In the sign of dialogue” “

The release from prison of John Paul II’s would-be assassin, Alì Agca, and the spread of the deadly virus of avian flu (H5N1) are, in recent days, bringing Turkey to the centre of public attention. Turkey is a country increasingly engaged in the slow process of European integration. And the probable visit of Benedict XVI, planned to take place in 2006, ought to give a further boost to this. The Church is closely following all these events, and “making its own contribution – as the spokesman of the Turkish bishops, Monsignor Georges Marovitch, explained in a briefing to SIR – to the promotion of ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue and human rights”. THE RELEASE OF ALÍ AGCA. News of the imminent release of Alì Agca has given rise to no particular reactions in the Turkish episcopate: “our position – explains Marovitch – is that expressed by the Holy See: namely, we defer to the rulings of the court”. However the spokesman urges that “too great a fuss not be made about this release, otherwise – he says – we risk turning him into a hero. Let us rather pray for him, so that he may succeed in building a new life for himself”. The former Grey Wolf, who tried to kill John Paul II on 13 May 1981, has been detained in Istanbul over the last six years not for this attack but for his murder of Abdu Ipekci, director of the Turkish daily “Milliyet”, in 1979. As for his attempted assassination of John Paul II on 13 May 1981, he had already received remission for it in 2000 after serving a prison term of 19 years. “The Pope himself – Msgr. Marovitch recalls – had pardoned him after the attack and also in his meeting with him in the Roman prison of Rebibbia on 27 December 1983. However, justice too must run its course”. FEAR OF CHICKEN VIRUS. As regards the current bird flu alert, the Church is closely monitoring the developments linked to the contagion. “The Government is doing its utmost to contain it, unfortunately the people who live in rural areas are not used to such emergencies and do not carefully follow the prescriptions given to prevent the spread of the virus. In the cities however the mood is serene; there is no useless panic, but a strong awareness. A team of experts from the World Health Organization has arrived; they are helping the Turkish government to implement the necessary measures to stem the virus. We feel that the world is close to us”. RESPECT AND PRAYER. In recent days, in Turkey too, the Hadji (“days of sacrifice”) is being celebrated to commemorate the sacrifice of Abraham. Every Muslim is invited to make a pilgrimage to Mecca and those who can’t to sacrifice an animal. The killing of animals formerly took place almost everywhere, especially in the countryside, even before the doors to people’s homes. “The scene – says Marovitch – was not the most inviting, especially for children. That’s why the government has regulated the custom, establishing specific sites for sacrifices. The meat of the animal slaughtered is eaten by the family and the remaining part given to the poor. To this religious practice the Catholic Church shows respect, fundamental for religious dialogue, and joins with those who go to the mosque to pray to God and for peace in the world”. THE NEW NUNCIO. The arrival of the new apostolic Nuncio is official. He is Monsignor Antonio Lucibello, who has taken the place of Monsignor Edmond Farhat. On 28 December he presented his letters of credence to the President of the Republic, and on 31 December went to Istanbul for courtesy calls on Patriarch Bartholomew I, the Armenian Patriarch Mesrob II and all the bishops of Istanbul. “A start to the new year in the sign of ecumenical dialogue”, comments the spokesman of the Turkish bishops, who also draws attention to “the letter that the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister sent to the Catholic community for Christmas. The municipality of Istanbul followed suit with a message that was read out in churches. It’s the first time anything like this has happened and can only strengthen inter-faith dialogue”. A POINTLESS CONTROVERSY. “A pointless controversy”: that’s how Marovitch dismisses the controversy about the news of the date of the forthcoming visit of the Pope to Turkey, on 30 November, feast of St. Andrew, patron of the ecumenical patriarchate. According to some dailies, this date is not welcome to the Turkish government, which reads into it the particular closeness of the Pope to the ecumenical Patriarchate. “It seems to me premature to speak of this visit – comments the spokesman -. We need to await the decision of the Holy See on the matter”. The spokesman, however, expresses the hope that, to coincide with this visit, the Turkish government may approve the law that recognizes the juridical personality of the Churches, which “would enable us to regain possession of many of our properties and provide for the proper management of other real estate”.