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Photo: Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I embrace.
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Cairo (Agenzia Fides) - The Copts of Egypt have suffered growing political and social marginalization since the 1950s. But this trend has actually reversed in the last seven years. And many unpublished facts - such as the visit of President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi to the Cathedral to congratulate the Copts on their feasts and restoring the demolished churches restored such balance, eliminating clamorous discrimination against Egyptian Christians. This is what Coptic Orthodox Patriarch Tawadros II underlined during his meeting with the leadership and journalists of al Ahram publishing group. The Patriarch's visit took place on Tuesday, January 23, during the inauguration of an exhibition of the oldest historical publications of the newspaper.
During the visit, Pope Tawadros praised the contribution made by Al Ahram - a newspaper founded in 1875 by two Syrian brothers residing in Alexandria in Egypt - in the cultural growth of modern Egypt. (GV) (Agenzia Fides, 25/1/2018)
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Leader of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Reminds War in Ukraine Is “Greatest Humanitarian Catastrophe” Since WWII
January 26, 2018Deborah Castellano LubovInterviews
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Zenit.org - In the days ahead of the Pope’s visit to Rome’s Greek-Catholic Community of Ukrainians on Sunday, the head of the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kiev-Halyc, says he is very grateful for the Holy See’s attention given to Ukraine, but still not satisfied with the declaration signed by Francis and Russian Patriarch Kirill in Cuba two years ago.
In an interview with ZENIT, His Beatitude Shevchuk discussed the historic gesture.
Four years ago, he said, Ukraine suffered the aggression of a neighboring country, Russia. According to UN agencies today in Ukraine there are 2 million internally displaced persons. It is a crisis that continues and escalates. These statistics demonstrate the most serious humanitarian crisis in Europe after the Second World War. In spite of this, it is a ‘forgotten war,’ as was said by Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, during his visit to Russia last August.
The Pope’s visit Sunday to the Basilica of St. Sophia on Via Boccea, northwest of Rome. will be followed by Ukrainians all over the world. Although it is not technically a parish, it will be the first ‘parish visit,’ if you will, by Pope Francis since the start of the New Year.
Pope St John Paul II visited St. Sophia in Rome in 1984, to pay homage to the tomb of Cardinal Josyp Slipyi, the Head of the Greek Catholic Community of Ukraine who was harshly persecuted under the Soviet regime, including 18 years in prison, before eventually being freed. Blessed Pope Paul VI was there, previously in 1969, for the consecration of the Basilica, the initiative of Cardinal Slipyi.
The Pope will arrive at 4 p.m. and about 3,000 people are expected. There will be jumbotrons outside the church transmitting coverage to the faithful unable to be inside. For Greek-Catholic Ukrainians, following the Julian calendar, it is still Christmastime, since the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple is February 18. Therefore, Major Archbishop Shevchuk said we should not be surprised to hear Ukrainian Christmas songs welcoming the Supreme Pontiff.
During the encounter, the Major Archbishop of Kiev will present the community to the Pope, there will be some greetings, and the Pope will descend into the crypt to pray at the tomb of Salesian Ukrainian Bishop Stepan Czmil. Then, before returning to the Vatican, he will see the mosaics of the basilica. With January 22 marking the 40th Anniversary of the bishop’s passing, Bishop Czmil was sent as a missionary in 1948 to Buenos Aires and would teach at the Salesian school that young Jorge Bergoglio attended. Through him, one of his first educators, Bergoglio would be introduced to the Byzantine rite and get to know the Greek Catholic Community of Ukraine.
Discussing the current situation in Ukraine and how so many have been forced to flee, the Major Archbishop of Kiev noted that the Pope knows us and is very sensitive to the theme of migration. Stressing the big heart Francis has for mothers and grandmothers, he added, the Pope will see that many who find themselves in St. Sophia are women.
On a lighthearted note, the Major Archbishop spoke about the vitality of the Greek-Catholic Community of Ukrainians in Rome. He shared about the enthusiastic children who partake, some of whom will welcome the Pope Sunday, and how often Ukrainians bring elderly Italians with them to the Masses, and that already, they know some of the Ukrainian hymns. In Italy, Ukrainian women often take care of the elderly.
During an encounter with journalists in the Vatican, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk was asked whether a possible trip to Ukraine is foreseeable. He responded: “We have made the invitation, we hope it will be a prophetic step, which can guide the Pope’s steps towards Ukraine. The Pope has already been invited to the Ukraine by both the Latin and Greek-Catholic bishops and by the Ukrainian President and government.
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Kottayam:
Facing allegations over a controversial land deal, the head of the Syro-Malabar Church Cardinal George Alencherry yesterday said all issues relating to it would be resolved soon.
"The issue will be resolved soon," he said in his first public statement on the controversial land deal in the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese, in which the church allegedly suffered a huge financial loss.
Addressing a mass at a Church at nearby Kuravilangad on Jan 21, he thanked all those who gave him strength through their prayers
He urged them to continue with their prayers.
"There is no place for division among Christians. Certain things occur due to the shortcomings. That will be rectified," Alencherry said.
The Cardinal's statement came after a section of faithful of the Syro-Malabar Church accused Cardinal Alencherry, who is also Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese, of selling prime land of the archdiocese in Kochi for "a very low price".
They had alleged the role of land mafia in the sale of land in a "non-transparent manner", violating even civil and canon laws.
Supporters of the Cardinal had dubbed the charges against the chief priest as a 'misinformation campaign.'
The All India Catholic Almaya Forum had urged the priests to stop the campaign being carried out against the Cardinal.
They had alleged that a handful of priests were trying to defame the Syro-Malabar Church, having over 55 lakh followers and 35 dioceses.
The Presbyteral Council of Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese had alleged that a commission appointed by the Archbishop to inquire into the land business had found serious violations of canon and civil laws.
According to the priests, the commission found that revenue from sale of 3.06 acres of the land in Kochi city was expected to fetch Rs 27 crore as per the understanding, but officially only Rs nine crore had been shown as sale proceeds.
They claimed that an amount of Rs 18 crore was 'shrouded in mystery' and remained unaccounted.
Source: Malayala Manorama
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agensir.it - As part of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, tomorrow, Thursday 18th January, in the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Sarajevo, the cardinal of Sarajevo Vinko Puljic will officiate an ecumenical prayer in the presence of the Orthodox Metropolitan of the Bosnian capital, Hrizostom (the highest rank in the Orthodox Church of Bosnia Herzegovina, which is under the jurisdiction of the Serbian Orthodox Church). The Orthodox leader will give the sermon. The prayer will also be attended by the Orthodox priests of Sarajevo. Catholics will reciprocate the visit on January 25th in the Orthodox Cathedral of the “Most Holy Mother of God”, where a prayer for peace will be held and the sermon will be given by cardinal Puljic. The meeting will be followed by a moment of fraternal communion between the Catholic and Orthodox delegations. On January 20th, the usual ecumenical concert will be played by the Christians of Sarajevo in the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. They will include: the “Concordia” choir of the Orthodox Cathedral, the “Josip Stadler” choir of the Catholic Cathedral, and Evangelical and Baptist delegates. According to the latest census (2013), Sarajevo has a population of 275,524, 222,457 of whom are Bosnians (Muslim), 13,604 Croatians (Catholic), and 10,422 Serbians (Orthodox). There are also three small Protestant communities: Evangelical Church, Christian Baptist Church, and Advent Christian Church.
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New tensions between Ukrainian and pro-Russian nationalists, among the faithful of the Kiev Autonomous Patriarchate and Orthodox of obedience to the Moscow Patriarchate. The spark: the refusal of an Orthodox church in Moscow to officiate the funeral of a child who died in an accident, because he was baptized "a heretic" in the Church of Kiev. Monks of the two Churches blocked at the Kiev caves. Mutual violence towards sacred buildings.
Moscow (AsiaNews) - Another cause of conflict between Churches has exploded in Ukraine, that is to say among the supporters of an independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church with a national character, and those who believe that Orthodoxy is the Russia’s only instrument to affirm its influence on the Ukrainian population. Outbreaks of this new dispute have erupted in the capital Kiev, in Odessa and in the area beyond the Dnieper.
Some seemingly independent episodes, occurring in different parts of the country, are considered the metastasis of a single problem, which dates back to the attempts of the Moscow Patriarchate to act as a mediator in the political strife between Ukraine and Russia.
On January 11 the Ukrainian security services searched the headquarters of the "Orthodox Union of Radomir". Firearms and weapons were found together with anti-Ukrainian propaganda materials. The prosecutor has not only investigated the members of the association, but also some representatives of the eparchy of Beyond Dnepr (Zaporozhe) of the Ukrainian Church of Muscovite obedience, on charges of violent actions to foment religious hatred. The military established special security measures to safeguard the churches in the area dependent on the Kiev Patriarchate, objects of the attacks.
Child denied funeral because "heretical"
The spark that has ignited the conflict took place in the early days of 2018, when a priest of the Moscow church refused to celebrate the funeral of a child who died tragically in an accident, due to his "heretical" baptism in the church in Kiev. The pro-Russian metropolitan of Zaporozhe, Luka (Kovalenko) defended the priest giving rise to grievances and threats began. Some activists, with a flashmob, filled the church with a mountain of toys; on January 7 some of them were brutally beaten by members of the "Radomir".
These events triggered an escalation of mutual accusations, threats and violence on both sides and in several Ukrainian cities. On the night of January 10 the church of the Holy Protection in Chernomorsk in the Odessa region was ransacked and desecrated, and similar acts of hooliganism were directed on January 12 against the church of Our Lady of Kazan, at the Academy of Medicine in Kiev .
Moscow Churches, "Kgb offices"
On January 9 Ukrainian nationalists covered several Russian churches with offensive stickers, describing churches as "masked KGB offices". Some young people from the Ukrainian "Common League" broke into a liturgical celebration in the Trinity Cathedral of the city of Dnepr, posting the video on the internet. In the meantime, the " toys protest " spread, placing blood marked toys and garlands in churches and squares spread. The most resounding demonstration took place at the walls of the Lavra of the Kiev Caves (see photo), the "mother of monasticism" of ancient Rus', where since January 8 various nationalist groups have tried to prevent access to the sacred convent, in which there are monks of both jurisdictions, to the cry "get the KGB out of the Caves!". The superior of the Lavra, Metropolitan Pavel (Lebed), came out to try to pacify the demonstrators, obtaining however the opposite effect: in the heat of the discussion, the metropolitan began to cry out that "the Crimea was never Ukrainian" , further igniting the minds of the nationalists, and also provoking the grievances of the Ukrainian government.
The "war of the bleeding child" threatens to erase all trace of the successes in the mediation between the parties obtained by the Moscow Patriarchate, which on January 4 through its Ukrainian representative, Metropolitan Onufrij of Kiev, had obtained the agreement for an exchange of 10 prisoners Russians and Ukrainians in the eastern territories, extending the agreements already reached in December, when hundreds of hostages had been exchanged. The agreement was signed last December 25 in Moscow, between Patriarch Kirill himself and some Ukrainian political leaders. The Russian Patriarch had emphatically stated that "it is here that there is our flock, our people. No one is as afflicted as the Orthodox Church, when a brother raises his hand against his brother! " Without renewing the accusations against the Ukrainian rulers, Kirill recalled the decisive role of the Church in the pacification of the parties in conflict.
The Ukrainian nationalists were only waiting for the opportunity to prove the falsity of the good intentions of the Patriarch of Moscow, and the intolerance of the Dnieper priests gave them an excellent motivation. The road towards peace between the two Churches in Ukraine is still long, despite the many letters and initiatives of the two patriarchs Kirill and Filaret.
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/The-two-Churches-in-Ukraine-and-the-bleeding-child-42871.html
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EL-ARISH, Egypt (AP) — Egyptian security officials say gunmen have shot dead a Christian man in the turbulent north of the Sinai Peninsula, the latest attack to target members of the country's Christian minority.
The officials said three masked gunmen carried out the attack and identified the victim as 35-year-old Bassem Attallah.