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The World Seen From Rome
Daily dispatch - April 24, 2009
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VATICAN DOSSIER
Headway Made on Holy See-Israel Accords
Arab League Official Visits Pontiff
Pontiff Denounces Attack on Bolivian Cardinal
WORLD FEATURES
Thomas Aquinas College Buries Its President
Bishop Calls Cloning Claims "Disturbing"
NEWS BRIEFS
Pope's Holy Land Trip Seen as "Bridge for Peace"
El Salvador Readies to Protect Marriage
INTERVIEW
Thomas Aquinas College's New Chapel
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Headway Made on Holy See-Israel Accords
Progress Intensifies Ahead of Papal VisitJERUSALEM, APRIL 24, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Ahead of Benedict XVI's visit to the Holy Land, members of the Israel-Holy See Bilateral Permanent Working Commission report that "meaningful" progress is being made to conclude their agreements.
A working-level meeting of the commission met Thursday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem to continue negotiations on the economic agreement regarding the fiscal system and Church properties.
"The meeting was characterized by great cordiality and a spirit of cooperation," stated a communiqué published jointly by the Holy See and Israel.
"Meaningful progress was achieved by receiving a report from a working group, and the delegations renewed their joint commitment to conclude the agreement as soon as possible," the note affirmed.
The commission will meet for a plenary session next Thursday at Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Since signing the Fundamental Agreement in 1993, which established diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Israel, the two sides have been negotiating the particulars of tax exemptions and property rights for the Church, in particular for the holy sites. Talks stopped altogether in 2003 for several years, and began again in 2005.
While the negotiations have nothing officially to do with Benedict XVI's visit to the Holy Land, which will take place May 8-15, sources in the Vatican explain that Israel is interested in the good image the Pope's visit can give to the nation, and the Church is interested in consolidating its presence in the Holy Land.
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Arab League Official Visits Pontiff
New Agreement Reached With Holy SeeVATICAN CITY, APRIL 24, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The secretary-general of the League of Arab States visited Benedict XVI today after signing a new agreement with the Holy See.
Amre Moussa signed Thursday a Memorandum of Understanding with the Holy See on behalf of the League.
A Vatican announcement shortly thereafter described the document as further consolidating "the existing ties of collaboration between the Holy See and the League of Arab States, especially at a political and cultural level, in favor of peace, security and stability, both regionally and internationally. Furthermore, it proposes instruments for consultation between the two sides, with particular emphasis on initiatives of interreligious dialogue."
Regarding Moussa's visit today with the Pontiff and with Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for relations with states, the Vatican reported that the discussions highlighted the "importance of [this] agreement, which seeks to favor an ever greater collaboration between the two parties in favor of peace and justice in the world."
As well, the Vatican confirmed, there was an "interchange of ideas on the international situation, in particular in the Middle East, and on the need to find a just solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, and to the other conflicts that grieve the region."
Peace and culture
The apostolic nuncio in Egypt, Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, today spoke with Vatican Radio about the memorandum and Moussa's visit with the Holy Father.
He said he considered the document to indicate two areas of cooperation.
First, the archbishop said, it calls for cooperation in "the search for peace; this especially interests the Holy See, and also the Arab League, which did a lot to mediate, particularly during the war in Iraq."
Secondly, he continued, it calls for "cultural cooperation, the dialogue of cultures, the dialogue of civilization and also interreligious dialogue, which can be fulfilled with the Arab League since they have a department for culture."
Now that the memorandum has been signed, the archbishop said, "We have to try to see what we can do and what contribution we can make together."
"I believe that the Arab League very much appreciates the declarations of the Holy Father," Archbishop Fitzgerald added. And, he affirmed, "it also takes into account the situation of Christians in the Arab nations for the furthering of peace and development in the region."
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Pontiff Denounces Attack on Bolivian Cardinal
Says Violence Is Unworthy of Human PersonVATICAN CITY, APRIL 24, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is expressing his support for a Bolivian cardinal whose house was attacked with explosives last week.
In a note sent by the Pope's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, to Cardinal Julio Terrazas Sandoval, archbishop of Santa Cruz de la Sierra and president of the Bolivian bishops' conference, the Holy Father expressed his "vigorous condemnation" of the April 15 bombing. The cardinal was not home at the time.
The note said the Pontiff was united in prayer with the bishops of Bolivia's episcopal conference, who are gathered in their ordinary assembly, as well as with "the priests, religious communities and the faithful of that dear nation, to express my vigorous condemnation of what has happened."
"Any act of violence, committed with the sole intention of damaging, harming or intimidating others, is always reproachable and unworthy of the human person and profoundly contrary to the Christian values of love, communion and mutual respect," the papal message stated. The apostolic nuncio in Bolivia, Archbishop Giambattista Diquattro, read it to the Bolivian prelates.
Cardinal Bertone expressed in the Pope's name "my closeness and support," and urged authorities to "make every necessary effort to clear up this deplorable event."
The message implores God for "a seeking of paths of reconciliation and sincere harmony, to consolidate fraternity and solidarity, which are the solid bases for reaching just progress and building stable peace in the nation."
The vice president of the Bolivian episcopal conference, Archbishop Edmundo Abastoflor of La Paz, said the attack is a result of the tense political climate reigning in Bolivia.
The Church and President Evo Morales have been at odds on various issues. Cardinal Terrazas Sandoval just denounced Thursday at the opening of the bishops' assembly the "open corruption, the boundless increase in the commercialization of drugs, and events that point to organized terrorism" that are afflicting the country under the current administration.
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Thomas Aquinas College Buries Its President
Thomas Dillon's Funeral Held in Chapel He BuiltSANTA PAULA, California, APRIL 24, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Thomas Dillon, the president of St. Thomas Aquinas College, was buried today following a funeral service held this morning at the newly dedicated Chapel of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity.
Dillon, 62, died last week in a car accident in Limerick, Ireland, to attend a meeting of the International Council of Universities of St. Thomas Aquinas. His wife, Terri, sustained minor injuries in the crash.
The funeral was the first to be held in the chapel, which he helped build.
In a note sent last week by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the apostolic nuncio to the United States, the prelate called Dillon a "man of vision" who "left a noble legacy of faith and learning, which will continue to enrich minds and hearts for years to come."
He added, "May we all continue to be inspired by his tireless zeal and fervent dedication in his efforts to build up the Kingdom of God in our midst."
Cardinal Roger Mahony, the archbishop of Los Angeles, recalled in a statement that last month that he had consecrated the Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel: "It was apparent to all that Dillon rightly considered the chapel to be the heart and soul of the college to which he had devoted so much of his energy, talent and life.
"And though his death is a great shock to us all, there is some small consolation in knowing that the completion and dedication of the chapel was the last great act in the life of a man devoted to knowing and loving God."
Ginger Mortensen, a graduate of the class of 1996, said in comments to ZENIT that not only did she know Dillon as a professor, but also as a boss, and as a friend.
After graduating from Thomas Aquinas College, Mortensen worked at the college's development office for seven years. She now holds a similar position at the International Theological Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family in Gaming, Austria.
"I owe a lot to him," she said, "as he taught me so many things that I am putting into practice now -- not just how to do my work, but the importance of reaching out to people in a personal way."
"Despite a demanding schedule, he never lost sight of the people who were the reason for his schedule," Mortensen recalled. "Even as president, and therefore a public relations figure, fundraiser and administrator, he continued to teach one class.
"He wanted to keep in mind the reason for the presidency -- the education of students at the College."
Mortensen noted that Dillon never lost sight of the reason of the college's existence -- "to provide a truly Catholic liberal arts education."
She said he led "the fight in the battle against enforcing multiculturalism as a condition of accreditation. This threatened the very core of education in general and catholic education in particular, which he saw clearly."
Mortensen said Dillon and his wife Terri were important figures in the lives of those studying or working at the campus: "Tom and Terri reached out to everyone they met and treated them as friends. I remember traveling with Tom and Terri in the car. I was always impressed that they began their journey with a prayer -- and often included was a novena for someone who had asked for their prayers."
The Thomas Aquinas College graduate noted, however, that "one of [Dillon's] biggest goals was to have the crown jewel of the campus built -- Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel."
"He traveled to visit churches and form ideas to make sure the chapel was center and most beautiful building of the campus," she noted.
The chapel was consecrated March 7.
Thomas Dillon is a native of San Francisco, the first of six children born to Shirley and Thomas J. Dillon.
He graduated from St. Mary's College of California, and obtained masters and doctoral degrees in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame.
Dillon joined the faculty of St. Thomas Aquinas College in 1972, a year after the college was founded. After serving as assistant dean for student affairs and academic dean, he was named president in 1991.
Concerned with stringent accreditation requirements that would have endangered the integrity of the school's curriculum, in the 1990s Dillon became a major player in organizing the American Academy for Liberal Education.
Dillon is survived by his wife, Terri, four children and 15 grandchildren.
It was announced Monday that the college’s board of governors appointed Peter DeLuca, vice president for finance and administration, interim president.
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Bishop Calls Cloning Claims "Disturbing"
Says Alleged Actions Are "Deeply Repugnant"LANCASTER, England, APRIL 24, 2009 (Zenit.org).- A British bishop is calling the claims of an American researcher that he has created cloned human embryos and implanted them in four women "deeply disturbing."
In a statement released today, Bishop Patrick O’Donoghue of Lancaster warned of the increasing tendency to manipulate human life. He said that if Dr. Panayiotis Zavos has done what he has claimed, his "actions are deeply repugnant for the future of humanity."
The doctor made claims this week that he cloned 14 human embryos and transferred 11 of them into four women. Although none of the embryos survived long enough to achieve a viable pregnancy, Zavos told the media that it will be possible to have a cloned human baby within the next few years.
His work is being carried out at a secret laboratory in an undisclosed country. It's a crime in most countries to transfer cloned embryos into a human womb.
"Cloning entails manipulating human life in ever more invasive ways, and this will lead to 'making embryos to order,' as well as other more and more serious abuses," said Bishop O’Donoghue.
He noted that while it's widely held as unacceptable to transfer cloned embryos to the womb, "those who support destructive embryo research while criticizing Zavos are laying themselves open to a charge of hypocrisy."
"The approach that is often taken in Britain is to say firstly that embryo research should be allowed and secondly that it can be strictly controlled," said Bishop O’Donoghue. "This is wrong on both counts.
"Embryo research which entails deliberately killing human embryos should never be allowed, and experience shows that once this key ethical principle is breached, it leads in turn to relentless demand for more and more embryos to be used in ever more debasing ways."
The bishop added that while most condemn the actions of Zavos as "irresponsible" because of the possibility of creating children with "serious physical, mental or psychological problems," a fundamental objection to cloning remains: "It [cloning] creates a dislocation in the human family; it removes the begetting of children from its true context -- the fruit of mutual self-giving in marriage -- and turns human children into a manufactured product."
The Human Fertilization and Embryology Act 2008 extended the permissible creation and use of human embryos in the United Kingdom, formally allowing the creation of “savior siblings,” cloned embryos for research (including embryo stem-cell research) and inter-species embryos.
It also removed the requirement that in-vitro fertilization practitioners should have regard to the child’s need for a father.
The most recent instruction from the Vatican on the subject, "Dignitas Personae," re-stated the Catholic Church’s clear opposition to “assisted reproductive technologies” and the need to protect and promote the rights the human embryo from the time of conception.
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Pope's Holy Land Trip Seen as "Bridge for Peace"
JERUSALEM, APRIL 24, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI's trip to the Holy Land next month is being billed by a Web site of Israel's Ministry of Tourism as a "Bridge for Peace.""Holy Land Pilgrimage: A Bridge for Peace" is the official slogan used on the ministry's official Web page of the Pope's May 11-15 visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories.
The site is presented in seven languages, and does not include information on the Pontiff's May 8-11 visit to Jordan.
"His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI's pilgrimage to the Holy Land is a mission of peace and reconciliation," the site explains. "The Pontiff’s visit to Yad Vashem (The Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority) in Jerusalem is another expression of his solidarity with the Jewish people and his acknowledgement of the horrors of the Holocaust."
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On the Net:
Holy Land Pilgrimage: http://www.holyland-pilgrimage.org
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El Salvador Readies to Protect Marriage
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, APRIL 24, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Though legislators are still wrestling on wording, the El Salvador Constitution will likely soon define marriage as solely between a man and a woman.Today, Congress decided to take up the issue again next week, before the May 1 end of this legislative session. But with 56 votes, expected to be easily gained, the constitution will recognize only heterosexual marriages and deny adoption to homosexual couples.
Archbishop José Luis Escobar Alas of San Salvador met Tuesday with legislators to discuss why marriage needs protecting in El Salvador. He emphasized that it is not discrimination against those with a different sexual orientation, since their liberties are still protected.
"The only thing we want is to safeguard the good of the family, the good of matrimony, the good of society," he said in his intervention. "What we want is to put up padlocks so that society's values are held firm."
The Church presented to Congress on Monday some 300,000 signatures of citizens who support the ratification of the constitutional amendment.
The amendment was already approved in 2006 during the previous legislative session, but it needs to be approved again now to be ratified.
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Thomas Aquinas College's New Chapel
Interview With Architect Duncan StroikSOUTH BEND, Indiana, APRIL 24, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The Chapel of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity at Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, California was dedicated last month by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, Cardinal Roger Mahony.
The chapel, which figures prominently at the head of the main quadrangle at Thomas Aquinas College, was a project spearheaded by Thomas Dillon, the former president of the small college. Dillon was killed in a car accident in Ireland last week. His funeral was held today in the chapel.
Duncan Stroik, a leading figure in the new renaissance of sacred architecture, designed the structure. In this interview with ZENIT, the architect discusses the design of the Thomas Aquinas College chapel, the particular challenges in its construction, and his work designing sacred spaces in other parts of the United States.
Stroik is a professor of classical architecture at the University of Notre Dame, and is the editor of the journal Sacred Architecture.
Q: You designed the Thomas Aquinas Chapel, which was dedicated last month. How did this commission come about? Who was it for?
Stroik: The Thomas Aquinas College chapel has been an amazing journey for the college and for me as the architect. Our commission came out of an invited competition with two of the finest Catholic architects in the United States -- Thomas Gordon Smith and Michael Imber. We met with many of the board members and faculty, but the leading visionary for the chapel and its design was Thomas Dillon, the president of the college.
Due to Dillon's passion for the design and his desire to test our design empirically led us to visit buildings across California, the United States and Europe. The $23 million building is a reinforced masonry structure with a concrete base and a wood and steel roof. It was dedicated March 7, on the original feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas, which also means that it will always be a feast day for the college (even during Lent).
Q: Where did you draw inspiration for the chapel? Past? Present? Europe? United States?
Stroik: The existing campus is inspired by the Spanish missions of California with the chapel as the head of the quadrangle both physically and symbolically. The chapel begins as an early Christian basilica and then develops spatially and architecturally in light of the last 1,500 years. In designing the chapel I grew to appreciate the inventiveness of early Renaissance architects like Brunelleschi as they sought to bring to life the ancient principles of architecture they had seen in Rome.
That, in some ways, is the same goal of many classical architects today as we seek to reconnect to the tradition that was all but severed by the dark night of modernism. Yet, since we can also learn from the sophisticated architecture of the last 500 years, I felt driven to improve upon Brunelleschi and the early Christian basilicas. This is not so much ego, but a desire to create a temple of God that is worthy of his perfection.
Q: How does the chapel reflect St. Thomas Aquinas?
Stroik: I believe that the chapel learned a lot from St. Thomas. First, the name "Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity" reflects St. Thomas' highest work of theology on the Trinity. And much of the symbolism inside and out refers to the life of Mary as she lived it in communion with the Trinity.
It is also a cerebral architecture, an architecture of faith and reason where the natural light draws one up to the eternal light. It has an explicit geometric ordering, a simple color scheme, and a complex articulation of hierarchy from the design of the facade, to the narthex, to the soaring nave until it reaches its crescendo with the dome and altar. Dillon and I sought to bring about St. Thomas' three conditions or principles of beauty: integrity, proportion and clarity. It is my hope that people will see and feel this beauty.
Q: What were the particular challenges in designing this structure?
Stroik: There were a number of challenges in designing the chapel. First we were asked to make the chapel prominent enough to be seen from afar, yet in scale with the existing two-story campus buildings. Second was to build it onto a steep hill while limiting our disturbance of the landscape and the great oaks. Third was to incorporate the columns and arches of the early Christian basilicas within a cruciform plan with a dome at the crossing. Fourth, was meeting the seismic codes of California in the structure. Sometimes, these types of challenges lead one to compromise, but in this case I believe they helped create a much better chapel!
Q: Cardinal Roger Mahony consecrated the chapel. What was his impression?
Stroik: Cardinal Mahony and I had a nice chat before the dedication began about the history of the Los Angeles Cathedral. He told me that the cathedral took about five years from start of design to finish, which is awfully quick. This chapel took nine years!
He also related that with the increase in construction costs that it would cost twice as much to build today, or $380 million. His Eminence was very complimentary about the chapel. It was a stunning dedication Mass with beautiful ritual and Christological symbolism.
Q: You have designed many major churches over the years, such as the new shrine in Lacrosse, Wisconsin, All Saints in Kentucky and now the Cathedral in Sioux Falls, what would you say characterizes your body of architectural work?
Stroik: Each of our projects seeks to connect with the architectural context of the locale, including materials, details and motifs. That being said, we endeavor to combine the regional with the universal in such a way that the churches should stand for centuries and never go out of style. Because the central identity of the church building is as a house of God, I try to make the plan as efficient as possible so that we can spend money on an ennobling façade and a transcendent interior.
Color, materials and details can go from simple elegance to ornate, but there is always an emphasis on beautiful proportions and monumental scale. Seeing these churches as part of a continuum and a conversation across time, we are not afraid to learn from precedent -- although when all is said and done I believe the buildings sing their own song. It is the beauty and perfection of God that we seek to emulate in these new domus Dei’s.
Q: After the motu proprio of Benedict XVI in 2006 liberalizing the extraordinary rite of the Mass, how has your work changed? Are there any new aspects to church design growing out of this papal decree?
Stroik: With the motu proprio "Summorum Pontificum," which allows great freedom for the celebration of the Tridentine Mass, I think we will see some positive changes to our new and existing churches. In my experience, the younger priests are the ones open to learning about the extraordinary form along with the architectural implications. I would argue that all churches should be designed to accommodate both forms of the Mass, the Novus Ordo and the Tridentine. In general this means providing altar rails, sanctuaries with steps, and large altars that can be used from both sides, like the ancient basilicas. These are all most welcome developments and things that can enrich all of our churches with a sense of the sacred.
During the past 15 years, we have tried to incorporate these elements because we believed they were theologically and architecturally appropriate. For instance, even though the design of the chapel at Thomas Aquinas College was finished over four years ago, it had a Novus Ordo dedication Mass, a Novus Ordo Mass in Latin, and a Tridentine Mass on March 7 and 8.
Ironically, the traditional churches, not the modernist churches, are more accommodating to both forms of the liturgy, as well as creating a transcendent realm within our materialistic culture.
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