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Reg No. 1920/002058/06
No 4812
Seeing confession anew: Part 1
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SA can boost Palestinians BY CLAIRE MATHIESON
‘B
ECAUSE South Africa has come through a similar situation, we can offer support to the people of Palestine. We can offer encouragement.” For the third year running, Fr Peter-John Pearson, director of the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office (CPLO), has been a member of a Church delegation that visits, observes, and highlights the plight of Christians in Palestine and Palestinians at large. The annual visit is designed to show support for the churches in the region, and the focus this year was on the suffering and vulnerable people in the Holy Land. “The group works in advocacy around issues relating to Palestine. It is part of an initiative that came about from the pope’s visit to the United Kingdom. The pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury wanted to highlight the plight of Christians in Palestine, but due to the rapid decline in numbers, the initiative has become one that highlights the plight of all in Palestine,” he said. “The so called ‘apartheid wall’ continues to be built by the Israelis, who call it a wall of safety. It makes the lives of Palestinians very difficult.” Fr Pearson said the wall was scheduled to be built through a Salesian vineyard, separating the nuns and priests, children and their schools, making Christian worship difficult for anyone cut off by the wall. Fr Pearson said one pillar of hope was the University of Bethlehem, a Church-run facility. The Church leaders met with Bethlehem University students who spoke of their desire to stay in their country but also of the difficulties they face finding work once they graduate. These realities and hardships are not well known. Fr Pearson said the delegation was also made aware of the delicate situation in Jordan, one of the region’s “shining lights”. “There has been a great influx of Syrian refugees to Jordan, which
has a population of 6 million.” Jordan has reported nearly 600 000 Syrian refugees which has put pressure on the land and on the little water the country has. “Many people see Jordan as a place of stability. It’s a good meeting point for different religions—anything that pressures the one ‘oasis of peace’ in the region is reason for worry. The refugee situation will put the entire region into jeopardy.” Fr Pearson said the South African presence was important as there was a “real belief that South Africa has come through a difficult situation similar to Palestine’s trouble. You find pictures of Nelson Mandela hanging in many homes. South Africa is symbolic of hope.” However, Fr Pearson said, there was a feeling of despair, with little progress being made. “On one level, Palestine has achieved observer status at the United Nations, and it is supported by a number of European Union members. On another level, there has been a mass exodus of Christians from the region.” The population of Christians in Palestine has dropped from 15% to around 2% in recent years. Faith communities are trying to provide humanitarian support and advocacy. Fr Pearson noted that the pope’s visit to the Middle East last year and the fact that this year’s Stations of the Cross that the pope will read in Rome have been written by representatives from the region, are affirmations that the people of Palestine are very much on the pope’s mind. The delegation of Church leaders highlighted the importance of choosing Palestinian tour guides, who give a good understanding of what is happening in the region— this not only acts as a source of encouragement for the locals, but also allows visiting pilgrims to gain a greater understanding of the Palestinians’ plight. The Church has an important role to play in the Holy Land and is the “bearer of hope”, said Fr Pearson.
More than 200 people gathered for the annual ‘Blessing of the Vines’ in Stellenbosch at a St Vincent’s Day celebration. A special Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town in the chapel of St Anthony’s on the wine farm Nagenoeg Landgoed. The chapel was built to give thanks by Schalk Visser (pictured) in 1999 and features an altar made of two wine vats. Mr Visser said blessing the vines was appropriate as Jesus’ first miracle was to turn water into wine. The stained glass windows of the chapel depict history, expressions of thanks and farming activity, with a special window dedicated to staff on the farm. The Mass was followed by a procession of tractors and trailers, trucks, bakkies and even ordinary cars through the vineyards where the actual blessing took place. It was a fun-filled day where families and friends could enjoy a picnic in a safe and friendly environment. The picnic was officially started with the opening of a bottle of Cap Classique with a panga (the African way) by Mr Visser.
Zubin Mehta conducts for pope
T
Pope Benedict greets conductor Zubin Mehta after a concert by the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Paul VI hall at the Vatican. (Photo: L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters, CNS)
HE conductor Zubin Mehta performed with an Italian orchestra at the Vatican in a concert honouring Pope Benedict and Italian President Giorgio Napolitano. The concert, which marked the 84th anniversary of the Lateran Pacts recognising the sovereignty of Vatican City State, was organised by the Italian embassy to the Holy See and held in the Vatican audience hall. Mr Mehta and the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino played for about an hour, performing works by Verdi and Beethoven. Pope Benedict commented on
each of the compositions in his remarks after the concert. Verdi’s overture to “La Forza del Destino”, the pope said, portrays the “drama of human existence marked by a tragic destiny and by yearning for God, for his mercy and love, which offer light, meaning and hope even in the darkness”. Speaking of the funeral march in Beethoven’s Third Symphony, Pope Benedict noted that the “thought of death invites one to reflect on the hereafter, on the infinite. The search for meaning that may lead to solid hope for the future is part of humanity’s path,” the pope said. President Napolitano, who has
regularly marked the anniversary of the Lateran Pacts by offering a concert to the pope, noted in his remarks that this would be their last such meeting, since his seven-year term of office expires in May. His voice faltering with emotion, the president, 87, expressed appreciation for his years of dialogue with the pope and for what he described as growing cooperation between Church and state. “We will continue, Your Holiness, as Italians, whatever our position, to pay attention to your messages,” President Napolitano said, “and draw from them grounds for reflection and faith”.—CNS