(Vatican Radio) Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue has denounced the assassination of a young couple in Pakistan, who had been accused of blasphemy.
In an interview with Vatican Radio, the cardinal added that he was “shocked” by the “barbarous acts”.
Listen to the report:
According to the couple’s Christian lawyer, the young Shahzad and Shama Masih were beaten by an angry Mulsim mob on Tuesday and then burned alive. Police instead report the young couple was beaten to death and then their bodies burned.
“Obviously, one remains speechless before such barbarous acts,” said the cardinal. “And what is worse is that religion is invoked in a specific way. A religion cannot justify such acts, such crimes. There is this lay on blasphemy, the ‘blasphemy law’, which poses a problem.”
The cardinal noted that there have been about 60 executions under the blasphemy law since it was adopted. He called for some international intervention in the matter, saying that a minimum of humanity and solidarity is required and that dialogue is necessary.
Since direct intervention in Pakistan’s domestic affairs is not appropriate, said the cardinal, legislators must be helped to understand that laws must respect the dignity of the person.
Cardinal Tauran said the Church must denounce such violent acts publicly, with consistency and force. He said he hopes Muslim leaders will do the same. He said Muslims are victimized by these acts of violence as well, as they give a very negative image of Islam.
“Therefore, it is in their interest to denounce such acts in a vigorous manner,” he said.
The cardinal said solidarity is the way to continue giving hope to Christians facing daily threats and violence. He also underlined some encouraging and well-received initiatives by the Church in the Middle East.
“We need to bet on fraternity,” he said, “which is the theme of the World Day of Peace.”
Report read by Andrew Summerson, article by Laura Ieraci
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) In a meeting on Thursday with a delegation from the World Evangelical Alliance, Pope Francis expressed his confidence that the Holy Spirit “can inaugurate a new stage in the relations between Catholics and Evangelicals—a stage that allows us to realize more fully the will of the Lord to bring the Gospel even to…
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(Vatican Radio) The true Christian is not afraid to get his hands dirty by reaching out to sinners, even at the risk of losing his reputation, because as the parable of the Good Shepherd teaches us, no one should be lost, said Pope Francis at Mass on Thursday morning. Emer McCarthy reports, Listen: Pope Francis…
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(Vatican Radio) The true Christian is not afraid to get his hands dirty by reaching out to sinners, even at the risk of losing his reputation, because as the parable of the Good Shepherd teaches us, no one should be lost, said Pope Francis at Mass on Thursday morning.
Emer McCarthy reports, Listen:
Pope Francis based his homily on the two parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. The Pharisees and scribes were scandalized because Jesus “welcomes sinners and eats with them”. “It was quite a scandal at the time, for these people,” observed the Pope. “Just imagine if there had been press at that time!”. “But Jesus came for this very reason: to look for those who had strayed from the Lord”. These two parables – he said – “allow us to see what the heart of God is like. God does not stop, God does not go up to a certain point, God goes all the way, to the very limit, He always goes to the limit; He does not stop at the half way point on the journey of Salvation, as if to say ‘I did all I could, it’s their problem. He always goes, moves out, takes to the field”.
The Pharisees and the scribes, however, stop “half-way. They were only concerned about balancing their profits and losses and were quite content with this. ‘Yes, it’s true, I’ve lost three coins, I lost ten sheep, but I earned a lot more”. This does not even enter God’s mind, God is not a moneymaker, God is a Father and He goes to the very end to save us, to the limit. This is God’s love. Half-way shepherds are so sad”.
“It is sad to see a shepherd open the doors of the church and just stand there waiting. It’s sad that the Christian does not feel within, in his heart, the need, the need to go to tell others that the Lord is good. How much perversion there is in the hearts of those who think they are righteous, like these scribes, these Pharisees. Well, they do not want to dirty their hands with sinners. Let us recall what they thought, ‘Well, if he were a prophet, he would know that she is a sinner’. The contempt. They used people, then they despised them”.
“Being a half-way shepherd – Pope Francis said – is a defeat”. “A shepherd must have the heart of God, go to the very limit” because he does not want anyone to be lost:
“The true shepherd, the true Christian has this zeal within: no one should be lost. And this is why they are not afraid to get his hands dirty. He is not afraid. He goes where he needs to go. He risks his life, he risks his reputation, he risks losing his comforts, his status, even lose his ecclesiastical career as well, but he is the Good Shepherd. Even Christians have to be this way. It is so easy to condemn others, as they [the Pharisees] did – the tax collectors and sinners – it’s so easy, but it is not Christian! It is not [the attitude of] the children of God. The Son of God goes to the very limit, the giver of life, as Jesus gave his for others. He cannot be content, keeping to himself: his comfort, his reputation, his peace of mind. Remember this: no half-way shepherds, never! No half-way Christians, never! That’s what Jesus did”.
“The good shepherd, the good Christian – said the Pope – is outward bound, is always outward bound: he is moves out of himself, he moves toward God in prayer, in worship; he moves out towards others to bring them the message of salvation”. The good shepherd and the good Christian know what tenderness is:
“These scribes, the Pharisees did not know, did not know what it means to set the sheep on his shoulders, with tenderness, and bring it back to its place. These people do not know what joy is. The half-way Christian and shepherd knows perhaps know some fun, calm, a certain peace, but joy, the joy there is in heaven, the joy that comes from God, the joy that comes from the heart of a father who saves! ‘I have heard the cries of the Israelites and I took to the field’! This is so beautiful; do not be afraid that they badmouth us because we go to visit our brothers and sisters who are distant from the Lord. Let us ask this grace for each of us and for our Mother, the Holy Church. ”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) In a meeting on Thursday with a delegation from the World Evangelical Alliance, Pope Francis expressed his confidence that the Holy Spirit “can inaugurate a new stage in the relations between Catholics and Evangelicals—a stage that allows us to realize more fully the will of the Lord to bring the Gospel even to the furthest ends of the earth.”
Pope Francis spoke about the Sacrament of Baptism as “an inestimable divine gift” that all Christians have in common. “The Sacrament of Baptism reminds us of a fundamental and very consoling truth: that the Lord always goes before us with His love and His grace… The reign of God always precedes us, as does the mystery of the unity of the Church.”
The Holy Father frankly acknowledged the presence of divisions among Christians “from the beginning,” and noted that “rivalries and conflicts” continue between Christian communities. “Such situations,” he said, “weaken our capacity to fulfil the command of the Lord to preach the Gospel to all nations.” Christians would be able to better proclaim the Gospel if they could overcome their differences so that, together, they might spread the Word of God and witness to Christian charity.
Pope Francis said he was pleased to learn of efforts in various countries to build better relations between Catholic and Evangelicals. He pointed especially to the work of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Theological Commission of the World Evangelical Alliance. The Holy Father also expressed his hope that a joint document, “Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World: Recommendations for Conduct” might “become a motive of inspiration for the proclamation of the Gospel in multi-religious contexts.
Below, please find the full text of the Holy Father’s address to the delegation:
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins that He might rescue us from the present evil age in accord with the will of our God and Father” (Gal 1:3-4). With these words, the Apostle Paul expresses our common faith, our common hope. I would like for this my greeting, which proclaims that Jesus Christ is Lord and Saviour, to also reach the members of your communities of origin.
In offering our whole will, with renewed love, to the service of the Gospel, we help the Church to become ever more, in Christ and with Christ, the fruitful life of the Lord “until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ” (Eph 4:13). This reality has its foundation in Baptism, through which we participate in the fruits of the death and resurrection of Christ. Baptism is an inestimable divine gift that we have in common (cf. Gal 3:27). Thanks to it, we no longer live solely in the earthly dimension, but in the power of the Spirit.
The Sacrament of Baptism reminds us of a fundamental and very consoling truth: that the Lord always goes before us with His love and His grace. It precedes our communities; it precedes, anticipates, and prepares the hearts of those who proclaim the Gospel and of those who welcome the Gospel of Salvation. “Reading the Scriptures also makes it clear that the Gospel is not merely about our personal relationship with God. Nor should our loving response to God be seen simply as an accumulation of small personal gestures to individuals in need… or a series of acts aimed solely at easing our conscience. The Gospel is about the kingdom of God (cf. Lk 4:43); it is about loving God who reigns in our world” (Ap. Exhort. Evangelii gaudium, 180). The reign of God always precedes us, as does the mystery of the unity of the Church.
From the beginning there were divisions among Christians, and even now unfortunately rivalries and conflicts remain between our communities. Such situations weaken our capacity to fulfil the command of the Lord to preach the Gospel to all nations (cf Mt 28:19-20). The reality of our divisions disfigures the beauty of the seamless garment of Christ but never completely destroys the profound unity generated by the grace in all the baptized (cf. Ec. Conc. Vat. II, Decr. Unitatis redintegratio, 13). The efficacy of the Christian announcement would certainly be greater if Christians would overcome their divisions and could celebrate together the Sacraments and together spread the Word of God and witness to charity.
I am pleased to learn that, in different countries in the world, Catholics and Evangelicals have established relations of brotherhood and collaboration. Furthermore, the joint efforts of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Theological Commission of the World Evangelical Alliance have opened new perspectives, clarifying misunderstandings, and showing ways to overcome prejudices. I hope that such consultations can ultimately inspire our common witness and our efforts as evangelizers: “If we really believe in the abundantly free working of the Holy Spirit, we can learn so much from one another! It is not just about being better informed about others, but rather about reaping what the Spirit has sown in them, which is also meant to be a gift for us” (Ev. gaud., 246). I hope, too, that the document “Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World: Recommendations for Conduct” may become a motive of inspiration for the proclamation of the Gospel in multi-religious contexts.
Dear brothers and sisters, I am confident that the Holy Spirit, who inspires in the Church, with his mighty breath, the courage to persevere and event to seek new means of evangelization, can inaugurate a new stage in the relations between Catholics and Evangelicals—a stage that allows us to realize more fully the will of the Lord to bring the Gospel even to the furthest ends of the earth (cf. Acts 1:8). I assure you of my prayers for this, and I ask you also to pray for me and for my ministry. Thank you!
(from Vatican Radio)…