Sept. 9, 1994

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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.


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