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(Vatican Radio) In ten days' time, a historic meeting of leaders of the world's Orthodox Churches is due to begin on the Greek island of Crete. More than 350 bishops are expected to participate in the ?Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church' which will be chaired by the spiritual leader of the Orthodox world, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople.

Preparations have been in the works for several decades, but have intensified over recent months as Patriarch Bartholomew sought consensus on key documents from the 14 self-governing  or ?Autocephalous' local Orthodox Churches. It has been an uphill and difficult task requiring delicate balances of interest, compromises and concessions, yet even over the past few days two Orthodox leaders have threatened to withdraw from the eight day encounter.

Professor George Demakopoulos is co-director of the Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University in the United States. He spoke to Nicolas Papachristou about the difficult process of preparing for this Council and the way it may help to strengthen relations with other Christians, including the Catholic Church: 

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Professor Demakopoulos notes that in the medieval world there was an emperor who could force leaders of the different Orthodox Churches to come to Council, even if they didn’t get along with each other. But without any "external or supervisory body" forcing today’s leaders to attend, the Ecumenical Patriarch has had to "make a series of concessions" in order to gather the support he needed for this meeting.

Professor Demakopoulos explains what this means in practical terms: firstly, that nothing will occur at the Council which does not have the consensus of all 14 Autocephalous Churches. Secondly, he says in order to avoid any of the Churches vetoing any of the documents, they have become "rather lukewarm" in order to guarantee consensus. Although there is no historical precedent for this model, he says, it could be a positive way of working for the Orthodox Churches in the post-Imperial world.

Relations with other Christians

Asked about the document regarding relations with the rest of the Christian world, Professor Demakopoulos says that "before the Orthodox Church can move forward in any profound way with other Christians, there has to be greater consensus with the 14 Autocephalous Churches". 

He notes that certain fringe groups in Greece and elsewhere fear greater unity and vision in this area because "they have staked their identity" on not being Roman Catholic, which, he adds, is "out of step with the tradition" of what it means to be Orthodox. Though these are small groups, he says, they are very vocal and they are very fearful of greater consensus over the value of the ecumenical movement.

Nevertheless, he notes that "one of the most profound statements" in all of the six documents under discussion at the Council is a single sentence in the one on relations with other Christians which says, for the first time, that "anti-ecumenical obstructionism is condemned". 

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(Vatican Radio) Health professionals are the “true personification” of mercy, Pope Francis said Thursday in his address to the Medical Associations of Spain and Latin America in the Clementine Hall at the Vatican. And, he says, it fits with the Jubilee of Mercy to express gratitude for those who through dedication and professionalism help those who suffer.

Listen to Alexander MacDonald's report:

The identity of the physician, the Pope said, relies not only on skills but mainly on a compassionate and merciful attitude towards those who suffer in body and spirit. Compassion is the very soul of medicine and compassion is not pity, it is suffering-with.

He continued: Compassion is not always well received in our individualistic and highly technological culture because sometimes it is seen as a humiliation. There are even some who hide behind alleged compassion to justify killing a patient. True compassion, says Pope Francis, does not marginalize, humiliate or exclude and doesn’t celebrate the passing away of a patient. No, this is the triumph of selfishness, of the “culture of disposability” that rejects people who do not meet certain standards of health, beauty or utility.

“Health is one of the most precious gifts and everyone desires it,” Pope Francis said. “The biblical tradition has always highlighted the closeness between salvation and health, as well as their mutual and numerous implications. I like to remember that title with which the Church Fathers employed in reference to Christ and his work of salvation: Christus Medicus. He is the Good Shepherd who cares for the wounded sheep and comforts the sick (cf. Ez 34,16); he is the Good Samaritan who does not pass before the badly injured person by the wayside but, moved by compassion, he heals and serves (cf. Lk 10.33 to 34). Christian medical tradition has always been inspired by the parable of the Good Samaritan. It is identified with the love of the Son of God, who ‘went about doing good and healing all those who were oppressed’ (Acts 10:38). How much good the practice of medicine does in thinking of the sick person as our neighbor, as our flesh and blood, and the mystery of the flesh of Christ himself reflected in his wounded body! ‘Every time you did it to one of these, my brethren, you did it to me’ (Mt 25:40).

Compassion, the Pope continued, is the appropriate response to the immense value of the sick person, a response made of respect, understanding and tenderness, because the sacred value of the life of the patient does not disappear, neither is it ever darkened, but it shines with more splendor precisely in the person’s suffering and helplessness. This is what is understood when St. Camillo de Lellis says with respect to treating patients: "Put more heart in those hands." Fragility, pain and disease are a tough test for everyone, including medical staff; they are a call to patience, to suffer-with; therefore one cannot yield to the temptation to apply quick, merely functional and drastic solutions driven by false compassion or by criteria of efficiency or cost savings. At stake is the dignity of human life; at stake is the dignity of the medical vocation.

Pope Francis concluded by assuring those present of his appreciation for their daily efforts to accompany, nurture and enhance the immense gift of the human person. He asked for the prayers of those present and also asked that they never cease praying for him.

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(Vatican Radio) As the Church in Indonesia prepares to host a series of major national and international events later this year and in 2017, we are spending time with Church leaders there, to learn more about the challenges they face and the hope they have for the success of their mission in their ethnically, culturally, and religiously diverse country.

Vatican Radio’s Stefano Leszczynski spoke recently with Bishop Antonius Franciskus Subianto Bunyamin, O.S.C., of Bandung diocese in West Java, who is also the General Secretary of the Bishops’ Conference of Indonesia. Bishop Bunyamin told us relations of the 100 thousand Catholic faithful with the Muslim majority population of his diocese are good, though not without difficulties, especially regarding church-building plans and projects. “In general, we don’t have any serious problem with Muslim groups,” he said, “in general they are peaceful and we have good relationships with them – but there are always groups, or some people, who are very fanatic[al], trying to influence [people] around area[s] where [a] church will be built.” He explained that this influence is not always the most friendly. “Some of them give strong warn[ing]: ‘if you give a signature to allow the church, you  will get problems in our society’,” he offered by way of illustration.

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Nevertheless, Bishop Bunyamin is confident that careful and effective communication is the key to continued peaceful coexistence and even improved rapports. “We have to communicate: we don’t want to force [the issue], even though we have a right to establish a building,” he said, “because, what we want is a peaceful situation,” adding, “my [long-term] concern is building peaceful relations,” with the broader community.

In the meantime, diocesan preparations are underway for the celebration of Indonesian Youth Day, scheduled for October 1-6, 2016, in Manado, and for Asian Youth Day, from July 30 – August 6, 2017, in Yogyakarta. “This very huge, wonderful meeting, Asian Youth Day,” he said, “is not a kind of ‘show of force’: but it is [rather] a means, a way to dialogue,” with the young people of Asia.  

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(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis warned on Thursday against an excessive rigidity, saying those within the Church who tell us “it’s this or nothing” are heretics and not Catholics. His remarks came the morning Mass on Thursday celebrated at the Santa Marta residence.

In his homily the Pope reflected on the harm caused by Churchmen who do the opposite of what they preach and urged them to free themselves from a rigid idealism that prevents reconciliation between each other.

Taking his cue from Jesus’ warning to his disciples that unless their righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees they will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, Pope Francis stressed the importance of Christian realism. Jesus, he said, asks us to go beyond the laws and love God and neighbour, stressing that whoever is angry with their brother will be liable to judgement. 

Insulting our brother is like giving a slap to his soul

The Pope said we have “a very creative vocabulary for insulting others” but stressed that such insults are a sin and are akin to killing because they are giving a slap to our brother’s soul and to his dignity. Noting the presence of several children at the Mass, Pope Francis urged them to stay calm, saying the preaching of a child in a church is much more beautiful than that of a priest, bishop or of the Pope.

A Churchman who does the opposite of what he preaches is a scandal

Jesus, said the Pope, urged his confused people to look beyond and go forward.  But at the same time, Christ warned about the harm caused to the people of God by Christians who do not follow their own teachings.

“How many times do we in the Church hear these things: how many times!  ‘But that priest, that man or that woman from the Catholic Action, that bishop, or that Pope tell us we must do this this way!’ and then they do the opposite.  This is the scandal that wounds the people and prevents the people of God from growing and going forward.  It doesn’t free them. In addition, these people had seen the rigidity of those scribes and Pharisees and when a prophet came to give them a bit of joy, they (the scribes and Pharisees) persecuted them and even murdered them; there was no place for prophets there.  And Jesus said to them, to the Pharisees: ‘you have killed the prophets, you have persecuted the prophets: those who were bringing fresh air.’”

Follow the healthy realism of the Church: No to idealism and rigidity

Pope Francis urged his listeners to recall how Jesus’s request for generosity and holiness is all about going forward and always looking out beyond ourselves.  This, he explained, frees us from the rigidity of the laws and from an idealism that harms us. Jesus knows only too well our nature, said the Pope, and asks us to seek reconciliation whenever we have quarrelled with somebody.  He also teaches us a healthy realism, saying there are so many times “we can’t be perfect but carry out at least what you can do and settle your disagreements.”  

“This (is the) healthy realism of the Catholic Church: the Church never teaches us ‘or this or that.’ That is not Catholic. The Church says to us: ‘this and that.’ ‘Strive for perfectionism: reconcile with your brother.  Do not insult him. Love him. And if there is a problem, at the very least settle your differences so that war doesn’t break out.’ This (is) the healthy realism of Catholicism. It is not Catholic (to say) ‘or this or nothing:’ This is not Catholic, this is heretical.  Jesus always knows how to accompany us, he gives us the ideal, he accompanies us towards the ideal, He frees us from the chains of the laws' rigidity and tells us: ‘But do that up to the point that you are capable.’ And he understands us very well.  He is our Lord and this is what he teaches us.”

Reconciling amongst ourselves is the tiny sanctity of negotiation

Pope Francis concluded his homily by reminding how Jesus exhorted us to avoid hypocrisy and do what we can and at the very least avoid disputes amongst ourselves by reaching an agreement.

“And allow me to use this word that seems a bit strange: it’s the tiny sanctity of negotiations. ‘So, I can’t do everything but I want to do everything, therefore I reach an agreement with you, at least we don’t trade insults, we don’t wage a war and we can all live in peace.’ Jesus is a great person! He frees us from all our miseries and also from that idealism which is not Catholic. Let us implore our Lord to teach us, first to escape from all rigidity but also to go out beyond ourselves, so we can adore and praise God who teaches us to be reconciled amongst ourselves and who also teaches us to reach an agreement up to the point that we are able to do so.”

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Philadelphia, Pa., Jun 9, 2016 / 03:01 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A proposed Pennsylvania bill unfairly targets religious entities over public institutions – despite its claim to aid sex abuse victims,  says Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia.

“The problem with HB 1947 is its prejudicial content. It covers both public and religious institutions –  but in drastically different and unjust ways. The bill fails to support all survivors of abuse equally, and it’s a clear attack on the Church, her parishes and her people,” the archbishop said in a June 6 letter to the parishioners of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

He charged that the bill poses “serious dangers” to Catholic parishes and ministries.

“In other states where similar legislation passed, local parishes have been sued, resulting in parish and school closures and charity work being crippled,” the archbishop wrote.

The proposed legislation could “erase the sacrifices of generations of faithful Catholics who have done nothing wrong,” he noted.

HB 1947 would eliminate the criminal statute of limitations on child sex abuse, and would extend the civil statute of limitations for child sex abuse from age 30 to age 50.

But an amendment to the bill could cause the most damage, Archbishop Chaput said.

The bill was amended to allow retroactive civil lawsuits for cases in which the victim is now aged 50 or less. However, this provision would not apply to government institutions such as public schools or juvenile facilities.

“All of us are rightly angered by the crime of sexual abuse,” Archbishop Chaput wrote. “Over the past decade the Church has worked very hard to support survivors in their healing, to protect our children and to root this crime out of Church life.”

“But HB 1947 and bills like it are destructive legislation being advanced as a good solution.”

The bill passed the state House of Representatives by a vote of 180-15.

The vote follows the March release of grand jury reports in which Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane accused previous bishops of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown of ignoring or hiding decades of sexual abuse of minors by priests or religious. Almost all of the allegations were too old to be prosecuted, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The Philadelphia archdiocese has voiced support for the bill provision eliminating criminal statutes of limitations.

However, Archbishop Chaput said the bill covers public and religious institutions in notably different, and unjust ways.

“HB 1947 is retroactive for private and religious entities, but not retroactive for public institutions. It places very low caps on damages for sexual abuse in public schools in the future. And it makes it hard for abuse victims to sue public institutions going forward. Meanwhile, private and religious entities face unlimited liability for exactly the same evil actions, and not just going forward, but also in the past.”

“This is not justice,” the archbishop stated. “In fact, HB 1947 actually excludes most victims.”

He urged Catholics to write or telephone their state senators and members of the state Senate Judiciary Committee to ask them to vote against the bill, noting that such legislation “is unjust and deeply misleading. It benefits too few victims, and it ends up punishing Catholic parishes and families who are innocent of any wrongdoing.”

State senate hearings on the bill will begin June 13.

Archbishop Chaput said the matter is “serious and time-sensitive.” His letter, or a similar letter signed by the archdiocese’s pastors, was read or made available in the 219 parishes of the archdiocese the weekend of June 4-5.

“Please act now to contact your senator, and members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and urge them to oppose HB 1947 and any effort to impose civil statute retroactivity,” the archbishop asked.

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