Paus Temukan “Keterbukaan untuk Dialog” di antara Umat Kristen, Yahudi, dan Muslim

Oleh Gerard O'Connell
Koresponden Khusus di Roma


KOTA VATIKAN (UCAN) -- Paus Benediktus XVI melihat tanda pengharapan di Tanah Suci yang, katanya, sekalipun merupakan “simbol kasih Allah bagi umat-Nya dan seluruh umat manusia,” telah menjadi “simbol perpecahan dan konflik yang tak ada akhirnya."

Paus berusia 82 tahun itu membuat komentar itu di akhir “ziarah perdamaian” bersejarah yang dilakukannya selama delapan hari ke Tanah Suci. Dia memulai perjalanannya di Jordania pada 8 Mei, sebelum pergi ke Israel dan Wilayah Palestina.

Dalam kunjungannya, ia bertemu dengan para pemimpin ketiga negara dan wilayah itu, dan sempat berbicara secara pribadi dengan mereka masing-masing.

Menyambut ribuan peziarah di Lapangan St. Petrus di Roma pada 17 Mei, paus masih memohon – seperti yang dilakukannya dalam perjalanan ke Tanah Suci – kepada umat Kristen, Muslim, dan Yahudi untuk "bekerja sama" dan dengan orang-orang yang berkehendak baik "membangun suatu masa depan keadilan dan perdamaian di negara-negara dan wilayah itu."

Berbicara dari perspektif teologis, Paus Benediktus mengatakan bahwa Tanah Suci, dengan situasinya yang sangat bersejarah, dapat dilihat sebagai "sebuah mikrokosmos yang kembali menyatakan dirinya sebagai perziarahan Allah dengan manusia yang sedemikian sulit."

Ini merupakan “suatu perziarahan yang mengandung dosa serta salib," tetapi juga "kebangkitan telah dimulai."

Paus merujuk pada tanda-tanda kebangkitan ini ketika ia berbicara kepada para wartawan dalam penerbangannya dari Tel Aviv ke Roma, pada 15 Mei, dan menyatakan "tiga kesan mendasar" yang diperolehnya dalam kunjungan itu.

Pertama, katanya, ia “menemukan di mana-mana,” baik di antara umat Kristen, kaum Muslim, dan umat Yahudi, "keterbukaan yang pasti untuk kerja sama, berkontak, dan dialog antaragama." Penting bagi semua orang untuk pahami bahwa ini bukan sekedar motif terkait dengan situasi sekarang ini, katanya, melainkan “buah" iman akan Allah yang Esa yang diyakini oleh mereka semua.

Kedua, ia menemukan apa yang diuraikannya sebagai "suatu suasana ekumene yang membesarkan hati” di kalangan komunitas-komunitas Kristen di Tanah Suci. Secara khusus paus menyebut "keramahan luar biasa" yang dialaminya dalam banyak pertemuan dengan para pemimpin Gereja Ortodoks Yunani, Anglikan, dan Lutheran.

Ketiga, katanya, ia bukan saja melihat dan merasakan "berbagai kesulitan yang sangat besar" yang ada, tetapi "saya juga melihat ada suatu kerinduan mendalam akan perdamaian di semua pihak." Ada berbagai kesulitan, katanya mengakui, tetapi semua ini harus dijelaskan, bukan disembunyikan.

Sebelumnya, ketika berbicara dalam upacara perpisahan di Bandara Internasional Ben Gurion di Tel Aviv, Paus Benediktus membuat sebuah penekanan terakhir pada perdamaian di hadapan para petinggi politik Israel serta para pemimpin agama Kristen, Yahudi, dan Muslim.

"Jangan ada lagi penumpahan darah! Jangan ada lagi pertikaian! Jangan ada lagi terorisme! Jangan ada lagi peperangan!" katanya, dengan berbicara sebagai "seorang teman dari rakyat Palestina maupun bangsa Israel."

Pada 11 Mei, ketika tiba di sini, paus meminta sebuah "solusi dua negara" sebagai jalan menuju “perdamaian yang adil dan abadi." Sekarang, untuk mulai, ia kembali meminta agar ini "menjadi kenyataan."

"Biarlah secara universal diakui bahwa Negara Israel berhak untuk ada, dan untuk menikmati kedamaian dan keamanan dalam batas-batas yang diakui secara internasional,” katanya. "Sebaliknya, biarlah diakui bahwa rakyat Palestina berhak memiliki tanah air merdeka dan berdaulat, untuk hidup bermartabat dan bebas bepergian."

Paus juga mengatakan kepada para pemimpin Israel bahwa tembok sepanjang 700 kilometer dengan tinggi delapan meter yang memisahkan warga Israel dari warga Palestina itu merupakan “salah satu pandangan yang sangat menyedihkan” yang diamatinya ketika mengadakan kunjungan itu. Dia berdoa, semoga tidak lama lagi tembok itu tidak dibutuhkan.

Pada pagi yang sama, sebelum berangkat ke bandar udara, paus bertemu dengan para pemimpin Kristen di Yerusalem di Patriarkat Ortodoks Yunani. Setelah mendorong mereka untuk bersatu, paus berdoa semoga harapan mereka untuk "hidupkan kebebasan beragama dan hidup bersama secara damai" bisa terwujud.

Yang terpenting dari kunjungannya terjadi segera ketika paus memasuki Basilica of Holy Sepulcher di Yerusalem. Paus berdoa dalam keheningan beberapa menit di makam Kristus, tempat yang sangat dihormati dalam agama Kristen. Paus juga berdoa di tempat Yesus disalibkan.

Paus Benediktus terlatih sebagai seorang diplomat, meskipun dalam kunjungannya ke Tanah Suci, dia secara mengejutkan memasuki apa yang umumnya dianggap daerah politik dan keagamaan, bukan saja dalam hubungan dengan orang Yahudi dan kaum Muslim, tetapi juga dalam menghimbau suatu penyelesaian politik terhadap konflik Israel-Palestina yang telah berlangsung 61 tahun.

Paus turut meningkatkan rekonsiliasi dan saling memahami secara lebih mendalam antara umat Kristen dan Yahudi, setelah berbicara secara mendalam dengan tokoh-tokoh religius Yahudi. Umat Yahudi menyambut kutukannya terhadap anti-Semitisme dan penyangkalan Holocaust, ingatannya terhadap 6 juta orang Yahudi yang mati dalam Holocaust, doanya di Tembok Ratapan (Tembok Barat dari Bait Allah), serta rasa hormatnya terhadap agama Yahudi.

Namun, tidak mengherankan, kalau paus tidak bisa memuaskan semua orang. Sejumlah kecil orang Yahudi terkemuka di Israel, termasuk Rabbi Utama Meir Lau, ketua Komisi Yad Vashem, mengkritik paus karena tidak menyebut kata “Jerman” atau “Nazi,” atau “enam juta” korban Nazi dalam pidatonya dalam acara Peringatan Holocaust di Yad Vashem.

Media Israel membahas kritikan ini dalam laporan berita mereka.

Pastor Federico Lombardi, direktur Kantor Pers Takhta Suci, menjawab kritikan ini dengan mengatakan, paus telah mengatakan semua itu dalam pidato sebelumnya di Koln, Jerman, dan di Auschwitz, dan tentu tidak ada orang yang mengharapkan paus mengatakan semua itu terus menerus dalam setiap pidatonya.

Presiden Israel Shimon Peres juga membela paus, dan mengatakan buah-buah kunjungan paus akan bersifat jangka panjang, dan tidak bisa dihakimi dengan "insiden-insiden" seperti itu.

Sementara kritikan Yahudi tersebar di publik, kritikan yang sama dari umat Kristen Palestina tidak bisa didiamkan begitu saja: Kritikan dari umat Kristen Palestina mengungkapkan keprihatinan bahwa kunjungan paus hanya memperbaiki citra publik Israel setelah penyerangan terhadap Gaza, yang meninggalkan banyak persoalan tak terpecahkan.

Mereka juga menyesal bahwa paus dalam pidato-pidatonya tidak menyinggung jumlah pendudukan Israel yang terus meningkat di seluruh negeri, atau hak para pengungsi untuk kembali. Mereka melihat hal ini sebagai kendala terbesar untuk perdamaian dengan keadilan.

Namun, kebanyakan kaum Muslim Palestina menyambut hangat pidato-pidato paus yang mengungkapkan perhormatan terhadap Islam, dengan menghimbau terbentuknya negara Palestina dan kebebasan bergerak yang lebih besar dari warga Palestina, pencabutan embargo terhadap Gaza, dan kritikan paus terhadap tembok yang dibangun Israel. Mereka juga menyambut baik kunjungan paus ke Masjid Kubah Batu (Dome of the Rock) di Yerusalem, Masjid Al-Hussein di Amman, dan kamp pengungsi Aida di Bethlehem.

Para pemimpin Gereja Kristen di Tanah Suci sangat mendukung kunjungan paus, dan penekanan paus terhadap penyelesaian konflik Israel-Palestina, yang menurut penelitian merupakan alasan terbesar bagi eksodus umat Kristen, serta warga Palestina umumnya, dari Tanah Suci.

Menyambut Paus Benediktus ke Israel pada 11 Mei, dengan “misi perdamaian” paus, Presiden Shimon Peres mengatakan: "Para pemimpin spiritual dapat merintis jalan bagi para pemimpin politik. Mereka dapat membersihkan wilayah-wilayah ranjau yang menghalangi jalan menuju perdamaian."

Paus Benediktus telah membuat suatu hal tertentu dengan hanya melakukan hal itu. Kini kita tinggal melihat apakah para pemimpin politik di Tanah Suci menanggapi kata-kata paus dengan keterbukaan hati dan berupaya menuju “suatu keadilan yang adil dan abadi” bagi rakyat mereka masing-masing.

sumber : ucanews.com Read more...

Pope Benedict gives thanks for pilgrimage to Holy Land

Vatican City, May 17, 2009 / 11:09 am (CNA)- On a warm spring day, Pope Benedict XVI met with tens of thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square Sunday to pray the Regina Coeli and to reflect on his recent visit to the Holy Land.

The Pope began by thanking the Lord, the civil and religious authorities in the Holy Land and all those “who accompanied and supported me in their prayer” for his recently concluded pilgrimage to the region. He said, “This land, symbol of God’s love for his people and for the whole of humanity, is also a symbol of freedom and peace as God wills it for every one of his children.”

“However, yesterday’s and today’s history show that this land has become a symbol of the opposite, of divisions and never-ending conflicts among brothers,” he continued. “The Holy Land has itself become almost a metaphor of revelation a “Fifth Gospel”, as some have called it, which by virtue of its history can be considered a microcosm that sums up humanity’s tiring journey towards the Kingdom of justice, love and peace.”

In the last part of his reflection the Holy Father focused on praying for the civilians caught up in fighting in Sri Lanka. For the past several weeks he military has been on the offensive against Tamil rebels in the northern part of the country. Thousands of people have been caught in the crossfire.

Today the Sri Lankan government announced that all the displaced people had reached safe areas and that the 25-year war against the Tamil Tigers has ended in victory.

“We cannot end this Marian prayer without turning our thoughts to Sri Lanka, to express our affection and spiritual closeness to the civilians caught in the combat zone, in the north of the country; thousands of children, women and elderly who lost years of life and hope to the war,” the Pontiff said. “And so I call on the combatants to facilitate their evacuation, joining my voice to that of the United Nations Security Council which just a few days ago demanded guarantees for their safety and security.”

“I call on humanitarian organizations, including Catholic organizations, to leave no stone unturned in their effort to bring urgent food and medical aid to the refugees.”

“I entrust this dear country to the maternal protection of Our Lady of Madhu, beloved and venerated by all Sri Lankans,” Pope Benedict concluded. “I raise my prayers to the Lord that he may bring closer the day of reconciliation and peace.”

After the Marian prayer, the Pope addressed a few words to English-speaking pilgrims:

“I warmly greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present for this Regina Coeli prayer. In today’s Gospel Jesus invites his disciples to remain in his love by their love for one another. These words of the Risen Lord have a special resonance for me as I reflect on my recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I ask all of you to join me in praying that the Christians of the Middle East will be strengthened in their witness to Christ’s victory and to the reconciling power of his love. Through the prayers of Mary, Queen of Peace, may the Christians of the Holy Land, in cooperation with their Jewish and Muslim neighbors, and all people of good will, work in harmony to build a future of justice and peace in those lands. Upon them, and upon all of you, I invoke an abundance of Easter joy in Christ our Savior.

source: Catholic News Agency
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Christians indispensable for Holy Land, Pope stresses

Pope Benedict XVI Nazareth, Israel, May 14, 2009





Catholic News Agency



(CNA).- Wrapping up his time in Nazareth, Pope Benedict prayed in the grotto of the Basilica of the Annunciation and then met with bishops, priests and laity in the church. The Pope, reminding Christians of the power of the Annunciation despite its apparent insignificance, encouraged them to remain in the Holy Land, assuring them that they "have a part to play in God's plan for salvation."

"It is profoundly moving for me to be present with you today in the very place where the Word of God was made flesh and came to dwell among us," Benedict began, after having prayed Evening prayer with the faithful.

He noted that when the same Spirit that hovered over the waters at creation 'came upon Mary,' God permanently established a new relationship with us. But this narrative "illustrates God's extraordinary courtesy," since "He does not impose himself, he does not simply pre-determine the part that Mary will play in his plan for our salvation: he first seeks her consent."

Aware of the plight of the Christian community in the Holy Land, the Pope said, "when we reflect on this joyful mystery, it gives us hope, the sure hope that God will continue to reach into our history, to act with creative power so as to achieve goals which by human reckoning seem impossible."


"In the state of Israel and the Palestinian Territories, Christians form a minority of the population. Perhaps at times you feel that your voice counts for little," the Holy Father surmised, while noting that their situation calls to mind the "young virgin Mary, who led a hidden life in Nazareth."

Christians in the Holy Land should draw strength from God as Mary did in her famous prayer the Magnificat, the Pope said.

"Have the confidence to be faithful to Christ and to remain here in the land that he sanctified with his own presence!" the Holy Father entreated his fellow Christians.

"Like Mary, you have a part to play in God's plan for salvation, by bringing Christ forth into the world, by bearing witness to him and spreading his message of peace and unity."

Benedict XVI finished his words to the crowd by calling on Christians to be unified in faith, hope and love and adding that he prays for them "constantly."

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Why I Love the Holy Land (and Why You Should, Too)

By Joshua Allen

Inside Catholic.com



"For this one night, Jesus is in the tomb." These words, spoken to me by a priest on Holy Thursday, haunted my soul as the doors of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem were locked and I found myself spending the night in the tomb of Christ, which functions as the altar of repose for the basilica. Twelve hours later, exhausted but exhilarated, I left the tomb struggling to process my incredible experience of the reality of Christ and of the Holy Land, the very land where He walked and taught, where He lived and died. This was the center of it all, the center of all time and space. That tomb, forever a monument to the Resurrection, had shown me Christ as I had never seen Him before. I rejoiced and thanked God for the grace to be there in that moment, and I resolved to let it change my life.

It is by any measure of blessings one of the greatest to have the opportunity to visit the Holy Land. I am a seminarian studying for the Archdiocese of Atlanta at the Pontifical North American College in Rome; I have a view of St. Peter's from my home. (Really, my cup is overflowing with blessings.) Our first summer at the NAC is spent outside of the United States; I spent mine on a 10-week pilgrimage, working at the Pontifical Notre Dame Center in Jerusalem. The Holy Land changed my entire perspective on faith: There, the theory becomes real; belief is given a face and a context; you engage the Scriptures as never before.

It has a certain exotic quality for Americans: The flight is long and uncomfortable, the Jewish and Muslim cultures are completely foreign, and there is always the specter of terrorism and safety overhanging any thought of travel. A trip in the Holy Land is frankly disorienting. In Jerusalem, within 30 minutes you can walk from Calvary to the Upper Room to the Temple to Gethsemane, your head spinning all the while. Bethlehem is 20 minutes away; Galilee is two hours away. Mount Moriah, where salvation history begins with the Sacrifice of Abraham, is the mountain upon which the Temple is constructed -- in the center of the city. The City of David and Mount Zion, Gehenna and Emmaus are all right there.

The magnificent reality of it all is simply overwhelming. We are so blessed to have a faith that is based in history: the Bible is filled with real events that happened at real places. God chose certain times and places to reveal Himself in history, and the fact that He chose the Holy Land means something. Of course, our faith is not dependent on particular places, but our faith does depend on the historical fact of Jesus Christ: His life, death, and resurrection. Jesus is not just a bedtime story; He is a real person. The Incarnation is necessarily specific: Jesus walked in real places doing real things with real disciples.


Our Holy Father is beginning a pilgrimage to the Holy Land today. It is significant that he is starting his trip in Jordan at Mount Nebo, where God showed Moses the Promised Land. Moses was not able to enter; God merely showed it to him, proving that his gifts are more than spiritual ideas; instead, they are concrete realities we can see, taste, and touch. The blessings God gave to the children of Abraham so many millennia ago remain blessings for us today. The Holy Land is calling the Christian children of Abraham to her heart, and our Holy Father is answering the call.

You cannot imagine the experience: seeing the Mount of Olives; touching trees that are 3,000 years old in the Garden of Gethsemane; standing where Jesus was transfigured; seeing how insultingly small a mustard seed really is; reading Psalm 23 in the Kidron Valley, or Psalm 88 in the pit of Christ (where He was held before being brought to Pilate); touching the very rock of Calvary baptized in Christ's blood; kissing the column where Jesus was scourged; kneeling at the manger in Bethlehem; walking the shore where Peter affirmed his love for Jesus three times; praying where Gabriel appeared to Mary; celebrating the Mass of the Resurrection in the empty tomb. The Holy Land becomes a part of you, just as you become a part of its history, and it is absolutely addictive: I have been back three times already.

There is no place like the Holy Land. Don't let fear keep you from experiencing its magnificence. Follow in the footsteps of Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, and now Pope Benedict XVI. Pray for the Holy Land. Pray for the pope's visit. Visit if you possibly can -- it is worth the sacrifice. You will never be the same.


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Joshua Allen is a fourth-year seminarian studying at the North American College in Rome for the Archdiocese of Atlanta. He writes a regular column, Led Into the Truth, for Catholic News Agency.



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Ten Hard Facts Confronting Benedict XVI in the Holy Land

By Deal W. Hudson


The Holy Father, his entourage, and the international media are preparing to visit the Holy Land May 8-15. Pope Benedict XVI will undoubtedly encourage further peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians.

But the prospect of a two-state solution to the ongoing conflict has become more remote, as the situation on the ground is constantly changing. Here are the facts as they stand now, and which will confront the Holy Father when he arrives in Amman, Jordan on May 8:

1. The world's oldest Christian community -- the Christians of historic Palestine -- will be gone within two generations if the Church does not act to protect them.

2. Estimates show that more than 10 percent of the Palestinian Christian community on the West Bank has immigrated in the last five years alone. There is a corresponding number of Palestinian Christians leaving from towns like Nazareth and East Jerusalem located within Israel.

3. Tension with Muslims is not the primary reason for the exodus -- only 11 percent of Palestinian Christians cite it as a reason for immigration. In fact, these communities have historically coexisted peacefully, along with indigenous Jewish communities, for centuries before the birth of the modern Israeli conflict.

4. Palestinian Muslims are also leaving the West Bank for the same reason as Palestinian Christians: Living under a military occupation reflecting an unresolved geopolitical conflict destroys any hope of a future for their children.

5. Palestinian Christians have very little freedom of movement. Most have never worshipped in Jerusalem's holy places, even though Bethlehem and Jerusalem are only a few miles apart and were historically connected for years. A system of segregated roads exists for Palestinians and Israelis, and checkpoints prevent Palestinians from traveling even between their own communities entirely within the West Bank. Many Israelis and official international observers say that these checkpoints and segregated roads are not there for Israel's legitimate security interests, but to enable its illegal settlements to continue expanding.

6. Palestinians have been the subject of frequent attack -- often with civilians and their homes in the direct line of fire. Since 1967, the Israeli army demolished more than 20,000 Palestinian houses, uprooted more than 3,000,000 trees, revoked residency rights of more than 6,000 Palestinians in Jerusalem, imprisoned more than 700,000 Palestinians for various periods of time, and killed or assassinated 15,000.

7. Since Israel removed its settlers from the Gaza Strip in 2004, Israeli settlements have expanded at their fastest rate in history. Moreover, Israel has issued plans to build more than 150,000 illegal housing units in Israeli settlements. In 2008, amidst the "settlement freeze" agreed upon in the 2007 Annapolis framework, tenders for new settlement building increased by 550 percent. Actual settlement construction has increased by 30 percent since the launching of the new round of peace talks.

8. After Israel removed all of its settlers and its permanent military presence from Gaza, it actually tightened its control over the area, devastating the economy and destabilizing the political situation, and then increased its settlements at the fastest rate in history. Since it removed 8,000 settlers from Gaza, over 50,000 new settlers have come to the West Bank in less than 3 years. The Israeli army is still in effective control of 24 percent of the land along Gaza's northern and eastern borders.

9. Since negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians began in 1993, Israeli GDP has increased by an estimated 250 percent, while Palestinian GDP has decreased by more than 40 percent. Palestinians have been locked in a series of virtual, disconnected, and militarily controlled "cantons." This makes a fertile soil for extremists.

10. Israel's 21-day incursion into Gaza left an immense humanitarian crisis: More than 50,800 Gazans were left homeless; 80 percent of the population are now dependent on assistance; between 35 and 60 percent of the agriculture industry was wrecked (60 percent of the agricultural land in the north of the Strip may no longer be arable); 219 factories were destroyed or severely damaged; 48 percent of the 122 health facilities assessed were found to be damaged or destroyed; 15 of Gaza's 27 hospitals and 41 primary health care centers suffered damages; 14,000 homes, 68 government buildings, and 31 NGOs were either totally or partially damaged -- as a result, an estimated 600,000 tons of concrete rubble will need to be removed.

The communities of Israel and Palestine are historically interdependent. Each must have the ability to live in dignity within its own community. The Church must offer a universal message of hope, while not neglecting to care for its own. Indeed, the fate of Palestinian Christians and the Holy Land itself are irrevocably linked to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Benedict XVI, more than anyone else, understands the transformative power of faith and will bring that message to all the children of Abraham in the Holy Land.

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Deal W. Hudson is the director of InsideCatholic.com and the author of Onward, Christian Soldiers: The Growing Political Power of Catholics and Evangelicals in the United States (Simon and Schuster).

4/16/09
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Palestinian Christians Look Toward the Papal Visit

By Deal W. Hudson

Palestinian Christians are wondering aloud whether the upcoming visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the Holy Land will bring greater media attention to their dwindling numbers. They fear that, at the top, the pope's agenda will be dominated by his continuing effort to smooth the ruffled feathers of Muslims (after his2006 Regensburg speech) and Jews (following the recent trouble over the anti-Semitism of Bishop Richard Williamson of the Society of St. Pius X).

Building better relations with Israel, the international Jewish community, and Muslims is the "story line already written by the media for the papal visit," one Vatican observer told me.But the real motive behind the visit, according to the same observer with close ties to the Vatican, is the pope's desire to make a "personal pilgrimage" to the holy sites. His message will be a message to the Church, he continued, and should not be expected to target "specific problems" on the ground.

It's impossible, however, for a papal visit to Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan not to be scrutinized from every possible angle. Everyone in the region, and many around the world, will be listening for any possible comment on the ongoing occupation by Israel of the West Bank and its impact on the historic Christian communities of places like Bethlehem, Nazareth, Beit Jala, and Beit Sahour.

Opinions differ on the primary cause for the departure of Christians out of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Some point to the rigors of the occupation, especially restrictions on the freedom of movement imposed by checkpoints and security walls. Others talk about the mounting tensions between Christians and Muslims in towns like Bethlehem, where their families once lived side by side without rancor as far back as anyone can remember. Indeed, on this, my fourth trip to the Holy Land in six years, I have heard more about Muslim hostility to Christians than ever before.

My own observation is that, when people are locked in a prison with little hope of ever getting out, they turn their gaze inward. Divisions that once didn't matter become very relevant. Similarly, when two peoples live together under an occupation without the freedom of movement, they start finding more fault with each other.

Bernard Sabella, a professor at Bethlehem University and a Christian member of the Palestinian legislature, offers another explanation for the exodus. "The main reason is unemployment. If the young people can't find work, they leave, it's that simple."

Sabella's research has found that in good economic years, about 200 to 300 Palestinian Christians between the ages of 25 and 30 leave the West Bank and East Jerusalem. In bad economic times, the numbers shoot up to between 900 and 1,000 a year. With only 50,000 Christians in those areas, the net result is a steadily shrinking community whose recovery is dependent on the return of a robust economy. Sabella adds, "How can you have a strong economy with plenty of jobs for young people out of college when they cannot, for example, even leave the city of Bethlehem but only rarely?"

Without freedom of movement, Sabella argues, the economy cannot grow, more and more Palestinians will depend on foreign aid for subsistence, and young Christians will choose to leave in search of better lives. Sabella's analysis, although beginning with the problem of unemployment, points back to the impact of the Israeli occupations and, particularly, the more stringent measures taken since theintifada that began in 2000.

If Benedict addresses the root causes for the declining Christian presence in the Holy Land, he will very likely offend both Israelis and Muslims, the very parties with whom he might have hoped to strengthen ties. Yet this is the moment when Christians living under the occupation need a word of support from the leader of the Church. After the Gaza campaign and the election of Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister, they have little hope that Israel will pursue a two-state solution. They also put little faith in the promises of the Obama administration -- not because of Obama himself, but because of their disappointments in previous U.S. presidents.

One frustrated Christian put it to me bluntly: "The pope must do something for his Christians here in the Holy Land, or there will be none of us here in 20 years." This father of two young children, living in Bethlehem and struggling to keep his family on the West Bank, is considering the option of immigrating for the first time in his life. His attitude, I am told, is becoming widespread among educated Palestinian Christians.

Benedict has already shown himself capable of rising to the occasion to overcome controversy, as on his trip to the United States a year ago when he defused the criticism awaiting him about the priest sex scandal. His proactive comments to the media on the flight to Washington, D.C., let the air out of the balloon of invective that was ready to burst upon his arrival.

The Holy Father may well find a way to navigate through the more rocky shores of Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the Palestinian Christians caught in the middle.

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Deal W. Hudson is the director of InsideCatholic.com and the author of Onward, Christian Soldiers: The Growing Political Power of Catholics and Evangelicals in the United States (Simon and Schuster).

4/09/09
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The Pope Should Go to Gaza

By Deal W. Hudson

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"The Holy Father should not be coming to the Holy Land without visiting Gaza." The bitterness in his voice was obvious as the professor at Bethlehem University talked to me about Pope Benedict XVI's visit next month. I found that his attitude is the rule, rather than the exception, among Palestinian Christians in the Holy Land.
In interviews conducted with over twenty Palestinian Christian leaders last week, I was surprised to discover no enthusiasm whatsoever for the upcoming papal visit. "The pope's visit here will only legitimize the recent Israeli operation in Gaza and the intentions of the right-wing government elected in February," the professor explained.

Palestinian Christians have expressed their concerns directly to Benedict. In a little-noticed letter of February 20, 40 members of the Christian community in the Holy Land told the pope his visit would only serve to endorse Israeli government policies, "leading to more cooperation from the United States and Europe."
Nidal Abu Zuluf is associate director of the YMCA in Bethlehem and coordinates a network of Christian organizations. As he gave me a copy of the letter, he asked, "Why now? It's a bad time for the pope to come, and there is no clear message, unless he goes to Gaza."

From what I saw and heard there, adding Gaza to the papal visit to the Holy Land would indeed send a message to all concerned, including Hamas, which some Christians fear was strengthened by the three-week Israeli offensive. Benedict could visit Holy Family Parish in Gaza City, where Msgr. Manuel Musallam and his parishioners lived through the bombing that began on December 28 and the ground invasion a week later on January 3, 2009. Monsignor Musallam and his parish minister to the 200 Catholics remaining in Gaza (there are approximately another 3,000 Christians, most of whom are Greek Orthodox).

Unfortunately, the itinerary of the trip, set for May 8-13, does not include Gaza -- it basically repeats the schedule of Pope John Paul II from March 2000. Benedict arrives in Amman, Jordan, before visiting Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Nazareth. The problem, according to Abu Zuluf, is that the Holy Land is a "very different place" than it was in 2000. Ever since the uprising (Second Intifada) that followed the visit of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to the Temple Mount in September 2000, the West Bank has been in a state of lock-down enforced by hundreds of miles of security walls, checkpoints, settlements, settler roads, and harsh restrictions on freedom of movement.

Palestinian Christians have virtually no access to the holy sites in East Jerusalem, Galilee, and Nazareth. Abu Zuluf, a native of Bethlehem, has not been able to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem since 1993, even though it is just a few miles away. Sadly, his situation is typical for Christians in Bethlehem and the adjacent, largely Christian cities of Beit Jala and Beit Sahour.

According to Br. Jack Curran, vice president for development of Bethlehem University, students in religion classes are routinely denied permits to travel out of the city. Even worse, he told me, "We can't get permission from Israel for any students to attend the university from Gaza." In spite of the government obstacles, Bethlehem University has mounted a new effort to engage students from Gaza. Brother Curran told me, "The university needs help from American Catholics both politically, to get Israeli permission for these young people to come to Bethlehem, and financially, to support their living and educational costs."

The Christians living in the Holy Land will view Benedict's visit through the lens of the recent Israeli offensive, which left 1,417 dead in Gaza, including 313 children. With the election of Benjamin Netanyahu, Christians in Bethlehem expressed fear that their city could become another Gaza. "We already live surrounded by walls and checkpoints. Why shouldn't we think that what happened in Gaza could happen to us?" said a young woman in her mid-20s, who comes from one of the oldest and most prominent Christian families in Bethlehem.

Palestinian Christians will be deeply disappointed and demoralized if Benedict simply repeats the itinerary of John Paul II. Imagine the power of the Holy Father speaking from a Catholic parish in the midst of the devastation of Gaza. Benedict could not only speak to the issue of the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, but could also issue an invitation to Catholics around the world to follow his example and visit the Holy Land.

A significant and lasting increase in Catholic pilgrims would provide financial help for both Israel and Palestine, moral support for Palestinian Christians, and an opportunity for Catholics to see the situation on the ground for themselves. The Palestinian Christian community is on life support, and the pope cannot ignore it.

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Deal W. Hudson is the director of InsideCatholic.com and the author of Onward, Christian Soldiers: The Growing Political Power of Catholics and Evangelicals in the United States (Simon and Schuster).

4/13/09
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Benedict XVI and the State of Israel

By David P. Goldman
Monday, March 30, 2009, 12:01 AM

May 14 is Israel’s Independence Day (celebrated according to the Jewish rather than the Gregorian calendar), recalling the declaration of the State of Israel in 1948. For Palestinian Arabs the following day, May 15, is a day of mourning, “Disaster (Naqba) Day.” It has gone unmentioned that Pope Benedict’s Holy Land pilgrimage falls on just these days. On May 15, the final day of his visit, the pope will share a podium in Israel’s capital Jerusalem with Israeli President Shimon Peres.

The pope’s appearance in Jerusalem with Israel’s head of state on Naqba Day underscores his commitment to the State of Israel. From the founding of the State of Israel to 1993, when the Vatican at length established diplomatic relations with the Jewish State, the Holy See has had to balance its commitment to Middle Eastern Christians with its efforts to improve relations with the Jewish people. Christians endured in the birthplace of their religion under Muslim rule as a dhimmi, or subject people, anxious to avoid giving offense to the far more powerful majority.

With the advent of the State of Israel and the hostile Muslim response, dhimmitude became less viable. It is estimated that thirty-five percent of the Christians in the West Bank and Gaza have emigrated since the 1967 war, mostly in response to harassment by radical Islamists. Although Arab Christians have suffered at the hands of Muslim militants who oppose the existence of the Jewish State, many of them blame the Jews for rousing the Muslim militants in the first place.

Well before the establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel in 1993, then Cardinal Ratzinger repeatedly explained to Jewish representatives that the delay in diplomatic recognition solely reflected the concern of the Holy See for the vulnerable Arab Christian communities. His pilgrimage this May devotes considerable time to pastoral meetings with the Arab Christian community. Nonetheless, Benedict has made clear that his concern for Arab Christians is embedded within an unwavering commitment to the Jewish community in the Holy Land.

It is hard not to see an evolution in Vatican policy towards Israel, from a pragmatic approach to the problems of religious constituencies, to explicit theological sympathy for the Jewish State. Benedict XVI is first of all a theologian, and he views the Jewish presence in the Holy Land as a theological matter.

In 2008, on the fiftieth anniversary of Israel’s independence, Benedict XVI told Israel’s ambassador to the Holy See, “The Holy See is united with you and thanks God for the full realization of the Jewish people’s aspirations to live in its homeland, the land of its forefathers.” Meeting with the Israeli rabbinate on March 12, the Pope affirmed the election of the Jewish people “to communicate to the whole human family knowledge of and fidelity to the one, true and unique God.” Theologically it is difficult to separate the election of the people from the promise of the land, and Benedict’s commitment to Israel seems strongly grounded in theology.

The Magisterium of the Church does not take an explicit position on the question of Jewish statehood. Officially, the Catholic Church instructs, “The existence of the State of Israel and its political options should be envisaged not in a perspective which is in itself religious, but in their reference to the common principles of international law,” in the formula given in “Notes on the Correct Way to Present the Jews and Judaism in Preaching and Catechesis in the Roman Catholic Church” (1985.

But the Church also knows that Israel is more than just another small country like Finland or Ecuador, for the very next sentence of the 1985 document cites John Paul II’s recognition of the theological significance of Jewish survival: “The permanence of Israel (while so many ancient peoples have disappeared without trace) is a historic fact and a sign to be interpreted within God’s design. . . . It remains a chosen people, ‘the pure olive on which were grafted the branches of the wild olive which are the gentiles.’”

Middle Eastern Christians remain an important constituency opposing Vatican support for the Jewish State. Their position is difficult. On March 25, the Holy See expressed “profound concern” about Middle Eastern Christians in the Middle East in the wake of the Israeli incursion into Gaza. Cardinal Leonardo Sandri and Archbishop Antonio Maria emphasized the pastoral function of the pope’s visit, nothing that he “constantly comforts Christians, and all the inhabitants of the Holy Land, with special words and gestures, coupled with his desire to make a pilgrimage in the historical footsteps of Jesus . . . The wounds opened by violence make the problem of emigration more acute, inexorably depriving the Christian minority of its best resources for the future . . . The land that was the cradle of Christianity risks ending up without Christians.”

That is not quite true, for although Arab Christians are indeed leaving areas controlled by Muslims, Christians are immigrating to Israel itself, whose Christian community has doubled in size in the past fifteen years. Nearly 300,000 Eastern European immigrants are Christians, as well as many Filipinos and others who came as guest workers and have settled in Israel. Hebrew-speaking Israeli Christians are becoming a more numerous constituency than Arab-speaking Palestinian Christians. The retirement in 2008 of Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah, a vocal critic of the Jewish State, was symbolic of the generational change that shifted the balance of Christian life to Hebrew-speaking Israelis. Patriarch Sabbah belonged to an older generation that blamed Israel for the disruption of Christian life in the Holy Land.

The most important issues outstanding between the State of Israel and the Holy See involve the practical life of Church institutions ministering to Catholic citizens of the Jewish State, including taxation, the status of Church property, and so forth. It is possible to look forward to a happy day in which the most important source of antagonism between Catholics and Jews will be tax treatment of Church property—provided, of course, that the Holy Father’s theological sympathy for the existence of the Israeli state prevails in the Church. His predecessor John Paul II transformed Catholic–Jewish relations during his pilgrimage nine years ago, and the image of the pope praying at the Western Wall did more to persuade Jews of Christian goodwill than all the conference resolutions in history. Benedict’s presentation of the theology of election adds an inestimably important dimension to the story. But nothing strengthens the bond between the Church and the Jews as plainly as the pope’s appearance in Israel on the anniversary of its independence.

David P. Goldman is a writer in New York.

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Benedict XVI and the Future of the Holy Land

by Deal W. Hudson


Over dinner at the Ambassador Hotel in East Jerusalem, I talked with Danny Seidemann, a Jewish man from upstate New York who moved to Israel as a youth more than 30 years ago. Danny is recognized worldwide as an expert on the religious and cultural differences that divide, and potentially unite, Jerusalem. "The Christian community of Jerusalem is the canary in the coal mine," he told me. "When it starts dying, we know all of us are going to die."

Seidemann, himself a Zionist, believes preserving the Christian presence in the Holy Land is crucial to its future. That underscores the importance of the upcoming visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the Holy Land in early May. "The Church can have enormous influence here. The pope can address people above the heads of their leaders."

But Seidemann believes that time is running short for any type of two-state solution. After the recent conflict in Gaza, the window of opportunity has closed further: "We have one to three years to get it done, after that there will be nothing left to engage." He is confident the Vatican understands the urgency of the situation.

When I asked him about the impact of the December bombing and invasion of Gaza, Seidemann moved the subject back to Jerusalem. "Jerusalem is the key," he told me. More than a decade ago, Seidemann drew the proposed boundaries for Palestinian-controlled East Jerusalem that would be necessary for the creation of two sovereign states. "The boundaries I drew for the Clinton administration can still be drawn," he said. I asked him about the controversial Israeli settlements in that part of the city. "That dispute can be settled by a one-for-one exchange of land -- it can be resolved."

Seidemann is surprisingly upbeat because he senses that "people are ready for something to happen." Six weeks ago he met in Washington, D.C., with key members of the Obama administration tasked with the Middle East. He believes the Obama team, led by George Mitchell, has the expertise and the will to make progress. One obvious obstacle is that the new Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is dedicated to the settlements and has beenless interested in pursuing the two-state solution agreed upon at the 2007 Annapolis Conference, hosted by President George Bush.

There would be more support from the United States for a two-state solution, according to Seidemann, if those primarily heard on the topic of Israel and the Palestinians were not either Christian Zionists on the one hand, or Israel bashers on the other. He believes there is an untapped resource of people in the middle who are ready to be heard and who want to move forward to stop the escalating conflict.

"Jews, Muslims, and Christians have been maintaining their identity in Jerusalem for over 1,300 years." For Seidemann, Jerusalem must maintain its tradition of ecumenism and set an example for Baghdad and Beirut -- otherwise, the habits of those cities will take hold and "pollute" Jerusalem.

Seidemann knows as well as anyone that the Christian presence in East Jerusalem and the occupied territories on the West Bank has been shrinking for years. In the past, the shrinking numbers could be attributed to the harsh realities of Israeli occupation, but more and more it is conflict with Muslims in towns like Bethlehem -- where they once lived peacefully together -- that sends Christians packing. Add to that the attraction of young people to prosperous Palestinian enclaves in Chile, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Australia.

Is the Christian "canary" in Jerusalem already in the process of dying a slow death? Seidemann did not say. But when he said that politicians must realize that "it's five minutes to midnight," the implication is clear. There can be no more delay, no more missed opportunities.

The Obama administration, which is alienating Catholics with its pro-abortion policy, may find itself on the same page with Pope Benedict on this issue if he urges Israelis and Palestinians toward the two-state solution during his May visit.


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Deal W. Hudson is the director of InsideCatholic.com and the author of Onward, Christian Soldiers: The Growing Political Power of Catholics and Evangelicals in the United States (Simon and Schuster).

April 6, 2009
source : http://www.insidecatholic.com

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