Israeli government "snubs" Cardinal Moussa Daoud
The Holy See hopes to take up negotiations again with Israel.
Jerusalem (AsiaNews) The first official act of Cardinal Moussa Daoud's Holy Land trip, his formal entry into the town of Bethlehem, was partially filled with obstacles set by the Israel army overseeing roads leading to Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Hence his arrival was conducted differently than the pre-established protocol
This was, in fact, the first time a Roman Catholic cardinal was expected to arrive in Bethlehem in the same way as the formal entrance of Jerusalem's Latin-rite Patriarch on Christmas Eve, that is, via the main road passing by "Rachel's Tomb", next to which prelates are received by Bethlehem and Bet Sahour town hall representatives together with a local parish priest and faithful.
For quite some time now, however, the Israeli army has blocked access to this road. Yet on the night before Christmas it is reopened to allow for the Patriarch's formal entry into the town.
Wednesday morning, however, the energetic intervention of Vatican diplomacy and explanations did little to persuade the Israeli government to follow the traditional protocol. Even while armed with photos of the last formal entrance of Cardinal Daoud's predecessor (that of Cardinal Achille Silvestrini, Prefect for the Congregation of Eastern Churches) on Dec. 7 1997. Consequently, in protest of the failed observance of local Church and town tradition, local goverment officials did not accept the Israeli army's proposal to welcome the cardinal in other spot. Meanwhile Cardinal Daoud's motorcade was seen taking an alternative route, not along the main and traditional one, to reach the Basilica of the Nativity.
Formal protests are expected to take place over the next few days, organized by local town governments and the Church. Information meetings with Jerusalem's Consular Corps and other diplomatic officials are also foreseen.
When contacted by AsiaNews, Fr. David-Maria A. Jaeger, ofm, (the official spokesman for the Holy Land Custodian, whose responsibility is to receive and accompany the cardinal on visiting the Bethlehem sanctuary) expressed his "surprise and disappointment" for "the spontaneous choices made by military authorities.
He said they the army attempted to prevent the regular carrying out of a civil-religious rite which is normally seen as "joyous" event and "deeply rooted" in the local culture. He said the event is like the formal entrance of a "Prince of the Church " along the main rout into Bethlehem.
Fr. Jaeger doesn't say it explicitly, but it is known that the Church is very worried about what just happened, even in view of the next formal entrance into Bethlehem (following same protocol) of the new Franciscan Holy Land Custodian whose name (still a secret) might be reveled within the month, if confirmed by the Vatican.
The protests following yesterday's "snub" (as defined by the Church in Jerusalem) of Cardinal Daoud and his entourage as well as Church and town officials hope to influence the Israeli government not to behave this way again on the arrival of the new Custodian. Hence the goal is allow the rite to be conducted according to tradition.
The Custodian spokesman says he hopes that above and beyond what happened the event will serve as the "umpteenth proof" of the Israeli government's need to return to the bargaining table with Holy See, relations which were "unilaterally abandoned Aug. 28 last year."
Fr. Jaeger says that it is only by "reactivating the Commission's permanent bi-lateral negotiations between the Holy See and the State of Israel that conflicts and misunderstandings will be avoided."
The Israeli government is charge of working out stable and open agreements on all issues of Church-State relations.
The spokesman furthermore said that taking up talks again will permit the "building of correct rapports and timely coordination between the Catholic Church and the Jewish government", which would be in the best interest of both parties.
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