Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Istanbul (Agenzia Fides) – “The climate that is felt with the upcoming opening of the Pauline Year in Turkey is positive. We are cautiously optimistic...We hope that is will be an opportunity for living the Christian faith, in ecumenical communion and in dialogue with the Muslim world.” This was what Father Mauro Pesce, Secretary General of the Bishops’ Conference of Turkey (CET).
The Church in Turkey is preparing to open the Pauline Year on June 21, in Tarsus. Attending the event will be Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Fr. Mauro explained. “In recent months, with Bishop Luigi Padovese, President of the CET, we have gone to visit and invite the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, His Holiness Bartholomew I, to attend this solemn inauguration ceremony. We have also invited His Beatitude Patriarch Mesrob II of the Apostolic Armenians (Gregorians) and the Syrian Orthodox Metropolitan Yusuf Cetin. All expressed their delight for the event.”
“The Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I, responding to the invitation and expressing his appreciation for all the preparation work, has informed us that he has been invited to Rome by His Holiness Benedict XVI for June 29th, and has appointed the first Secretary of Fanar as his representative in Tarsus. He will present a letter from the Patriarch. Patriarch Mesrob II of the Apostolic Armenians is unwell and will send a representative. All the Catholic Bishops of Aleppo, of both Syrian and Melkite rite, will attend. The Protestant Churches will also send a representative. The inauguration will include a Symposium on the theme: “Paul: citizen of Tarsus, citizen of the world.”
The program for June 21 is the following: in the afternoon, after a brief musical performance, the Turkish Prime Minister, Tayyip Erdoğan, is scheduled to give a greeting address, along with other local authorities. Bishop Padovese will speak on the meaning of the Pauline Year. This will be followed by an ecumenical prayer vigil with the representatives of the various Churches, before an ecumenical assembly of faithful. All the events will take place at the Church-Museum of Tarsus, which has an outdoor plaza with a capacity of 400 persons.
On Sunday, June 22, there will be a solemn Mass presided by Cardinal Walter Kasper. Scheduled to attend the Mass are the Bishops of Turket, leaders of other Christian Churches present in Turkey, and civil authorities. The civil authorities, Fr. Mauro said, “have shown a great openness and have facilitated the planning, thus helping to create a constructive climate of respect and dialogue.”
Later, on the occasion of the official opening of the Pauline Year, declared by Pope Benedict XVI from June 28 2008 to June 29, 2009, there will be a solemn celebration in Antioch, at the grotto of Saint Peter. There is also expected to be a large attendance from among Christian leaders, in an environment of ecumenism and dialogue, in honor of Saint Paul.
Tarsus and Antioch will be, during the Pauline Year, centers for Pauline spirituality, sites of ongoing pilgrimages that, as Fr. Mauro explained, “are expected to come from all over Europe and the other continents, with a large youth participation.”
In Tarsus, the Church-Museum dedicated to Saint Paul remains an open matter. The local authorities have already permitted religious celebrations to take place inside the structure that was once a Church and has now been transformed into a museum. The Church in Turkey has asked permission to be able to use it on a continual basis during the Pauline Year, for liturgical celebrations with groups of pilgrims, or permission for building a new church in the city. There are signs of openness in this direction, on the part of Turkey’s national authorities: the Turkish Minister for Tourism and Culture, Ertugrul Gunay, has declared that all necessary efforts will be made in obtaining the permission and in facilitating the celebration of the Mass inside the Church-Museum during the determined time. Turkey’s President of the Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Affairs, Murat Mercan, was also in agreement. “The moderate Islamic government that is in power in Turkey is being very open and willing to help. We are hopeful that an accord will be met,” said Fr. Mauro Pesce.
The Secretary of the Bishops’ Conference the positive reception with which the Pastoral Letter issued by the Bishops for the Pauline Year (cf Fides 28/1/2008) was met. It was also sent to all the Bishops and the Bishops’ Conferences in Europe, where it was also well-received. The local Catholic community responded well to its publication, as did the other Christian communities: “In the colorful mosaic of religious communities present in Turkey, we are nearly 100,000 Catholics, about 0.8% of the population, however the ecumenical and interreligious relations are very good. We work together to build peace and this strength will be even more visible and evident during the Pauline Year.” The Bishops’ Pastoral Letter reminds the faithful that “beyond being Catholic, Orthodox, Syrian, Armenian, Chaldean, and Protestant, we are Christians.” (PA) (Agenzia Fides 20/6/2008)
