Historically Yours : Thomas Jefferson on religion

What religion was President Thomas Jefferson, the author of The Declaration of Independence, the Virginia Statute of Religious Liberty and a major figure in our separation of church and state? Historians listed him as either a Deist or “no specific denomination.”

Jefferson grew up Anglican but from early adulthood professed faith in a Creator uninvolved in the affairs of this world. He was a product of his time – the Age of Enlightenment – everything in life, including religion, had to have a scientific explanation. Jefferson advised a nephew, “Fix reason firmly in her seat and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion.

Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because, if there be one, he must approve the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear.” Thomas Jefferson’s religious views did not become a major public issue until he ran for president in 1800 against incumbent Federalist John Adams. The Federalist, eager to retain control over the presidency, unleashed a frenzied personal attack upon Jefferson. They charged him as “an unbeliever who was unworthy to serve as chief magistrate of a Christian nation.” A Jefferson victory, the Federalist declared, would arouse the wrath of God, “destroy religion, introduce immorality…loosen all bonds of society and undermine the standing of the United States among the nations of the world.”

Eugene R. Sheridan, a leading authority on Jefferson’s religious beliefs, states that Jefferson believed in God but not organized religion. He revered Jesus as the greatest moral teacher in history but did not believe that he was the son of God. He rejected the Bible as a source of divine revelation and regarded it as a mere human history. He dismissed the possibility of miracles and the dogma of the Trinity as contrary to human reason and the laws of nature. What most concerned Jefferson was not the religious beliefs of people, but “how men acted in society.” “If acceptance of orthodox Christian doctrines produced virtuous lives, he welcomed the result without supporting the cause.” As much as he criticized orthodox Christianity in private, he rarely did so publicly, “not only out of a sense of political prudence, but also because of his deep commitment to religious freedom which led him to respect the right of others to hold religious opinions different from his.”

Jefferson steadfastly refused to reply in the election to the wave of criticism concerning his religious beliefs, believing that he was accountable to God alone for his convictions.

Jefferson swept to victory, however, the charge that he was an enemy of Christianity continued to plague him. The public disagreed. Jefferson was re-elected president in 1804 in a landslide victory, receiving 162 out of 176 electoral votes.

Sources: The Jefferson Monticello, courtesy of the Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia.

“Jefferson’s Religious Beliefs,”: Wikipedia, “Religious views of Thomas Jefferson,”: Thomas Jefferson (Notes on Virginia, 1782), “Thomas Jefferson on Christianity & Religion,”: Virginia Museum of History & Culture, “Thomas Jefferson and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom.”

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Religion column move criticised

LONDON: Councillor Dr James Shera, ex-mayor Rugby, has expressed concern over a recent request by some members of Punjab Bar Council to add a column of religious affiliation in the Punjab Bar Council enrolment form.

Dr Shera, in a press release, said: “We hope that bar council would reject this application and endorse integration, unity and dignity in society instead of dividing society on basis of religion, linguist and ethnicity.

“Any step in this direction would jeopardise the concept of equality, justice and freedom of individuals. The Founder of Pakistan, Mr Jinnah, reminded eloquently numerous times in his speeches that individuals are free to practice their religion; the state has no reason to interfere in their personal matters, and that everybody irrespective of their colour, caste and religion would work with integrity to build one nation.”

The press release said the statement was endorsed by UK Pakistani Christian leaders including: Dr Peter David, Dr Noshaba Khiljee, Councilor Morris Johns, Advocate Qamar Shams, Mr Michael Massey, Bishop Yousaf Nadeem Bhinder, Mr John Bosco, Mr Qamar Rafique, Ex-MPA Saleem Khokhar and Mr Tahier Solomon.

Teleserye an opportunity for ‘StarStruck’ alum to show his religion in a positive light

Abdul Raman

As a kid, Abdul Raman was terrified of Cherie Gil.

He had yet to understand the distinction between reality and fiction, and so he believed that the actress and the ruthless villains she played on television were one and the same. He didn’t want to become an actor, he recalled. “What if I run into her?”

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He did run into her. By a curious twist of fate, Abdul joined the talent search “StarStruck” in the same year Cherie was selected to sit as one of the judges. Now, surreally enough, the two find themselves working together in GMA 7’s coming drama series, “Legal Wives.” But he’s no longer scared, Abdul said. In fact, he now sees and treats Cherie as his “second mother.”

“I have already overcome the fear factor!” Abdul quipped in a recent video conference for the said soap opera. “She’s one of my favorite coactors on the set because she’s so full of love.”

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And the more he spent time with the multiawarded actress, the more Adbul realized that his initial impression of her couldn’t be more wrong. “From being my personal bogeyman, she has now become my idol. She’s a really nice person. Kung gaano siya kasama as a kontrabida, ganun siya kabait in real life.”

“I love her to bits,” added the 18-year-old Kapuso talent, who finished in the Top 6 of “StarStruck” Season 7.

The locked-in taping session for “Legal Wives” was a wonderful learning experience for Abdul, because he was surrounded by experienced actors—including Cherie, Dennis Trillo, Bernard Palanca, Al Tantay—who regularly offered him valuable advice.

“I always enjoyed chatting with the veteran actors and listening to their life stories and experiences. They always entertained my random questions. They gave me acting tips, like the importance of projecting your voice, and how acting is reacting,” he said. “They also gave me love advice and they’re all very kind.”

Intimidated

Because he’s one of the few young actors in the soap, Abdul admitted that there were times when he couldn’t help but feel intimidated. “I just kept in mind that they were also once in my position, and that what I was feeling was normal. But at the same time, I wanted to show my skills … show that I’m taking this seriously.”

Abdul is paired with fellow “StarStruck” 7 alum Shayne Sava, who ended up becoming the female winner. Working with her is a breeze, he said, because they used to compete in challenges together during their time in the talent search.

“I’m very comfortable with her. I feel like I can do any scene with her. Our personalities just click,” he said of Shayne, whom he described as “smart” and “cute.” “There’s something that makes me want to talk to her. We have good conversations… She loves poetry, which I find interesting.”

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“Legal Wives” revolves around a Muslim Maranao royalty and Islamic culture. And it’s a fitting show for his debut, Abdul said, because he himself is a Muslim. The show biz newbie, who was born to an Egyptian father and a Filipino mother, lived in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates for nine years, before moving to the Philippines. “I accepted the project wholeheartedly because it’s a big opportunity. It’s a primetime show. I’m excited to show what I can do and what I have learned,” he said.

‘To represent my religion’

But more than an acting break, Abdul also sees the series as a chance to educate more people about Islam and correct whatever misconceptions they have about the religion. “I have always wanted this for myself and my family… Perhaps this is one of my objectives in life—to represent my religion in a good way and to present it in a good light. So, when I got the offer, I thought, ‘The stars are aligning!’” he said. “Diversity is a good thing,” he added. “Islam is misrepresented a lot… But I think the show can also educate—that way, we can avoid discrimination.” INQ

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The next big religion and state issues the country will face – analysis

The decision by the High Court of Justice last week allowing non-Israeli nationals who convert through the Reform and Masorti (Conservative) movements to get Israeli citizenship resolved a clash over religion that had been five decades in the making.In the aftermath of this decision, which will itself reverberate for years, what will be the next major matters of religion and state that will come to public attention in the near future?Perhaps the biggest outstanding religion-and-state issue is the lack of civil marriage in Israel. Civil marriages performed outside of Israel are subsequently recognized and registered by the Interior Ministry.But the tens if not hundreds of thousands of Israelis who cannot or do not want to marry through the Chief Rabbinate currently have no way of getting married in their homeland.Appeals to the High Court to rectify this situation have failed, since the law states explicitly that marriage must be conducted through the established religious institutions of the different faith groups in Israel.The current COVID-19 pandemic has created new pressure over this issue, however, since the approximately nine thousand couples who usually marry abroad in civil ceremonies every year have not been able to do so due to travel restrictions imposed as a result of the health crisis. ONE RECENT development has the potential to dramatically change this situation, however. Last year, five couples who never left the borders of the State of Israel got married in an online civil ceremony under the auspices of the American State of Utah.

Since this marriage is legally valid in Utah and the rest of the US, the Population and Immigration Authority of the Interior Ministry is required by law to recognize and register these marriages.In total, some 150 couples have now married in this manner, although the majority have not yet registered at the ministry since Interior Minister Aryeh Deri said he had ordered the registration of such couples to be suspended pending a ministry examination of the issue.Several couples who were blocked from registering their marriage by Deri’s order have now filed a petition against him in the Lod District Court, which on Sunday gave the state 30 days to reply to the suit.Attorney Vlad Finkelshtein, who represents the couples, says he believes the court will rule that the Population Authority must register the marriages since the state is required by international conventions to recognize civil marriage certificates, and other documentation, if performed legally by another country.Such a development would constitute a de facto civil marriage option in Israel, even if it would not totally fulfill the goals of activists who want the state itself to provide such an option. ASIDE FROM civil marriage, the other major religion-and-state issue which could come back into the public forum is that of prayer rights at the Western Wall.In 2016, the government passed a cabinet resolution approving the establishment of a state-recognized prayer site for non-Orthodox prayer at the southern end of the Western Wall, fulfilling the demands of the Women of the Wall organization along with the Reform and Masorti movements for equal access to the holy site.The ultra-Orthodox political parties, which initially allowed the deal to pass, backtracked on their decision to allow the resolution to be implemented and pressured Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to indefinitely suspend the agreement in 2017.The Women of the Wall and the non-Orthodox movements then appealed to the High Court, demanding either that it instruct the government to implement the cabinet resolution or to provide it with a prayer space in the main Western Wall plaza.The state initially requested that the court hold off on any decision while it sought to physically upgrade the informal non-Orthodox prayer space at the southern end of the Western Wall, but pressure from ultra-Orthodox and hardline religious-Zionist politicians has stymied those efforts as well.A new hearing on the matter in the High Court is scheduled for October this year. While it seems unlikely that the court would go so far as to order that a non-Orthodox prayer section be created at the main Western Wall plaza due to the intense sensitivities surrounding the site, it could increase pressure on the government to fulfill its 2016 resolution, or at least upgrade the current site. BESIDES CIVIL marriage and the Western Wall, there are two other important issues connected to conversion that will likely come before the High Court soon.Attorney Nicole Maor of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), the legal arm of the Reform Movement in Israel, notes that in 2003 it filed a petition demanding that a couple wishing to adopt a non-Jewish child in Israel be allowed to convert that child through the Reform or Masorti movement’s conversion programs.Currently, if a Jewish couple seeks to adopt a child who is not Jewish, the Child Services Authority of the Labor and Welfare Ministry requires that they convert the child to Judaism for the societal well-being of the child.That conversion must be done through the State Conversion Authority, which is under the authority of the Prime Minister’s Office but subject to the rules of the Chief Rabbinate and the Orthodox religious establishment.The Child Services Authority therefore requires that a couple get approval from the State Conversion Authority to adopt a child who needs Jewish conversion – but only gives such approval to Orthodox, religiously observant couples, Maor said.IRAC’s petition demands that the Child Services Authority also allow the conversion authorities of the Reform and Masorti movement to issue permission for such adoptions. ANOTHER PETITION filed by IRAC in 2009 demands that the state pay for Brit Milah [circumcision] ceremonies for male Reform and Masorti converts, as it does for converts through the State Conversion Authority.In 2011, the High Court decided that final rulings on both these decisions must wait until the broader issue of non-Orthodox conversions in Israel is resolved.Since the court issued a ruling on that issue last week, Maor says IRAC is poised to file a request to the High Court this week asking that it now rule on the two outstanding petitions.It is unclear yet whether further court hearings will be required on those petitions.IRAC director Rabbi Noa Sattath said that another major issue her organization will be working on is that of the rights of so-called emerging communities.These communities are located mainly in Africa and Latin America and are either comprised of groups who have undergone mass conversion such as the Abayudaya community in Uganda, similar groups of mass converts in Latin America, or other groups claiming affinity to or descent from the Jewish people.The Interior Ministry has said, however, that communities established by converts are not eligible for recognition by the Jewish Agency or for citizenship in Israel, something IRAC intends to challenge.The High Court recently declined to rule on the substantive issue of the aliyah (immigration) rights of the Abayudaya community, although saying that there would eventually be no alternative but to rule on the issue.

Your Religion News: March 6, 2021

Pope: ‘We cannot be silent when terrorism abuses religion’

Speaking to representatives of Iraq’s different religious groups in Ur, Pope Francis called for unity among faiths.

Christians and other religious minorities were subjected to brutal persecution during the country’s occupation by the Islamic State from 2014 to 2017.

Hours earlier in Najaf, Francis met Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, a visit that was a powerful signal for coexistence in a country torn by violence. Ur is seen as the birthplace of Abraham, the father of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Hostility, violence are ‘betrayals’ of religion, pope says in Iraq

TRAVELLING to the birthplace of Abraham, Pope Francis urged believers to prove their faith in the one God and father of all by accepting one another as brothers and sisters.

From a stage set on a dusty hill overlooking the archaeological dig at Ur, Abraham’s birthplace about 10 miles from modern-day Nasiriyah, Francis called on representatives of the country’s religious communities to denounce all violence committed in God’s name and to work together to rebuild their country.

“From this place, where faith was born, from the land of our father Abraham, let us affirm that God is merciful and that the greatest blasphemy is to profane his name by hating our brothers and sisters,” the pope told the representatives.

“Hostility, extremism and violence are not born of a religious heart: they are betrayals of religion,” he insisted.

Pope Francis arrived in Ur after a 45-minute early morning meeting in Najaf with 90-year-old Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, one of Shiite Islam’s most authoritative figures.

At the large interreligious meeting later, with the Ziggurat of Ur, a partially reconstructed Bronze-Age pagan temple visible in the haze, Pope Francis insisted that when Jews, Christians and Muslims make a pilgrimage to Abraham’s birthplace, they are going home, back to the place that reminds them they are brothers and sisters.

Representatives of Iraqi’s Shiite Muslim majority, its Sunni Muslim community, Christians, Yazidis and Mandaeans, a group that claims to be older than Christianity and reveres St. John the Baptist, joined Pope Francis at Ur.

Farmon Kakay, a member of a delegation from Iraq’s small Kaka’i community, a pre-Islamic religion and ethnic group related to the Yazidis, said, “To see His Holiness is big news for me. We want the pope to take a message to the government to respect us.”

Faiza Foad, a Zoroastrian from Kirkuk, had a similar hope that Pope Francis’ visit would move the government and Iraqi society as a whole to a greater recognition of religious freedom for all.

Wearing a white dress trimmed in gold and decorated with sequins, Foad said that even though her religion is not an “Abrahamic faith,” participating in the meeting was a sign that all people are members of the one human family.

In fact, Rafah Husein Baher, a Mandaean, told Pope Francis that “together we subsist through the war’s ruins on the same soil. Our blood was mixed; together we tasted the bitterness of the embargo; we have the same identity.”

From the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and through the reign of terror of the Islamic State group, “injustice afflicted all Iraqis,” she told the pope. “Terrorism violated our dignity with impudence. Many countries, without conscience, classified our passports as valueless, watching our wounds with indifference.”

Just as Abraham set out from Ur and became patriarch of a multitude of believers in the one God, Pope Francis said, those believers must return to Abraham, recognize themselves as brothers and sisters and set out to share the news that God loves every person he created.

“We believers cannot be silent when terrorism abuses religion,” the pope said. “Indeed, we are called unambiguously to dispel all misunderstandings. Let us not allow the light of heaven to be overshadowed by the clouds of hatred!”

Called like Abraham to trust in God and to set out on the paths he indicates, believers must “leave behind those ties and attachments that, by keeping us enclosed in our own groups, prevent us from welcoming God’s boundless love and from seeing others as our brothers and sisters.”

No individual or group can live in peace or achieve progress alone, he said. “Isolation will not save us.”

The answer is not “an arms race or the erection of walls” either, the pope said. “Nor the idolatry of money, for it closes us in on ourselves and creates chasms of inequality.”

The journey of peace, he said, begins with “the decision not to have enemies.”

It means spending less money on weapons and more on food, education and health care, he said. It means affirming the value of every human life, including “the lives of the unborn, the elderly, migrants” and everyone else.

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… to be the only legitimate religion of the Roman Empire. In … we rule shall practice that religion that Peter the Apostle transmitted … condemned Apollonarian and Macedonian heresies.
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Jews in Iran freely observe their religion, communal leader says

Pope Francis Recalls Iraqi Martyrs, Saying Violence Incompatible With Religion

By Inés San Martín

BAGHDAD, Iraq (Crux) — Flanked by the pictures of 48 Iraqi martyrs, Pope Francis defined them as a reminder that inciting war and violence is incompatible with authentic religious teaching.

The deaths of those martyred in the Syro-Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Salvation on Oct. 31, 2010, the pope said during a meeting with the bishops, religious, and catechists in Baghdad on Friday, “are a powerful reminder that inciting war, hateful attitudes, violence or the shedding of blood are incompatible with authentic religious teachings.”

[Click here to read the Holy Father’s full speech: “Pope Francis’ Speech to Bishops, Priests and Religious in Baghdad’s Cathedral”]

Cardinal Louis Sako, head of the Chaldean Catholic Church, urged the pope to hurry their sainthood cause, meaning to publicly acknowledge that the 48 Catholics murdered by five terrorists during Mass were killed in odium fidei — in hatred of their faith.

Two of those murdered were young priests, along with several children and a pregnant woman.

“Regardless of what has happened to us and our pain, we have persevered in the faith, our spiritual serenity, and our fraternal solidarity, with all the churches doing a great job in being close to those wounded, to help them and ease their pain,” Cardinal Sako said.

Pope Francis also said he wanted to remember all the victims of violence and persecution, regardless of the religious group to which they belong, which he will do on Saturday when he heads to the city of Ur, the birthplace of Abraham, father of believers. There, the pope will meet with the leaders of the religious traditions present in Iraq, to proclaim “our conviction that religion must serve the cause of peace and unity among all God’s children.”

“This evening I want to thank you for your efforts to be peacemakers, within your communities and with believers of other religious traditions, sowing seeds of reconciliation and fraternal coexistence that can lead to a rebirth of hope for everyone,” the pope said.

The 2010 attack lasted over four hours until the police raided the church. At this point, the terrorists blew themselves up. They were never officially identified.

Fathers Thaer Saadulla Abdal, 32, and Waseem Sabih Kas Boutros, 27, had been ordained in 2006 and 2007, respectively, in the same cathedral where they were martyred.

Behind the altar on top of an image of the Virgin with Jesus was a picture of the martyrs, around a red cross, signifying the blood they shed. On the roof and the floor, squares of metal and granite mark the places where their bodies were found.

At a diocesan level in Baghdad, the cause for their martyrdom was closed in 2019 when it was sent to Rome. During his flight from Italy to Iraq on Friday, the pope received a book compiling the story of the martyrs.

The cathedral, Pope Francis said, is “hallowed by the blood of our brothers and sisters who here paid the ultimate price of their fidelity to the Lord and his Church.”

“May the memory of their sacrifice inspire us to renew our own trust in the power of the cross and its saving message of forgiveness, reconciliation, and rebirth,” he said. “For Christians are called to bear witness to the love of Christ in every time and place.”

The pontiff was welcomed into a semi-filled church to guarantee social distancing, but the ululating of the women who were present gave the sense that the cathedral was packed. Before going in, he spent several minutes greeting disabled people at the door.

Hardships, he said, are part of the daily experience of the Iraqi faithful, noting that in recent years they have had to deal with the effects of war and persecution, as well as the fragility of basic infrastructures and economic struggle “that has frequently led to internal displacements and the migration of many people, including Christians, to other parts of the world.”

Pope Francis also invited those present not to be “infected by the virus of discouragement,” that can spread “all around us,” because God has given the faithful an “effective vaccine” against it: the hope born of persevering prayer and fidelity to the apostolates.

“With this vaccine, we can go forth with renewed strength, to share the joy of the Gospel as missionary disciples and living signs of the presence of God’s kingdom of holiness, justice, and peace,” he said.

Addressing bishops, he called on them to be close to their priests, so that they won’t see them as administrators or managers but “true fathers” worried for the welfare of the priests entrusted to their care, ready to offer support and to encourage them.

Talking to priests, women and men religious, catechists, and seminarians, he called on them to have courage and zeal in announcing the Gospel, without being consumed by the “administrative” element of their tasks, meaning, without spending all their time in meetings or behind a desk, to instead accompany the faithful.

“Be pastors, servants of the people, not civil servants,” he said.

Putting together the martyrdom cause of the 48 people killed in the terrorist attack took over nine months of research. The information on each varied, and there are two victims for whom the cause only has a name and their presence.

The fact that Baghdad lost two-thirds of its Catholic population in the past two decades, either because they were killed or forced to flee, made the investigation all the more complicated. Many of the family members of those killed, who are usually interviewed for a sainthood cause, are living as refugees and either not wanting or not being able to be identified.

The witnesses hail from all over: Lebanon, France, Canada, Australia, and also Baghdad. Most have since fled their country, one of the cradles of Christianity. Many of them said that the terrorists, when pulling the trigger or before activating the explosive belts they carried, shouted “Allahu Akbar,” which translates to “God is great.”

When he decided to open the martyrdom cause, Archbishop Yousif Abba, the Syriac Catholic Archbishop of Baghdad, had contemplated only pursuing the sainthood cause for the two priests, as the Church had the information on them. But in the end, they were all included because they all died for the same reason: They were at Mass.

All of those who lost their lives did so in the church. Many were seriously wounded and hospitalized but survived. An estimated 50 people hid in the sacristy with an elderly priest and the pregnant woman who had been mortally wounded before she reached the safety of the hiding place. A group of around 20 had found refuge in the baptistery. They too were saved.

In Iraq, Pope Francis Condemns ‘Murder, Exile, Terrorism, and Oppression’ in the Name of Religion

By Inés San Martín

BAGHDAD, Iraq (Crux) — During his first remarks in Iraq, Pope Francis said that the name of God can never be used “to justify acts of murder, exile, terrorism, and oppression” and that minorities cannot be treated as second class citizens.

“Religion, by its very nature, must be at the service of peace and fraternity,” the pontiff said while speaking to civil authorities and diplomats.

[Click here to read “Pope Francis’ Full Speech to the Authorities of Iraq” }

The pontiff noted that over the past several decades, Iraq had been affected by the scourge of terrorism and sectarian violence grounded in a “fundamentalism” incapable of accepting the “peaceful coexistence of different ethnic and religious groups, different ideas and cultures.”

This violence brought in its wake death, destruction, and ruin, and not only of material things, he argued: “The damage is so much deeper if we think of the heartbreak endured by so many individuals and communities, and wounds that will take years to heal.”

The number of those killed since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq is virtually impossible to calculate. In addition to the thousands killed during the war, there are those killed in the jihadi violence afterward.

During ISIS’s 2013-2017 reign of terror, there were cases of Yazidi women put in cages, naked and burned alive in the public square by ISIS for refusing to submit to sexual demands, and Christians crucified and beheaded for refusing to convert to Islam.

Today, though arguably less grueling, the violence against minorities continues, perpetrated by militias, formed in many cases by former ISIS combatants, who are terrorizing civilians.

In his remarks, Pope Francis noted that God created all human beings equal in dignity and rights.

“In Iraq too, the Catholic Church desires to be a friend to all and, through interreligious dialogue, to cooperate constructively with other religions in serving the cause of peace,” he said, making a case for the place of Christianity in Iraq, saying that the age-old presence of Christians in the land of Abraham, and the contributions they have made to the life of the nation, constitute a rich heritage that they want to continue to put at the service of all.

“Their participation in public life, as citizens with full rights, freedoms, and responsibilities, will testify that a healthy pluralism of religious beliefs, ethnicities, and cultures can contribute to the nation’s prosperity and harmony,” the pope said.

The Argentine pontiff, who will be in Iraq until Monday, highlighted that his apostolic visit is taking place as the world tries to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected people’s health and contributed to making social and economic conditions all the more fragile and unstable.

The coronavirus crisis requires “concerted efforts,” including in the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Yet, Pope Francis said, this by itself is not enough.

“This crisis is above all a summons to ‘rethink our styles of life… and the meaning of our existence,’ ” he said, quoting his encyclical Fratelli Tutti.

Speaking about the suffering endured by many in Iraq, the pontiff singled out the Yazidis as “innocent victims of senseless and brutal atrocities, persecuted and killed for their religion, and whose very identity and survival was put at risk.”

In a span of a few hours in August 2014, some 5,000 Yazidi men were brutally murdered by ISIS, and some 7,000 women and children were kidnapped. The whereabouts of close to 2,500 of them are still unknown.

More than half a million Yazidis were then forced to leave their homeland in the Sinjar region of Iraq.

The pope said the only way to begin an “effective process of rebuilding” and leave a better and more humane world to future generations is by looking beyond differences to instead see each other as members of the same human family.

“In this regard, the religious, cultural, and ethnic diversity that has been a hallmark of Iraqi society for millennia is a precious resource on which to draw, not an obstacle to be eliminated,” Pope Francis said. “Iraq today is called to show everyone, especially in the Middle East, that diversity, instead of giving rise to conflict, should lead to harmonious cooperation in the life of society.”

He applauded the efforts being made by authorities to grant all religious communities recognition, with their rights respected and lives protected.

Speaking about a society’s need to bear the imprint of fraternal unity to live in solidarity, the pontiff remembered all those who have lost family members and loved ones, as well as their homes or livelihood “due to violence, persecution or terrorism.”

“I think too of those who continue to struggle for security and the means of personal and economic survival at a time of growing unemployment and poverty,” he said.

The fact that “we are responsible for the fragility of others,” the pope added, should be an inspiration to create opportunities of progress, not only economically but also in terms of education and care for the environment.

“Following a crisis, it is not enough simply to rebuild; we need to rebuild well so that all can enjoy a dignified life,” he said, insisting “we never emerge from a crisis the same as we were; we emerge from it either better or worse.”

In a country that has seen thousands protest against endemic corruption in recent days, Pope Francis told politicians and diplomats that it’s not enough to simply combat the “scourge of corruption, misuse of power and disregard for law,” it is also necessary to promote justice and foster honesty, transparency and a strengthening of institutions.

The pontiff also noted that through the years, many had continuously prayed for Iraq, including St. John Paul II, who “spared no initiatives and above all offered his prayers and sufferings” for peace in this country.

God, he said, “always listens,” but it’s up to humanity to listen to him and walk his path.

“May the clash of arms be silenced!” Pope Francis urged. “May their spread be curbed, here and everywhere! May partisan interests cease, those outside interests uninterested in the local population. May the voice of builders and peacemakers find a hearing! The voice of the humble, the poor, the ordinary men and women who want to live, work and pray in peace.”

“May there be an end to acts of violence and extremism, factions and intolerance!” 

He noted the international community also has a role in promoting peace both in Iraq and in the Middle East as a whole.

“As we have seen during the lengthy conflict in neighboring Syria — which began 10 years ago these very days — the challenges facing our world today engage the entire human family,” he said.

After addressing civil authorities, Pope Francis was set to encounter Iraq’s religious community before calling it a day. On Saturday, he’ll have two encounters aimed at fostering religious dialogue, and on Sunday, visit Kurdistan and the Nineveh Plain.

In his remarks, Iraq President Barham Salih said the people of the country “are proud of having protected churches from terrorist attacks” and noted that “Muslim soldiers carried crosses on their shoulders to liberate Christian churches” after the ISIS occupation.

The president said that if Christians disappear from the Middle East, it will have “disastrous consequences. The Middle East is unimaginable without its Christians.”

Salih called on an interreligious dialogue initiative involving the Vatican, the Shia Islam heartland of Najaf, and the Sunni Al-Azhar University in Egypt and other religious groups.

“Iraq deserves better,” the president said: It deserves a “future of collaboration.”

Bishops voice concern over treatment of religion in Irish reopening plan

CNA Staff, Mar 4, 2021 / 05:30 pm MT (CNA).- As Ireland marks the first anniversary of the novel coronavirus arriving, local Catholic bishops are calling for the government to ease its restrictions on in-person worship services.

A pastoral message was released March 3 by the bishops of six dioceses in the country’s western Tuam Province – Archbishop Michael Neary of Tuam, Bishop John Fleming  of Killala, Bishop Kevin Doran of Elphin, Bishop Brendan Kelly of Galway, Bishop Michael Duignan of Clonfert, and Bishop Paul Dempsey of Achonry. 

The bishops compared the current situation to arriving at a false summit while hiking, and realizing there is more progress to be made.  

“Sometimes the last bit can be the hardest of all. We understand the experience of disappointment and frustration that many people feel, at the news of an indefinite extension of lockdown,” they said. 

COVID-19 cases in Ireland have declined steadily following a sharp spike in late December and early January. However, authorities are still urging caution. 

The bishops analyzed the five-state reopening plan for the country, published by the government last week. Under Level 5 restrictions, which will be in place at least until April, traveling more than 5 km from one’s home is prohibited, as is mingling with people from other households. Retail stores, bars, gyms and other businesses deemed non-essential must remain closed.

The bishops acknowledged the need for caution, saying, “we accept absolutely that now is not the time for a major reopening of society.”

However, they argued, funerals are limited to only 10 people at Level 5 of the reopening plan, while a 25-person limit would still allow for safe services and would “bring much consolation to grieving families.”

The bishops also objected to the fact that public worship is banned even at Level 3 of the plan to reopen Ireland. 

“[This] ignores the important contribution of communal worship to the mental and spiritual well-being of people of faith. The fundamental importance of Holy Week and Easter for all Christians makes the prohibition of public worship particularly painful,” they said.

“While, as Christians, we are obliged to obey these regulations, we believe that it is our responsibility as Church leaders to make the case for change. We will continue to make fair and reasonable representation and we encourage you to do likewise.”

The bishops also asked the government to provide clarification on when the public may return to sacramental life – particularly to the celebration of First Communion and Confirmation, normally held at the end of the school year. Without this clarification, they said, dioceses have decided to postpone the 2021 Confirmation class until fall, and parishes are encouraged to adopt a similar schedule for First Communion. 

“Should the circumstances change for the better, this decision can be revisited in each diocese.  In the meantime, we encourage young people and their parents to continue with their preparation. We have provided online resources to support what is being done through the Religious Education programme with the teachers in the schools.”

In their message, the bishops also challenged priests to do all they can to provide pastoral and sacramental care, especially the Sacrament of Reconciliation and sacramental care of the sick.

They expressed gratitude that children will return to in-person schooling, and emphasized the need to share the burden with those still struggling under the lockdown. 

“All of us appreciate the efforts and the sacrifices of those in our community who provide essential services,” they said. “For many people, however, the continued high level of restriction poses practical and emotional challenges. We want to say very clearly that, in the Christian vision of things, every person is essential and no person is more important or necessary than any other.”

“When we pray the Stations of the Cross, we celebrate people like Veronica, who wiped the face of Jesus and Simon of Cyrene who shared with Him the burden of the cross. None of us can say ‘I’m ok’ until we are all ‘ok,’” they said.  

Sophia Brown shares her religion

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