Catholic Trek : Cyprus

Showing posts with label Cyprus. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Guido Marini & Eastern Rite Catholic Updates

Breathing with both lungs:

Ukraine and Eastern Rite Catholics in Canada:

Monday, June 7, 2010

Cyprus Trip Highlights

Pope Benedict XVI, center, waves from the entrance of an airplane as he prepares to depart Larnaca , Cyprus, Sunday, June 6, 2010. The Vatican said Sunday that the international community is ignoring the plight of Christians in the Middle East, and that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the war in Iraq and political instability in Lebanon have forced thousands to flee the region. (Daylife Photos-AP, Getty, Reuters)

Angelus:

The Cross:

Solemnity of Body & Blood:

Orthodox Dialogue:

"People of Hope":

Middle East Geo-politics:

Alcoholic Woes:

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Regina Caeli, End of Marian Month & Cyprus Trip

End of Marian Month:

Pope Benedict XVI smiles to a child at the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens at the end of the celebration of a mass for the closing of the Marian month on May 31, 2010. (Daylife-Getty Images)

Pictures courtesy of Daylife

Trinity Sunday:

Regina Caeli:

Cyprus Trip:

Irish Clerical Abuse Investigation:

Pope's June Papal Intentions:

German Abuse Investigation:

Saturday, April 24, 2010

A Busy Pope Rising To The Challenge, Related Videos

Pope Benedict XVI leaves St. Peter's square at Vatican, at the end of his weekly general audience on April 21, 2010 (Daylife-Getty)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Almost lost in the recent furor over clerical sex abuse is that Pope Benedict XVI just turned 83 and is approaching one of the busiest stretches of his pontificate.

At an age when most church officials have long retired, over the next six months the German pontiff will make six trips, preside over dozens of public liturgies, close the Year for Priests, chair a Synod of Bishops on the Middle East and keep up a steady stream of audiences, both public and private.

A major document on Scripture in church life is expected before summer. In his spare moments -- which are few -- the pope is still working on his second volume of "Jesus of Nazareth."

Recent media reports have drawn a portrait of a weary pope, overwhelmed by the onslaught of criticism over the church's handling of sex abuses cases. Yet on the public stage, Pope Benedict has shown few signs of succumbing to job fatigue.

In Malta in mid-April for a 27-hour visit, he appeared to nod off for a few seconds during Mass. But although that moment was well photographed, it was the exception to the rule. Throughout the visit, he appeared happy and relaxed -- notably as he chatted with young people aboard a boat in Valletta's Grand Harbor. If the story line was a dispirited pope alarmed by a drop in approval ratings, he clearly wasn't following the script.

Nor is the pope about to go into hiding. There's far too much on his schedule.

A typical week in late April, for example, included four days of private talks with African bishops, speeches to new ambassadors, a meeting with a prime minister, commemoration of the church's annual vocations day, a general audience talk, another talk at his Sunday blessing and a speech to Catholic digital media experts in Italy.

Oh yes, and a brief celebration of the fifth anniversary of the official start of his pontificate.

In May, things will get really busy. He will travel to northern Italy May 2 to see the Shroud of Turin, a visit that includes four other major events and speeches: a meeting with Turin residents, Mass in a main square of the city, a meeting with young people and an encounter with the sick.

The pope will travel to Portugal May 11-14, visiting the Marian shrine of Fatima as well as the capital of Lisbon and the city of Porto. The pope could have made this an overnight stop in Fatima, but he broadened the trip because he wants to deliver a message on Christian values to the wider society at a time when the country appears ready to legalize same-sex marriage.

Back in Rome, he will celebrate Mass at St. Peter's Basilica for Pentecost May 23. In early June, he will mark the feast of Corpus Christi with Mass and a procession through Rome.

Then on June 4-6 he will head to Cyprus, where he will meet with church leaders of the Middle East. The next weekend, he will preside over a vigil and Mass June 10-11 at the Vatican to close the Year for Priests; thousands of priests from around the world are expected to attend.

Later in June, he will ordain priests in a lengthy Mass in St. Peter's Basilica. He then will mark the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul with two liturgies, evening prayer at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls June 28 and Mass the next day in St. Peter's Basilica, where he will present palliums to new metropolitan archbishops.

Things usually slow down in summer, but not as much this year. The pope has announced he won't be taking a real vacation in the northern Italian mountains. Insiders say he wants to spend more time writing, and he can get more done at his villa outside Rome. Volume 2 of "Jesus of Nazareth" is overdue, and the pope would like to put the final touches on the book over the summer, if not before.

In September, which used to be a slow month for popes, Pope Benedict will travel to England and Scotland on what could be his most challenging trip of the year. It's a four-day visit, and already the events are piling up: the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman, a major address at Westminster Hall in London, where St. Thomas More was put on trial; liturgies in London and Glasgow; and an encounter with Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury.

Closer to home, the pope will travel to central Italy in July to mark the eighth centenary of the birth of St. Celestine V -- who is best known as one of the few popes in history to have resigned.

That will no doubt stir the imaginations of journalists. Expect to read lots of stories on whether Pope Benedict might resign. He has given no indication that abdication is even a remote possibility, and his health appears good.

But people remember that in 2002, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger said rather bluntly of the ailing Pope John Paul II, "If he were to see that he absolutely could not (continue), then he certainly would resign."

As he turned 83, Pope Benedict looked as though he could keep up the pace indefinitely. Only one pope has lived longer in the past century -- Pope John Paul II, who was 84 when he died.

Videos:

Thursday, February 11, 2010

B16 Touring Malta, Cypus, Portugal and UK

2010 Papal Trails:

Pope Benedict XVI’s foreign visits this year appear to be taking shape, with the Vatican yesterday publishing details of his forthcoming visit to Malta and media reports that preparations for his trips to Cyprus and Britain are proceeding well.

The program for his April 17th-18th apostolic voyage to Malta will include a visit St. Paul’s Grotto in Rabat, a large open-air Mass, and an arrival by boat to greet young people in the Maltese capital, Valetta. The main purpose of the visit is to mark the 1950th anniversary since St. Paul was shipwrecked off the coast of the archipelago, which according to tradition took place in 60 A.D.

Also during the visit, the Pope will celebrate Mass in Floriana, a town near the capital, have lunch with the bishops of Malta and then – similar to the World Youth Days in Cologne and Sydney – he will board a boat to enter Valetta’s Waterfront to give an address to young people.

Benedict XVI’s visit will be the third papal trip to Malta. John Paul II was the first pontiff to visit the Mediterranean island in May 1990, and returned there in 2001. Of its 410,000 inhabitants, 98 percent of the country’s population is Catholic.

L’Osservatore Romano has reported that in recent days the Pope sent a letter to President George Abela to thank him for the invitation to visit the country. According to the letter, published by the Times of Malta, Benedict XVI said he “cannot wait” to join the Maltese people in marking “the important anniversary” of St. Paul.

Meanwhile, preparations are proceeding well for the Holy Father’s visit to Cyprus at the beginning of June. The main purpose of his visit will be to present bishops of the Middle East with the Instrumentum laboris, or working document, of the Synod on the Middle East, due to be held next October in the Vatican.

According to Father Umberto Barato, Vicar General for Cyprus of the Latin Patriarchate, Maronite and Latin Catholics on the Mediterranean island are working hard to coordinate the visit. The island has very few Catholics (most of its Christians are Orthodox) but Father Barato told the Franciscan website Terrasanta.net that the Catholic Church in Cyprus “is accepted, recognized and esteemed for its work of apostolate and education” and that the Pope’s visit will “certainly be a privileged occasion” for Catholics and Orthodox to strengthen relations.

Some have speculated that the visit may be the occasion for the Pope to meet Patriarch Kirill, leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, but there have been no concrete indications so far, either from the Vatican or from the Moscow patriarchate, that any meeting will take place there.

Meanwhile, it’s being reported that the Pope will begin his UK trip later this year in Scotland rather than England. As Queen Elizabeth will be resting at Balmoral castle, her summer retreat, when the Pope visits, organisers believed it most practical that the Holy Father meet the Queen nearby rather than have her come down to London for the welcoming ceremony. Their meeting is expected to take place at Holyrood Palace, another Scottish residence of the British monarch, according to an article in Britain’s Daily Mirror.

Benedict XVI is then expected to celebrate an open-air Mass in Glasgow before flying to London and visiting Birmingham where many believe he will preside over the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman. However, it’s no longer clear that he will give a speech to Oxford University, contrary to earlier reports, although a keynote speech in London’s Westminster Hall is still believed to be a strong possibility.

Also this year, the Pope will be visiting Portugal, from May 11th to 14th, where he is expected to celebrate Mass at the shrine of Fatima.

On a related note Fr. Johannes L. Jacobse details the special relationship between Benedict XVI and Kirill I.

Update 1:

Malta Trip:

VATICAN CITY, FEB. 11, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The Vatican press office confirmed Wednesday the itinerary for Benedict XVI's April 17-18 trip to Malta.

The visit will celebrate the 1,950th anniversary of St. Paul's shipwreck on the island that, according to tradition, occurred in the year 60 A.D., during the Apostle's second voyage toward Rome.

The Holy Father will meet with the president of the nation, as well as Maltese youth and clergy.

He will leave Rome on Saturday afternoon, arriving in Malta at 5 p.m., and giving an address at the airport. He will then go to the capital, meeting with President George Abela, in the Palace of the Grand Master in La Valletta.

After the meeting, the Holy Father will visit and pray at St. Paul's Grotto in Rabat, giving another address.

The following day, the Pontiff will celebrate a 10 a.m. Sunday Mass in Granero Square in the city of Floriana, followed by the midday Regina Caeli.

The Pope will have lunch with bishops of Malta in the nunciature of Rabat.

In the afternoon, he will travel by sea to the Great Port of La Valletta, where he will meet with young Maltese, and deliver an address. His final discourse will be delivered at a farewell ceremony at the airport, and he is expected back in Rome before 9 p.m..

This will be the Pope's 14th international apostolic trip and the third time for the Mediterranean archipelago to be visited by a Pontiff, after Pope John Paul II's visits in 1990 and 2001.

Malta gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1964. It has more than 410,000 inhabitants, 98% of whom are Catholic. It has been a member of the European Union since May 1, 2004.

Malta is slightly less than twice the size of Washington, D.C.

Plus, see the Portuguese website ahead of the Holy Father's visit here.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

June Papal Visit To Cyprus

Via Terra Santa:

At the beginning of June, Benedict XVI will travel to Cyprus, the third largest island in the Mediterranean, for a pastoral journey. He will also give the bishops of the Middle East the Instrumentum laboris of the Synod due to be held next October in the Vatican.

A small Catholic community, made up of lay people and religious of the Maronite and Latin rites, lives on the island. The Latins come under the pastoral responsibility of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and for centuries have been assisted by the friars minor of the Custody of the Holy Land. Prior to the Pope's visit, we asked Father Umberto Barato, parish priest in Nicosia and Vicar General for Cyprus of the Latin Patriarchate, a few questions about the trip.

Father Barato, the Pope receives invitations from many governments and episcopates but cannot accept them all. How do you explain his decision to come to Cyprus, an island with, after all, a fairly small Catholic community?

I don't know how many invitations the Pope receives and from how many countries. I only know that he decided to accept the invitation of the Orthodox Archbishop of Cyprus, Chrysostomos II, and the President Dimitri Christofias. There had been a precedent and perhaps that also counted: John Paul II had wanted to visit the island but, due to questions of time and the Pope's poor health, he never made the journey.

It is true that the Catholic community in Cyprus is small, but I do not think that this is a contra-indication. However that may be, I believe that Benedict XVI decided to make the visit prior to the Synod on the Middle East. In addition, he will also have thought about the political and religious situation of the island. It's not that the Pope can solve the problem of the division of Cyprus or tell the leaders what they should do, but his presence can give courage and a positive impulse to relations between the two sides.

When the trip was announced, some people imagined that it would have particular consequences on ecumenical dialogue at a European, or even global, level. What do you think about this? What are the daily relations between Catholics and Orthodox like in Cyprus, and with the Turkish Muslim minority?

It's natural that people think like that. Going to a country with an Orthodox majority, it is obvious that some people think that the meeting between the Pope and the leaders of the local Church can be ecumenical in character, that it is like a step ahead in the encounter, understanding and reciprocal acceptance. However, I do not believe that it can go further. I expect that after the visit, relations between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches in Cyprus will become even closer.

They are already excellent and at a level that I do not believe can be found elsewhere in parts of the world where the two Churches coexist. I'll pass over the minor difficulties that sometimes we come up against. In general, these are the fruit of ignorance or prejudice fuelled by the long separation and reciprocal non-recognition between the two sides. The positive fact is that the Catholic Church in Cyprus is accepted, recognized and esteemed for its work of apostolate and education.

There are already some forms of collaboration, but the Pope's visit will certainly be a privileged occasion for the bonds to become even closer. With the Muslims, on the contrary, we have no relations.

The months leading up to June will undoubtedly be a period of intense preparation for you. How are you proceeding? What is most important for you?

Time is passing quickly. We have set up a central committee of management and coordination. Its chairman is Mons. Ioussif Soueif, the archbishop of the Maronites of Cyprus and I am the deputy chairman. The committee coordinates about ten commissions - made up of priests, religious and lay volunteers - who will take on the various organizational aspects. We had a meeting on 14th January, open to all the Maronite and Latin faithful, which was attended by about 250 people.

After general information given by Mons. Soueif, many of those present chose the commission they wanted to join. On Saturday 30th January we called all the coordinators together to give them further details on the duties of the commissions. Now each coordinator has to convene their commission and begin work. Monsignor Soueif places great emphasis on spiritual preparation for the Pope's visit. We hope that it is not just an extraordinary social occasion, with a few solemn moments of prayer.

It is our intention to prepare our parishes with instruction, preaching and prayer. I see the need to give our faithful precise information on the figure of the Pope in the Catholic Church, the theological implications of his ministry and also the difference that there exists between our Church and the Orthodox Church regarding his role. We have given a prayer for the Pope to all our faithful, which is said in English or in Greek at the end of every Mass.

The programme of the Pope's journey is still being worked on. Perhaps, however, we can already answer one question: will Benedict XVI also cross into the northern part of the island, occupied by Turkish troops?

So far nothing has been said about this and I don't think anything will be said later on either.

Have you been able to collect any impressions and expectations on the visit from outside the Catholic community in Cyprus?

I think that very few Orthodox know about the visit as yet. Almost every day I meet people who still have not heard the news. When I say that the Pope will really be coming, they seem pleased. I think that when the date of the trip draws nearer, the papers and TV will wake up as well. And then... it'll be every man for himself!

The Latin community is made up essentially of simple people, who have come to Cyprus from poorer countries in search of work. How will they come into contact with the Pope? What were their feelings when they heard the news that he was coming?

There is enthusiasm and joy amongst our faithful. They feel privileged, in a certain sense, because it is a unique opportunity. I think that as the preparation continues, their enthusiasm will be even more visible. The foreign workers and various refugees will come into contact with the Pope in particular on 6th June, when he will celebrate the solemn Eucharist in the stadium and everybody will be able to see him, even though from afar.

The Pope will not be able not to speak about them and on their behalf, although emphasis will be placed on giving the Instrumentum laboris of the October Synod to the Catholic prelates of the Middle East.

As usual, Benedict XVI will stay in the nunciature and in Nicosia, the nunciature occupies a wing of the Franciscan convent. The Custody of the Holy Land has taken this opportunity to do some renovation and you, the friars, for the time being, have been "evicted". What sort of work is being done, when did it start and when will it finish?

We have taken this occasion to renovate a house built at the end of the 1950s and nothing had ever seriously been done to modernize it. It needed some work, especially replacing the whole of the electrical wiring which, according to the experts, was dangerous. Work began on 4th January and should be finished on 15th April.

Work is intense and the first results can already be seen. In the end we will have a more modern and efficient convent which better suits the needs of life today. At the same time, though, it will not lose the simplicity of a Franciscan place. Quod est in votis...

The surroundings of the convent/nunciature are rather a sorry sight and still show the scars left by the civil conflict in the 1960s and 70s. Do you think that the authorities will take the occasion of the Pope's visit to develop the area?

I can't answer this question. To date I haven't heard anything about work by the local authorities on the buildings standing around the Church and the convent. I think that it will be difficult for them to intervene or they will be able to intervene in some way with the permission of the UN (which administers the buffer zone between the Greek part and the Turkish part of Nicosia - Editor's note).

It's the Turks who have to think about the scars and the ruins on the other side, if they think about them at all! But wouldn't it be better for the Pope to see the division and ruins that still exist 35 years after the Turkish invasion with his own eyes?

Catholic Trek