On 8 June A Rabbi, an Imam an a Pope Will Do "Interreligious" in the Vatican: No Joke!

(Jerusalem / Buenos Aires) "We can go as far as we want, we can build a lot, but if we do not confess Jesus Christ, it doesn't mean a thing.  If you do not confess Jesus Christ, that brings  the words of Léon Bloy to mind: "Whoever does not pray to the Lord, prays to the devil." When one does not confess Jesus Christ, he is committed to the worldliness of the devil, the worldliness of evil." These words were uttered by Pope Francis in his first sermon as the new  head of the Catholic Church  on March 14, 2013 in celebration of the Eucharist with the Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel. Nevertheless, there will be an "inter-religious prayer" on June 8th  at the Vatican with  a Pope, rabbi and imam. How so?

There seems to be some disorientation ruling in the Catholic ranks  and  will not shake the feeling that Pope Francis is part of that.  The Catholic Action in the home country of the Pope, the National Argentine Commission for Justice and Peace , the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations (WUCWO) and the International Forum of Catholic Action have (FIAC) for 1pm on June 6, been called to prayer under the slogan "One Minute for Peace" (see image).

Argentinian Group Picture - Embrace of the Abrahamic religions?

The call of  an Argentine group picture in front of the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem was published. It shows Pope Francis with Rabbi Abraham Skorka and the Muslim representative Omar Abboud, both from Buenos Aires, as embracing all three. The text to image states: "Wherever are you at 1 o'clock, stay standing, incline your head, and say a prayer for peace, each in his own tradition." The reason for the call to prayer is the meeting of Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Abu Mazen on June 8, at the Vatican, has been invited by the Pope Francis.

Taking the above-mentioned statement on the one  hand that Pope Francis made at the beginning of his pontificate, the question arises: Is it now but no matter whether you - after the Pope's words - pray to Jesus Christ or the devil? The Pope could have appealed as a mediator in the Vatican, but why the "common prayer" with Rabbi and Imam at the same time to express the inclination of a mediator?

Pope Francis "makes world politics"

The bi-weekly newspaper are Public Forum of the Association Church from Below (nomen est omen) is thrilled. On his travel to the Holy Land  the progressive forum on Pope Francis reports: "He makes world politics - unlike his predecessor from Bavaria. When Benedict XVI. went on trips, you had to expect that he caused  faux pas or met with outraged victims. Francis dominated the opposite. "From him there was no "insulting" Muslims expected as alleged by the Regensburg speech of Benedict XVI. No "affronting" of the Jews, as allegedly happened in Auschwitz and above all, no one would hear from Francis, that "the forebears  longed for Catholic Missionaries", as the German Pope had told the Indians of Latin America. In Publik Forum one "breathes" and s therefore  to "tolerable",  because Benedict XVI. has resigned.

 The peace process in the Middle East was "dead as a doornail" as Pope Francis came. Public Forum does not forget to note that there will be "inter-faith with the Pope" prayed on June 8 at the Vatican. It also understood there will be some Argentine and international Catholic organizations. This is in fact a piece of news in the Vatican.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Un minuto por la paz

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMGD

Preliminary Result of Papal Reconstruction of the Curia -- Nine Members of the Congregation for Education Dismissed

(Vatican) The conversion of the Roman Curia continues. In the Congregation for Catholic Education, there was even a small earthquake. Pope Francis dismissed the same nine cardinals who were members of the Congregation. "It is certain that the reform of the Roman Curia by Pope Francis will go in depth and therefore  their time is up," commented the Vatican expert Sandro Magister. Cardinal Maradiaga, coordinator of the C8-Cardinal Council said after the second three-day meeting last week that it needed "patience,"  cryptically adding: "Great things can not be improvised. The Church brings major problems along that affect many people. The participation of the world is so large that you have to discuss in order to arrive at a synthesis ".

Personnel Decisions of the Pope

In anticipation of the great reform of the Curia,  Pope Francis began since last August on a personal level with interventions in the Roman dicasteries. Since taking office, all Curia offices are occupied only temporarily. The prelude to the personnel decisions for the congregations were made on 31 August, the dismissal of Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone and his replacement by Archbishop Pietro Parolin in the Curia. The other leading positions in the Secretariat of State, Curial Archbishop Angelo Becciu  and substitute "Foreign Minister" Archbishop Dominique Mamberti were confirmed.

Since then, Pope Francis has made  some transfers and new appointments, the heads of three of the nine Roman Congregations. This was confirmed on 21 September, the head of the Congregation of the Faith and the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples , as well as on 30 November, the Congregation for Education.  On 21 September, however, Mauro Cardinal Piacenza was dismissed as prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy , who was replaced by Archbishop Beniamino Stella.

So far only the heads of two of the eleven Pontifical Councils have been confirmed at the moment, namely the Lay Council and of Justice and Peace . Both decisions were announced on 24 September.

Confirmations, Layoffs, Promotions

Thus, the leading heads of five Congregations and nine Pontifical Councils, and thus the bulk of the Roman Curia, are only "donec aliter providetur" and thus continue provisionally in office. This applies to the Congregation for Liturgy, the Congregation for Bishops, Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Congregation for the Eastern Churches and the Congregation for Religious. Both for the Congregation for Bishops, with the Brazilian Bishop Ilson de Jesus Montanari and the Congregation for Religious with the Spaniard Archbishop Jose Rodriguez Carballo  the Pope appointed new Secretaries, however, replacing the number two for these dicasteries. In addition, personnel cuts, layoffs, transfers and new appointments in the Vatican Bank, the economic administration of the Holy See, including the construction of new commissions, the Diplomatic Academy, the Consultants for  the liturgical office of the Pope and of the Pontifical Commission, Ecclesia Dei .

Differentiated Intervention in Congregation of Education

In particular, the  Pope has dedicated his special attention to the Congregation for Catholic Education.  As, then, the Argentine journalist Elisabetta Pique documented in her recently published book, "Francis Life and Revolution," Archbishop Bergoglio had some difficulties in 2009 with the Congregation for obtaining the approval of the appointment of Bishop Victor Manuel Fernandez, Rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina. Exactly two months after his election as Pope, he promoted Fernandez to Titular Archbishop. A clear message to the Church in Argentina, who stands close to the Pope and now has weight there.

In 2012 Rector Fernandez was awarded at the suggestion of Archbishop Bergoglio, an honorary doctorate from the university for his friend Rabbi Abraham Skorka. The uncontradicted statements at Skorka's  ceremony sparked criticism. (See separate report decisions in Argentina -  Bergoglio's Silence and Fernandez on Jewish Libel of the Church ).

While Pope Francis confirmed the CDF and the Propaganda Fide , the entire Pontifical Council and yet, however, no one was confirmed for the Congregation of the Clergy,  the intervention in the Congregation for Education happened differently. Some members of the Congregation were confirmed, appointed anew, others  dismissed.

The Polish Prefect, Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski,  who will turn 75 on October 2014, will be confirmed. Likewise, as secretary, the Italian Archbishop Angelo Vincenzo Zani, the French Dominican Jean-Louis Brugues were only replaced only in November 2012 by the Pope Benedict XVI. yet appointed archivist and librarian of the Holy Roman Church and as such is on the waiting list for the award of the dignity of Cardinal. At the end of February 2014, Pope Francis will appoint his first appoint cardinals.

The Newly Appointed Members: Cardinal Koch

The pope confirmed 23 members of the Congregation for Education , but dismissed eleven members and appointed eleven new. Among the newly appointed cardinals include the Brazilian Odilo Scherer of San Paolo, the American Timothy Dolan of New York, the Filipino Luis Tagle of Manila, the Swiss Kirt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, is the Kenyan John Njue of Nairobi, the Lebanese Bechara Boutros Rai, Patriarch of the Maronites and the Chinese John Tong Hon of Hong Kong. These four archbishops: the Italian Beniamino Stella, the new prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy and probably soon cardinal, the Mexican Jorge Carlos Patron Wong, new  n charge of seminaries Secretary of this Congregation, Archbishop Riccardo Ezzati Andrello of Santiago del Chile, also aspiring to the dignity of Cardinal and the Polish Marek Jedraszewski of Lodz.

The Confirmed Members: Cardinal Schönborn and Cardinal Marx

Among the confirmed members include Vienna's archbishop, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, the Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa, who is also coordinator of the new C8 Cardinal Council,   Canadian Marc Ouellet, not yet confirmed Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, the Indian Oswald Cardinal Gracias and Archbishop of Munich and Freising, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, both also members of the C8 Council. Among them are still the Italian, Leonardo Sandri, Cardinal and the Brazilian Joao Braz de Aviz, both also not yet confirmed Prefect of the Congregation for the Eastern Church or of the Congregation of Religious. Among the confirmed members of the Congregation for Education can be found Prefect Gerhard Müller of the CDF also an archbishop, and with the Swiss Bishop Charles Morerod of Lausanne-Geneva-Fribourg a diocesan bishop.

The Dismissed Members: Cardinal Woelki

Among the eleven unconfirmed members include the Cardinals, who are over 80: Belgian Godfried Danneels, the Mexican Juan Sandoval Iñiguez and the Italian, Raffaele Farina, but also the Archbishop Emeritus of Milan, Dionigi Cardinal Tettamanzi, who  is 80 only on March 2014. The Cardinals Levada and Piacenza have not been confirmed by Pope Francis. Both were replaced by their successors. The resignation of Cardinal Levada as Prefect of the CDF was still under Pope Benedict XVI., the Bishop of Regensburg, Gerhard Müller, was appointed in his place. Cardinal Piacenza was replaced by Pope Francis as Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy by Archbishop Stella.

However, the Cardinals Stanislaw Dziwisz of Krakow and former personal secretary of Pope John Paul II, Rainer Maria Woelki of Berlin and Giuseppe Betori of Florence were not confirmed. The latter two were appointed just a year ago, after Pope Benedict XVI. had made them cardinals in February 2012.

Campaign against Cardinal Burke: "Too Conservative and Traditionalist"

The Congregation for Education after Pope Francis is therefore less Italian (minus three) and less European (minus four), but more Latin (Plus two) and Asian (plus three).

How it proceeds to the other Departments, is likely to show in the coming months. Meanwhile, the progressive National Catholic Reporter has launched a campaign with the Pope Francis, for the dismissal of the American Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke as Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, the reason being because he is "too conservative and traditionalist".So far, Pope Francis has proved very resistant to campaigns. The final decision on the confirmation or removal from office of the Bishop of Limburg Tebartz van Elst will give a final answer.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Settimo Cielo

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches...

AMGD

Pope Francis to Travel With Rabbi Skorka to the Holy Land on May 2014 -- Skorka Utters Nonsense About the Pope

Edit: basically, it looks like these reports by Jewish leaders, organizations, publications and some Catholic ones, are not credible.

(Rome) Pope Francis is to visit on the Holy Land 25th and 26th May, according to CNN reports, citing Israeli sources. He is not to do it with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, as hoped by Constantine Opel, but with his Jewish friend, Rabbi Abraham Skorka. Skorka recently gave an interview about his days as a "personal guest" of the Pope in the guest house Santa Marta and utters some veritable "nonsense" about Pope Francis. Or not?

The visit of the Pope to the Holy Land, was recently confirmed by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Fouad Twal for 2014, without so far announcing an exact date.

To the Holy Land Not with Patriarch Bartholomew, but with Rabbi Skorka

Pope Francis has long been already thinking about a trip to the Holy Land. Originally it was just after his election that he would visit together with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople the holy sites of Jesus. A gesture in memory of the joint meeting in Jerusalem of Pope Paul VI. and Patriarch Athenagoras in 1964. An event that could be found in 2014 to take place exactly fifty years later, so the desire of Constantinople. A sign to make the special closeness between the Roman and Byzantine church could be made visible.

But this idea soon appeared in the background. Instead, Pope Francis looked around for a personal tour guide. He contacted his friend, the Argentine Rabbi Abraham Skorka, with whom he had worked as Archbishop of Buenos Aires on a conversation book, and invited him to accompany him on his journey to the Holy Land.

Skorka: "The Pope Has Celebrated the Beginning of Shabbat in the Vatican"

Skorka said in an interview for the Jewish monthly Pagine Ebraiche, was completely reproduced in the Osservatore Romano in its issue of 25-26th of November, which he gave, when he met at the Community of Sant'Egidio in Rome, as a "personal guest of Bergolio in Santa Maria":

"We were close for a few days, the three daily meals and have shared other moments both public and private. We talked about everything: about dialogue, but also about the journey that we will do together to Israel [...] Together we have celebrated the beginning of Shabbat, he was by my side when I recited the Kiddush and has broken challah, which Zion Evrony, the Israeli Ambassador, brought to the Holy See. They were unforgettable days and I think that they have a value that goes beyond the affection and confidence that has always connected us."

In the interview, Skorka always speaks of Pope Francis as Bergoglio. Likewise, he does not speak of a trip to the Holy Land, but of a trip to Israel, which is considered another territory in extent and possible destinations and represents a delicate question. In September, the President of the National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, has invited the Pope to Palestine. On Monday, Pope Francis will receive Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will in audience.

The Skorka interview is interesting because of the unusually harsh criticism were expressed by the rabbi against the "World rabbbinate  in all its parts," which in his opinion "is going through a deep and destructive crisis"  both in "Israel" as well as "in all communities of the Diaspora."

  Skorka sees "Ideal Judaism" According to Rabbi Heschel, Who Worked on Nostra Aetate

 "The Church is in crisis, we are in a crisis," said Skorka who sees the "model of the ideal Judaism" which is "according to Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel." Heschel, born in 1907 in Warsaw and died in New York in 1972, who together with the German Cardinal Augustin Bea, was instrumental in the "Jewish declaration" of the Second Vatican Council in the Declaration Nostra Aetate concerned with the relationship of the Church to non-Christian religions. In 1971 he was called by Pope Paul VI. and received in audience.

Most Important Signal of this Pontificate? "The Rejection of Proselytism"

However, as Skorka draws a parallel between his proposals for a reform of Judaism and those of Pope Francis for the Catholic Church, the rabbi responds to the question about the new pope's "important signal": "I see great value in Bergoglio's comments against proselytism. It is a point on which he insists with a special emphasis and gets even more weight when we think of the evangelizing framework within which these statements were made."

Pope Francis wants to Only Introduce More Catholics to Faith"?

 Skorka has in an interview then that one must remember how evangelization was until recently connected inseparably with proselytism:

"But now, the Pope speaks of it only to introduce Catholics to the faith."

The rabbi emphasizes in an interview several times that Pope Francis rejects "proselytism". However, as the Vatican expert Sandro Magister draws attention, something is wrong in the end quite complete, when Skorka concludes with the statement: "Now, however, the Pope speaks of it to introduce only the Catholics to the faith."

L'Osservatore Romano Printed the "Nonsense" Without Batting an Eyelash?

"Only the Catholics?" Asks Sandro Magister. "The Osservatore Romano reprinted the interview without batting an eyelash. But how could Pope Francis ever say such nonsense?" asks the Vatican expert.

Overall, it is striking that since this pope took office Jewish representatives are often at the Vatican in and out. With the Skorka interview, who says he is reproducing a statement of Pope Francis, is in the last three months already the third controversial statement that was made ​​public after a meeting with the Pope by Jewish representatives (see the report What has Pope Francis really say as chairman of the World Jewish Congress - Violent polemics in Poland and the report Pope Francis Condemns Catholic protest against syncretistic "commemorative liturgy" in Buenos Aires A riddle? .

Text: Settimo Cielo / Giuseppe Nardi
 image: Settimo Cielo
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
Link to Katholisches...
AMGD

New Appointment in Argentina -- Pope Bergolio and ++Fernandez’s Silence at Jewish Slanders

(Buenos Aires)  Pope Francis is to raise the rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina, Victor Manuel Fernandez to archbishop on Monday.

The appointment came as a surprise. The rector of the Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina "Santa María de los Buenos Ayres”,  from now on UCA, was awarded  with the dignity of a titular bishopric of Tiburnia by the Pope. The designation is unique. Fernandez was particularly close in the  Argentine Church to Pope Bergoglio. The Pope wants him there at the head and to strengthen  the University.  There are about 20,000 students  currently enrolled there.

The Rector of the Catholic University will be Archbishop Fernandez

Rector Fernandez was born born on 18 July 1962 in Alcira Gigena in the province of Cordoba. In 1986 he was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Villa de Concepcion de Rio Cuarto, he graduated from the Gregorian University in Rome in 1990 and then his Master's degree at the UCA  and the doctorate with a dissertation on St. Bonaventure.

Fernandez worked from 1991 to 2007 in parish ministry (1993-2000) as pastor of Santa Teresita) and taught at the Seminary of Rio Cuarto, then at the Faculty of Theology at the UCA. He was Deputy Dean of the Faculty of 2002, and in 2008  Dean of the same, where taught as professor of moral theology. From 2003 to 2005, the theologian was ecumenical officer of the Diocese of Rio Cuarto. Pope Francis knows him primarily through the Charismatic Renewal. Fernandez was the diocesan ecclesiastical assistant of the Movimiento de Renovacion Carismática.

Imposed by Archbishop Bergoglio 2009 as Rector

Fernandez was taken as Peritus in 2007 to the Argentine Bishops' Conference of the so-called Conference of Aparecida, the 5th General Assembly of the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean. He was instrumental in the formulation of the final document, which was prepared under the direction of the then Archbishop of Buenos Aires.  In 2009 Cardinal Bergoglio prevailed for Fernandez against conservative resistance as rector of the university.

Under his Rectorate a Faculty of Social Sciences was established at the UCA. With the Coordinación de Compromisos Social, Fernandez launched a connection  of  the involvement of the university in the social network of the city of Buenos Aires desired by Archbishop Bergoglio, including the slums Villas miseries in the suburbs. The participation opportunities at the University have been rearranged, field offices were expanded and further established.

Interfaith celebration For 50 years of the Council Beginning with an Honorary Doctorate for Rabbi

However, his Rectorate includes his silence, as when the Pontifical University of the Catholic Church was attacked. On 11October 2012   he was suspected at the UCA in the presence of the then Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Bergoglio, the Apostolic Nuncio and the Papal preacher, Fr Raniero Cantalamessa,  house of the 50th Anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. Although the memorial  concerned a central event of the recent Catholic Church history, it became the part of an inter-religious celebration. As part of this celebration, the rabbi of Buenos Aires, Abraham Skorka, a personal friend of the then Archbishop of Buenos Aires, had a conversation with the Cardinal in a book published in 2010, at which an honorary doctorate from the University was awarded at the suggestion of Cardinal Bergoglio.  Rabbi Skorka is an advocate of the legalization of gay "marriage" in Argentina.

"Undignified spectacle": Church to Church representatives applauded defamation by Rabbi

As Pagina Catolica wrote, “it is an unworthy spectacle that the highest representatives of the Catholic Church  allowed the highest representatives of Judaism in the country to appear at the Pontifical University". In his acceptance speech for the highest academic honor conferred by the University, the rabbi compared the Catholic Church with Nazism, describing its anti-Semitism explicitly as a product of Catholic theology ("tuvo raíces en la teología que se fue desarrollando en la Iglesia Catolica") .  On the contrary no one suggested a contradiction. At the end of the speech Rector Fernandez, Cardinal Bergoglio, the nuncio present, Father Cantalamessa and the current Archbishop of Buenos Aires Mario Poli applauded the awarding of the honorary Catholic doctorate to the rabbi.

The Episcopal Ordination on is to be held on the 15th of June at the Cathedral of Buenos Aires.  The principal consecrator will be appointed shortly after he is selected by Pope Francis' successor as archbishop of Buenos Aires Mario Aurelio its policy, who has  also taken over the office of the Grand Chancellor of the UCA from Cardinal Bergolio.

Fernandez was awarded the Titular Diocese of Tiburnia which refers to city of Teurnia in 600 before it was sacked by the Avars on the Lurnfeld in Upper Carinthia (Austria). The Celtic founded city was established as a Roman city and had a Bishop at least by the 4th century. The Archdiocese went down with the city in the early seventh Century. The early Christian three-nave episcopal church  was uncovered during excavations in the 80s.

Link to Katholisches...