Vatican to decide fate of woman who knocked down pope

By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican will decide how to proceed with the young woman responsible for knocking down Pope Benedict XVI during Christmas Eve Mass only after it reviews medical and Vatican security reports, said Vatican spokesmen.

Critical to the prosecutor's decision will be the doctors' evaluation concerning the woman's mental state and whether or not she was "of sound mind," Father Ciro Benedettini, vice director of the Vatican press office, told Catholic News Service Dec. 28. The prosecutor will also take into consideration eyewitness accounts, he said.

When the Vatican prosecutor has all the information, including a medical evaluation, he can recommend acquitting her of any crime, handing her over to Italian or Swiss authorities, or handing down a sentence, Father Benedettini said.

The prosecutor will send his recommendation to the Vatican tribunal, which will then make the final ruling, he said.

Susanna Maiolo, 25, jumped a security barrier at the start of the Dec. 24 liturgy as Pope Benedict processed into St. Peter's Basilica. As Vatican security guards tackled her to the ground, she was able to pull on the pope's vestments, causing him to lose his balance and tumble to the marble floor.

The woman, who has Italian and Swiss citizenship, was taken away by papal guards. She was not armed but she showed signs of mental instability, according to a Vatican statement Dec. 25.

Immediately after the incident the pope was back on his feet and appeared unharmed. The Mass and other papal events took place as scheduled.

Maiolo was transferred Dec. 25 to a psychiatric hospital in Subiaco, about 45 miles outside of Rome, for what the Vatican called "mandatory clinical treatment."

Maiolo "remains under compulsory clinical treatment and the case remains under the jurisdiction of the Vatican judiciary," said Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, in a written statement Dec. 26. Because the incident occurred on Vatican territory, it is up to the Vatican's judicial system to determine whether or not to initiate legal proceedings. The Vatican can turn the case over to Italy for prosecution.

The Vatican statement said its prosecuting attorney "will have to take into consideration the reports from doctors and Vatican security personnel, and, in light of these, evaluate possible further steps to take."

While the pope was unharmed by the attack, French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, 87, suffered a broken hip and spent Christmas in Rome's Gemelli hospital. He underwent surgery and received a total hip replacement Dec. 27. The operation was successful and the cardinal's condition was good, the Vatican said in a written statement later that day.

Vatican sources confirmed that Maiolo was the same person who attempted to rush the pope at midnight Mass in 2008, but had been tackled by guards before she could reach the pontiff.

When asked what kind of precautions the Vatican was going to take in order to prevent Maiolo from having an opportunity to repeat something similar at future papal events, Father Benedettini told CNS that for security reasons the Vatican would not reveal what strategies it intended to take.

Domenico Giani, director of Vatican security services, told the Italian daily Il Messaggero Dec. 27 that the number of people "that are stopped because they get too close to the Holy Father are many, even if we do not publicize it." Giani was the guard that tackled Maiolo in 2008 and 2009.

Father Lombardi told reporters Dec. 27, "The pope cannot be shielded 100 percent unless a wall were created between the pope and the faithful, which is unthinkable.

"Security measures could be intensified, but this will be decided by the appropriate parties. However, it's necessary to dispel the illusion that there is zero risk," he said.

Because the pope wants to be close to the people, Vatican guards cannot always keep "similar episodes from happening" in the future, Father Lombardi added.

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Pope's Christmas marked by calls for charity, security incident

By John Thavis
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Christmas with a call for unselfish charity and solidarity with the suffering, and underlined the message two days later by lunching with the poor at a Rome soup kitchen.

The pope's Christmas was marred by a security scare on Christmas Eve, when a mentally unbalanced woman rushed the 82-year-old pontiff and knocked him to the marble floor of St. Peter's Basilica. The pope was unharmed but French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray suffered a broken hip when he fell in the confusion.

The incident occurred as the pope processed into the basilica at the start of the 10 p.m. Mass. Amateur videos posted on YouTube showed a woman wearing a red sweatshirt leaping over the security barrier and grabbing the pope's vestments, as Vatican security guards swarmed above them.

The alarmed congregation inside the basilica broke into applause when the pope quickly rose to his feet and continued the procession down the main aisle, looking somewhat shaken. The liturgy proceeded without further incident.

Vatican sources confirmed that the woman was the same person who attempted to rush the pope at Midnight Mass last year, but was tackled by guards before she could reach the pontiff. The woman, 25-year-old Susanna Maiolo, an Italian and Swiss citizen, was taken into custody for psychiatric evaluations.

In his Christmas Eve homily, the pope said conflict in the world stems from the fact that "we are locked into our own interests and our desires." He said many people have become "religiously tone-deaf" and unable to perceive God, absorbed by worldly affairs and professional occupations.

"For most people, the things of God are not given priority.... And so the great majority of us tend to postpone them. First we do what seems urgent here and now. In the list of priorities God is often more or less at the end. We can always deal with that later, we tend to think," he said.

Despite this mentality, he said, a path for discovering and appreciating God exists for everyone. It is a path marked with signs, he said, and at Christmas God's sign is that "he makes himself small; he becomes a child; he lets us touch him and he asks for our love."

On Christmas Day, the pope delivered his message and blessing "urbi et orbi" -- to the city of Rome and to the world -- from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. He prayed for peace in world trouble spots like the Holy Land, Iraq, Sri Lanka and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In Europe and North America, he said, the church "urges people to leave behind the selfish and technicist mentality, to advance the common good and to show respect for the persons who are the most defenseless, starting with the unborn."

The pope said the church began with Christ's birth "in the lowly cave of Bethlehem" and through the centuries has become a light for humanity, most recently as it has experienced a "grave financial crisis" and a more general moral crisis.

The pope then offered Christmas greetings in 65 languages, saying in English: "May the birth of the Prince of Peace remind the world where its true happiness lies; and may your hearts be filled with hope and joy, for the savior has been born for us."

The pope's Christmas message included a call for "an attitude of acceptance and welcome" for the millions of people who migrate from their homelands, driven by hunger, intolerance or environmental degradation.

On Dec. 27, the pope lunched with a mostly immigrant group at a Rome soup kitchen and language school run by the Sant'Egidio Community, a Catholic lay organization. The white-robed pontiff came with a carload of gifts that he presented to more than 30 children served by the center.

The pope was cheered as he entered the dining room for a meal of lasagna, meatballs and lentils, followed by cake and spumante. He listened during the meal to personal stories of persecution, arduous immigration routes and homelessness.

Among those seated at the pope's table was Qorbanali Esmaili, a 34-year-old political refugee from Afghanistan; Roukia Daud Abdulle, a 63-year-old Somali woman who came to Italy so that her disabled son could receive care; and Boban Trajkovic, 24, who lives in a Gypsy camp on the outskirts of Rome.

The event in the popular Rome quarter of Trastevere drew hundreds of residents who cheered the pope when he arrived and watched video pictures of part of his visit on a giant TV screen outside. They applauded when the pontiff greeted 25-year-old Aniello Bosco, who gets around the neighborhood in a wheelchair; he was abandoned by his family because of a disability.

"I am here to tell you that I am close to you and I love you, and that your experiences are not far from my thoughts," the pope said in a speech, before being serenaded with a Christmas carol.

Outside the center, the pope stopped to personally greet many of the residents who packed the adjacent street. Despite the Christmas Eve incident at the Vatican, no attempt was made to keep people at a distance from the pontiff.

Earlier Dec. 27, the pope marked the feast of the Holy Family at his noon blessing at the Vatican, saying that like modern immigrants, Jesus, Mary and Joseph endured many trials and hardships. He emphasized that the family is the primary "school" of values for younger generations today.

One of the best services Christians can offer is the example of a sound family, "founded on marriage between a man and a woman," he said.

On Dec. 26, the feast of St. Stephen, the pope noted that the saint, known as the first martyr, was also the church's first deacon, who gave special service to the poor. His example shows that love for the poor is a privileged way to live the Gospel and witness it credibly to the world, he said.

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'Break the vicious circle of violence,' Pope pleads before departing

President Peres, the Pope and Prime Minister Netanyahu listen to the anthems of the Vatican and IsraelTel Aviv, Israel, May 15, 2009 / 06:46 am


Catholic News Agency

CNA).- Pope Benedict made the strongest appeal for peace of his entire trip as he prepared to depart for Rome on Friday. During his farewell speech at the Ben Gurion International Airport, the Pope stressed the need for universal recognition of Israel's right to exist and the Palestinians' “right to a sovereign independent homeland.”

President Shimon Peres, who delivered a speech before the Pope, said the trip “constituted a significant contribution to the new relations between the Vatican and Jerusalem.”

“I hope that your visit enabled you and your delegation to experience the traits of our land... above all the sincere aspiration for peace shared by all Israelis—peace with our neighbors, peace with distant enemies, peace for all,” Peres said.

The Israeli president also added that “today's political and spiritual leaders face a profound challenge: how to divorce religion from terror. How to prevent terrorists from hijacking the religious conscience by cloaking an act of terrorism in the false guise of a religious mission.”

Peres argued that because of Pope Benedict's “great spiritual leadership” he can “help people to recognize that God is not in the hearts of terrorists.”

The Pope then took the podium and recalled that he and President Peres planted an olive tree at his house on the day he arrived in Israel. According to St. Paul, the Pope stated, the olive tree is a sign of “very close relations” between Christians and Jews.

He recounted how moving it was to meet Holocaust survivors at Yad Vashem, and said that the encounters reminded him of his visit to the “death camp Auschwitz” three years ago. There, many Jews were “brutally exterminated under a godless regime that propagated an ideology of anti-Semitism and hatred. That appalling chapter of history must never be forgotten or denied. On the contrary, those dark memories should strengthen our determination to draw closer to one another as branches of the same olive tree, nourished from the same roots and united in brotherly love.”

Benedict XVI then said that he wanted to “put on record that I came to visit this country as a friend of the Israelis, just as I am a friend of the Palestinian people.”

However, Pope Benedict shared that the fighting between Israelis and Palestinians over the past six decades has brought him deep distress and that he believes no friend can fail to weep at the suffering and loss of life.

The Holy Father pleaded with the Palestinians and Israelis, crying, “No more bloodshed! No more fighting! No more terrorism! No more war! Instead let us break the vicious circle of violence. Let there be lasting peace based on justice, let there be genuine reconciliation and healing.”

The way toward peace, asserted the Pope, is for it to be “universally recognized that the State of Israel has the right to exist, and to enjoy peace and security within internationally agreed borders” and “likewise acknowledged that the Palestinian people have a right to a sovereign independent homeland, to live with dignity and to travel freely.”

“Let the two-state solution become a reality, not remain a dream. And let peace spread outwards from these lands, let them serve as a 'light to the nations,' bringing hope to the many other regions that are affected by conflict,” Pope Benedict entreated.

The Pope went even further in lamenting the strife afflicting the region by decrying the Israeli-built security wall.

“One of the saddest sights for me during my visit to these lands was the wall. As I passed alongside it, I prayed for a future in which the peoples of the Holy Land can live together in peace and harmony without the need for such instruments of security and separation, but rather respecting and trusting one another, and renouncing all forms of violence and aggression,” he said.

“Mr. President,” Benedict said, “I know how hard it will be to achieve that goal. I know how difficult is your task, and that of the Palestinian Authority. But I assure you that my prayers and the prayers of Catholics across the world are with you as you continue your efforts to build a just and lasting peace in this region.”



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Visiting Holocaust memorial, pope says hatred must never reign again

By John Thavis and Judith Sudilovsky
Catholic News Service


Pope Benedict XVI looks on as Vatican representatives lay a wreath in the Hall of Remembrance at Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem May 11. (CNS/Reuters)


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JERUSALEM (CNS) -- On his first day in Jerusalem, Pope Benedict XVI visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and said the suffering of Jews under the Nazi extermination campaign must "never be denied, belittled or forgotten."

The pope called the Holocaust an atrocity that disgraced mankind, and said the church is committed to working tirelessly "to ensure that hatred will never reign in the hearts of men again."

With his head bowed and his hands folded, the 82-year-old pope prayed silently before an eternal flame in the Hall of Remembrance, a stone monument to the 6 million Jews killed in World War II. He stood in the tent-shaped structure, where the names of some of the Nazi death camps are inscribed in the floor, as a prayer was recited for the victims, the resistance fighters and those who risked their lives to save Jews from the Nazis.

In a brief talk, Pope Benedict said he had come "to stand in silence before this monument, erected to honor the memory of the millions of Jews killed in the horrific tragedy of the Shoah."

"They lost their lives, but they will never lose their names: These are indelibly etched in the hearts of their loved ones, their surviving fellow prisoners, and all those determined never to allow such an atrocity to disgrace mankind again," he said.

Most of all, he said, their names are fixed in God's memory.

"May the names of these victims never perish! May their suffering never be denied, belittled or forgotten! And may all people of good will remain vigilant in rooting out from the heart of man anything that could lead to tragedies such as this!" he said.

Pope Benedict's May 11 visit to the memorial came after a period of Catholic-Jewish tension, following the pope's lifting of the excommunication of a traditionalist bishop who publicly minimized the extent of the Holocaust. After sharp criticism from Jewish and other leaders, the pope reaffirmed his dedication to improving Catholic-Jewish ties.

Israela Hargil, 70, was one of six Holocaust survivors invited to meet the pope at the memorial and, although she said she is indebted to a Catholic for her survival, she also said she hesitated going to the papal event.

Hargil said she hesitated because the pope, as a boy, was a member of the Hitler Youth movement, an enrollment that he has said was obligatory. Hargil also said she was not happy about Pope Benedict welcoming back into the church Bishop Richard Williamson, a member of the Society of St. Pius X who had denied the extent of the Holocaust.

"The pope said (he) made a mistake (about Williamson) and that is a big thing," she said, explaining why she finally decided to accept Yad Vashem's invitation.

"I owe my life to Catholics and to the Poles who saved me," said Hargil.

At Yad Vashem, the pope, who lived under the Nazi regime in his native Germany, did not analyze the specific causes of the Holocaust. Instead, he focused on the remembrance theme of the memorial.

"One can weave an insidious web of lies to convince others that certain groups are undeserving of respect. Yet, try as one might, one can never take away the name of a fellow human being," he said.

And rather than remember his own personal experiences under Nazism, he made an effort to put himself in the place of the Jewish victims.

"I can only imagine the joyful expectation of their parents as they anxiously awaited the birth of their children. What name shall we give this child? What is to become of him or her?" the pope said.

"Who could have imagined that they would be condemned to such a deplorable fate!" he said.

"As we stand here in silence, their cry still echoes in our hearts. It is a cry raised against every act of injustice and violence. It is a perpetual reproach against the spilling of innocent blood," he said.

The pope later signed the memorial's visitors' book with phrase from the Book of Lamentations, "His mercies are not spent."

He quoted the scriptural passage at greater length in his talk, saying it was an important affirmation of trust in God that is full of significance for both Jews and Christians. "The favors of the Lord are not exhausted, his mercies are not spent; They are renewed each morning, so great is his faithfulness," the passage began.

One of the survivors the pope met, 83-year-old Edward Mosberg, told reporters afterward that the meeting was very emotional.

"I told the pope that he was born in Germany, but I don't look at him as a German; I look at him as a human being and head of the Catholic Church and I give him my respect," Mosberg said.

"But I also told him he knows that the Holocaust happened and that as head of the Catholic Church His Holiness should condemn all denials," he said.

Dan Landsberg, another survivor, said the ceremony and meeting with the pope was a very solemn occasion.

"I feel like the circle has been closed," he said. "There is peace between us and the church. I think it is respectful for the pope to be here and to respect this place and its history."

Avner Shalev, chairman of the Yad Vashem directorate, described the papal visit as "positive, important, a step forward, unique, exciting."


But at the same time, he said, he was disappointed "the pope did not mention the Nazi German perpetrators" of the Holocaust.

Hargil, the survivor who hesitated about meeting the pope, was accompanied to the ceremony by her 12-year-old granddaughter.

She told Catholic News Service that she was 4 years old and living in Brody, then part of Poland, in 1943 when the Catholic Miklaszewski family took her in. Hargil's father had worked for Jacenty Miklaszewski, whom she described as "very religious."

"He was ... very straightforward ... and took his faith very seriously. He lived his faith ... and saved me and other (Jews) as well, including my father," said Hargil.

The Miklaszewskis gave Hargil the Polish name of Ewa and introduced her as a niece whose parents had died in a bombing. Hargil's mother had been tortured and killed by the Gestapo earlier, but her father stayed in hiding in a bunker in a nearby village.

Hargil attended a preschool run by Catholic nuns and recalls the Masses and Christmas celebrations as the only things of beauty in her life during the war years.

"Everything else was so gray and black and bad," she said, fondly recalling the smell of the church incense and the beauty of the church.

Another survivor who met the pope at Yad Vashem was Ruth Bondy, a journalist, who said she was unsure how she would feel meeting the pope.

"I am not Catholic so I don't feel the same emotions about meeting with him (as a Catholic would), but I know how to respect and appreciate his visit," she said.

Bondy was born in Prague, in what was then Czechoslovakia, in 1923. After the German occupation in 1939 she was forced to work as a farm laborer. Later she was interned in the Nazi-run Terezin Ghetto and in 1943 was transported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. From there, she was sent to a number of work camps; when the camps were liberated, she was sick with typhus and weighed only 77 pounds.

Following her recovery she returned to Prague and, with the establishment of Israel in 1948, she immigrated.

Bondy has written numerous books and historical research works about the Holocaust period and Czech Jewry. She has won various awards for her writing and translation works.

Along with the survivors, Pope Benedict was introduced to Ivan Vranetic, 82, who said meeting the pope made him feel excited like a little boy. In 1970 Vranetic, a Catholic, was recognized by the Yad Vashem Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority with its "Righteous Among the Nations" award for helping hide Jewish refugees in his hometown of Topeka, Croatia, when he was 17 years old.

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Visiting mosque, pope says believing in God means respecting others

By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service



Jordan's Prince Ghazi Muhammad bin Talal accompanies Pope Benedict XVI during a visit to the new King Hussein Mosque in Amman, Jordan, May 9. (CNS/Reuters)


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AMMAN, Jordan (CNS) -- To believe in God is to pray, to be merciful and compassionate, to witness to the truth and to uphold the dignity of every person, Pope Benedict XVI said after visiting a monumental new mosque in Amman.

Acknowledging that much of the history of Christian-Muslim relations has been marked by misunderstanding and tension, the pope said it is faith that calls members of both communities to respect each other and join together to promote the common good.

The pope visited the King Hussein Mosque in Amman May 9, the second day of his eight-day trip to the Holy Land. It was his second visit as pope to a mosque; he made history in 2006 when he entered the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, and stood praying next to the imam.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, told reporters in Amman, "It would not be precise to say the pope prayed in the mosque (today), but it would be right to say he paused in respectful meditation in a place where numerous people also pray and meditate before God."

"The pope was prepared to take off his shoes" out of respect for the Muslim custom, Father Lombardi said, but he was not asked to do so because the Jordanians had unrolled a thick cloth for their guests to walk on.

Pope Benedict said the new mosque, with its copper-topped dome and four copper-topped minarets, and other places of worship "stand out like jewels across the earth's surface. From the ancient to the modern, the magnificent to the humble, they all point to the divine, to the Transcendent One, to the Almighty."

Entering a place of worship, people turn their minds to God and recognize that they are his creatures, the pope told the Muslim clerics and scholars, members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of Jordanian universities present for his speech.

The common experience of knowing God is the creator and lord of all, he said, should lead all believers to witness to that knowledge by upholding the most noble aspects of their faith and by resisting all attempts to manipulate faith for political or ideological reasons.

"We cannot fail to be concerned that today, with increasing insistency, some maintain that religion fails in its claim to be by nature a builder of unity and harmony, an expression of communion between persons and with God," the pope said.

Many people in the world see religion purely as a motive of division, a concern that leads them to resist any attempt to allow the faith of an individual or group to influence public life and public policies, he said.

A central point of the pope's speech was the need to "cultivate for the good, in the context of faith and truth, the vast potential of human reason."

Reason is a gift of God, he said, and when people allow their intellectual capacities to be purified by faith, it helps them see beyond their own little worlds and their own interests.

"In this way, human reason is emboldened to pursue its noble purpose of serving mankind, giving expression to our deepest common aspirations and extending, rather than manipulating or confining, public debate," Pope Benedict said.

When faith and reason inform each other, he said, society is protected from "the excesses of the unbridled ego which tend to absolutize the finite and eclipse the infinite; it ensures that freedom is exercised hand in hand with truth, and it adorns culture with insights concerning all that is true, good and beautiful."

The relationship between faith and reason also was the central point in the pope's 2006 talk at the University of Regensburg, Germany, a speech that offended many Muslims because it included a quotation from a medieval Byzantine emperor, who said the prophet Mohammed had brought "things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith." The pope afterward clarified that he was not endorsing the emperor's words.

Although the pope did not refer back to the Regensburg speech in his address, his official host at the Jordanian mosque, Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal, thanked the pope for expressing regret "for the hurt caused by this lecture."

"Of course, Muslims know that nothing that can be said or done in this world can harm the prophet" Mohammed, the prince said, "but Muslims were nevertheless hurt because of their love for the prophet."

The Mohammed known, loved and emulated by Muslims "is completely and entirely different" from the figure often presented in the West, he said.

"It is incumbent upon Muslims to explain the prophet's example above all with deeds of virtue, charity, piety and good will," Prince Ghazi said.

The prince welcomed the pope as the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church, a defender of moral values and as a promoter of ecumenical and interfaith dialogue.

"But most of all, we receive Your Holiness as a simple pilgrim of peace who comes in humility and gentleness to pray where Jesus Christ the Messiah, peace be upon him, prayed and was baptized and began his mission 2,000 years ago," he said.

The prince, who was instrumental in drafting and promoting the 2007 Common Word declaration of 138 Muslim scholars, told the pope that he and many other Muslim scholars were prepared to continue dialogue with the Catholic Church and find ways to serve humanity together.

Pope Benedict expressed his hope that "reason, ennobled and humbled by the grandeur of God's truth" would shape the life and institutions of Jordan so the people would flourish in peace.

At a press conference after the mosque visit, Father Lombardi said he would not agree that Pope Benedict had changed his mind about Islam, but rather had moved forward in a process of learning about Islam by meeting and speaking with Muslims.

"Sure, there has been a process, progress," Father Lombardi said.

Nawal Al Faoury, a member of the Jordanian Senate who attended the talk, said the pope's visit was positive for "dialogue and being together and common understanding about a lot of issues."

She said that, like the prince, she was satisfied that the pope did not mean to offend Muslims with his Regensburg speech, "and I think we have to forgive ourselves and others ... because we do want to live in peace all over the world."

Hamdi Murad, a professor of religious studies at the University of Jordan, said, "I am sure his visit opened a new, pure and white page for relations between Muslims and Christians.

"This also has closed that page that had some -- if we can say -- misunderstanding between Muslims and Christians. So we have many hopes and wishes for the future after this visit," Murad added.

- - -

Editors: Contributing to this story was Doreen Abi Raad in Amman.

END

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Pope Benedict’s remarks during visit with Israel’s president

By Carol Glatz

Posted on May 11, 2009

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VATICAN CITY — Here is the Vatican text of Pope Benedict XVI’s prepared remarks during a courtesy visit to Israeli President Shimon Peres at the presidential palace in Jerusalem:


Mr. President,

Your Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As a kind gesture of hospitality President Peres has welcomed us here to his residence, enabling me to greet you all and to have this opportunity to share a few thoughts with you. Mr. President, I thank you for this gracious welcome, and for your courteous greeting which I warmly reciprocate. I also thank the musicians who have entertained us with their fine performance.

Mr. President, in the message of congratulations which I sent to you on the occasion of your inauguration, I gladly recalled your distinguished record of public service marked by a strong commitment to the pursuit of justice and peace. This afternoon I wish to assure you, together with Prime Minister Netanyahu and his newly formed government, and all the people of the state of Israel that my pilgrimage to the holy places is one of prayer for the precious gift of unity and peace for the Middle East and all of humanity. Indeed, I pray daily for peace born of justice to return to the Holy Land and the entire region, bringing security and renewed hope for all.

Peace is above all a divine gift. For peace is the Almighty’s promise to humanity, and harbors unity. In the book of the prophet Jeremiah we read: “I know the plans I have in mind for you -– it is the Lord who speaks –- plans for peace not disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer 29:11-12). The prophet reminds us of the Almighty’s promise that he can “be found,” that he “will listen,” that he “will gather us together as one.” But there is a proviso: we must “seek him,” and “seek him with all our heart” (cf. ibid., 12-14).

To the religious leaders present this afternoon, I wish to say that the particular contribution of religions to the quest for peace lies primarily in the wholehearted, united search for God. Ours is the task of proclaiming and witnessing that the Almighty is present and knowable even when he seems hidden from our sight, that he acts in our world for our good, and that a society’s future is marked with hope when it resonates in harmony with his divine order. It is God’s dynamic presence that draws hearts together and ensures unity. In fact, the ultimate foundation of unity among persons lies in the perfect oneness and universality of God, who created man and woman in his image and likeness in order to draw us into his own divine life so that all may be one.

Religious leaders must therefore be mindful that any division or tension, any tendency to introversion or suspicion among believers or between our communities, can easily lead to a contradiction which obscures the Almighty’s oneness, betrays our unity, and contradicts the One who reveals himself as “abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Ex 34:6; Ps 138:2; Ps 85:11). My friends: Jerusalem, which has long been a crossroads for peoples of many different origins, is a city which affords Jews, Christians and Muslims both the duty and the privilege to bear witness together to the peaceful coexistence long desired by worshippers of the one God; to lay bare the Almighty’s plan for the unity of the human family announced to Abraham; and to proclaim the true nature of man as a seeker of God. Let us resolve to ensure that through the teaching and guidance of our respective communities we shall assist them to be true to who they are as believers, ever aware of the infinite goodness of God, the inviolable dignity of every human being, and the unity of the entire human family.

Sacred Scripture also presents us with an understanding of security. According to the Hebrew usage, security –- batah –- arises from trust and refers not just to the absence of threat but also to the sentiment of calmness and confidence. In the book of the prophet Isaiah we read of a time of divine blessing: “Once more the Spirit is poured upon us … and justice will dwell in the wilderness and integrity in the fertile land; integrity will bring peace, and justice everlasting security” (Is 32:15-17). Security, integrity, justice and peace. In God’s design for the world, these are inseparable. Far from being simply products of human endeavor, they are values which stem from God’s fundamental relationship with man, and dwell as a common patrimony in the heart of every individual.

There is only one way to protect and promote these values: exercise them! Live them! No individual, family, community or nation is exempt from the duty to live in justice and to work for peace. And naturally, civic and political leaders are expected to ensure just and proper security for the people whom they have been elected to serve. That objective forms a part of the rightful promotion of values common to humanity and thus cannot conflict with the unity of the human family. The authentic values and goals of a society, which always safeguard human dignity, are indivisible, universal and interdependent (cf. Address to the United Nations, 18 April 2008). Thus they cannot be satisfied when they fall prey to particular interests or piecemeal politics. A nation’s true interest is always served by the pursuit of justice for all.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, lasting security is a matter of trust, nurtured in justice and integrity, and sealed through the conversion of hearts which stirs us to look the other in the eye, and to recognize the “Thou,” as my equal, my brother, my sister. In this way does not society itself become the “fruitful field” (Is 32:15) marked, not by blocks or obstructions, but by cohesion and vibrancy? Can it not become a community with noble aspirations where all are willingly afforded access to education, family housing and the opportunity for employment, a society ready to build upon the lasting foundations of hope?

To conclude, I would like to turn to the ordinary families of this city, of this country. What parents would ever want violence, insecurity, or disunity for their son or daughter? What humane political end can ever be served through conflict and violence? I hear the cry of those who live in this land for justice, for peace, for respect for their dignity, for lasting security, a daily life free from the fear of outside threats and senseless violence. And I know that considerable numbers of men and women and young people are working for peace and solidarity through cultural programs and through initiatives of compassionate and practical outreach; humble enough to forgive, they have the courage to grasp the dream that is their right.

Mr. President, I thank you for the courtesy you have shown to me and I assure you again of my prayers for the government and all the citizens of this state. May a genuine conversion of the hearts of all lead to an ever strengthening commitment to peace and security through justice for everyone.

Shalom!



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Pope visits ancient biblical site, launches new university in Jordan

By John Thavis
Catholic News Service


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MADABA, Jordan (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI walked a pilgrim's path at one of the Holy Land's most ancient sites, then launched a project for the church's future in the region.

The pope began his first full day in Jordan May 9 with a visit to Mount Nebo, the place where Moses glimpsed the Promised Land before dying.

From a windswept promontory, the pope looked out over a biblical panorama that stretched from the Dead Sea to Jericho across the Jordan River, with the hills of Jerusalem in the far distance. The mount, called Syagha, is where Jewish and Christian tradition holds that Moses was buried by God himself, at a site that remains unknown.

Seated next to a stone monastic church that dates to the fourth century, the pope listened to an elderly Franciscan friar read from the Book of Deuteronomy, which described how Moses ended his days with a view of the land promised by God to the Israelites.

"The Lord then said to him, 'This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that I would give to their descendants. I have let you feast your eyes upon it, but you shall not cross over,'" it read.

The pope stood in the sunshine and delivered a short speech, praising the tradition of pilgrimage and drawing a lesson from Moses' story. Moses reminds people today that they "are part of the ageless pilgrimage of God's people through history," he said.

"Like Moses, we too have been called by name, invited to undertake a daily exodus from sin and slavery toward life and freedom, and given an unshakeable promise to guide our journey," he said.

Christians are asked in a special way to prepare for Christ's kingdom through charity and service to the poor and by being agents of reconciliation in the world, the pope said.

"We know that, like Moses, we may not see the complete fulfillment of God's plan in our lifetime. Yet we trust that, by doing our small part, in fidelity to the vocation each of us has received, we will help to make straight the paths of the Lord and welcome the dawn of his kingdom," he said.

He ended his talk by recalling the "inseparable bond" between Christians and the Jewish people, who share the scriptural patrimony of the Old Testament. He expressed the desire to "overcome all obstacles to the reconciliation of Christians and Jews in mutual respect and cooperation."

The pope then rode his popemobile to nearby Madaba, an ancient Moabite city mentioned several times in the Bible. As he passed slowly along the dusty streets of the city's Christian quarter, he was cheered by thousands of people who held flags, signs and photos of him.

The pope came to bless the foundation stone of the University of Madaba, the first Catholic university in Jordan, which is being built by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem with the support of the Jordanian government.

When completed in about two years, the university will have seven schools and 40 specialized fields of study. Like all of the more than 100 schools run by the church in the Holy Land, it will be open to students of all faiths.

In a speech to several hundred church leaders and civil authorities at the construction site, the pope said the university will be a place of understanding and dialogue, serving society by forming men and women in academic disciplines and sound values.

He said it was important for the church to demonstrate that belief in God does not suppress the search for truth -- although he added that religion, like science and technology, can be "corrupted."

"Religion is disfigured when pressed into the service of ignorance or prejudice, contempt, violence and abuse. In this case we see not only a perversion of religion but also a corruption of human freedom, a narrowing and blindness of the mind," he said.

The new church-run university will be a place where the "quest for truth goes hand in hand with the search for what is good and noble," he said.

Like many educational projects in the Holy Land, this one will rely largely on outside assistance from church agencies.

Bernard Waddingham, treasurer of the Lieutenancy of England and Wales of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, said it has not provided money for the Madaba university yet, but expects to.

A special focus of the order is the schools run by the Latin patriarchate in Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories. The organization funds an elementary school in Madaba.

END

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Visit to Israel: Leaders know, appreciate pope's teaching on Judaism

By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service



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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- As Pope Benedict XVI prepared to visit Israel in early May, Jewish leaders involved in dialogue appeared to be hopeful and not particularly wary about what the pope would say.

On the other hand, many members of the Jewish community and Catholics sensitive to their feelings appeared to be holding their breath, praying that the pope would not inadvertently offend his hosts.

The difference stems from the fact that Jewish leaders know Pope Benedict's teaching about Jews and Judaism from his theological speeches and articles.

Speaking in Rome in March, Rabbi Michael Schudrich, the U.S.-born chief rabbi of Poland, said the Holy Land trip can be "very enlightening and help Pope Benedict show in a very clear way" the sensitivity and respect that has been clear in his writings for decades.

In evaluating the pope's work, Jewish leaders appreciate several facts: Pope Benedict explicitly recognizes that God chose the Jewish people as his own and established a special bond with them; he recognizes that for centuries Christians used Jesus' death as an excuse to denigrate -- and even persecute -- the Jews; and he understands that the contempt some Christians had for the Jews created an atmosphere that the Nazis easily and progressively manipulated to the point of killing 6 million Jews.

But theological work does not grab the headlines the way gestures do and a Vatican explanation of a papal misstep may limit the damage, but it is hard to eliminate all suspicion.

Those who are worried can't seem to shake their puzzlement over the fact that in January the pope lifted the excommunication of a bishop who minimized the Holocaust.

The Vatican later made it clear that Bishop Richard Williamson, a member of the Society of St. Pius X, who had denied the extent of the Holocaust, must publicly recant his views if he wants to function as a bishop in the Catholic Church.

Writing to the world's bishops in March, Pope Benedict said he was saddened that people seemed to jump to the conclusion that he was stepping back from efforts to promote reconciliation between Catholics and Jews and was rejecting the teaching of the Second Vatican Council.

"Precisely for this reason I thank all the more our Jewish friends, who quickly helped to clear up the misunderstanding and to restore the atmosphere of friendship and trust," the pope wrote after emphasizing the horror of the Holocaust and the importance of remembering it.

The papal apology was effective with the church's Jewish dialogue partners because they were able to put the issue into the perspective of what they knew about the German-born pope's thinking, especially from what he had published as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

The day the Vatican released the pope's apologetic letter, Pope Benedict met with a delegation from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.

Rabbi Shear-Yashuv Cohen, chief rabbi of Haifa, told the pope, "We thank the Holy See for making this renewal (of dialogue) possible by the clear and unequivocal statements deploring the Holocaust denial and making it very clear that the Catholic Church leaders are committed" to continue working for improved relations with the Jews.

In his remarks to the rabbis, the pope reaffirmed in summary form his understanding of the teachings of the Second Vatican Council that make respect, dialogue and reconciliation between Catholics and Jews possible.

"The church recognizes that the beginnings of her faith are found in the historical divine intervention in the life of the Jewish people and that here our unique relationship has its foundation," he said.

"The Jewish people, who were chosen as the elected people, communicate to the whole human family knowledge of and fidelity to the one, unique and true God," the pope said.

The teachings are the same as those meticulously spelled out by then-Cardinal Ratzinger during a speech to a major international Catholic-Jewish conference in Jerusalem in 1994.

The speech -- widely republished and included in Cardinal Ratzinger's book, "Many Religions, One Covenant" -- is such a clear synthesis of his thinking about Jews and Judaism that Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, included the full text in background materials for Vatican Radio reporters covering the trip.

The future pope began with an acknowledgment: "The history of the relationship between Israel and Christendom is drenched with blood and tears. It is a history of mistrust and hostility, but also -- praise be to God -- a history marked again and again by attempts at forgiveness, understanding and mutual acceptance."

The Holocaust, he said, was not simply a horror to be remembered, but it is a demand on humanity -- especially on believers in the one God -- to engage in a mission of reconciliation and mutual acceptance.


But respect for the Jewish people and their ongoing special relationship with God does not and cannot mean that the pope will not speak about the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ as he visits the land of the savior's birth, life, death and resurrection.

The pope is well aware, however, that for centuries Christians blamed the Jews, rather than human sinfulness, for Jesus' death and that attitude was at the root of the so-called "teaching of contempt."

It was a central topic in Cardinal Ratzinger's 1994 speech.

Even as a child growing up in Germany, he told his audience, "I could not understand how some people wanted to derive a condemnation of Jews from the death of Jesus because the following thought had penetrated my soul as something profoundly consoling: Jesus' blood raises no calls for retaliation, but calls all to reconciliation."

In the Bible, he said, "there are not two effects of the cross -- a damning one and a saving one -- but only a single effect, which is saving and reconciling."

END


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For Pope John Paul II, beatification process may be on final lap

By John Thavis
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- They brought flowers and messages to his grave. They sang songs evoking his memory. And they prayed for his beatification.

The fourth anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul II April 2 was marked by a sense of anticipation following reports that the late pontiff would be beatified on the fifth anniversary next year.

The Vatican has played down those rumors. But among the thousands who flocked to his tomb and gathered in St. Peter's Basilica for a memorial Mass, the feeling was strongly hopeful.

"There's all kinds of talk about him being beatified. It's only a matter of time before it happens. He's heading so fast toward sainthood that they're only waiting to give him a little bit more legitimacy, I guess," said Samantha Coveleski, 22, of Lewes, Del.

Coveleski was among hundreds of people who jammed the crypt area of St. Peter's Basilica April 2 to pay their respects at Pope John Paul II's tomb. They left candles, photos and letters, and murmured prayers in many languages. On the white marble tombstone lay three red roses.

"So many people loved this guy so much. When you're at the tomb you can really see what the big deal is," Coveleski said. "He was so accessible during his papacy, and here you can really see and feel how much he was loved."

Pope Benedict XVI celebrated the commemorative Mass and said he was praying for "the gift of beatification" for his predecessor. In 2005, Pope Benedict set Pope John Paul on the fast track to beatification by waiving the normal five-year waiting period for the introduction of his sainthood cause.

That seemed to respond to the "Santo subito!" ("Sainthood now!") banners that were held aloft at Pope John Paul's funeral.

The initial diocesan phase of the cause was completed in April 2007. Last November a team of theological consultors to the Congregation for Saints' Causes began studying the 2,000-page "positio," the document that makes the case for beatification, according to Archbishop Angelo Amato, head of the congregation.

Archbishop Amato told Vatican Radio that once the theological study of the "positio" is completed, the cause will be considered by the cardinal and bishop members of the congregation. If approved, it will then go to the pope for a final decision on a decree of "venerability," which means the person lived the Christian virtues heroically.

Meanwhile, a presumed miracle through the intercession of the late pope -- involving a French nun said to have been cured of Parkinson's disease -- is being studied in a five-step process that involves medical experts, a medical board, theological consultors, the members of the congregation and, finally, the pope.

With the decree of venerability and a confirmed miracle, beatification can take place.

Archbishop Amato emphasized that the Vatican could not promise a timetable for all this. The fact that the Vatican is expediting the cause doesn't mean "haste or superficiality," but on the contrary demands methodical attention to detail, he said.

Five years from death to beatification may not strike people as "subito," but it would be a modern record in the church; even for Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who was described by many as a "living saint" and for whom the waiting period was also waived, it took six years to complete the process.

Still, the Vatican loves anniversaries, and no one has ruled out next April 2 as the big day. Polish Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz of Krakow, personal secretary to the late pope and one of his biggest beatification boosters, said in March that the process would be completed in a few months.

Cardinal Dziwisz, in Rome for the fourth anniversary, told reporters that a presumed miracle had recently occurred at Pope John Paul II's tomb in St. Peter's Basilica.

A nine year-old Polish boy from Gdansk, suffering from cancer of the kidneys and unable to walk, was brought to the tomb by his parents, Cardinal Dziwisz said. When they left St. Peter's, the boy told them, "I want to walk," and began walking in good health, he said.

Vatican officials are not publicizing what are said to be 251 "inexplicable" healings or other events attributed to Pope John Paul II's intercession, and which have been filed away. Like Archbishop Amato, the officials emphasize the seriousness of the study being undertaken and insist there are no foregone conclusions.

The Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, has marked this year's anniversary with the same serious tone, saying sainthood was more than the elevation of a popular personality.

"The cry of 'Santo subito!' after the death of John Paul II had strong meaning. But its repetition by the media is mistaken: The official recognition of sainthood must be connected to the church's process of sanctification," said a front-page article April 2.

The same article related an interesting anecdote about the relationship between Pope John Paul and Pope Benedict who, as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, served more than 23 years under the late pope as head of the doctrinal congregation.

When meeting to review the drafts of important documents with his top collaborators, it said, Pope John Paul would sometimes sit back at the end of the conversation and say: "We need to go back to this topic again. From his expression, I can see that Cardinal Ratzinger is not fully convinced. We need to reflect some more."

At the memorial Mass, Pope Benedict underlined the thematic continuity between the late pope and his own pontificate. Then, like many before him, he went down to the pope's tomb and knelt in prayer.

- - -

Contributing to this story was Nicole Coia in Rome.

END

VATICAN LETTER Apr-3-2009 (940 words)

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Vatican nuncio: Pope to meet with Israel's grand mufti, chief rabbis

By Judith Sudilovsky
Catholic News Service

JERUSALEM (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI will meet with interreligious leaders, including the grand mufti of Jerusalem and the chief rabbis of Israel, when he visits the Holy Land.

During the pope's May 8-15 visit, he also will meet with the Greek Orthodox, Latin and Armenian Catholic patriarchs in Jerusalem in addition to other Christian leaders, said Archbishop Antonio Franco, the pope's representative to Israel and the Palestinian territories, at a March 10 press conference.

The preliminary schedule calls for the pope to arrive in Amman, Jordan, May 8 and proceed to Israel May 11, presiding over events in Jerusalem and Nazareth and in Bethlehem, West Bank. Archbishop Franco said the journey would replicate Pope John Paul II's 2000 visit.

Archbishop Franco said Pope Benedict will be in Jerusalem May 11, 12 and 15. During those days, the pope will meet the grand mufti at the Dome of the Rock, which protects an exposed rock revered for many reasons: as the "rock of foundation" from which the creation of the world began, as the site where Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac, and, by Muslims, as the place from which Mohammed ascended to heaven.

The pope will meet Israel's chief rabbis at the ceremonial Hechal Shlomo building. He will have a moment of prayer at the Western Wall, the most sacred place in Judaism, and there will be an "official prayer and homage" at the memorial hall of Yad Vashem. He also will celebrate a Mass in Jerusalem.

Archbishop Franco said Pope Benedict also will meet with Israeli and Palestinian officials in Jerusalem, but he did not give specific dates.

The pope will visit Bethlehem May 13 and celebrate Mass there. Archbishop Franco said arrangements were being made to allow Palestinian Christians to attend all the Masses. He also said a delegation of two busloads of Catholics from the Gaza Strip will be permitted to attend the Bethlehem Mass.

The following day Pope Benedict will travel to Nazareth and celebrate Mass near Mount Precipice. Church officials said they expect 40,000 to 50,000 local Christians to attend the Nazareth Mass.

Auxiliary Bishop Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo of Nazareth said Catholic leaders were working to prepare the local Catholic community for the pope's visit through their schools, institutions and apostolic movements. The Israeli Ministry of Education has approved a budget for 250 lessons in private schools, concentrating on the pope's pilgrimage, he said.

Also at the press conference, Maronite Archbishop Paul Nabil Sayah of Haifa said the pope wants to send the message that the "Christian presence in this part of the world and the Holy Land in particular is of vital importance to the Holy Father as a witness" to the universal church.

END
HOLYLAND-DETAILS Mar-11-2009 (450 words) xxxi
source : www.catholicnews.com
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BENEDICT XVI LAUDS PIUS XI'S OPPOSITION TO NAZISM

Affectionately Recalls the "Pope of His Childhood"

VATICAN CITY, FEB. 16, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is recognizing Pope Pius XI's work in opposition of Nazism and totalitarianism in the 1930s.
The German Pope recalled the papacy of Achille Ratti (1922-1939) in an address Saturday on the 80th anniversary of the creation of Vatican City State.

He acknowledged Pope Pius XI as "the first and main architect and protagonist of the Lateran Pacts," which led to the birth of the Vatican state. At this moment, the Holy See was given sovereignty over this small piece of land, ensuring the pope's governance of the Church outside of the taxation policies of Italy, which was then ruled by Prime Minister Benito Mussolini.

Benedict XVI recalled "the Pope of my childhood, whom we looked upon with so much veneration and love."

He continued: "Precisely in these days his name has resonated on several occasions, as with the lucidity of a lofty outlook and indomitable will he was the real founder and first builder of Vatican City State.

"Moreover, the historical studies on his pontificate, which continue to take place, make us perceive increasingly the greatness of Pope Ratti, who guided the Church in the difficult years between the two World Wars."

The Holy Father acknowledged how his predecessor "stimulated ecclesial action in its many dimensions: Let us recall the missionary expansion, attention to the formation of God's ministers, promotion of the activity of the lay faithful in the Church and in society, and the intense relationship with the civil community."

He added: "During his pontificate, the 'librarian Pope' had to address the difficulties and persecutions that the Church was suffering in countries such as Mexico and Spain, and the confrontations triggered by totalitarianism -- national socialism and fascism -- which arose and were consolidated in those years.

"In Germany, his great encyclical 'Mit Brennender Sorge' has not been forgotten, as a strong sign against Nazism." The encyclical's impact was so evident that Adolf Hitler ordered Reinhard Heydrich, head of the Gestapo, to seize and destroy all copies.

Benedict XVI asserted: "The wise and strong work of this Pontiff truly awakens admiration, who only wished for the Church the freedom that would allow her to carry out her mission integrally.

"Vatican City State […] was also considered by Pius XI as an instrument to guarantee the necessary independence from all human authority, to give the Church and her supreme Pastor the possibility to fully comply with the mandate received from Christ the Lord.

The usefulness and benefit of this small but complete reality for the Holy See, for the Church, as well as for Rome and the whole world, was seen just 10 years later, when World War II broke out, a war whose violence and sufferings reached the doors of the Vatican."


ZE09021606 - 2009-02-16
Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-25109?l=english
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