www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Pope & Catholics one-day Ramadan fasting!!!

Christ be to all,

I am surprised no one has opened the topic to discuss the Popes calling for all Catholics to fast one day of Ramadan. Many of you already know that I have had a difficulty accepting the Pope kissing(venerating) the Quran as discussed in a previous closed thread. Now Catholics are ordered to fast with the Islamic world to express solidarity! Next, Catholics will be told to do their prayers from the Quran in Arabic in the mosque. I am telling you I can't handle this anymore(lol).

All joking aside, does the Pope realize that this Islamic fast is a celebration of a lie? The lie being the revelation of the Quran to Muhammed by the Archangel Gabriel? The lie that has stolen/converted many Christians to Islam. Can anyone name a Pope or a Patriarch that has ever made a request of his flock to follow the fasting regulations of a false religion for one day? Do the Latins practice fasting today or has it been watered down to the point of following a false religion's fasting to become closer to God? Why not follow the Eastern Christian's Churches of fasting? Why haven't the Apostolic Sees of Antioch, Jerusalem, and Alexandria which reside in the heart of the Islamic world made and followed such a proclamation by the Pope or on their own authority? That my friend's is religiocide. I would like to hear the Latin and Byzantine perspective if anyone cares to engage. Of course, the Orthodox are welcomed too.

Here is a link to read http://www.latimes.com/features/religion/la-000099489dec15.story?coll=la-news-religion

Also, when is the Pope planning the next fast with another religion(s) as shown within this link? http://www.beliefnet.com/features/fasting_chart.html
Maybe one day the Catholics will follow the fasting as prescribed within Orthodoxy and remain there.

Will he, in turn, ask the high Muslim hierarchs to kiss the Gospel book?

Posted on Today's Orthodox News www.geocities.com/athens/rhodes/5168/nn.html [geocities.com]
"Patriarch Bartholomew I holds a candle at a service to mark Pope John Paul II's call of a day of fasting and prayer, Friday, Dec. 14, 2001
The service was organized by Turkey's Armenian Patriarchate on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
...The service, which brought together leaders of different faiths including Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, was held to mark a day of prayer and fasting called by Pope John Paul II."

[ 12-18-2001: Message edited by: vito ]

Oh no, when an Orthodox patriarch fasts and prays in solidarity with the Pope, who in turn is fasting and praying "in solidarity...with a false religion", looks like Orthodoxy's going down the drain with the Pope and Islam...

"And to Allah belong the East and the West; so whichsoever way you may turn there is Allah's attention. Surely, Allah is All-Pervading, All-Knowing."

Surah 2:115.

A day of prayer and solidarity does not, on its face, seem like a bad thing. However, ISTM that the reason why this kind of thing can raise hackles among some is that is pushes the boundaries of our comfort-level vis-a-vis ecumenical activities. The real question is: "how much in common do we have to have in order to have joint observances without raising hackles?"

For some, the answer is that any type of service or observance with any group that does not 100% agree in doctrine is off-limits (there are some more extremist Orthodox who feel this way, which is why they don't like it when some Orthodox Bishops attend ecumenical prayer services).

For others, it is question of "how close are we?". This group would have less difficulty with an Orthodox Bishop attending a Roman Catholic service (as happens at ecumenical gatherings, and happened when the Pope visited Bucharest a few years ago), but perhaps more difficulty with an Orthodox cleric attending a prayer service led by a Protestant Priestess, for example. Most of this group would presumably have difficulty with any kind of official observance with members of a non-Christian religion.

For others, it's a question of "why worry about all of these things, let's just try to get along and work together for love and justice". There aren't too many Orthodox in this category, but there are certainly some.

I think our reaction to this recent observance is probably pretty well-correlated with which of these groups we fall into.

Brendan

So it seems that the fasting may have no direct connection with Islam; it just so happens to fall on the last day of their fasting as a token gesture. Yet the Christians continue their fasting in preparation for the celebration of Our Lord and Savior's nativity. This particular Friday being the last opportunity for Muslims to pray with Christians.

[ 12-18-2001: Message edited by: Edwin ]

Expressions of gratitiude are also forthcoming from the Islamic world to the Spanish authorities for the hospitality shown by them to the Muslim students who were allowed to gather at the Al-hambra Mosque, the flower and jewel of Spanish Islamic culture, during Ramadan.

"Thank you, good Christian people."

"Christianity is here to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable"

--Rev. Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick


On the other hand, the public, except for a small, conservative element, deeply appreciated the interfaith gathering at Yankee Stadium, which included a Catholic Cardinal, Muslim Iman, Jewish Rabbi, Eastern Orthodox Shaman, and Armenian Prelate.

K.

"I don't believe in the Virgin Birth... and I hope you don't either."

--Rev. Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick

anastasios

I don't really care if the Pope called a day of fasting. My whole problem is why aren't the Latin Catholics fasting in Advent like they used to, and like we do?

anastasios

(PS I am not saying that I keep all fasts 100% perfectly, that I am holier than RC's, or any of that garbage. What I am saying is that in principle the Pope should be encouraging RC's to restore their advent fasting traditions.)

Dear Friends,

Prayer and fasting need not say that we are in agreement with each other's religions.

The action of His Holiness the Pope (this is a Catholic website, remember?) from the point of view of this Catholic is an act of great Christian leadership from a great Christian leader at a time when bigotry reigns supreme in the world.

No other Christian or religious leader stands out in love, understanding and charity like Pope John Paul II.

Orthodox Christians and, as Edwin would agree with me, Eastern CAtholics too are often too concerned with their own jurisdictional and confessional squabbles to provide an effective witness to the world, especially today.

The Pope has done this and is doing this.

Our brother, Abdur, has wonderfully pointed out the great Catholic cooperation that has gone on in recent times with our Muslim brothers and sisters.

I would also and respectfully ask those who wish to criticize His Holiness Pope John Paul II for this or that to do it on their own websites.

I would never presume to enter an Orthodox website to criticize the Moscow Patriarchate, for example.

Even though I would have a thing or two to say if I did . . .

Alex

"Eastern Orthodox Shaman, and Armenian Prelate"

Kurt --

Care to rephrase?

Brendan

Brendan,

I had assumed that here we follow the general niceity of refering to clergy of other communities by the name they use themselves rather than ones we assign to them. Then I saw your use of the phrase "Protestant Priestess". Given that no Protestant denomination uses such a term (though Priest, Pastor and Minister are known) I assumed I was mistaken in my application of the "rules". I would be happy to follow your advice as to which it is.

K.

Dear Brendan,

Sorry, Friend, but I have to go with Kurt on this one!

Alex