On the occasion of the opening of the Pauline Year in Tarsus, on 21 and 22 June the bishops of the Turkish Bishops Conference have launched a national pilgrimage of the Catholic Church that will take place in the apostle’s native city. It was announced to SIR by the president of the Turkish bishops, mgr. Luigi Padovese. "We would like he stated to start the Year in the awareness of the privilege of being born in the same country as Paul but with the commitment to get to know him better. We will also send a letter to the European Bishops to promote the celebrations of the 2000th anniversary in Turkey. To do this, we have developed a website, Annopaolinoatarso.org, providing useful information such as the Pauline places of Turkey, Mass times and shortly even a draft schedule of events". The prelate spoke of the recent approval of the law on non-Muslim religious foundations that he defined as "a step forward" even if, he explained, "it should only concern those communities that are recognised as minorities, and the Latin Catholic Church is not one of these. It must be legally acknowledged by the Catholic Church". The Pauline Year in Turkey will be opened on 22 June by card. Walter Kasper, president of the Papal Council for the Promotion of the Unity of Christians. Prime minister Erdogan is expected to go too. (dnr)” “
