Vatican City, Nov 30, 2017 / 05:44 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis arrived in Bangladesh with words of praise for the humanitarian assistance the nation has given to Rohingya Muslim refugees, and urged greater action on their behalf from the international community.
Speaking to Bangladeshi president Abdul Harmid and the nation’s authorities and diplomatic corps, the Pope said that in recent months “the spirit of generosity and solidarity” the country is known for “has been seen most vividly in its humanitarian outreach to a massive influx of refugees from Rakhine State.”
He noted how Bangladesh “at no little sacrifice” has provided shelter and basic necessities for the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims at their border.
With the eyes of the world watching the crisis unfold, no one “can fail to be aware of the gravity of the situation, the immense toll of human suffering involved, and the precarious living conditions of so many of our brothers and sisters, a majority of whom are women and children, crowded in the refugee camps,” he said.
It is therefore “imperative” that the international community “take decisive measures to address this grave crisis.”
Resolution, he said, means not only working to resolve the political problems that led to the mass displacement of people in recent months, “but also by offering immediate material assistance to Bangladesh in its effort to respond effectively to urgent human needs.”
Pope Francis spoke hours after arriving in Dhaka, Bangladesh, for the second phase of his Nov. 27-Dec. 2 tour of Asia. He was in Burma Nov. 27-30, and will stay in Bangladesh for two days before returning to Rome.
His visit comes amid boiling tensions over the mass exodus of the Rohingya, a largely Muslim ethnic group who reside in Burma’s Rakhine State, from their homeland amid increasing state-sponsored violence that has led the United Nations to declare the crisis “a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.”
With an increase in persecution in their home country of Burma more than 600,000 Rohingya have fled across the border to Bangladesh, where millions are in refugee camps.
Though the Vatican has said the crisis was not the original reason behind the Pope’s visit to the two nations, it has largely overshadowed the trip, with many keeping a watchful eye on how the Pope would respond, specifically when it comes to use of the term “Rohingya.”
Despite widespread use of the word in the international community, it is controversial within Burma. The Burmese government refuses to use the term, and considers the Rohingya to be illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. At the request of local Church leaders in Burma, Pope Francis refrained from using the word, and he has also done so in Bangladesh.
In his speech to authorities, the Pope praised the natural beauty in Bangladesh, which is seen in its vast network of rivers and waterways, saying the vision is symbolic of the nation’s identity as a people made up of various languages and backgrounds.
Pope Francis then pointed to the nation’s first leaders, whom he said “envisioned a modern, pluralistic and inclusive society in which every person and community could live in freedom, peace and security, with respect for the innate dignity and equal rights of all.”
Bangladesh gained independence from West Pakistan in 1971 after a bloody nine-month war that began when Pakistani military attacked their eastern state in a bid to eliminate Bengali nationalists from the region. West Pakistan began their assault in March 1971, and surrendered in December of the same year, resulting in the independence of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
The future of democracy in the young nation and the health of its political life, then, are “essentially linked” to fidelity to the original vision of the founding fathers, Pope Francis said.
“Only through sincere dialogue and respect for legitimate diversity can a people reconcile divisions, overcome unilateral perspectives, and recognize the validity of differing viewpoints,” Francis said, adding that true dialogue looks to the future and builds unity in the service of the common good.
This dialogue, he said, is also concerned for the needs of “all citizens, especially the poor, the underprivileged and those who have no voice.”
These words are especially relevant for Bangladesh, which is among the most populated countries in the world, but is also one of the poorest, with nearly 30 percent of the population living under the poverty line.
Francis said that while he came primarily to support the tiny Catholic community in the country, he is looking forward to meeting with interreligious leaders, as he did in Burma.
Interfaith dialogue has been a major theme of the Pope’s visit, as Burma is a majority Buddhist nation and Bangladesh is majority Muslim. In Bangladesh, 86 percent of the population practices Islam. The 375,000 Catholics there represent less than 0.2 of the total population.
In his speech, Pope Francis noted that Bangladesh is known for the sense of harmony that exists between followers of different religions, saying this atmosphere of mutual respect and interreligious dialogue “enables believers to express freely their deepest convictions about the meaning and purpose of life.”
By doing this, religions are able to better promote the spiritual values which form the basis for a just and peaceful society. And in a world “where religion is often – scandalously – misused to foment division, such a witness to its reconciling and unifying power is all the more necessary.”
Francis said this witness was seen in an “eloquent way” after a brutal terrorist attack at a bakery in Dhaka last year left 29 people dead, prompting the country’s leaders to make a firm statement that God’s name “can never be invoked to justify hatred and violence against our fellow human beings.”
Speaking of the role Catholics play in the country, Pope Francis said they have an essential contribution, specifically through the schools, clinics and medical centers run by the Church.
The Church, he said, “appreciates the freedom to practice her faith and to pursue her charitable works, which benefit the entire nation, not least by providing young people, who represent the future of society.”
He noted how many of the students and teachers in Church-run schools are not Catholic, and voiced his confidence that in keeping with the Bangladeshi constitution, the Church “will continue to enjoy the freedom to carry out these good works as an expression of its commitment to the common good.”
The Pope closed his speech assuring his of his prayers “that in your lofty responsibilities, you will always be inspired by the high ideals of justice and service to your fellow citizens.”
In his greeting to Pope Francis, Bangladesh President Abdul Harmid thanked the Pope for his visit and stressed the importance the nation places on religious freedom and development.
“People are only truly free when they can practice their faith freely and without fear,” he said, adding that in Bangladesh they “cherish” religious liberty and therefore stand with the Pope in defending it, “knowing that people everywhere must be able to live with their faith, free from fear and intimidation.”
Harmid also pointed to Francis’ message on mercy, which he said Bangladesh has put into practice with their welcome of the Rohingya Muslims.
“It is our shared responsibility to ensure for them a safe, sustainable and dignified return to their own home and integration with the social, economic and political life of Myanmar,” he said, adding that the Pope’s “passionate” condemnation of the brutality they face brings hope for a resolution.
“Your closeness to them, your call for helping them and to ensure their full rights gives moral responsibility to the international community to act with promptness and sincerity.”
The president also pointed to the problem of radical terrorist violence, saying “no religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism.”
The Bangladesh government, he said, is therefore pursuing a “zero tolerance” policy committed to eradicating the root causes of terrorism and violent extremism.
“We denounce terrorism and violent extremism, in all its forms and manifestations,” Harmid said, yet at the same time, like other Muslim majority countries, Bangladesh is also concerned about “the rise of Islamophobia and hate crimes in many western societies, which is adversely affecting lives of millions of peaceful people of faith.”
“We believe that inter-faith dialogue, at all levels of the society, is important to combat such extremist trends,” he said. He closed his speech with an appeal to protect the natural environment, and said the Pope’s visit “renews our resolve towards building a peaceful, harmonious and prosperous world.”
[…]
See? The pope is dialoguing here.
Looking forward. Not rigid or regressive at all.
“A person who thinks he is a great theologian.” This description given by the Pope best portrays a lot of the frequent bashers and slanderers against Pope Francis. With the little theological study they made they think they are superior than the Pope and by through their social and mass media magisterium frequently judge him as not properly teaching the faith, or worse a heretic. They really think they are more Catholic than the Pope. Indeed, a little theological knowledge is dangerous!
Dear James:
A simple man using scripture as his guide can level effective and competent counter-arguments to anyone who is presenting a different doctrine to what Jesus Christ gave to mankind! The most important component is the indwelling of the Holy Spirt. That is what truly changes a man and allows him to confess Jesus Christ as Lord.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
Hebrews 6:18 So that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.
Hebrews 6:17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath,
1 Timothy 1:17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory forever and ever. Amen.
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
1 Timothy 5:20 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.
Yours in Christ,
Brian
James, so now you’re invoking the Appeal to Authority Fallacy to defend Bergoglio?
Really?
No one who’s not a priest or theologian has a right to criticize the pope, right? That’s what you’re saying?
I’m sorry, James, but you’re making me laugh. Because Bergoglio is always the first to deride that kind of clericalism.
But never fear. There are at least a dozen other classic logical fallacies you can resort to next time.
LOL!
At the following link there are numerous examples of the character flaws of the Pontiff – who is by his own admission not a Canon lawyer, not a liturgist, not a theologian and who would likely, in my opinion, make a lousy sacristan – who Father Kolvenbach warned should not be ordained a Bishop due to his psychological balance being lacking, that he had a deceitful character and that during his time as Provincial, he had divided Argentina. We’ve had nearly ten years to witness firsthand exactly what kind of person the Bishop of Rome is despite the best efforts of his sycophants to obscure the truth.
The Pope Francis
LittleBumper Book of Insults“We have a very creative vocabulary for insulting Others!” – Pope Francis, 19 June 2016
James, really? Anyone has at their fingertips the Revealed Theology of the Living God, He is their/our Theologian, so they know when they are hearing the Voice of Christ or the voice of a non-Christ – Jesus says this is True, ‘that His Sheep know and follow His Voice’, is He being disputed? Francis has exhorted and called for this from all the People of God as the sensus fidelium/fidei, and now that they are doing so and giving witness with the Holy Spirit, against things that are not part of God’s Divine Revelation and Gospel, God in them and they in God, they are in the wrong? This same exhortation of sensus fidelium/fidei Francis as given for the breath and substance of the synods… Also God the Theologian and other theologians in the Church have testified to the Truth of the Gospel and where this unity and expression and how it is absent in francis or those who write or speak for him…. Blessings, Father
here is an example of ‘problems’:
Christ/Holy Spirit, the Theologian: “go and sin no more”, francis the theologian, “go and continue to sin”; Christ: ‘it is not a marriage’, ‘it is not God’s Will’, ‘it is not a grace’; Francis/his writers: ‘it is a marriage’, ‘it is God’s Will’, ‘it is a grace’; Christ/ Holy Spirit [and in Saint John Paul just for one]- ‘go and sin no more living chastely continent as brother and sister for the sake of the children’, Francis: ‘go and continue the adulterous sins for the sake of the children in NOT living in chaste continence’; Christ: ‘repent and in a Holy Confession intend to go and sin no more or no absolution (John 20:23b)’, Francis, ‘do not repent and in Confession do not intend to go and continue sinning, as you must and will receive absolution, it cannot be withheld’.
“Shut Up! Catholics!” “Welby and Greenshields had joined Pope Francis in South Sudan for an ecumenical pilgrimage of peace and reconciliation.”
I am always amazed at how Pope Francis can spew out the hate and disrespect for Catholics who see things differently than himself, while he pours on the sugar coated ecumenical honey to the Protestants who have already left the Church. Does Pope Francis want Catholics he despises to leave the Church so he can finally be nice to them as Protestants?
Yes, yes, but the entangling factor in these deteriorating times, at least in the United States, was that “civil unions” were first advocated as an alternative to possible “gay marriage.” With the assurance (!) that this specific accommodation was not a Fabian half-way house toward a later demand for marriage parity (parody?). A lie…
Not that the limited purpose of “securing property” is illicit, but as a general question: what might “four top theological cardinals” have to say about the non-theological crisis of wisely navigating our post-modern politics and our post-politics modernity?
Not “bitter” here, nor a theologian, but just noticing that prudential judgment is a real can o’ worms these days. We’re reminded of how basketball players on the baseline can be incrementally maneuvered out of bounds without every being fouled–because they do not plant their feet.
During this return flight another CNA reporter added the following in reference to a previous controversy that ‘homosexual sins are not criminal acts’, “According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, people with homosexual tendencies should be treated with respect, and unjust discrimination against them should be avoided, while ‘homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered,’ and ‘under no circumstances can they be approved’” (Pope Francis return flight Rome CNA Courtney Mares 2.5.23).
CNA had the pontiff well covered apparently nothing missed. Although, previous to the flight and this strong affirmation of a moral doctrine – in his speedy response to Fr James Martin’s concern over the sin v criminality issue Francis then said the same, that homosexual acts are sinful. Nonetheless, he made sure to add [straight out of his Amoris Laetitia playbook] that mitigating circumstances could alleviate responsibility even remove it.
Whether the Catechism’s treatment of self abuse 2352 and mitigation provide just reasons that may absolve a gravely sinful act such as sodomy [even the issue of habitual masturbation is not clearly, likewise sufficiently treated in that section] – is not evident.
We cannot disassemble the moral doctrines of the Church on a conceptual theory of circumstantial mitigation. His previous statement does this with the assumption that as treated in Amoris conscience rules rather than the rule. The end result is that people who seek a rationale for their behavior run with this.
I’m done with these in-flight pressers. I’ll look to Catholic Unscripted and Anglican Unscripted for intelligent commentary.
Gilberta, special blessings for sharing these 2 apostolates…. Padre
Silence from CNA re: the pope’s comments on same-sex civil unions and anti-LGBQT laws. Not surprising. They must working overtime to figure out a way to popesplain.
Have to wonder who’s the pot and who’s the kettle in this story. Who’s using BXVI’s death now for “partisan” purposes? Sounds like the classic protesting too much. What a sad and petty display for the putative Vicar of Christ.
I’m suffering from Francis fatigue and ignore anything he says that does not come in the form of an “ex cathedra” written statement on matters of faith and morals that conveys the full weight of infallibility. Everything else is pure political posturing.
If someone did indeed go to Fr. Benedict, then Pope Francis is acknowledging that it happened yet naming the person “partisan”.
Pope Francis hasn’t said who are the “4 top theologians” involved; but again, he offers himself witness to the facts. A dialogue with the devil would be the same!
It could be there is more going on than “1 partisan” and “4 top theologians”? Somehow this all got opened up in public after Fr. Benedict’s passing?
In regular law, anyone can make gifts and settlements. Criminal compacts get voided in law when discovered and that is how it should go.
Homosexuality is an abomination that can’t be legalized, it would be bad law. Making “civil unions” law like “homosexual marriage” is still bad law.
Both are scandals. Why is Pope Francis involving himself in scandalizing the natural institutions of marriage and law; and using God and Roman Church for it?
Why does he feel he needs the support of, for example, the Anglicans? France set a bad example in law (and faith) so “therefore” Pope Francis may promote it?
“Partisanship” has no place in the Catholic Church. The Catechism and Tradition join Scripture to see to it. Those who believe in Church teaching are Catholic; those who don’t believe in Church teaching are not Catholic.
Donna, true, many things have no part with Christ and His Spouse. So, who is the partisan?
Bearing false witness is partisanship with satan, Jesus says, so is it a false or true witness that there is a partisan self-serving by some, what are the specifics – where is the evidence? Who are the ‘some’? Is this a false or rash judgement against the 8th Commandment – who has been broadsided by this statement, is their right to good reputation being violated by this?, it’s scandalous to make such accusations without demonstrating it to be such – none of these things are being Christ or a witness to Him and His Teachings?