Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Istanbul (Fides Service) - “The joy of Easter floods human history with light. This certainty is announced wherever there are Christians. In our situation as a Christian minority in Turkey this joy is very special: the fruits of the resurrection show themselves with discretion but on the path of our local Church and in our search for dialogue ecumenical and inter-religious they are of great importance and nourish our hope for a better life, new life in the Risen Christ”: writes Fr. Rubén Tierrablanca OFM head of the international Franciscan Fraternity in Istanbul, Turkey.
The Friar speaks of “many signs of new life” fruits of Easter 2006 marked by an atmosphere of collaboration and friendship at the level of ecumenical and inter-religious relations. Starting with relations with the civil authorities: “The president of our district of Beyoğlu - the Friar says - sent all the Christian communities (Catholic, Orthodox, Armenian, Syrian and Protestant) a gift of a small Chinese vase filled with Easter eggs for the faithful of our churches to wish us a happy Easter. He is Muslim but holds the Christian religion and the Christians in his territory in high esteem ”.
Moreover says Fr. Ruben, the festivity helped to bring the Catholic and Jewish communities closer: “Our Easter was around the same time as the Jewish Passover feast (Orthodox Easter was on 23 April). On Easter Sunday the Chief Rabbi of Istanbul Izak Haleva invited representatives of the different religious communities to his residence for an exchange of Easter greetings. We wished our ‘elder brothers’ Pesah Same’ach!”.
Fruits also at the ecumenical level: “On Easter Monday Mesrob II Patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church invited representatives of all the other Christian confession to tea in the gardens of his residence. Besides Patriarch Mesrob II the host, present also Bartholomew I ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and Izak Haleva, Chief Rabbi Istanbul; Archbishop Antonio Lucibello, papal nuncio in Turkey; Bishop Louis Pelâtre, our Latin Bishop; François Yakan Vicar of Chaldean Catholics; Yusuf Sağ Bishop of Syrian Catholics. Later we were joined by the Metropolita of the Syrian Orthodox Church Yusuf Çetin and representatives of Protestant churches. With other accompanying people and Armenian Catholics we witnessed this significant encounter”.
Fr. Ruben notes: “This experience of new life is in contrast with Turkish media which tend to emphasise our difficulties or make fun of Christian symbols saying for example that at Easter Christian children throw eggs at each other. We try to bear witness to Easter which is much more”.
The Franciscan concludes: “Building peace and brotherhood in the world and among believers is and will always be a daily task which we Christians wish to announce in the truth of the Risen Lord. Christ is truly Risen”. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 24/4/2006 righe 31 parole 324)
