SUMMARY:
-
Francis at the Diyanet: violence seeking religious justification
warrants the strongest condemnation
-
Pope Francis visits the Museum of Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque
-
Cardinal Schonborn, Pope's special envoy in Kiev
______________________________________
Francis
at the Diyanet: violence seeking religious justification warrants the
strongest condemnation
Vatican
City, 28 November 2014 (VIS) – Yesterday afternoon, following his
address before the Turkish authorities in the Presidential Palace,
the Holy Father met with the prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu, after
which he proceeded to the Diyanet, the Department for Religious
Affairs and highest Sunni Islamic authority in Turkey. Although a
secular state, 98% of the Turkish population is Muslim, of whom 68%
are Sunni and 30% Shia. The president of the Diyanet, Mehmet Gormez,
welcomed the Pope upon arrival and accompanied him to his office
where they spoke privately for a minute. They then entered the Hall
together, where Francis addressed the gathered Muslim and Christian
political and religious leaders.
“It
is a tradition that Popes, when they visit different countries as
part of their mission, meet also with the leaders and members of
various religions. Without this openness to encounter and dialogue, a
papal visit would not fully correspond to its purposes. And so I
wished to meet you, following in the footsteps of my venerable
predecessors. In this context, I am pleased to recall in a special
way Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to this very same place in November
2006. Good relations and dialogue between religious leaders have, in
fact, acquired great importance. They represent a clear message
addressed to their respective communities which demonstrates that
mutual respect and friendship are possible, notwithstanding
differences. Such friendship, as well as being valuable in itself,
becomes all the more meaningful and important in a time of crisis
such as our own: crises which in some parts of the world are
disastrous for entire peoples”.
He
continued, “Wars cause the death of innocent victims and bring
untold destruction, inter-ethnic and interreligious tensions and
conflicts, hunger and poverty afflicting hundreds of millions of
people, and inflict damage on the natural environment – air, water
and land. Especially tragic is the situation in the Middle East,
above all in Iraq and Syria. Everyone suffers the consequences of
these conflicts, and the humanitarian situation is unbearable. I
think of so many children, the sufferings of so many mothers, of the
elderly, of those displaced and of all refugees, subject to every
form of violence. Particular concern arises from the fact that, owing
mainly to an extremist and fundamentalist group, entire communities,
especially – though not exclusively – Christians and Yazidis,
have suffered and continue to suffer barbaric violence simply because
of their ethnic and religious identity. They have been forcibly
evicted from their homes, and have had to leave behind everything to
save their lives and preserve their faith. This violence has also
brought damage to sacred buildings, monuments, religious symbols and
cultural patrimony, as if trying to erase every trace, every memory
of the other.
“As
religious leaders, we are obliged to denounce all violations against
human dignity and human rights. Human life, a gift of God the
Creator, possesses a sacred character. As such, any violence which
seeks religious justification warrants the strongest condemnation
because the Omnipotent is the God of life and peace. The world
expects those who claim to adore God to be men and women of peace who
are capable of living as brothers and sisters, regardless of ethnic,
religious, cultural or ideological differences”.
However,
as well as denouncing such situations, he added, “we must also work
together to find adequate solutions. This requires the cooperation of
all: governments, political and religious leaders, representatives of
civil society, and all men and women of goodwill. In a unique way,
religious leaders can offer a vital contribution by expressing the
values of their respective traditions. We, Muslims and Christians,
are the bearers of spiritual treasures of inestimable worth. Among
these we recognise some shared elements, though lived according to
the traditions of each, such as the adoration of the All-Merciful
God, reference to the Patriarch Abraham, prayer, almsgiving, and
fasting – elements which, when lived sincerely, can transform life
and provide a sure foundation for dignity and fraternity. Recognising
and developing our common spiritual heritage – through
interreligious dialogue – helps us to promote and to uphold moral
values, peace and freedom in society. The shared recognition of the
sanctity of each human life is the basis of joint initiatives of
solidarity, compassion, and effective help directed to those who
suffer most. In this regard, I wish to express my appreciation for
everything that the Turkish people, Muslims and Christians alike, are
doing to help the hundreds of thousands of people who are fleeing
their countries due to conflicts. There are two million of them. This
is a clear example of how we can work together to serve others, an
example to be encouraged and maintained”.
In
this regard, the Holy Father expressed his satisfaction at the good
relations between the Diyanet and the Pontifical Council for
Interreligious Dialogue. “It is my earnest desire that these
relations will continue and be strengthened for the good of all, so
that every initiative which promotes authentic dialogue will offer a
sign of hope to a world so greatly in need of peace, security and
prosperity. Following my meeting with the president, I am also
hopeful that this interreligious dialogue will take on creative new
forms”.
He
concluded by thanking again the president of the Diyanet and his
collaborators for this meeting, and expressed his gratitude to all
present for their presence and their prayers for him and his
ministry. “For my part, I assure you of my prayers. May the Lord
grant us all his blessing”.
Following
the encounter, the Pope transferred to the apostolic nunciature,
where he spent the night.
Pope
Francis visits the Museum of Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque
Vatican
City, 29 November 2014 (VIS) – This morning, Pope Francis travelled
by air from Ankara to Istanbul. The only city in the world divided
across two continents, Asia and Europe, it is situated on the banks
of the Bosphorus, the river that connects the Black Sea with the
Mediterranean. Upon arrival he was welcomed by the Governor of
Istanbul and by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios I, and then
transferred by car to the Blue Mosque, or the Mosque of the Sultan
Ahmed.
Built
between 1609 and 1917 by Ahmed I on what had been the site of the
great palace of Constantinople, the mosque became the most important
place of worship of the Ottoman Empire. The name “Blue Mosque”
derives from the 21,043 turquoise ceramic tiles adorning the walls
and the dome. The ceramics used to cover the walls, columns and
arches originated from Iznik in ancient Nicaea, and range in colour
from deep blue to green. Benedict XVI visited the mosque during his
trip to Turkey in 2006. Pope Francis was received by the Grand Mufti
and remained a moment in silent prayer.
The
Holy Father then proceeded to the Museum of Hagia Sophia, the
basilica dedicated to Divine Wisdom, first built in the year 360 by
the emperor Constantine on a site previously occupied by pagan
temples. It was later destroyed by two fires, one in 404 and another
in 532, and the emperor Justinian undertook its reconstruction in
order to make it into “the most sumptuous work since the time of
Creation”, ordering all the provinces of the empire to provide
their best marble and most prized materials. Hagia Sophia was
inaugurated for the third time in 537. During the conquest of
Constantinople in 1204, it was despoiled of its richest adornments by
Latin Christians and in 1453, when it fell into the hands of the
Ottomans, Mehmet II ordered it to be transformed into the first
imperial mosque of Istanbul. During the subsequent three centuries,
this Muslim place of worship received splendid gifts from various
sultans, until the eighteenth century, when the mosaics were covered
with plaster. In 1847 the Sultan Abdulmegid engaged the Swiss
architects Gaspare and Giuseppe Fossati to uncover the mosaics and
restore the building. In 1935, at the behest of Ataturk, Hagia Sophia
became a museum, which it remains to this day. Popes Paul VI, John
Paul II and Benedict XVI all visited it during their trips to Turkey.
Pope
Francis was received at the Imperial Door by the director of the
Museum, who accompanied him on a guided tour lasting around half an
hour. The Holy Father signed the guest book of Hagia Sophia, first in
Greek with the phrase Αγ?α Σοφ?α του Θεο? (Holy Wisdom
of God) and then in Latin: “Quam dilecta tabernacula tua Domine
(Psalm 38).
After
leaving Hagia Sophia through the Beautiful Gate, Francis proceeded to
the papal representation where he was awaited by members of the
Catholic communities (Latin, Armenian, Syrian and Chaldean) of
Istanbul, and where he was greeted by the president of the Episcopal
Conference of Turkey, Archbishop Ruggero Franceschini, O.F.M. Cap.
Cardinal
Schonborn, Pope's special envoy in Kiev
Vatican
City, 29 November 2014 (VIS) – In a letter published today, written
in Latin and dated 18 November, the Holy Father nominated Cardinal
Christoph Schonborn, archbishop of Vienna, as his special envoy at
the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the liberation of the
Greek-Catholic Church in Ukraine, scheduled to take place in Kiev on
10 December 2014.
The
mission accompanying the cardinal will be composed of Rev. Yurij
Kolasa, vicar for Greek-Catholics in Austria, and Rev. Ihor Sfiaban,
head of the Ecumenical Commission of the Curia of the Major
Archbishop.
You
can find more information at: www.visnews.org
The
news items contained in the Vatican Information Service may be used,
in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:
V.I.S.
-Vatican Information Service.
Copyright
© Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City
No comments:
Post a Comment