Quotes and news

Venezuela’s bishops waded into the discussion about the country’s future given President-elect Hugo Chávez’s critical health situation.

The bishops said the nation’s constitution must be followed if Chavez does not attend the inauguration, which was held last Thursday but has since been postponed indefinitely. Chávez is in Cuba recovering from surgery.

“At stake is the good of the country and the defence of ethics,” the bishops said. “To alter the constitution to attain a political objective is morally unacceptable.”

The bishops said the government has not told the people the whole truth about Chávez’s health, “which it has the full right to receive with certitude”. The bishops said the government has only communicated, with evident difficulty, its political truth.

Vatican spars with SSPX about Jews

The Vatican was very critical of a statement recently made by Bishop Bernard Fellay, head of the traditionalist Society of St Pius X (SSPX), that Jews are “enemies of the Church”.

Vatican press office director Fr Federico Lombardi said: “It is impossible to speak of the Jews as enemies of the Church.”

He said the position of the Church regarding relations with Jews is “clear and well known”.

Egypt’s Coptic leader vows to stay

Pope Tawadros II, the Coptic Orthodox leader, has dismissed as “irrational” a proposal to divide Egypt’s territory to create a Coptic state. Describing Copts as loyal Egyptians, he added that the Coptic Church is “an integral part of that Egypt that will not be divided”.

Pope Tawadros said Egyptian Christians should “not be afraid” to show their faith, despite the rise of Islamic militance.

On the other hand, Bishop Kyrillos William, the Coptic Catholic administrator of Alexandria, said the new constitution “prepares the way for an Islamic caliphate. We were waiting for a constitution that represents the whole of Egypt but instead we have one that only represents one group of people.”

20-million-plus for papal events

The Vatican said that during 2012, 2.3 million Catholics took part in the various encounters with Benedict XVI. Just over half that number took part in the recitation of the Angelus and Regina Coeli on Sunday, while just under half a million took part in the general audiences.

These numbers do not include the participants in activities held by the Pope outside the Vatican.

If one were to add up those who took part in papal events since 2005 the figure would increases to 20.5 million people.

Week of Prayer for Christian unity

The annual Week of Prayer for Christian unity is normally celebrated in the northern hemisphere from January 18 to 25.

In Malta this year’s ecumenical service will take place on Thursday at 6.30pm at St Patrick’s car park, Sliema. The theme chosen for this year centres on a topical question taken from the prophet Micah: What does God require of us?

The service will be presided over by Archbishop Paul Cremona with the participation of Auxiliary Bishop Charles Scicluna. Rev. Doug McRoberts from the St Andrew’s Scots’ Church, will deliver the sermon. Everyone is invited.

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)