Turkey, visible minority” “

“The Catholic community in Turkey is a tiny minority, some 32,000 faithful out of a total population of some 70 million, but its activities are observed with great interest. It is a multicultural community, with good ecumenical relations. It also seeks dialogue with the Moslem majority, before which Christians are called to express themselves with a common voice. And the parishes, despite their difficulties, are fundamental places for Christian witness. The visibility of the Catholic Church, which is not officially recognized, is also dependent on them”. So says the vicar general of Istanbul, Father Lorenzo Piretto, who has spoken to SIR about his experiences in the city’s parishes. Urgent need for formation. “There are 10 parishes in Istanbul. Three of them – explains Father Piretto – are frequented by French, German and Polish faithful. All the parishes, or almost all, have very small communities: that’s why common programming for pastoral work and catechesis is indispensable”. To this end, “a three-year course of formation for catechists was promoted in Istanbul three years ago. Of the 15 who began the course only 3 reached its end. Nonetheless, in various parishes there are ecclesial movements, in particular the Neocatechumenals and the Focolari, that make their own contribution to formation and catechesis”. Speaking of the parish of the Rosary, outside Istanbul, Father Piretto says: “Sunday mass is celebrated in Italian, French and Turkish. The catechesis of children and the pastoral care of the elderly are well organised, even though it would be important to have in each parish a young priest for youth apostolate and the animation of the liturgy. Marriages and funerals, celebrated in Turkish, are important occasions for preaching the gospel, given the presence of many Turks, the friends of the bridal couple or relatives of the dead”. The Turkish language in the liturgy. “The situation of the Catholic Church in Turkey – explains the vicar – is complex, due both to the multiplicity of rites (Latin, Armenian, Chaldaean, Syrian) and the variety of linguistic communities, in particular French, Italian, English, German, Austrian and Polish”. Progress has however been made with the introduction of Turkish into the liturgy. “It wasn’t easy, but now the Turkish language is accepted by our Catholics both in the liturgy and in parish meetings. The publication “ad experimentum” of the “Catechism of the Catholic Church” in Turkish has been available since August 2000: a tangible fruit of the Jubilee. The “Levantines”. “Sunday mass represents the main opportunity for meeting the faithful. Many faithful not of Turkish origin are present in Istanbul for reasons of work. Some parishes offer ‘monolingual’ liturgies and catechesis, generally lively and well prepared. The parish of St. Anthony, the most central and best known in Istanbul, is noteworthy for the participation of faithful born in the city, but of foreign origin, the so-called “Levantines”. In this case, however, – as Father Piretto admits – the spirit of Vatican Council II has greater difficulty in making headway, also given the proximity of the Eastern Churches, where each change is seen almost as a betrayal of the faith”. Inter-parish experiences. “Our parishes are reduced, both in their numbers of faithful and in their economic resources. That’s why common celebrations and inter-parish experiences are so important. Catechesis for children and adolescents is shared and organised by ecclesial groups. The same goes for the pre-catechumenate and catechumenate provided for adults. The visibility of the Church is dependent on the parishes. And the difficulties are many. In Turkey it is prohibited to wear religious badges or ‘explicitly preach the gospel’ outside churches. Nonetheless there are positive signs that give hope for the future. We are not frustrated by being a minority, but wish to be a living ‘presence’ of God’s merciful love on this earth”.