http://www.orientecristiano.com/ Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:41:25 GMT FeedCreator 1.8.0-dev (info@mypapit.net) http://www.orientecristiano.com/english-news/catholicworld/pope-conquering-our-spiritual-desert.html Below Pope Benedict XVI’s catechesis to English speaking pilgrims present at the general audience this Wednesday:

Dear Brothers and Sisters, today the Church celebrates Ash Wednesday, the beginning of her Lenten journey towards Easter. The entire Christian community is invited to live this period of forty days as a pilgrimage of repentance, conversion and renewal. In the Bible, the number forty is rich in symbolism. It recalls Israel’s journey in the desert, a time of expectation, purification and closeness to the Lord, but also a time of temptation and testing. It also evokes Jesus’ own sojourn in the desert at the beginning of his public ministry, a time of profound closeness to the Father in prayer, but also of confrontation with the mystery of evil. The Church’s Lenten discipline is meant to help deepen our life of faith and our imitation of Christ in his paschal mystery. In these forty days may we draw nearer to the Lord by meditating on his word and example, and conquer the desert of our spiritual aridity, selfishness and materialism. For the whole Church may this Lent be a time of grace in which God leads us, in union with the crucified and risen Lord, through the experience of the desert to the joy and hope brought by Easter.

I greet all the English-speaking visitors present at today’s Audience, especially those from England, Belgium, Norway, Canada and the United States. I offer a special welcome to the faithful of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham on the occasion of their pilgrimage to the See of Peter. I greet the pilgrim group from the Diocese of Antwerp, and I thank the choirs for their praise of God in song. With prayerful good wishes for a spiritually fruitful Lent, I invoke upon all of you God’s abundant blessings!

© www.radiovaticana.org - february 22th 2012]]> webmaster@orientecristiano.com (Oriente Cristiano) Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:03:27 GMT http://www.orientecristiano.com/english-news/catholicworld/pope-conquering-our-spiritual-desert.html http://www.orientecristiano.com/english-news/catholicworld/a-call-for-religious-freedom.html Squeezed between two extremisms – Jewish (Israel) and Islamic (Muslim countries) – and subject to religious and social discrimination, many Christians prefer to flee from their harsh reality of conflict and instability (In the Holy Land). Their woeful plight calls for our sympathy, spiritual support and solidarity.

by FR. JOSÉ REBELO, MCCJ 

In the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East, Christians are enduring great hardships and the “little flock” they comprise is shrinking steadily. Squeezed between two extremisms – Jewish (Israel) and Islamic (Muslim countries) – and subject to religious and social discrimination, many Christians prefer to flee from their harsh reality of conflict and instability. Their woeful plight calls for our sympathy, spiritual support and solidarity.

They belong to the countries of the Bible. The Holy land, in particular, is the cradle of Christianity. Jesus was born, lived and died there. His disciples were first called Christians at Antioch (Acts 11:26) in Syria. Persecution scattered them. On the way, they announced the Gospel to the non-Jews, hence starting the Church’s universal mission. Now, they are fleeing again to find peace and tranquility. While pilgrims from all over the world flock there to find their faith’s roots, native Christians move out because they feel they are foreigners in their homeland.

Their mass exodus will be one of the main issues of the special assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops that will gather in Rome from 10 to 24 October. Related issues to be discussed, according to the Instrumentem Laboris (the working document), are: widespread Islamization, lack of political and religious freedom, political instability, the continuation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the need of peace founded on justice.

Invited to the synodal assembly are the Latin Church in the Middle East and the various Churches in communion with Rome, born from the divisions of the 5th century and the Great Schism at the beginning of the 11th century. They are different according to rite, geographic location or national allegiance. The Synod is an opportunity to foster their renewal and witness, overcome suspicions and misunderstandings, deepen their bonds of communion and affirm their specificities when compared to other faiths and societies among which they live.

The Middle East, being “a predominantly Muslim society, be it Arab, Turkish, Iranian or a Jewish society in the State of Israel,” interreligious dialogue is an unavoidable issue. It requires great friendship but, at the same time, great clarity. In Muslim countries, Christians are considered second-class citizens. There’s a growing demand for the application of the principle of reciprocity and to emphasize the urgency of implementing the freedom of religion and conscience, with the right to proclaim the gospel in Muslim countries in the same way that Muslims have the right to preach Islam.

The Synod has relevance also for Christian migrants, especially from the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia and Sudan, who have chosen the Middle East countries wherein to earn a living. They often have to endure gross human rights violations. Across the region, there are more than one million domestic workers, many of them Catholics, who are treated like slaves. In South Arabia alone, there are more than one million migrant Christians who are denied the right to their religion. It is simply unacceptable that a state known for exporting fundamentalist Islam and for paying for the construction of mosques everywhere behaves in such a fanatic way!

The Middle East is a geopolitical hotspot. During his visit to Cyprus last May – the third apostolic visit he made to the region – Pope Benedict XVI renewed his call “for an urgent and concerted international effort to resolve the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, especially in the Holy Land, before such conflicts lead to greater bloodshed." The Synod is a call to end conflicts in the region and to ensure respect for human rights and religious freedom.

© http://www.worldmission.ph]]> webmaster@orientecristiano.com (Oriente Cristiano) Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:04:36 GMT http://www.orientecristiano.com/english-news/catholicworld/a-call-for-religious-freedom.html http://www.orientecristiano.com/english-news/catholicworld/for-catholic-church-islamist-victory-scares-christians-but-expresses-the-will-of-the-people.html Cairo (AsiaNews) – “The victory of Islamist parties scares Christians but expresses the will of the Egyptian people,” said Fr Rafik Greiche, spokesman for the Egyptian Catholic Church. He spoke to AsiaNews about the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafists, who together won about 60 per cent of the vote.

“During the election, they were guilty of some irregularities but nothing compared to the phoney elections of the Mubarak years,” the clergyman said. “In order not to lose support, Islamic parties have adopted a low profile in this initial phase. In the past few days, they said that Christians and religious minorities would have the same rights as Muslim citizens. It is therefore premature to made good or bad predictions.”

Egypt’s post-Mubarak parliament met this morning (11 am, local time) for the first time since the downfall of Hosni Mubarak with a minute of silence to remember the martyrs of the Jasmine Revolution. The first session continued into the afternoon.

The first order of the day was the election of a speaker to the lower house, expected to be Freedom of Justice Party’s Mohamed el-Katatni.

Over the next few days, MPs will pick 200 members to the Constituent Assembly to discuss the transfer of power from the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) to the new parliament.

Elections to the lower house held between November 2011 and January 2012 saw the victory of the Freedom and Justice Party (Muslim Brotherhood), which has become the country’s largest winning 45 per cent of the vote and 235 seats in the 498-member parliament.

Al-Nour, a party linked to Salafist Islamic extremists, won about 20 per cent of the vote, and 123 seats.

The main secularist parties born after the revolution, the Wafd the Egyptian Bloc, won 38 and 34 seats respectively.

Moderate parties in parliament will have to monitor closely the actions of the majority and remain united to counter their most extremist wings.

“The first issue will be drafting the new constitution on which Egypt’s democratic future depends,” Fr Greiche said.

Currently, all the power is in military hands. “In this phase of transition, the military retains a veto power on changes parliament makes to the laws. They will exert their influence on the new constitution. However, we must wait for next June’s presidential elections to get a clearer picture. On that day, the armed forces will leave politics entirely.”

Many now fear new protests for the first anniversary of the Jasmine Revolution this Wednesday, 25 January.

Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi reiterated zero tolerance for violent protests. He also made allegations about foreign plots against the country.

As evidence of its goodwill, the SCAF ordered the release of 1,959 people arrested during last year’s protests. (S.C.)

© www.asianews.it - jenuary 23th 2012]]> webmaster@orientecristiano.com (Oriente Cristiano) Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:03:03 GMT http://www.orientecristiano.com/english-news/catholicworld/for-catholic-church-islamist-victory-scares-christians-but-expresses-the-will-of-the-people.html http://www.orientecristiano.com/english-news/catholicworld/death-penalty-always-unjust-even-for-mubarak-catholic-church-says.html Cairo (AsiaNews) – “The Egyptian Catholic Church, together with all other Christian denominations, is against the death penalty for any individual,” said Fr Rafik Greiche, spokesman for the Egyptian Catholic Church. He spoke to AsiaNews about the death penalty requested for former President Hosni Mubarak whose trial resumed last Monday after a two-week break.

“No one has the right to take the life of another man even if he is guilty of terrible crimes. Only God can do that,” Fr Greiche said. “Sadly, the death penalty is a normal thing for the Muslim mindset. Egyptian law calls for hanging in the most serious crimes.”

Still, there is no conviction yet for Egypt’s former strongman and it is too early to judge the situation.

For days, hundreds of people have been demonstrating in front of the Cairo courthouse where Mubarak is on trial, holding nooses and handcuffs, shouting slogans in favour of the death penalty for the former president who is charged with ordering a crackdown on protests in January 2011.

The crowd’s anger was further stoked when Farid al-Deeb, Mubarak’s defence lawyer, said in court that there is no evidence to show that he ordered security forces to open fire on protesters. According to al-Deeb, Mubarak had already handed over power to the military before the 28 January massacre in accordance with Law 183 of 1952. Only military leaders could give the order to fire, not the president.

For victims’ families, statements like this chip away at their hope for justice.

Yesterday, members of the Nour (Salafist) party urged relatives of the 850 people who died in the protest violence to demand the application of Sharia, which in this case calls for a “blood price” to be paid by the guilty party’s family.

Today, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon urged Egyptian judges not to impose the death penalty. Interviewed by a British newspaper, he said that the United Nations voted in favour of resolution calling on member states to stop executions and new death penalty sentences. (S.C.)

© www.asianews.it - jenuary 20th 2012]]> webmaster@orientecristiano.com (Oriente Cristiano) Sat, 21 Jan 2012 09:53:57 GMT http://www.orientecristiano.com/english-news/catholicworld/death-penalty-always-unjust-even-for-mubarak-catholic-church-says.html http://www.orientecristiano.com/english-news/catholicworld/solemnity-of-mary-mother-of-god-2012.html Dear Brothers and Sisters!

On the first day of the year, the liturgy resounds in the Church throughout the world with the ancient priestly blessing that we heard during today’s first reading: "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace" (Num 6:24-26). This blessing was entrusted by God, through Moses, to Aaron and his sons, that is, to the priests of the people of Israel. It is a triple blessing filled with light, radiating from the repetition of the name of God, the Lord, and from the image of his face. In fact, in order to be blessed, we have to stand in God’s presence, take his Name upon us and remain in the cone of light that issues from his Face, in a space lit up by his gaze, diffusing grace and peace.

This was the very experience that the shepherds of Bethlehem had, who reappear in today’s Gospel. They had the experience of standing in God’s presence, they received his blessing not in the hall of a majestic palace, in the presence of a great sovereign, but in a stable, before a "babe lying in a manger" (Lk 2:16). From this child, a new light issues forth, shining in the darkness of the night, as we can see in so many paintings depicting Christ’s Nativity. Henceforth, it is from him that blessing comes, from his name – Jesus, meaning "God saves" – and from his human face, in which God, the almighty Lord of heaven and earth, chose to become incarnate, concealing his glory under the veil of our flesh, so as to reveal fully to us his goodness (cf. Tit 3:4).

The first to be swept up by this blessing was Mary the virgin, the spouse of Joseph, chosen by God from the first moment of her existence to be the mother of his incarnate Son. She is the "blessed among women" (Lk 1:42) – in the words of Saint Elizabeth’s greeting. Her whole life was spent in the light of the Lord, within the radius of his name and of the face of God incarnate in Jesus, the "blessed fruit of her womb". This is how Luke’s Gospel presents her to us: fully intent upon guarding and meditating in her heart upon everything concerning her son Jesus (cf. Lk 2:19, 51). The mystery of her divine motherhood that we celebrate today contains in superabundant measure the gift of grace that all human motherhood bears within it, so much so that the fruitfulness of the womb has always been associated with God’s blessing. The Mother of God is the first of the blessed, and it is she who bears the blessing; she is the woman who received Jesus into herself and brought him forth for the whole human family. In the words of the liturgy: "without losing the glory of virginity, [she] brought forth into the world the eternal light, Jesus Christ our Lord" (Preface I of the Blessed Virgin Mary).

Mary is the mother and model of the Church, who receives the divine Word in faith and offers herself to God as the "good soil" in which he can continue to accomplish his mystery of salvation. The Church also participates in the mystery of divine motherhood, through preaching, which sows the seed of the Gospel throughout the world, and through the sacraments, which communicate grace and divine life to men. The Church exercises her motherhood especially in the sacrament of Baptism, when she generates God’s children from water and the Holy Spirit, who cries out in each of them: "Abba, Father!" (Gal 4:6). Like Mary, the Church is the mediator of God’s blessing for the world: she receives it in receiving Jesus and she transmits it in bearing Jesus. He is the mercy and the peace that the world, of itself, cannot give, and which it needs always, at least as much as bread.

Dear friends, peace, in the fullest and highest sense, is the sum and synthesis of all blessings. So when two friends meet, they greet one another, wishing each other peace. The Church too, on the first day of the year, invokes this supreme good in a special way; she does so, like the Virgin Mary, by revealing Jesus to all, for as Saint Paul says, "He is our peace" (Eph 2:14), and at the same time the "way" by which individuals and peoples can reach this goal to which we all aspire. With this deep desire in my heart, I am glad to welcome and greet all of you who have come to Saint Peter’s Basilica on this 45^th World Day of Peace: Cardinals, Ambassadors from so many friendly countries, who more than ever on this happy occasion share with me and with the Holy See the desire for renewed commitment to the promotion of peace in the world; the President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, who with the Secretary and the officials of the Dicastery work in a particular way towards this goal; the other Bishops and Authorities present; the representatives of ecclesial Associations and Movements and all of you, brothers and sisters, especially those among you who work in the field of educating the young. Indeed – as you know – the role of education is what I highlighted in my Message for this year.

"Educating Young People in Justice and Peace" is a task for every generation, and thanks be to God, after the tragedies of the two great world wars, the human family has shown increasing awareness of it, as we can witness, on the one hand, from international statements and initiatives, and on the other, from the emergence among young people themselves, in recent decades, of many different forms of social commitment in this field. For the ecclesial community, educating men and women in peace is part of the mission received from Christ, it is an integral part of evangelization, because the Gospel of Christ is also the Gospel of justice and peace. But the Church, in recent times, has articulated a demand that affects everyone with a sensitive and responsible conscience regarding humanity’s future; the demand to respond to a decisive challenge that consists precisely in education. Why is this a "challenge"? For at least two reasons: in the first place, because in the present age, so strongly marked by a technological mentality, the desire to educate and not merely to instruct cannot be taken for granted, it is a choice; in the second place, because the culture of relativism raises a radical question: does it still make sense to educate? And then, to educate for what?

Naturally now is not the time to address these fundamental questions, which I have tried to answer on other occasions. Instead I would like to underline the fact that, in the face of the shadows that obscure the horizon of today’s world, to assume responsibility for educating young people in knowledge of the truth, in fundamental values and virtues, is to look to the future with hope. And in this commitment to a holistic education, formation in justice and peace has a place. Boys and girls today are growing up in a world that has, so to speak, become smaller, where contacts between different cultures and traditions, even if not always direct, are constant. For them, now more than ever, it is indispensable to learn the importance and the art of peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, dialogue and understanding. Young people by their nature are open to these attitudes, but the social reality in which they grow up can lead them to think and act in the opposite way, even to be intolerant and violent. Only a solid education of their consciences can protect them from these risks and make them capable of carrying on the fight, depending always and solely on the power of truth and good. This education begins in the family and is developed at school and in other formative experiences. It is essentially about helping infants, children and adolescents to develop a personality that combines a profound sense of justice with respect for their neighbour, with a capacity to address conflicts without arrogance, with the inner strength to bear witness to good, even when it involves sacrifice, with forgiveness and reconciliation. Thus they will be able to become people of peace and builders of peace.

In this task of educating young generations, a particular responsibility lies with religious communities. Every pathway of authentic religious formation guides the person, from the most tender age, to know God, to love him and to do his will. God is love, he is just and peaceable, and anyone wishing to honour him must first of all act like a child following his father’s example. One of the Psalms says: "The Lord does deeds of justice, gives judgment for all who are oppressed ... The Lord is compassion and love, slow to anger and rich in mercy" (Ps 102:6,8). In God, justice and mercy come together perfectly, as Jesus showed us through the testimony of his life. In Jesus, "love and truth" have met, "justice and peace" have embraced (cf. Ps 84:11). In these days, the Church is celebrating the great mystery of the Incarnation: God’s truth has sprung from the earth and justice looks down from heaven, the earth has yielded its fruit (cf. Ps 84:12,13). God has spoken to us in his Son Jesus. Let us hear what God has to say: "a voice that speaks of peace" (Ps 84:9). Jesus is a way that can be travelled, open to everyone. He is the path of peace. Today the Virgin Mary points him out to us, she shows us the Way: let us walk in it! And you, Holy Mother of God, accompany us with your protection. Amen.

© Bollettino Santa Sede - 1 gennaio 2012]]> webmaster@orientecristiano.com (Oriente Cristiano) Sun, 01 Jan 2012 12:01:17 GMT http://www.orientecristiano.com/english-news/catholicworld/solemnity-of-mary-mother-of-god-2012.html http://www.orientecristiano.com/english-news/catholicworld/christians-and-muslims-a-year-since-the-start-of-the-arab-spring.html by Samir Khalil Samir
The Arab uprising spread like wildfire and every Arab country felt its effects. However, the changes must be seen against the backdrop of the Islamist rise to power. Christians are afraid but must cooperate with Muslims. Syria’s case and the bishops’ reaction are a case in point. The West is confused and Obama discredited. A year on, here is a review of what happened in the Arab world.

Beirut (AsiaNews) – Everything began a year ago when a young Tunisian, Mohammed Buazizi, fed up by poverty and police humiliation, set himself on fire. It was 15 December, and like a wildfire on a dry prairie, his sacrifice burnt its way from country to country. It all happened because the Arab world is going through tough times. People felt pain and wanted change. All they needed was spark for the fire to start.

The Arab revolution spread unevenly, depending on the country. In some countries, people were better prepared. In Tunisia, people are stronger and more mature and their former regime did allow protest from time to time. Where the regime was completely dictatorial, as in Libya, an external intervention was necessary. In the Syrian case, the situation is even more complex and it is unclear whether a solution will be found or not.

In some countries, like Jordan, very little happened, probably because their situation is not as bad as elsewhere. In others, nothing happened because population is largely uniformed; for instance, oil-rich Saudi Arabia, where people live well but do not know what are human rights, freedom and equality.

The Arab world and its needs

In any case, unrest this year in the Arab world was caused by the fact that people’s needs are not met. The first and foremost need or reason is poverty, which affects a good part of the population. However, the revolution was not their doing for they live in such grim conditions that the idea of revolution would not have crossed their mind. Others carried it out and they joined in, as in Egypt where 40 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line. In Tunisia, the young man who set himself on fire was desperate because of poverty and unemployment.

The second reason is the dismal level of youth unemployment. In our culture, the inability to start out in life is a source of humiliation. Unemployment means the inability of forming a family. In Europe, reaching the age of 30 without one’s own family is not a tragedy. In our countries, people start to think about creating their own family at the age of 20 with the expectation that they would have it by 25. But if you are jobless, that is impossible. In our countries, a man must be able to buy a house; a woman must bring the furniture. However, if they are unemployed, they cannot get marry and that is humiliating.

The third reason is ethical. It is the lack of dignity and freedom to express one’s opinions as well as the level of inequality. This is especially true for intellectuals as well as the middle classes. Other forms of discrimination, not necessarily religious, also play a role.

Finally, television brings the rest of the world into people’s living rooms. People feel backward compared to others and wonder why it is so. At the same time, they hear that the president, the minister and others are billionaires. All this creates a sense of injustice, which felt as something quite personal.

All this created a sense of frustration that led to the uprising.

Islamist victory

Initially, the movement began spontaneously, from the grassroots. It had no real leadership and today we can see its consequences. Those who made the revolution did not reap the fruit of victory. They enabled others, who were better organised, to benefit for their work. It was such a setback, that some are already saying that it “wasn’t worth the trouble”.

I remain confident. Even though Islamists won, this step was necessary because it allowed other priorities different from theirs to come to the fore. Dignity, jobs, freedom, equality and democracy, were the reasons behind the youth-led revolution, not religion.

It is true that Islamists can now wield power. Now they can show that “Al-Islâm huwa l-hall!”, that “Islam is the solution” for everything. They will have to demonstrate that an Islamic system will solve the problems of unemployment, education, equality, democracy, finances, etc.

For the first time since the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Islamists will exercise political power. It will be an important occasion to see in what areas they can provide concrete answers to real problems and in what they will not. It is also will be an important to see what type of Sharia they will implement, whether it will that of Saudi Arabia, where a woman was beheaded on witchcraft charges, that of Iran, which is blocking the country’s development, or some other versions. As for us, our view will depend on results.

What is certain though is that Islamists, especially Salafists, are using the Arab spring to impose their version of Islam. This was brought home to Tunisia (when they tried to impose the niqâb on women at Manouba University, the country’s best known institution of higher learning, and open a mosque near the campus) and Egypt (when many churches were attacked, crosses destroyed and soldiers assaulted women, leading to last Tuesday’s demonstration).

Education for democracy

In Egypt, the massive electoral victory (60 per cent) of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafists now means that the former will have to prove that they deserve the electorate’s confidence.

Their victory was inevitable. After 60 years of military rule, the democracy was but a faded memory. Yet, more than 50 per cent of the electorate came out to vote, and that is positive. The turnout in past elections did not go above 5-7 per cent. Egyptians refrained from voting knowing that the outcome had already been fixed. Under Nasser, the ruling party won 95 per cent of the vote with 5 per cent of voters casting their ballot.

Tunisia is a special case. Turnout in its recent election was at least 80 per cent. This is a sign that people are interested in politics and are prepared to participate.

Now it is time for young people to organise. Their societies and the rest of the world have taken the Arab Revolution seriously. But they need to plan and achieve unity; otherwise, all is lost. Unlike Tunisia, young people created dozens of parties in Egypt, splitting the vote and so they lost the advantage they had.

The ‘Egyptian Bloc’, a liberal party open to Christians and Muslims alike founded by billionaire Copt Naguib Sawiris, won 17 per cent of the vote. It is not much, but it is something.

This shows there is hope for the future. The movement must raise awareness among Egyptians about what is at stake. In addition to the economy, which is doing badly, it must focus on education. Egypt is particularly backward compared to other Arab countries. Its illiteracy rate is around 40 per cent (especially among women) and the quality of education is poor. This is why people vote according to religious affiliation rather than political analysis.

Despite attacks against churches, Christian-Muslim solidarity has given rise to a certain sensibility and movement for equality, hitherto impossible. Although minimal given the efforts, this is something positive.

The situation in Syria

Syria is where people realise the most what is at stake. Until recently, the Assad regime had appeared very stable. Now that situation is very serious and difficult. Information about is happening inside the country remains unclear. The bishop of Aleppo recently told me to be weary because what is said outside the country is different from what is said inside.

Nonetheless, some new things are emerging. For the first time, the Arab League took a clear position. It suspended Syria from the organisation and agreed to sanctions and more.

Of course, the League’s position is somewhat ambiguous. Syria is an ally of Iran, a predominantly Shia country, whilst the Arab League is almost entirely Sunni. The Arab League’s threats against Syria might thus be motivated more by this opposition than by love for the revolution. Whatever the case may be, Syrians for the past nine months have been willing to give their life to change the situation, and this is a truly new fact.

Syria has distinct problems, those of a totalitarian power structure facing an unarmed population. Neighbouring Arab countries are said to be providing financial aid to the rebels, but a Syrian or Arab mediator is needed; otherwise, there will be destruction.

For the first time, Turkey has come to the defence of Syrian rebels. Perhaps, it has its own hegemonic goals or maybe it is acting to meet its obligations as a Western ally. Or perhaps Turkey might want to promote itself as a model of moderate Islamic nation, despite its own less than stellar human rights record.

The situation in other countries

The future is uncertain in Libya. Islamist ideas are being articulated, but the country’s main problem is how to reconcile its many tribes so that they work together for its development. With industry still in its infancy, it is unclear whether it can move forwards.

Saudi Arabia did not experience any uprising (since it was nipped in the bud by the military), but people still want some change.

By contrast, in countries like Yemen and Bahrain, a revolution did take place, leading to some significant changes. Neither can ever be the same.

Morocco too saw some volatility but no revolution. Fear was sufficient to initiate some social reforms. Even before this, the kingdom had modified its family law (Mudawwanah), giving women more legal rights.

All this suggests that people in the Arab world are seeking their own path.

What about Christians?

In general, Christians fear that Islamists will hijack the revolution. They, especially Salafists, scare us. A danger does exist, but cooperation with others is the only possibility to get the most from the situation. We should not be afraid. Naturally, working with the Islamists will be hard, but some Islamists have political plans and a desire to overcome their country’s backwardness. We must remain watchful to show them when they cross certain limits, when they violate certain rights, etc.

Dialogue is possible and useful on certain social issues. It is time we help and support each other, and show more solidarity towards non-Christians, and vice versa. It is time to work together against illiteracy, poverty, disease, etc. In the field of education and health care, Christians have already shown their generosity and professionalism towards everyone, Christian or Muslim. I think it is possible to work together with most people.

At the same time, we must defend justice, freedom of conscience, the freedom to live our faith and proclaim it; this way, we can implement the principle of equality. Egyptian Muslims speak of the “best religion”, an idea that finds application in the legal field. And of course, by best they mean Islam. For us, that is unacceptable.

Other forms of discriminations exist (men vs. women, rich vs. poor), and we must work against all of them, because they are contrary to the spirit of the Gospel.

Personally, I am not afraid of an Islamic regime. I am however concerned about intolerance. Many Muslims are also opposed to the Salafists who aim at imposing their intolerant vision of Islam (especially as it applies to women). As Christians, we cannot turn inward; instead, we must work with all those who are fighting for a society that respects human rights.

The Arab spring from a Christian perspective

Because they fear of the future, Christians tend to prefer regimes that are already in place. Such regimes are dictatorial in nature and that is a sin. If the government engages in violence, we must say that we are against violence, whatever its source, whether the opposition, ordinary citizens or the military.

We must say that we are for freedom, but not the excess of freedom that is bringing ruin to the West. We must be for equality and justice, for Christians and Muslims, for men and women. Now is the time for Christians to engage in cultural evangelisation, which is far from proselytising.

Unfortunately, the fear of Islamism is pushing Christians to turn to the past. Most of them do not want to get involved too much in politics; they just want to live in peace. However, as a Christian, it is my right and duty to be politically active.

Given this background, we can understand the position of Syria’s bishops, who prefer the known over the unknown. However, the choice is not between good and evil, but between two evils . . . and the choice goes to the lesser of the two. Yet, our path is to say what matters.

Lastly, the West

The West has supported dictators and then ditched them. Now it is wavering. The West has been roundly criticised in Arab countries because of their reliance on countries like Saudi Arabia whose ideological foundations in the indirect source of Islamic terrorism. A country like the United States, which speaks about freedom and human rights, tends to be silent in the matter when it comes to the Saudis.

On Libya, Arabs believe the West was more interested in Libyan oil than in Libya’s freedom. In fact, it got involved only against Libya (as it did against Saddam Hussein and Iraq) and not other countries. With Syria, the West is cautious because that country plays an important geopolitical role. . . . On Syria, the West is not unified and its position is not based on clear principles and values.

I am not an idealist. I think that each country will pursue its interests first. However, since the entire Arab world is caught up in the Arab spring, it would have been better to come up with ways of how to support (or not support) these movements.

The policy towards Israel, which is one of main causes of the Mideast crisis, is an issue that leaves Arabs dismayed, especially after they saw Barack Obama do a U-turn on the same day, first backing a two-state solution and then changing his position during Netanyahu’s visit.

The same is true for his Cairo speech, which first conquered the Arab world, but was discredited months later when it became clear that his policies would not be much different from those of Bush. His credibility is now at all-time low. One has to be committed to principles in order to be a model for others.

The same is true for Europe, which is losing its religious and cultural identity. Unable to deal with its colonial past, it tries instead to hide behind a guilty conscience instead of showing that colonialism too had some value in terms of the dialogue of cultures.

In Europe, people are turning away from the local (usually Christian) religion. The relationship between Europeans and other world religions has become ambiguous. What is more, some governments appear at times to give preference to imported religions, whilst suffocating local ones. If France, for instance, denies is historical Catholic identity, it will not be able to deal with other religions. De facto, a form of schizophrenia has evolved, ranging from the secularisation of Christian festivities to the recognition of religions, other than Christianity.

For this reason, the Arab revolution can also help many young Westerners come to their sense. In Egypt and Syria, some people risked their lives for an ideal, that of a life of dignity, and for a whole people. How many people in Italy or Europe would be willing to do that?

© www.asianews.it - december 27th 2011
]]> webmaster@orientecristiano.com (Oriente Cristiano) Sun, 01 Jan 2012 09:10:42 GMT http://www.orientecristiano.com/english-news/catholicworld/christians-and-muslims-a-year-since-the-start-of-the-arab-spring.html http://www.orientecristiano.com/english-news/catholicworld/catholic-radio-maria-to-start-broadcasting-via-internet.html (SIR Europe – Bratislava) - Belarus is on the way to establish broadcasting of a Catholic radio station “Radio Maria”. Progress concerning work on this project was announced by the archbishop of Minsk-Mohilev, Mons. Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, on 15 December. Discussions about establishment of the new radio have been going on since the visit of the president of the Pontifical Council for social communications, Mons. Claudio Maria Celli, in May this year. The plan is to start broadcasting 24 hours a day via internet, as for now there are no free FM frequences available in the country. Radio Maria was established in 1987 in Italy, having spread its broadcasting in 53 countries all over the world so far and being followed not only by the Catholics but also by the listeners from other Christian denominations, therefore supporting an interdenominational dialog and understanding.

© www.agensir.it - december 21th 2011]]> webmaster@orientecristiano.com (Oriente Cristiano) Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:27:28 GMT http://www.orientecristiano.com/english-news/catholicworld/catholic-radio-maria-to-start-broadcasting-via-internet.html http://www.orientecristiano.com/english-news/catholicworld/nuncio-in-russia-this-christmas-of-crisis-a-chance-to-recover-sense-of-eternity.html by Marta Allevato
Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič, tells AsiaNews about his first year of ministry in Russia. The testimony of the small Russian Catholic community helps to introduce Russian society to Christmas atmosphere. Good relations with the Orthodox Church, help to proclaim the importance of religious principle for the Protection of the person and the family.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - The Christmas of the global crisis as an opportunity to "understand that you can be happy even in a context of external trials," as the moment that eliminated consumerist pressures of the past, "it can awaken a sense of shared responsibility that Christians in particular have to towards the weakest", says the apostolic nuncio to the Russian Federation, Msgr. Ivan Jurkovič. In an exclusive interview with AsiaNews, he speaks of his first year of ministry in Russia, the "pleasant surprise" to see a Catholic community that lives in a positive atmosphere and the emergence of a strong religiosity in Russian society, which is experiencing a phase of "development and maturation."

This is your first Christmas as nuncio in Russia, what does it mean for you? Is there a special meaning this year at Christmas for Catholics in Russia?

In fact, even though this is my first Christmas as nuncio, Russia and Slavic countries have long been home for me, and the richness and beauty of the tradition of the Eastern Church, which inevitably is reflected also in the Catholic community, has been part of my life for years. But above all, Christmas is the celebration of hope and the time of renewal of Christian vocation. I do not know if the Catholics in Russia find some particular aspect of the celebrations of Christmas this year, but certainly the small local Catholic community is increasingly witnessing the great Latin tradition of the feast, and in a certain sense are introducing Russian society to the Christmas atmosphere, which reaches its climax thirteen days later - according to the Julian liturgical calendar – in Orthodox celebrations.

This is also the Christmas of the great financial crisis, which message of hope can this Christian feast offer for the many people in need?

Christmas is the celebration of simplicity, of fellowship, of the small joys that are rooted in the beauty of inner life. At its very root is an episode which from the human point of view is a collage of unfavourable and precarious events. And yet, “the joy of the world” came amid these conditions. Perhaps this Christmas can help us better understand external trials as an impulse to regain orientation toward eternal goals, to better understand what happens in everyday life and to open our eyes to see our neighbour and his or her needs, and help as them Christian solidarity demands. Over the past years of relative prosperity the Christmas period risked becoming a period of sometimes reckless spending, which in many cases became a kind of surrogate for the real celebration. Perhaps the difficulties we are facing can be providential in awakening in us a sense of shared responsibility, which as Christians we must all have, especially towards those in greatest need.

What has struck you most in this your first year of ministry as Nuncio in Russia?

Perhaps the celebrations of the centenary of some Catholic churches (the cathedral of Moscow, the church of Krasnoyarsk). These celebrations testified to the regained the freedom of our community at the beginning of the twentieth century and which once again has been revived in this first decade of the twenty-first century. Catholics in Russia today are pervaded by this positive atmosphere and this perhaps is the greatest and most pleasant surprise that I have found at the beginning of my ministry in Moscow.

Can you speak to us about relations with the Orthodox Church. What are the main appointments for next year regarding ecumenical dialogue?

Relations with the Orthodox take place in an atmosphere of serenity and fraternal cooperation. Meetings between representatives of the two Churches are numerous and of a very high level. But it is not only high-level contacts: each type of initiative has its own importance and there are many ways to promote bonds of friendship and cooperation. A few days ago we concluded a major conference in Moscow on the persecution against Christians, which brought together a remarkable group of representatives of Christian denominations and religions from around the world and has seen a remarkable spirit of solidarity and unity in proclaiming the importance of the religious principle for the Protection of the person and the future of humanity. Another "ecumenical" theme is the family, we are preparing ourselves in light of the world meeting next summer. There Orthodox Church has this issue very much at heart. There will certainly be numerous meetings with various departments of the Roman Curia, which have now become customary, as well as academic and cultural initiatives.

How are relations with the Russian state?

First I would like to emphasize the importance of the elevation of the relations between the Holy See and the Russian Federation and the establishment of diplomatic ties, in 2009. This is an event of particular historical importance. Suffice to say that after 1806 relations between the Holy See and Russia, despite several periods of relatively active co-operation, have always been troubled by the absence of full diplomatic bilateral relations. In recent years, the common positions of the Holy See and the Russian Federation in various international forums have also brought some positive results, in a special way in the defense and promotion of traditional Christian values in contemporary society. Then there are also many points in common in seeking to promote peace and social justice in the world.

The story of the sisters of Mother Teresa has created tension? As you are trying to solve the case?

Both the Archbishop and the Nunciature are working to find a solution to this sad situation and ensure the religious the opportunity to continue their generous service to destitute and marginalized. We are confident that the authorities understand the importance of their presence for the city of Moscow and will find a proper solution to the problem.

What do you think of the recent public demonstrations. How can religion contribute to the solution of these difficulties?

Like any society, Russian society is in the process of continuously developing and maturing. These processes involve all the living forces of society, and symptomatic of this is the emergence of a strong religiosity (just think of the 3 million people who have recently venerated the Marian relic brought from Mount Athos in various cities of Russia, withstanding freezing temperatures for hours), a strong boost to truth and personal responsibility. Religion certainly has a privileged role in the education of the person, to contribute to a constructive dialogue which is the foundation of every guarantee of peaceful coexistence and promotion of the human person in all its dimensions. Pope Benedict XVI’s speech to the German Parliament received great attention in Russia. Advent address the same appeal to us, inviting us to wait for Christ "sun of justice" and "light of knowledge”, which is a beautiful expression of the Byzantine liturgy.

© www.asianews.it - december 17th 2011
]]> webmaster@orientecristiano.com (Oriente Cristiano) Sat, 17 Dec 2011 18:40:45 GMT http://www.orientecristiano.com/english-news/catholicworld/nuncio-in-russia-this-christmas-of-crisis-a-chance-to-recover-sense-of-eternity.html http://www.orientecristiano.com/english-news/catholicworld/a-day-against-the-persecution-of-christians-but-especially-against-religious-intolerance.html Vatican City (AsiaNews) - An annual international day to remind the world of persecution of Christians: This is the idea that for some time now has been discussed within the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) and it has met with the appreciation of the Holy See, even if the Vatican seems to push more for a commitment against intolerance of all religions.

At the 18th OSCE Ministerial Council, held in Vilnius (Lithuania) on December 6, Msgr. Dominique Mamberti, Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, encouraged "the participating States to report hate crimes against Christians, I wish to express my hope that in the near future there is a sequel to the Rome Conference [held last September - ed], in particular in discussions with our partners for cooperation. The celebration of International Day against the persecution and discrimination of Christians could prove an important sign that governments are eager to tackle this serious issue. "

Referring to Benedict XVI's Message for World Day of Peace 2011, religious freedom, Msgr. Mamberti recalled that “Christians are now the religious group that suffers the highest number of persecution because of their faith .... There may be more than two hundred million Christians of different denominations, who are in difficulty because of legal and cultural structures that lead to their discrimination. "

The Vatican Secretary expressed appreciation for the OSCE efforts to support religious freedom. He recalled that "the Astana Summit Declaration [of 2010] clearly stated that ' greater efforts must be made to promote freedom of religion or belief and to combat intolerance and discrimination'. The right to religious freedom, despite being repeatedly proclaimed by the international community and in the constitutions of most states, continues today be widely violated".

"This commitment to combating religious intolerance is what motivates the Holy See," a Vatican official told AsiaNews. "This work which is of utmost important would be fitting for the OSCE."

The OSCE is an international organization that developed after the Helsinki Conference of 1973, for the promotion of peace, political dialogue, justice and cooperation in Europe. It currently has 56 member countries and is in fact the largest regional security organization. Among the member states and partners are the former Soviet republics and the countries of North Africa. In recent times in these two areas serious attacks against the religious freedom of Muslims and Christians have been registered.

© www.asianews.it - december 9th 2011
]]> webmaster@orientecristiano.com (Oriente Cristiano) Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:25:21 GMT http://www.orientecristiano.com/english-news/catholicworld/a-day-against-the-persecution-of-christians-but-especially-against-religious-intolerance.html http://www.orientecristiano.com/english-news/catholicworld/catholic-and-orthodox-clerics-against-persecution-of-christians.html Moscow’s “International Conference on the Discrimination and Persecution against Christians, organised by the Patriarchate of Moscow, ended today, with a speech by Patriarch Kyrill. The message sent out, urged the world to speak out against the persecution of Christians – an international emergency that affects one million victims and causes a hundred thousand deaths each year. Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, in charge of the Patriarchate of Moscow’s external relations, described it as the biggest ever ecclesiastical meeting on this theme. Catholic speakers included: Paolo Pezzi, Archbishop of the Diocese of Moscow, Ivan Jurkovic, Apostolic Nuncio to Russia and Joseph Ender, the Holy See’s special envoy to the Conference. Also present at the Conference was the Metropolitan of Iraq’s Assyrian Church, Mar Gewargis – who condemned the climate of fear in his Country which is forcing many Christians to emigrate and leading the Christian community there to near extinction. Numerous archbishops and patriarchs from the Orthodox world also attended.

The Conference was opened by Italian sociologist, Massimo Introvigne, OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) Representative on combating racism, xenophobia and discrimination. Using the exhibition of Italian Eighteenth Century paintings currently underway at the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, as a cue, Mr. Introvigne recalled how one of the themes that was passed on from Nineteenth Century Italian painting to Russian painting and presented in the exhibition, is that of sinking. If Europe continues to keep quite about the persecution of Christians, for fear of offending their persecutors (“who may supply our oil, or buy our Treasury bonds,” Introvigne said), it risks sinking morally and spiritually, which may have even more harmful consequences than the economic crisis.

http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it - december 2th 2011]]> webmaster@orientecristiano.com (Oriente Cristiano) Sat, 03 Dec 2011 09:18:01 GMT http://www.orientecristiano.com/english-news/catholicworld/catholic-and-orthodox-clerics-against-persecution-of-christians.html