Pentecost Sunday Spiritus Domini Replevit Orbem Terrarum
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ﻧﺼﺎﺭﺍ Nasara ﻥ ﺟﻮزا ﻫـ ش THE HOLY SPIRIT SPEAKS FARSI he Acts of the Apostles re- ports that, on the day of Pentecost, “there were de- vout Jews from every nation Tunder heaven staying in Jerusa- lem” (2:5). After receiving the Holy Spirit, the Apostles “began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit ena- bled them to proclaim” (2:4). Those people “were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language” (2:6). That is why, “astounded and bewildered” (2:12) as they were, they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galile- ans? Then how does each of us hear them in his own native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God” (2:7-11). It is not so clear wheth- er it was the Apostles that spoke in different tongues (v. 4) or it was peo- ple that heard them in their own lan- Pentecost Sunday guage (vv. 8 & 11). Anyway, what mat- ters is that each one understood what Spiritus Domini replevit orbem terrarum the apostles said. (Continued on page 2) Some History he possibility to host a furthermore, was praised by the Catholic Chaplain with- Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Italian “legation” for its constant and tenacious pres- was provided by “The ence during those difficult years. TAgreement between Italy and Af- In 2002, Pope John Paul II estab- ghanistan to exchange permanent lished the Independent Mission of diplomatic missions” in 1921. King Missio sui iuris Afghani- Amanullah, grateful to Italy for Afghanistan ( being the first western country to staniensis), naming the Chaplain of recognize formally the independ- the Italian Embassy as Ecclesiastical ence of Afghanistan, showed him- Superior of the Mission with the self sensitive to the demand of the function of Local Ordinary for Catholics that were then present in Catholics temporarily residing in the country and were asking for the the country. spiritual assistance of a priest. The missionaries of Kabul were Since the Arab conquest of Persia Father CASPANI (1933-1947), Fa- and Central Asia in the seventh ther GIOVANNI BERNASCONI (1947 century A.D., it was the first time -1957), Father RAFFAELE NANNET- that a Muslim government author- TI (1957-1965), Father ANGELO ized the official establishment of a Since then, none of the various PANIGATI (1965-1990) and Father Catholic presence in Afghanistan, regimes or political-military up- GIUSEPPE MORETTI (1990-2015). although prohibiting proselytism. heavals that characterized the Af- ghan history (the monarchy in its Currently, the Mission is led by For this delicate task, Pope Pius XI diverse aspects, the republic estab- Father GIOVANNI SCALESE. chose the Barnabite Father EGIDIO lished by Daoud, the communist CASPANI, a historian and a lan- —Federico Romoli regime, the soviet invasion, the guage scholar. After a month long Mujahideen’s reconquest, the civil adventurous journey, he arrived in war, the Islamic Emirate of the Tal- Source: Italian Embassy’s Website (http:// Kabul on Christmas afternoon in iban) has ever led to the expulsion www.ambkabul.esteri.it/ 1932 to finally inaugurate the of the Catholic Mission, which, ambasciata_kabul/en/ambasciata/ Chapel on the 1st of January 1933. la_sede/la-chiesa.html) (Continued from page 1) the power that from time immemorial was a rival of the West, Persia. At Jesus’ time in Persia there Then the places of origin of those present are enu- was the Parthian Empire (247 BC – 224 AD), which merated. Most of the nations known at that time could be considered the successor of Cyrus the are mentioned, starting from East to West, even Great’s Empire. It is precisely from those regions though scholars point out the absence, in the list, that the magi came to worship the King of the Jews. of other important countries (e.g., Syria and Cilicia, Parthia, Media and Elam belonged to the Parthian Macedonia and Achaia). Both Jews and “prose- Empire: Parthia (corresponding, more or less, to lytes” (= converts to Judaism) were present. This present-day Iranian Province of Khorasan) occu- means that, because of diaspora, there were al- pied the North-East of the Empire; Media (with its ready Jews dispersed more or less everywhere. capital Ecbatana), the North-West; and Elam (with its capital Susa), the South-West. Well, at the top of the list of nations, there are “Parthians, Medes, and Elamites.” When we think The language of these peoples was Persian. So, we of Jesus’ days, we immediately think of the Roman can conclude that, on the day of Pentecost, in Jeru- Empire. And rightly so, as Judea, at that time, was a salem there were Persian-speaking people, and province of that Empire. But this does not mean that the Holy Spirit, on that day, through the apos- that the world coincided with the Roman Empire. tles proclaiming the mighty acts of God, among ﻥ .Outside it, there were other nations. Among them, other languages, spoke in Farsi, as well LATEST NEWS SR. IRENE’S ARRIVAL man Embassy, on May , where ACKNOWLEDGMENTS scores of people were killed and hundreds injured. ank God, no In our turn, we have to thank two member of our Community was benefactors for their wonderful affected by the incident. Only gis to our Mission. some material damages are to be reported: the glasses of some win- dows and of the door of the ur broke; the door now can hardly be closed; the statue of Saint Miael broke into a thou- sand pieces (evidently, he had to fight hard against the forces of evil, to defend us). In comparison with the carnage caused by the aa, it is nothing. We thank the Aer the Lile Sisters’ departure, Mr. J A. F J. present- our Mission has been enried Lord for his protection and pray for the innocent casualties. ed us with the second and third with a new religious woman, Sr. volumes of the Lectionary for I C A S Mass. We already had the first , of the Consolata Mission- volume (for Sundays and Solem- ary Sisters, who has come to nities), but we laed the Lection- swell the ranks of the intercon- ary for weekdays. Now we have gregational Community of PBK the complete set. Many thanks to (Pro Bambini di Kabul). Sr. Irene Jerry and his Family! was born in in Mozambique; in joined the Consolata Insti- Lt. Col. M M donated tute; from to lived in to us a gorgeous Pasal Candle, the United States, where in expressly manufactured in Ger- she made her perpetual vows. many for our ur. Absolutely Welcome to Kabul, Sr. Irene! remarkable the mention of the current year: the candle has been THANKSGIVING engraved, besides with AD , also with the year according to Ms. J M, sister of Dan, the Jalali Calendar, HS (in !from the United States, thanks Arabic script, ۱۳۹۶). Alleluia God for being miraculously cured of cancer. She is also grateful to us for our prayers. Blessed be the name of the Lord! CALL FOR HELP R B, sister of our Sr. Razia, is critically ill. She en- trusts herself to our prayers. Fur- thermore, since her family is very poor, she asks us for financial support. Can we contribute for We also have to thank God for her treatment? e Mass collec- safeguarding us on occasion of tion on Pentecost Sunday will be the deadly aa near the Ger- for this intention. Be generous! Summer schedule JUNE 2017 Nasara ﻧﺼﺎﺭﺍ ﻥ From June 5 to 30 Father John will be away. During this period, on weekdays, Holy Mass will not be celebrated and the church will stay closed. Holy Mass will be celebrated, at the usual time (5:30 pm), The Roman Catholic on the following days: MISSION OF AFGHANISTAN Sunday 11: رﺳﺎﻟﺖ ﮐﺎﺗﻮﻟﯿﮏ اﻓﻐﺎﻧﺴﺘﺎن TRINITY SUNDAY MISSIO SUI JURIS AFGHANISTANIENSIS Thursday 15: CORPUS CHRISTI Mission Church & Office: (it’s a Holy Day of Obligation!) Embassy of Italy, Great Massoud Road, Kabul Sunday 18: 11th SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME Mailing Address: P. O. Box 21438, Kabul, Afghanistan Friday 23: THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS Phone: +93 799 315 460 Sunday 25: Email: [email protected] 12th SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME Ecclesiastical Superior & Newsletter’s Editor: Weekday Mass will resume on Saturday, July 1, Rt. Rev. GIOVANNI SCALESE, CRSP with the festive Mass of the 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time ORIETUR STELLA JULY 2017 Wednesday 5: ST. ANTHONY MARY ZACCARIA, Founder of the Clerics Regular of ﺳﺘﺎﺭﻩ ﺍﯼ ﻁﻠﻮﻉ ﺧﻮﺍﻫﺪ ﻛﺮﺩ St. Paul—Barnabites AUGUST 2017 The INDEPENDENT MISSION OF AFGHANISTAN (Missio sui juris Afghanistaniensis) is a jurisdiction of the Roman Cath- Tuesday 15: olic Church, immediately subject to the Holy See, cover- THE ASSUMPTION OF THE B.V.M. ing the whole territory of the Islamic Republic of Afghani- (it’s a Holy Day of Obligation!) stan. It is a “particular church”—that is to say, a portion of the people of God—likened to a Diocese (Can. 368). By the law itself, it possesses juridical personality (Can. FATIMA CENTENNIAL 373). It was established by the Holy See on the 16th of May, 2002 and entrusted to the care of the ORDER OF This year is the Centenary CLERICS REGULAR OF SAINT PAUL—BARNABITES of the apparitions of the B.V.M. at Fatima. (CRSP). It is presided by an Ecclesiastical Superior We will pray the Rosary on the 13th of the month (Superior ecclesiasticus), who acts as the Local Ordinary (at 5 pm, from July to October).