Arranging the Pieces of Annexation

Israel has occupied the West Bank for decades. But now PM Benjamin Netanyahu wants to take even more control through annexation.

How will that change things for Palestinians? And what does the US presidential election have to do with it?#AJStartHere puts the pieces together 👇 pic.twitter.com/PVoxMtxpyd

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) July 12, 2020

Return to Mosque

Early this month Turkey’s Council of State began its review of a request to return Hagia Sophia to use as a mosque. Yesterday the Council approved the change. 

This is not the first change in its use; it originally was a church, then a mosque before becoming a museum for the last 86 years. Concerns from different quarters—including Eastern Orthodox Patriarch and the Russian Orthodox Patriarch—and “grief and dismay” from the World Council of Churches have been registered.

Vatican News recently posted the change. However, the Orthodox Times considered “unjustified silence of the Holy See and personally of Pope Francis [to be] causes [for] concern and sadness in the Christian world.”

Turkish President Recep Erdogan decrees that #HagiaSophia will become a mosque once again, leading Orthodox leaders to express regret.https://t.co/VSPJvNvZf4

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) July 11, 2020

Vatican Continues Diplomacy

The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, meets with US and Israeli Ambassadors, expressing the Holy See's concern "regarding possible unilateral actions."https://t.co/rGP7WU3xY4

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) July 1, 2020

Advanced Notice

An excellent online @Caabu briefing coming up with @samdagher: Is there a common thread to mass protests in the Middle East and the United States?

Join us on 25 June at 2pm UK time (BST) https://t.co/R9DjgqnL7u pic.twitter.com/SHCKSYbtX0

— Joseph Willits (@josephwillits) June 8, 2020

Objection

The 2-state brokering between Palestinians and Israelis is in greater jeopardy. The Vatican weighed in.

The Vatican objects to Israeli plan to annex Palestinian territory https://t.co/6aXGC4YvR3

— America Magazine (@americamag) May 21, 2020

Global Impact

America Magazine’s Kevin Clarke continued his reports on Covid-19 affecting other parts of the world. Following is a look at Lebanon.

“We are dealing with one crisis at a time,” says Dr. Rita Rhayem from @Caritaslb “and right now we’re thinking about coronavirus, and once this pandemic is over, we are going to have to face the huge reality of the economic crisis.” https://t.co/43mjlGcp96 via @americamag

— Kevin Clarke (@ClarkeAtAmerica) May 21, 2020

Peres, Abbas, Francis, Bartholomew I Prayed For Peace

On Pentecost Hebrew and Arabic from the Bible and Quran as well as messages from the Presidents and the Pope sounded in the Vatican Gardens. On his recent trip to the Holy Land Pope Francis invited each president to his house, “the house of Peter,” to pray for peace. Following three moments of prayer (Jewish, Christian and Muslim) Francis, Peres and Abbas offered his message. The four-hour event is available with English translations at Salt&Light.

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Wiki-mages by Vatican 5 Vatican Gardens CC BY 2.5

On the Pope’s Holy Land Trip

Georgetown University is home to a noted center for Muslim-Christian dialogue. University President Dr. John DeGioia has been invited by the King of Jordan to be present at the first stop of Pope Francis’ visit. In a brief interview to Vatican Radio Dr. DeGioia talked about the royal invitation and about the challenges and the hopes surrounding the pope’s visit. Read a summary and listen to the 6-minute interview.

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Wiki-mage by David Bjorgen of Coptic church CC BY-SA 3.0

In Line [Jaw-dropping]

Midweek The Guardian posted a photo to depict the “scale of suffering at a Syrian refugee camp.” The devastation surrounding those waiting causes hungers of other kinds. The picture with headline and detailed caption.

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Wiki-mage by fir0002 of bread and rolls CC BY-NC 3.0

Refreshed Appreciation

For many this date marks profound sadness and loss. The date also refreshed appreciation for the selfless service of firefighters, police, EMS personnel and all first responders. It is an appreciation that eludes understanding and logic.

From the perspective of a different yet painful turning point Jesuit Tony Homsy realized “what haunts [him] the most [also has] no logical explanation.”

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Wiki-image by Vassil of detail of Sépulcre Arc-en-Barrois CC BY-SA 3.0.

Saturday Homily of Pope Francis

Pope Francis pleaded for “forgiveness, dialogue, reconciliation” before 100,000 in St. Peter’s Square. His homily is available in eight languages here.

Saturday’s Prayer Vigil

At 19:00 local time in Saint Peter’s Square Pope Francis will preside at a liturgy of prayer. It is part of the international day of prayer and fasting for peace in Syria and the world. YouTube has a site already counting down to the service. The pope’s office for liturgical celebrations has prepared an illustrated “Booklet for the Celebration” (Italian). Vatican Today has made available the schedule (English).

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Wiki-image by AzaToth of Peace dove CC BY-SA 3.0.

“More Forceful This Time”?

Talk of response to recent events in Syria may cause many to recall a decade ago. Mr. John L. Allen remarked that “both the sequence of events and even the language being used by the Vatican today provoke a dizzying sense of déjà vu.” He also cited the Chaldean Catholic Bishop of Aleppo. He said in a recent interview: “we see now...how [in 2003 Iraq] came to be destroyed. The first to lose were the Christians of Iraq. We must say that, what the U.S. did in Iraq, we don’t want repeated in Syria.” Read Mr. Allen’s All Things Catholic for today.

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Wiki-image of debating Catholic and Oriental Christians public domain in the U.S.

Last Fast?

Jesuit Drew Christiansen recalled crises when Presidents Washington, Adams and Lincoln summoned Americans to fast. Pope Francis has called Catholics everywhere to fast in the face of the Syrian crisis. Fr. Christiansen noted that for all Christians, “Saturday will also be a time to lament the impending threat of the disappearance of Middle Eastern Christianity.” Another layer of lament added to that for loss of life and for displacement of 5,000 Syrians per day.

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Wiki-image of Syrian refugee camp public domain in the U.S.

Responding

How do aid agencies fund their support of people displaced by rebellion? Cooperation. Congo is one example of countries suffering from rebellion, “murder and mayhem.” The Irish Jesuit News recently posted that the “Irish Jesuit Mission Office...is linking up with all the mission offices of Europe in a joint effort to meet the challenging chaos of the Congo.” More about the appeal, the role of Jesuit Refugee Services [JRS] educating the displaced children and several photos give a feel for what is addressed in the Congo alone.

Also: Early in January an Irish Jesuit began to coordinate Jesuit rapid response for “the tortured land of Syria.” Two informative websites are offered in the announcement.

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Wiki-image of flag of DRC is in the public domain.

Growing “Catastrophic”

The situation of people fleeing Syria continues to worsen. In one area alone—the Jazirah region, the nexus of northwestern Iraq, northeastern Syria and southeastern Turkey (the smallest section)—the population has increased by a half-million. “Most have flooded the area from Homs, Damascus and Aleppo and Deir- Ez-Zor.”

Vatican Radio interviewed Syria’s Catholic Archbishop Jacques Behnan Hindo. Links to the interview are available in its summary report.

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Wiki-image of NASA view of Al-Jazirah region is in the public domain.

More Lethal Rockets

In his CSM “back-channels” post of 17 November, Dan Murphy noted a disparity in the increasing violence in Gaza.

Israel’s fire into Gaza has been far more lethal than vice versa. In another tweet on Thursday, the official IDF spokesperson’s account shared a video of a rocket being fired from a residential area inside Gaza with the comment, “Would you raise your child in such a neighborhood?”

“Muscle-flexing” and attributing terror to each side continues to cost lives.

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Wiki-image by Mr.david.w of Gaza skyline used by CC BY-SA 3.0.

As Paul VI Envisioned

The Synod of Bishops—still continuing in Rome—named a delegation which will visit Syria next week. Mr. John L. Allen Jr. lists four reasons why the visit by the delegation is “actually important.” 

In his review of synod activity this week, Mr. Allen noted a brief comment about Islam in the secretary’s official summary “doesn’t come close to capturing the flavor of what’s been said.” Find and read Mr. Allen’s synod review here.

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Wiki-image by Lienhard Schulz at the German language Wikipedia of light entering a church window used by CC BY-SA 3.0.

Down to Business

In Rome on Monday morning the 260-plus delegates of this year’s General Synod of Bishops began to address the business for which they prepared. Vatican Radio website described their goal as “re-energizing a hackneyed faithful and reaching out to those who have yet to believe in Jesus Christ.” Among the most tested faithful currently are the Christians in the Middle East.

Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai and his Patriarchal Vicar General, Archbishop Paul Sayah, are attending the Synod. Ahead of the Synod Tracey McClure asked Archbishop Sayah what the Patriarch will be bringing to the synod. After an extract of the interview on the Vatican Radio site a link to listen follows.

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Wiki-image by Faris knight of Gospel book in Arabic used by CC BY-SA 3.0.

Still Traveling

Following tragic violence in Libya, which killed the U.S. ambassador and other State Department officers this week, and the ongoing violence in Syria, Pope Benedict travels today to Lebanon. Earlier this week John L. Allen Jr. offered four ways to frame the papal trip. Mr. Allen alluded to this essay by Jesuit Fr. Samir Khalil Samir, in which the Jesuit mentioned conversion in Lebanon and what makes the country unique when it comes to conversion.

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Wiki-image by User:FunkMonk of cablecar in Harissa, Lebanon used by CC BY-SA 3.0.