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Fatima to become interfaith shrine
The Portugese News ^ | 11/01/03
http://the-news.net/cgi/story.pl?title=F%E1tima%20to%20become%20interfaith%2
0shrine&edition=727
Delegates attending the Vatican and United Nations (UN) inspired annual
interfaith congress "The Future of God", held during October in Fatima,
heard how the Shrine is to be developed into a centre where all the
religions of the world will gather to pay homage to their various gods. The
Congress was held in the Paul VI Pastoral Centre and presided over by the
Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon Jose de Cruz Policarpo.
The Shrine's rector, Monsignor Luciano Guerra, told the Congress that Fatima
"will change for the better." Addressing Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Orthodox,
Buddhist and African Pagan representatives he stated: "The future of Fatima,
or the adoration of God and His mother at this holy Shrine, must pass
through the creation of a shrine where different religions can mingle. The
inter-religious dialogue in Portugal, and in the Catholic Church, is still
in an embryonic phase, but the Shrine of Fatima is not indifferent to this
fact and is already open to being a universalistic place of vocation."
The Hindu representative Ansshok Ansraj, described how already in the Far
East millions of Hindus are getting "positive vibrations" from visiting
Marian shrines without endangering their faith.
Monsignor Guerra pointed out that the very fact that Fatima is the name of a
Muslim and Mohammed's daughter, is indicative that the Shrine must be open
to the co-existence of various faiths and beliefs. According to the
Monsignor: "Therefore we must assume that it was the will of the Blessed
Virgin Mary that this comes about this way." Traditional Catholics opposed
to the Congress were described by the Monsignor as "old fashioned, narrow
minded, fanatic extremists and provocateurs."
For the first time in the 86-year history of Fatima all of the Pagan and
Christian delegates were invited to participate in the Ecumenical
celebrations. One of the principle speakers, the Jesuit theologian Father
Jacques Dupuis, was insistent that the religions of the world must unite.
"The religion of the future will be a general converging of religions in a
universal Christ that will satisfy all", he said.
The Belgium born theologian argued: "The other religious traditions in the
world are part of God's plan for humanity and the Holy Spirit is operating
and present in Buddhist, Hindu and other sacred writings of Christian and
non-Christian faiths as well." In an impassioned plea he said: "The
universality of God's kingdom permits this, and this is nothing more than a
diversified form of sharing in the same mystery of salvation. In the end it
is hoped that the Christian will become a better Christian and each Hindu a
better Hindu."
An official statement put out by the Congress called for a non-proselytising
approach by all religions. "No one religion can irradiate another", it said
"or strengthen itself by downplaying others and an open dialogue is the way
to building bridges and tearing down walls of centuries of hate. What is
needed is that each religion be true to its faith integrally and treat each
religion on the same footing of equality with no inferior or superiority
complexes." It emphasised that the secret to peace amongst all religions is
admitting that contradictions exist between creeds but to concentrate on
what unites them as opposed to what separates them.
Delegates agreed that religious shrines, including Fatima, should be
revamped every 25 years to reflect modern day trends and beliefs. The Shrine
of Fatima is about to undergo a complete reconstruction with a new
stadium-like basilica being erected close by the existing one built in 1921.
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It's amazing how the message of Fatima has been falsely twisted to fit the concept of an eventual universal one world religion. Even Catholic authors nowdays remind us that Fatima was Mohammed's favorite daughter, and that Moslems and Hindus are frequent visitors to the site.
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Oh dear!!! Is anybody else completely FREAKED OUT by this?!?!??? 
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PLEASE tell me this is a joke.
Lord Jesus, I don't mean to make any demands on You, but I'm hoping You're coming back pretty soon!
Slava Isusu Christu!
Karen
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Dear Friends,
I think we need more information on this, on the one hand - there is too much journalistic comment in the article.
And our Father in the Faith, Orthoman, has attacked journalistic licence when dealing with Orthodox issues in the past as well - so I know he will want to hear what other sources say about this.
But the fact is that not only Catholics and Orthodox venerate the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Muslims frequent Christian Marian Shrines and also venerate Orthodox Saints - such as St Basil Ostroshki of Montenegro.
In Coptic Africa and elsewhere, Muslims regularly attend Christian pilgrimages and the like.
During the appearances of Our Lady at Zeitoun in Egypt, Muslims prayed and sang hymns in her honour as they rolled expensive carpets over the sand in the streets of Cairo.
Hindus as well attend Christian shrine pilgrimages and, owing to their faith's syncretistic character, have no problem honouring the Mother of God, Christian Saints - and have even proclaimed Christ an "avatar" or incarnation of their Hindu deity.
And it is no secret that the famous book "Song of Bernadette" was written not by a Catholic, but by a Jew who privately honoured Our Lady of Lourdes, Franz Werfel, who only became a Catholic on his death-bed.
I have seen Jews pray before shrines of Our Lady as did my neighbours when they visited my icon-corner one day.
And there apparently is a book by an Orthodox Christian scholar on the similarities between Orthodox Christianity and Tibetan Buddhism - ritually for the most part, which I'm trying to get an actual copy of, having heard of it at a conference.
There is a fine line, I think, between relativism and good ecumenical relations.
I hope it won't be blurred in this proposed plan.
But we need more information than the word of journalists to discover it.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for the continued conversion of Russia!
Alex
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Even when the Patriarch of Potugal is presented in the news as the one who promoted this "Ecumenical" festival, the fact that Pope John Paul II has appeared and promoted this kid of events leads me to think he is also approving this one. It would be logical to do a certain pilgrimage with both Orthodox and Catholic people because the apparitions deal with issues of these Churches in particular, and the meaning in itself is ecumenical (return of the East to the Orthodox faith and reunificcation East-West), but bringing other religions, that explicitly deny the divinity of Christ (Islam), religions that falsify the Christian message (Protestantism) and Pagan religions (Hinduism, Animism), gives a wrong impression. This would lead people to think that those religions are good and connfect salvation like Christianity and that there is no need for people's conversion to the true God. Same with the false concept of "world peace". Peace wil be the result of justice, and as long as there is no justice in the world there will be no acceptable peace. If just wars are not so common, "just peace" is just a fairy tale. Now, it could be good if there was a real relationships of respect between world religions, this would mean that people who belong to other religions, by respecting the followers of Christ, would be closer to God such as in the Jewish-Christian dialogue, which has been fruitful in Europe, but this is clearly not the case with Muslims and Pagans. Most of those non-Christian religions and their leaders are bitterly anti-christian. Muslims kill hundredds of Christians for their faith each year, just look at what Sudan's evil government is doing. The Hindus are already approving laws in their countries that restrict freedom of religion against Christians and are extremely sure about keeping their primitive Pagan rituals. Buddhists have martyred Christians in many asian nations and now their current "rock-n-roll" hypocrite leader present his religion as martyr while he has said nothing about the previous facts. Bringing the enemies of Christ to a Shrine dedicated to Him and the Mother of God doesn't seem to be a good idea. 
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I agree with Alex that I'd like to see more about this story before we accept it at face value. Even if there's something to this report it only means that something is rotten in Portugal. The Belgian Jesuit Fr Jacques Dupuis who is quoted in the news article provided by OrthoMan is certainly not one of the Vatican's favorites: http://www.natcath.com/NCR_Online/documents/notification.htm David Ignatius DTBrown@aol.com
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What exactly is wrong with interfaith activities? What is wrong when people of other faiths have an interest in Christ (remember the three wise <Zoroastrian> men)?
Interfaith dialogue, if one looks at it, was at the core of many of the early apologetical material. The Christian faith has nothing to be afraid of if people of other faiths want to honor our Saints.
And, despite what many might think, there IS a great need for interfaith dialogue. Instead of Christians and Muslims, for example, at the throats of each other, declaring a holy crusade on each other (like Bush and Bin Laden), if we can get together and work together for peace and justice, and try to dialogue with each other instead of killing each other, THIS would be a good thing not a bad one.
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Our Lady of Fatima, pray for the continued conversion of Russia!
Alex
==========
To what my dear friend? And why only Russia? Why not Ukraine? Or western Europe for that matter where Church attendance is down?
Or are we still going to fantasize that there were no communists, athiests, or KGB agents in Holy Ukraine. They were all from Russia? Or that the chief hetman of the Cossacks that made the pope an honorary cossack a few months back was really not Ukrainian or a retired KGB officer in Army intelligence?
I see you are still a member of the 'Blue Army'!
Orthoan
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Henry,
I would agree with you that there is need for dialogue. I came across this good read from Mark Shea in response to those who criticize the dialogues that are taking place:
http://ic.net/~erasmus/RAZ372.HTM
As to the "news" piece cited by OrthoMan. Personally, it looks like it was a press release written by a radical Latin Traditionalist. I've tried to do some google searches for the event and the Congress cited in the article and came up empty handed.
OrthoMan,
Since you've introduced this piece here could you perhaps find out some more background on this? My gut feeling is this is one of those cases where the whole thing is twisted out of proportion.
David Ignatius DTBrown@aol.com
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David,
Well, I have to admit, I come at this question with a bias. My own theological work involves interfaith issues -- a rare (but not unknown) thing to do in the East.
When I finish my doctoral studies, I am hoping to be actively involved in interfaith dialogues. I am also hoping to encourage more from the Christian East to get on board: it is, I think time, and our own history has a wealth of such dialogue in the past. Sadly, we have neglected it as we have become more withdrawn from the world.
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All I know is that it appeared in a Portugese Newspaper called 'Publico'.
Here is the story in Portugese. Now, if someone can translate Portugese me may find ou additional info -
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P�BLICOnline
O Di�logo Inter-religioso Contra a Religi�o como Ideologia
Por A.M.
Domingo, 12 de Outubro de 2003
Nos �ltimos anos, "a religi�o foi muitas vezes tomada como ideologia,
o que levou � arrog�ncia e ao desejo de submeter o outro". Rusmir
Mahmutcehajic, presidente do F�rum Internacional B�snia, uma
organiza��o n�o-governamental daquele pa�s que junta intelectuais e
crentes de diferentes religi�es, est� em F�tima a participar no
congresso internacional sobre "o lugar dos santu�rios na rela��o com
o sagrado". E, em declara�es ontem ao P�BLICO, dizia que o di�logo
inter-religioso � "essencial", tal como as atitudes da humildade e da
caridade.
"� meu dever ouvir o outro, isso � essencial para a minha alma", diz
o presidente do FIB. Mahmutcehajic, 55 anos, participa esta manh� na
sess�o final do congresso que desde sexta-feita decorre em F�tima,
num painel sobre o lugar dos santu�rios nas diferentes religi�es. O
f�rum a que preside, criado em 1997, ap�s a guerra civil, pretende
contribuir para a reconstru��o da sociedade b�snia, caracterizada
durante s�culos pela "diversidade de diferentes religi�es, num �nico
pa�s e com uma s� l�ngua".
Como mu�ulmano, Rusmir Mahmutcehajic faz quest�o de salientar que
cada vida humana "� santificada". E que, nesse sentido, se podem
encontrar santu�rios isl�micos "por todo o mundo".
Taka Fukushima, 56 anos, monge budista japon�s, concretiza a
import�ncia que d� ao di�logo inter-religioso no seu gosto por cantar
c�nticos crist�os - nomeadamente gregoriano. Fukushima vem do templo
budista de Zenkoji, um dos mais antigos e importantes do pa�s, por
onde passam anualmente sete milh�es de pessoas.
Membro da seita Tendai, Taka Fukushima vive num dos 40 pequenos
mosteiros do templo, onde se encontra a mais antiga est�tua de Buda
do pa�s. Templo livre, n�o ligado estritamente a nenhuma das seitas
do budismo, Zenkoji � um lugar onde as pessoas v�o rezar pelos
antepassados ou fazer per�odos de medita��o.
O metropolita Epiphanios, 68 anos, do patriarcado ortodoxo de
Constantinopla, est� em Madrid desde Junho como respons�vel do
santu�rio dos santos Andr� e Dimitrios. Ali acorrem sobretudo
imigrantes gregos, b�lgaros, russos, ucranianos. Tendo em conta a
especificidade do lugar, os crentes procuram o santu�rio para rezar,
para celebrar sacramentos - baptizados, casamentos, tamb�m funerais.
Mas o santu�rio prop�e tamb�m actividades culturais, educacionais
(aulas de grego, por exemplo) e encontros de medita��o. "� um lugar
para rezar, para procurar a salva��o, procurar a paz."
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Here's the translation of the report from www.freetranslation.com [ freetranslation.com] The Inter-Religious Dialogue Against the Religion as Ideology By THE.M. Sunday, 12 of October of 2003
In the last years, "the religion was many times taken like ideology, what caused to the arrogance and upon I
desire of submit another". Rusmir Mahmutcehajic, president of the International Forum Bosnia, a
not-governmental organization of that country that believing and intellectual joint of peculiar religions, is
in F�tima it participate in the international congress about "the place of the sanctuaries in the relation
with the sacred one". And, in statements yesterday to the PUBLIC, said that the inter-religious dialogue is
"essential", as the attitudes from the humility and from the charity.
"It is should hear mine the another, that is essential for the my soul", the president says of the FIB.
Mahmutcehajic, 55 years, participates this morning in the session end of the congress that since Friday-do
elapses in F�tima, in a panel about the place of the sanctuaries in the peculiar religions. The forum to that
presides, created in 1997, after civil war, intends contribute for the reconstruction from the society bosnia,
characterized during centuries by the "diversity of peculiar religions, in an only country and with an alone
language".
As Muslim, Rusmir Mahmutcehajic does question of highlight that each human life "is sanctified". And that, in
that sense, if they can find Islamic sanctuaries "by everybody".
Taka Fukushima, 56 years, Buddhist monk Japanese, concretiza the importance that gives to the inter-religious
dialogue in its I like by sing c�nticos Christian - nomeadamente gregoriano. Fukushima comes from the temple
Buddhist of Zenkoji, an of the oldest one and important things of the country, which way pass annually seven
millions of persons.
Member from the sect Tendai, Taka Fukushima lives in an of the 40 small monasteries of the temple, where is
found to older statue of Buda of the country. Free temple, done not link strictly to nenhuma of the sects of
the Buddhism, Zenkoji is a place where the persons go pray for the ancestors or do periods of meditation.
The metropolita Epiphanios, 68 years, of the patriarcado orthodox of Constantinopla, is in Madrid since June as responsible of the sanctuary of the holy one Andr� and Dimitrios. There acorrem especially
Greek immigrants, Bulgarians, Russian, Ukranians. Having in count to especificidade of the place, the believing find the sanctuary to pray, to celebrate sacraments - baptizados, marriages, also funerals.
But the sanctuary prop�e also actividades cultural, educational (classes of Greek, by example) and meetings of meditation. "It is a place to pray, to find the salvation, find the peace."
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I think we'll need a translation of the translation.  Originally posted by Teen Of The Incarnate Logos: Here's the translation of the report from www.freetranslation.com [freetranslation.com]
[b]The Inter-Religious Dialogue Against the Religion as Ideology By THE.M. Sunday, 12 of October of 2003
In the last years, "the religion was many times taken like ideology, what caused to the arrogance and upon I
desire of submit another". Rusmir Mahmutcehajic, president of the International Forum Bosnia, a
not-governmental organization of that country that believing and intellectual joint of peculiar religions, is
in F�tima it participate in the international congress about "the place of the sanctuaries in the relation
with the sacred one". And, in statements yesterday to the PUBLIC, said that the inter-religious dialogue is
"essential", as the attitudes from the humility and from the charity.
"It is should hear mine the another, that is essential for the my soul", the president says of the FIB.
Mahmutcehajic, 55 years, participates this morning in the session end of the congress that since Friday-do
elapses in F�tima, in a panel about the place of the sanctuaries in the peculiar religions. The forum to that
presides, created in 1997, after civil war, intends contribute for the reconstruction from the society bosnia,
characterized during centuries by the "diversity of peculiar religions, in an only country and with an alone
language".
As Muslim, Rusmir Mahmutcehajic does question of highlight that each human life "is sanctified". And that, in
that sense, if they can find Islamic sanctuaries "by everybody".
Taka Fukushima, 56 years, Buddhist monk Japanese, concretiza the importance that gives to the inter-religious
dialogue in its I like by sing c�nticos Christian - nomeadamente gregoriano. Fukushima comes from the temple
Buddhist of Zenkoji, an of the oldest one and important things of the country, which way pass annually seven
millions of persons.
Member from the sect Tendai, Taka Fukushima lives in an of the 40 small monasteries of the temple, where is
found to older statue of Buda of the country. Free temple, done not link strictly to nenhuma of the sects of
the Buddhism, Zenkoji is a place where the persons go pray for the ancestors or do periods of meditation.
The metropolita Epiphanios, 68 years, of the patriarcado orthodox of Constantinopla, is in Madrid since June as responsible of the sanctuary of the holy one Andr� and Dimitrios. There acorrem especially
Greek immigrants, Bulgarians, Russian, Ukranians. Having in count to especificidade of the place, the believing find the sanctuary to pray, to celebrate sacraments - baptizados, marriages, also funerals.
But the sanctuary prop�e also actividades cultural, educational (classes of Greek, by example) and meetings of meditation. "It is a place to pray, to find the salvation, find the peace."
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Haha, yeah I know. I could fix a few things, but I'm too lazy and I think it's fairly clear to most people (hopefully)!
Logos Teen
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