Zenit News Agency - The World Seen From Rome (original) (raw)
ZENIT, April 14, 1999 - The World Seen From Rome
SPECIAL REPORT: WAR IN KOSOVO
Archbishop Tauran Reiterates Pope's Plea for Peace
"Intelligent" War Kills Defenseless People
Israeli Sephardic Jews Acknowledge Papal Mediation
DOSSIER
CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO CONTEMPORARY ATHEISM
Only "Intelligent Charity" Makes "Announcement of Gospel" Credible
VATICAN CITY, APR 14 (ZENIT).- "The announcement of the Gospel, backed up by the testimony of an intelligent charity, is the most effective way for men to see the goodness of God and to gradually come to understand his merciful face." This was the proposal John Paul II made from Saint Peter's Square today, where he met with 12,000 faithful during the general audience, and addressed the Christian response to both theoretical and practical atheism, which in this century has been experienced "in particularly devastating ways."
"The way which leads human beings to the knowledge of God the Father is Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, who comes to us by the power of the Holy Spirit." But, as the Holy Father has clarified on others occasions, "this event is true and full when it is not reduced to an intellectual acquisition, but embraces the whole human person in a vital way."
The Great Rupture
Quoting from his last encyclical, 'Fides et Ratio,' John Paul II stated that secularism has broken this relation, "with its indifference toward the ultimate questions of faith," as "it reflects a model of man totally unrelated to the transcendent dimension." Consequently, " 'practical' atheism becomes a bitter, concrete reality. Although it is true that it manifests itself especially in civilizations that are economically and technically advanced, its effects are also extended to those situations and cultures which are in the process of development."
The Pontiff recalled that the Bible does not speak of atheism but, rather, of idolatry. From the perspective of revelation, "the idolater is the one who substitutes the true God by a series of human products, falsely regarded as divine, living and operative." The Bible directs long prophetic reprehensions against the idolater and points to the knowledge of God that is revealed in creation. Therefore, according to the Old and New Testament, "to be 'atheist' means to be ignorant of the true nature of created reality; instead of seen in it the imprint of the Creator and the way that leads to him."
Absolutist Atheism
This Eastern European Pope stated that "atheism can also become a form of intolerant ideology, as history has shown." In fact, "systematic atheism imposed itself for decades, offering the illusion that by eliminating God, man would be more free psychologically and socially." According to this false concept, "religion would be a compensatory value for men. Once the picture of the terrestrial father is removed, the adult man would project onto God the existence of an enlarged father, from whom he must be free, as he would impede the process of maturing of human beings."
Freedom from Father
What is the Church's attitude in face of this ideological atheism? John Paul II answered by affirming that "the Church does not disdain the serious study of the psychological and sociological components of the religious phenomenon, but she rejects with firmness the interpretation of religiosity as a projection of the human psyche or as a result of sociological conditions."
"Genuine religious experience is not an expression of infantilism, but a mature and noble attitude of the acceptance of God, which responds to the demand to find global meaning to life and requires responsible commitment in the construction of a better society."
Scandal of Believers
The Pope himself acknowledged that, in the origin of atheism, the scandal given by Christians has made its contribution. Quoting Vatican Council II, he explained that "Christians have contributed to the emergence of atheism because of their failure to reflect adequately and at all times the face of God."
Because of this, the Christian's most convincing response to modern atheism must be "the testimony of the real face of God the Father." This testimony is none other than the announcement of the Gospel, accompanied and backed up by an "intelligent charity." In other words, Christians must show in a practical way in their own lives the unique and unrepeatable love of God for each person.
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JOHN PAUL II'S SEVERE CONDEMNATION OF USURY
An Encyclical on Correct Use of Money?
VATICAN CITY, APR 14 (ZENIT).- At the end of his traditional Wednesday morning general audience, John Paul II greeted about one thousand volunteers from Italian foundations dedicated to fighting usury. This immoral practice is widespread in the country, dominated in many fields by both the large and small Mafia. The volunteers, who denounce usurers and help others to free themselves from their tentacles, came to Saint Peter's Square to meet the Pope and to call public attention to this phenomenon which has such terrible consequences, not infrequently ending in suicide.
"I know the difficulties you face very well. But I also know that you are determined and united in combating this grave social plague. Continue your struggle against usury, giving hope to persons and families who become their victims. The Pope encourages you to continue your generous work to build a more just society in solidarity, more sensitive to the demands of those in need," the Holy Father said.
In early June of 1997, Bishop Tarcisio Bertone, secretary of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said that "it seems opportune to publish a new encyclical on the subject of usury and, on the use of money in general."
The last time a Pope made a solemn pronouncement on this topic was in 1745. On that date, Pope Benedict XIV published an encyclical ,'Vix Pervenit,' which articulated the Church's doctrine on loans as it applied to the economic reality of the time.
During his 1997 address, Bishop Bertone not only denounced the critical aspects of usury, but also "the problem of loans among States which ends up by creating the problem of international debt." For this reason, "it might be opportune if the Church were to elaborate a document on usury and the general topic of the correct use of money, and to propose it energetically both to people involved in pastoral activity as well as to those in economic endeavors," the secretary of the Congregation directed by Cardinal Ratzinger concluded.
Over the last few years, the Holy See has stepped up its commitment to find moral and concrete solutions to the problem of debt in all its aspects. The Pope's concern expressed today might indicate his desire for such an encyclical.
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POPE TO CANONIZE APOSTLE OF STREET CHILDREN
Giovanni Calabria Established Homes for Abandoned Adolescents
VATICAN CITY, APR 14 (ZENIT).- Next Sunday, John Paul II will canonize "a saint for our times." This is how the religious of the Congregation of the Poor Servants of Divine Providence describe Giovanni Calabria, their founder.
Calabria was born in Verona, Italy in 1873. No sooner ordained a priest, he dedicated himself to the poor and the suffering. His concern for abandoned adolescents led him to create a home for them in 1907. Soon after, additional homes were established in different parts of Italy.
Repeatedly witnessing the suffering caused by the social plagues of our times, Father Calabria believed that the only remedy was to announce to the world that God is Father.
This was the driving force behind his decision to found the religious Congregation of the Poor Servants of Divine Providence, with branches for both men and women.
"Be living Gospels," he used to say to his religious and to the youth for whom he created the homes. He also asked them to help everyone they met to experience the love of God and to show with deeds, that God acts in history.
Givanni Calabria died in San Zeno, near Verona, on December 4, 1954. He was beatified by John Paul II on April 17, 1988. At present, the religious congregations he founded are in Italy, several countries of Latin America, Africa, the Philippines, India and Rumania. They have about 100 Sisters and some 250 men religious. In Rome, they operate a soup kitchen for the poor where 150 meals are served daily. They also run a vocational orientation center and a day-service for the mentally ill.
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JOHN PAUL II RECEIVES MEMBERS OF PAPAL FOUNDATION
Expresses Gratitude for Aid to Church in Poor Countries
VATICAN CITY, APR 14 (ZENIT).- Yesterday John Paul II expressed his gratitude to members of the "Papal Foundation," an American institution whose objective is to contribute economically to the apostolic ministry of Peter's Successor, and to the needs of the Church in the world. In an emotional and spontaneous meeting, the Pope received some of the members of the Foundation, who took the opportunity to give the Holy Father their annual donation.
In his message to the group, the Pope acknowledged that "in the years since its establishment, the Papal Foundation has demonstrated a particular concern for the needs of the Church in developing countries. I deeply appreciate this commitment of effective solidarity with our brothers and sisters throughout the world, who look in hope to the Church's witness to the Gospel and her efforts to promote justice, reconciliation and fraternal cooperation among the members of the human family."
On the eve of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, the Pope invited the members of the Foundation to "continue to work and pray that the Church will become ever more fully, in the lives of her members, the sign and instrument of the unity of the entire human family and its saving union with God."
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FEATURE FOCUS: KEVORKIAN TRIAL
"WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT ASSISTED SUICIDE"
Must Serve Almost 7 Years Before Eligible for Parole
PONTIAC, APR 14 (ZENIT).- Finally, after 4 previous trials for assisted-suicide resulted in 3 acquittals and one mistrial, Jack Kevorkian, popularly known as "Doctor Death," was convicted of two formal criminal charges with a sentence of 10 to 25 years in a state prison.
In a courthouse packed with both people and emotions, Oakland County Circuit Judge Jessica Cooper reiterated that, under the laws of the state of Michigan, what Kevorkian did is a punishable offense. "We are not talking about assisted suicide here. When you purposely inject another human being with what you know to be a lethal dosage of poison, that, sir, is murder...," she said.
Before the sentencing, the defense had hoped to obtain a suspended sentence, arguing among other things, the advanced age of Kevorkian who will be 71 in May. With this in mind, members of Thomas Youk's family, including his wife and younger brother, who were barred from testifying during the trial itself, gave a compassionate plea for leniency on behalf of the man who, according to their words, simply helped their husband and brother reach his final moment.
Nevertheless, Judge Cooper made it clear that the attenuating circumstances of death were irrelevant and that the existing laws must be applied without distinction of persons. "We are a nation of laws...," she insisted. "You can criticize the law, write or lecture about the law, you can speak to the media or petition the voters, but you must always stay within the limits provided by the law. You may not break the law or take the law into your own hands."
During the same session, Kevorkian also received a sentence of 3 to 7 years for the charge of delivery of the controlled substance secobarbitol which was part of the solution used in the fatal injection delivered to end the life of Thomas Youk.
Mixed Reactions
Many representatives of the right-to-die movement distanced themselves from Kevorkian, claiming he was an "extremist," well-intentioned but often too bold or reckless in his tactics to promote assisted-suicide.
On the other end of the spectrum, those defending the disabled, the suffering and the dying, praised the courage of Judge Cooper to stand up to this challenge to the legal system. State Senator William Van Regenmorter, who introduced the Michigan law banning assisted suicide commented: "At a time when many of us wonder if part of the justice system is broken, this helps restore faith in that system."
Teresa Wagner, Legal Analyst for the Washington-based Family Research Council remarked that "finally, the relentless Kevorkian killing campaign will cease," and added, "The American public clearly rejects killing as a way of solving medical problems." "In fact, the most lopsided vote ever recorded on the question of assisted suicide occurred right in Michigan just last fall with the defeat of Proposal B by 71% to 29%. With Dr. Kevorkian's conviction, the citizens of Michigan have again reassured the nation of their sound judgment in rejecting killing as a response to disease or disability," she said.
Both the Archdiocese of Detroit and the American Medical Association also approved of the sentence as a sign that people are no longer willing to "look the other way" while doctors take life into their own hands.
After the sentencing, Kevorkian was taken to the Oakland County Jail, and then transferred to the Southern Michigan Prison in Jackson where he will spend several weeks of evaluation before being assigned a permanent cell.
Under current Michigan law, the retired pathologist, who has publicly admitted helping more than 130 people die since 1990, must serve at least two-thirds of his sentence, or 6 years and 8 months, before becoming eligible for parole.
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"YOU INVITED YOURSELF TO THE WRONG FORUM"
Judge Jessica Cooper Gives Kevorkian A Lesson In Law And Life
PONTIAC, APR 14 (ZENIT).- Before handing down the official sentence of 10-25 years in prison to Dr. Jack Kevorkian for second-degree murder, Oakland County Circuit Judge Jessica Cooper seized the moment to reprimand his actions and defend the force of law. Her words speak for themselves.
"This is a court of law and you said you invited yourself here to take a final stand. But this trial was not an opportunity for a referendum.
The law prohibiting euthanasia was specifically reviewed and clarified by the Michigan Supreme Court several years ago in a decision involving your very own cases, sir.
So the charge here should come as no surprise to you. You invited yourself to the wrong forum. And we are a nation of laws and we are a nation that tolerates differences of opinion because we have a civilized and nonviolent way of resolving our conflicts.
That way is the law and adherence to the laws. And we have the means and methods to protest the law with which we disagree. You can criticize the law, write or lecture about the law, you can speak to the media or petition the voters, but you must always stay within the limits provided by the law. You may not break the law or take the law into your own hands.
In point of fact, the issue of assisted suicide was addressed in this state by referendum just last November, and while the proponents of that [law] were out campaigning, you were with Thomas Youk. And the voters of the state of Michigan said no, they said no 2 1/2 to 1.
But we are not talking about assisted suicide here. When you purposely inject another human being with what you know to be a lethal dosage of poison, that, sir, is murder, and the jury so found.
Now you vilified the jury and the justice system in this case. But every member of that jury had compassion and empathy for Thomas Youk. They had higher duty, a duty that went beyond personal sympathy and emotion. They took an oath to follow the law, not to nullify it, and I am bound by a very similar oath, sir.
No one is unmindful of the controversy and emotion that exists over end-of-life issues and pain control. And I assume that the debate will continue in a calm and reasoned forum long after this trial and your activities have faded from public memory.
But this trial is not about that controversy. The trial was about you, sir. It was about you and the legal system. You had ignored and challenged the Legislature and Supreme Court.
And moreover, you have defied your own profession. You stood before this jury and spoke of your duty as a physician. You repeatedly speak of treating patients to relieve their pain and their suffering, but you don't have a license to practice medicine. The State of Michigan told you eight years ago that you may not practice medicine; you may not treat patients; possess, let alone administer or inject drugs into another human being.
Now there are several valid considerations in sentencing, and one of them is rehabilitation. But based upon the fact that you've publicly and repeatedly announced your intentions to disregard the laws of this state, I question whether you will ever cease and desist.
The fact that your attorney, in the pre-sentence investigation, says that you are out of business from this point forward doesn't negate your past statements.
Now, another consideration, and perhaps even a stronger factor in sentencing, is deterrence.
This trial was not about political or moral correctness of euthanasia, it was all about you, sir. It was about lawlessness. It was about disrespect for a society that exists and flourishes because of the strength of its legal system. No one, sir, is above the law.
So let's talk just a little bit more about you specifically. You were on bond to another judge when you committed this offense; you were not licensed to practice medicine when you committed the offense. And you had the audacity to go on national television, show the world what you did, and dare the legal system to stop you. Well sir, consider yourself stopped.
Staying within the presumptively valid guidelines promulgated by the Supreme Court of this state, and considering the circumstances of this case, it will be the sentence of this court that you spend from 10 to 25 years with the Michigan Department of Corrections."
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WAR IN KOSOVO
ARCHBISHOP TAURAN: "IT IS NEVER TOO LATE FOR PEACE"
Pope Renews Plea to Reject Hatred That Leads to War
VATICAN CITY, APR 14 (ZENIT).- "It is never too late for peace." This is, in essence, the diplomatic posture of the Vatican, represented by Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, the Holy See's Secretary for Relations with States . The Archbishop expressed his views during an interview with the Italian magazine 'Famiglia Cristiana', and reiterated the Holy Father's proposal to open a "humanitarian corridor" in the region of Kosovo, which would allow aid to be given to people affected by the war.
Vatican diplomacy, he maintained, reaffirmed the need to find solutions other than those being implemented at present -- bombing and destruction. This was the reason the Archbishop met with Yugoslav president Slovodan Milosevic on Holy Thursday. The Vatican has maintained a consistent line of diplomacy throughout the conflict: to find every possible means to dialogue. "The Holy See has always promoted the idea that political problems be resolved by dialogue, respecting history and law, and aware of the humanitarian dimension, which does not allow any state to violate human rights using the pretext of national sovereignty."
The above statements reflect "an important evolution in international law over the last few years." But Vatican concern is increasing because of the human casualties and material damages this war is inflicting. It is necessary to weigh "between the evil being combated and the consequences of the remedy being applied," Archbishop Tauran said.
The problem should be resolved in Europe, taking recourse to the European judicial patrimony which is based on "democracy, the respect of human rights and the free movement of persons and goods."
After referring to the vast movement of solidarity that the conflict has awakened, which includes several Vatican organisms, Archbishop Tauran concluded on a note of hope. "Europe cannot end this second millennium devastated" but, on the contrary, "the sentiments of humanity, respect for international law and peace for all must prevail. We will never be able to be happy without one another and, less so, by being against each other."
Pope's Renewed Plea
Addressing the Spanish faithful who were present at this morning's general audience in Saint Peter's Square, John Paul II prayed "that God the Father, by showing us his mercy, will help us to feel like brothers toward one another, in an effort to find peace and to reject hatred and the divisions which can lead to all kinds of war."
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"INTELLIGENT" WAR KILLS DEFENSELESS PEOPLE
L'Osservatore Romano: "Every War Is an Insult to Intelligence"
VATICAN CITY, APR 14 (ZENIT).- In its April 14 Italian edition, the Holy See's paper L'Osservatore Romano synthesizes the drama of the conflict between Serbia and NATO, in capitalized words on the front page: "'Intelligent' war kills defenseless people."
The paper makes reference to NATO's "errors" which has caused the death of many innocent civilians. The allies explain that in war such things happen; they forget, however, that when they began the attacks they said it was not a war but an operation of peace.
"Every war is an insult to intelligence and conscience which are aware of human dignity. Bombs can never be intelligent when they kill defenseless people. Rather, what is really intelligent -- as the Holy Father has pointed out -- is to allow peoples to live in harmony in their own lands, to silence the arms and to renew dialogue."
The first page of L'Osservatore Romano has a picture of the train which was destroyed by a NATO bomb on the Grdelicka bridge, and the face of a little boy in tears.
"The conflict which is devastating Yugoslavia, and which has spread to Albania, and threatens to extend even further, is simply confirming that, as has happened in all the wars this century, the main victims and the most numerous are the unfortunate civilian populations," the Vatican paper explains.
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ISRAELI SEPHARDIC JEWS ACKNOWLEDGE PAPAL MEDIATION
Letter of Former Grand Rabbi Ovadia Josef to John Paul II for End to War
JERUSALEM, APR 14 (ZENIT).- Ample scope of action is left for the spiritual and religious leaders of the world when the politicians fail. This is the implicit message in a personal letter written by former Israeli grand Rabbi Ovadia Josef to John Paul II. The Rabbi acknowledged the Pope's moral and spiritual leadership in favor of peace and wrote him in the hope that together they might find a peaceful solution to the war. Rabbi Josef is the spiritual leader of the Sephardic community living in the country; their political presence in Israel is reflected by representatives holding ten seats in the Israeli parliament.
This is the first time that a religious and political figure of high profile in Israel addresses a Pontiff in the hope that they might work together to further the cause of peace. According to the leader of the Shas confessional party, of which Rabbi Josef is spiritual leader, the letter was motivated because the Rabbi is unable to sleep at night, given the magnitude of the ongoing human tragedy.
The Rabbi told journalists that he took the initiative because "everyone in Israel is overwhelmed by the massacre of the innocents" which results in "great suffering" and because he is aware of the spiritual power that John Paul II commands "which might help to put an end to the tragedy."
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