Cardinal launches journal for Christians in the Islamic world , Venice, Jul. 19 (CWNews.com)

Venice, Jul. 19 (CWNews.com) - Cardinal Angelo Scola of Venice has launched a new journal, Oasis , to focus on scholarly ties between Western Christians and the lands of the East, particularly the Arabic world.

Oasis is to be published by the Studium General Marcianum, a new university also founded by the Patriarch of Venice to serve Christians living in the Islamic world. Speaking to the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, Cardinal Sodano said that the new publication could provide "a common ground for meeting" between Christians living in Europe and those of the East. "A bishop living in a country where no sign of Christianity can be expressed" might find that the magazine affords him "support and help," he said. "He could write a note, and it could be read in Kerala or in Lyon," he said.

Since his appointment in 2002 as Patriarch of Venice, Cardinal Scola has devoted himself to reviving that city's traditional reputation as a gateway to the Islamic world. He said that Oasis would promote "ties of understanding and friendship with the Muslim world."

Oasis will be published in three bilingual editions: Italian/Arabic, French/Arabic, and English/Arabic. It will be distributed in Europe, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa. Among the noted Church leaders who have lent their support to the new editorial venture are Cardinal Christoph Schönborn (bio - news) of Vienna and Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, prefect of the Congregation for Evangelization.

Vatican sees "weighty sentence" against Israeli wall , Vatican, Jul. 12 (CWNews.com)

Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls has told reporters that the International Court's condemnation of Israel's West Bank security wallis a "weighty sentence".

But Catholic World News reports that he conceded that the court's verdict leaves the future open.

The court said on Friday that it is against international law for Israel to build its barrier in the occupied territories and that it should be dismantled.

"Now we must see what governments do," observed the papal spokesman.

Following the International Court's ruling that Israel should cease construction of the wall, because the structure violated the rights of the Palestinian residents, the UN is expected to take up deliberation on the issue. The Israeli government has announced that it will not accept the court's judgment.

Meanwhile US churches have appealed to their government to support the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion on Israel's separation barrier. For nearly a year, the US churches that work together through Churches for Middle East Peace have advocated for the United States government's intervention to stop Israel's building of the barrier beyond the 1967 "green line" on occupied land in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem.

Franciscan Sr Florence Deacon, director of Franciscans International (an NGO at the United Nations in New York), noted that Franciscans have had custody of Christianity's traditional Holy Land shrines for 800 years. She appreciated the Court's emphasis on the role of the United Nations in negotiating a just and lasting peace in that land sacred to all the children of Abraham.

She said: "For the past 50 years, the United States has been a trusted friend of the state of Israel while also caring about the Palestinian people's welfare, and more recently their political rights. Our government needs to use these historic ties to push both sides toward serious negotiations without further delay."

Pictured: Palestinian Catholic Ghassan Handal stands at the Israeli security barrier behind his family home in Bethlehem. Handal told Catholic News Service that the newly constructed wall took his family's land. The barrier was condemned by the International Court of Justice July 9. Father Shawki Baterian, an official with the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, welcomed the court's non-binding ruling, saying that the fence was "increasing hatred between Israelis and Palestinians." (CNS photo by Debbie Hill)

Vatican sees "weighty sentence" against Israeli wall , Vatican, Jul. 12 (CWNews.com)

Vatican, Jul. 12 (CWNews.com) - The condemnation of Israel's security wall on the West Bank, by the International Court at The Hague, is a "weighty sentence," Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls told reporters on July 11.

But the papal spokesman conceded that the court's verdict leaves the future open. "Now we must see what governments do," he observed.

Following the International Court's ruling that Israel should cease construction of the wall, because the structure violated the rights of the Palestinian residents, the UN is expected to take up deliberation on the issue. The Israeli government has announced that it will not accept the court's judgment.

RULING AGAINST ISRAELI BARRIER "WEIGHTY," SAYS VATICAN AIDE, Zenit.org, 11 July, 2004, LES COMBES, Italy

LES COMBES, Italy, JULY 11, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Vatican spokesman Joaquín Navarro Valls says the ruling of the International Court of Justice against Israel's construction of a security barrier is "weighty."

The world court, headquartered at The Hague, ruled Friday that the Israeli-built barrier, which extends to parts of the West Bank, must be demolished.

At a meeting with journalists today in Les Combes, the Alpine village where John Paul II is vacationing, the spokesman said it was a "weighty ruling, as it was requested by the United Nations."

The director of the Vatican press office sidestepped questions about the Holy See and the Pope's opinions on the ruling, but said: "Now we'll see what the governments do."

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Vatican disappointed by negotiations with Israel, Catholic News 9 July, 2004

Vatican officials were reportedly disappointed with the outcome of recent negotiations with Israel on the implementation of parts of a 1993 treaty.

Catholic News Service quotes a "well informed source" who is puzzled by the apparent lack of progress.

"When the delegation of the Holy See came to the table, the delegation of Israel claimed to have no mandate to negotiate on any of the outstanding matters. This is why (the talks) haven't advanced. ... It is a mystery," said the SOURCE.

Topics discussed at Monday's meeting included the church's tax status and legal disputes over holy sites, the source said. Last August, Israel withdrew from the negotiations without explanation, said the source. In May, Israel indicated that it was prepared to resume talks.

The December 1993 "Fundamental Agreement Between the Holy See and the State of Israel" established full diplomatic relations between the Vatican and Israel. It outlined principles of religious freedom and church-state relations, leaving the more difficult issues -- such as the church's tax status and property holdings -- to subsequent joint commissions. The church has charged that several of these issues have yet to be resolved.

However the Rome-based AsiaNews agency, which has been closely following the issue, remains optimistic that negotiations between Israel and the Vatican will reach a positive conclusion “by the end of 2004". It said Monday's talks were not productive “because it was still too early”.

SOURCE
Vatican disappointed by negotiations with Israel, source says (Catholic News Service 7/7/04)
By 2004, full relations between Israel and Vatican: ambassador gives his word (AsiaNews 8/7/04)

Israeli envoy promises accord with Vatican, AsiaNews 8 July, 2004, Rome

Jul. 08 (AsiaNews) - Israel's ambassador to the Holy See has categorically promised that his country will wrap up negotiations with the Vatican, completing the process of establishing formal diplomatic relations, by the end of this year or early 2005.

Despite delays in the negotiations, which have caused evident frustration among Vatican officials, Ambassador Oded Ben Hur told the AsiaNews service that his government is "absolutely determined to conclude the accords by the end of the year."

In an exclusive interview with AsiaNews, Ben Hur it was "still too early" to conduct negotiations on July 5, when representatives of both sides sat down in Jerusalem for a heavily anticipated resumption of talks-- only to adjourn after 3 hours, setting a new date for talks in September. But he insisted that his government was poised to move foward promptly to fulfill its obligations under the "fundamental accord" signed with the Holy See in 1994.

[The full text of the Israeli ambassador's interview is available on the AsiaNews web site.]

By 2004, full relations between Israel and Vatican: ambassador gives his word by Bernardo Cervellera, AsiaNews 8 July, 2004, Rome

In an exclusive interview with AsiaNews, His Excellency Oded Ben Hur explains the reasons for his optimism

Rome (AsiaNews) - Negotiations between Israel and the Vatican will reach a positive conclusion “by the end of 2004"; talks that took place July 5 in Jerusalem were not productive “because it was still too early”, as explained by the Israeli Ambassador to the Holy See, Mr. Oded Ben Hur, in an interview with AsiaNews. He says he is “profoundly optimistic” about the process: “Technical difficulties exist, as do resistances, but we hope the accords will be concluded by the end of 2004, at the most in early 2005". Ambassador Ben Hur’s optimism is based on a particular certainty: “that the government [lead by Sharon, Editor’s note] is absolutely determined to conclude the accords by the end of the year”.

The Fundamental Agreement between the Holy See and Israel, signed 10 years ago, was to lead to series of concordats that were to ensure the rights and freedom of the Church in Israeli territory. In all these years, however, Israel omitted to enact the Fundamental Agreement under state law.

On August 2003, without explanation, Israel withdrew its delegation entirely from negotiations when the two parties were working on provisions protecting Church properties and tax exemptions.

On July 5, negotiations began again, but the meeting, after only 3 hours, was adjourned to the beginning of September. Various observers complained that, after a year’s wait, the meeting ended without producing any results. Ambassador Ben Hur specifies that “the meeting of July 5 should not be judged negatively. That date was part of the protocol and showed that relations are going ahead after last year’s stall.”

Ecclesiastical sources had told AsiaNews that the meeting was to be “a fully-fledged negotiation and not a pro forma meeting”. Ambassador Ben Hur remains nevertheless optimistic: “There is no doubt that, with the next appointment of September 5th, there will be much more substance on the table. The July 5th meeting produced nothing because it was still too early. It was only last May that we revived Israeli/Holy See relations.

Beh Hur explains that last May he brought together various Vatican and Israeli figures to convince them to continue discussions. Among those invited were representatives of the Foreign and Finance Ministries, along with Avigdor Itzhaki and Illan Cohen, respectively Sharon’s out-going and in-coming chief of staff. “The difference between last August [2003, when negotiations stalled, Editor’s note] and now is the involvement of the Sharon government. To have contributed to bringing about this more direct involvement is a source of satisfaction for me”. Pressure from the United States was indeed a factor behind the July 5th meeting, which he defines as “an occasion to break the ice”, adding that “however, of importance was also all the work carried out behind the scenes carried out by Israeli and Vatican figures together with me.”

The Israeli diplomat says that the process must be viewed with “great patience”. And he justifies the slow pace of work in these past months: difficulties in finding legal terms; the need to review traditional laws and modernize them, to find ways to “enhance relations with the Catholic community”, without diminishing “caution toward the various religions in Jerusalem”. In any case, Ben Hur affirms that “the representatives of various Ministries have done enough preparatory work by now on legal infrastructure,” thanks to which “the accord will not only be ratified, but implemented.”

Yet there are even deeper roots to the reasons for such a slow pace. According to Ambassador Ben Hur, in these past years, Israel had given little value to these accords with the Vatican, explaining that he has been seeking for some time “a greater appreciation for the importance of Israel/Vatican relations. In Israel, people do not realize how things are, they think that relations exist and take them for granted. Instead, we cannot ignore the Catholic world which makes up at least one fifth of humanity. On the other hand, it gets difficult to draw the Israeli government’s attention when there are daily conflicts, the fight against terrorism, relations with the United States and Europe, economic problems. Israel is a small state and we do not have a lot of personnel to assign to such studies.”

As proof of the Israeli governments interest toward Christians, Ambassador Ben Hur recalls that last February, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon launched a full study on the importance of Christians and on relations between Israel and the Christian world, creating a committee which consists of academic and political figures. “It is a gradual process,” Ben Hur says, “this decision was perhaps not appreciated by all Israeli, but it is going forward. I’m counting on a bit of patience in limiting criticism and being more open and positive.

ISRAELI ENVOY TO HOLY SEE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT TALKS Exclusive Interview With AsiaNews, Zenit.org, 8 July, 2004, Rome

ROME, JULY 8, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Israel's ambassador to the Holy See says negotiations over the 1993 Fundamental Agreement will reach a positive conclusion "by the end of 2004."

Ambassador Oded Ben-Hur, in an interview with AsiaNews, said that the talks that took place Monday in Jerusalem were not productive "because it was still too early."

Yet, the ambassador said he is "profoundly optimistic" about the process.

"Technical difficulties exist, as do resistances, but we hope the accords will be concluded by the end of 2004, at the latest in early 2005," he said.

Ben-Hur's optimism is based on his belief that the Israeli "government is absolutely determined to conclude the accords by the end of the year."

Last August, without explanation, Israel withdrew its delegation from negotiations when the two parties were working on provisions protecting Church properties and tax exemptions.

On Monday, negotiations began again, but after only three hours, the meeting was adjourned until September.

"The meeting of July 5 should not be judged negatively," Ambassador Ben-Hur said. "That date was part of the protocol and showed that relations are going ahead after last year's stall."

Church sources had told AsiaNews that the meeting was to be "a fully fledged negotiation and not a pro forma meeting."

Ben-Hur explained that last May he brought together various Vatican and Israeli figures to convince them to continue discussions. Among those invited were representatives of the Foreign and Finance Ministries, along with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's outgoing and incoming chiefs of staff.

"The difference between last August and now is the involvement of the Sharon government," the ambassador said. "To have contributed to bringing about this more direct involvement is a source of satisfaction for me."

Pressure from the United States was a factor behind Monday's meeting, which Ben-Hur defined as "an occasion to break the ice."

The Israeli diplomat says that the process must be viewed with "great patience."

He cited reasons for the slow pace of work in these past months: difficulties in finding legal terms; the need to review traditional laws and modernize them; and the need to find ways to "enhance relations with the Catholic community" without diminishing "caution toward the various religions in Jerusalem."

In any case, Ben-Hur affirms that "the representatives of various Ministries have done enough preparatory work by now on legal infrastructure," thanks to which "the accord will not only be ratified, but implemented."

Yet, there are even deeper roots to the reasons for such a slow pace, according to the ambassador.

In these past years, he said, Israel had given little value to these accords with the Vatican.

"In Israel, people do not realize how things are, they think that relations exist and take them for granted," Ben-Hur said. "Instead, we cannot ignore the Catholic world which makes up at least one-fifth of humanity.

"On the other hand, it gets difficult to draw the Israeli government's attention when there are daily conflicts, the fight against terrorism, relations with the United States and Europe, economic problems. Israel is a small state and we do not have a lot of personnel to assign to such studies."

As proof of the Israeli government's interest towards Christians, the ambassador recalled that last February, Prime Minister Sharon launched a full study on the importance of Christians and on relations between Israel and the Christian world, establishing a committee which consists of academic and political figures.

"It is a gradual process," Ben-Hur said. "This decision was perhaps not appreciated by all Israeli, but it is going forward. I'm counting on a bit of patience in limiting criticism and being more open and positive."

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Church representative impatient on talks with Israel, CWNews.com, 7 July, 2004, Jerusalem

Jerusalem, Jul. 07 (CWNews.com) - The spokesman for the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land has said that he is pleased with the resumption of talks between the Church and the government of Israel, but expressed some impatience with the negotiating process.

On July 5, Israeli leaders met with Church officials in Jerusalem, to resume talks that had broken off last August. The negotiations are designed to produce an agreement on economic affairs that touch on the work of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land. Such an agreement was envisioned in the "fundamental accord" that led to the opening of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Israeli government, 10 years ago.

Father David Jaeger, the Franciscan spokesman, told Vatican Radio that the first meetings were "cordial." But he hinted that Israeli representatives at the talks may not have the authority necessary to reach an agreement.

"When you negotiate with a government, it's better if the delegation has the necessary powers," Father Jaeger said. "As long as the government delegation doesn't have the power needed to conclude an agreement, the negotiations aren’t going to move forward."

The Israeli delegation at the talks is led by Gadi Golan, who heads the religious-affairs section of the Israeli foreign ministry. Msgr. Gianfranco Gallone, the secretary at the apostolic nunciature in Jerusalem, heads the Church delegation. The negotiations involve three key issues: the tax status of Church properties, the restoration of properties that have been expropriated in past years, and the state's role in support of Catholic charitable and educational ventures. When the "fundamental accord" was signed in 1994, the Israeli government pledged to settle these issues promptly, Father Jaeger said. But he added, "It has already been 10 years." Oded Ben-Hur, the Israeli ambassador to the Holy See, has promised that the negotiations will move quickly toward an agreement. "There is already a complete understanding between the two parties" on the major issues, he told reporters in June. The Vatican Secretariat of State responded with a more cautious statement: "We hope that the actions will match the promises."

TALKS RESUMED BETWEEN HOLY SEE AND ISRAEL, Negotiations Over 1993 Agreement to Continue, Zenit.org, 6 July, 2004, Jerusalem

JERUSALEM, JULY 6, 2004 (Zenit.org).- After almost a year hiatus, talks resumed between Israel and the Holy See on implementing the Fundamental Agreement that regulates their relations.

The Vatican delegation to Monday's meeting was headed by Monsignor Gianfranco Gallone, secretary of the apostolic nunciature in Israel, and the Israeli delegation by Gadi Golan, head of the Religious Affairs Department of the Foreign Ministry.

The Fundamental Agreement, signed by both sides in December 1993, was a milestone, initiating stable diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the state of Israel.

Last August, Israel withdrew its delegation from the negotiations taking place at the time to come to a final agreement on certain points.

Father David Jaeger, spokesman of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, and consultant of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts, told Vatican Radio that the meeting took place in "a very cordial atmosphere."

Yet, the Vatican wants the Israeli delegation to "have the necessary powers to negotiate, otherwise no negotiation will be able to make progress," Father Jaeger added.

According to the priest, the negotiations are concerned with three fundamental points.

"The first," he said, "is the Church's tax status -- rights and duties in regard to taxes; in particular, the consolidation of the exemptions that the Church has always had under all the preceding states and in virtue of international treaties."

The second concerns the restitution "of some ecclesiastical properties expropriated or lost over the years."

The third point is "the state's participation in the support of the social and educational endeavors of the Church, which it does not carry out for itself, but for the local population."

The negotiations will continue Sept. 6-9, Father Jaeger said. The Franciscan said he hopes that by that date "both delegations will have the powers to negotiate."

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ASSISI PEACE PRIZE AWARDED TO 2 WHO PROMOTE PEACE THROUGH EDUCATION, One Is Israeli, the Other Palestinian, Zenit.org, 6 July, 2004, Jerusalem

ASSISI, Italy, JULY 6, 2004 (Zenit.org).- The 2004 Assisi Peace Prize was awarded to two women -- an Israeli and a Palestinian -- whose friendship is a symbol of the longed-for peace in the Holy Land.

Angelica Edna Calo Livne, Israeli educator and journalist, and Samar Sahar, Palestinian director of an orphanage, are also among the candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Sahar, a Christian, was born in East Jerusalem and studied management at the University of Bethlehem and in England. In 1995 she participated in the Columbus International Program with a group of Palestinians on a peace mission to Ohio.

She has received several awards for her contribution to the dialogue between the two peoples and has dedicated her life to work with children, following in her parents' footsteps. They founded the Jeel-Al-Amal Home of Bethany, which is the most important institution of assistance to children in Palestine.

Sahar also founded the Lazarus Home for Girls, to help orphan girls and women in difficulty, and a "bread oven" in Bethany to enable Israeli and Palestinian women to work together baking the "bread of peace."

Father Vicenzo Coli, Custodian of St. Francis' Basilica, awarded the prize.

Calo Livne, born to a Jewish family in Rome in 1955, has been living in an Israeli kibbutz, on the border with Lebanon, since she was 20. Married and the mother of four sons, for years she has been a teacher in multicultural schools, and in schools for difficult boys. She has also taught at the college level and has worked on programs that enable the elderly to recount their life experiences to young people.

She describes herself as an "educator of peace through art." To this end, in 2002 she created the Rainbow Theater, made up of young Jews and Arabs -- Christians, Muslims and Druses -- who with mime and dance narrate what goes on in the mind of an adolescent living in a country at war.

Calo Livne told ZENIT about the case of a girl who on one occasion "began crying out a disturbing monologue in which she recounted her experience during the last 'holidays' in Mombassa, Kenya, with her parents and little brothers when the wonderful hotel in which they were staying was turned into a scene of death and horror after an attack against Israeli citizens."

To illustrate her work, Calo Livne quoted a letter written by 21-year-old Nemi: "Four of my best friends have died in an attack. When I heard about it, I didn't want to take part in the show. I no longer believed in anything. I did not feel like doing anything. But I had to react. We must continue to believe in something. We cannot stop dreaming."

Sharif Balut, a 21-year-old Christian Arab, wrote: "I come to the Rainbow Theater because I believe in peace. Because I believe that we will be able to live together, because we are different and through my friends I know new worlds. I look forward to this meeting all week because it enlarges my heart. To dance, laugh, joke and recite with them makes me happy!"

US pressure helped re-start Vatican-Israel talks , AsiaNews 5 July, 2004, Jerusalem

Jerusalem, Jul. 05 (AsiaNews) - US diplomacy played a key role in the resumption of talks between the Holy See and Israel, according to a report from the AsiaNews service.

Vatican representatives met with Israeli government officials on July 5 to resume talks aimed at completing the accord that opened full diplomatic relations between Israel and the Holy See. Despite the exchange of ambassadors 10 years ago, the two parties have not yet reached agreement on the tax status of Church properties in Israel, or government funding for Catholic charitable agencies.

Diplomatic discussions between the Vatican and Israel broke down last August, when Israeli representatives walked out of talks. In March of this year, AsiaNews reports, US Congressman Henry Hyde led an effort to prod Israel back to the negotiating table.

Thanks to the US, Negotiations with the Holy See Are Back on Track, AsiaNews 4 July, 2004, Jerusalem

Jerusalem (AsiaNews) – The Church in Israel is waiting for the expected announcement that negotiations between the Holy See and the State of Israel are back on track. The Vatican and Israeli delegations will meet at 9 a.m. on Monday, July 5.

Israel had left the table of negotiations on August 28, last year. According to the local press, the Israeli government is now ready to renew talks at the direct urging of the Bush administration and influent Catholic members of the US Congress who insist that Israel respect the commitments it made in the past. On the table is a comprehensive agreement that would resolve all pending questions between the Catholic Church and the Jewish state such as the question of tax exemption status, restitution of Church properties and state funding of social welfare services provided by the Church to Israelis.

The Fundamental Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Israel was signed ten years ago. In being a party to it, the Holy See accepted Israel’s demand for the establishment of full diplomatic relations. Under the terms of the agreement a series of additional accords were supposed to be reached insuring the Church its rights and privileges in Israel. However, Israel has not passed any law fulfilling its obligations under the terms of the Agreement. On August 28, 2003, Israel withdrew from the negotiations without any explanations at a time when the two parties were working on provisions protecting Church properties and on tax exemptions.

The US played a crucial role in urging the Holy See to establish diplomatic relations with the State of Israel. Now, it is playing a similar role in urging Israel to restart negotiations with the Vatican.

On March 23 of this year, the chairman of the House International Relations Committee, Congressman Henry Hyde, a devout Catholic and one of the most influential leaders of the Republican party (which controls both houses of Congress as well as the White House) officially wrote to Secretary of State Colin Powell asking that the US urge Israel come back to the negotiating table. This step was also backed by both Jewish American and Catholic American groups.