EVENTS IN TIME (BIBLE PROPHECY LITERALLY FULFILLED)(BY GOD)

I WRITE NEWS ABOUT AND PUT NEWS ARTICLES ABOUT ISRAEL AND JERUSALEM PERTAINING TO BIBLE PROPHESY HAPPENINGS.JOEL 3:20 But Judah (ISRAEL) shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.(THATS ISRAEL-JERUSALEM WILL NEVER BE DESTROYED AGAIN)-WE CHRISTIANS ARE ALL WAITING PATIENTLY FOR THE PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE TO OCCUR.SO WE CAN GO TO JESUS AND GET OUR NEVER DYING BODIES.SO WE CAN RULE OVER CITIES OURSELVES.WHILE JESUS RULES FROM DAVIDS THRONE FOREVER IN JERUSALEM.

Monday, January 06, 2014

POPE VISITS ISRAEL MAY 24-26,14-FATAH CLARITY ON JERUSALEM OUR HOLY CITY

KING JESUS IS COMING FOR US ANY TIME NOW. THE RAPTURE. BE PREPARED TO GO.

Former PM’s heartbeat and blood pressure ‘good,’ hospital director says, but 85-year-old still in ‘immediate danger’

By Times of Israel staff January 5, 2014, 11:57 am 2

Former prime minister Ariel Sharon’s condition has been stable for the last 12 hours, and his heartbeat and blood pressure are “good,” Sheba Medical Center director Zeev Rotstein said Sunday morning.“We knew he had a good heart, and now we know he has a strong heart,” Rotstein said, but added that Sharon’s life was still in “immediate danger” and there was no cause for optimism.Sharon is “a true lion” who “continues to fight for his life,” the hospital director added.His family remained at his bedside, the hospital said, and former soldiers who fought alongside him were among the well-wishers who visited him during the day.

Last Wednesday, hospital personnel put out a laconic statement saying the comatose former leader’s condition had taken a turn for the worse.His family was at his bedside on Thursday afternoon, and his condition has since been defined as critical, with indications that he has at most a few days to live. Rotstein said Sunday that his family members were still at his side and the doctors were “treating him with all their might.”In his previous statement to the press on Friday, Rotstein said the former PM was in critical condition and deteriorating, and continues suffering from continuous organ failure that may lead to critical damage to many bodily systems.Doctors said Sharon, 85, who has been in a vegetative state since 2006, was suffering from renal failure that could lead to multiple organ system failure and death. Sharon has been hospitalized at Sheba for seven years.The hospital director said last week that while Sharon’s condition had “seen ups and downs” in the past two-and-a-half months, his life was now in danger.“The danger [to Sharon's life] exists, [but] as we know, Arik [Sharon] is a powerful man and has survived difficult situations during his time in our hospital,” he continued. ”I’m no prophet, but the feeling among the doctors treating him and the family by his side… is that he has taken a turn for the worse.”Rotstein added that Sharon wasn’t receiving dialysis treatment for his kidney collapse, as it was not recommended for a patient with multiple organ failure. He said the ex-prime minister had received antibiotic treatment in recent weeks for infections that caused his condition to deteriorate.“He is receiving all the treatments that a patient in his condition should receive,” he said.In September, doctors reinstalled a feeding tube in Sharon’s digestive system. The procedure was completed without incident, and the former prime minister was returned to the hospital’s Department of Respiratory Care and Rehabilitation, where he has been in treatment in recent years.Sharon is one of Israel’s most iconic and controversial figures. As one of Israel’s most famous generals, Sharon was known for bold tactics and an occasional refusal to obey orders. As a politician he became known as “The Bulldozer,” a man contemptuous of his critics while also capable of getting things done.As defense minister, he led Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon, and was forced to resign the post after a commission of inquiry found him responsible for failing to prevent the massacre by Christian Phalangists of Palestinian refugees in Beirut’s Sabra and Shatila camps.A prominent hard-line voice over the decades, he was elected prime minister in 2001.In mid-2005, he directed a unilateral withdrawal of Israeli troops and settlers from the Gaza Strip, ending a 38-year military control of the territory. It was a shocking turnaround for a man who had been a leading player in building Jewish settlements in captured territories.He bolted the Likud party soon after and established the centrist Kadima party, where he was joined by Ehud Olmert and Tzipi Livni. He appeared on his way to an easy reelection when he suffered a severe stroke in January 2006. His deputy, Olmert, took over and was elected prime minister a few months later.Sharon had a first, small stroke in December 2005 and was put on blood thinners before experiencing a severe brain hemorrhage on January 4, 2006. After spending months in the Jerusalem hospital where he was initially treated, Sharon was transferred to the long-term care facility at Tel Hashomer Hospital. He was taken home briefly at one point, but was returned to the hospital, where he has been since.AP contributed to this report.

ZECHARIAH 12:1-5 King James Bible
1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.
2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.
3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.
5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.

ISAIAH 31:5
5 As birds flying,(PLANES) so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem;(WITH PLANES) defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.(NUKE OR BOMB ISRAELS ENEMIES)

JOEL 3:2
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.(WW3 STARTS BECAUSE JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED AND ISRAELIS UPROOTED FROM THEIR GOD GIVIN LAND)

ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)

PSALMS 137:5-6
5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.
6 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.

ZECHARIAH 14:1-4 King James Bible
1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished;(RAPED) and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

LUKE 1:31-32
32 He (JESUS) shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:(IN JERUSALEM)
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob (ISRAEL) for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.(THATS RULING FOREVER FROM JERUSALEM JESUS DOES)

ISAIAH 9:6-7
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:(JESUS 1ST COMING) and the government shall be upon his shoulder:(JESUS 2ND COMING AS RULING KING FROM JERUSALEM FOREVER AT THE END OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION) and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his (JESUS) government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David,( IN JERUSALEM) and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

JERUSALEM DIVIDED

GENESIS 25:20-26
20 And Isaac was forty years old (A BIBLE GENERATION NUMBER=1967 + 40=2007+) when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.
21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22 And the children (2 NATIONS IN HER-ISRAEL-ARABS) struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.
23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels;(ISRAEL AND THE ARABS) and the one people shall be stronger than the other people;(ISRAEL STRONGER THAN ARABS) and the elder shall serve the younger.(LITERALLY ISRAEL THE YOUNGER RULES (ISSAC)(JACOB-LATER NAME CHANGED TO ISRAEL) OVER THE OLDER ARABS (ISHMAEL)(ESAU)
24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.(THE OLDER AN ARAB)
26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob:(THE YOUNGER-ISRAELI) and Isaac was threescore (60) years old when she bare them.(1967 + 60=2027)(COULD BE THE LAST GENERATION WHEN JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED AMOUNG THE 2 TWINS)(THE 2 TWINS WANT JERUSALEM-THE DIVISION OF JERUSALEM TODAY)(AND WHOS IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM TODAY-THE YOUNGER ISSAC-JACOB-ISRAEL)(AND WHO WANTS JERUSALEM DIVIDED-THE OLDER,ESAU-ISHMAEL (THE ARABS)

Fatah official: We demand clarity on Jerusalem

Azzam Al-Ahmad says proposals regarding ‘greater Jerusalem’ and refugees leave the US secretary ‘in a vicious circle’

By Elhanan Miller January 5, 2014, 1:37 pm 11-The Times of Israel

US Secretary of State John Kerry has proposed designating “greater Jerusalem” as the capital of both Israel and the Palestinian state, a Fatah official reported on Sunday, claiming that Kerry is stuck in “a vicious circle” and will likely achieve no progress in his current visit to the region.Azzam Al-Ahmad, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee and its representative to talks with Hamas, told the Jordanian daily Al-Ghad that Kerry was “elusive” when speaking of the exclusion of East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank.“An ambiguous term such as ‘greater Jerusalem’ in [Kerry's] proposal could reach the Dead Sea, and could [equally] not include [the Palestinian village of] Abu Dis,” Al-Ahmad told the Jordanian daily. ”This [ambiguity] destroys all American efforts to reach a peace agreement.”Palestinian sources have reported “extremely difficult” talks with Kerry over the weekend. According to a report by Agence France Presse, Kerry has exerted immense pressure on PA President Mahmoud Abbas to accept Israel as a Jewish state as part of a framework agreement, a demand Abbas continues to adamantly oppose.The Palestinian source quoted Kerry as saying that the demand to recognize Israel as a Jewish state is not only an Israeli demand, but one shared by the American administration as well.But Al-Ahmad said that Kerry’s ambiguity on Jerusalem and the settlements leave little chance for the Palestinian side to accept his offers.“Kerry is stuck in a vicious circle. If he continues to propose what he has [so far], he will achieve nothing,” Al-Ahmad said.

Kerry, for his part, acknowledged the difficulties experienced by both sides, but insisted that progress has been achieved.“Mistrust obviously exists at a very high level. So we have to work through that and around that and over that,” he said. The secretary of state was traveling to Jordan and Saudi Arabia on Sunday before returning to Israel Sunday evening to continue talks.With regards to the Jordan Valley, Al-Ahmad said the Palestinians rejected any Israeli presence under a final status agreement, but agreed to international forces patrolling the border, including, for example, a joint Jordanian-American contingent. He added that former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert had already agreed to forgo the Israeli military presence in the Jordan Valley during talks with Abbas. (Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists on an ongoing IDF presence to secure the eastern border.)Palestinian officials continued to voice their opposition to provisional or framework agreements as an alternative to the original nine-month timetable agreed upon with the US, which ends in April.On Saturday, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said that Kerry was not engaged in working on a “transitional agreement” but rather was discussing “all core issues.”Al-Ahmad articulated the Palestinian position differently.“The framework agreement is being used to blackmail the Palestinians and reshuffle the cards, or lengthen the negotiation period beyond nine months,” he said.

IS IT A ACCIDENT THAT AMERICA IS FREEZING COLD AND STORMS.WHEN AMERICA IS REALLY PRESSURING ISRAEL TO GIVE UP GODS LAND ISRAEL AND GODS HOLY CITY JERUSALEM.WHEN WILL THESE POLITICIANS EVER LEARN-YOU TOUCH ISRAEL OR JERUSALEM-YOU TOUCH GOD HIMSELF.AND YOU WANNA DIVIDE JERUSALEM.YOUR COUNTRY WILL BE DIVIDED WITH QUAKES.AND YOU WANNA FORCE ISRAELIS OFF THEIR GOD GIVIN LAND.YOU GET TORNADOES-TSUNAMIS-HURRICANES THAT FORCE YOUR COUNTRIES CITIZENS OFF THEIR LAND.AND IF YOU STILL INSIST ON DIVIDING JERUSALEM.THEN GOD WILL SEND RUSSIA AGAINST YOU TO NUKE YOUR WORSHIP CITY OF NEW YORK.THEN MAYBE THE POLITICIANS IN AMERICA WILL TAKE THE HINT.YOU TOUCH ISRAEL OR JERUSALEM.YOU GET TOUCHED BY GOD BY JUDGEMENTS.AMERICA ITS TIME TO GET OUTTA THE PEACE PROCESS.AND LET ISRAEL BUILD WERE IT WANTS.PRAY ON THE MOUNT 24 HOURS A DAY-7 DAYS A WEEK.AND LET ISRAEL REBUILD THEIR 3RD TEMPLE.SO THEY CAN HAVE SACRIFICES IMPLIMENTED TO WORSHUP THEIR ONE GOD KING JESUS THEIR JEWISH MESSIAH.

Kerry heads for home empty-handed but undeterred

US secretary of state bags key support from Jordan and Saudi Arabia after four days of regional meetings

By Times of Israel staff and AP January 6, 2014, 2:06 pm

US Secretary of State John Kerry left the Middle East on Monday without the framework agreement that he has been promoting as an interim solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but buoyed by the knowledge that he obtained Saudi backing for his peace push.Earlier in the day Kerry met with Tony Blair, who serves as special envoy for the Quartet of Regional Peacemakers comprising the United Nations, European Union, United States, and Russia, AFP reported. The top US diplomat also convened with the leader of the Israeli opposition, Labor MK Isaac Herzog.Herzog said he assured Kerry that the majority of the Knesset, including the opposition, supports reaching a diplomatic solution but that ensuring security and the rejection of the Palestinian right of return are central issues.“I stressed that we see the utmost importance in the security arrangements that will ensure Israel’s ability to protect her citizens and the prevention of the right of return of Palestinian refugees to Israeli territory,” Herzog said.Kerry spent Sunday jetting around the Middle East and attempting to shore up support for a US framework plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace, calling the endeavor a challenge that could still fall apart.Kerry, meeting in Saudi Arabia with King Abdullah, said Riyadh would back American efforts to reach a deal between the sides.“I am grateful that the Arab League as a whole and Saudi Arabia individually will be significantly involved in helping build support for this effort,” Kerry said at the Riyadh airport prior to his departure. “Today his majesty was not just encouraging, but supported our efforts in the hopes that we can be successful in the days ahead.”Kerry said after his meeting with the Saudi leader that Abdullah’s 2002 initiative “has been part of the framework that we’ve been piecing together — both in inspiration and substance.”The Saudi leader developed an initiative in 2002 in which the Arab world offered comprehensive peace with Israel in exchange for a full pullout from all territories it captured in the 1967 Mideast war.The initiative, revolutionary when it was introduced, has been endorsed by the Arab League and, technically, remains in effect.“Saudi Arabia’s initiative holds out the prospect that if the parties could arrive at a peaceful resolution, you could instantaneously have peace between the 22 Arab nations and 35 Muslim nations, all of whom have said they will recognize Israel if peace is achieved,” Kerry said.“Imagine how that changes the dynamics of travel, of business, of education, of opportunity in this region, of stability. Imagine what peace could mean for trade and tourism, what it could mean for developing technology and talent, for job opportunities for the younger generation, for generations in all of these countries,” Kerry said.Earlier on Sunday, Kerry flew to Amman, Jordan, and held more than an hour of talks with King Abdullah II and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh. In addition to discussing the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, Kerry reportedly raised other regional issues, including the civil war in Syria, increasing unrest in Iraq, and the Iranian nuclear program.In a press conference held in Jerusalem on Sunday morning, Kerry called his trip “a productive couple of days with very, very intensive talks.” He also said that both Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had made “important… and courageous decisions, difficult decisions,” but declined comment on the content of those decisions.

Speaking in Jerusalem on Sunday, Kerry likened the bid, to reach a historic deal between Israel and the Palestinians, to an enigma.“In the end, all of these core issues fit together like a mosaic, like a puzzle and you can’t separate out one piece or another,” he said, adding that “the last pieces may decide to fall into place, or may fall on the floor, and leave the puzzle unfinished.”Kerry met several times over the long weekend with Netanyahu and Abbas, seeking to finalize a framework deal covering all the core elements of a potential peace treaty, and is set to return later in the month to continue the effort. He is reportedly urging Netanyahu to continue talks on the basis of the pre-1967 lines with adjustments, and urging Abbas to recognize Israel as a “Jewish state.”Beyond these points, too, the two sides are said to be at odds over most aspects of a permanent accord, notably including security arrangements, border demarcations, the fate of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugee demands. There have also been disputes over who will be released in a final phase of prisoner releases by Israel of terror convicts. And it is unclear whether the Palestinians are prepared to extend the current talks beyond their scheduled expiry date in late April.As of yet, no confirmed concrete details of the framework agreement proposed by the US have come to light.

Kerry gains Arab backing for framework peace plan

US secretary of state returning to Jerusalem with key support in pocket after meetings in Amman and Riyadh

By Marissa Newman and AP January 5, 2014, 8:22 pm 13-The times of Israel

US Secretary of State John Kerry spent Sunday jetting around the Middle East and attempting to shore up support for a US framework plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace, calling the endeavor a challenge that could still fall apart.Kerry, meeting in Saudi Arabia with King Abdullah, said Riyadh would back American efforts to reach a deal between the sides.“I am grateful that the Arab League as a whole and Saudi Arabia individually will be significantly involved in helping build support for this effort,” Kerry said at the Riyadh airport prior to his departure. “Today his majesty was not just encouraging, but supported our efforts in the hopes that we can be successful in the days ahead.”Kerry said after his meeting with the Saudi leader that Abdullah’s 2002 initiative “has been part of the framework that we’ve been piecing together — both in inspiration and substance.”The Saudi leader developed an initiative in 2002 in which the Arab world offered comprehensive peace with Israel in exchange for a full pullout from all territories it captured in the 1967 Mideast war.The initiative, revolutionary when it was introduced, has been endorsed by the Arab League and, technically, remains in effect.“Saudi Arabia’s initiative holds out the prospect that if the parties could arrive at a peaceful resolution, you could instantaneously have peace between the 22 Arab nations and 35 Muslim nations, all of whom have said they will recognize Israel if peace is achieved,” Kerry said.

“Imagine how that changes the dynamics of travel, of business, of education, of opportunity in this region, of stability. Imagine what peace could mean for trade and tourism, what it could mean for developing technology and talent, for job opportunities for the younger generation, for generations in all of these countries,” Kerry said.Earlier on Sunday, Kerry flew to Amman, Jordan, and held more than an hour of talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh. In addition to discussing the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, Kerry reportedly raised other regional issues, including the civil war in Syria, increasing unrest in Iraq, and the Iranian nuclear program.In a press conference held in Jerusalem on Sunday morning, Kerry called his trip “a productive couple of days with very, very intensive talks.” He also said that both Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had made “important… and courageous decisions, difficult decisions,” but declined comment on the content of those decisions.Speaking before taking off from Jerusalem, Kerry likened the bid, to reach a historic deal between Israel and the Palestinians, to an enigma.“In the end, all of these core issues fit together like a mosaic, like a
puzzle and you can’t separate out one piece or another,” he said, adding that “the last pieces may decide to fall into place, or may fall on the floor, and leave the puzzle unfinished.”As of yet, no confirmed concrete details of the framework agreement proposed by the US have come to light.Kerry will return to Israel Sunday night and is expected to stay for a few days before returning to Washington.

Kerry praises ‘intensive’ talks, to return Sunday night

US secretary of state en route to Jordan and Saudia Arabia to brief regional leaders on Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations

By Haviv Rettig Gur and Raphael Ahren January 5, 2014, 8:30 am 1-The Times of Israel

After three days of lengthy meetings with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem and Ramallah, US Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Jordan and Saudi Arabia on Sunday to discuss his efforts to reach Israeli-Palestinian peace, as well as other regional issues.Kerry said he would return to Jerusalem Sunday evening, and may stay for several days before flying back to Washington later in the week, he told reporters in Jerusalem on Sunday morning.

“This has been a productive couple of days with very, very intensive talks,” he said.Addressing skepticism on both sides about the probability for reaching a final agreement, he added, “These issues are not easy. If it was easy it would have been resolved a long time ago. These are complicated issues that involve…the survival of peoples. This conflict has gone on too long, so positions have hardened. Mistrust obviously exists at a very high level. So we have to work through that and around that and over that.”He urged leaders to avoid the spate of criticism each side has leveled at the other in recent weeks, with Netanyahu accusing the Palestinian leadership of anti-Jewish incitement, and Palestinians threatening repeatedly to walk away from the talks over settlement construction.“Now is not the time to get trapped in the sort of up-and-down of the day-to-day challenges,” Kerry said. “This does not lend itself to a daily tick-tock. We don’t have the luxury of dwelling on the obstacles that we all know could distract us from our goal. What we need to do is lift our sights and look ahead and keep in mind the vision of what can come and if we can move forward.“I know there are those out there on both sides who question whether peace is possible. I know there is a high level of cynicism, reservations about the possibilities. But it is clear to me that we can work to bridge the remaining gaps that do exist,” he insisted.Kerry said both Abbas and Netanyahu “have already made important… and courageous decisions, difficult decisions” in the negotiations.“The path is becoming clearer,” he added, “the puzzle is becoming more defined, and it is becoming much more apparent to everybody what the remaining tough choices are, and what the options are with respect to those choices. But it takes time to work through these things.A US official told Haaretz over the weekend that one of the main obstacles holding up the framework deal is each side’s demand that their reservations over the framework appear as a separate appendix in the final text, rather than as part of the main text which details the areas of common ground in the talks.“It is essential that if there are reservations, they will be part of the framework, not a separate part. Otherwise, it would damage the agreement. For example, if the framework includes a clause stating that the negotiations will be based on the 1967 borders, we cannot agree to a reservation stating that one of the sides opposes this,” the official said.Any agreed framework would not be a signed document, but would address all core issues, including the borders between Israel and a future Palestine, security, Palestinian refugees, and conflicting claims to Jerusalem, the official said. The official also said if the parties agreed on a framework for negotiating a final peace deal, it might not be made public to avoid exposing the leaders to political pressures at home.But those pressures are already ramping up.Jewish Home Knesset faction chair MK Ayelet Shaked said Sunday morning that her party would not remain in the coalition if the government adopts a framework agreement “based on the ’67 lines.”“A government that accepts the ’67 lines is a government of national suicide,” she said.Kerry reiterated long-standing Obama administration commitments to Israel’s security and Palestinian independence.“The security of Israel is always paramount in my mind, in our mind. For 29 years, I had the privilege of serving in the United States Senate, and I’m proud to say I had a 100% voting record with respect to those issues concerning Israel. And I don’t intend to change that now. Israel’s security is critical and the United States’ relationship is ironclad.”But, he added, “so is our concern for the people of Palestine, for the Palestinians and their future. And I can guarantee all parties that President [Barack] Obama and I are committed to putting forward ideas that are fair, that are balanced and that improve the security of all of the people of this region.”He declined to give details about what difficult decisions the leaders had made, saying, “We are not going to negotiate this in public. But I can tell everybody all of the core issues are on the table.”Kerry’s talks on Sunday with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah are likely to also touch on the civil war in Syria, rising violence in Iraq, and Iran’s nuclear program. Kerry is reportedly to meet next week with Arab League representatives and discuss the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and other regional issues.Times of Israel staff and AP contributed to this report.

Migrants march on embassies in second day of protests

Asylum seekers call on US, UN, EU and other diplomatic offices to pressure Israel to soften refugee policies

By Haviv Rettig Gur January 6, 2014, 9:10 am Updated: January 6, 2014, 12:57 pm 14-The times of Israel

day after the UN’s refugee agency backed their claims, thousands of African asylum seekers rallied Monday morning at a handful of foreign embassies in Israel, stepping up a two-day-old protest against Israeli policies.

The migrants, who are also taking part in a three-day strike, are angry at the government’s incarceration rules, which have seen tens of thousands of them held for long periods in prison facilities in the Negev, and long delays in processing their refugee applications.“We don’t want to live here for the rest of our lives. We want basic rights until we can return,” Dawit, an Eritrean who is one of the leaders of the protest, told Channel 2 on Monday morning.“I love my country, the land I grew up in. My family is in Eritrea. But I can’t live there now,” he said, citing his home country’s political turmoil and repression, including a policy of forced lifelong military service. “Until I can, I only want Israel to treat me like a human being.”The migrants, mainly from Sudan and Eritrea, demonstrated Monday morning in front of embassies and diplomatic offices of the United States, European Union, France, Canada, Sweden, Britain, Germany, Italy, the African Union and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The main demonstration took place in front of the American embassy on Tel Aviv’s Hayarkon Street, where thousands of migrants had gathered by mid-morning.According to spokespeople for the demonstrators, they had delivered a letter to US ambassador Dan Shapiro asking him to use his influence on the Israeli government to bring about the cancellation of the law allowing their incarceration in the Negev.Israel’s regulations on employing or providing aid to African migrants can be confusing. The migrants are generally forbidden from working until they are registered as asylum seekers, but getting that far in the process can be onerous, critics say.Tel Aviv’s Mayor Ron Huldai urged the government to face up to the problem, and to allow the migrants to work. He warned that the friction in his city would lead to violence if the asylum-seekers’ complaints were not dealt with properly. The government is “not merely ignoring them, it’s branding them criminals,” the mayor protested in an Army Radio interview.

Israel’s government says most of the 50-60,000 migrants are not refugees but rather economic migrants, and that they will not be allowed to stay in Israel.“A small minority of these people are really refugees,” Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Ofir Akunis (Likud) insisted on Monday afternoon.“Other countries, including those they’re turning to, America and European countries, don’t recognize them as refugees either,” he insisted in a Channel 2 interview.Some 3,000 people marched from Levinsky Park in South Tel Aviv toward the center of city on Monday morning, before dispersing to the embassies. Orit Marom, an activist in Assaf, the Aid Organization for Refugees, said thousands had been expected at the protests.The protesters called on the world “to help us in the face of Israel’s harsh policies against us,” according to a statement released by the protesters.“We will call on the international community to support our struggle against Israel’s violations of basic human rights,” the statement added.On Sunday, an estimated 30,000 migrants participated in a march that began in Tel Aviv’s Levinsky Park and ended with a demonstration in Rabin Square at which the crowd chanted “No more prison, no more deportation. We are refugees, we need asylum.”“We know the situation isn’t ideal in any country,” the protesters wrote in a statement announcing Monday’s protests. “It’s clear to us that all nations have difficulty absorbing masses of people, survivors of genocide and war, but with that, the nations of the world must honor international conventions and respect human rights.”In Israel, they added, “we don’t get a proper examination of our asylum requests or recognition of our basic rights that will allow us to live in dignity. Instead, the Israeli government sees us as a threat that must be removed quickly. It arrests us in the streets as though we are criminals, incarcerates us for indefinite periods, leaves us on the fringes of society without access to basic rights, and continues to incite against us repeatedly.”

Interior Minister Gideon Saar responded to the ongoing protest on Monday, repeating the government’s position that most of the migrants were not refugees.“They are demanding collective recognition as refugees in order to plant roots in Israel,” he told Army Radio. The state was checking their requests on a case-by-case basis, he added, and its work was “showing results. We’re seeing a sharp rise in the number of infiltrators who are leaving Israel. They understand that the government is serious, that we are serious.”

Most of the asylum seekers, he concluded, “are labor migrants, and the state of Israel is not their home.”

But the protests were being heard internationally this week. The UN’s refugee agency called on Sunday for Israel to reform its policies toward African asylum seekers, saying the involuntary detentions and rules treat them as criminals.In a statement, the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, criticized the conditions at the Holot detention center in the Negev and appealed to policy makers to consider alternative measures to deal with the asylum seekers.The statement said Israel’s policies were sowing fear, and Jerusalem should stop defining the refugees as ‘asylum seekers’ and grant them protection.In their statement Monday, the protesters called for “the direct involvement [of UNHCR] in examining asylum requests,” and for “the nations of the world [to] verify that the government of Israel respects its international commitment, to tell [Israel] that it is possible to [behave] otherwise, that it is only right to treat refugees as human beings, that international laws establish the standards for dealing with refugees. Don’t allow the government of Israel to repeatedly violate our basic human rights, its own commitment under international law, and basic standards of human decency.”

Marissa Newman contributed to this report.

Hateful anti-Israel education shows PA’s true colors, minister charges

Palestinians accused of preaching anti-Semitism, including ‘elements of admiration for Hitler’; PM says true peace requires ending incitement

By Stuart Winer January 5, 2014, 4:32 pm 0-The times of Israel

Israel’s government accused the Palestinian Authority Sunday of educating children to seek the destruction of Israel and look to Adolf Hitler as a role model.At the same time Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu connected Palestinian refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state to what he said was continuing Palestinian incitement.“True peace cannot exist without stopping the incitement against Israel, and educating for peace,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “The refusal of the Palestinians to recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people and declare the end of national demands – this is the root of the conflict.”Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz pointed to a number of cases of anti-Israel statements as proof that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was not trying to make peace.“As it talks of peace in the United Nations, and in the international forums, it teaches for the destruction of the State of Israel and the expulsion or destruction of the Jewish people,” Steinitz told Israel Radio. “It is an entire system of hatred and one that shows elements of admiration of Adolf Hitler as someone who knew how to deal with the Jewish people.”Steinitz, whose ministry publishes an “incitement index” meant to track Palestinian statements against Israel, presented new findings on the subject to the cabinet Sunday.Steinitz’s presentation focused on denials of Israel’s right to exist; emphasis on Israel’s inevitable disappearance; depiction of Jews as subhuman; and statements that all forms of resistance — including terror — are legitimate.Among presented findings were posts on Abbas’s Presidential Guards’ Facebook page that showed maps of Israel labeled as Palestine.Another post used as evidence, taken from the official Fatah Facebook page and the website of its military wing from November 2013, threatens to kidnap soldiers and fire rockets at Israel.“We are talking about very serious things and it is about time that we stopped burying our heads in the sand,” Steinitz said.During the cabinet meeting, Netanyahu backed up Steinitz’s assertions.“To my regret, this incitement is continuing,” Netanyahu said. “Opposition to recognizing the Jewish state and our right to be here is continuing. We are not foreigners in Jerusalem, Beit El or Hebron. I reiterate that in my view, this is the root of both the conflict and the incitement: the nonrecognition of this basic fact.”Speaking at the same cabinet meeting, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who also serves as Israel’s chief peace negotiator, emphasized that the high levels of incitement must not be used as a pretext to terminate the peace process with the Palestinian leadership. Instead, the justice minister said, Israel must work toward reaching an agreement in order to ensure it stays both a Jewish and a democratic state.The incitement against Israel taking place within Palestinian society, and especially within the Palestinian education system, may result in extreme consequences and should serve as an incentive for the Jewish state to advance a two-state solution in order to separate from the Palestinian people, Livni said.

Opposition leader Isaac Herzog (Labor) told Israel Radio on Sunday that while he doesn’t take the incitement lightly, he rejects the notion that the hateful speech reflects the Palestinian Authority’s point of view.Herzog called on the prime minister to make historic decisions and noted that he wouldn’t be surprised if a final agreement sees Palestinian government buildings located in East Jerusalem neighborhoods.

Some Israeli leaders have long pointed to Palestinian incitement, in education and the media, as evidence that there is no peace partner.Last week Netanyahu, recalling Palestinian celebrations over a prisoner release earlier in the week, told Kerry he was skeptical over Ramallah’s commitment to peace.“I know that you are committed to peace; I know that I am committed to peace; but, unfortunately, given the actions and words of Palestinian leaders, there’s growing doubt in Israel that the Palestinians are committed to peace,” Netanyahu said during a joint press conference on Thursday.On Monday, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said terror attacks were rooted in Palestinian indoctrination and Abbas was not actually seeking peace.“They are only trying to get what they can and then they will continue,” he said, charging that the biggest problem preventing reconciliation is the continued education supporting anti-Israel terrorism within Palestinian society.“It all begins with education,” Ya’alon said.

Catalonia urges EU leaders to endorse 'legal' referendum

03.01.14 @ 09:29-EUOBSERVER

By Benjamin Fox

BRUSSELS - Catalonia's President, Artur Mas, has written to EU leaders and world powers seeking their support for a vote on independence from Spain.The appeal comes amid strong resistance to his plan to hold a referendum in November.Spain's governing centre-right Partido Popular and the opposition PSOE have both said it would breach the Spanish constitution.When Mas told media last month that separatist parties had agreed on the referendum questions and on its "consultative" rather than legally binding nature, the Spanish justice minister, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon, said: "The poll will not be held."In an interview published on Wednesday (1 January), Spain's economy minister, Luis de Guindos, added: "There is no national investor who considers that there may be a secessionist process in Catalonia at this time."But for his part, Mas believes he has both the mandate and the legal means to secure a vote.Separatist parties dominated snap elections in Catalonia in November, with politicians who favour the region's “right to decide” taking some two thirds of the 135 seats in the Catalan parliament."Contrary to some reports, there are a number of legal and constitutional options which allow this referendum to take place in Catalonia," Mas said in a letter to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, which was sent in December, but made public on Thursday."I am confident I can rely on you to encourage the peaceful, democratic, transparent, and European process to which I and a vast majority of the Catalan people are fully committed," he added.He also said that Catalonia - which accounts for more than 20 percent of Spain's GDP - is wealthy enough to be a net contributor to the EU budget.He sent similar notes to the EU's 26 other capitals and to 45 leaders of non-EU states.The Catalan referendum, if it happens, is to take place less than two months after Scottish voters say whether they want to leave the UK.As with Scotland, it is unclear whether an independent Catalonia would be required to re-apply for EU membership.If it does, it might make Catalans more reluctant to pursue independence.Currently, opinion polls indicate that around 55 percent of Catalans want to leave Spain.
EU leaders have so far remained silent on whether they would endorse the move.But Mas did not send letters to the EU institutions, which have already taken sides.In responses to parliamentary questions by MEPs, the European Commission has said Catalonia would have to leave the EU before trying to get back in.

Pope Francis confirms May visit to Israel, West Bank, Jordan

Catholic leader announces itinerary, including stops in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Amman

By Times of Israel staff January 5, 2014, 3:58 pm 1

Pope Francis on Sunday announced long-awaited plans to travel to Israel, the West Bank and Jordan in the spring.The visit, scheduled for May 24-26, will be his first trip to the Holy Land since taking office, though he has visited before, and the only foreign trip announced so far for 2014.Addressing a Vatican crowd gathered in the rain for his weekly Sunday blessing, Francis said he would be visiting Bethlehem and Jerusalem. He would also travel to Amman.Francis’s trip will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the historic meeting between Pope Paul VI and Orthodox Christian spiritual leader Ecumenical Patriarch Atengora, in Jerusalem. Current patriarch Bartholomew I will join Pope Francis in Jerusalem in late May, where they will celebrate Mass together at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where most Christians believe Jesus was crucified and buried.In Jerusalem, Israeli Foreign Ministry Yigal Palmor said Israel was excited by the visit. “He’s very welcome in Israel and will be greeted as warmly as his predecessors were,” he said.On Sunday, the Palestinian news agency Wafa said President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the visit and said he hoped it would “contribute to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people who aspire for freedom, justice and independence.”Jordan’s Royal Palace said the Amman leg of Francis’ visit — on May 24 — would mark a “significant milestone for brotherhood and forgiveness between Muslims and Christians and consolidates the message of peace.”Despite the geopolitical backdrop of the trip, the Catholic Church in the Holy Land insisted that the visit was aimed “mainly at spreading and promoting love, cooperation and peace among all inhabitants of the region.”The trip will mark the new pope’s second visit to the Holy Land. He arrived in Israel in 1973, just as the Yom Kippur War broke out. As The Times of Israel revealed in April, the young Jorge Mario Bergoglio spent six days confined by the conflict to his Jerusalem hotel, where he studied the Letters of Saint Paul to the Corinthians.President Shimon Peres first invited Francis to Israel immediately after his election as pope, calling on him to visit as a spiritual — not a political — leader. “The sooner you visit, the better; in these days, a new opportunity is being created for peace and your arrival could contribute significantly to increasing the trust and belief in peace,” Peres told the pope at the time.Last October, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein (Likud) met Pope Francis in the Vatican and invited him to visit Israel and the Knesset.Francis reportedly replied emphatically to Edelstein, “I’ll come! I’ll come!”Both of the pontiff’s immediate predecessors visited Israel — Benedict XVI in 2009 and John Paul II in 2000.

01/ 5/2014 VATICAN INSIDER

Pope Francis will make "a pilgrimage to the Holy Land” next May

Jerusalem

Pope Francis said the main purpose of this “pilgrimage of prayer” is to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the historic meeting between Pope Paul VI and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Athenagoras.

Gerard O’Connell Rome
Pope Francis will “make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land” from 24-26 May, and visit Amman, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. He made the announcement on January 5, after greeting and praying with tens of thousands of pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square at midday on this rainy Sunday.“In the climate of joy, typical of this Christmas season, I wish to announce that from 24 to 26 May next, I will make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, God willing!”, he stated. The crowd applauded enthusiastically.He explained that “the main purpose” of this “pilgrimage of prayer” is “to commemorate the historic meeting between Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras, which took place on 5 January, exactly 50 years ago today.”Last March, Patriarch Bartholomew attended the Pope’s inauguration and then invited Francis to join him in celebrating that 50th anniversary of the first encounter between a Pope and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople since 1054. Francis agreed, and now will make a three-day visit to the Holy Land, just as Paul VI did in 1964. It will be his second journey outside Italy as Pope.He said he will visit Amman, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Then, seeking to underline the profoundly religious nature of this journey – which, significantly, he called “a pilgrimage of prayer” - Pope Francis announced that an “ecumenical encounter” would be held at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem together with representatives of all the Christian Churches of Jerusalem and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew 1. The basilica is built over the site that Christians down the centuries have recognizes as the place of the death and resurrection of Jesus, but in that revered place too one can see clearly the divisions in the Christian family. Hence, the ecumenical encounter that will be celebrated there during the Pope’s visit is an important sign of hope that such sad divisions can be overcome.Speaking from the study window of the papal apartment (which he does not use), the Jesuit Pope did not give any other details of his program for this pilgrimage, but Church sources say they expect him to pray at the site of the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in Jordan, and to celebrate Mass in Bethlehem where Jesus was born.Pope Francis concluded his announcement by asking everyone to pray for this pilgrimage. “As of now I ask you to pray for this pilgrimage”, he said. He also asked all present to pray for him and his ministry as Successor of Peter.

01/ 3/2014 VATICAN INSIDER

Israel/Vatican: 20 years of diplomatic relations

2014 will see another milestone in Vatican-Israel relations

Diplomacy and interreligious dialogue continue striding onwards despite occasional hurdles

By Lisa Palmieri-Billig

December 30^th marked the 20^th anniversary of the signing of the Fundamental Agreement which initiated diplomatic relations between Israel and the Holy See. A sentence in the Preamble reflects the extraordinary nature of the two decades of diplomacy between the City-State representing over a billion Catholics in the world and the State representing nearly 6 million Jews: “Aware of the unique nature of the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people, and of the historic process of reconciliation and growth in mutual understanding and friendship between Catholics and Jews….

The precepts of “Nostra Aetate”, the 1965 Vatican II document that ushered in a new era of dialogue and respect, ending nearly two millennia of erroneous interpretations of the New Testament that repeatedly led to contempt and tragic persecutions of Jews, penetrates not only the Catholic-Jewish dialogue but has also created a special atmosphere between diplomats of the two States.2014 will see another milestone in Vatican-Israel relations: the visit of Pope Francis to the Holy Land planned for May. Israel’s Ambassador to the Holy See Zion Evrony states confidently that “Pope Francis is a friend of the Jewish People, and I am sure that his visit in Israel will further strengthen the relations between Israel and the Holy See.”
“Today’s relations between the State of Israel and the Holy See are based on mutual respect and dialogue” he says, “and although disagreements and challenges remain, we have made significant progress over the past three decades. This will be an important year for a number of reasons: the 20^th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the expected visit of Pope Francis in Israel and the possibility of concluding and signing the Economic, Financial Agreement.”Optimism prevails on the official, diplomatic level, and the flow of cultural/educational exchange helps create new generations free of prejudice. Yet, occasionally, ancient wounds, misinterpretations and stereotypes still re-emerge.A recent example is the upset created by the journalist-priest, Filippo Di Giacomo in an article published by ”Il Venerdi” of “La Repubblica December 27. He accuses Israel’s political class of “near-sighted vision and petty calculations”, inferring however, that the Israeli people are much more open to good relations with Christians than their political leaders. He also accuses “a group of Italian Jews” for placing a text (now modified) critical of Pius XII beneath his photo at Yad Vashem, finding that this hardly reflects the true “Israeli” viewpoint.Moreover, “Israeli Foreign Ministry officials” he says, made “coarse and false accusations against Benedict XVIth a few days after his election”. But this time, when Pope Bergoglio comes, things will be different, Di Giacomo holds, because these officials will be restrained by the large community of Israelis of Argentinian origin who support him…Immediate reactions came from the online daily of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities ( UCEI) ”Pagine Ebraiche”, with an animated ongoing discussion spurred by comments from the Chief Rabbi of Rome, Riccardo Di Segni, and a former Israeli ambassador to the EU, Sergio Minerbi.Referring to Pius XII, Rabbi Di Segni said “Italian Jews know how to distinguish between the clergy that helped them, and the actions of Pius XII. The official silence of the Pope while Jews were being deported by the Nazi-Fascists is still an open wound for Italian Jewry.”Ambassador Minerbi said that the “poisonous” comments of Di Giacomo “should surprise no one….they are based on a basic incomprehension between the two States, since in fact the Vatican has never approved the existence of Israel”.He points out discrepancies in the relationship that carry over even into the speeches of Pope Francis. Minerbi recalls a Meditation on the Acts of the Apostles (13, 44-52) delivered by Francis at the Domus Sanctae Marthae Chapel on Saturday, April 27. Quoting the homily from memory, the former ambassador says Francis called for Catholics to become “an open community and not a closed community like that of the Jews who, when the soldiers came and said, ‘We have seen him with our eyes, he has arisen’, they replied, take this money and get out of here. Because they wanted to solve all problems with money. This clearly anti-Semitic sermon (even if it is taken from the Gospels) did not call forth any Jewish reaction out of respect for the Pontiff” he concludes.It is dutiful to note however, that in his introduction to this sermon (published by the Osservatorio Romano on April 28), Pope Bergoglio specified that he (and the Acts) defined the community as “ ‘the closed-minded Jews’, because not all Jews were such”. In other words, there was no intention to generalize to include all Jews of that time.Regarding this discussion, Marco Morselli, President of the Rome Jewish-Christian Friendship Association, issued a declaration to “Vatican Insider” as well as to “Pagine Ebraiche.”“It must be said first of all”, he commented, “that this Pope, who is particularly loved and respected by Jews all over the world and especially by those of his native Argentina -- who co-authored with Rabbi Abraham Skorka a dialogue-turned-book on the key issues of our time -- can certainly not be accused of anti-Semitism or anti-Judaism. Commenting on the passage from the Acts of the Apostles the Pope was clearly referring to the present time and to open and closed communities in Christianity.” “However, unfortunately” Prof. Morselli continued, “every time one reads passages that emphasize the contrast between ‘the Jews’ and the early Christians (who, also being Jews, are considered as ‘the good Jews’), one faces the danger of reinforcing a negative image of the entire Jewish people of yesterday and today.”Morselli then refers to an editorial by Eugenio Scalfari also published by “La Repubblica” on December 29. “Reasoning in terms of the purest Marcionism, he contrasts the Jewish or ‘Mosaic’ God to the ‘Christian’ God, stating furthermore that Mosaic law does not include any rights or freedoms, only servitude.”Rabbi Di Segni too expressed dismay over this editorial which, he says, serves “the old, banal Marcionist anti-Judaism in a secular wrapping. Marcion was the heretic who contrasted the God of Revenge of the ‘Old’ Testament with the God of Love of the New.”“Years ago”, continued Di Segni, “when ‘La Repubblica’ published a front-page headline entitled ‘The Revenge of Israel’ , we were not wrong in seeing in this the signs of theological prejudice that went far beyond political criticism.”Marco Morselli stresses the ever-present need to further disseminate ‘Nostra Aetate’ and all subsequent documents promulgated by the Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with Jews.“They provide a mandatory guide for Jewish-Christian dialogue: reading and interpreting the Christian Sacred Texts in their historical context, so as to avoid repeating negative stereotypes that can otherwise so easily filter out of the New Testament” he says.“When elements of the past resurface and misunderstandings arise… they can become an incentive to work even harder to repair the damage caused by a lingering ‘Supersessionist, or Replacement Theology’ and ‘the teaching of contempt’ (as Jules Isaac termed the volume he presented to John XXIII in their historic encounter in 1960.)”Morselli criticizes the role played by the various media representatives in the ongoing controversy. “While don Filippo Di Giacomo’s opinions are very questionable” he says, “it does not appear he is expressing the Holy See’s official position or even the Pope’s personal thoughts. One therefore wonders what was the point of asking the Chief rabbi of Rome and Ambassador Minerbi – described as one of the greatest experts in Israeli-Vatican relations – for their opinions. Is there not a risk of giving formal importance to words that do not have it, with the possible result of reigniting controversy over complex and sensitive issues?”“Does Don Di Giacomo believe that accusing Israel of ‘short-sighted visions and petty calculations’ against the Vatican is the best way to prepare for Pope Francis’ pilgrimage to Israel?”Fortunately, however, it seems that the higher echelons of diplomacy and religious authority on both shores of the Mediterranean are not tuned in to these problematic rumblings of discontent.

01/ 4/2014 VATICAN INSIDER

Pope abolishes honorary title of monsignor for diocesan priests under the age of 65

Vatican City

Seeking to eliminate careerism in the Catholic clergy, Pope Francis has abolished the conferral of the title of ‘monsignor’ on secular or diocesan priests under the age of 65

gerard o'connell rome In a new move aimed at reforming the clergy and eliminating careerism in the Catholic Church, Pope Francis has abolished the conferral of the Pontifical Honor of ‘Monsignor’ on secular priests under the age of 65.Henceforth, the only Pontifical Honor that will be conferred on ‘secular priests’ will be that of ‘Chaplain to His Holiness’ and this will be conferred only on ‘worthy priests’ who are over 65 years of age. (‘Secular priests’ are priests in a diocese, who are not monks or members of religious institutes or orders).The Vatican’s Secretariat of State has communicated this news to Apostolic Nuncios around the world, and has asked them to inform all bishops in their respective countries of the decision in this regard taken by Pope Francis. Thus, for example, on January 2, the Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, Archbishop Antonio Mennini, wrote to all the bishops in Great Britain to inform them of the Pope’s decision. He confirmed that “the privileges in this regard” that have already been granted by the Roman Pontiff to “physical or juridical persons” remain in force. This would suggest that the papal decree is not retroactive, those who are already monsignors will not lose their title.The decision does not come as a surprise to those who know Pope Francis. A humble man, he has always been averse to ecclesiastical titles, and when he was bishop and later cardinal in Argentina he always asked people to call him ‘Father’, instead of ‘My Lord’, ‘Your Grace’ or ‘Your Eminence’; he is convinced that the name ‘Father’ best reflects the mission that has been entrusted to a priest, bishop or cardinal. Indeed, during his tenure as archbishop of Buenos Aires (1998-2013), he never asked the Holy See to confer the title of ‘monsignor’ on any priest in the archdiocese.In taking this decision, Pope Francis is building on the reform in this area of ecclesiastical titles that was introduced by Paul VI in 1968, in the wake of the Second Vatican Council. Before Paul VI’s reform there were 14 grades of ‘monsignor’, he reduced them to the three ranks that exist today: Apostolic Protonotary, Honorary Prelate of His Holiness, Chaplain of His Holiness. The original titles dated back to the pontificate of Pope Urban VIII (1623-1644).These three honors are granted by the Pope, usually on the proposal of the local bishop, to Catholic priests who have rendered particularly valuable service to the Church. The priests are given these Pontifical Honors may be addressed as ‘Monsignor’ and has certain privileges, such as those regarding ecclesiastical dress and vestments.Many bishops have tended to use the honor as a way of rewarding priests who are particularly loyal to them, or to promote priests who have showed particular initiative, but not infrequently priests in their dioceses have read it in a different light. Just before Christmas, a senior Vatican prelate told me that Pope Francis had recently refused the request of one bishop who had asked him to confer the title of ‘Monsignor’ on no less than 12 priests in his diocese. Another source told me that in some countries the Pontifical Honor is conferred in a ceremony that, sometimes, is far from the style of Church that Francis desires.The Pope’s decision does not make any changes regarding the conferral of Pontifical Honors for Religious and Lay people, the Vatican Secretariat of State stated in its communication to the nuncios. It said the same conditions apply as previously for such honors, as does the mode for requesting them.