Showing posts with label Lampedusa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lampedusa. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Mass Immigration: Pope Francis Flies to the Island of Lesbos -- Lampedusa 3

Pope Francis on Lampedeusa in 2013
(Rome) Pope Francis announced his visit to the Greek island of Lesbos, which is currently the flashpoint of mass migration ignited toward the direction of Europe. After visiting the island of Lampedusa on July 8, 2013, Holy Mass on the border fence on the US-Mexico border on February 18, 2016, Lesbos will be  the third act on the 15th of April of papal refugee activism.


 
Pope Francis is, next to German Chancellor Merkel, currently the most media effective "Ambassador" for an uncontrolled and undifferentiated mass immigration to Europe. Like no other world leader, he knows how to make the "migration Front" visible and at the same time engage a  one-sided indictment of  "separation" and "exclusion." Here even the Pope spoke last March 4th of an " Arab invasion" of Europe, which he would like to understand, however,  as an "opportunity".

What will change the agreement between the EU and Turkey?

The island of Lesbos is currently in the media spotlight. The reason is the agreement between the EU and Turkey. Turkey has agreed to take back rejected asylum seekers from the EU, but only under conditions. The first condition are billions of payments to Ankara. The second condition is that for each asylum seeker withdrawn from Turkey, another is admitted to the asylum procedure in the EU. In addition to the costs, it means the regulation of mass immigration can be continued in the EU, with the approval of Brussels and Berlin.

Whether the agreement holds that Turkey is a reliable partner, and if the rejected asylum seekers will behave remains to be seen. Additionally it  must be shown whether the agreement is followed through on.

Doubtful helping hand by the Pope

The advocates of "welcoming culture" have been put to the test  of their outrage at Brenner on 3 April on the Italian-Austrian border. They  see the island of Lesbos as a symbol of a "repressive" EU migration policy. Organizations have been called to  rally at Brenner, who were allegedly involved in the deadly "escape route" at Indumeni. Migrants were incited to force entry into the EU by the European extremists. They refer to themselves as "river helpers", had compelled them to force their way into the European Union.  Three migrants who arrived at the torrential border river died.  For these "staged humanitarian catastrophes" none of the inciters was still held criminally responsible. The radical nature of these forces appears even to condone the death of their "protégés," in order to force a population exchange in Europe.

Pope Francis in turn appears poised by his presence, to provide indirect help to protect the extreme position. There currently is no evidence that there will be the desired effect for an anticipated differentiation of the phenomenon on his third visit that one would expect from the Catholic Church leader on Lesbos. The intellectual honesty demands a differentiation and the people of Europe expect a differentiation, that it should no longer be impressed with the impression that there is merely interest in the fate of migrants, but not the fate of Europe and the Europeans.

See about the contribution Background of the Refugee Crisis .

Text: Andreas Becker
Image: Vatican.va/Osservatore Romano (Screenshot)
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
Link to Katholisches...
AMDG

Monday, June 1, 2015

El Papa Solitario: Only 20 Percent of the Bishops are For Franciscus? -- The Shadow Cabinet of Santa Marta

(Rome) Pope Francis (almost) place for all merciful words, but when he talks about the bishops of the Catholic Church, "he seems to pick up the stick," the Corriere della Sera. Italy's bishops had to be told some of the pontiff at the opening of its spring conference on May 18. They had strives startled in the days before, to take cover and Francis to appease (see "Cicero's" Stab in the Hornet's Nest - Italy's Bishops to Take Cover and Rehabilitate even the Ghostwriter of the Pope ).
For months the bishops registered pain not only in Italy, and to their surprise, a rigor of Argentine Pope, with whom she had not expected. A rigor that is directed against them.
Behind expressions of loyalty and fidelity to the Holy Father, there is palpable  discomfort in the episcopate. As much as  the Italian bishops also endeavor to recognize the Pope's cultural coordinates, to understand and to follow these, they seem increasingly convinced that the Argentine Church leader - despite Italian roots - cherishes an anti-Italian prejudice  whose edges are difficult to dull.

Pope of "epochal turning point" has trouble finding followers in the episcopate

The discomfort affects not only the Italian Episcopal Conference and the Vatican. Staff at the Roman Curia have been left pretty hang dog since being  papally diagnosed with 15 diseases diagnostics before Christmas 2014. The mood disorder has been detected also in other countries and their church hierarchies. Francis, the Pope of the "epochal turning point" (Corriere della Sera), seems to be, thanks to media support, easy to do, acting as a popular triumph. Much more difficult, i is for the head of the church to find a convinced followers in the church hierarchy. Moreover, the consensus of Francis seems to sink among the bishops.
According to the Corriere della Sera from last May 20th the numbers 20, 70, 10 apparently reflect the mood of the Roman Curia.  Among all the employees of the pope  there are only 20 percent who would support him with conviction in his government. 70 percent said they would form a "silent majority", which would remain "neutral" to fulfill their cause and wait for the next pope. Ten percent are strongly, however, among the group (though not always stated) who are opponents of Argentina's pontificate.
These figures would tossed around in the papal residence of Santa Marta, in the Argentine community in Rome and in Argentina. The Corriere della Sera talks about a "potential geographic and strategic break".

Bishops Take Pontificate as Truly "Anti-Italian, Anti-European, Anti-Western" 


Catholic bishops
How accurate these figures are, can not be said on the basis of the newspaper's vague source. The fact is that not only in Italy is  the pontificate of Pope Francis perceived as "anti-Italian, anti-European and anti-Western." But  was he not exactly what the Cardinals in conclave wanted? Apparently not quite.
The Fifth General Conference of Latin American Bishops' Council in 2007 in Aparecida, whose final document was then still largely dominated by Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires,  was in the forefront  of Latin American church leaders. Pope Francis register "exactly" that there are cardinals and bishops who never mention Aparecida. In turn, can be heard by high church officials that they did not understand the "reforms of Francis". And ever is the "model Buenos Aires" simply not applicable to the whole Church. It would involve "a" experience, but not "the" experience of the Church.
From the Latin American, especially Argentinean environment of the Pope, however, the   claim is fast at hand among European bishops, and  above all the Western bishops, have the habit to  still to see thsemselves "almost like princes."
Pope Francis seems to do nothing to prevent this divergence between a culturally diverse understanding of the Church at the episcopal level or wanting even merge the two ways of thinking.

Francis "el jesuita" always looking for new ways to reach the goal

However, Francis is quite Jesuit, which is why he seeks the targets in the most viable way. If the opposition to a way is too big, he does not care to insist   and looks for another way to target the same goal. This process repeats itself tirelessly until the set goal is achieved. The probability that a goal was to be closed, is quite low, because it presupposes that the target is recognized as wrong.
A concrete example: When Pope Francis came to Rome, he wanted to change the Roman Curia radically and largely dissolve it. He now had to recognize that this goal is not attainable. The existing Curia but still not to be trusted,  but he has created within the Roman Curia his own "Curia in reduced form".
The remaining Curia he described in turn in his Christmas message of 2014, as the "Levites". Clearly his disapproval of an entire institution could not be missed. Some Vaticanistas felt that the Pope had thus undermined his own pontificate. But Francis sees it differently. In this part of the curia he does not rely in any case. His mansion is a small part of a real existing parallel Curia.

Pope's own parallel Curia - cursus honorum : assets cancelled  with resignation of Benedict XVI. 

In previous preparations of the repeatedly announced eco-encyclical, Francis has not availed himself of the Curia. Rather, the entire preparatory work bypassed the curia. He consulted with it personally, but principally with his team of advisors, selected personalities and experts. For the transcript, he let his ghostwriter from Buenos Aires work. Titular Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez, had largely written the instruction of Bergoglios  final document of Aparecida. The text shoul be subjected to in recent weeks to a further revision. The trusted people who crafted it on behalf of the Pope hand, have but remained the same.
And as for the Bishops, Francis does not rely on structural changes, but to a radical change of the cursus honorum ."So, it's as if all balances after the resignation of Benedict XVI. have been canceled," says the Corriere della Sera .

"Insulated" Pope or self-isolation?

More voices of an "isolated" Pope do not refer to a lack of support of the Pope by diocessan bishops or curia representatives, but in a form of self-isolation. It is the Pope, who merges the traditional hierarchies of the Church, ignoring the usual decision-making processes at the Vatican. "I do not know how long the Pope will succeed in  steering the process and to master that which he has set in motion,"  cited the Corriere della Sera  an unnamed "concerned European cardinal". You've seen it in the Synod of Bishops last October. The pope "was in danger, that it slips from his hand," said the same Cardinal.
More significant  is another concern. As the Pope points his finger again and again at all in the Church, Francis' strength, indeed himself, but weakens the Church. Francis has changed the image of the Church. Conflicts such as Vatileaks, the Vatican bank, pedophilia would now felt far less traumatic than under his predecessor. At the international level, the Church is more active than ever in political issues of Ukraine on the Middle East to Cuba. In an indication that there are many in the Church, also in a leading position, who do not understand the reform plans of the Pope, is countered by the   of the circle of the Pope with a standardized statement: Only those who would say that are those who don't want to change anything.

Francesco Cardinal Montenegro

Lightning careers: From unknown province bishop to cardinal

The Pope tried fractures and fissures that open up because his actions -despite his best efforts- are not understood by a part of the Church, to engage   his charisma.  How long this will be possible is also indicated by the Corriere della Sera on the outstanding issues. Above all there has been no match in language between the Pope and many bishops.
Who agile, as the Archbishop of Agrigento, Francesco Montenegro, whose diocese is in  the headline-grabbing  Lampedusa, has experienced a meteoric rise from unknown provincial bishop to be made a cardinal and this overnight possibly the future Pope, theoretically he may even be a contender for the successor of Peter.

The shadow cabinet of Santa Marta

These capricious personnel decisions reinforce the gap between the "People's Pope" (Corriere della Sera) and the bishops. They feel outclassed by the all overshadowing figure of Francis. Yet they do not say it. However, they complain about the Pope's  attempts to govern the universal Church on  demand by means of a shadow cabinet in Santa Marta. Not all seems to be aware that this criticism also means that the procession of the Pope from the Apostolic Palace to Santa Marta more than just a gesture of humility was that gave him much sympathy in the media and among the people. Santa Marta would then not only form a virtual, but  an actual break between the Pope and the Roman Curia.
Pope Francis always makes for new construction, but the resulting internal church problems and fractures do not seem to concern him in any way. It seems as if the constant unrest, unease and a latent discontent is a means of government for him. Above all the last  , two years, two months and two weeks after taking office have been uncomfortable, especially for the critics of Argentine Pope. Francis himself still seems to literally enjoy his pontificate.
Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Corriere della Sera / Angelo Gelo
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
Link to Katholisches....
AMDG

Thursday, April 2, 2015

April Fool's Joke and Serious --- Good Friday Processions in Paris and Munich

Pope Francis Blesses Political Stunt Prop
(Paris / Munich) From April Fool's back to serious. As a number of readers immediately realized  that the report on the Prohibition of the Good Friday processions was an April Fools joke. The French Blog Salon Beige wanted to illustrate the latent to open aversion shown by the French Government against Christianity in a joke. A serious issue was packaged into a joke.
At  several Parisian parishes, Good Friday processions are held as usual again this year.
So back to serious. Tomorrow is Good Friday, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the most influential supporter of the Kasper theses among the diocesan bishops is leading the Good Friday procession in Munich. He will wear the so-called "Lampedusa Cross", which was made on the Italian Mediterranean island to bring attention to the "fate of asylum seekers." This was announced by the archbishop's press office  yesterday.

Cardinal Marx's politically correct Good Friday procession

In July 2013, the island of Lampedusa was thrown in the spotlight when Pope Francis made his first trip abroad there.
The "Lampedusa Cross" is made of two planks of a ship, with which immigrants from North Africa came to the island, which belongs to Italy.  Lampedusa is off the coast of Tunisia and is the first destination of migrant vessels coming today mainly from Libya to bring illegal immigrants to Europe. Lampedusa is the first place where the arrivals are first received by the Italian Government  before being sent to  Sicily or the European continent.
The 60 kg cross was made by the carpenter Franco Tuccio of Lampedusa and shown to Pope Francis on April of 2014 at St. Peter's Square and blessed by him. It is apparently the symbol of a "spiritual relay race". "Whoever requests it,  gets it," said Emmanuele Vai, Casa dello Spirito, Director of the Foundation e dell'Arte, which supports the action.

"Lampedusa Syndrome"

Cardinal Marx and the Cross
Cardinal Marx thus leads a "crossroads of peoples", who are gathered in "the various linguistic and ethnic groups", said the press office of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. The motto of the Good Friday procession is "I was a stranger, and ye took me in." It will provide the focus,  on the "often life-threatening exodus of asylum seekers."
In Italy, critics speak of a "Lampedusa syndrome", which had been introduced into the political debate. In this escapees and refugees would be interwoven with migration and migrants and generalized into the extreme example of immigrants in fragile boats in  distress off Lampedusa and stylized into a symbol that serves as a taboo for the immigration debate in Europe.
In reality, distress tragedies - thank God - even off Lampedusa, are a rarity. In addition,  only a tiny part of Europe's immigration comes by sea to Lampedusa. It is therefore inappropriate to give the impression to make Lampedusa a synonym for millions of migrants to Europe.

"The Cardinal always has the pulse of the times and the State"

Cardinal Marx thus puts the accent on Good Friday by manipulating a politically-correct issue. "The Cardinal  always has the pulse of the times and the State," said a Bavarian canon, who wishes to remain anonymous, with an ambiguous smile. "He's  taken a heavy cross to bear" in reference to the weight of Lampedusa Cross. 
The SSPX spoke in connection with the Pope's visit to Lampedusa 2013 of a "slant-progressive simplification" of a complex issue.
Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Famiglia Cristiana
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMDG