1
s
0£6£-66S<ie ON
11IH
13dVH3
0£6£ 83 A«Vd9Il
NOSHM
dnh
NOI10311OD t
ZO 00-80
ierving Catholics in
D
iATHOLIC
M
News & Herald
Western North Carolina
Volume 3 Number 18 • January
in the Diocese of Charlotte
7,
1994
Accord Between Vaticanjsrael Opens New Era Of Relations VATICAN CITY (CNS)
—
The
agreement," signed as 1993 came to a close, paves the way for full diplomatic
schools, welfare institutions and
relations within a
few months and a new two entities. The pact was signed in Jerusalem Dec. 30 by Msgr. Claudio Celli, a Vatican assistant secretary of state, and
spect for the traditional rules regulating
era of dialogue between the
activity at the Christian holy places,
deputy minister of foreign affairs, Yossi Beilin. A joint Vatican-Israeli commission, meeting at the Vatican Dec. 29, approved the seven-page text of the accord, ending 17 months of intense negotiations. The agreement outlines general principles of religious freedom in civil society and includes a strong condemnation of anti-Semitism.
the agreement completes the "first phase"
Vatican
spokesman
Joaquin
Navarro-Valls called the agreement a "historic opening" that could have a positive influence
George Kloster, pastor of from With them
St.
Michael Church, Gastonia, prepares
and her brother, Jhon Ospina, prior
luarez (second
right)
>peration.
are Suarez' daughter, Stacey,
to a
to anoint
Maria
kidney transplant
and friend Maria Teresa Srivoraphan. Photo by
Mew Year Means New
CAROL HAZARD
Life
r or St. Michael Parishioner CAROL HAZARD
GASTONIA
— Christmas comes
once a year. But not for Maria luarez. The best gift is yet to come. The St. Michael parishioner is reviving a new chance on life for the New (ear. Her brother is giving her one of lis two kidneys. Parishioners gave Christmas to Juarez and her two girls. But of all the >nly
— including bikes
;ifts
for Jennifer, 9,
—
and clothes for Suarez match the one her brother
ind Stacey, 6,
lone could
ibout to give her.
nade
it
all
And yet,
is
parishioners
possible.
They took up a special collection so Jhon Ospina, could fly here or the transplant operation from his tomeland in Colombia, South America. Vhat's more, they paid for Maria's nother, Elbia Tej ada de Ospina, to come is well so she could support her daugher and take care of the girls while Suarez s in the hospital. About $3,000 was
ler
brother,
aised.
As project coordinator, Notre Dame Carol Symons worked through
iister
Lauch Faircloth's
>en.
office to expe-
Ospina he country. She also accompanies lite
the process of bringing
|»uarez to doctor's
"We
into
appointments.
Maria and her and doing whatever we can to them," says Sister Carol, pastoral are praying for
iamily talp
issociate at St. Michael.
"Every day I say God bless all these people who help me," says Suarez. luarez is a single mother who worked as
became
On
ill.
dialysis 10 hours a day, Suarez,
38, nearly lost her
March when She was on a
from a cadaver, but the process could have taken years. Although kidney transplants have become standard medical procedure, the problem is a shortage of donors, says Dr. Joe Chandler of Metrolina Nephrology Associates, Charlotte. An estimated 10,000 kidney transplants are performed every year. However, 25,000 people are on the waiting list. The recipient has a 90 percent or better chance of surviving during the waiting
first
list
for a kidney
year after the operation
receives a kidney from dler says.
The
percent range
survival rate if
if
he or she
a relative,
the donor
is
is
in
Chanthe 80
unrelated.
donor is the same as with any major surgery, Chandler says. "Basically, we need to determine if the donor is healthy enough to undergo a major operation and has no health problems that would put him at risk." Ospina, 21, is the second youngest of Suarez' nine living brothers and sisters. He underwent preliminary tests in Colombia before he came to the United States. He has been undergoing final testing this week. The surgery is expected to be scheduled sometime this month. If all goes well as expected, Ospina will be in the hospital for about one week. Suarez will
The
be
in a
risk to the
week
to 10 days.
tian pilgrimages.
The Vatican has emphasized
commission, formed in mid- 1 992. provides, in fact, that negotiations will continue on a full range of Israeli
The accord issues.
Israeli and Jewish leaders hailed the agreement as a milestone, largely because it meets the longstanding Israeli
request for diplomatic
both sides predicted
Experts on would have a
ties.
it
positive effect on Jewish-Catholic dia-
logue.
"All of us
who have been
the occupied territories and Jordan, would remain open in Jerusa-
lics in Israel,
lem.
Vatican and
sources have
Israeli
said that if conditions are right, Pope John Paul II could follow up the diplomatic developments with a trip to Jerusalem during the coming year or two. Beilin, speaking to reporters in Rome Dec. 29, said the agreement "has much to do with the relationship between the Jewish religion and the Catholic faith. It is an important change after 45 years of the existence of Israel and,
perhaps, 2,000 years of separation between us and the Christians."
all
but
it
lays the
for further negotiations.
It
Is-
peace accord to all Christians, Muslims and Jews, said the rabbi, a member of the permanent Vatican-Jewish dialogue commission.
The "Fundamental Agreement Between the Holy See and the State of Israel," includes a
preamble, 15 articles
and a separate protocol on diplomatic representatives.
The preamble,
citing
the hji^oric process of reconciliation
between Catholics and Jews, says the accord should offer a sound and lasting basis for improvement in Vatican-Israeli relations.
The
text of the
agreement provides
the following:
— Both
Israel
and the Vatican pledge
to respect the principles of religious
groundwork
religious intolerance." The Vatican takes
subcommissions will be named to deal with delicate issues regarding the Church's property holdings, and its legal and tax status. Navarro-Valls said that immediately
two subcommissions dealing with the tax issue and with would be the Church' s legal standing named. after the signing
—
The Vatican's "recognition" of rael will help legitimize the
specifies that
the thorny church-state
problems in Israel and Israeli-controlled territories,
Rabbi Henry I. Sobel of Brazil told the pope in a private audience Dec. 29 as the joint commission was meeting. "I believe this much-awaited step will benefit not only relations between Catholics and Jews, but will also act as an impetus to help implement the peace agreement signed between Israeli and Palestinian leaders," he said.
freedom and freedom of conscience. Both sides promise to cooperate "in combatting all forms of antiSemitism and all kinds of racism and of
The "fundamental agreement" does not solve
involved
and Jews, accomplishment,"
are grateful for this
said the apostolic
that
of the work undertaken by the Vatican-
Beilin said the Vatican and Israel have agreed that full diplomatic relations would be established within four months of the ratification of the formal agreement by the Israeli government. Navarro-Valls said Dec. 30 that full relations could be established even sooner than four months. He added that the nunciature would be based at a Franciscan monastery near Jaffa, on the outskirts of Ter Aviv.
life last
both her kidneys failed.
and promoting Chris-
in dialogue, both Catholics
which is the Vatican' s channel to Cathoa spinner in a textile mill before she
states ajoint interest in
com-
also declares re-
It
East peace process.
delegation to Jerusalem and Palestine,
Associate Editor
property and to run
munications media.
on the entire Middle
The spokesman
By
own
basic right to
Israel's
'ather
The agreement affirms the Church'
Vatican-Israel landmark "fundamental
—
the opportunity "to reiterate
its
condem-
nation of hatred, persecution and
all
other manifestations of anti-Semitism directed against the Jewish people and
individual Jews anywhere, at any time
and by anyone."
—
A Moment Of
See Accord, Page 13
History
Because of the historic accord between the Vatican and
Israel, the second
part of the U.S. bishops' pastoral message to families will be in the Jan. 14 issue of The Catholic News & Herald. Additional stories relating to the Vatican-Israeli accord are on Pages 89 of this issue.