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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

Vatican Greets Buddhists on Feast of Vesakh

VATICAN CITY, APRIL 25, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue sent a message to the world's Buddhists on their feast of Vesakh, encouraging joint cooperation in fostering understanding among peoples.

Cardinal Paul Poupard wrote to "convey my own good wishes, as well as those of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue," said the message released today.

The cardinal recognized the "good relationship" between Catholics and Buddhists and encouraged effort in furthering mutual understanding between peoples.

He said that "there are people today who still need to learn about others and other people's beliefs in order to overcome prejudices and misunderstandings. This sad reality, if it is to be overcome, demands much effort on the part of both civic and religious leaders."

"Even in places where people experience daily the ravages of war, fuelled by sentiments of hatred and vengeance, trust can be restored," Cardinal Poupard continued. "Together we can help to create the space and the opportunities for people to talk, listen, share regrets and offer forgiveness for each other's past mistakes."

The 76-year-old cardinal advocated an "education for peace," noting that it starts in the home.

"The younger generations deserve and indeed thrive upon value-based education which reinforces respect, acceptance, compassion and equality. It is important therefore that schools, both government and faith-based, do all possible to support parents in the delicate but satisfying task of raising children to appreciate all that is good and true," he said.

The cardinal concluded, saying: "Together may we continue to contribute toward peace and harmony in our society and the world. We Catholics join you with our heartfelt greetings as you celebrate this feast and I wish you once again a happy Vesakh."

Code: ZE07042505

Date: 2007-04-25

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

Corroborate Cardinal Bertone's Citation of '43 Letter

ROME, APRIL 25, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Many past testimonies support Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone's announcement that Pope Pius XII signed a letter in 1943 asking religious institutes to open their doors to persecuted Jews.

That wartime letter undercuts the theory that bishops, religious and many Catholics who risked their lives to save Jews from extermination did so without the Pope's knowledge.

Even before Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Bertone's statement, many testimonies had been published corroborating the information.

According to these testimonies, some of which ZENIT is summarizing here, the assistance project organized by the Catholic Church to save persecuted Jews was directly ordered by Pius XII.

Get organized

Monsignor Aldo Brunacci, the canon of Assisi, said in various interviews that "on the third Thursday of September 1943, after the usual monthly reunion of the clergy that had taken up residence in the diocesan seminary, the bishop called me aside to the room in front of the chapel and showed me a letter from the secretary of state and told me: 'We must get organized to come to the aid of all the persecuted people and especially the Jews. This is the will of the Holy Father Pius XII. This all must be done with the greatest caution and prudence. Nobody, not even the priests, must know about this.'"

Monsignor Brunacci added that he saw the letter sent by the Vatican Secretariat of State.

The monsignor and Bishop Giuseppe Placido Nicolini of Assisi were recognized as "Righteous Among the Nations" by the Yad Vashem, Israel's official memorial to Holocaust victims.

Available for you

The testimony of Emilio Viterbi of the University of Padua, a Jewish refugee in Assisi, was released on Jan. 6, 1947. It confirms Pius XII's involvement in the rescue of Jews by religious institutes.

In the 1990s, on the occasion of Bishop Nicolini's 70th birthday, Viterbi said that many episodes "could be mentioned to illustrate the tireless and holy humanitarian actions that the Assisi clergy did for the persecuted Jews under the noble guidance of Bishop Placido Nicolini, who with the greatest love and highest zeal had thus followed the philanthropic will of the Holy Father."

Viterbi added: "During the last period of German occupation, his diocese had become an asylum for many refugees and persecuted persons. Nonetheless when I went to him to ask him, in a case of extreme need, if they could welcome me with my family, he -- with great simplicity and a loving smile -- answered: 'Only my bedroom and my study are free, however, I can sleep in the latter. The bedroom is available for you.'"

The dear refugees

A similar story is told by Sister Ferdinanda Corsetti of the Institute of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Chambéry in Rome. The religious revealed that "it was the Holy Father, Pius XII, who ordered us to open our doors to all the persecuted. If we hadn't received the order from the Pope, it would have been impossible to save so many people."

On March 17, 1998, Sister Ferdinanda was recognized as Righteous Among the Nations by the Israeli Embassy in Rome, for having contributed in saving so many Jews during the Nazi occupation of Rome.

On that occasion, to confirm Pius XII's intentions, Sister Ferdinanda displayed a letter from the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Luigi Maglione, sent to the Mother Superior on Jan. 17, 1944.

In the letter, the secretary of state, on behalf of Pius XII and in reference to the many Jews hidden at the institute, wrote that he wished for "these chosen sons and daughters such ineffable recompense from divine mercy, so that, shortening the days of such great suffering, the Lord may grant them a serene, tranquil and prosperous future."

The letter continued: "In the meantime, as a particular sign of benevolence, His Holiness, grateful to those beloved sisters of St. Joseph of Chambéry for the work of mercy they do with such Christian understanding, sends them and the dear refugees the comforting apostolic blessing."

Direct contact

Sister Maria Piromalli, of the Institute Pius X in Rome, told how the Vatican secretary of state was in direct contact with the convents hiding the Jews.

Her institute, managed by the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence, hid 44 Jewish men and women.

Sister Maria recalled that Pius XII "sent an appeal to all the religious institutes in Rome to help the Jews" and added that Don Emilio Rossi alerted her institute.

In the Vatican secret archives published in 2004 -- "Inter Arma Caritas. The Vatican Information Office on Prisoners of War, Instituted by Pius XII (1939-1947)" -- Don Emilio Rossi is listed as the secretary of the Information Office for Prisoners of War, under the Secretariat of State, that is, the office that dealt with matters related to helping the Jews.

Code: ZE07042510

Date: 2007-04-25

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

MAGDEBURG, Germany, APRIL 25, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The major branches of Christianity in Germany and 11 other Churches and ecclesial communities will mutually recognize baptisms carried out in their denominations.

Cardinal Karl Lehmann, president of the German episcopal conference, Lutheran Bishop Wolfgang Huber and representatives from 11 other communities will sign the document of recognition on Sunday, reported the Catholic news agency KNA.

Until now, baptisms have not been mutually recognized, except by conventions established between dioceses and regional evangelical churches.

Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, initiated the plan to make a common declaration. The document is the result of three years of study.

The document affirms: "Despite the differences in the understanding of the Church, there exists among us a fundamental agreement regarding baptism.

"Therefore, we recognize as performing baptism every act of immersion of pouring over of water, carried out according to the mission of Jesus, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And we rejoice for each person that is baptized. A baptism carried out in this way is one and cannot be repeated."

Code: ZE07042525

Date: 2007-04-25

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

MEXICO CITY, APRIL 25, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Despite masses of protesters and strong appeals by Catholic leaders, Mexico City's legislative assembly voted overwhelmingly to legalize abortion in the first trimester within the federal district.

The bill was approved 46-19 on Tuesday and will take effect after it receives the promised signature by Mayor Marcelo Ebrard.

It applies only to the federal district, some 600 square miles (1,547 square kilometers) in the center of the metropolis of Mexico City. The federal district functions like a state.

The Archdiocese of Mexico is expected to make a statement on Sunday.

Abortions had only been legal in cases of rape, presumed fetal defects or in cases endangering the mother's life. The new law will permit hospitals to perform them during the first trimester and the measure would open the door for abortion clinics. Parental consent will be required for girls under 18.

Pro-lifers have said they will appeal the decision to the Mexican Supreme Court.

Code: ZE07042512

Date: 2007-04-25

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

"He Was a True Teacher"

VATICAN CITY, APRIL 25, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered today at the general audience in St. Peter's Square. The reflection focused on Origen of Alexandria.

* * *

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In our meditations on the great figures of the ancient Church, today we will get to know one of the most outstanding. Origen of Alexandria is one of the key people for the development of Christian thought. He draws on the teachings he inherited from Clement of Alexandria, whom we reflected upon last Wednesday, and brings them forward in a totally innovative way, creating an irreversible turn in Christian thought.

He was a true teacher; this is how his students nostalgically remembered him: not only as a brilliant theologian, but as an exemplary witness of the doctrine he taught. "He taught," wrote Eusebius of Caesarea, his enthusiastic biographer, "that one's conduct must correspond to the word, and it was for this reason above all that, helped by God's grace, he led many to imitate him" (Hist. Eccl. 6,3,7).

His entire life was permeated by a desire for martyrdom. He was 17 years old when, in the 10th year of Septimius Severus' reign, the persecution against Christians began in Alexandria.

Clement, his teacher, left the city, and Origen's father, Leonides, was thrown into prison. His son ardently yearned for martyrdom, but he would not be able to fulfill this desire. Therefore, he wrote to his father, exhorting him to not renounce giving the supreme witness of the faith. And when Leonides was beheaded, young Origen felt he must follow the example of his father.

Forty years later, while he was preaching in Caesarea, he said: "I cannot rejoice in having had a father who was a martyr if I do not persevere in good conduct and I do not honor the nobility of my race, that is to the martyrdom of my father and the witness he gave in Christ" (Hom. Ez. 4,8).

In a later homily -- when, thanks to the extreme tolerance of Emperor Philip the Arab, the possibility of ever becoming a martyr seemed to fade -- Origen exclaimed: "If God would consent to let me be washed in my blood, receiving a second baptism by accepting death for Christ, I would surely go from this world. … But blessed are they who merit these things" (Hom. Lud. 7.12).

These words reveal Origen's nostalgia for the baptism by blood. And finally, this irresistible desire was, in part, fulfilled. In 250, during the persecution by Decius, Origen was arrested and cruelly tortured. Severely weakened by the sufferings he endured, he died a few years later. He was not yet 70 years old.

We mentioned earlier the "irreversible turn" that Origen caused in the history of theology and Christian thought. But in what did this "turn" consist, this turning point so full of consequences?

In substance, he grounded theology in the explanations of the Scriptures; or we could also say that his theology is the perfect symbiosis between theology and exegesis. In truth, the characterizing mark of Origen's doctrine seems to reside in his incessant invitation to pass from the letter to the spirit of the Scriptures, to progress in the knowledge of God.

And this "allegoristic" approach, wrote von Balthasar, coincides precisely "with the development of Christian dogma carried out by the teachings of the doctors of the Church," who -- in one way or another -- accepted the "lesson" of Origen. In this way, Tradition and the magisterium, foundation and guarantee of theological research, reach the point of being "Scripture in act" (cf. "Origene: il mondo, Cristo e la Chiesa," tr. it., Milano 1972, p. 43).

We can say, therefore, that the central nucleus of Origen's immense literary works consists in his "three-pronged reading" of the Bible. But before talking about this "reading," let us look at the literary production of the Alexandrian.

St. Jerome, in his Epistle 33, lists the titles of 320 books and 310 homilies by Origen. Unfortunately most of those works are now lost, but the few surviving works make him the most prolific author of the first three Christian centuries. His array of interests extended from exegesis to dogma, to philosophy, to apologetics, to asceticism and to mysticism. It is an important and global vision of Christian life.

The inspirational core of this work is, as we mentioned earlier, the "three-pronged reading" of the Scriptures developed by Origen during his life. With this expression we are alluding to the three most important ways -- not in any order of importance -- with which Origen dedicated himself to the study of Scripture.

He read the Bible with the intent to understand the text as best he could and to offer a trustworthy explanation. This, for example, is the first step: to know what is actually written and to know what this text wanted to say intentionally and initially. He carried out a great study with this in mind and created an edition of the Bible with six parallel columns, from right to left, with the Hebrew texts written in Hebrew -- Origen had contact with rabbis to better understand the original Hebrew text of the Bible.

He then transliterated the Hebrew text into Greek and then did four different translations into Greek, which permitted him to compare the various possibilities for translation. This synopsis is called "Hexapla" (six columns). This is the first point: to know exactly what is written, the text in itself.

The second "reading" is Origen's systematic reading of the Bible along with its most famous commentaries. They faithfully reproduce the explanations give by Origen to his students, in Alexandria and Caesarea. He proceeds almost verse by verse, probing amply and deeply, with philological and doctrinal notes. He works with great attention to exactness to better understand what the sacred authors wanted to say.

In conclusion, even before his ordination, Origen dedicated himself a great deal to the preaching of the Bible, adapting himself to varied audiences. In any case, as we see in his Homilies, the teacher, dedicated to systematic interpretation of verses, breaks them down into smaller verses.

Also in the Homilies, Origen takes every opportunity to mention the various senses of sacred Scripture that help or express a way of growth in faith: There is the "literal" sense, but this hides depths that are not apparent upon a first reading; the second dimension is the "moral" sense: what we must do as we live the Word; and in the end we have the "spiritual" sense, the unity of Scripture in its diversity.

This would be interesting to show. I tried somewhat, in my book "Jesus of Nazareth," to show the multiple dimensions of the Word in today's world, of sacred Scripture, that must first of all be respected in the historical sense. But this sense brings us toward Christ, in the light of the Holy Spirit, and shows us the way, how to live.

We find traces of this, for example in the ninth Homily on Numbers, where Origen compares the Scriptures to nuts: "The doctrine of the Law and of the Prophets in the school of Christ," he affirms, "is bitter reading, like the peel, after which you come to the shell which is the moral doctrine, in the third place you will find the meaning of the mysteries, where the souls of the saints are fed in this life and in the next" (Hom. Num. 9,7).

Following along this path, Origen began promoting a "Christian reading" of the Old Testament, brilliantly overcoming the challenge of the heretics -- above all the Gnostics and the Marcionites -- who ended up rejecting the Old Testament.

The Alexandrian wrote about this in the same Homily on Numbers: "I do not call the Law an 'Old Testament,' if I understand it in the Spirit. The Law becomes an 'Old Testament' only for those that what to understand it in terms of the flesh," that is to say, stopping at the mere reading of the text. But, "for us, we who understand it and apply it in the Spirit and in the sense of the Gospel, the Law is ever new, and the two Testaments are for us a new Testament, not because of a temporal date, but because of the newness of the meaning. … For the sinner on the other hand and those who do not respect the pact of charity, even the Gospels get old" (Hom. Num. 9,4).

I invite you to welcome the teachings of this great teacher of the faith into your hearts. He reminds us that in the prayerful reading of Scripture and in a coherent way of life, the Church is renewed and rejuvenated.

The Word of God, which never ages or has its meaning exhausted, is a privileged way of doing this. It is the Word of God, through the work of the Holy Spirit, which leads us always to the whole truth (cf. Benedict XVI, international congress for the 40th anniversary of the dogmatic constitution "Dei Verbum," in Insegnamenti, vol. I, 2005, pp. 552-553).

Let us ask the Lord to enable us thinkers, theologians and exegetes of today to find this multidimensional nature, this permanent validity of sacred Scripture.

We pray that the Lord will help us to read the sacred Scriptures in a prayerful way, to really nourish ourselves on the true bread of life, his Word.

[Translation by ZENIT]

[After the audience, the Holy Father greeted the people in several languages. In English, he said:]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Our catechetical journey through the early Church brings us to the remarkable figure of Origen of Alexandria. This great teacher of the faith was highly esteemed by his students not only for his theological brilliance, but also for his exemplary moral conduct. His father, Leonides, was martyred during the reign of Septimius Severus. Though Origen himself always had a deep yearning to die a martyr's death, he decided that the best way to honour his father and glorify Christ was by living a good and upright life. Later, under the emperor Decius, he was arrested and tortured for his faith, dying a few years later. Origen is best known for his unique contribution to theology: an "irreversible turn" which grounded theology in Scripture. He emphasized an allegorical and spiritual reading of the word of God, and demonstrated how the three levels of meaning -- the literal, the moral, and the spiritual -- progressively lead us to a deeper prayer life and closer relationship with God. Origen teaches us that when we meditate on God's word and conform our lives to it, we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us to the fullness of truth. May we follow Origen's example by praying with scripture, always listening attentively to God's word.

I extend a cordial welcome to the English-speaking pilgrims. I am pleased to greet those attending the Thirteenth World Seminar for Catholic Civil Aviation Chaplains and Chaplaincy Members, as well as pilgrims from the following countries: England, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, Indonesia, Japan, and the United States of America. May God bless you all!

© Copyright 2007 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Code: ZE07042502

Date: 2007-04-25

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

Interview With Armando Fumagalli

MILAN, Italy, APRIL 25, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Good will is not enough for Christians working in Hollywood -- they also need to achieve a level of excellence that makes them competitive in the industry, says an Italian editor.

Armando Fumagalli is the editor of the Italian edition of "Behind the Screen: Hollywood Insiders on Faith, Film and Culture," a collection of essays by Spencer Lewerenz and Barbara Nicolosi.

First published in English and now in Italian, the essays aim to illustrate how to live the faith in the hard and competitive world of cinema.

In this interview with ZENIT, Fumagalli explains how Christians have to be ready and willing to "learn from the best."

Q: What are Christians doing in Hollywood? Are they helping to raise standards?

Fumagalli: I would say that before we ask ourselves if they are helping to raise standards, we must observe that there are very few practicing Christians in the world.

We are speaking about Hollywood because the products made there are sent throughout the world. But the presence of Christians in European cinema is -- if possible -- even less than in Hollywood.

As usual, among Christians there are those who are more or less good, more or less prepared, etc. But the interesting question is, on one part, to ask ourselves: Why have there been so few in the last 10 years or so?

Even more interesting is what Barbara Nicolosi is trying to do, trying to make it so that people of faith are well prepared, with high professional standards, to be able to work in this competitive market, to bring another voice to the dialogue among cultures and various visions of the world that we see in cinema and television.

It is not enough to have good intentions, we must also be professionals. For me, as for Barbara Nicolosi, it happens that we read some script of a movie, written with the best of intentions, but with a very low professional quality.

Christians, as with other professionals, must have humility and patience to learn from the best.

Q: What are the differences between Catholics in the industry and Christians of other denominations?

Fumagalli: One thing that struck me when I read the book in English was the spontaneous unity between Christians of various denominations that work in the movie industry.

In a world that is so far from God and that is in need of the spiritual dimension the differences among the Christians naturally disappear. The book seemed, right away, to be a beautiful example of "lived" ecumenism.

But I must also say -- in the writings of Protestant authors -- you can notice a lack of sure doctrinal references on certain important ethical questions: They do not have a magisterium, or at least they don't have the clarity that we Catholics have.

I felt compassion for these people who wanted to do good for others. And, once again, I realized the great treasure we Catholics have in the magisterium.

Q: Why does America, which is "profoundly religious" as it says in the book, offer us so many films with so much blood and violence?

Fumagalli: In part, it depends on their culture. They have only been a country for a few centuries and for many decades of their history it was a sort of "no man's land" in which the law of survival of the fittest often won out.

We must not let ourselves be duped by the idyllic images we see in the movies. In the 1960s in some of the states in America they were still lynching blacks, just to make an example of them.

The Christian faith -- but also in the movies, I am convinced -- was and will be an element of education and transformation toward a less violent society.

This "rude" culture is reflected in part in American movies, which is more tolerant of violence than European movies.

We must not forget that European cinema has its roots in nihilism and atheism. In American cinema there are still significant traces of spirituality and very often -- from a human point of view -- the solutions that are given to the characters' problems are rooted in a balanced anthropology that has its roots in Judeo-Christian values.

I am thinking of films that are not outwardly religious such as "The Lord of the Rings" or "The Chronicles of Narnia," but also a film such as "The Truman Show," "You've Got Mail," "The Family Man," "Master and Commander," "Hitch," "Cinderella Man," "The Interpreter" and more.

Q: Why do we blame Hollywood for the evils of today?

Fumagalli: On one hand because it is true that movies and television series, which are the most widespread audiovisual products in the world, are important for presenting models for living.

On the other hand though, we must not forget that it is the responsibility of everyone to make the workplace the object of prayer but also a place of hard work, of men and women who have at heart the human person and his eternal destiny.

So therefore it is not enough to blame Hollywood for the evils of today: Each one of us must ask himself if he or she can do something to make things better.

Code: ZE07042514

Date: 2007-04-25