in the faith and can even earn master’s degrees in pastoral ministry. They then take their master’s degrees back into their parishes to educate other Catholics.

“I think people as a whole are wanting to move forward,” Ramos said. As support for this belief, Ramos recalled a recent street march during which 5,000 to 6,000 Hispanics turned out to support Cardinal Mahony.

Not only that, but on May 19, tens of thousands of Catholics flocked to the Rose Bowl to participate in “The Rosary Bowl” and pray for world peace and strong families. During the celebration, the largest outdoor recitation of the Rosary in Southern California in 50 years, the Rosary was said in more than 40 languages.

Referring to the sex scandals as “the tragedy,” Estrada said, “Sure, it hurt. Sure, there was much that needed to be done for the sake of the victims. There was harm done, no doubt about it. But, nonetheless, it hasn’t led us to despair, but to hope and a sense of renewal.”

Sister Edith said, “There’s a lot of energy here and a lot of sense of people moving on with their lives and with their ministries.”

Is there a springtime of the Church in Los Angeles? While not denying his sadness over all that has happened, Estrada replied, “I think so. I think it is beginning to bud, and the best is yet to come.”

TERESA BENEDETTA
00venerdì 3 agosto 2007 01:25
WHAT CAN THE CHURCH DO ABOUT TAX EVADERS?

Sooner or later, I will have to post something about a small debate in the Italian media these past two days. Prime Minister Prodi said in a weekend interview that priests in Italy should preach to their congregations that it is their duty to pay taxes. He claims one-third of Italians are tax evaders.

The reaction from what I would call 'our side' (Avvenire and the like) was outrage that 1) Prodi should even presume to tell priests what to preach, 2) that homilies are meant to give spiritual guidance, not civics lessons, and 3) Prodi and his fellow 'adult Catholics' (as he has described himself - implying that those of us who follow exactly what the Magisterium says are infants who do not know better) are the ones who keep protesting that the Church should not even express itself about 'secular' matters, even if these involved violation of Church teaching, but now they want the Church's assistance on taxes, which is purely a function of the state.

For once, I think the reaction is a bit too Pavlovian. After all, tax evasion is a violation of the seventh commandment, "Thou shalt not steal'.

How about a polite reply, maybe from Mons. Bagnasco, in behalf of the Italian Church, saying "Thank you for the suggestion. We cannot obviously ask our priests to preach that because that is not what homilies are for. But maybe we can post notices on our bulletin boards reminding people it is their duty to pay their taxes because Jesus teaches us to 'render unto Caesar what is Caesar's."

One bishop made the very relevant point that the one-third that does not pay taxes are probably also the one-third of Italians who are most hard put to make ends meet - and we should appreciate that dose of pastoral reality.

However, in putting a friendly reminder on the bulletin boards, and even reminding people orally, in a kind and respectful manner, during church encounters other than a liturgical service, the Church is doing both its spiritual duty as well as its civic duty (which it has), without putting pressure on anyone, because some persons may really find it difficult to pay taxes if they do not have jobs that withhold taxes.

After all, in normal circumstances [when the vote does not involve liberalizing assisted reproduction, for instance, as it did in 2006], priests do tell their people "don't forget to vote" when there's an election. Reminding them once a year, at tax deadline time, briefly and simply, with no jeremiads or frills, "Don't forget to pay your taxes", surely does no harm to anyone.

Those in the government point out that the Church should have a vested interest in improving tax collection because it gets - under the last Concordat between the Vatican and Italy - 8 euro out of every 1000 euro that the government collects in taxes. And that's another good reason why Prodi's suggestion - ill-advised and improper as it was - should not just be dismissed out of hand.



TERESA BENEDETTA
00venerdì 3 agosto 2007 11:36
The uphill journey of Catholicism in China
All Things Catholic
by John L. Allen, Jr.
Friday, Aug. 3, 2007



If there were any lingering question about whether there's a spiritual boom in China today, it now has a two word answer: Yu Dan.

A 42-year-old female talk show host and pop culture icon, Yu Dan is the author of Notes on Reading the Analects - a sort of Confucian Chicken Soup for the Soul - which has sold somewhere between 3 and 4 million copies, making it one of the biggest best-sellers in China since Mao's "Little Red Book."

Dan's success illustrates that China has become, according to writer Zha Jianying, the "largest soul market" in the world. With a population of 1.3 billion, China is trying to fill an ideological void left by the collapse of Communism as anything more than a system of political control, and the dislocations of astonishing but uneven levels of economic growth.

"There are so many wounded, helpless souls that are desperate to find something to believe in and to hold onto after these drastic changes," Jianying told Reuters in May.

Dan's post-modern Confucianism is not the only spiritual option riding this wave. In northwestern China, an estimated 20 to 30 million Muslims are also in the grip of a revival.

According to a 2006 report in Asia Times, new Muslim schools are opening with a strong accent on Islamic orthodoxy, young Chinese Muslims are studying across the Middle East and bringing new missionary energies home, and rising numbers of Chinese Muslims are making the annual hajj to Mecca. China's post- Deng Xiaoping economic opening has expanded opportunities for Muslim nations, especially Saudi Arabia, to fund Islamic enterprises in China.

Perhaps the most remarkable burst of religious energy is in China's Pentecostal Christian population. At the time of the Communist takeover in 1949, there were roughly 900,000 Protestants.

Today, the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, which puts out the much-consulted World Christian Database, says there are 111 million Christians in China, roughly 90 percent Protestant and mostly Pentecostal. That would make China the third-largest Christian country on earth, following only the United States and Brazil.

The Center projects that by 2050, there will be 218 million Christians in China, 16 percent of the population, enough to make China the world's second-largest Christian nation. According to the Center, there are 10,000 conversions in China every day.

Religious data is notoriously imprecise in an officially atheistic state, and not everyone accepts these eye-popping estimates. In the 2006 update of his book Jesus in Beijing, former Time Beijing bureau chief David Aikman put the number of Protestants at 70 million.

Richard Madsen, a former Maryknoll missionary and author of China's Catholics, told me he would put the number still lower, at 40 million. That's in line with the CIA World Factbook, another widely consulted resource.

Even those conservative estimates, however, would mean that Protestantism in China experienced roughly 4,300 percent growth over the last half-century, most of it since the Cultural Revolution in the late 1960s and 1970s. A four-part video series issued in 2003, called "The Cross: Jesus in China," and produced by Chinese documentarian Yuan Zhiming, interviews many of the leaders of this revival, whose evangelical drive is palpable. Notably, Protestantism took off after the expulsion of foreign missionaries, meaning most of the expansion has been home-grown.

Curiously, this booming "soul market" seems largely to have bypassed the Catholic church. In 1949, there were 3.3 million Catholics. The most common estimate today is 12 million. Over that time, China's population increased by a factor of four, which means that Catholicism has done little more than keep pace. A half-century ago, Chinese Protestantism was three and a half times smaller than Catholicism; today, it is at least three and a half times larger.

In a 2003 interview, then-Bishop Joseph Zen of Hong Kong (now a cardinal) said that Protestants are "winning" the contest for the souls of the Chinese.

Of course, given the harsh persecution of Chinese Catholics, the fact that the faith survived at all is in some ways a miracle. Those persecutions continue into the present; just last week, three Catholic priests were arrested in Inner Mongolia for refusing to submit to China's state-sponsored Catholic association. The heroism of Chinese clergy and laity is without a doubt one of the most inspirational chapters in church history.

Yet persecution has not fallen on Catholics alone. Protestants, Buddhists, Daoists, Muslims, the Falungong, and others have similar stories of martyrdom to tell. One Protestant pastor told Aikman, "Chinese prison is my seminary. Police handcuffs and the electric nightstick are our equipment. That is God's special training for the Gospel." Despite similar experiences, Catholicism seemingly has not experienced the same recent surge.

Why not? Veteran China-watchers generally offer four explanations.

(1) Lack of Ecclesial Infrastructure

According to a 2005 analysis by Maryknoll Sr. Betty Ann Maheu, there are 6,000 Catholic churches in China but 3,000 priests, which would mean that roughly half the Catholic churches in the country lack a resident priest. Overall, the priest-to-Catholic ratio in China is about 4,000-to-one, better than Latin America (where it's 7,000-to-one) or the Caribbean (more than 8,300-to-one,) but considerably worse than in Europe (1,100-to-one) or the United States (1,300-to-one). A significant number of Chinese priests are also in jail or placed under other forms of supervision.

Maheu says that in the short term, the priest shortage in China is likely to deepen. There was a vocations boom in the early 1980s, she said, but today numbers are dropping, as expanding economic opportunities makes recruitment and retention more difficult. Madsen says that even in Shanghai, normally held up as the most dynamic urban Catholic community in the country, most seminarians come from rural Catholic villages whose populations are in decline.

China has 110 dioceses and 114 active bishops, which in theory means that most dioceses should have a bishop. At least a dozen bishops, however, are in jail, under house arrest or subjected to severe surveillance. Because of doubts over the legitimacy of bishops who have registered with the government, their leadership is often contested. Given chronic tensions between China and the Vatican, dioceses sometimes remain vacant for extended periods. Some of the youngest bishops in the world today are in China, many appointed in their early 30s, in part out of fear that the opportunity to name another one might not roll around again soon.

Maheu notes that there are more than 5,000 religious women in China, saying the growth of religious life has "great potential" for the church.

(2) The Sociology of Chinese Catholicism

Historically, Catholicism in China was almost entirely a rural phenomenon. Madsen says that despite run-away urbanization, 70-75 percent of Catholics are probably still concentrated in largely homogenous Catholic villages, especially in Hebei and Shanxi provinces in the northeastern area around Beijing.

Even the urban footprint of Catholicism, he said, is largely composed of villagers who have relocated to the city, and experience suggests it's sometimes difficult for them to maintain the faith in this new environment.

The tenacity of these Catholic villagers is the stuff of legend. China's Catholics tells the story of a village in Shanxi Province where a family planning team arrived in 1985 to try to distribute contraception in accord with the state's "one-child" policy. Villagers surrounded their car, and when the team retreated to their living quarters, the villagers hurled rocks through the windows. Eventually the team had to be rescued by the police, and fled the area.

Yet the rural character of the church also means that it is handicapped in terms of missionary expansion, since preserving Catholic communities is often a higher priority than making new converts. Catholics are under-represented in urban areas, which are creating the most vibrant "growth markets" for new spiritual movements.

The insularity of some rural communities, Madsen says, also means that many reforms triggered by the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) never really arrived. Even in cosmopolitan Shanghai, the first Chinese-language Mass wasn't celebrated until 1989. (Ironically, this is one point upon which Chinese Communists and Catholic traditionalists agree. Both prefer Mass in Latin, in the case of the Communists because it means that most people won't understand it.)

(3) Internal Division

Chinese Catholicism is deeply lacerated over the question of cooperation with the Communist regime. For the most part, China-watchers say, Catholics who tolerate state oversight do so not out of enthusiasm for the official project of a "self-governed, self-funded, self-propagated" church, but rather because it seems the best survival strategy. Nonetheless, Catholics who reject this option out of unwavering loyalty to the pope, and who often endure prison, harassment, and discrimination, frequently regard "open" Catholics as compromised.

In their most extreme form, the divisions can turn violent. In 1992, an "open church" priest in Henan was murdered by a disgruntled seminarian who claimed that he had been denied ordination because of his ties to the unofficial church. The priest collapsed and died after drinking from what was literally a poisoned chalice at Mass.

Recent years have seen significant efforts to heal this breach. Conventional estimates are that as many as 90 percent of bishops ordained without the authority of the pope now have received Vatican recognition. Catholics from both the open and the unregistered church often worship together and receive the sacraments from the same clergy; it has become a mantra that "there is only one Catholic church in China."

Yet the bitterness is hardly a museum piece. Pope Benedict XVI released a "Letter to Chinese Catholics" in May, which called for unity and pledged that Catholicism is not an enemy of the state, but also insisted that the church cannot accept interference in its internal life. Notably, Benedict revoked faculties given in 1978 for "underground" bishops to appoint successors and to ordain priests without contact with Rome.

Fierce debates broke out over how to interpret the letter. One testy exchange has been between Belgian missionary Fr. Jeroom Heyndrickx, a frequent Vatican advisor on China, and Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong, an outspoken critic of the Communist regime.

In early July, Heyndrickx published a commentary on the pope's letter with the Union of Catholic Asian News, stressing that it called for dialogue and unity. Among other things, Heyndrickx suggested it would be desirable for unregistered bishops to come out into the open.

Zen published a tough response on July 18, which began by saying that Heyndrickx has lost the "vast consensus and positive regard" he once enjoyed among Chinese Catholics.

"Fr. Heyndrickx's every initiative needs the approval of Mr. Liu Bainian, of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, and has to be carried out according to conditions imposed by him. Mr. Liu's prestige has thus been steadily built up," Zen wrote, referring to the official state regulatory body for Catholic affairs.

Zen went on to argue that there is still a need for the clandestine church in China, and that in many, if not most, cases, bishops should not apply for registration. Those who act without the authority of the pope, he said, should be subject to canonical sanctions.

Heyndrickx shot back on July 20: "I have learned that it does not take much courage to use the media to prove one's own views and criticize others, while it takes a lot of guts to sit down with those who disagree with you and have long personal dialogues to overcome differences and seek the common ground."

Whatever one makes of this exchange, it illustrates the tensions that course through Chinese Catholicism, making it difficult to exploit new missionary opportunities.

[Oh no! Allen cops out on the issue- and I had been hoping he would be someone who could offer some analysis of the two conflicting interpretations of the Pope's letter with respect to the underground Church, even if unwilling or unable to make a judgment at this point as which side he thinks is right. Indeed, so far, only two historians - one Italian and one American - have indicated independently, without reference to the Zen-Heyndrickx conflict, that the Pope is calling for an end to the underground Church. Which I thought was rather explicit in the letter, too, but which Cardinal Zen seems to read otherwise.]

(4) Missionary Strategy

Much Catholic conversation about evangelization in China is usually phrased in the subjunctive: "If China were to open up on religious freedom …" or "If the Holy See and China were to establish diplomatic relations …" The implicit assumption is sometimes that structural change is required before Catholicism can truly move into an expansion phase.

Pentecostal talk about mission, on the other hand, is very much phrased in the simple present. Most Pentecostals would obviously welcome being arrested less frequently, but in general they are not waiting for legal or political reform before carrying out aggressive evangelization programs. The most audacious even dream of carrying the gospel beyond the borders of China, along the old Silk Road into the Muslim world, in a campaign known as "Back to Jerusalem."

As Aikman explains in Jesus in Beijing, some Chinese Evangelicals and Pentecostals believe that the basic movement of the gospel for the last 2,000 years has been westward: from Jerusalem to Antioch, from Antioch to Europe, from Europe to America, and from America to China. Now, they believe, it's their turn to complete the loop by carrying the gospel to Muslim lands, eventually arriving in Jerusalem. Once that happens, they believe, the gospel will have been preached to the entire world.

Most experts regard that prospect as deeply improbable; Madsen said he doubts more than a handful of Protestants in China take the "Back to Jerusalem" vision seriously. Aikman is more sanguine, reporting that as of 2005 two underground Protestant seminaries in China were training believers for work in Islamic nations. In any event, it's revealing as an indication of missionary ferment.

One exception to the general Catholic hesitancy is Bishop Jin Luxian of Shanghai, a controversial figure because of his willingness to register with the government, but someone who enjoys the respect of many senior Catholic leaders internationally. Luxian, the subject of a flattering profile in the current issue of The Atlantic, is revamping his cathedral to draw upon traditional Chinese aesthetics, part of a larger program of forging an authentically Chinese expression of the Catholic faith.

"The old church appealed to 3 million Catholics," he said. "I want to appeal to 100 million Catholics." [And this is a 91-year-old man talking. See profile, article and interview with Bishop Luxian in the NEWS ABOUT BENEDICT thread. He is depicted by the militant underground Chinese as a usurper and sinister figure, nowithstanding that Benedict XVI validated him singularly by inviting him to the Bishops Synod in October 2005.]


The Future

By universal consensus, China is an emerging global superpower. Its economy grew at an average annual rate of 9.4 percent over the last 25 years, and today has a GDP of $11 trillion, making it the second-largest economy in the world after the United States. Foreign companies have poured more than $600 billion into China since 1978, far eclipsing what the United States spent rebuilding post-war Europe in the Marshall Plan. China now has a middle class of 200 million people, 80 million of whom are quite well-off. The country exports more in a single day than it did in all of 1978.

How things shake out religiously, therefore, is of tremendous strategic importance, even for people who don't feel any particular spiritual stake in the result.

If Christianity ends up at around 20 percent of the population, for example, China could become an exponentially larger version of South Korea (where Christians are between 25-50 percent of the population, depending upon which count one accepts) - a more democratic, rule-oriented, basically pro-Western society.

On the other hand, if dynamic Muslim movements create an Islamic enclave in the western half of the country, with financial and ideological ties to fundamentalist Wahhabi forms of Islam in Saudi Arabia, at least that part of China could become a wealthier and more influential Afghanistan.

If growing religious pluralism in China becomes fractious, it could mean that a well-armed and wealthy superpower is destabilized by internal conflict, posing risks to global peace and security.

Catholicism could potentially offer a positive ingredient in China's new spiritual stew. In part, the church could realize significant numbers of new members, even if mere statistical growth is not an end in itself - as Benedict XVI said recently, "statistics are not our divinity." Perhaps more importantly, Madsen believes, a dynamic and growing Catholicism could be an important force in building a healthy civil society in China.

For that to happen, however, the four liabilities outlined above would somehow have to be addressed. At present, it's difficult to see that happening. As Maheu said in 2005, "Short of a series of miracles, the journey of Catholicism in China will continue, in my opinion, to be uphill in the foreseeable and even distant future."

One key to Pentecostalism's worldwide expansion, however, is that Pentecostals live in constant expectation of just such a series of miracles. Perhaps rather than waiting for the "one step forward, two steps back" ballet between Rome and Beijing to reach conclusion, Chinese Catholics will steal a page from the Pentecostal playbook, and embrace a vision of "the future is now." It would be fascinating to watch them try.



benefan
00sabato 4 agosto 2007 05:41

Vatican publishing house: New page, new director, new ideas

By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- With a new director at the helm, the Vatican publishing house is turning a new page.

Salesian Father Giuseppe Costa, the recently appointed head of the Libreria Editrice Vaticana, said he wants to beef up the availability of Vatican publications around the world and expand the Vatican's offerings on art and culture.

"This publishing house can put out -- must put out (publications) in support of Catholic culture," he said. And the distribution of commercial sales of all its publications "clearly need to be boosted, yet also re-examined" in new ways, he told Catholic News Service July 27.

The 61-year-old Italian priest and professor of journalism was appointed after Salesian Father Claudio Rossini's five-year term ended July 1.

The Vatican publishing house also "is getting things ready for orders over the Internet," he said. Currently, international orders only can be made by fax, mail or through the private Web site www.paxbook.com.

Because the Vatican's publishing house owns the rights to all the pope's written works, part of Father Costa's job involves combing over contracts sitting on his desk waiting for a signature.

"There is quite a bit of flexibility" whether a fee or royalty on future sales is required with obtaining authorization from the Vatican for reprinting papal texts, he said. For example, there is one kind of contract "for someone who wants to do something big (like a book or anthology) and another for (someone) who wants to make a small poster for the parish," he said.

Father Costa's down-to-earth manner puts guests immediately at ease and his bursts of laughter and colorful colloquialisms keep the conversation lively. These qualities undoubtedly come in handy for developing and maintaining a good rapport with editors and publishers from around the world, which, he said, is key to the job.

"It's a great job, an exciting job," Father Costa said. "And its international aspect is fascinating," he added, pointing to letters he received from around the globe congratulating him on his appointment.

Currently, the Vatican's catalogue offers publications in nearly 20 languages, including Chinese, Korean and Russian. However, the lone offering in Esperanto, a two-volume Roman Missal, is sold-out.

The Italian priest said he holds a special place in his heart for North America. He received a degree in journalism at Marquette University in Milwaukee in 1994. Getting ideas and working with publishers in the United States is helpful, he noted.

The Vatican publishing house has started looking at individual bishops' conferences as a way to get the pope's encyclicals and apostolic exhortations to the most people possible.

Publishers who were pirating papal texts for profit often justified their pilfering by saying the pope's words belong to everyone.

But by putting the texts and rights of the pope's encyclicals and other official documents in the hands of the bishops' conferences, the Vatican's publishing house is assured that the reprinted texts are accurate and sold at the cheapest price possible. Because, as Father Costa said, "The pope does belong to everyone, so for that reason it needs to be regulated, otherwise people do whatever they want" with his words.

Father Costa said that, "unlike in the past, (the publishing house) will make room for publications that are not solely official" Vatican documents in an effort to offer readers a greater selection of Catholic culture.

His office, like the hallway and rooms in the publishing house, is lined floor to ceiling with shelves straining with books. He carefully pulled down a large and heavy art book on the Vatican Museums' ancient mosaics collection and points out that it was published by a private Italian company.

Institutions within the Vatican, like the museums and the observatory, are completely free to choose any publisher they want. For example, U.S. Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno, a Vatican astronomer and author, published his memoir, "Brother Astronomer: Adventures of a Vatican Scientist," with the publishing powerhouse McGraw-Hill.

But Father Costa said ideally Vatican entities would look to their own publishing house to handle peddling their wares. He told CNS that the Vatican publishing house "is a wonderful resource to have" for less marketable works that are important to publish.

He said the in-house publishing and distribution come in handy for publications such as his "Catalogue of the Vatican Meteorite Collection" which might have a very limited circulation "and probably not a big market."
TERESA BENEDETTA
00sabato 4 agosto 2007 15:23
CARDINAL ZEN'S LATEST INTERVIEW


From FIRST THINGS -
www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/
a China expert interviews Cardinal Zen and elicits more nuances about the cardinal's views on the Pope's Letter to the Catholics fo China and about the open Church in China.

Zen in Venice: An Interview
By Raphaela Schmid



Monday, July 30, 2007
On July 22, 2007, Cardinal Zen Ze-kiun of Hong Kong lunched with Benedict XVI in Lorenzago di Cadore to update the pope on the reception of his Letter to Chinese Catholics. Later that day, the cardinal returned to Venice, where Raphaela Schmid discussed with him the current state of play in Rome-Beijing relations.

Schmid: The letter of the Holy Father has been out now for over three weeks. Could you give assessment of the reception of this letter?

Zen: The reception by different people is different. We in Hong Kong are very happy, and also in Taiwan; I met Cardinal Shan and he too is very happy. Both Cardinal Shan and myself gave immediate, positive responses: We admire the balance between a passion for truth and the loving kindness of the Holy Father. We don’t know as much about the reception in the Church on the mainland, but from the contacts we have, it seems that it also had a good reception there: They are also happy, both in the underground church and in the open church. But that doesn’t mean that it will be easy for them to draw out all the consequences from that letter.

More surprising is the response from the Chinese government. The Holy Father was very clear on Catholic principles. And so you may say that it is a very strong position and we could expect some not very kind reactions to it. But actually, the reaction of the government was very mild. This is an encouraging sign.

Maybe the Holy Father really succeeded in making them understand that what he says is nothing personal: It is simply the doctrine of the Church, from Jesus Christ and the Apostles until today, and it is accepted in the whole Church. So maybe this is a new beginning for the Church in China.


Do we have any idea how many Chinese Catholics have the letter?

I am not sure. We know that, after the publication, for the first day, people could get it from the Internet. But we know that the next day, the government closed all these Internet sites, so now people cannot get it anymore. But I think at least the bishops and priests got a copy. Now we in Hong Kong, we are also doing something: We printed many copies of the letter in simplified characters, and when people go to China, they can bring them, because it’s pocket size. Very handy.


What do you think is the next step in the normalization of relations between Beijing and Rome?

Zen: The letter of the pope is something very, very important for the clergy in China. You see, the bishops, they can never meet, they can never sit down and talk together. They are always controlled by the government, and the so-called bishops’ conference only meets when the government calls them for a meeting, chaired by the government. And so they can never share their ways of seeing things and their plans to solve problems.

But this time, everybody has got a letter by the Holy Father and it is addressed to all of them. And they know that even the government has a copy of that letter. Everybody knows this letter: So now, there is a starting point. The clergy, especially the bishops, can be united on the basis of this letter. And they can try to talk to the Chinese leaders, starting from the letter.

I think that the biggest problem in China is that the voice of our bishops can never reach the real leaders. Liu Bai Nian [the vice-president of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association] is in the middle. He speaks in the name of the Church, but he doesn’t represent the Church.

Our bishops represent the Church, but they have no voice. And so the leaders only hear the voice of Mr. Liu Bai Nian. Now I hope the bishops will try to get some access to the real leaders and to talk to them on the basis of this letter.


Do you think that the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association will eventually be abolished?

That’s what we really hope is going to happen, because by now it is evident that this body cannot be accepted anymore. The Holy Father said so expressly in his letter. Especially after the illegitimate ordination last year, it is really inconceivable that we still tolerate such a body doing such evil things. They are not working for the good of the Church in the country. At this moment, it is clear that they are trying to preserve the status quo, just to defend their own interests.


Western Catholic charities and missionaries are increasingly operating within China and also in cooperation with the Patriotic Association. What do you think Western charities and missionaries have to be careful of and take into consideration?

I have made known to people the side effects of that cooperation. In the past, cooperation was necessary. If you wanted to do anything, you had to pass through the Patriotic Association; and so, for some time, we all agreed that we had to accept this reality. But after so many years, we can now see the bad effects.

First of all, it is strengthening the position of Mr. Liu Bai Nian. Now he is powerful in front of the Chinese government because he can tell them that all Catholics must accept his conditions. And he is powerful in front of the bishops because, if you behave, then he will send you abroad for some meeting; if you do not behave, then you never have this chance. So we now realize that it was not all right to collaborate with this man.


How is the Patriotic Association funded, and does the future of the Patriotic Association depend more on economic considerations than ideological reasons?

Surely, they have power, and with that power they have money. If they control the Church, they also control the finances of the Church. And the government is willing to support them in spending money to support activities like the illegitimate ordination of last year. The Patriotic Association paid money to the bishops who took part in the ordination. So I think money has a lot to do with that.

But then I also think that they [the Patriotic Association] really made it impossible for people to accept the continuation of their existence. Because not only do they control the Church, but they even humiliate our bishops, and they use ugly methods to force people to take part in those illegitimate ordinations, like deceit, threats, and even kidnapping.


Benedict XVI’s letter says that “the clandestine condition is not a normal feature of the Church’s life.” Can you explain that? Because some commentators have read this sentence as an invitation for all underground Catholics to come out into the open.

I think all commentary should be based on a close reading of the pope’s letter, first of all. Now, the Holy Father explains very carefully that to be underground is not normal — absolutely it is not normal. We have the right to operate openly! But, he says, people are forced to take that position, to avoid undue control from outside. And so if today that undue control from outside is still there, then there is reason to remain in the underground.

And it is absolutely false to say the letter encourages the underground church to come above ground, because the Holy Father only allowed bishops to make their own choices, saying that this choice is very difficult. So there is no encouragement. And all the pope’s long reasoning before that statement is only advising caution.

Because the letter says that, though in principle to be recognized by the government is all right, in concrete cases many times, almost always, it is impossible because the government would ask you to do things against your faith. So it is no encouragement at all.


And vice versa, is there a problem that some of the bishops who have been reconciled with Rome after being illegitimately ordained are not very clear about this? Do you think there could be practical measures taken to achieve more transparency in the open church?

I think it is not that serious a problem. Because I think all the priests and the faithful know about their own bishop and whether he is reconciled [with Rome] or not. People in the other dioceses may not know this, and so it is good for them to declare publicly whether they have been reconciled [with Rome] or not.

But at the very beginning, you can understand that it was very wise, very generous of the Holy See not to demand that bishops make public their legitimization, because at the beginning there were few: If they had made it public, there would have been a danger for them to be put into prison.

But, by now, since it is known that almost all the bishops are already reconciled [with Rome], I think they can make this public without fear. Because the government surely would not fire them all.

But the Holy Father also says something else: He says these bishops must perform actions to prove their new condition. So, surely, it is contradictory for them to be reconciled with the Holy See and still go to participate in illegitimate ordinations of bishops.


Is it possible that the Chinese government will ever allow a priest formed in the underground church to serve as bishop for the open church in a particular diocese and unify all Catholics under his care?

I don’t see any impossibility because, if that underground priest accepts to come above the ground and operates openly, and if the government is ready to recognize him without demanding that he participates in the Patriotic Association, or that he declares to run an independent church [from Rome], or that he concelebrates with an illegitimate bishop, then that will be all right. But I think that it is very difficult. It’s not impossible but difficult.


What does the future hold then?

You can never make any prophecy about what is going to happen in China: Everything is unpredictable. And at this moment, actually, we are still worried, because the first reaction [from the government] was moderate — we may even say there was no reaction. So maybe they are still discussing among themselves to reach a conclusion. And we don’t know what that conclusion will be.

And several bishops, already elected and approved by the Holy See, are still waiting for ordination. What are they, the Patriotic Association and the Religious [Affairs] Bureau, waiting for? So we still cannot be that optimistic in this moment. We have to pray.


A new bishop has just been elected in Beijing. How can we know whether what’s happening with this bishop is good news or bad news for Sino–Vatican relations?

I think in the light of the pope’s letter, the Vatican is going to be very understanding in this case. Because they understand that we still have no real agreement [with Beijing]. But for several years, there has been a tacit agreement to reach tolerance, compromise. So, in that spirit, I think, if the one chosen is acceptable to Rome, then the Vatican would be very willing to approve him.

But then there is the reaction from the Chinese side: If they really accept the letter of the Holy Father, then they would quietly accept the approval from the Holy See. But if they decide not to follow the spirit of the letter, then they can make trouble in many different ways.

So I am still a little worried. And I really hope that they are not going to do anything irrational in this case and that both sides try to make this a good opportunity to come to a better mutual understanding.


How can one ensure that financial aid from abroad helps to strengthen the Church in China and not the Patriotic Association?

I don’t think there is any easy way. I tell you frankly, there was a certain attempt, by an organization of the official church, to get recognized as Caritas China. But I was strongly against that.

Because Caritas everywhere in the world is always supervised by the bishop: If it is a diocesan Caritas, then by the diocesan bishop; if it is a national Caritas, then by a bishops’ conference. Now this proposed body of the official church is supervised by no bishop, and thus I don’t think they are really in a position to be Caritas China.

I would advise Westerners who want to help financially to go with their money to China and not just to give money to somebody — to go with their money, to see where the money is going. I think if they go there, they can be sure that their money is actually going to the poor. They can also get help from someone who knows the situation, like those at the Holy Spirit Study Centre [in Hong Kong] who can give you good advice about where to spend money: They have the data, they know the situation.

Because it is possible that sometimes you are not helping the right people. The underground church needs more help, because it is difficult to send money to them. I really hope that anyone who can do so will help the underground more. But I know that it is difficult, but they need it more, I think. Yes, they are more in difficulty.


Cardinal Zen, you are sometimes presented as the advocate of the underground church in China. How far is this correct and what is your relation to the open church?

Oh, I don’t think that’s correct, because I have so many friends in the open church! And I think that I contributed to the betterment of the Holy See’s understanding of the open church during those years [ca. 1989–1996], when I went to teach in the seminaries of China.

While living there and having many contacts, I wrote so many reports and I think I changed the mind of the Holy See. We all used to have very rigid categories: “the good ones” and “the bad ones.” But actually this was wrong. They are all good with very few exceptions. So I am sure that the people in the open church are my friends. There is no doubt about this.


One open-church bishop recently said: “I can’t speak freely like Cardinal Zen because I must protect my diocese.” What do you think of this assessment?

I agree that we are in the very different situation in Hong Kong because of the “one country, two systems.” We are not controlled by anybody like Patriotic Association or by the Religious [Affairs] Bureau. We can speak frankly. But in China, that would not be convenient, because the government would not accept the truth. But now that the letter of the pope is known by everybody, I think that, even in China, the bishops should be able to tell the government whatever is in the letter of the Holy Father.


Cardinal Zen, is Liu Bai Nian right when he says that you are a threat to the Chinese government, like John Paul II was to the communist regime in Poland?

I really feel flattered. But I think that is ridiculous, because it is a different situation. In Poland, we have a Catholic nation; in China, we are a very small minority. And I am not the pope!


Raphaela Schmid is director of the the Becket Institute for Religious Freedom and the author of a recent documentary God in China, made in collaboration with the ROMEreports TV agency. On July 6, she gave an interview to ZENIT about the Pope's letter, which we posted on this thread at the time.





Hong Kong Diocese Issues
Revised Chinese Version Of Papal Letter


HONG KONG, August 3 (UCAN) - Hong Kong diocese has revised the Vatican's Chinese translation of Pope Benedict XVI's letter to Catholics in China.

The revised text, which contains 20,086 characters including footnotes, was published in the July 15 issue of Kung Kao Po, the diocesan Chinese weekly. In addition, 30,000 booklets of the revised text in traditional Chinese characters and another 30,000 in simplified characters were printed for free distribution.

The Vatican officially issued the papal letter June 30 in the original Italian and in English, French, and traditional and simplified Chinese translations. The Chinese versions had 19,763 characters each.

According to Kung Kao Po, the revision used the "Vatican's official Chinese text as the blueprint" and the Italian and English texts.

According to Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun of Hong Kong, the original Chinese text contains many mistakes. The revision is to "help those (Chinese) who don't know foreign languages understand the letter's original intentions," he explained to UCA News in mid-July.

The 76-year-old prelate presided over sessions at three parishes here on the evenings of July 16, 17 and 18 to explain the papal letter's content and context, and to answer questions.

During the July 18 session at St. Patrick's Church, he told 300 people that he had earlier written to the Holy See volunteering to bring experts to Rome "to assist in proofreading the official Chinese version," since "working on an Italian-Chinese translation is not easy." However, he got "no reply" and received the Chinese text only four days prior to its official publication.

Pope Benedict decided to write the letter following a special meeting at the Vatican in January. Cardinal Zen was one of 20 high-level Vatican officials and Chinese bishops at that meeting.

According to Cardinal Zen, the letter has its origins in a document prepared by the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in 2002. This formed the draft of the papal letter circulated during the January meeting, he said.

He explained that after discussing the Vatican's Chinese translation with his auxiliary, Bishop John Tong Hon, and retired Cardinal Paul Shan Kuo-hsi of Taiwan, both of whom attended the January meeting, all agreed the Chinese translation "is hard to understand and contains mistakes."

On July 3, Cardinal Zen issued a statement pointing out three major errors in the official Chinese text and in the accompanying Explanatory Note. For example, in the second-to-last paragraph of the letter's point No. 7, after the words "In not a few particular instances, however," the words "indeed almost always" are missing.

The cardinal spent a week revising the Chinese translation with experts.

One of them, Anthony Lam Sui-ki, senior researcher of Hong Kong diocese's Holy Spirit Study Centre, told UCA News July 19 that the revised text is clearer, more coherent and conceptually more accurate.

For instance, Lam said, the revised text now explains more clearly the concept of "state agencies," which the English version describes as "entities that have been imposed as the principal determinants of the life of the Catholic community" (No.7, paragraph 1).

Cardinal Zen told the July 18 session that the papal letter has great significance for mainland bishops, who are "very lonely and seldom meet with or know what bishops of other dioceses think." He added that the letter could serve as a common reference point when they deal with government officials.

When asked how Hong Kong Catholics can respond to the letter, the cardinal answered: "After reading it several times attentively, one realizes how precious this letter is. Then one will be eager to have more people, especially mainland Catholics, read it."

The booklets were distributed to all parishes here. Cardinal Zen expressed his hope that local Catholics would bring copies to their relatives and friends on the mainland.

The diocese will also send copies to the Chinese government via the central government's Liaison Office here, Cardinal Zen told UCA News.

A mainland bishop told UCA News the Vatican's Chinese translation is acceptable for mainland Catholics who are familiar with Church terminology.

However, some government officials told him they have difficulty understanding its "unusual" sentence structure and words. "Such a translation could undermine the Catholic Church's image," added the bishop, who requested anonymity.



TERESA BENEDETTA
00sabato 4 agosto 2007 15:31
False idols of autonomy and utility
work against life, cardinal says




ARLINGTON, Va., August 3 (CNS) - Like the Israelites who idolized the golden calf, the pro-life movement is challenged today by "the idolatrous gospel of total autonomy, sheer utility and false mercy," Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia told a gathering in Arlington Aug. 2.

The cardinal, who chairs the U.S. bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities, spoke on the opening day of the Aug. 2-4 annual conference of directors of diocesan pro-life offices and state Catholic conferences, sponsored by the bishops' pro-life secretariat.

"Those who have blind faith in embryonic stem-cell research and its so-called 'biblical power to cure' - as House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi called it recently - are worshipping a modern-day false idol," Cardinal Rigali said. "They are putting their faith in an exaggerated view of the wonders of science and in their own ingenuity to overcome disease and aging."

Similarly, the Israelites who in the Bible account had been recently freed from bondage in Egypt disobeyed God by worshipping the golden calf while Moses was on Mount Sinai, he said.

"In their impatience, stubbornness and disobedience, they created out of their own possessions - their own jewelry and valuables - a god they could control," he said. "A god they shaped, rather than one they would be shaped by."

Those who support keeping abortion legal in the United States "have also exchanged the truth for a lie" by promoting abortion "as a way to further women's freedom," Cardinal Rigali said.

"Instead of affirming the inviolable dignity of human life, the dignity of women and respect for the integrity of sexual relations and motherhood, they assert a false notion of freedom made in their own image, a self-made ethic that justifies their own choices," he said.


But the cardinal cited several signs of encouragement for the pro-life movement, including changing public opinion about abortion, the U.S. Supreme Court decision affirming the ban on partial-birth abortion and the Philadelphia City Council's quick reversal earlier this year of a declaration that it was "a pro-choice city."

He also noted a decline in the rate and number of abortions, especially among teens who are choosing to abstain from sex until marriage.

"To be free of disease, to be free of the fear of an ill-timed pregnancy, to be free of a broken heart -- this is the freedom that we want for our young people, and we rejoice that it is unfolding," he added.

Cardinal Rigali warned, however, that even those in the pro-life movement can fall victim to "the temptation to idolatry."

"Because the 'evil one' wants us to fail, there is a temptation to claim this (pro-life) territory as our own and guard it -- not as a gift from God but as the world of our own hands, the fruit of our own possessions," he said. "But if we do so, we risk burning out or even growing bitter in this beautiful task that has been entrusted to us."

He urged the participants in the meeting to visit the chapel set up at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Arlington "to pray for those in positions of cultural and political power here in Washington."

"If even a handful of the most recalcitrant promoters of the culture of death were to repent -- and then use their power to proclaim the truth about life -- it could have a tremendous impact in defense of life, both domestically and internationally," he said.

In addition to Cardinal Rigali's opening keynote talk, the meeting included lobbying visits to the Capitol Hill offices of members of Congress and speeches about the legal and political status of the abortion issue, the stem-cell debate, contraception, infertility, post-abortion healing and the link between abortion and breast cancer.


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