Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I,
second left, touches Pope Francis' crucifix at the Patriarchal Church of
St. George in Istanbul, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014. The two major branches
of Christianity represented by Bartholomew and Francis split in 1054
over differences on the power of the papacy. The two spiritual heads
will participate in an ecumenical liturgy and sign a joint declaration
in the ongoing attempt to reunite the churches. (AP Photo/Gregorio
Borgia) Photo Credit: AP
ISTANBUL - (AP) -- Pope Francis and the spiritual leader of the
world's Orthodox Christians demanded an end to the persecution of
religious minorities in Syria and Iraq on Sunday and called for a
"constructive dialogue" with Muslims, capping the pontiff's three-day
visit to Turkey with a strong show of Christian unity in the face of
suffering and violence.
Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I issued a
joint declaration urging leaders in the region to intensify assistance
to victims of the Islamic State group, and especially to allow
Christians who have had a presence in the region for 2,000 years to
remain on their native lands."The terrible situation of Christians and all those who are suffering in the Middle East calls not only for our constant prayer but also for an appropriate response on the part of the international community," they wrote.
Specifically, Francis told reporters on the way home from Istanbul that all Islamic leaders -- political, religious, academic -- should clearly condemn terrorism so that their people hear it directly from their mouths.
"We need a global condemnation -- including from Muslims -- who say 'This isn't who we are. This isn't the Quran,'" he said.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, second left,
touches Pope Francis' crucifix at the Patriarchal Church of St. George
in Istanbul, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014. The two major branches of
Christianity represented by Bartholomew and Francis split in 1054 over
differences on the power of the papacy. The two spiritual heads will
participate in an ecumenical liturgy and sign a joint declaration in the
ongoing attempt to reunite the churches. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Photo Credit: AP
Francis' outreach to Muslims in the Muslim nation, and his comments about the Islamic assault on Christians next door, took center stage during his brief visit: His prayer in Istanbul's Sultan Ahmet mosque was replayed again and again on Turkish television in a sign that his gesture was greatly appreciated. And it seemed that the message was reciprocated: The grand mufti of Istanbul, Rahmi Yaran, who received him at the mosque, said he hoped that Francis' visit would "contribute to the world getting along well and living in peace."
Francis told reporters on the way home from Istanbul that he was greatly touched by the care that Yaran took in showing him around the mosque and explaining verses of the Quran to him, such that he felt inspired to pray together with him when they reached the eastern most part of the room.
"I prayed for Turkey, for peace, for the mufti, for everyone, for myself because I need it," Francis said. "I really prayed, and I prayed for peace above all, saying to the Lord 'let's end this wary.' It was a moment of sincere prayer."
In this photo provided by Vatican newspaper
L'Osservatore Romano, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, right, kisses
Pope Francis' head during an ecumenical prayer at the Patriarchal Church
of St. George in Istanbul, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014. The two major
branches of Christianity represented by Bartholomew and Francis split in
1054 over differences on the power of the papacy. The two spiritual
heads will participate in an ecumenical liturgy and sign a joint
declaration in the ongoing attempt to reunite the churches. (AP
Photo/L'Osservatore Romano, ho) Photo Credit: AP
"I ask political leaders to always remember that the great majority of their people long for peace, even if at times they lack the strength and voice to demand it," he said. During the encounter in the Holy Spirit cathedral in Istanbul, a young Iraqi girl told the pope of the suffering of Iraqi Christians forced to flee their homes and another child gave him a drawing.
"I am so, so happy I have seen the pope today," said Marsel Basam, a 17-year-old from Baghdad who has been in Istanbul for four months. "This is my dream, yes."
Francis kicked off his final day in Turkey with a lengthy, two-hour liturgy alongside Barthlomew in the Orthodox Church of St. George, where incense mingled with hypnotic chants and prayers on an important feast day for the Orthodox Church.
The Catholic and Orthodox churches split in 1054 over differences on the primacy of the papacy, and there was a time when patriarchs had to kiss popes' feet. The two churches have grown closer together in recent decades, such that at the end of a joint prayer service Saturday evening, Francis bowed to Bartholomew and asked for his blessing "for me and the Church of Rome," a remarkable display of papal deference to an Orthodox patriarch that underscored Francis' hope to end the schism.
In his remarks Sunday, Francis assured the Orthodox faithful gathered in St. George's that unity wouldn't mean sacrificing their rich liturgical or cultural patrimony or "signify the submission of one to the other, or assimilation."
The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, acknowledged the novelty in Francis' message. While experts from both churches continue to debate theological divisions between them, Francis and Bartholomew are "pushing with incredible strength toward union" through their frequent and warm personal contacts, Lombardi said.
"The theological dialogue and other aspects can go forward better or sooner if there is a strong attitude" on the part of the pope and patriarch, he said. "I cannot say that this is the solution to the problem, but this is surely a strong impulse."
Bartholomew, for his part, noted that Christians are being persecuted across the Mideast regardless of their particular confession.
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Home > LI
Confidential > Stop
scratching on holidays
Stop scratching on holidays
Published: June 1, 2012
Off Track Betting in New York State has been racing into a crisis called shrinking revenue. Some people have spitballed a solution: Don’t close on holidays.
New York State Racing Law bars racing on Christmas, Easter and Palm Sunday, and the state has ruled OTBs can’t handle action on those days, even though they could easily broadcast races from out of state.
“You should be able to bet whenever you want,” said Jackson Leeds, a Nassau OTB employee who makes an occasional bet. He added some irrefutable logic: “How is the business going to make money if you’re not open to take people’s bets?”
Elias Tsekerides, president of the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York, said OTB is open on Greek Orthodox Easter and Palm Sunday.
“I don’t want discrimination,” Tsekerides said. “They close for the Catholics, but open for the Greek Orthodox? It’s either open for all or not open.”
OTB officials have said they lose millions by closing on Palm Sunday alone, with tracks such as Gulfstream, Santa Anita, Turf Paradise and Hawthorne running.
One option: OTBs could just stay open and face the consequences. New York City OTB did just that back in 2003. The handle was about $1.5 million – and OTB was fined $5,000.
Easy money.
"The modern persecutors of Christians do not ask which church their victims belong to," he said. "The unity that concerns us is regrettably already occurring in certain regions of the world through the blood of martyrs."
___
Press Office of the Holy See - GCatholic.org
www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/romancuria/d62.htm
Address: Via della Conciliazione, 54, 00193 Roma, Italy ... Italy Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J. (72) ... Fr. Giulio Nicolini (later Bishop) (1986 – 1987.07.16). Assistant ...
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