Christian Attitudes

Link: http://www.zenit.org/english/

I cannot yet link to these stories as separate items, so you will need to go to DAILY DISPATCHES for November, 02 2005 and read Holy See Backs U.N. on "Holocaust Remembrance Day" and Holy See's U.N. Address on Holocaust Remembrance. and Holy See Address on Plight of Palestinian Christians

The Holy See Address on Plight of Palestinian Christians
is something of a curate's egg. There is a reference to persecution of Christians by Muslims – only without saying the word “Muslim”.

All Palestinians have the right to fair and fair-minded treatment from their peers and from the recognized authorities alike. Religious extremism of any kind, implicated in attacks, abuse and harassment of Christians in the area around Bethlehem recently, is not to be tolerated. No matter who is targeted by violence and bigotry, such acts are a stain on the conscience of peoples. It is thus the hope of my delegation that solutions will be found by local leaderships which will address the needs of all the members of local communities who suffer from violence.

The Israeli ‘wall’ is also blamed for the plight of the Christians, with only a glancing reference to Israelis’ need for ‘security’. Inconveniences suffered by Palestinians appear to be of greater importance than the murder and maiming of Israelis.

Now for some good news: Holy See Backs U.N. on "Holocaust Remembrance Day" and also its condemnation of incitement to terrorism.

Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Holy See's permanent observer to the United Nations, took part in the debate, to stress that "remembering is a duty and a common responsibility."

However, the archbishop lamented that "for 60 years we have had the horror of this kind of crime before us, in spite of which history has still repeated itself."

"May the Holocaust serve as a warning to prevent us from yielding to ideologies which justify contempt for human dignity on the basis of race, color, language or religion," the papal representative said at the U.N. headquarters.

In this connection, Archbishop Migliore appealed for renewal of support for Security Council Resolution 1624 "which both condemned 'in the strongest terms the incitement of terrorist acts' and repudiated 'attempts at the justification or glorification of terrorist acts that may incite further terrorist acts.'"

Link: http://isfsp.org/zion10.html

Reports in “the Vatican newspaper, El Messagero" that Israel and the Vatican are going to exchange control of the Last Supper Room in Jerusalem for that of the ancient Toledo Synagogue in Spain, have been denied by President Moshe Katsav and Cardinal Walter Kasper.

The initial report seems to have set off panic-stricken
rumours in some quarters that the Catholic Church was planning to take over the whole of Mount Zion and make it “the Vatican of the Middle East”!

No doubt those who believed the rumours will now heave a sigh of relief, but perhaps it will reassure them to read the rest of the article about
‘Nostra Aetate’ and the development of the Catholic Church’s attitude to the Jewish people. If I were them, I’d worry more about certain Protestant Churches who would like to see Jews lose control, not only of Mount Zion, but the whole of Israel.

Link: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=5287

Following the recent calls from Iran for the destruction of Israel, the Vatican Press Office has issued the following statement:

"The serious events in the Holy Land over the last few days are a cause of grave concern to the Holy See which, uniting itself with the entire international community, expresses its own firm condemnation of acts of violence - the terrorist attack on Hadera and the subsequent retaliation - from whichever side they come, and of certain particularly serious and unacceptable declarations denying the right of existence to the State of Israel.

"On this occasion, the Holy See reaffirms the right of both Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security, each in their own sovereign State."

I am waiting eagerly to hear a similar condemnation of calls for the destruction of Israel from the Archbishop of Canterbury, and leaders of the various Churches in favour of divestment.

I’m waiting….

Link: http://www.cathnews.com/news/511/3.php

Pope Benedict XVI gave his approval for the beatification of 25 church figures in October and November, but French Fr Leon Dehon was not among them.

This was delayed once before, following protests and the revelation of anti-Semitic statements by Dehon. His writing are being re-examined to see whether they should disqualify him from being identified as a saint.

The initial revelation of his prejudice came as a surprise to Church authorities, and there are suspicions that there might have been
a cover-up by those promoting his cause.

The French Catholic newspaper La Croix quoted Dehon's writings as saying Jews were "united in their hatred of Jesus" and were enemies of Christians. Dehon also wrote that the Jewish holy book, the Talmud, was the "manual of the bandit, of the corruptor, of the social destroyer," La Croix reported.

It quoted him as calling anti-Semitism a "sign of hope."

Asked how it was possible that the Vatican didn't know of Dehon's writings, Durand replied a book published on Dehon had "covered up" his anti-Semitism.

"The bishops weren't aware, and when they became aware, they were very shook up by this," said Durand, who was a cultural adviser for the French Embassy to the Holy See from 1998-2002.

More on the subject here: Pope Benedict and Father Leon Dehon

I hope he is never recognised as a saint, as his hatred is, to put it bluntly, evil, not good. Some airily dismiss his statements as merely a product of the times in which he lived, and of little consequence, but it would be wrong for the Church to present him as a saint, and an example for Christians to follow, especially when anti-Semitism is increasing throughout the world.

Link: http://www.melaniephillips.com/diary/archives/001469.html

Melanie Phillips spots a large hole in the sermon of Archbishop Rowan Williams at the remembrance service at St Paul’s Cathedral today for the victims of the London bombings.

She quotes from his sermon:

‘There is one thing that is always common to any sort of terrorist action, wherever it happens and whoever performs it. It aims at death – not the death of anyone in particular, just death. It does not matter to the killers if their victims are Christian or Muslim, Hindu or Humanist; what matters is that they show that they can kill where they please.’

Anyone spot the omission in the list of victims? Yup – he left out the Jews.

As she points out, in spite of the fact that there were Jewish victims of the bombing, Williams thinks Jews are Israelis, “And Israelis, in the eyes of so many in the CofE, are a different category of people altogether. They are not victims but oppressors.” Therefore, according to this twisted view, they cannot be included among victims of terrorism.

In case anyone thinks the gap in his sermon was a momentary slip, here is a reminder of an earlier demonstration of Rowan Williams’s prejudice:
On his knees before terror

Is there no limit to the extent to which the Archbishop of Canterbury will suck up to terror? Yesterday's genocide bomb on the number 19 bus in Jerusalem, which killed ten people and wounded 44, was carried out by a Palestinian Authority policeman. On the same day, Dr Rowan Williams was at the end of his week's visit to the Holy Land. Did he tour the hospitals offering his condolences to the injured and bereaved? He did not. Did he visit the site of the bombing? He did not. Instead, this man of peace spent the day in Ramallah where he was presented with a medal by Yasser Arafat, chairman of the same Palestinian Authority.

As Melanie says: “Shame on you, Archbishop"!