Posted on 12/26/2012 10:53:39 AM PST by haffast
BETHLEHEM, West Bank — Thousands of Christians from the world over packed Manger Square in Bethlehem Monday to celebrate the birth of Jesus in the ancient West Bank town where he was born.
For their Palestinian hosts, this holiday season was an especially joyous one, with the hardships of the Israeli occupation that so often clouded previous Christmas Eve celebrations eased by the United Nations' recent recognition of an independent state of Palestine.
snip
In his pre-Christmas homily, Twal said the road to actual freedom was still long, but this year's festivities were doubly joyful, celebrating "the birth of Christ our Lord and the birth of the state of Palestine."
"The path (to statehood) remains long, and will require a united effort," added Twal, a Palestinian citizen of Jordan, at the patriarchate's headquarters in Jerusalem's Old City.
snip
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Patriarch Fouad Twal
"Patriarch Fouad Twal (Arabic: البطريرك فؤاد طوال) (born 23 October 1940 in Madaba, Jordan[1]) is a Palestinian Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church, serving as the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem since June 2008. Twal is also the Grand Prior of the Knights of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and serves as the President for the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land."
snip
"On 29 June 2008, Fouad Twal received the pallium at the hands of Pope Benedict XVI at a Mass in the Basilica of Saint Peter.[2]"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fouad_Twal
Pope Names Arch. Fouad Twal Patriarch of Jerusalem
"Patriarch Twal says that freedom of movement for priests and religious between these regions is a primary pastoral concern.
“We receive a lot of help and we are grateful but at the same time we say we need more. What we need is peace. We don’t only to be a begging Church, we don’t want to be beggars with a licence. I don’t like this. We need a political horizon, it’s time to put an end to the Wall, the Checkpoints, it’s time for a Palestinian State, it’s time for an end to our problems with visa’s. The majority of our priests, nuns, schools, families are in Jordan. We need a link to Jordan we need to be able to move with freedom and liberty for our pastoral work. I am not speaking about politics, let’s leave politics to the politicians, I am a bishop, we want to move for our pastoral work and we are handicapped”.
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
"In 1099, the Crusaders captured Jerusalem, set up the Kingdom of Jerusalem and established a Latin hierarchy under a Latin Patriarch, and expelled the Orthodox Patriarch. "
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_Patriarch_of_Jerusalem">
Bethlehem celebrates first Christmas since UN recognition of Palestine
"Festivities mark 'birth of Christ and birth of state of Palestine', patriarch tells crowds"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/25/bethlehem-christmas-un-recognition-palestine
Bethlehem marks Christmas celebrations
"Last week, in his pre-Christmas press conference, Twal praised the UN decision to upgrade Palestinian status, calling it a "step towards peace and stability in the region.""
""Israel can now negotiate on equal state-to-state terms for the good of all," he told reporters, saying the Palestinian issue remained "the cause of all conflicts in the region," and urging US President Barack Obama to take "immediate action" to push the peace process forward."
"In the weeks leading up to Christmas, the Palestinians have seen Israel move forward with settlement activity, including around Bethlehem."
"Last week alone, Israel moved forward with plans for over 5,000 new settler homes, most of them in annexed east Jerusalem, and more than 2,500 of them in the Givat HaMatos neighbourhood at the entrance to Bethlehem."
"The Palestinians say part of the new settlement activity is intended to punish them for the UN upgrade bid, which was fiercely opposed by Israel and Washington."
"But Xavier Abu Eid, an advisor to the Palestine Liberation Organisation, said this year's celebration of Christmas would be particularly meaningful for Palestinians nonetheless."
""At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of the prince of hope and the prince of peace and the Palestinian people have been hoping for 64 years to achieve a just peace," he told AFP."
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=56183
Christmas celebrated around the world
"Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas was present at the Mass."
"Israel - strongly backed by the US - opposed the move, describing it as a Palestinian ploy to bypass stalled peace negotiations."
"The Church of Nativity is located in an area of the West Bank governed by the Palestinian Authority."
"In June, the church was formally named a Unesco World Heritage Site - the first to be nominated by the Palestinians, who were made full members of Unesco earlier this year."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20838547
Catholic Patriarch: Christmas Marks 'Birth of Palestine State'
Arutz Sheva - Israel National News ^ | First Publish: 12/24/2012, 9:41 PM | Chana Ya'ar
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2972056/posts
Op-Ed: EXPOSÉ: Is the Vatican the Palestinian Arab Spokesman?” Arutz Sheva
- Israel National News ^ | Friday, December 21, 2012 2:47 PM | Giulio Meotti
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2971398/posts
April 1992
"On April 1st, The Vatican announced that it "favors a Labor victory" in the June 1992 general elections in Israel."
"On April 15th, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, one of the highest ranking diplomats at The Vatican, visits Israel for the first time but only meets with Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek."
Pope Benedict XVI and Judaism
"Shortly after his election the Pontiff visited the Cologne synagogue where, speaking to Jewish leaders, he condemned Nazi ideology as "insane" and committed to strengthening ties of "friendship" between the Catholic Church and Jews.[3] However, despite much praise from Jewish leaders across Europe, Benedict received criticism from Israel for not "singling out the Jewish state as a victim of terrorism".[4]"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Benedict_XVI_and_Judaism
Holy See–Israel relations
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_See_%E2%80%93_Israel_relations
A Society of Jesus
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2971768/posts?page=7#7
Retards and Jesus
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2971398/posts?page=4#4"
.
Sigh. Another anti-”Papist” screed.
So?
I am very sensitive to your concern about “anti-papal bashing.”
Alas, there are some real wolves in sheeps’ clothing... evil, anti-Christian assho!es parading around in clerical robes...
these can be found both within the RC church and in some other denominations...
I do not believe merely citing this particularly satanic jerk of a “priest” is necessarily an “anti-Papist screed.” Each and every one of these shi!heads needs to be reproved, vigorously repoved. And since they mis-use their ecclesiastical posts in such public ways to spread this evil filth, our reproval must needs be also public.
This is necessary if only to defend or be true to Christian faith.
ps:
That this idiot is also delusional about his so-called “pali state” is, in my book, besides the point. Anyway, if he ever got his “pali state” (which he of course will not, at least not in the land of Israel), he’d be among the first to have his throat slit and his church bombed to rubble by his socalled “pali” Islamoterrorista friends. (Strange how that works, isn’t it...)
Well, this is the second time during Christmas week that a fellow freeper has tried to show that Catholics are anti-Israel and anti-Semitic. (I’m not saying this particular freeper who posted this.) Maybe I’m too sensitive.
ps: a local friend points out that this fellow is already under the gun (or sword) of “pali” terroristas ....
so that if he lacks sufficient faith (or guts, or cajones) to speak the truth... it will be explained as “looking out to protect his flock from mass murders at the hands of the Islamic murder gangs”
perhaps we can cut this guy a little slack (just a little?) on the grounds that maybe his faith is not quite at the level of the Christian martyrs of yore...
No you are not too sensitive.
I saw that earlier posting too.
There is a problem with a handful of clerics in the Mid East particularly, a problem that the Vatican has yet to really fix. (Similar with the problem with certain American politicians claiming to be “RC” and pushing abortion on a mass scale like Pelosi... ) And it was the same with some critics of the Vatican in the 1930’s and 40’s for “not speaking up enough” against the Nazi mass murders. (Although the Vatican did save several thousand lives in a quieter manner.)
I have given this much thought over the years. It could possibly be that the Holy See just actually does not have the power to keep so many errant souls in check??? (It sure would be a big job for the Pope to reprove so many clerics and politicians and...and.... )
I really don’t know. Meanwhile, we are stuck with these “statements” that go against Biblical or Church teachings... each year we seem to get these or similar statements, largely from the same sources I think, and it is most distressing ...
I certainly don’t have a problem bashing misguided (and sometimes evil) priests. My problem is with some (I said SOME!) Evangelicals here who wish to drive a wedge between themselves and Catholics and are using anti-semitism as the stake.
Those are pretty harsh words for a man whose only crime is arguing that people whose ancestors have dwelt in a place for thousands of years deserve a homeland with political autonomy.
A successor of the apostles, reasoning from moral principles, observes that the dispossessed too are entitled to justice, notwithstanding the inconvenience it may pose to those who mean to dispossess them even further. He has my support.
In this case, the Catholic Cardinal is a palestinian arab. It's not surprising to learn where his sympathies lie in the Israeli debate. I would expect nothing different if they interviewed an Orthodox Christian cleric who was a palestinian arab, or a protestant pastor who was a palestinian arab. Ethnicity trumps religion, they support their "fellow" palestians.
History does not agree with many of those statements, but he would have my support if the so-called palis were all Christian or at least peaceful people. As long as he sides with anti-Christian, anti-Jewish terrorists heLl-bent on killing more and more innocent people, his sympathies are way, way off base, and especially for a Christian cleric. (Remember history, the Muslims rejected that old deal and tried a half-dozen times to “drive the Jews into the sea”. History has its consequences, as they say, and the Islamicist already control tons of land (including 2/3 of mandatory “palestine” anyway). But without rehashing all the facts over and over, just because someone uses appealing or deceptive words to attract sympathy of good-hearted people does not mean they’re being honest or genuine with us. By their deeds ye shall know them
I see. Thanks for that! (Shame, though)
The only problem I see is this guy holds the rank of "Major Archbishop" and the title of "Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem". Given the Christians are less than 2% of the population of Jerusalem, and most of them are Eastern Orthodox or protestant (and even among the Catholics, which are around 1% of Jerusalem's population, most are from the Melkite Greek Catholic Church or Maronite Church, NOT the latin-rite Roman Catholic Church), it makes little sense to give this guy so much clout. The only reason they'd really need a "Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem" is an honorary title bestowed because of the city's historic ties to the founding of Christianity and the Catholic Church. I could understand if this guy was "Monsignor Fouad Twal, honorary Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem" and merely a figurehead, but not making him a "Major Archbishop".
As for Fouad Twal himself being pro-Palestian statehood and/or anti-Jewish, that couldn't be helped. You're about as likely to find a pro-Jewish Palestinian Christian as finding a Sinn Fein member who is against Irish independence.
Borders shifting back and forth under the Byzantines, Ottomans etc., Palæstina was always a province, never an independent state as far as I know, unless you go way WAY back before 700 BC to the Philistines, who lived in cities around Gaza before the Assyrian conquest.
My point: "Palestinian" is a very ambiguous term.
About Mary: it would be (geographically) accurate to say that as an inhabitant of Nazareth, Mary was Galilean; it would be (racially) accurate to say she was of the tribe of Judah and the house of David. Otherwise (politically?) she was taxed under Coele-Syria, Roman Province of Iudea, Kingdom of Herod.
"Palestinian" doesn't have to be a politically-charged word; but of course the PA and Hamas will make it so.
Yes u are correct. Even if he speaks for his flock he has a very very small number of sheep. Offices (and titles) can live on long after they’re justified in any large bureaucratic organization. Didn’t we have a bureau of tea-tasters or something in washDC until quite recently? We still have a dept of agriculture which was supposed to be a temporary expedient. The Church still has some mideval military orders, too, I think?
Historically variable traditions and doctrines of men is the "wedge". Christ is not divided.
Thank goodness we live in America, or what's left of it, and can worship at the altar of our choice!
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