Clerical Whispers

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Historic year was a time of great change for churches

One of the most surprising ecclesiastical developments in 2007 was the announcement that the Rev Dr Ian Paisley will step down as Moderator of the Free Presbyterian Church early in the New Year.

The demise of Dr Paisley as the Moderator of a Church which he founded and nurtured is an indication of the momentous change in politics here. Many people are unsure whether he "jumped" or was pushed, but the appearance of a small group of protesters outside the Church's annual meeting last year was a sign of the times.

Ian Paisley, so often the firebrand outside the Establishment, probably had to pay the price of leadership by agreeing to share power with Sinn Fein.

Free Presbyterians are conservative, and many felt that their Moderator took a step too far. Dr Paisley's successor is unknown, but it may be a holding figure rather than one of the current Moderator's arch-critics such as the Rev Ivan Foster, who, some people feel, lacks the necessary charisma.

There were other notable changes in 2007.

The Church of Ireland elected a new Primate last January, and Archbishop Alan Harper has already stamped his own mark on an office so long-shaped by the retiring Primate, Archbishop Robin Eames.

It has been a sad year, too, for the Anglicans, with the untimely deaths of the Rev Tom Priestly in Belfast and Dean Desmond Harman in Dublin. Next summer the Lambeth Conference will be the focus of attention but it is unlikely if the Anglican Communion can avoid a schism over the vexed question of same-sex relationships.

The Methodist Church locally made international headlines when a former President, the Rev Harold Good, won the World Methodist Peace Award for his reconciliation work in Northern Ireland, and in June the current President, the Rev Roy Cooper, was installed at the annual meeting in a Roman Catholic Church in Cork - an historic development in itself.

The Presbyterian Church also made headlines this year by finally deciding not to sell Church House and by holding an excellent conference on Loyalism in Whitehouse church.

The Moderator, the Rt Rev Dr John Finlay, a quiet man, has chosen a low profile, and says little, but sadly last weekend there was controversy (perhaps avoidable?) over a difference of opinion between two churches about Christmas morning worship in Portadown.

The Roman Catholic Church in Ireland has had an historic year, with the elevation of Archbishop Sean Baptist Brady to the College of Cardinals. It was a popular and deserved appointment, and Cardinal Brady will continue to add to his stature as a quiet but effective, and perceptive leader and ecumenist. The big question for 2008 is whether or not Pope Benedict will come to Northern Ireland to complete the pastoral visit of Pope John Paul II.

He has been formally invited, he hasn't said "No", and there is still a possibility of a short visit to Armagh, perhaps in the spring. That really would make 2008 an historic year, especially if the Queen also visited Dublin. Both visits would confirm that our world really has changed and that the war is finally over.
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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Pope declares war on the devil - with an exorcist in every parish

Pope Benedict XVI plans to tackle the rise of Satanism by setting up specialist exorcism squads, it has emerged.

Father Gabriele Amorth, 82, the Vatican 'Exorcist-in-Chief' revealed the plans in an interview with online Catholic website called Petrus.

The Vatican recognised website, focuses entirely on Pope Benedict, has the backing of senior cardinals and has more than 500,000 hits a day.

Church chiefs are concerned at the growing rise in Satanism and the occult and have also introduced courses for priests to fight what it calls the most extreme form of "Godlessness."

According to the plans being considered, each Bishop in his diocese would have a specially trained number of priests trained to fight the occult and demonic possession.

In his interview Father Amorth said: "Thanks be to God that we have a Pope who has decided to fight the Devil head on.

"Now Bishops are to be obliged to have a number of established exorcists for their diocese.

"Too many Bishops are not taking this seriously and are not delegating their priests in the fight against the Devil - you have to hunt high and low for a proper trained exorcist.

"Thankfully Pope Benedict XVI believes in the existence and danger of evil - from the time he was in charge of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith."

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is the oldest Vatican department and deals with matters of faith and promoting Catholicism.

It was headed by Pope Benedict when he was Cardinal Ratzinger between 1982 until he became leader of the Catholic Church in 2005.

Father Amorth said that during his time at the department Pope Benedict had not lost the chance to warn humanity of the risks it faces from the Devil.

He added: "I also remember a particularly emotional meeting we exorcists had with the Holy Father last year in which he implored us to dutifully follow our mission as exorcists.

"That expression of support was a powerful injection of faith for all of us."

Father Amorth also explained that since Pope Benedict XVI wanted to resume the prayer said to St Michael the Archangel, believed to be the prime protector against evil.

He said: "This is another very good idea it is useful not only for priests but for lay people and helps fight demons.

"For example if a lay person knows someone who is possessed and there is no exorcist available they can intervene by saying this prayer, commanding the demon to leave that person.

"Christ himself once said:'In my name cast out demons.' So all of us in the name of Christ can cast out the Devil."

The prayer to St Michael the Archangel was abolished in the 1960's by Pope John XXIII during the Second Vatican Council and was traditionally recited at the end of Mass.

Father Paolo Scarafoni, another exorcism expert, who lectures on the Vatican's course, said interest in Satanism and the occult had grown as people lost faith with the Church.

He added: "People suffer and think that turning to the Devil can help solve their problems.

"We are being bombarded by requests for exorcisms."

The Vatican is particularly concerned that young people are being exposed to the influence of Satanic sects through the media, rock music and the internet.

Three signs that experts look out for are an ability to speak in tongues, the presence of superhuman strength and an awareness of hidden or distant objects.

In theory, under the Catholic Church's Canon Law 1172 all priests can perform exorcisms but, in reality, only a select few are assigned the task.

Under the law priests who are given the power must have "piety, knowledge, prudence, and integrity of life."

The rite of exorcism involves a series of gestures and prayers to invoke the power of God and stop the 'demon' influencing its possessed victim.

Tonight no-one at the Vatican was available for comment.
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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Pope to mandate appointment of exorcists?

From another Italian news source, Petrus, comes the speculation that the Holy Father will issue and instruction obliging Diocesan Bishops to appoint exorcists. (Prossima un'istruzione del Papa per aumentare il numero degli esorcisti?)

Thanks to Rorate Caeli for the notice of this and for their translation of this section of the article:

...Benedict XVI ... would intend to providentially deal [with the problem of diabolic forces] with an instruction, which could be published in the first months of the next year, which would determine that Diocesan Bishops...all over he world to confer the mandate to perform exorcisms to a stable number of their priests. There have not been official confimations by the Vatican, being just a rumor for the time being.

One commenter asked whether it would take 50 priests to constitute a stable group. surely there is no need to specify numbers - just specify that there must be the same number of exorcists in the diocese as the number that need to ask for the Classical Mass before it will be mandated ;-)

Interestingly, the article continues with the suggestion that the Holy Father will also encourage the recitation of the Prayer to St Michael after Mass. I was very pleased to read this because some time ago, I introduced the Leonine prayers after all weekday Masses in the parish.

Below are the Leonine Prayers for any priest who wants to use them after Mass in their parish.

The form was always for the priest to go directly to kneel on the step at the foot of the altar as soon as Mass was finished and lead the people in saying the prayers. (Of course, lay people can say them privately if they are not said publicly.)

Hail Mary (three times)
Hail Holy Queen ...

Let us pray.
O God, our refuge and our strength, look down with mercy upon the people who cry to Thee; and by the intercession of the glorious and immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of Saint Joseph her spouse, of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and of all the saints, in Thy mercy and goodness hear our prayers for the conversion of sinners, and for the liberty and exaltation of the Holy Mother the Church. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Holy Michael the Archangel, defend us in the day of battle; be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray: and do thou, Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust down to hell satan and all the wicked spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have mercy on us. (three times)

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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Canisius College president going to Rome for election of Jesuit leader

The president of Canisius College will be among the 225 Jesuit delegates from around the world meeting in Rome next month to elect a new leader of the international Society of Jesus, an order of Catholic priests that dates back 450 years.

The Rev. Vincent M. Cooke is scheduled to depart for Rome on Jan. 4 for the 35th General Congregation, which will include the election of a new superior general for the worldwide order. The congregation meeting begins Jan. 7.

Cooke could be gone for more than a month. John J. Hurley, executive vice president of the college, will serve as acting president during that time.

It will be Cooke’s second stint as an electing delegate in a process that mirrors a papal election.

In 1983, Cooke was part of the 33rd General Congregation, which elected the current superior general, the Rev. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach.

Like the pope, the superior general of the Jesuits is elected for life.

Kolvenbach asked Pope Benedict XVI if he could retire, and the pope has agreed.

Cooke, president of Canisius since 1993, was selected by colleague priests from the New York Province of Jesuits along with the Rev. Thomas H. Feely, who is based in New York City.

They are two of 34 delegates from the United States who will participate in the paper balloting inside the Jesuit curia, located just outside the walls of the Vatican.

Balloting continues until a majority of the voting delegates agrees on a candidate.

An American has never been elected superior general, and that trend is likely to continue, Cooke said.

“There’s an outside chance, but a very outside chance,” he said.

Most Americans don’t have the language skills necessary for the post, Cooke said, because the superior general must be fluent, at a minimum, in English, Spanish and Italian.

“It’s always been a European,” Cooke said, but the new leader may, for the first time, hail from a continent other than Europe.

An Asian, Indian or Latin American could emerge this time, Cooke said. “It’s probably a 50-50 chance — more of a chance than ever before,” he said.

The election is preceded by four days of information-gathering, known as the “murmuratio,” during which the delegates are allowed to ask any other member of the congregation about any member of the Society of Jesus who might be an apt superior general.

“People will tell you quite frankly what they think,” said Cooke, the lone American who participated in the last election.

There is a caveat, though: No campaigning allowed, either for oneself or for anyone else.

After the election, members of the General Congregation will stay in Rome to discuss topics such as the promotion of new vocations, how protecting the environment plays into the mission of the society, Jesuit community life and the Jesuit vow of obedience to the pope.
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Pope rejects ideology for its own sake

AT midnight mass in St Peter's, Benedict XVI conjured in his sermon with an image from the writings of Gregory of Nyssa, of the whole universe torn and disfigured by sin.

"What," the Pope wondered, "would he say if he could see the state of the world today, through the abuse of energy and its selfish and reckless exploitation? Anselm of Canterbury, in an almost prophetic way, once described a vision of what we witness today in a polluted world whose future is at risk."

At first blush, it seems as though he's talking about global warming. That's certainly the way Ian Fisher, the Fairfax stringer in Rome, framed his story about the event and construed those passing remarks in a sermon mainly devoted to the incarnation. "Benedict has spoken out increasingly about environmental concerns and the Vatican has purchased carbon offsets, credits to compensate for carbon dioxide emissions created by the energy consumed in the world's smallest state, Vatican City," Fisher's report said.

There are three problems with such a gloss. The first is that the line about selfish and reckless abuse of energy might be no more than a reference to the First World's consumption of dwindling oil reserves. The second is that the idea of a polluted world whose future is at risk could just as well be interpreted as an allusion to acid rain, contaminated waterways, general environmental degradation and the problem of nuclear proliferation.

The third and most conclusive objection is that we already know what Benedict thinks about global warming. He made a telling intervention during the Bali conference earlier this month, releasing a message prepared for World Peace Day fully three weeks earlier than scheduled just to emphasise the point. Whether some Vatican bureaucrat - who probably got the project under way in the dying days of the previous reign - has bought some tokenistic carbon credits is neither here nor there. What matters is what the Pope himself says.

He warned that "any solutions to global warming must be based on firm evidence and not dubious ideology ... Fears over man-made emissions melting the ice caps and causing a wave of unprecedented disaster are nothing more than scaremongering. While some concerns may be valid, it is vital that the international community bases its policies on science rather than the dogma of the environmentalist movement ... Humanity today is rightly concerned about the ecological balance of tomorrow. It is important for assessments in this regard to be carried out prudently in dialogue with experts and people of wisdom, uninhibited by ideological pressure to draw hasty conclusions."

It cannot have escaped the Pope's attention that carbon dioxide continues to build in the atmosphere but the mean planetary temperature hasn't increased significantly for nearly nine years. Similar misgivings about how well the greenhouse theory fits the available facts informed the views of his leading local representative, Cardinal George Pell. In February this year Pell wrote a column calling for caution over exaggerated claims of severe global warming. He said he is "deeply sceptical about man-made catastrophic global warming, but still open to further evidence. What we are seeing from the doomsayers is an induced dose of mild hysteria, semi-religious if you like, but dangerously close to superstition. I would be surprised if industrial pollution and carbon emissions had no effect at all, but enough is enough."

A reporter with a sharper eye for coded messages could have found one at least that was unmistakable in the text of the sermon and within the rest of the liturgy half a dozen actions that spoke far louder than words.

The Pope has long been concerned about the place of Gregorian chant, which after the Second Vatican Council has been more honoured in the breach than in the observance, even in Rome. He said: "According to the Fathers, part of the angels' Christmas song is that now angels and men can sing together and in this way the beauty of the universe is expressed in the beauty of the song of praise. Liturgical song - still according to the Fathers - possesses its own peculiar dignity through the fact that it is sung together with the celestial choirs."

On the face of it, this is a scholarly account of the Patristic view of what inspired plainchant and why it should continue to command attention. Another way of putting it would be to say that earthly worship and its distinctive music is both modelled on and hopes to prefigure the celestial liturgy. These lines serve to encapsulate a distinctive theology of beauty, most recently articulated by Hans Urs von Balthasar. It's also a signal that the Pope will be setting much higher standards in the selection and performance of church music, not least in St Peter's Basilica. The Sistine Chapel Choir, which has been going to the dogs for at least a decade and sang dismally on the night, has been put on notice. Its conductor, who has a marked preference for saccharine ecclesiastical pop, is widely reported to be departing in the next few months. Plainchant and polyphony are back in a big way, which is welcome news for everyone who loves fine music, regardless of whether or not they subscribe to any form of religion.

Recently there was another involuntary departure, that of John Paul II's favourite master of ceremonies, Piero Marini. He is a passionate advocate of modern liturgical style and music, and presided over a lot of gimmicky papal mega-masses designed to ingratiate the young. Another unrelated Marini, Monsignor Guido, has been appointed to replace him and the first midnight mass offered on his watch, broadcast to a potential audience of more than a billion Catholics and consciously offered as world's best practice, at every turn stressed continuity with tradition rather than novelty for its own sake.

Mindful of the fact that this is a column for the general reader, I'll try to locate some of the main changes, using themes in the culture wars as points of reference. A few weeks ago Franco Zeffirelli, an elderly film director, was asked to consult to the Holy See on aspects of media management. A man of the Left, at least in cultural terms, he rashly interpreted his brief as giving the Pope an image makeover and began by publicly criticising "his too sumptuous attire and trappings" and recommending the "noble simplicity" that was de rigueur after Vatican II. As an exercise in media management, it left a lot to be desired.

The first thing most viewers of the Christmas ceremonies would have noticed is that John Paul's faux-democratic armchair, which might well have graced a gentleman's library but looked ridiculous in a basilica, has gone. At mass and later in the loggia, Benedict sat on seats that were unmistakably thrones, and gilded ones at that, designed for his predecessors. He may have disdained the papal tiara, but he's quite comfortable with the symbols of presidential authority. Another indication of how much store the Pope and his master of ceremonies set by Zeffirelli's fashion tips was the papal headware. Until the 1960s, popes and bishops routinely wore a mitre decorated with jewels on major feasts. Benedict has restored the tradition, wearing during Christmas two different examples of the mitra pretiosa inherited from earlier popes, along with some of their elaborately embroidered vestments. It drives the so-called progressives to distraction, but like any sensible bishop he unapologetically dons his best to celebrate the birth of a king's son, let alone to greet the Prince of Peace. This is a pope who's meekly put up with a lot in his time and has now resolved never to wear liturgical polyester again.

I could - but won't - list the number of times when the Pope, celebrating the new rite, bowed or made symbolic gestures found in the Gloria, the Creed and the Preface in the old rite which the new rubrics seemed to have suppressed. Suffice it to say that all over the world people will have seen Catholicism's supreme lawgiver setting precedents he knows will be followed. Having restored the old rite to equal standing with the new, he obviously hopes that its more measured approach will inform the way the new rite is celebrated from now on. The choice to use a Latin version of the newer form of mass once again highlights the Pope's emphasis on continuity with tradition, rather than rupture, and his view that Latin remains something of a universal lingua franca.

Last but not least, there has been a long-running dispute over the most appropriate means of receiving communion, whether on the tongue or in the hand. Though to hostile observers this will seem an argument over nothing, at its core is the question of whether communion in the hand risks subverting a sense of the real presence and promotes the modernist misconception that mass is merely a community meal.

The Pope has often said that sudden changes in what is allowed in church are needlessly disruptive and distressing. Catholic viewers will have noted on Christmas Eve that distribution in the hand was permitted, particularly with all those cantankerous, grabby older nuns who project the attitude that it's their God-given right. However, everyone in the queue that was privileged to be given communion by the Pope received the host on the tongue, no doubt by prior arrangement. Pluralism still prevails perforce but it's safe to say there's now an officially preferred method of communicating. The modernist conventions ushered in after VaticanII, which seemed so well entrenched even three years ago, are falling like ninepins.
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Catholic weekly denounces government for banning Christians from using the world “Allah”

The Catholic weekly, the “Herald”, has denounced the Kuala Lumpur government because for some weeks now it has banned the use of the word “Allah” in its publications.

According to the government the word can only be used by Muslims. But “for security Seasons”, the Herald must cancel the word “Allah” or risk closure.

The government ordinance has led to police requisitioning many imported Christian books.

In a declaration published in yesterdays edition, Herald editor, Jesuit father Lawrence Andrew, explains that he received the directive from the Ministry for Security prohibiting the use of the word “Allah” in the paper. If they do not comply, the government is threatening to suspend or indeed revoke its permission to print.

The Ministry for Security has absolute power over the media and the Heralds publishing permit expires on December 31 and has not yet been renewed. In order to avoid the closure of the only Catholic newspaper in the country Fr. Andrew has been forced to accept the imposition, but has denounce the government for depriving him of a right. “We all have the right to use the word ‘Allah”, he affirms in his declaration.

According to scholars and academics, “Allah” has been used for centuries by Arab Christians across the Middle East and that Islam began using this word having received it from Christians. Since the early 19th century this word has also been used by Christians in Malaysia.

But according to Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Johari Baharum, the word “Allah” can only be used in the context of Islam, to avoid confusion. In an interview with Malaysiakini (21 December 2007) he stated: “Only Muslims can use ‘Allah’. It’s a Muslim word, you see. It’s from the Arabic language. The word ‘Allah’ is published by the Catholics. It’s not right”.

Herald has a circulation of 12,000 and a readership of 50,000. Other than the English segment, it also has sections in Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil to cater to the multi-racial and multi-lingual make-up of the more than 850,000 Malaysian Catholics. In a Dec 10 letter, Herald was also informed by the ministry to stop its Bahasa Malaysia segment but no reason was given for the directive.

However, Fr. Andrew said, the suit was not related to the directive, forbidding the use of the word ‘Allah’.

But many observers note that the government – perhaps under pressure from fundamentalist groups – has also banned the importation of other Malay publications which may contain the word “Allah”.

The Evangelical Church of Borneo (Sidang Injil Borneo), for example, received a Ministry for Security injunction on importing Christian books which contain the word “Allah”.

According to the faithful of this Church, this denies one of their constitutional rights and they have appealed to the Supreme Court.

The Court was set to open hearings on the case, but has put the session off until January 16th next.

The Evangelical Church of Borneo affirms that the Malaysian Constitution guarantees full religious freedom to all confessions.

An ordinance published by the Ministry for Internal Security in 1986, forbids the use of the word “Allah” for non Muslims – never really put into effect – they judge as “unconstitutional”.
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Bishop of Tenerife blames child abuse on the children

There is outrage in parts of Spanish society following declarations made over Christmas from the Bishop of Tenerife, Bernardo Álvarez.

His comments were that there are youngsters who want to be abused, and he compared that abuse to homosexuality, describing them both as prejudicial to society.

He said that on occasions the abuse happened because the there are children who consent to it.

‘There are 13 year old adolescents who are under age and who are perfectly in agreement with, and what’s more wanting it, and if you are careless they will even provoke you’, he said.

Regarding homosexuals, the Bishop said that homosexuality was something prejudicial to the people and to society, and that we would pay the consequences in the long term.

The Bishop claimed that both abuse of children and homosexuality would lead to future problems in society ‘as has occurred in other civilisations’.

The statements were made by the Bishop to his flock on Christmas Eve, in an interview given to the La Opinión de Tenerife local newspaper.

A later statement from the Bishop's residence on Tenerife explained that the Bishop did not intend to imply that ‘an event as condemnable as the abuse of youngsters’ could be justified.

The Triángulo Canarias Foundation for the Social Equality of Gays and Lesbians commented that the Bishop’s statements on homosexuality were inadmissible, as were comments he made considering being gay an illness.
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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Spain Investigates Clergymen Over Homophobia Claims

Two Spanish clergymen - one a Protestant evangelist, the other a Roman Catholic bishop - are under attack for alleged homophobia.

The Rev. Marcos Zapata, the head of an evangelical group that operates centers for troubled children in the Galicia region, recently held a seminar for parents titled: "How to Raise Heterosexual Children".

People who attended the speech say that Zapata called homosexuality an illness and an addiction, comparing it to alcoholism and drug abuse. He went on to say that that homosexuality could be "cured" through therapy.

Zapata said that in his own family he reinforces masculine roles for his two sons by watching professional wrestling.He also told fathers to "hug your sons as much as you can, because if you don't, perhaps another man will".

The regional government said it has opened an investigation to determine if the speech violated Spanish law which bans hate speech against gays.

A Spanish national LGBT rights group said it may take Zapata to court on a charge of libeling gays.

Evangelical preachers, mostly trained in the US, have been making inroads in mostly Catholic Spain attracting a large number of followers.

Meanwhile, the Catholic bishop of the Canary island Tenerife is under fire for comparing homosexuality to pedophilia and drug addiction.

Bernardo Alvarez said in an interview that "homosexuality harms society, and we will pay for it."

The conservative bishop also claimed that many young people who are abused were themselves responsible.

Alvarez claimed that many minors seek out adults for sex.

"If one isn't careful, they could even provoke it," Alvarez said.

"Sexuality is more complicated than one suspects."

Why Blair had to keep his Catholicism in the closet

Just in case you have any doubts about the importance of history, then can I suggest you study the case of Tony Blair's conversion to the Catholic faith?

Rumours of Blair's conversion have been swirling about for years, and with good reason. His children have been raised as Catholics and he accompanied his wife, Cherie, to Mass for practically his entire time as British Prime Minister.

In addition, and on occasion, he received Holy Communion at Mass even though he was not in full communion with the Catholic Church.

But he delayed becoming a Catholic until he had stepped down from office. Why? Because of history, that's why. Britain has never had a Catholic prime minister and he wasn't sure it was ready for one yet.

Also, and as he admitted, he was reluctant to draw attention to his religious faith -- Catholic or otherwise -- in case he was branded a ''nutter''.

In the British imagination, the ferocious anti-Catholic propaganda of the late Tudor age still looms large. It was captured in fine style by the recent movie, 'Elizabeth: the Golden Age', and also by its predecessor called, simply, 'Elizabeth'.

In those movies, Good Queen Bess is depicted as a tolerant, modern-minded type, impatient with religious differences. Her enemies, especially the Catholic ones, are invariably depicted as unpatriotic, disloyal, intolerant, narrow-minded, murderous and bigoted.

The Black Legend of Catholic Spain is polished off and put on display once more. If Catholics are fanatical, then the Spanish are the fanatics' fanatics.

And let's not forget Bloody Mary, who ruthlessly persecuted Protestants in memory of her late Spanish mother -- Catherine of Aragon -- and because of her own commitment to her Catholic faith.

All of this has been pretty devastating for the image and reputation of the Catholic Church in England. To be seen as both unpatriotic and fanatical is rather a lot to be lumbered with. Tony Blair knew full well that if he became a Catholic while still in office, he would be pinned with both of these labels.

Maybe this is why he bent over backwards to support every piece of ultra-liberal social legislation that ever passed his way, much to the chagrin of many of his new bedfellows in the faith.

Of course, the curious thing about British and English history is that it doesn't really support the sort of anti-Catholic and anti-religious prejudice found among the uber-secularists that dominate the British and English intelligentsia.

In fact, apart from the admittedly black stain of anti-Semitism (which persisted until recently and is found, for example, in the novels of Charles Dickens), prior to Tudor times England was a fairly peaceful land religiously-speaking.

It was only when Henry VIII forcibly converted his realm to the Protestant faith that England became a place of widespread and mostly State- imposed religious strife.

It was the Tudors who forced many Catholics to divide their loyalties between their monarch and the Church, or rather to see it as their patriotic duty to make England a Catholic country once more.

And was Spain's attempt to bring England back within the Catholic fold so surprising? During the Cold War, neither the West nor the East much cared for countries leaving their respective camps and would use force if necessary to ensure this did not happen.

In fact, if anything the violence that followed on from Henry's fateful decision to sever ties with Rome isn't an argument against the excessive power and influence of religion, but the excessive power and influence of the State.

It was the State, after all, which decided that an entire people would have to change their religion at the point of a sword.

Tony Blair decided to his satisfaction that his country was not yet ready for a Catholic prime minister. He was almost certainly correct.

In fact, it can barely tolerate a Catholic minister, let alone a prime minister.

When Ruth Kelly was appointed Britain's Education Secretary a few years ago, there was a general liberal caterwaul about her faith and her apparent membership of Opus Dei which is both Catholic and Spanish, a real double-whammy guaranteed to revive all that Tudor propaganda.

And when the Italian government tried to have Rocco Buttiglione made a member of the European Commission in 2004, the loudest outcry came from some of the British MEPs who decided being a Catholic is incompatible with holding certain public offices.

To this day, therefore, Catholicism is viewed by many people in Britain (and Ireland, let it be said), as a threat to the body politic. Until recently, it was seen in Britain as unpatriotic and fanatical.

Now it is seen as undemocratic, irrational and, if you'll give it an inch, violent. The attempt is therefore made to drive it out of politics in the name of tolerance, although to a Catholic that tolerance looks an awful lot like intolerance.

Certainly the effect is the same. Ask Rocco Buttiglione or Ruth Kelly.

Better still, ask Tony Blair. What an indictment it is of British politics that he couldn't become a Catholic until now.
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Churches careful not to start attendance row (Opinion)

That was Christmas.

So now it is the sales. Mammon plunges onward, planting his boots (or hers?) in the sludge of what is left after the ancient beano of the Saturnalia.

But what is this?

A rival show in the wings?

A bout between two of the main players in the Christmas celebration, Catholics and Anglicans?

In a flurry of rather out-of-date statistics, the Sunday Telegraph led off its front page with the daring cry that 'Britain is a Catholic country'. The explanation appeared to lie in Sunday Mass attendances exceeding Anglicans' average Sunday attendances. Anglicans were nettled, but clearly recognised it would be unseemly openly to go to war.

"It isn't a competition," declared the Rev Graham Cray, supremo of those who report on Anglican evangelism. "I'm delighted," said he with a diplomatic and vaguely ecumenical clearing of the throat, "to see all Christian denominations flourishing." But is this the whole story? Regrettably, in the real world, churches find themselves very much in competition, however they seek to deny it; and, history being what it is, that competition - in England at least - reaches its apotheosis between Canterbury and Rome.

This is awkward, for the churches are at their least attractive when they allow the wine of triumphalism to go to the head. Seeking to throw one's weight about, asserting that 'we are the top dogs', seems somehow out of kilter with the stainless sage who sought out simple fishermen on the shores of Galilee.

So it is to the credit of all concerned that few - very few - have sought to make hay with the Sunday statistics. "We don't want to be seen to be scoring points over the Anglican Church," said the Catholic Bishop of Portsmouth, "as we are in no way jealous of its position as the national church ¿"

But privately? In Rome? Within the Vatican, a century is like an evening gone. Trends are measured in aeons. Henry VIII's sequestration of the English Church may be nearly five centuries old, but is not forgotten. Anglicanism may be ailing, but its historic riches remain very visible.

Now, though, Rome also has its cares - and they are much more immediate than a tussle with Anglicanism. Much less has been heard recently of the discreet drive to recruit influential Anglicans to the fold.

Some discontented Anglican priests crossed over in the wake of the mounting (and still unresolved) Anglican row over homosexual clergy; but Blair is the first convert to make a splash for some years; and it is socially significant that even he thought it prudent to dally until he shook himself free of the voters' clutches.

No: Rome, in reality, has been on the defensive ever since Paul VI yielded to the diehards and overrode his appointed experts to condemn mechanical means of contraception - and that will be 40 years ago next year. His fiat is now openly defied within the fold - worldwide - in a process described as the 'protestantising' of Rome.

To this must be added the backwash of priestly child abuse which has hit attendances at mass and, accordingly, the collection plate, still the main source of parish income.

The view heard is that Rome thinks Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor much too liberal and much too good at keeping his distance from the Vatican. Significantly, though, the two trends mesh together: for, after nearly 50 years, it is clear that the old guard of the curia has won the ultimate battle of Vatican II.

It is its generals who have hand-picked safe bishops; and John XXIII's notion of 'collegiality' - a sharing of decision-making between bishops and the Pope - is a dead letter. John, who summoned the Council, died just after its launch and his successors have held on to the reins with an iron grip; none more so than that public relations giant, John Paul II - who humiliated his theologians of world status, Hans Kung, Edward Schillebeeckx and Charles Curran when they dared step out of line.

As for who goes to church, we may be witnessing the working out of a new social pattern of behaviour which has affected many spheres of activity, secular as well as sacred.

The lazy among this generation participate on the box and on the net without stirring from their chairs. They can get their religion there too. Yet packed cathedrals at Christmas, both Anglican and Roman, suggest that the cause of spirituality is far from lost.
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Confession, celibacy and the Catholic Church (Contribution)

As a Catholic, two doctrinal issues that worry me and I think many other faithful, are confession and celibacy.

The aspect of the confession that is most detestable to me is the manner of the confession.

Catholics usually go to the priest and confess their sins before those sins can be forgiven by God.

The dilemma of the confessor, beside the psychological crisis it induces, is that some of the sins, assuming the confessor had many, will one way or the other crop up again.

At times it can happen as you are going home to continue to dwell in your newfound state of grace, which the catechist keeps repeating before Holy Communion every Sunday as if the faithful are not aware of such inhibiting proviso.

If such happens as they are bound to happen, the confessor will rush to the priest again and pass through the same ritual stating the sins committed and their frequency to regain his holiness, sometimes to the consternation of the priest who keeps memory diary of the confessors.

The church has been trying over the years to justify this mode of confession, which is psychologically wrecking to the extent that some sins are deliberately left out while some tolerable ones are eloquently pronounced to the hearing of the priest who is not tired of hearing those evil deeds.

A fictional representation of this inherent abuse in Catholic confessionals can be gleaned from Mongo Beti’s Poor Christ of Bomba.

I have taken up this issue with some Catholic priests, both blacks and whites, and all of them acknowledge this weak angle of confession but insisted that it is liberating and somehow emotionally satisfying.

Some Catholics do not like it but are just keeping face; after all it is God that will be the ultimate judge in the last day and not the priest or any other person.

Beti also touched on the inherent abuses of celibacy, which I will dwell on in the latter part of this article. But each Sunday in our local church where I worship in Lagos, the numbers of those who come out for Holy Communion keep decreasing when compared to the number of the congregation.

I believe that the dwindling number of communicants is an indication of the general disapproval of the mode of confession.

I would be glad to learn the contrary and perhaps other views on this. This brings to the fore the need to change the Catholic mode of confession which is not only un-African but also does not allow the whole truth to be told in some circumstances.

The current mode, which calls for modification, is rather inhibiting, unnecessary and not liberating or emotionally satisfying.

During the Biafran war, the white priest then administered general absolution type of confession. What it entails is that you confess your sins to God directly wherever you are in the church and the priest grants all of you general pardon.

This practice remained a little after the war but it was popular among the white priests than our black priests.

It is economical, time saving and emotionally and psychologically rewarding than the current face- me- I- face-you type of confession where the priest will listen to every detail of your life before granting the needed pardon. It will lead to total confession. It is even more African and will ultimately lead to confessing everything to God because they are meant for God’s ears and it is God that really forgives those sins.

I wish the church should consider changing to the general absolution because the current method appears not to be working well with us. Many Catholics have run to other churches because of this and celibacy.

The church hierarchy cannot continue to pretend that all is well with the way Catholicism is practised here in Africa. Just as the church has allowed some clapping of hands, dancing and Igbo songs and instrumentation in its worship to stem the intrusion of Pentecostalism, it must do something urgently about confession and celibacy.

Confession and celibacy are some of the themes well portrayed in Purple Hibiscus, a novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It also mirrors other inhibiting sides of Catholicism in the face of Igbo traditional religious life and the threatening Pentecostalism.

Does it worry the priest that not many Catholics receive the Holy Communion, which many regard as a badge of holiness and a sure visa to heavenly bliss? Every Sunday, the congregation is irritated to a point of rejection by the singing of this phrase, which has become a ritual by the catechist, “this is time for Holy Communion. Only practising Catholics in a state of grace are allowed.” Another variant will add, “Married but unwedded couples are not allowed to receive Holy Communion.”

The irony of the catechist’s pronouncement is that during offering times, which these days, are becoming so many in Catholic church, the same catechist would insist that everybody should file out and contribute. At times, this is done line-by-line beginning with those at the back to those in front.

In this wise, everyone partakes irrespective of the state of his or her soul but during the life-saving spiritual meal, the Holy Communion, there is segregation. Why? This contrasts sharply with the practice in African traditional religion, which the Catholic Church supplanted in most parts of Igbo land. In the traditional religion, everybody partakes of the ritual meals even non-adherents and visitors.

Jesus Christ during his earthly ministry fed, on different occasions, five thousand and ten thousand people respectively, without any discrimination. Also during his last supper, which is the origin of modern day Holy Communion, his twelve disciples partook of the eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood including his betrayer, Judas Iscariot. If Judas was found worthy of such heavenly meal, why do the Catholic clergy exclude some members in their own bread and wine?

I believe that those whose offerings to the worthy causes of the church are acceptable should also be worthy and acceptable to the church’s ritual meal called Holy Communion.

Now to celibacy.

Some people might wonder why my interest in celibacy since I am a laity. I am highly interested because I would have been involved if not for celibacy.

I am also concerned if such vow is desecrated.

Outside my intellectual pursuit which has remained my primary goal and one that has shaped my professional calling and outlook, the Catholic priesthood holds much attraction to me and I think to some others too.

But the issue of imposed celibacy is a barrier to many for not undertaking the vocation for fear of abuse. I am worried for those in this dilemma of faith and those inside that daily compromise their celibate vows as if there is nothing to worry about.

The question now is: Why are full-blooded, virile young men and women allowed to take a vow of celibacy that is church imposed and which some of them do not keep?

Won’t the church make such a vow optional for its priests considering the inherent abuses by randy priests?

The females who partake in these vows are not immuned from such sexual escapades. Stories of such abuse are rampant in the foreign and local media. These scandals should worry the church.

In some instances, it has been taken as normal.

Celibacy practised by St. Paul as recorded in the Bible was self-imposed. It was his choice. He recommended it to only those who can do it faithfully and advised otherwise to those who are weak in the flesh to marry and enjoy sex.

Can a Catholic clergy enjoy sex? The answer is why not.

Is he or she not human?

But is a Catholic clergy allowed to have sex? The answer is no, because he made a vow of celibacy which forbids any form of sex.

But what is the reality on the ground? The reality on the ground is that some of the them do compromise on this even in the purview of parishioners and the public. These too ought to worry the church and its puritans and pretenders.

My thesis in this write-up is that the Catholic church should, in a competing world that has become a global village and where knowledge through the Internet is the property of all at the press of a button, revert to the general absolution style of confession or allow the confessor confess to God in his house without troubling to see the priest.

Secondly, they should abrogate celibacy for its clergy or make it optional if it still wants to make the priesthood attractive to the young.

The present attitude where such clergy are forced to repress their sexuality is unnatural and a denial of their fundamental human rights and sexual needs as members of the human community.
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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Pope prays for an end to the violence that followed Bhutto’s assassination

At least 20 people have died in clashes between police and demonstrators.

This heavy toll is a far cry from the Pope’s prayers.

In his message the Holy Father said he was praying in the hope that further violence will be avoided and that every effort will be made to build a climate of respect and trust, which are so necessary if good order is to be maintained in society and if the country’s political institutions are to operate effectively.”

In the telegram, signed by Vatican Secretary of State Card Tarcisio Bertone, and sent to the chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Pakistan, Mgr Lawrence John Saldanha, the Pope also expressed his “sentiments of deep sympathy and spiritual closeness” to the family of Ms Bhutto who was killed in such a “brutal terrorist attack.”

Benedict XVI sent a telegram of condolences following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, whose remains were laid to rest today.

The funeral for the former Pakistani prime minister was held as expected in her family’s compound in Naudero, in the southern province of Sindh, where hundreds of thousands of people gathered to say farewell to the slain leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

The coffin, covered in the red-green-black flag of the party, was driven in a white ambulance through a dense crowd shouting ‘Benazir Lives’ over a distance of more than five kilometres. It was accompanied by her husband, Asif Zardari, and their three children as well as PPP leaders.

The body was then placed inside the family mausoleum in the village of Garhi Khuda Bakhsh beside that of her father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who was killed in 1979.

Whilst the ceremony was taking place, violence continued across the country. A roadside bomb in the north-western district of Swat killed six people, including a candidate from President Pervez Musharraf’s ruling PML-Q party.

The situation is particularly tense in Sindh where at least 20 people, including a policeman, died in clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces.

Wielding sticks and brandishing firearms, angry demonstrators destroyed and set on fire hundreds of vehicles, accusing President Musharraf of being behind Bhutto’s death.

Security forces received orders this morning to shoot rioters on sight. And police opened fire on protesters in Sindh's Hyderabad city, wounding at least five people.

More than 400 inmates in three prisons in Thatta district were set free by hundreds of protesters who attacked and set the facilities on fire.

In the provincial capital Karachi, however, the situation was calmer Friday morning after demonstrators attacked and torched four police checkpoints and 180 vehicles. So far 40 people have been arrested.

Russia’s only Catholic magazine Svet Evangelia closes

Russia’s only Catholic weekly Svet Evangelia (The Light of the Gospel) ceased publication on Christmas Day on orders of Mgr Paolo Pezzi, the new archbishop of Moscow.

In a farewell editorial its editor-in-chief Victor Khroul announced the paper closing, thanking readers for “their long lasting attention to weekly’s publications, for their prayer support, for their strong interest to Catholic Church life, for their generous mercy and inexhaustible hope.” Moreover, “[w]e would like to use this last chance to publish serious and interesting texts. That is why this Christmas issue is not so festive and joyful as it was some years before,” Mr Khroul wrote.

For many Catholic and non-Catholic readers alike the decision was as sad as it was unexpected. After its last issue was released the editorial offices received via e-mail many letters from readers from different regions expressing their sorrow, support and gratitude. Many also expressed hope that the publication might be revived because it was the only official outlet for Russian Catholics.

Founded in 1994 by Mgr Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, then Archbishop of Moscow, Svet Evangelia was launched by Fr Bernardo Antonini, an Italian missionary who passed away in 2002.

Its first issue was released on 2 October 1994 and for almost 14 years it was the official voice of the Catholic Church in Russia, until its last number, n. 630, published on 25 December 2007.

In addition to editorial offices in Moscow, the weekly had correspondents in Saint Petersburg, Saratov, Sochi, Novosibirsk, Tula, Ekaterinburg, Irkutsk, Magadan, and Vladivostok as well as other cities. It co-operated with Vatican Radio and news agencies in Poland, Italy, United States, Germany, Ukraine, Belorus and others. It published 13 monthly supplements overall.

It became a well-known and reliable source of news about religious life in Russia, developing an important readership among Russian Orthodox Christians.

In 2004 the International Catholic Union of the Press awarded it the Titus Brandsma Prize for weekly publications “for its remarkable efforts and initiatives for building bridges, for advocating justice and freedom, for promoting unity and dialogue among religions and churches and for defending human dignity through exemplary journalism.”

This year Svet Evangelia journalists were given the Award for Excellence in Journalism and the Award for Inter-Religious Dialogue at the International Catholic Union of the Press World Congress in Canada.

The Pontifical Council for Social Communications expressed its highest appreciation for the weekly’s professional level and for its contribution to the development of the Catholic Church in Russia and in favour of ecumenical dialogue.

The former chairman of the Pontifical Council, Archbishop John P. Foley, in his message of congratulations on Svet Evangelia’s10th anniversary in 2005, wrote: “I am happy to assure you and the staff and readers of the newspaper of the prayers of Our Holy Father Pope John Paul II.”
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Sfeir criticises those who pose “preconditions” to the election of head of state

The Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir has contested requests by Lebanon’s parliamentary opposition, which place conditions on the election of the President of the Republic.

“Is it reasonable to enchain the president and force him to name an army commander and a prime minister before electing him?” the cardinal asked at the end of a series of meetings with political, social and religious leaders.

The Maronite Patriarch’s words come on the eve of a new parliamentary session, which is due to due held tomorrow to elect a new Head of State.

The session, however, appears destined for failure, just as the last ten meetings, even though all involved have expressed their support for army chief, Michel Sleiman.

The opposition is imposing a series of “preconditions" ranging from government formation to national unity as well as the choice of next army chief, and the duration of presidential mandates.

The prelate spoke out strongly against this attitude as well as the “closure of Parliament”: in fact, for months now the Parliamentary speaker’ Nabih Berri – leader of Amal, opposition movement – has refused to convoke deputies.
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Friday, December 28, 2007

Chinese Autonomous Orthodox Church department to open in Moscow

The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church took a decision at its winter session on Thursday to open a department of the Russian Orthodox Autonomous Church (ROAC).

The Synod decision stresses the need to continue the efforts taken by the Department for External Church Relations in the dialogue with the Chinese, to normalize the situation of the Orthodox Church in China.

"Under difficult conditions, numerous Orthodox believers in China have retained the Christian faith and canonic tie with the Mother, Russian Orthodox Church," the session participants said, and their opinion is cited in the Synod's final documents.

The Russian spiritual mission had been effective in China since 1713 and was abolished for political reasons in 1954. In 1956, Russian Synod granted autonomy to the Chinese Orthodox Church and appointed archimandrite Vasily for the Beijing diocese. Following the latter's death in 1962, the Chinese Orthodox Church fell into decay.

In 1997, the Synod of the Russian Church said that under existing circumstances, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II would provide for the Orthodox Church congregation in China.
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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Daughter of tragedy

What ever else the mind-numbing killing of Benazir Bhutto in Thursday’s suicide attack will mean for Pakistan’s future, there is little doubt that politics in this south Asian country will never be the same again.

Bhutto's death was like a chronicle foretold. She had escaped a bigger suicide attack upon her return from exile in Karachi two months ago - a manifestation of the threat to her life, which extremists had pledged to carry out before her arrival.

These threats emerged after much publicised talks of a power-sharing deal with General Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's president, which would enable her to return home and participate in the elections in exchange for allowing the beleaguered general to get himself re-elected as president. Benazir Bhutto has been killed in a suicide attack. What is next for Pakistan?

While the opposition resigned en masse from the parliament to block Musharraf's re-election in a year that saw a rejuvenated judiciary challenge the president's authority, Bhutto’s Pakistan People's Party merely abstained from voting providing the general an easy run.

The extremists were annoyed with Bhutto for her unqualified support to the US 'war on terror' and her willingness to play ball with the Bush administration.

This is a policy that Musharraf has found to his chagrin remains hugely unpopular in Pakistan but, which was seen by her party as a politically correct course in order to win back power.

Bhutto's apparent grandstanding in offering to give the International Atomic Energy Agency access to disgraced nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan to probe his role in nuclear proliferation, and allow American troops to enter the Pakistani hinterland to take out al-Qaeda, sparked outrage even in the intelligentsia.

However, the general consensus was that she remained the country's biggest hope in pushing Musharraf for a transition to genuine democracy, which is what she professed to do in defence of her negotiations with a military ruler.

The Bush administration had been engaged in hectic diplomacy for more than a year to arrange a political marriage between Musharraf and Bhutto, a factor which contributed in alienating many of her fringe supporters and pushing them to search for an alternative.

To Bhutto's credit, she had managed to create space for other political aspirants despite her initial attempt at a solo flight, notably former Nawaz Sharif, the former prime minister.

He, too, is credited for showing maturity in his readiness to join forces against Musharraf's alleged attempt to manipulate the forthcoming elections.

In fact, the two held a detailed meeting earlier this month and after failing to follow on Sharif's suggestion to boycott the polls, they decided to launch a joint struggle in the event of a rigged poll to oust Musharraf.

Both leaders have been alleging in the run up to the polls that the now-retired general was seeking to return his favoured Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid to power by resorting to massive rigging.

The irony of Bhutto's death will not be lost on many given that if she had agreed with Sharif on a boycott, she may have still been alive.

For much of Pakistan's democratic history, politics has been dominated by the Bhutto factor: Benazir successfully carried on the legacy of her father where only two kinds of forces were arraigned in a political contest - those who loved Bhutto or the ones who loathed him.

A string of military rulers, notably Zia-ul-Haq and Musharraf, tried to break the corollary without success.

Bhutto was favoured to have a decisive say in the formation of the next government, especially after the Musharraf administration successfully manoeuvred to oust Sharif from the electoral race.

Family tragedies

An inescapable aspect of the near-Greek tragedy governing the Bhutto family is how three members of the twice-elected prime minister’s immediate family also fell prey to such grand ill-fortune.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir's father and the country's first popularly elected prime minister, was ousted by a hand-picked army chief, who later connived with a judiciary to have him sentenced to death over disputed and unproven charges of an opponent's murder in 1979.

Benazir then lost her younger brother, Shah Nawaz, who died in France seven years later after allegedly being poisoned.

The last surviving male member of the nucleus family, Benazir's elder brother, Murtaza, who staked a claim for the mantle of their father for many years, was gunned down outside his residence in Karachi eleven years ago in a shootout with the police under his own sister's government.

Benazir's father once said she would be more successful than India's 'Iron Lady' Bhutto's mother, Nusrat, who lives in Dubai, is also in an advanced stage of Alzheimer's. Benazir now becomes the first woman of the Bhutto family to have lost her life in tragic circumstances. The only other surviving member of the nucleus family, other than Nusrat, is Benazir's sister Sanam, who has remained in the shadows, choosing a totally apolitical life.

The Benazir saga is enigmatic and, at once, more fascinating than any screen epic. Father Bhutto, who initiated the rites of passage for her, was certain of a secure place in the annals of history for his daughter.

He once said of her: "Benazir will be more popular than Indira Gandhi - and even more successful." The inspirations were purposely nurtured when Bhutto took along Benazir to the Simla Summit in 1974 to have her meet the Indian 'Iron Lady' in person.

Uncertain future

Little would Bhutto have known that his Oxford, Harvard-educated daughter would tread the same tragic path as her father - and with little success.

Bhutto may have been the first woman prime minister of a Muslim country but was twice ousted as premier on corruption charges, which she fought for the rest of her political life.

Ironically, it was only recently that corruption cases against her were "washed" clean courtesy of a controversial ordinance passed by Musharraf on the premise of national reconciliation but effectively seen as a means to win her support for his continued stay in power.

Regardless of what modus operandi appealed to her - and she took many that surprised even her family not to mention, her political adversaries - Bhutto remained a force to reckon with right until the end.

In her death, Pakistan may have lost its most potent political player, who remained at least for its vast moderate and secular population, their best hope.

Given the vitiated international climate vis-a-vis the war-on-terror for Islamabad, deep polarisation within the country and the institutional instability, her loss is colossal not just for Pakistan but for the rest of the world as well.

Journalists urged to look to Bethlehem

Catholic journalists specialising in themes of life and family should delve into the significance of Bethlehem, according to the president of the Pontifical Council for the Family.

Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo proposed this at a meeting of Italian Catholic newspaper directors who report on issues of family and life. The meeting was sponsored by that Vatican dicastery last week.

The choice of the date for the meeting, so close to Christmas, wrote the cardinal in a message to those who were present, calls to mind "the logic of the tenderness of God."

"To relive the meaning of Bethlehem," he added, is a task that belongs to everyone "with a complete happiness that only the understanding of the merciful God can assure."

As the traditional understanding of family is challenged, the cardinal said an urgent question must be asked: "Is it possible to rescue families from a crisis that affects so many?"

Cardinal López Trujillo proposed two ways to clarify the role and mission of the family: first the "effort to present positively the Gospel of the family and of life," emphasizing that the institution of marriage is a project of God; and second, a "dialogue about identity."

"One cannot cease seeking answers to so many questions," he affirmed. "We cannot surrender quietly to a fabricated hostility that opens the paths to relativism."

The Vatican official said that "the various objections presented against the truth of the family" should be considered and answered with arguments favouring "the common good of the person in society."

The importance of the contribution of Christians to the current debate about the family and other themes was emphasized by Conventual Franciscan Father Gianfranco Grieco, an official at the Pontifical Council for the Family.

In his address, the priest underlined concern about the "demographic winter," above all in Europe.

"The aging of the population and the low birthrate will bring an increase in public expenses and a decrease in productivity," Fr Grieco stated. "The strong and massive migratory ebb and flow, in themselves, will not be a solution if not accompanied by solid integration policies."

The demographic question, he indicated, "demands a policy with long-range thinking," and contended that the European Union should propose a pact in favor of the family, "heart of the society and image of the bond of God with mankind."

Together with the demographic problem, Fr Grieco underlined issues such as "new ways of understanding marriage, human love and sexuality in an essentially subjective perspective," as well as ongoing bioethical challenges.

Various nations' adaptation of laws based on these new concepts has been done "rapidly, without sufficient in-depth analysis," Father Grieco said.

He denounced "a kind of anesthetizing of consciences that leads to thinking that any behavior that gives pleasure and results in comfort is necessarily good," and leads to the belief that "what is legal must be morally good."

In this context, the priest added, "the criterion of good therefore is not truly objective and each one creates his own truth. [...] We are faced with a truth battle. The secularists know what they want and have weapons and allies in this great battle."

"Should we merely defend ourselves? Should we raise our voices?" he asked.

We must "do what corresponds to us," Father Grieco affirmed. If not, "there are others who will take our legitimate places. [...] We Christians have to respond with fidelity to the Gospel of life and to the social doctrine of the Church."
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North Korea Sets Up Fake Underground Churches to Expose Christians

The North Korean government is reportedly setting up fake underground churches and disguising national security agents as defectors to expose Christians, reported a North Korea-focused online news agency.

The Daily NK, established by long-time activists who have been working to change North Korea, claims that a portion of underground churches existing in North Korea are disguised churches controlled by North Korea’s National Security Agency.

“The fact that North Korea government formed a fake underground church with National Security Agency agents was revealed as the truth,” an inside source told the Daily NK.

According to the source, NSA agents disguise themselves as defectors and approach Korean church organizations based in China to receive Bibles and money.

After they receive funds by claiming to church organizations that they are engaging in mission activities, they start up secret churches beginning with NSA agents and then concentrate their efforts to arrest real secret churches connected with China.

The Daily NK’s inside source said they verified this fact with an NSA-related member. Among NSA agents, the operation is an open secret.

The fake underground church is receiving funds from Korean churches that do not know the reality of the situation, the inside source claimed.

If the Korean church is not stricter about the security regarding the underground church support project and underground church member circumstances then they will fill up the stomachs of NSA agents and cause damage to the underground church, the source added.

North Korea, one of the most repressive regimes in the world, has been criticized for the systemic, widespread and serious violations of human rights that reportedly take place in the country as well as the government's refusal to cooperate with the U.N. human rights commissioner or special investigator.

The communist state has also been criticized for its all pervasive and severe restrictions on freedom of expression, religion, assembly and movement, its imposition of the death penalty for political reasons, the detention of thousands in prison camps, the punishment and torture of border-crossers, and the maltreatment of people with disabilities.

North Korea is ranked by the international ministry Open Doors as the world’s worst persecutor of Christians.
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Disclaimer

No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.

The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.

Sotto Voce

Papal travel: 3 trips inside Italy in 2008

Vatican Radio has reported plans for three papal trips inside Italy during the coming year 2008.

Pope Benedict XVI will travel to Savona and Genoa on May 17-18, for a meeting with youth and a visit to the shrine of the Madonna della Guardia, Vatican Radio reports.

On June 14-15 the Pontiff will visit Brindisi and Santa Maria di Leuca (Apulia). And on September 7, the Pope will travel to Cagliari, in Sardinia, for a visit to the Marian shrine there.

The Holy Father also has plans for 3 trips outside Italy in 2008: to the US in April, with stops in New York and Washington; to Australia in July for World Youth Day; and to France, at an unspecified date, for the 150th anniversary of the Virgin Mary's appearances at Lourdes.