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| August 28, 2002 |
On August 10 Klemens Werth SJ was ordained to the priesthood at the Transfiguration Cathedral of Novosibirsk, Russia. He is the first Jesuit to be ordained to the priesthood in the country since the creation of the Independent Region of Russia in 1992. He was ordained by his brother, Joseph, also a Jesuit and, since February 2002, the bishop of Novosibirsk.
At present the Jesuit Independent Russian Region includes Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belorussia, and Ukraine. It comprises 58 members, among them 25 from other Provinces. There are seven novices, and seven new men will enter the novitiate this September. [Source: www.jesuits-europe.org]
Boston College theologian and conflict resolution expert Fr Raymond Helmick SJ accompanied Rev Jesse Jackson and other religious leaders to the Middle East, where the delegation met with Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in late July.
Speaking at Boston College, Fr Helmick described the group's efforts to mediate between Peres and Arafat regarding the Palestinian Authority's position on suicide bombings. As a result, he said, "There is now an unequivocal statement by Arafat and by all his cabinet committing themselves to opposition and prevention of suicide bombings to the extent that it is within their capacity."
Having known Arafat for a number of years, Fr Helmick said he had a "higher opinion" of the Palestinian leader than that often expressed by the media and Israeli government, which have accused him of failing to halt, or surreptitiously aiding, violence against Israel.
Arafat does not have command over Hamas or some of the more radical factions of his Fatah movement, he explained, but has continued contacts with Hamas and twice--last month and in November 2001--had managed to get them to agree to suspend suicide bombings. These agreements, however, were subsequently scuttled in the wake of Israeli attacks, said Fr Helmick.
Fr Helmick said the continuing bloodshed's toll on both Palestinians and Israelis is evident. He described neighborhoods that would normally be bustling with activity, now virtually deserted as a result of military-enforced curfews or a fear of more violence.
"There's a tremendous despair in that, and when you have that kind of despair you're going to have desperate acts." [Source: Boston College]
There are a number of Jesuits at the World Summit on Sustainable Development E(WSSD) in Johannesburg. The WSSD began on August 26 and runs until September 4. The Jesuit Delegation is made up of some thirty delegates from the Center of Concern (Washington), the Christian Life Community (South Africa), the International Jesuit Network for Development, the Indian Social Institute (New Delhi), the South African Jesuits, and the Social Justice Secretariat.
The themes of Johannesburg--finding a humane balance between economic growth, social development, and environmental protection--involve some of the world's biggest problems that no single country, company, or organization alone can solve.
The millions who suffer most from these problems are people with whom Jesuits typically work: the poor, women, children, farmers, indigenous people, workers and trade unions, migrants. They are the real reason for having a Jesuit delegation at Johannesburg, where few decisions may be taken and many important choices will be avoided.
Since both the stakes and the risk of failure are so high, it is important to be there and give Christian witness, out of our Catholic faith and tradition, to respect the dignity of each human being, the unity of the human family, the integrity of creation. Please join the Jesuit Delegation with your interest, prayers, and solidarity. [Source: SJ Europe News]
Instead of trying to get inspectors into Iraq to see if the country is producing weapons of mass destruction, the United States seems set to launch another war, said Fr Pasquale Borgomeo SJ, the general director of Vatican Radio.
Saddam Hussein's recently expressed willingness to allow UN inspectors back into his country may well be a ploy to avoid a US attack, Fr Borgomeo said in a recent radio discussion.
But the Bush administration seems to have decided to ignore the opportunity and continues to focus on "the military option," he said.
Fr Borgomeo said the Bush administration does not appear to be giving enough weight to the interrelation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the global war against terrorism, and resentment against the United States.
"The United States is trying to combat terrorism, but it deals with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict--even after September 11--as if it has no relation to the growing tide of resentment against the United States and the West on the part of large segments of the planet's Arab and Muslim populations," he said.
The Jesuit condemned Palestinian terrorist attacks on Israeli citizens. In addition, he said, it is clear that a focus on stopping terrorism with overwhelming military force and reprisals "does not pay." [Source: CNS. Do not repost electronically]
With the blessing of the Vatican, support from other Jesuit universities, and a library begun by the Sisters of Sion, Rome's Gregorian University is opening an Institute for the Study of Religions and Cultures.
The new institute is designed for students who will be involved in interreligious dialogue on behalf of their dioceses, religious congregations, or faith groups.
The Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education gave approval to the institute in June. To enter the program, students are required to have a bachelor's degree and a sound preparation in theology or the study of their own religious tradition.
The courses, which will include offerings from other university departments, are open to all Gregorian University students with the hope of exposing future Catholic leaders to beliefs and traditions of other world religions, said Australian Jesuit Fr Daniel A Madigan, president of the institute.
The core curriculum of the institute includes courses in cultural anthropology, psychology, sociology, and the philosophy of religion; theology of religions; the theory and practice of interreligious dialogue; and introductory courses in the main religious traditions of the world. [Source: CNS. Do not repost electronically]
The British Jesuits' Heythrop College, part of the University of London, has appointed Vivianne Crowley, who describes herself as a Wiccan high priestess, as a visiting tutor. Dr Crowley, once described by a women's magazine as "the nicest witch you could ever meet," will lecture throughout the Lenten term on the psychology of religion.
Wicca, from the old English word for witch, is defined as the practice or cult of witchcraft, a form of paganism. It is now regarded as part of the New Age movement.
The Principal of Heythrop College, Fr John McDade SJ, said that Dr Crowley would not be promoting witchcraft. "She is not a member of the theology faculty at Heythrop College," he said. "She has been assisting us with some teaching in two areas of psychology of religion. She does not teach any other areas of study at Heythrop." Fr McDade said Dr Crowley was until last year teaching at King's College. [Source: London Daily Telegraph]
eCatholicism.org - http://www.ecatholicism.org
This is simply a well-organised collection of annotated Catholic links maintained by New Jersey Catholic school teacher turned lay minister Joe Cece. Cece spent four years as editor of the Catholicism section of the about.com weblinks portal, and has now branched out on his own.
West Coast Compaņeros - http://westcoastcompanions.org
These days there are quite a few ex-Jesuits. This is the website of an association of former members of the California and Oregon Provinces of the Society of Jesus, many of whom are committed to continuing their ministry in some form or other. One of these is Vaticanologist Robert Blair Kaiser, Newsweek magazine's Rome-based contributing editor who has been engaged by CBS Television News to provide 'color commentary' for its coverage of the anticipated papal conclave. In continuing pursuit of his post-Jesuit ministry, Kaiser is the prime mover behind Just Good Company, a promising e-zine on small-c catholic culture, that is now in the embryonic stage.
JesuitUSA News is a service of Company Magazine. In addition to the print edition, almost all of the items in Company Magazine can be viewed via the World Wide Web at www.companymagazine.org or www.companysj.com. Any correspondence concerning this mailing list should be sent to the editor at news@companysj.com . The newsletter is available to all Jesuits, to those who work with them, or to those who are simply interested in what they are doing. Tell your friends; the price is right! If you are requesting addition to the list, please include your real name as well as your email address. If you are changing your address, please include YOUR NAME as well as both the NEW and the OLD email addresses.
The editor of this Newsletter is Richard VandeVelde SJ who is ably assisted by Ms Rebecca Troha, Assistant Editor. They would both like to remind you of the following useful WWW links for items of Jesuit interest. Many of these links will lead you to others.
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