ZE080215
ZENIT
The World Seen From Rome
Daily dispatch - February 15, 2008
VATICAN DOSSIER
World's Bishops Hear Appeal for Holy Land
Pope Hails German Aid Agency's 50th Birthday
WORLD FEATURES
Glendon: Faith-Reason Union at Core of US-Holy See Relations
NEWS BRIEFS
Bolivia: Pope's Donation Put to Work
Bishops From Americas Discuss Aparecida
INTERVIEW
A New Era for the Shroud of Turin
SPIRITUALITY
Falling in Love With Christ
DOCUMENTS
Pope's Q-and-A Session With Roman Clergy, Part 5
Cardinal Sandri's Appeal for Church in Holy Land
Financial Report of the Custody of the Holy Land
World's Bishops Hear Appeal for Holy Land
Cardinal Sandri Sends Letter Leading Up to Good Friday CollectionVATICAN CITY, FEB. 15, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Supporting Christians residing in the Holy Land is a priority for all Catholics, says the prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches.
In a letter sent to all the bishops of the world and released today in five languages, including English, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri appealed to the generosity of Christians to support the Holy Land. An annual collection for the Holy Land is taken up on Good Friday.
The cardinal began his letter recalling the attention Benedict XVI has given to the plight of the Middle East on three recent occasions.
"In the name of the Holy Father, I wish to take this opportunity to address myself for the first time to my brothers in the episcopate who serve your respective Churches," Cardinal Sandri said, thus noting that he is new to the Vatican congregation. He was appointed its prefect last June.
"I also desire to emphasize," he continued, "as has the Pontiff, the invitation to you to continue to sustain spiritually and materially those Catholics living in the Holy Land. Pope Benedict’s are words which constitute a persuasive and authoritative call to solidarity."
Cardinal Sandri lamented how the absence of peace in the Middle East "exacerbates the many long-standing problems as well as the poverty afflicting the region of the Holy Places. That absence also contributes to the creation of new difficulties. Thus, we must recognize that Christians who reside there are a priority for the attention of the entire Catholic Church, together with that of all other Churches and ecclesial communities. For even in their need, they embody the 'living charism of Christianity’s origins.'"
He continued: "The Good Friday Collection has a special relevance. Successive Pontiffs have indicated the appropriateness of this day to attest to our common heritage of that land which, in the course of history, abides as a 'silent witness to the Savior’s life upon earth,' to cite an expression preferred by Pope Benedict.
"It is my fervent plea that every local Church shall participate in the effort to further our commitment to charity. The Congregation for Eastern Churches, by virtue of papal directive, coordinates this initiative, and does so with exactitude and fairness. Always, the goal is to assist with the everyday requirements of Christian life."
Use of funds
Cardinal Sandri explained how the collection supports the patriarch of Jerusalem, the Franciscans who are custodians of the Holy Land, and all those belonging to the Eastern Catholic Churches.
He affirmed that the distribution of the funds is not based upon "religious, cultural or political distinctions."
"Rather," the cardinal said, "it seeks especially to equip the younger generations to take their place in society in a manner which renders them competent and able to transmit the worth of their Catholic education and formation."
The cardinal thanked local Churches that encourage pilgrimages, and assured the bishops of "the deepest gratitude of the Holy Father for your support of this cause which is of such vital importance for the Church and for humanity. I extend thanks also on behalf of this dicastery and of all the Latin and Eastern communities of the Holy Land."
Goals reached
With the letter, the cardinal included an explanation of the use of the funds from the collection, as well as a report from the Franciscan custody of the Holy Land.
The statement explained that the Congregation for Eastern Churches receives from the apostolic nunciatures a part of the collection for the Holy Land. According to a percentage established by pontifical norms, ordinary and extraordinary subsidies are distributed to ecclesiastical districts, religious orders, and other ecclesiastical juridic persons in the following countries: Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt and, in particular, Israel and Palestinian regions.
Special attention is given to scholastic institutions, such as Catholic schools of various levels and Bethlehem University.
Additionally, financial aid is set aside for the Central Office for Foreign Students in Italy, with the goal of helping lay students, along with providing contributions to priests from those same countries who are enrolled in pontifical universities.
During 2007 the sum of $500,000 was allotted for the construction of 10 apartments at Bethlehem University, as well as another $500,000 for the reconstruction of a Melkite-operated school at Maghar.
The statement affirmed that "great care is taken to ensure that funds are distributed according to the purposes determined by the Holy See. There is serious attention to this economic role."
email this article | print this article | comment this article
Pope Hails German Aid Agency's 50th Birthday
Misereor Began as "Adventure of the Holy Spirit"VATICAN CITY, FEB. 15, 2008 (Zenit.org).- The German aid organization Misereor is a bridge connecting the haves with the have-nots, says a message from Benedict XVI.
The message, signed and sent by the Pope's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, marked the 50th anniversary of the aid organization entrusted to the German bishops' conference. Bishops from Germany, Latin America, Asia and Oceania participate in the group.
The papal message is directed to Archbishop Werner Thissen of Hamburg, as the representative of Misereor before the German episcopal conference.
"Fifty years ago," the message said, "the foundation of the episcopal aid organization Misereor was an expression of necessity, and the experience of divine compassion, which Christ gifted us and the Church makes known to us. [It was] a call to notice the needs of the others that invites us to share with them the treasures of the faith, but also material goods."
The papal message recalled how Misereor began with uncertainty, causing Cardinal Joseph Frings to call it at that time "an adventure of the Holy Spirit."
"Over the past years," the message continued, "a solid bridge has been constructed over the abyss between those who have and the needy; a movement of collaboration that unites numerous people in German, Africa, Asia, Oceania and Latin American in solidarity."
email this article | print this article | comment this article
Glendon: Faith-Reason Union at Core of US-Holy See Relations
Arrives to Rome as New AmbassadorBy Carrie Gress
ROME, FEB. 15, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Faith and reason are at the core of the collaboration between the United States and the Holy See to protect the rights of all people, said Mary Ann Glendon.
Glendon, who replaces out-going ambassador Francis Rooney, said this today at a press conference held at Rome's Fiumicino airport to mark her arrival as the new U.S. envoy to the Holy See.
Speaking to the press in both English and Italian, Glendon said: "I am very pleased to be here today in Rome in a city that has long been like a second home to me. And I'm especially pleased to be here to present my credentials to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.
"President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have honored me greatly with this appointment and I'm very grateful to them. As many of you are aware, for many years I've worked closely with the Holy See."
After listing some of the many posts in which she has served the Holy See in both diplomatic and academic capacities, Glendon continued: "It is my hope, my conviction that those experiences will serve me well as I now take up the responsibility of advancing the relationship between the United States and the Holy See. That relationship has at its core a common commitment to the human dignity of every man, woman and child.
"Both the Holy See and the United States have a long history in which faith and reason are inseparably united in that quest. The United States is committed to make that vision a reality through vigorously promoting human rights, religious freedom, and through striving to foster dialogue and tolerance among persons of different faiths and cultures."
"As ambassador to the Holy See," Glendon concluded, "it will be my responsibility and my privilege to work with the Holy See to advance those lofty goals."
In 2004, Pope John Paul II named Glendon president of the Pontifical Academy of the Social Sciences, making her the first woman to head one of the major pontifical academies. Prior to her appointment, Glendon was the Learned Hand Professor of Law at Harvard University.
email this article | print this article | comment this article
Bolivia: Pope's Donation Put to Work
President Morales Declares National DisasterTRINIDAD, Bolivia, FEB. 15, 2008 (<A href="http://www.zenit.org">Zenit.org</A>).- Caritas workers in Trinidad are putting a donation from Benedict XVI to good use, offering emergency aid for flood victims in the west-central South American country.
Bolivia and its neighbors have been facing rains for months due to the La Niña phenomenon, when the sea surface temperatures of the Pacific are cooler. Bolivian President Evo Morales declared the situation a national disaster on Tuesday.
Benedict XVI, following his own encouragement in his Lenten message on almsgiving, donated some $50,000 to the relief effort through the Pontifical Council Cor Unum. The money is being used in Trinidad, as well as in La Paz, Potosi and Cochabamba.
Archbishop Tito Solari of Cochabamba, posted a Spanish-language YouTube <A href="http://www.infodecom.com/Manager.php?var=4269">video</A> to draw attention to the crisis being faced.
The harm caused in Bolivia by La Niña will keep the country in a situation of disaster for many months. In the city of Trinidad, with a population of 100,000, Monday saw 14 hours of continual rain, with waters spilling over the dam.
According to the Fides news agency, local Caritas agencies are working providing help to the most needy. Local Caritas director Maria Esther Chiriqui said that the aid agency is helping with things as simple as supporting the families who have nowhere to cook a meal from their makeshift tent residencies.
Flooding across Bolivia's eastern lowlands has killed more than 50 people and affected some 43,000 families since November, according to Bolivian officials.
email this article | print this article | comment this article
Bishops From Americas Discuss Aparecida
Focus on Role of Globalization in "Continental Mission"HUNTINGTON, New York, FEB. 15, 2008 (Zenit.org).- U.S. bishops are emphasizing that globalization is about more than the exchange of goods, but also about the movement of peoples and the cultures they carry with them.
This was one of the observations made by bishops representing the U.S. episcopal conference in the 35th meeting of the Bishops of the Church in America, held Monday through Wednesday. It was the eighth such meeting since Pope John Paul II issued his apostolic exhortation "Ecclesia in America."
The annual meetings gather bishops from the entire American continent, including representatives from the Canadian episcopal conference and the Latin American Episcopal Council, which represents 22 bishops' conferences spanning from Mexico to Chile.
The theme of this year's meeting was the final document resulting from the 5th General Conference of the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean, held last May near the shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida, and inaugurated by Benedict XVI. That conference declared a "continental mission" to bring people back to the faith, or deeper into it.
In reflecting upon the Aparecida meeting and final document, the Latin American and Caribbean bishops touched upon various themes, including the richness of the participation of the 265 bishops, priests, lay people and observers in the crafting of the document.
The bishops also noted how the presence of the Holy Father helped to create an open and fraternal atmosphere.
The Canadian bishops affirmed the call to renewal and pastoral conversion. They also offered comments, from a different perspective, on the questions of globalization and evangelization.
The bishops of the United States also touched upon the theme of globalization, highlighting four dimensions: the religious, cultural, economic and ecological. They observed that globalization must be seen as comprising the exchange not only of goods but also of people and the culture that they bring with them.
These meetings, previously known as the Interamerican Meeting of Bishops, have been held yearly since 1967.
email this article | print this article | comment this article
A New Era for the Shroud of Turin
Interview With Expert Father Gianfranco BerbenniBy Paolo Centofanti
ROME, FEB. 15, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Leaked information about a BBC interview to air on Holy Saturday reports that Christopher Bronk Ramsey, director of the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit, thinks the 1998 tests on the Shroud of Turin should be re-evaluated.
The 1988 carbon-14 tests -- done in the Oxford laboratories -- dated the shroud in the Middle Ages, thereby negating that it could be Christ's burial cloth.
ZENIT spoke with Capuchin Father Gianfranco Berbenni, professor of "Science and Theology Regarding the Holy Shroud" at Rome's Regina Apostolorum university. In this interview, he comments on the long history of research on the shroud, as well as photographic reproduction made for display at this summer's World Youth Day.
Q: How do you see these possible new elements related to the Holy Shroud and to a possible disproving of the 1988 carbon-14 analyses?
Father Berbenni: Going beyond the leaked information, I think that a new era of investigations about the Shroud is opening; 20 years have passed since those scientific studies.
Q: Did Ramsey form part of the 1988 analysis team?
Father Berbenni: He worked in the laboratory in which the analyses were done. We could say that this is a new generation of scientists who are joining the research on the Shroud. Many of the older generation have left us, even physically, and this new generation rightly is taking up again the investigations, also because of a refining of the methods and instruments for archaeological dating over these years.
Some have even spoken about a kind of conspiracy, as if the $1 million offered for verifying the non-authenticity of the Shroud could have motivated the scientists, let's not say to falsify, but at least to direct the final results.
Perhaps this could be considered a bit of "scientific gossip." Little credit should be given to rumors when they do not have serious proof. The problem perhaps is that both sides, the one favorable to the Holy Shroud and the other against it were very much in conflict. Perhaps both sides brought to the surface their best arguments in that period. Both probably need to historically review those events.
Q: Regarding your statement about "scientific gossip," how do you evaluate the communication and information generally published about the Holy Shroud and up to what point do you think that at times it is used to make a circus of the information?
Father Berbenni: One of the weak points, recently examined as well in the International Center of Turin, is indeed ensuring the quality of information related to the Holy Shroud. Because of this a good press office is fundamental in order to give journalists trustworthy materials. It is, therefore, more than anything, a task of organizing communication. Information, if incomplete, becomes more easily manipulated.
Q: Therefore the manipulation of information can even be involuntary?
Father Berbenni: About the willfulness of it, there are many hints, but beyond the hints, there are no proofs.
Q: What do you think about the photographic enlargement being made of the Holy Shroud to be displayed in Novara, Italy, and then for World Youth Day in Sydney? Do you think that it can run the risk of trivializing the Holy Shroud?
Father Berbenni: The essential thing is that this initiative of the enlargement maintains that elegance of communication that the Holy Shroud has always brought to its surroundings. Thus this is a very good initiative; the essential thing is that a non-superficial tone is protected.
Q: Is there anything new in the studies about the Holy Shroud?
Father Berbenni: Beyond the intervention regarding protecting the preservation of the Holy Shroud, in these days, I think the Church does not intend to accelerate, at least at the moment, new investigations. The essential thing is its optimal conservation, something that has been verified for almost 10 years with its placement in the new, and splendid chest.
Q: Are there misunderstandings about the theological meaning of the Holy Shroud?
Father Berbenni: Sadly this is one of the weakest areas right now, in the popular and social perception of this cloth. In part because of the conflict that has sometimes marked it.
It is a splendid cloth, but is always at the center of aggravated discussions with a cultural character, and at times even about theological positions.
Q: Can you speak to us about the scientific or chemical theories about the way in which the image of the Holy Shroud could have formed?
Father Berbenni: Substantially there are two major schools. Our center in Rome, which is inclined toward accepting a normal physical-chemical formation, and the majority, at least presently, of the scientific positions, in which there are groups with hypotheses going from the mysterious, because they do not yet have demonstrated bases, to the esoteric.
Investigations about the formation of the image are very linked to the characteristics of the investigations of the STURP [Project of Investigation of the Shroud of Turn] from 1976 to 1988, but with some presuppositions.
The important thing is that they continue investigations without exaggerated positions of "scientific fantasy" but with freedom of investigation.
Regarding ourselves, we would suggest returning to much simpler, "normal" hypothesis, given that we always have available the high resolution photo of the negative of the Holy Shroud, which until 2002 was not analyzable except in small parts. It helps in that which refers to the technical aspects of formation of the image.
email this article | print this article | comment this article
Gospel Commentary for 2nd Sunday of Lent
By Father Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap
ROME, FEB. 15, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Why are faith and religious practice in decline and why do they not seem to constitute, at least not for most people, the point of reference in life?
Why the boredom, the weariness, the struggle for believers in performing their duties? Why do young people not feel attracted to the faith? In sum, why this dullness and this lack of joy among the believers in Christ? The event of Christ's transfiguration helps us to answer these questions.
What did the transfiguration mean for the three disciples who were present? Up until now they knew Jesus only in his external appearance: He was not a man different from others; they knew where he came from, his habits, the timber of his voice. Now they know another Jesus, the true Jesus, the one who cannot be seen with the eyes of ordinary life, in the normal light of the sun; what they now know of him is the fruit of a sudden revelation, of a change, of a gift.
Because things change for us too, as they changed for the three disciples on Tabor; something needs to happen in our lives similar to what happens when a young man and woman fall in love. In falling in love with someone, the beloved, who before was one of many, or perhaps unknown, suddenly becomes the only one, the sole person in the world who interests us. Everything else is left behind and becomes a kind of neutral background. One is not able to think of anything else. A very real transfiguration takes place. The person loved comes to be seen as a luminous aura. Everything about her is beautiful, even the defects. One feels unworthy of her. True love generates humility.
Something concrete also changes in one's own habits. I have known young people whose parents could not get them out of bed in the morning to go to school; or they neglected their studies and did no graduate. Then, once they fall in love with someone and enter a serious relationship, they jump out of bed in the morning, they are impatient to finish school, if they have a job, they hold onto it. What has happened? Nothing, it is just that what they were forced to do before they now do because of an attraction. And attraction allows one to do things that force cannot make one do; it puts wings on one's feet. "Everyone," the poet Ovid said, "is attracted by the object of his pleasure."
Something of the kind must happen once in our lives for us to be true, convinced Christians, and overjoyed to be so. Some say, "But the young man or young woman is seen and touched!"
I answer: We see and touch Jesus too, but with different eyes and different hands -- those of the heart, of faith. He is risen and is alive. He is a concrete being, not an abstraction, for those who experience and know him.
Indeed, with Jesus things go even better. In human love we deceive ourselves, we attribute gifts to the beloved that she does not have and with time we are often forced to change our mind about her. In the case of Jesus, the more one knows him and is together with him, the more one discovers new reasons to be in love with him and is confirmed in one's choice.
This does not mean that with Christ too we must wait for the classic "lightning bolt" of love. If a young man or woman stayed at home all the time without seeing anyone, nothing would ever happen in his or her life. To fall in love you have to spend time with people!
If one is convinced, or simply begins to think that it is good and worthwhile to know Jesus Christ in this other, transfigured, way, then one must spend time with him, to read his writings. The Gospel is his love letter! It is there that he reveals himself, where he "transfigures" himself. His house is the Church: It is there that one meets him.
[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]
* * *
Father Raniero Cantalamessa is the Pontifical Household preacher. The readings for this Sunday are Genesis 12:1-4a; 2 Timothy 1:8b-10; Matthew 17:1-9.
email this article | print this article | comment this article
Pope's Q-and-A Session With Roman Clergy, Part 5
On the Reality of Sin and the Sacrament of PenanceVATICAN CITY, FEB. 15, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Following a Lenten tradition, Benedict XVI met Feb. 7 with parish priests and clergy of the Diocese of Rome. During the meeting, the participants asked the Pope questions. Here is a translation of the fifth question and the Holy Father's answer.
ZENIT began this series of questions-and-answers Monday.
* * *
Father Pietro Riggi, Salesian of Borgo Ragazzi Don Bosco:
Holy Father, I work in an oratory and in a center for minors who are at risk. I want to ask you: On March 25, 2007 you gave an informal speech, lamenting that today the “Last Things” are little spoken of. […] Without these essential parts of the Creed, does it not seem to you that the logical system that brings us to see Christ’s redemption crumbles? Without sin, not speaking of hell, Christ’s redemption is diminished too. Does it not seem to you that with the loss of the sense of sin the salvific, sacramental figure itself of the priest, who has the power to absolve and celebrate in the name of Christ, is also lost?
Today, unfortunately, we priests as well, when the Gospel speaks of hell, we avoid the Gospel itself. It is not spoken of. Or we do not know how to talk about paradise. We do not know how to talk about eternal life. We risk giving the faith a dimension that is only horizontal or rather detached, the horizontal from the vertical. And this is beginning to disappear unfortunately from the catechesis for the kids, but also from the parishes, in the foundational structures. […]
I also wanted to point out that the Virgin Mary was not afraid to speak to the children of Fatima, who, incidentally, were of catechism age: 7, 9 and 12. And we so many times instead leave this out. Can you tell us something more about this?
Benedict XVI:
You rightly spoke of fundamental themes of the faith, which unfortunately rarely appear in our preaching. In the encyclical “Spe Salvi” I wanted to speak indeed also of the last judgment, of judgment in general, and in this context of purgatory, hell and paradise as well. I think that we are all still struck by the Marxist objection, according to which the Christians spoke only about the beyond and neglected this world. So, we want to show that we are really working for this world and we are not people who talk about distant realities that do not help this world. Now, although it is right to show that Christians work for this world -- and we are all called to work to truly make this world a city for God and of God -- we must not forget the other dimension. If we do not take it into account, we do not work well for this world.
Showing this was one of the fundamental purposes for me writing the encyclical. When one does not know God’s judgment, one does not know the possibility of hell, of radical and definitive failure of life, one does not know the possibility and the necessity of purification. Then man does not work well for the world because in the end he loses the criteria, he no longer knows himself, not knowing God, and he destroys the world. All of the great ideologies promised: We will take things in hand, we will no longer neglect the world, we will create a new, just, correct, fraternal world. Instead they destroyed the world. We see it with Nazism, we it also with communism -- they promised to construct the world as it should have been, and instead, they destroyed the world.
In the "ad limina" visits of the bishops from ex-communist countries I always see how in those lands not only the planet, ecology, was destroyed, but above all, and worse, souls. Rediscovering the truly human conscience, illumined by the presence of God, is the first task in rebuilding the earth. This is the common experience of those countries. The rebuilding of the earth, respecting the cry of suffering of this planet, can only happen by rediscovering God in the soul, with eyes open to God.
So, you are right: We must speak of all this out of responsibility for the world, for the men who live today. We must also speak precisely of sin as the possibility of destroying ourselves and so also of other parts of the earth. In the encyclical I tried to show that indeed the last judgment of God guarantees justice. We all want a just world. But we cannot repair all of the destruction of the past, all the people who were unjustly tormented and killed. Only God himself can create justice, which must be justice for all, for the dead too. And as Adorno, a great Marxist, says, only the resurrection of the flesh -- which he holds to be an illusion -- could create justice. We believe in this resurrection of the flesh, in which not all will be equal.
Today we are used to thinking: What is sin? God is great, he knows us, so sin will not count, in the end God will be good to all. It is a beautiful hope. But there is justice and there is true guilt. Those who have destroyed man and the earth cannot immediately sit at table with God together with their victims. God creates justice. We must keep this in mind. For this reason it seemed important to me also to write this text on purgatory, which for me is such an obvious truth, so evident and also so necessary and consoling that it cannot be left out.
I tried to say: Perhaps there are not many who are destroyed in this way, who are forever incurable, who have no element on which God’s love can rest, who do not have a minimal capacity to love in them. This would be hell. On the other hand, there are certainly few -- or, in any case, not many -- who are so pure that they can immediately enter into communion with God. Many of us hope that there is something that can be healed in us, that there is a final will to serve God and serve men, to live according to God. But there are many, many wounds, much filth. We need to be prepared, to be purified. This is our hope: Even with such filth in our souls, in the end the Lord gives us the possibility, he finally cleanses us with his goodness that comes from his cross. In this way he makes us capable of living eternally for him.
Thus, paradise is hope, it is justice finally realized. And it also gives us the criteria for living, so that this time can be paradise in some way, a first light of paradise. Where men live according to these criteria, a little bit of paradise appears in this world, and this is visible. It also seems to me a demonstration of the truth of the faith, of the necessity of following the road of the commandments, which we must talk about more. These are truly road signs and they show us how to live well, how to choose life. For this reason we must also speak of sin and of the sacrament of forgiveness and reconciliation. A man who is sincere knows that he is guilty, that he must begin again, that he must be purified. And this is the marvelous reality that the Lord gives us: There is a possibility of renewal, of being new. The Lord begins with us again and in this way we also can begin again with the others in our life.
This aspect of renewal, of restitution of our being after so many mistakes, after so many sins, is the great promise, the great gift that the Church offers, and what, for example, psychotherapy cannot offer. Psychotherapy is so widespread today and it is also necessary in the face of so many destroyed and gravely wounded psyches. But psychotherapy’s possibilities are very limited: It can only try a little to re-establish balance in an unbalanced soul. But it cannot give a true renewal, an overcoming of these grave maladies of the soul. And for this reason it always remains provisional and never definitive.
The sacrament of penance gives us the occasion to renew ourselves completely with the power of God -- “Ego te absolvo” -- which is possible because Christ took these sins, these faults upon himself. It seems that today indeed this is a great necessity. We can be healed again. Souls that are wounded and sick -- as is the experience of all -- need not only advice but true renewal, which can come only from the power of God, the power of crucified love. It seems to me that this is the great nexus of mysteries that are truly inscribed in our life. We ourselves must meditate on them again and in this way bring them again to our people.
[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]
email this article | print this article | comment this article
Cardinal Sandri's Appeal for Church in Holy Land
"We Must Seek to Safeguard Christianity's Historic Legacy"VATICAN CITY, FEB. 15, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is the letter Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches, sent this week to the bishops of the world asking for support for the collection of the Holy Land on Good Friday.
* * *Your Excellency,
During his visit to this Dicastery to commemorate the 90th Anniversary of its founding, Pope Benedict XVI issued an appeal for peace in the Holy Land and in the Middle East. The date was June 9, 2007, on which occasion the Holy Father announced my nomination as Prefect for the Congregation for Eastern Churches.
Two other Pontifical declarations followed later during the same month, both expressing concern for the situation in this region and for the welfare of its inhabitants.
In the name of the Holy Father, I wish to take this opportunity to address myself for the first time to my brothers in the episcopate who serve your respective Churches. I also desire to emphasize, as has the Pontiff, the invitation to you to continue to sustain spiritually and materially those Catholics living in the Holy Land. Pope Benedict’s are words which constitute a persuasive and authoritative call to solidarity.
With the inauguration of my mandate, I became aware of the nature of this responsibility and therefore desired, in the presence of my associates from the Dicastery and of a group of Ambassadors, to light a lamp before the icon of the Mother of God so as to express an invitation to constant prayer for the cause of peace.
The absence of peace exacerbates the many long-standing problems as well as the poverty afflicting the region of the Holy Places. That absence also contributes to the creation of new difficulties. Thus, we must recognize that Christians who reside there are a priority for the attention of the entire Catholic Church, together with that of all other Churches and ecclesial communities. For even in their need, they embody the "living charism of Christianity’s origins."
The Good Friday Collection has a special relevance. Successive Pontiffs have indicated the appropriateness of this day to attest to our common heritage of that land which, in the course of history, abides as a "silent witness to the Savior’s life upon earth," to cite an expression preferred by Pope Benedict.
It is my fervent plea that every local Church shall participate in the effort to further our commitment to charity. The Congregation for Eastern Churches, by virtue of Papal directive, coordinates this initiative, and does so with exactitude and fairness. Always, the goal is to assist with the everyday requirements of Christian life.
In this way, the Latin community openly supports the Patriarch of Jerusalem, the Franciscans who are Custodians of the Holy Land, and all those belonging to the Eastern Catholic Churches. The desire of the Holy See is that the charitable outreach by all Catholics will not simply be viewed as occasional, but as so continuous and profound that the future may be welcomed with hope. Nor is this program of charitable distribution based upon religious, cultural or political distinctions. Rather, it seeks especially to equip the younger generations to take their place in society in a manner which renders them competent and able to transmit the worth of their Catholic education and formation.
We cannot overlook, however, those numerous other challenges which are serious and urgent. For example, there is the ever present matter of immigration, bringing with it the risk that Christian communities can be deprived of their most important human resources. We must seek to safeguard Christianity’s historic legacy by striving to preserve those ‘living communities’ in which the Mystery of Christ, our Peace, is cherished and celebrated.
May I also take this opportunity to commend the various particular Churches for their many contributions on behalf of the Holy Land. I would mention, for instance, a word of gratitude to those who participate in pilgrimages, and those who volunteer their time and talents. This brings to mind the highly laudable care rendered by parishes and by the families of Religious, and as is evident in their various institutions, Foundations and Associations.
I respectfully encourage that you, my fellow bishops, will authorize once again this "Collection for the Holy Land" owing to the merit of its objectives and its specific characteristics.
Enclosed you will please find a document for your information, prepared jointly by this Dicastery and by the Custody of the Holy Land, and which outlines some of those actions undertaken through our auspices during 2007. I leave it to the disposition of the bishops and to those priests whom they assign in this endeavour to do their utmost to accomplish this work of fraternal charity pertaining expressly to the land of the Lord Jesus.
In conclusion, be assured of the deepest gratitude of the Holy Father for your support of this cause which is of such vital importance for the Church and for humanity. I extend thanks also on behalf of this Dicastery and of all the Latin and Eastern communities of the Holy Land.
With most cordial and fraternal regards, I remain,
Sincerely,
Leonardo Card. Sandri
Prefect
email this article | print this article | comment this article
Financial Report of the Custody of the Holy Land
VATICAN CITY, FEB. 15, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is the financial report of the Custody of the Holy Land, released this week by Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches, and sent to the bishops of the world along with a letter asking for support for the collection of the Holy Land on Good Friday.* * *
The Custody of the Holy Land has continued to support projects and activities related to the Holy Places. These include assistance to pilgrims and aid for various apostolic works (cf. Paul VI’s Apostolic Exhortation, Nobis in Animo). For the year 2006-2007, the principal projects included the following:
HOLY PLACES/PILGRIMS
A. Ain Karen
1. Restoration of the Hospitality House to serve small groups of pilgrims with particular programs such as promoting meditation and prayer.
2. Sanctuary of St. John of the Desert: construction of a parking zone, restoration of a wall for the site enclosure, and restoration of several places for the reception of pilgrims desirous of a hermitage experience.
B. Bethlehem
1. Renovation of the ancient Grotto of the Milk - consisting of the restoration of the chapel adjoining the new church (blessed in January, 2007). Further, work was completed (May, 2007) on restoration and construction of a new wing adjacent to the convent where the Sisters reside who serve at the sanctuary.
2. Renovation of the convent and sanctuary of the Shepherds’ Field, with particular attention to the protection of archaeological sites.
3. Complete restoration of the Chapel of St. Helen within the Sanctuary of Bethlehem, expanding the space in which pilgrims are welcomed and where Holy Mass is celebrated.
C. Cana of Galilee
Renovation of the roof of the church, of the courtyard, and of the annexes attached to a floor of the house where Religious reside who serve the mission of the sanctuary.
D. Jerusalem
1. Complete restoration of the floor and of the roof of the Convent of the Flagellation, and partial restoration of the Sanctuary of the Flagellation and Condemnation.
2. Diverse efforts to improve the Sanctuary of Gethsemane and the Grotto of the Apostles, notably for the betterment of reception of pilgrims. A projects was also begun to restructure the Kedron Valley area between the sanctuary and the walls of ancient Jerusalem.
E. Jaffa
Conclusion of the initial phase of the restoration of the Sanctuary of St. Peter at Jaffa: complete renovation of the exterior of the church and convent.
F. Nazareth
1. Projects related to the access route for visitors to the sanctuary and for processions. The completion of the overall project is anticipated for May, 2008.
2. Conclusion of the restoration of the Convent of Sephoris. The realization of the plan for the roofing of the old church awaits the permission of he civil authorities.
HOLY PLACES/LOCAL COMMUNITIES
A. Activities on behalf of Youth
1. 290 scholarships for university studies; these finance the full program of studies during 4 years for Christian students who attend the universities of the region (Bethlehem, Hebraica, Bir Zeit, Amman and others).
2. Construction of the Catholic Action Sport Center in Bethlehem. The complex was completed in March, 2007.
3. Bethlehem: Project to assist recent graduates with their transition to the work world. For example, this provided benefit to 20 qualified and worthy young people who entered the workplace by offering to their respective enterprises and institutions the payment of 2/3 of the salary of these young people for a 12 month period. In this way, these youth acquire work-related experience, enhanced knowledge and association with new personnel, plus the potential for future employment.
4. Bethlehem: project to promote the formation and insertion into the workplace of the handicapped. The project is somewhat comparable to a previous one, but which now concentrates upon the requalification and reinsertion into the work environment of 42 persons formerly employed in Jerusalem or in other parts of the Holy Land and who have lost their positions.
5. Bethlehem: support for artistic ventures. In 2006, this assisted some ten small undertakings with their acquisition of spare parts, with installations for production, and with the means to ensure security.
B. Actions favoring families
1. Bethlehem: Franciscan Family Center. The Center proposes diverse activities to offer advice on the nature of the Christian family, which is to say for the safeguarding and development of families, particularly young couples. The Center annually assists about a hundred families.
2. Bethlehem: Franciscan Children’s House. The House receives about 20 youngsters between 6 and 12 years old and who come from poor families and those afflicted by various ‘difficulties’. Besides their being accepted and helped with their academic studies, they enjoy the attention of an educator, a social worker and a psychologist. The project is linked to the Franciscan Family Center and to the efforts of local volunteers.
3. Bethlehem: Medical assistance. The project deals with different types of sanitary assistance and is coordinated with the Franciscan Family Center, with Caritas, and with the Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation. The project assures families plagued by economic difficulties some relief, partial or complete, concerning their expenditures for medical treatment, for pharmaceutical costs, medical consultations and hospital visits. In 2006, 40 families regularly received monies and about a hundred other families received monies periodically.
C. Aid to academic endeavors
1. Construction of a new floor for the Bethlehem School for Girls. With this new construction, a laboratory was added plus some classroom facilities; all intended to raise the school’s teaching level.
2. Restoration and enlargement of the School for Boys in Bethlehem, thereby increasing the possibility of enrollment.
3. A project to restore and to reconstruct the theater of the School for Boys in Jerusalem.
4. Expansion of the elementary school in Jericho (expected completion in 2008).
5. Completion of a restructuring of the school in Jaffa.
D. Construction of housing for the poor and for young couples
1. St. Francis Housing Project in Bethlehem: construction of 20 apartments - mainly for young couples and those who have difficulty in locating apartments or in paying ordinary rental costs. At the same time, construction itself promises to create work for some 95 families in the Bethlehem area. The project will be inaugurated in January, 2008.
2. St. Catherine Housing Project in Bethlehem. This was inaugurated in October, 2006, and consists of 24 apartments for the lodging of Christian families.
3. Restoration of dwellings in the Old City of Jerusalem. These buildings date to the Ottoman era, and are in such an uninhabitable state that their occupants have been forced to abandon them. The projects is designed to gradually reconstruct and refurbish them in order that 300 Christian families may remain in the Old City.
E. Other Cultural activities
1. Each year the Custody of the Holy Land supports the Faculty of Biblical Sciences and of Archaeology of the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum in Jerusalem. Some 30 students coming from different dioceses and Religious provinces are provided with scholarships and with fees for food and residency.
2. Franciscan Multimedia Center. This is a multimedia center which offers Catholic radio and TV programming, and which makes available audiovisual documents in numerous languages concerning the Holy Land and the Christian presence there.
email this article | print this article | comment this article
ZENIT is an International News Agency.
For reprint permission: http://www.zenit.org/english/permissions.html
Visit our web page at http://www.zenit.org
To subscribe or unsubscribe: http://www.zenit.org/english/subscribe.html
To give a ZENIT gift subscription: http://www.zenit.org/english/gift.html
To make a donation to support ZENIT: http://www.zenit.org/english/donation.html
SEND US YOUR NEWS.
Please send press releases using: http://www.zenit.org/english/news.html
Copyright, Innovative Media, Inc.
0 comments:
Post a Comment