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TURKEY: TOP RELIGIOUS OFFICIAL CRITICIZES POPE
Journal Chretien, France
Dec 8 2006
Ankara's top government religious official accused Pope Benedict
XVI yesterday of "doing injustice to Turkey" by declaring after his
historic visit to Turkey last week that the country's Catholics live
under difficult conditions.
In an interview with the semi-official Anatolian News Agency published
in today's liberal Radikal newspaper, Director of Religious Affairs
Ali Bardakoglu complained that the problems of Turkey's religious
minorities had been exaggerated during the pope's visit.
Speaking from Rome on Sunday (December 3), the pontiff had expressed
his "cordial thanks" to the Turkish authorities for their friendly
hospitality last week during what he termed a fruitful and
"unforgettable spiritual and pastoral experience" of Christian
ecumenism and dialogue with Muslims.
But Benedict also noted in his Sunday address that the "small flock"
of Catholics in Turkey "live in conditions that are not easy." His
gentle but direct remark echoed similar comments sprinkled throughout
his four days of public statements while in Turkey.
The pope's comments caused the foreign press to conclude, Bardakoglu
objected, that "Turkey does not have religious freedom. This is an
injustice to Turkey."
"There are countless attacks on mosques in Europe, and Muslims are
facing discrimination just because of their faith," Bardakoglu said.
"But we have never acted like this, making targeted accusations
against the Western countries and all Christians over these actions."
While he described the papal visit as "rather positive" in terms
of Turkey's image and hospitality, Bardakoglu said that resolving
isolated problems mentioned by the pope "required discussion."
>>From the outset, it was clear that Benedict's high-profile visit to
Turkey had the potential to go beyond its related goals of Christian
ecumenism and dialogue with Muslims. In effect, the pope's modest but
repeated comments on religious freedom last week further dramatized
the Vatican's campaign for "reciprocity" between majority Muslim and
Christian nations.
Advancing Solutions
In a clear statement the day Benedict arrived, Archbishop Demetrios
of America declared to an Istanbul press conference, "It is hoped,
if not expected, that the meeting between Pope Benedict and Patriarch
Bartholomew will advance the proper solution" to unresolved issues
for local Greek Orthodox Christians.
Archbishop Demetrios cited recognition of Bartholomew's title as
"Ecumenical" Patriarch, full legal church status, the return of
government-confiscated church properties and opening of the Orthodox
seminary as major problems to be addressed with Turkish authorities.
Thus it was no surprise that Benedict specifically included the issue
of religious freedom in almost every public statement he made.
In so doing, he raised the bar of international awareness and scrutiny
of Turkey's unresolved issues with its non-Muslim religious minorities.
The Catholic leader's observations also made it into the Turkish media,
which rarely gives significant or balanced coverage to incidents of
discrimination or violence against Turkey's tiny Christian minorities.
Sharing a public exchange of dialogue with Bardakoglu on November 28,
his first day in Ankara, the pontiff declared : "Freedom of religion,
institutionally guaranteed and effectively respected in practice,
both for individuals and communities, constitutes for all believers
the necessary condition for their loyal contribution to the building
up of society."
The following day, Benedict again touched on religious freedom and
minority rights during his homily outside the House of Mary, a tiny
stone church on the hill overlooking the ruins of ancient Ephesus.
Describing Turkey's Christian community as "a small minority which
faces many challenges and difficulties daily," the pope noted that
local Catholics were still wounded by the tragic murder of Father
Andrea Santoro, an Italian priest killed last February while kneeling
in his church in the Turkish city of Trabzon.
Link to EU Guarantees
The joint declaration issued on Thursday (November 30) by the pope
and his host, Patriarch Bartholomew of the Greek Orthodox Church,
took an even stronger stance, declaring religious freedom "a witness
and guarantor of respect for all other freedoms" in the context of
European Union (EU) guarantees.
"In every step towards unification," the declaration noted,
"minorities must be protected, with their cultural traditions and the
distinguishing features of their religion." And while they acknowledged
that Europe must remain "open to other religions and their cultural
contributions," the two Christian leaders also called for a united
effort to "preserve Christian roots, traditions and values."
Later that same day, during a formal visit to Istanbul's Armenian
Apostolic Patriarchate, Benedict made reference in his remarks to the
"Christian faith and witness of the Armenian people, transmitted from
generation to the next, often in very tragic circumstances such as
those experienced in the last century."
The Turkish government officially denies what it terms the "alleged
genocide" of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in 1915. Today's Armenian
community, which constitutes Turkey's largest Christian minority,
faces ongoing restrictions preventing education of their clergy,
ownership of their centuries-old properties and legal church status.
In his final mass celebrated on Friday (December 1) in Istanbul's
Church of the Holy Spirit, Benedict stressed that "the church wishes
to impose nothing on anyone...she merely asks to live in freedom."
Even today, during his general audience at the Vatican, the pontiff
continued the theme : "The distinction between civil and religious
spheres constitutes a principle, and the [Turkish] state should
guarantee effective religious freedom. Christians and Muslims should
collaborate together on issues like justice, peace and life."
Pope 'Seriously Misinformed'
As a government-appointed bureaucrat, Bardakoglu clearly had
anticipated some discussion of Turkey's treatment of its non-Muslim
religious minorities during the papal visit.
"If the pope says Christians in Turkey are mistreated, I will tell him
that he has been seriously misinformed," Bardakoglu told Reuters in
an interview published November 24, four days before Benedict arrived.
Sidestepping the rights of Turkey's Christian citizens, Bardakoglu
instead cited his government's support for places of worship for
expatriates living and working in Turkey, according to Reuters.
The EU has identified religious freedom reforms as one of four
key issues Turkey must resolve in its negotiations to obtain EU
membership status.
Statistically, Turkey has fewer than 100,000 Christian citizens. Most
Christians in Turkey are members of the ancient Armenian, Greek and
Syriac communities, in addition to an undetermined number worshipping
in small Catholic and Protestant congregations across the country.
http://www.spcm.org/Journal/spip.php?art icle4465
Journal Chretien, France
Dec 8 2006
Ankara's top government religious official accused Pope Benedict
XVI yesterday of "doing injustice to Turkey" by declaring after his
historic visit to Turkey last week that the country's Catholics live
under difficult conditions.
In an interview with the semi-official Anatolian News Agency published
in today's liberal Radikal newspaper, Director of Religious Affairs
Ali Bardakoglu complained that the problems of Turkey's religious
minorities had been exaggerated during the pope's visit.
Speaking from Rome on Sunday (December 3), the pontiff had expressed
his "cordial thanks" to the Turkish authorities for their friendly
hospitality last week during what he termed a fruitful and
"unforgettable spiritual and pastoral experience" of Christian
ecumenism and dialogue with Muslims.
But Benedict also noted in his Sunday address that the "small flock"
of Catholics in Turkey "live in conditions that are not easy." His
gentle but direct remark echoed similar comments sprinkled throughout
his four days of public statements while in Turkey.
The pope's comments caused the foreign press to conclude, Bardakoglu
objected, that "Turkey does not have religious freedom. This is an
injustice to Turkey."
"There are countless attacks on mosques in Europe, and Muslims are
facing discrimination just because of their faith," Bardakoglu said.
"But we have never acted like this, making targeted accusations
against the Western countries and all Christians over these actions."
While he described the papal visit as "rather positive" in terms
of Turkey's image and hospitality, Bardakoglu said that resolving
isolated problems mentioned by the pope "required discussion."
>>From the outset, it was clear that Benedict's high-profile visit to
Turkey had the potential to go beyond its related goals of Christian
ecumenism and dialogue with Muslims. In effect, the pope's modest but
repeated comments on religious freedom last week further dramatized
the Vatican's campaign for "reciprocity" between majority Muslim and
Christian nations.
Advancing Solutions
In a clear statement the day Benedict arrived, Archbishop Demetrios
of America declared to an Istanbul press conference, "It is hoped,
if not expected, that the meeting between Pope Benedict and Patriarch
Bartholomew will advance the proper solution" to unresolved issues
for local Greek Orthodox Christians.
Archbishop Demetrios cited recognition of Bartholomew's title as
"Ecumenical" Patriarch, full legal church status, the return of
government-confiscated church properties and opening of the Orthodox
seminary as major problems to be addressed with Turkish authorities.
Thus it was no surprise that Benedict specifically included the issue
of religious freedom in almost every public statement he made.
In so doing, he raised the bar of international awareness and scrutiny
of Turkey's unresolved issues with its non-Muslim religious minorities.
The Catholic leader's observations also made it into the Turkish media,
which rarely gives significant or balanced coverage to incidents of
discrimination or violence against Turkey's tiny Christian minorities.
Sharing a public exchange of dialogue with Bardakoglu on November 28,
his first day in Ankara, the pontiff declared : "Freedom of religion,
institutionally guaranteed and effectively respected in practice,
both for individuals and communities, constitutes for all believers
the necessary condition for their loyal contribution to the building
up of society."
The following day, Benedict again touched on religious freedom and
minority rights during his homily outside the House of Mary, a tiny
stone church on the hill overlooking the ruins of ancient Ephesus.
Describing Turkey's Christian community as "a small minority which
faces many challenges and difficulties daily," the pope noted that
local Catholics were still wounded by the tragic murder of Father
Andrea Santoro, an Italian priest killed last February while kneeling
in his church in the Turkish city of Trabzon.
Link to EU Guarantees
The joint declaration issued on Thursday (November 30) by the pope
and his host, Patriarch Bartholomew of the Greek Orthodox Church,
took an even stronger stance, declaring religious freedom "a witness
and guarantor of respect for all other freedoms" in the context of
European Union (EU) guarantees.
"In every step towards unification," the declaration noted,
"minorities must be protected, with their cultural traditions and the
distinguishing features of their religion." And while they acknowledged
that Europe must remain "open to other religions and their cultural
contributions," the two Christian leaders also called for a united
effort to "preserve Christian roots, traditions and values."
Later that same day, during a formal visit to Istanbul's Armenian
Apostolic Patriarchate, Benedict made reference in his remarks to the
"Christian faith and witness of the Armenian people, transmitted from
generation to the next, often in very tragic circumstances such as
those experienced in the last century."
The Turkish government officially denies what it terms the "alleged
genocide" of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in 1915. Today's Armenian
community, which constitutes Turkey's largest Christian minority,
faces ongoing restrictions preventing education of their clergy,
ownership of their centuries-old properties and legal church status.
In his final mass celebrated on Friday (December 1) in Istanbul's
Church of the Holy Spirit, Benedict stressed that "the church wishes
to impose nothing on anyone...she merely asks to live in freedom."
Even today, during his general audience at the Vatican, the pontiff
continued the theme : "The distinction between civil and religious
spheres constitutes a principle, and the [Turkish] state should
guarantee effective religious freedom. Christians and Muslims should
collaborate together on issues like justice, peace and life."
Pope 'Seriously Misinformed'
As a government-appointed bureaucrat, Bardakoglu clearly had
anticipated some discussion of Turkey's treatment of its non-Muslim
religious minorities during the papal visit.
"If the pope says Christians in Turkey are mistreated, I will tell him
that he has been seriously misinformed," Bardakoglu told Reuters in
an interview published November 24, four days before Benedict arrived.
Sidestepping the rights of Turkey's Christian citizens, Bardakoglu
instead cited his government's support for places of worship for
expatriates living and working in Turkey, according to Reuters.
The EU has identified religious freedom reforms as one of four
key issues Turkey must resolve in its negotiations to obtain EU
membership status.
Statistically, Turkey has fewer than 100,000 Christian citizens. Most
Christians in Turkey are members of the ancient Armenian, Greek and
Syriac communities, in addition to an undetermined number worshipping
in small Catholic and Protestant congregations across the country.
http://www.spcm.org/Journal/spip.php?art icle4465