CBS Piece on Christians’ Plight in Middle East — in Israel?

In the Washington Post:

On Sunday, “60 Minutes” aired a report on the plight of Christians in the Middle East. Was it on the Copts in Egypt? The destruction of Christian communities in Arab lands? Syrian Christians living in Bashar al-Assad’s slaughterhouse? Oh no. This was about Israel. As host Bob Simon put it, with only about 11,000 Christians left, “Religious leaders are afraid Jerusalem could become a museum, a spiritual theme park, a great place for tourists and pilgrims, but not for the Arab Christians whose roots date back to the church’s very beginnings.”

The fault, he claimed, lies with that dreaded wall. You know, the one Israel was forced to erect to stop wave after wave of terrorist bombings. So you see in defending itself, Israel has turned Bethlehem into “an open-air prison.” This, according to Simon, means: “For all Palestinians, just leaving Bethlehem is a struggle. Getting to Jerusalem, only seven miles away, whether it’s to pray, go to a doctor, visit family members or work, means going through this Israeli checkpoint. That can take hours, but before Palestinians can get even this far, they need a permit from the Israelis, which can take weeks or months to obtain and is frequently denied.”

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Michael Oren, remarked on the piece: “It seemed to me outrageous. Completely incomprehensible that at a time when these communities, Christian communities throughout the Middle East are being oppressed and massacred, when churches are being burnt, when one of the great stories in history is unfolding? I think it’s — I think it’s — I think you got me a little bit mystified.” (For some  balance to the CBS hit piece, check out Oren’s Wall Street Journal op-ed from March.)

There is no mystery, actually. It is pretty much par for the course in much of the European and American coverage of Israel. At best, Israel’s defense is painted as morally equivalent to the murders that precipitated  it. At worst, Israel — the most democratic and tolerant country in a sea of Islamic tyranny —  takes a beating.

Some Christians in the United States are not sitting still for this. Christians United for Israel (CUFI), the largest pro-Zionist group in the country, sent out an ”action alert” asking its members to contact CBS and air their complaints. The letter to CUFI members states: “This story scapegoated Israel and ignored the greatest threats facing the Christians of the Middle East. By focusing on the wrong story and blaming the wrong party, you have squandered a precious opportunity.” It continues: “The Christians of the Middle East do face unprecedented threats. As Islamic terrorists have stepped up their attacks against Christians, we are witnessing the collapse of the ancient Christian communities of Iraq, Egypt and Syria. Yet you chose to ignore these threats and focus instead on the security measures that Israel has taken to protect its citizens — Jewish, Christian and Muslim — from the very same Islamic terror.” A CUFI spokesman tells me that 16,000 e-mails were sent to CBS in the first  four hours.

 

Fr Peter Slipper’s Conscience

A Catallaxy File:

An essential (one would think) aspect of an ordained priest is the ability to distinguish right from wrong. Peter Slipper was ordained a priest of the Traditional Anglican Communion in 2008. In being ordained, Slipper would have taken a vow along these lines:

I do believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, and to contain all things necessary to salvation; and I do solemnly engage to conform to the Doctrine, Discipline, and Worship of the Traditional Anglican Communion.

In Matthew 19:23-24 we have Jesus saying

I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God

Surely Mr Slipper’s conduct over many years is not only inconsistent with the duties of Speaker of the House of Representatives but represents a fundamental breach of his duties and vows as a priest? It brings disrepute to the House and to his Church.

We are not only talking about alleged sexual harassment, and alleged fraud of Commonwealth resources (ie: the Cabcharge vouchers), but it is clear that Slipper has been rather injudicious in his judgement over travel entitlements.

Just because the travel entitlements make something legal, doesn’t make it ethical for a public official to exploit any loopholes or grey areas.  There have been numerous incidents where Slipper has been forced to repay money to the Commonwealth – he stating that it was a difference in the interpretation of the travel entitlements.

That’s just not good enough. Travel entitlements are a privilege  provided by the taxpayer to public officials to assist in them undertaking their jobs. It is not a form of remuneration. The guidelines are relatively flexible so that good judgement can be brought to bear, but this allows some scope for MPs and public servants to misuse the system. That is clearly unethical.

It would be expensive to tighten the rules, allowing more checks and balances, but that would be necessary if a significant number of people exploited the entitlements.

Slipper has only one option to redeem himself. He must resign from Parliament. He must confess his sins and promise to lead a better life. And he must return his future superannuation payments to the taxpayer and live a life of modesty, frugality if not poverty, respect for the law, and devotion to his Church.

 

Anglican Church of Canada Streamlined

The lean-and-mean sort of downsizing that has marked corporate Canada of late may be poised to affect the ecclesiastical province of Canada—reducing the number of its dioceses so it can carry out God’s mission more efficiently.

Delegates to the September 2012 provincial synod will consider this possibility as one of several motions from the province’s governance task force aimed at reforming church structures to enhance mission.

According to a background note to the notice of motion, the proposal “recognizes the changing demographic of the Anglican Church within the ecclesiastical province of Canada in terms of both decreasing numbers and the increased cost of providing ecclesiastical services within our seven existing dioceses.”

The province comprises the country’s seven easternmost dioceses: Montreal, Quebec, Fredericton, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island; and Western Newfoundland, Central Newfoundland and Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador.

A new configuration might see these dioceses merged into three: Montreal with Quebec; Fredericton with Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island; and all three dioceses of Newfoundland and Labrador: Western, Central and Eastern.

“We should start from a presumption that greater cooperation among the dioceses is desirable,” said Fredericton’s Archbishop Claude Miller, the provincial metropolitan. “Then we need to determine which structures may best achieve this outcome.”

If the motion passes in September, the province will undertake to “explore possible realignment of dioceses,” and then report back to the next provincial synod in 2015.  Although such motions are bound to induce anxiety, individual dioceses would have to have input, and no practical steps would be taken until after 2015.

Other streamlining proposals:

• a reduction in the number of eligible diocesan delegates from 11 to six A;

• a reduction in the members of the province’s inter-synod decision-making council from 31 to 22; and

• centralizing diocese-based administrative functions such as human resources, payroll and information technology.

Read the full texts of the motions here.

Source:  Anglican Journal

 

My Reservations about Priests of the Ordinariate

EF pastor emeritus with one Catholic Priest’s view on the Ordinariate unfolding:

From the beginning I have been a whole-hearted supporter of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. Indeed when I was a parish priest  I  shared with a local  Anglican Vicar  joint leadership of residential pilgrimages of the Catholic and Anglican  parishes  to Walsingham, before the Ordinariate ever came into existence, or was even mooted.. The then Anglican vicar is now a Catholic Priest of the Ordinariate and in fact he is Priest in Charge of the parish in which I now live in my retirement, and whom I gladly help out when required.

However, I am beginning to have grave reservations about the Priests of the Ordinariate, or rather about the formation of some of them. I also am beginning to have reservations about the practice of placing such priests as Priests in Charge of existing Roman Rite parishes while allowing an additional Ordinariate Mass in those parishes. I think it is perfectly reasonable for them to have an Ordinariate Mass, but they should not try to impose those practices on existing non-Ordinariate Mass.

Of course the arrival of such a number of Ordinariate priests is welcomed by bishops who were running short of priests to cover parishes.  I do not intend rudeness when I say that they (the bishops) were running out of bushes to fit in gaps!   Bishops would have had to take the unpopular decision to close or amalgamate Parishes were it not for the “influx” of Ordinariate priests. This would particularly have applied in Southwark where we have a number of Ordinariate Priests in charge of parishes.

I hear from many Catholics throughout our Diocese……one of the consequences of having been the diocesan Comitium President of Southwark & Arundel and Brighton, to name but one of several officerships of the Legion of Mary,  which I  held before my ordination.

Recent frequent comments I hear concern Liturgical practice. It seems that Ordinariate Priests are trying to impose Anglican practices at the Roman Mass as well as at the Ordinariate Mass.  Some of the traditional and sound hymns  much loved by Catholics are now outlawed and only Anglican hymns are allowed. People do not like it and some  are departing for other parishes. This is very sad as those people were the ones who initially supported the appointment of Ordinariate priest to their parishes when others left immediately!  Mass may now become a “Spectacle” or a mere adjunct to long-winded sermons and  multiple prayers of intercession as well as “excessive”  singing.   People’s faith and love of the Mass is being disturbed unnecessarily. I have heard  Catholics say “ I do not want to be an Anglican”.

The Congregation for the Clergy said sermons/homilies should not exceed 8 minutes normally, and the Congregation for Divine Worship said that “normally” prayers of intercession should not exceed four.

Some priests of the Ordinariate has been heard to say that they are  introducing proper Catholic Practice into the Mass and  that there should always be four lighted candles on the Altar during Novus Ordo Mass!  Are they being more Catholic than the Pope?

Sadly some  Ordinariate Priests appear to be pastorally and liturgically ignorant, and for that I blame the formation they are receiving during their post-ordination training, as well as the imprecision of the instructions they receive on the occasion of their appointment to a parish.

Maybe it is time for some Ordinariate Priests to take a large dose of humility as well as learning to be respectful of  and sensitive to the pre-existing Catholics of their parishes! Otherwise Ordinariate Priests will   be the real enemies of the Ordinariate, and thus enemies of the Catholic Church. I know they would not want that and do not intend that.

 

Prison Makes Way for the Holy Land’s Oldest Church

The Biblical Archaeology Society reports:

Despite the great deal of fanfare surrounding its discovery, the third century C.E. Christian prayer hall discovered at Megiddo looks like anything but an archaeological tourist site. Likely the oldest church ever found in the Holy Land, it is located under the Megiddo prison, leading the spectacular discovery to be covered up again until the site can be developed properly. Plans have been made to relocate the prison just over a mile to the west, but the construction of a tourist site around the church has not yet begun. An international tender seeking out an investor to construct and manage the tourist site is expected this week, and will serve as a major step in making the site available to the public. Project manager Gad Yaakov expects 500,000 tourists to visit the site in the first year alone, and expects the numbers to rise over the following years. Bids on developing the site for tourists must be submitted by June 5.

The structure featured mosaics with Christian symbols such as fish and a dedicatory inscription “to God Jesus Christ.” Dated to around 230 C.E., the find was considered important enough to Israel President Moshe Katsav that when he visited Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican in November 2005, he took pictures of the newly discovered mosaic floor with him to present to the pontiff.

This mosaic from the Megiddo Prison Church is one step closer to the public eye. This week’s expected tender for development bids is a major step in creating what will surely become a major Biblical and archaeological tourist site.

Read more about the tender for development.