For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a MARCH 7, 2021 stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and TERHAD Greeks, Christ the power of God and the PP 8460/11/2012(030939) ISSN: 1394-3294 wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is Vol. 28 No. 8 wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. FOR INTERNAL CIRCULATION ONLY THE CATHOLIC WEEKLY 1 Cor. 1:22-25 Iraq, I come as a pilgrim of peace, seeking fraternity, reconciliation OME: As Pope Francis’ the stars in heaven. scheduled Apostolic Journey “Dear brothers and sisters, let us look to the stars. There is our promise,” the Pope enjoined Rto Iraq began on March 5, all. the Holy Father issued a message to Iraqis ahead of his arrival, express- Hope in spite of suffering The Pope continued to express his closeness ing his joy and anticipation of finally and his message of hope to the many others being physically present with them. who have suffered over the years but have not “Dear brothers and sisters in Iraq, peace be fallen. These, noted the Pope, include Chris- upon you!” Pope Francis said. “In a few days, tians, Muslims and more particularly, the I will finally be among you. I long to meet you, Yazidis who “have suffered so much.” to see your faces and to visit your land, the an- “I come to your blessed and wounded land cient and extraordinary cradle of civilisation.” as a pilgrim of hope,” said the Pope. “From Pope Francis’ visit to the Middle Eastern you, in Nineveh, resounded the prophecy of nation comes as the realisation of a dream of Jonah, who prevented destruction and brought his predecessor, Pope St John Paul II, who had a new hope, the hope of God.” planned to travel to Iraq at the end of 1999 but Pope Francis enjoined everyone to be in- could not make the journey. The Pope’s four- fected by this hope, “which encourages us day journey will include visits to several cities, to rebuild and begin again” and to help each as well as meetings with Christian communi- Children of families that sought refuge in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. other to strengthen our fraternity and to build ties and religious leaders. (CNA photo/Mazur via catholicnews.org.uk) together a future of peace, especially in these of fraternity, animated by the desire to pray to- churches” that many Iraqi Christian communi- trying times of the ongoing COVID-19 pan- Penitent pilgrim of peace and reconciliation gether and to walk together, also with brothers ties still bear in mind. He prayed that the many demic." “I come as a pilgrim, as a penitent pilgrim to and sisters of other religious traditions, under martyrs they have known may “help us to Concluding his message, the Holy Father re- implore forgiveness and reconciliation from the sign of our Father Abraham, who unites persevere in the humble strength of love” and minded brothers and sisters of every religious the Lord after years of war and terrorism, to Muslims, Jews and Christians as one family.” expressed to them “the affectionate caress of tradition that it up to us to continue the journey ask God for the consolation of hearts and the the whole Church, which is close to them and that Abraham began thousands of years ago: healing of wounds,” Pope Francis said. Comfort to a Church in trying moments to the martyred Middle East” and encourages to walk together, in the same spirit, along the Recent decades marked by war, insecurity Pope Francis, turning his thoughts to the many them to go forward. paths of peace. and persecution have reduced the numbers of Christians who have borne witness to their “Let us not allow the terrible suffering you Pope Francis concluded his message by in- the once vibrant Christian communities in Iraq, faith in Jesus in the midst of difficult trials, ex- have experienced, which grieves me so much, voking God’s blessings upon all and asking which numbered between 1 and 1.4 million in pressed his gratitude to them and offered some to prevail,” Pope Francis urged. “Let us not everyone to accompany him in prayer. 2003 but presently are an estimated 300,000 to fatherly words of comfort. give up in the face of the spread of evil.” “I ask all of you to do the same as Abra- 400,000 people. “I look forward to seeing you,” the Pope Further encouraging Iraqis to refer to their ham,” said the Pope. “Walk in hope and never “And I come among you as a pilgrim of said. “I am honoured to meet a martyred ancient sources of wisdom, the Pope reminded stop looking at the stars.” — By Fr Benedict peace, to repeat: ‘you are all brothers and sis- Church. Thank you for your witness.” them of the example of Abraham who, though Mayaki, SJ, Vatican news ters’,” continued the Pope. The Pope went on to acknowledge “the im- he left everything, never lost hope and went on “Yes, I come as a pilgrim of peace in search ages of the destroyed houses and desecrated to be the father of descendants as numerous as l See Pages 9, 10, 11 & 13 for more Pope Francis prays for a renewal of the Sacrament of Reconciliation VATICAN: Pope Francis’ prayer in- the forgiveness and infinite mercy of sin again and performs an act of con- tention for the month of March is for God.” trition, usually called a penance. a renewed experience of the Sacra- Reconciliation, also called the Through the priest, God grants his ment of Reconciliation. Sacrament of Penance or confession, pardon and peace, and the penitent is In his video for the prayer inten- is the means through which God reconciled to God. tion, created by the Pope’s World- grants pardon for sins. Throughout his pontificate, Pope wide Prayer Network, the Pope In the sacrament, the contrite peni- Francis has frequently encouraged asked for prayers that the Sacrament tent discloses his sins to a Catholic Catholics to receive God’s forgive- of Reconciliation would be experi- priest who grants sacramental abso- ness in the Sacrament of Penance. — Pray that we may experience the Sacrament of Reconciliation with renewed enced “with renewed depth, to taste lution. The penitent resolves to not By Hannah Brockhaus, CNA depth, to taste the forgiveness and infinite mercy of God (https://clicktopray.org/) 2 FORUM / REFLECTION HERALD March 7, 2021 Battling the false gods of power and wealth he other day I saw a video of a group against false gods – one that symbolised ma- of Christians out on the streetS of My- Sunday Observer terial wealth (the molten calf) and the other Tanmar, earnestly praying for peace (Baal) promoted by a worldly power (Queen as security personnel looked on and filmed By Jezebel). them. Interestingly enough, some believe the At the time of writing, over 1,000 indi- Anil Netto Transfiguration took place at Mount Tabor, viduals have been arbitrarily arrested and [email protected] just north of the Samarian highlands, ie not detained in Myanmar, following a mili- far from where King Ahab and Queen Jeze- tary coup against a democratically elected bel reigned. government. According to the UN Human tyranny. could enter the new kingdom. The Transfiguration foreshadowed Jesus’ Rights Office, police and military personnel In the mystical experience of the Trans- Elijah, on the other hand, symbolised the own Passion and the coming of the kingdom. used lethal and non-lethal forces on protest- figuration, Jesus foreshadows his own death resurrection and the ascension, as he had It took place just after Jesus said in Luke 9: 7 ers, leaving at least 18 dead and 30 wounded – and the coming of a new kingdom. He ap- entered heaven alive “by fire”. He was also “I tell you truly, there are some standing here at the end of February. pears with Moses and Elijah on either side involved in an epic contest when he stood who will not taste death before they see the People around the world – even the UN – of him. up on behalf of God against the idol worship kingdom of God.” appear helpless in trying to stop the violence Moses was the great prophet who brought of 400 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Some see this as meaning that Jesus was and the military’s trampling on democracy. the Ten Commandments down from the Asherah. referring to the imminent end of the world Over here, the immigration authorities mountain, where he had received them di- In the ninth century BC, Queen Jezebel, during the lifetime of his followers, and that defied a Malaysian court order and handed rectly from God. But he was horrified when who had married King Ahab of Samaria in he somehow got it wrong. But Jesus had a over 1,000 Myanmar migrants, who may he saw the people had made a molten calf out northern Israel, had promoted the worship of different kind of kingdom in mind – he had have included refugees and asylum seekers, of their gold jewellery and other valuables to Baal, a god of the underworld. proclaimed that the kingdom of God was al- to Myanmar navy ships. We can only shud- worship as their new god. Elijah showed decisively that Baal was ready among us. der to think what fate awaits them upon their The people had known Yahweh through powerless against Yahweh, leaving Jezebel Earlier in Luke 9, we are given precious arrival in Myanmar.