Where’s the Beef? – “In his 3,000-word commentary published Jan. 24, Cardinal McElroy expresses many important laments that pertain to the Church’s life and mission today, many of which should be of concern to each one of us. . . . But . . . ” Holiness and conversion: Cardinal McElroy’s missing link (Our Sunday Visitor)
Timeless Realities – “For the vast majority of the worldwide Catholic family, Cardinal George Pell was another Clemens August Graf Von Galen, a lion of the Church, a magnet for vocations, a confessor bishop, a true cardinal priest. “ George Pell, Lion of the Church (First Things)
Mere Anglicanism – “Anglicans can connect their Christian faith with a fractured world through the themes of longing, beauty, and story, according to an Oxford professor addressing a major theological conference of lay and clergy leaders seeking the renewal of biblical and orthodox Anglicanism.” Better Stories, Stronger Spells: Anglicans Consider C.S. Lewis (Juicy Ecumenism)
Wave of Authoritarianism – “Religion is seized on by cynical and greedy elites as a means of mobilising and unifying national populations. The rise of Islamic and Hindu fundamentalism is an aspect of a general move across Eurasia towards nationalism and totalitarianism.” The end of Christendom: Is Christianity now a homeless faith? (The Critic)
Broken Seal of Secrecy – “In rehashing the news that Cardinal George Pell was the true author of the memorandum signed ‘Demos,’ sent round to the cardinals last spring and published by Settimo Cielo, a few important newspapers have attributed to me, Sandro Magister, “a long history of confidential documents received from the Vatican” and made public by me.” The Magnificent Seven. The True Story of the Secret Documents Made Public by Settimo Cielo (L’Espresso)
(*The posting of any particular news item or essay is not an endorsement of the content and perspective of said news item or essay.)
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A view of the separation wall between Israel and the Palestinian Territories from behind a window in the Comboni Sisters’ house in East Jerusalem. / Credit: Marinella Bandini
Jerusalem, Feb 17, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).
The Comboni Sisters have been living on the border of East Jerusalem since 1967. Running along the border of their property is a wall, constructed by the Israelis in 2009, dividing the village of Bethany/al-Eizariya — renowned as the site of the resurrection of Lazarus. The sisters’ residence remains on the Israeli side, while the church and the tomb of Lazarus are on the Palestinian side, on the other side of the wall.
“For us, the passage from Scripture that says ‘in Christ the wall of separation between peoples has been broken down’ is very powerful [Eph 2:14], especially when there is a physical wall in front of us that clearly indicates this separation,” Sister Anna Maria Sgaramella, provincial councilor and coordinator of the Middle East Zone for the Comboni Sisters, told CNA.
Sister Anna Maria Sgaramella, provincial council and coordinator of the Middle East Zone for the Comboni Sisters. Credit: Marinella Bandini
Sgaramella arrived in Jerusalem for the first time on Sept. 26, 2000. The very next day, the second intifada — a major uprising by Palestinians against Israeli occupation — erupted. She witnessed the siege of the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem, where she taught theology.
Later, she was transferred to Egypt, where in 2011, she witnessed the uprising known as the “Arab Spring.”
Since 2013, Sgaramella has permanently returned to Jerusalem and now faces another long and bloody conflict. “I have always been struck by the deep sense of hope and determination to move forward among the Palestinian people. With this war, I see it weaker; people are more exhausted,” she said.
A view of the separation wall between Israel and the Palestinian Territories from the terrace of the Comboni Sisters’ house in East Jerusalem. The wall, constructed by the Israelis in 2009, runs along the border of their property, dividing the village of Bethany/al-Eizariya in two, believed to be the site of the miracle of the raising of Lazarus. The sisters’ residence remains on the Israeli side, while the church and the tomb of Lazarus are on the other side of the wall. Credit: Marinella Bandini
There are currently six Comboni Sisters in Jerusalem and each is involved in a specific ministry. They usually come together for morning Mass and evening vespers as well as for meetings and reflection. Their community house is open to religious individuals seeking periods of study or discernment and serves as a center of spirituality for both the congregation and the local Church. The sisters host educational workshops and spiritual exercises as well as welcome pilgrims.
The Comboni Sisters in Jerusalem in a recent photo at the Jordan River. The Comboni Sisters’ community in Jerusalem currently consists of six sisters and each is involved in a specific ministry. Credit: Photo courtesy of Sister Anna Maria Sgaramella
Sgaramella shared with CNA what it’s like to live on the border.
“With the construction of the wall, we found ourselves in the middle, between Palestinians and Israelis,” she explained. “The Palestinians attempt to bypass the wall — especially to pray at the Dome of the Rock — while the Israelis try to repel them in an endless game.”
“Being in the middle is a physical position that has also become a spiritual one,” Sgaramella continued. “We had to reflect and decided to ‘stay in the middle,’ between these two peoples, to serve as a bridge between them. By placing ourselves in the middle, we listen to the injustice faced by the Palestinians and also to the fears of Israeli families.”
For this reason, the religious community has chosen to maintain a small presence in the Palestinian area. Two sisters reside in an apartment beyond the wall, about 100 feet from the Comboni Sisters’ residence.
The exterior of the Comboni Sisters’ house in East Jerusalem where the Comboni Sisters have been living since 1967. Credit: Marinella Bandini
“We desired to stay and share the lives of those people and accompany the small remaining Christian community there. Every time they need to reach the community, they have to travel 18 kilometers [about 11 miles] passing through the Israeli checkpoint,” Sgaramella explained.
The sisters do not do this simply in the spirit of altruism, explained Sgaramella, who is also involved in ecumenical and interreligious dialogue. “We understood from the beginning that being in the middle comes at a cost. It often means getting hit from both sides. On one hand, there are stones and Molotov cocktails from the Palestinians that land on our property; on the other hand, we are under the smoke of tear gas launched in response by the Israelis,” she said.
One incident happened the night of Oct. 6, just hours before the Hamas attack on Israel. Some Molotov cocktails landed on the synthetic grass in the part of the property that houses the kindergarten, causing a fire — the signs of which are still visible today. The fire destroyed the grass, playground equipment, and blackened the recently painted wall.
The exterior of the kindergarten, housed on the Comboni Sisters’ property. In the background is the separation wall that was erected on the edge of the Comboni Sisters’ property in 2009.
The kindergarten is a work that the Comboni Sisters have been carrying out since their arrival and today it serves as an important point of connection with the surrounding community. This significance has grown, especially after the construction of the wall.
“The presence of the kindergarten has never been questioned, neither with the wall nor with the war,” said Sgaramella, who is the director. The kindergarten is attended by approximately 40 children, all of whom are Muslims, divided into two classes. Formally, it is under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Ministry of Education. “It is a project that meets the needs of the people; furthermore, episodes of violence never occur during the day when the children are present,” she added.
Sister Anna Maria Sgaramella of the Comboni Sisters talks with the children in one of the kindergarten classes hosted at their home in East Jerusalem. The presence of the kindergarten has never been questioned, said Sgaramella, the director. Credit: Marinella Bandini
Every morning, the children begin with a prayer. “We tell the parents right from the start,” Sgaramella explained. “It’s a prayer of thanksgiving for what God has created, for the day, for life, a blessing for parents, neighbors, friends, and also for children who suffer. We pray for peace in the world and in this country.”
Regarding the families, she shared: “There is great trust and respect. They usually choose to send their children here, especially for moral education and English-language instruction.”
Most of the children come from East Jerusalem, but some also come from al-Eizariya. One of the two teachers, Nihal Hashmime, who is also the vice director, has to pass through the checkpoint every day to get to work.
“With the war,” the sister told CNA, “we faced some educational challenges because initially, some children were absent. The work we do with them is to impart certain values, such as peace, friendship, love, and respect for differences.”
Play is also an important aspect. “Children here do not find toy weapons, and they are not allowed to bring them from home,” Sgaramella said.
“Our attempt in education and all other activities is to break down this wall that leads to seeing the other as an enemy,” Sgaramella said. “Sometimes it is difficult to recognize the universality of salvation. We know that Jesus died for everyone, but in certain conflict-ridden contexts, it is challenging to acknowledge the other as a brother. Personally, the field of teaching theology provides me with the space to build bridges among believers. Because in every religion, there are sincere believers seeking truth.”
Rome, Italy, May 19, 2024 / 04:00 am (CNA).
This weekend, the Church celebrates Pentecost, one of the most important feast days of the year, which concludes the Easter season and celebrates the birth … […]
2 Comments
Sandro Magister, brilliant! I do not always agree with you but you have an incomparable work and tenacity. Thank you and may the Lord preserve you.
@ A White Van.
Our beloved Benedict loaded in a white van during the night, as if for dismissal sets the tone of Damian Thompson’s indictment of the Francis regime. Underscoring the fracture affecting us is the Church itself, its whatness.
Reading through CWR comments, particularly the recent Birgit Kelle ‘The Church in Germany is on the path into total insignificance’, concerns centered on the nature of the Church questioning its authority. Laity, and the sensus fidei, traditionally understood as the entire Body of the Church.
“3. As a theological concept, the sensus fidei refers to two distinct realities closely connected, the Church, ‘pillar and bulwark of the truth’, while the other is the individual believer. 4. The importance of the sensus fidei in the life of the Church was strongly emphasized by the Second Vatican Council. Banishing the caricature of active hierarchy and passive laity, separation between the teaching Church [Ecclesia docens] and the learning Church. (International Theological Commission Sensus Fidei in the Life of the Church 2014).
Pope Francis initiated this theological proposal as a prelude to the Synod on Synodality. Unlike the vision of John Paul II in Christifideles Laici 1988, “ 9. In giving a response to the question ‘Who are the lay faithful’, the Council [Vat II] went beyond previous interpretations which were predominantly negative. Instead it opened itself to a decidedly positive vision and displayed a basic intention of asserting the full belonging of the lay faithful to the Church and to its mystery”.
Christifideles Laici is synonymous to Sensus Fidei. A definitive emphasis on interpretation separates John Paul’s understanding of a complete body inclusive of laity and hierarchy from Francis’ isolation of the individual as [at least] potentially representative of the entire body of Christ. Synod on Synodality structure insofar as representative of the entire body, assumed as such in its universality, is in fact not. The working document recently approved for further theological exploration comprises the findings of a minority. Infinitesimal in comparison to the whole. Nevertheless, the 2014 International Theological Commission Sensus Fidei would support such findings of a minority opinion, presumably inspired by the Holy Spirit. As such it putatively explains the secretarial assignment of the attending bishops as well as the distancing of the Roman Pontiff.
All the controversial ends of the German Synodaler Weg, marriage and adultery, same sex relationships, priesthood are validated by the latter Francis 2014 document on sensus fidei, as well as that of the Synod on Synodality. Consequently, the Tsunami of homosexuality, as well as other radical policy inundating culture here and elsewhere is received with tentative approval of this present pontificate.
Sandro Magister, brilliant! I do not always agree with you but you have an incomparable work and tenacity. Thank you and may the Lord preserve you.
@ A White Van.
Our beloved Benedict loaded in a white van during the night, as if for dismissal sets the tone of Damian Thompson’s indictment of the Francis regime. Underscoring the fracture affecting us is the Church itself, its whatness.
Reading through CWR comments, particularly the recent Birgit Kelle ‘The Church in Germany is on the path into total insignificance’, concerns centered on the nature of the Church questioning its authority. Laity, and the sensus fidei, traditionally understood as the entire Body of the Church.
“3. As a theological concept, the sensus fidei refers to two distinct realities closely connected, the Church, ‘pillar and bulwark of the truth’, while the other is the individual believer. 4. The importance of the sensus fidei in the life of the Church was strongly emphasized by the Second Vatican Council. Banishing the caricature of active hierarchy and passive laity, separation between the teaching Church [Ecclesia docens] and the learning Church. (International Theological Commission Sensus Fidei in the Life of the Church 2014).
Pope Francis initiated this theological proposal as a prelude to the Synod on Synodality. Unlike the vision of John Paul II in Christifideles Laici 1988, “ 9. In giving a response to the question ‘Who are the lay faithful’, the Council [Vat II] went beyond previous interpretations which were predominantly negative. Instead it opened itself to a decidedly positive vision and displayed a basic intention of asserting the full belonging of the lay faithful to the Church and to its mystery”.
Christifideles Laici is synonymous to Sensus Fidei. A definitive emphasis on interpretation separates John Paul’s understanding of a complete body inclusive of laity and hierarchy from Francis’ isolation of the individual as [at least] potentially representative of the entire body of Christ. Synod on Synodality structure insofar as representative of the entire body, assumed as such in its universality, is in fact not. The working document recently approved for further theological exploration comprises the findings of a minority. Infinitesimal in comparison to the whole. Nevertheless, the 2014 International Theological Commission Sensus Fidei would support such findings of a minority opinion, presumably inspired by the Holy Spirit. As such it putatively explains the secretarial assignment of the attending bishops as well as the distancing of the Roman Pontiff.
All the controversial ends of the German Synodaler Weg, marriage and adultery, same sex relationships, priesthood are validated by the latter Francis 2014 document on sensus fidei, as well as that of the Synod on Synodality. Consequently, the Tsunami of homosexuality, as well as other radical policy inundating culture here and elsewhere is received with tentative approval of this present pontificate.