Churches in Saudi Arabia?

Qatar has built a church in Doha, which is a precedent, since Muslim thoecracies severely repress non-Islamic religious expression. Via Daniel Pipes:

For some years now, the Vatican has made reciprocity the key to its relations with Muslim-majority states. For example, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, the Vatican equivalent of foreign minister, commented in 2003 that "There are too many majority Muslim countries where non-Muslims are second-class citizens" and pushed for reciprocity: "Just as Muslims can build their houses of prayer anywhere in the world, the faithful of other religions should be able to do so as well."

That sounded good, but does anyone actually expect churches to be built in Saudi Arabia, the country that most severely represses non-Islamic religious expression?

Yes, come the surprise announcements. Archbishop Paul-Mounged El-Hashem, the papal nuncio to Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, says that "Discussions are under way to allow the construction of churches in the kingdom. … There are around three or four million Christians in Saudi Arabia, and we hope they will have churches." Father Federico Lombardi, the pope's spokesman, adds: "If we manage to obtain authorisation for the construction of the first church, it will be an outcome of historic dimensions."

This development comes in the context of (1) the opening on March 14 of Our Lady of the Rosary in Doha, Qatar, making Saudi Arabia now unique in banning churches and overt Christian worship and (2) the move toward establishing diplomatic relations between the Vatian and Riyadh, as symbolized by King Abdullah's first-ever visit by a Saudi monarch to visit the Vatican in November 2007. The Apostolic Vicar for Arabia, Bishop Paul Hinder, finds that the Saudi "climate" has improved since that encounter.

Incidentally, Qatar's deputy prime minister, Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah, directly addressing the topic of reciprocity: "We [Muslims] are enjoying the construction of mosques and Islamic centres in the west, so we must be fair [to Christians]."

Comment: Should even a single church open in Saudi Arabia, no matter how restricted, hidden, and threatened in, it will be truly significant step, a tribute to both the Vatican's new, tougher policy and to King Abdullah's reform efforts.

Good Friday Prayer for the Jews

Received by email:
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When Pope Benedict XVI issued a motu proprio (decree) on July 7 authorizing wider use of the Latin Tridentine Mass, some Jews and Catholics feared that the decree would revive an ancient Good Friday prayer for the conversion of the Jews that referred to the "blindness" of Jews, and asked God to "take the veil from their hearts." Several Jewish organizations, including the Simon Wiesenthal Center, issued statements; the one by Abraham Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League was especially strong, calling the papal decision "a theological setback" and "a body blow to Catholic-Jewish relations."

However, this prayer was superseded in 1965 by a revision approved by Pope Paul VI, even before the new Vatican II Roman Missal was promulgated in 1970. A decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites of March 7, 1965, revised the prayers of Holy Week, and in particular changed the Prayer for the Jews recited on Good Friday. The title was changed from "Prayer for the Conversion of the Jews" to "Prayer for the Jews," and references to such language as "blindness" and "take the veil from their hearts" was eliminated. Perhaps some have overlooked this revision because the 1965 prayer was in general use only between 1965 and 1970.

The text of this decree may be found in Latin in Acta Apostolicae Sedis v. 57, pp. 412-413 and in English in Bouscaren & O'Connor, Canon Law Digest v. 6, pp.108-109. Unfortunately, neither source gives the text of the revised prayer; the Latin text is appended below with my translation into English. The English translation by Associated Press, published with the article "Prayers on Jews Revised by Pontiff," New York Times, April 1, 1965, is imprecise.

This decree of March 7, 1965 is still in effect whenever the Tridentine Missal is used. Pope Benedict XVI stated in his motu proprio "Summorum Pontificum" (Art. 1) that the (Tridentine) Roman Missal promulgated by Pius V in 1570 and republished by John XXIII in 1962 has never been abrogated; the March 7, 1965 decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites hasn't been abrogated either.

The Latin text:

"Oremus et pro Iudaeis: ut Deus et Dominus noster faciem suam super eos illuminare dignetur; ut et ipsi agnoscant omnium Redemptorem, Iesum Christum Dominum nostrum.

"Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui promissiones tuas Abrahae et semini eius ontulisti: Ecclesiae tuae preces clementer exaudi; ut populus acquisitionis antiquae ad Redemptionis mereatur plenitudinem pervenire."

My translation:

"Let us pray also for the Jews: that our Lord and God let his face shine upon them; that they also may recognize the Redeemer of all, Jesus Christ our Lord.

"Almighty and Eternal God, who has given thy promises to Abraham and his seed: hear with kindness the prayers of thy Church; that the people chosen of old may be able to attain the fullness of Redemption."

I should add that while the 1965 version of the Prayer for the Jews is an improvement over the ancient version, yet it is inferior to the Vatican II version of 1970. In the interest of good Catholic-Jewish relations, the possibility suggested by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, that the Vatican II version of 1970 be used in all Good Friday services (Latin and vernacular), is the most desirable outcome.

I may also add that given the great improvement in Jewish-Catholic relations over the forty-odd years since the Second Vatican Council, it's deplorable that Mr. Foxman was so quick to issue his statement, without waiting for the matter to be clarified. There was no need for haste, as the next Good Friday falls on March 21, 2008. If there was "a body blow to Catholic-Jewish relations," the blow was delivered by Mr. Foxman himself.

More information on this subject may be found at the web site of the International Council of Christians and Jews.

Pope in private audience with head of anti-Semitic radio station

Very disconcerting. From WJC:

Pope Benedict XVI has received members of a Polish delegation that included Tadeusz Rydzyk, the owner of the controversial Polish radio station "Radio Maryja". The Redemptionist priest has repeatedly come under fire for anti-Semitic broadcasts and a recent attack on Polish president Kacynski and his wife.

According to a report in a Polish newspaper that is part of Rydzyk's media group, the group of Polish pilgrims was received by the Pope at his summer residence, Castel Gandolfo, near Rome. The paper "Nasz Dziennik" reports that the Pope thanked the listeners of Radio Maryja for their prayers for him and gave his blessing to the radio station and its work. The Vatican confirmed the meeting, but refused to comment on its meaning. The Pope was free to receive whoever he wanted in private audience, a Vatican spokesman told journalists in Rome.

Last year, anti-Semitic broadcasts by Radio Maryja caused considerable concern in the Vatican, which demanded the intervention of Polish church officials. The church set up a supervisory committee but has since failed to significantly alter the programming of the ultra-conservative broadcaster. In his most recent outburst, Rydzyk attacked the Polish government led by the twin Kacynski brothers of "selling out to Jews"� and called the Polish first lady a "witch".

Israel seeks return of Temple artifacts from the Vatican. Do any exist? What evidence do we have?

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