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& Herald
Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte
New
Volume 4 Number 2
•
September
9,
1994
Vatican Preparing
Pastor Installed
Formal Ties With Palestinians CASTEL GANDOLFO, (CNS)
— Pope John Paul
Vatican
is
II
Italy
said the
preparing to open official
relations with the Palestinian people, a
step that should help strengthen the church's future in the region.
He made
the
comments
in a talk
Sept. 3 to Latin-rite bishops from several
Arab
states at the papal
summer villa at
The group was
Castel Gandolfo.
led by
Jerusalem Latin-rite Patriarch Michel Sabbcih, who recently met with Palestinian Li'U'hition Organization chairman Yasser AMat.
The pope said implementation of Middle East peace agreements, combined with continued Church dialogue with Muslims, are important in order for the small Catholic communities there to survive and flourish. The Vatican's recent establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel and Jordan reflected the improved climate, he said.
"On the other hand, official relations with representatives of the\Palestinian people are now being prepared V re hope iogue and, for the Catholic cifmM*}0ffi
new pastor of St. Joseph of the Hills Church, Eden. members and Rev. Mr. Gerald Potkay, permanent deacon. See story Photo by JOHN GILLIGAN
Bishop William G. Curlin installed Father Joseph Ayathupadam as the Participating in the installation
and
additional pictures
were parish council
on Page
3.
the prospect of a tranquil future," he said.
The Vatican has been holding in
Rome
and
in
Jerusalem with
talks
PLO-
appointed representatives in order to
No
define their relationship, Church sources
Security Guarantees
Pope Cancels Proposed Sarajevo VATICAN CITY John Paul
II
(CNS)
— Pope
canceled plans to
visit
Sarajevo in war-torn BosniaHerzegovina because security could not be guaranteed, the Vatican
said.
The Vatican's announcement Sept. 6 came less than 48 hours before the pontiff was to arrive in Sarajevo for a one-day visit. The decision followed a of high-level contacts between Vatican, U.N. and Bosnian officials. The pope was "saddened" at being forced to call the trip off, and he planned to visit the city "as soon as conditions permit," the Vatican statement said. The series
statement said the pope had always underlined the need for safety assurances for the people
who were
expected to attend Masses and other events during the Sept. 8 visit.
"Unfortunately,
has so far been impossible to have such guarantees, despite the
it
numerous contacts undertaken
with
all
said.
The pope
interested parties," the Vatican
deferred the visit so he
Trip
have said in recent months. It is unclear what form the official ties would take. Patriarch Sabbah, in a speech to the pope, underlined that the question of Jerusalem considered to be the thorniest problem for Palestinian-Israeli peace
—
stood and add to tensions," the statement
The Vatican said it would continue contacts in order to work out a future said.
date for the
visit.
On
Sept. 10-11, the
pope is to visit Zagreb in the former Yugoslavian republic of Croatia. Meanwhile, the pope planned to spend Sept. 8 in prayer for Sarajevo. The Vatican said a papal Mass and homily would be broadcast to the faithful who had been awaiting his arrival in Sarajevo.
"The pope
will continue to
make
every effort so that as soon as possible he
be able to make this pastoral visit mission of peace in that sorely tried capital, " the Vatican statement will
and
this
do its best to ensure the pope' s safety but said security risks were high. "The airport is protected by the United Nations but the surrounding areas are not under our control," Col. Bernard Lavarsuk of the U.N. Protection Force told Vatican Radio Sept. 3 from Sarajevo. "We will do our best to
Bosnian Serb forces fired 1 1 artillery rounds within Sarajevo' s U.N.-mandated weapons exclusion zone Sept. 6, according to a U.N. source. Peacekeepers also reported two U.N. aircraft hit by small arms fire in the previous two days at the city's
U.N.-controlled airport,
where the papal
aircraft
No casualties
was scheduled
— was
still
unresolved.
The
patri-
arch noted that the city was of vital
importance for the two peoples who live and Palestinians, and
there, the Israelis
for the three monotheistic religions, Christianity,
Judaism and Islam.
"We hope that those concerned, aided
we are aware be considerable," he said. Sarajevo airport is surrounded by anti-aircraft guns of both Serbs and Muslims and has been closed frequently since July because of firing on U.N.
by the international community, can devise for the Holy City a special statute that places it above political differences and keeps it always open, in every circumstance of peace or war," Patriarch Sabbah said. The pope encouraged Arab Church
relief aircraft.
leaders to continue dialogue with Juda-
ensure there
is
maximum
security be-
that the risks could
cause
A single Bosnian Serb anti-aircraft
said.
talks
gun that has fired on civilians for weeks in violation a
NATO-backed ultimatum
was seen as particularly threatening Pope John Paul's planned visit. Earlier,
ism and Islam. What is needed is an attitude of tolerance, mutual respect and cooperation, he said.
He
to
Bosnian Serbs threw the
pointed out that Muslims are a
majority in the region, and that Christian
emigration has weakened
many
local
pope's plans into doubt by refusing to guarantee his plane would not be shot at. Radovan Karadzic, president of the self-proclaimed Bosnian Serb Republic,
churches. Yet Catholic communities are
envoy he feared Muslims might attack the 74-year-old pontiff and blame the Serbs. Bosnian Serb leaders
Papal Trip
See Arabs, Page 16
would not expose the local population to
to land.
"serious risks,"
told a papal
safety.
Serb forces surrounding the Bosnian capital launched the artillery attack from positions southeast of the city at targets to the north, the U.N. source said. The shelling was a clear violation of the 12mile heavy weapons exclusion zone
Roman Catholic Church has been biased
on
Another factor in the decision to delay the trip was concern that a papal visit at this time might 'be poorly under-
around the city, which is monitored by the United Nations. The United Nations had said it would
against Orthodox Serbs during the
Sept. 10-11. There will be coverage in
it
said. Authorities in
Bosnia had warned that the papal events could be a target for attacks. Bosnian Serbs surrounding the city had refused to guarantee Pope John Paul s '
were reported.
privately told the Vatican the papal visit
was undesirable because they say
Yugoslav conflict.
the
With the cancellation of Pope John Paul H's proposed trip to Sarajevo, Croatia will be the only stop his visit to the
former Yugoslavia
next week's issue of The Catholic
News &
Herald.