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Man who tried to kill pope in 1981 set free

24 Jan 2010 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Jesus came to “proclaim liberty to captives,” we hear in this Sunday’s gospel. The man who tried to kill Pope John Paul II in 1981 has been released from prison in Turkey. Mehmet Ali Agca served 19 years in an Italian prison for shooting John Paul and another 10 years in Turkey for the earlier murder of a newspaper editor. Agca’s motives for attempting to kill the pope remain a mystery, although when he was arrested he said he was acting alone. Over the years he changed his story a number of times and gave often contradictory statements. There have been long-standing questions about Agca’s mental health, based on his frequent outbursts and statements that he was a new messiah. He offered to sell his story to the media when he was released from prison yesterday. But hopes that he could be relied on to reveal details of an alleged Soviet-era plot behind the St. Peter’s Square assassination attempt receded after he issued a statement calling himself the “Christ eternal.” In 1983 John Paul announced he had forgiven Agca after visiting him in jail. He was pardoned at the pope’s request in June 2000 and extradited to Turkey. Source: An article by BBC News and The Times Online (UK)

john paul ii mehmet ali agca assassination
Al-Awlaki assassinated by what authority?

16 Oct 2011 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The “Who’s Listening” section of this week’s issue of PrepareTheWord frames a key question found in the Sunday readings: “How well do we each recognize God's authority in our lives?” Reporters and civil libertarians have been asking by whose or what authority an American citizen, the radical Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, was recently assassinated in Yemen by a U.S. drone strike. A secret Obama administration legal memorandum sheds light on the question. Written last year, the memo followed months of extensive interagency deliberations, anonymous sources who have seen it said. The secret document provided justification for killing al-Awlaki despite an executive order banning assassinations, federal law against murder, protections in the Bill of Rights, and various strictures of the international laws of war. The legal analysis concluded that al-Awlaki could be legally killed if it were not feasible to capture him, because intelligence agencies said he was taking part in the war between the United States and Al Qaeda and posed a significant threat to Americans, as well as because Yemeni authorities were unable or unwilling to stop him. The Obama administration has refused to acknowledge or discuss its role in the specific drone strike that killed al-Awlaki last month, which technically remains a covert operation. The government has also resisted growing calls that it provide a detailed public explanation of why officials deemed it lawful to kill an American citizen, setting a precedent that scholars, rights activists, and others say has raised concerns about the rule of law and civil liberties. Sources: Articles by Peter Finn for the Washington Post,Charlie Savagefor the New York Times, and Harvey Silvergate for Forbes.com

Authority obama administration anwar al-awlaki assassination yemen drones
Iranian uranium leads to highly charged relations

15 Jan 2012 - Preaching the News for Sunday

In this Sunday’s gospel Jesus asks a pointed question of the disciples of John the Baptist who are following him: "What are you looking for?" Diplomatic observers are worriedly asking the same of Iran as the country continues to challenge the West. Iran sentenced a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen to death Monday, allegedly for spying for the CIA. When Western governments announced tighter sanctions on the import of Iranian oil in response to that country’s continued development of nuclear enrichment materials, Iran responded by threatening to close the straits of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil shipping route. Further escalating tensions, an Iranian nuclear scientist was killed Wednesday by a car bomb, likely part of a covert war against Iran’s nuclear program. The sentence against the American, Amir Mirzaei Hekmati, 28, a former U.S. Marine, became a new point of contention and possible bargaining leverage in Iran’s struggle against the West over it nuclear development. A tightening vise of sanctions, which threaten vital oil sales and with them the nation’s economy, has left Tehran feeling besieged and has plunged relations with the United States and its allies to their lowest levels since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. “This whole case is very politically motivated,” said Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, an advocacy group based in New York City that has been monitoring Hekmati’s case. “There’s absolutely no evidence against him.” Iranian officials accused the U.S. and Israel of being behind the car bomb that killed 32-year-old chemical engineer Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan. The fifth daylight attack on technical experts in two years, the magnetic bomb delivered a targeted blast to the door of Ahmadi-Roshan's car during Wednesday's morning rush-hour. His driver also died, Iranian media said, and a passerby was slightly hurt. The assassination comes a day after the head of Israel's military told parliament that 2012 "will be a critical year in the connection between Iran gaining nuclear power, changes in leadership, continuing pressure from the international community, and events that happen unnaturally." It follows other similarly cagey comments from top Israeli officials in recent months as well as remarks from former officials who said foreign intelligence agencies are responsible for the deadly attacks. "There are countries who impose economic sanctions and there are countries who act in other ways," Israel's Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy Dan Meridor said late last year. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad defended his country's nuclear program as he began a four-nation tour of Latin America this week, joining his ally Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in accusing the U.S. and its allies of using the dispute to unjustly threaten Iran. Sources: Articles by Ian James for the Associated Press, Rick Gladstoneand Harvey Morris for the New York Times, and Alexander Marquardt for ABC News

nuclear power mostafa ahmadi-roshan hadi ghaemi amir mirzaei hekmati mahmoud ahmadinejad assassination bombings iran united states dan meridor
Exploring the word

10 Sep 2023 - Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

Culture-wide, we have lost the art of dialogue. There’s no such thing as a thoughtful sharing of perspectives for the purpose of advancing understanding. Instead we have so-called “talk” shows: shout-fests and diatribes in which we ridicule opponents and promote our own narrow and blinkered agenda. News reporting has become infected with the “get ’em” mentality. As the media skewers the latest celebrity with addiction issues, politician with poor zipper control, or religious leader operating under the influence of dreadful theology, I feel less disgust for the individual under fire than the reporter and the intended consumer of these news items. The culture of contempt satisfies the triumphalist tendency in us. After watching the nightly news, we feel morally superior to most people on the planet—particularly those who set themselves up as our betters. Isn’t that a great rush? Some years ago a theologian noted that if Jesus were alive today, his enemies wouldn’t bother to crucify him. They’d simply make fun of him in the press. There’s a deep truth to that. The new execution style is character assassination. Once we’ve destroyed a person’s good name, we have effectively eliminated them. But let’s say you couldn’t care less about what happens to fellow human beings who make bad choices and are publicly humiliated in turn. Is there any other reason to be concerned about the culture of contempt? Yes. It’s not simply that we make blood sport of chasing society’s sinners with our cell phone cameras. The acceptability of contempt is making it increasingly hard across the board to sympathize, empathize, or even listen to other people in a civil manner. If a brother sins Instead of earnestly seeking to discover what makes those with whom we disagree tick, we throw them to the lions and enjoy the spectacle. And the occasion of sin grows and spreads to infect our relations across political parties, religious affiliations, ethnicity and race, and, of course most especially, borders. Not learning to talk civilly to one another across our differences means diplomacy has no foothold in the national consciousness. All we can imagine doing in the hour of conflict is to bomb the heck out of the other side. A long time ago, Jesus argued, with good rabbinic tradition behind him, to settle disputes as privately and reasonably as possible. “Talk to your brother,” he advised. What a concept. Talk doesn’t mean rant or disparage or shame or dominate. It means sharing and also listening. But as Jesus knew well, you can’t begin to settle serious conflicts by jumping into a dialogue without special training. Matthew 18 is an extended prep course in how Christians should handle their differences. A brief summary situates today’s passage: Learn humility, love the lost, talk to your brother, and forgive without limits. No talk show in the world would keep its ratings under those conditions! We have to talk It’s not as if we have a choice about handling disagreement and conflict. In a sinful world there’s plenty of it around, and left unaddressed it leads to tension and eventual explosion. But before we say one word to a sister or brother, we have to take lessons in the school of humility—”become like a little child,” as Jesus says. Entry into the Kingdom is dependent on developing this quality, and the only useful dialogue comes from the person who approaches others unarmed and vulnerable, like a child. Next, we must develop the mindset of the shepherd with the 99 contented sheep. We have to believe that regaining the stray is worthwhile and desirable—in other words, we have to be committed to the unity of the flock. If we don’t give a rip about people who disagree with us and if we’d prefer the disgruntled would just get lost, then we can’t have a meaningful dialogue and there’s no point in trying. Third, we come to Jesus’ advice about how to talk to the lost brother or sister: Do it privately and with care. Sometimes that will be enough. If not, try a good old intervention with another friend or two. In circumstances when to harbor the secret wrong would put others at risk, going public may be necessary—but the purpose must remain for the good of the stray sheep and never to serve up a dish of entertainment. Finally, Jesus says, if the person remains obdurate, treat that one like a Gentile or tax collector. And then remind yourself how Jesus treated Gentiles and tax collectors: as people still deserving of healing, access, and hope. It is no wonder Jesus moves directly from this lesson to a teaching on forgiveness and a parable about mercy. Dispensing with offenders is not high on the list of Christian prerogatives. Applying the word Owe nothing but your love Ezekiel says those in the know owe sinners a heads-up on their condition. That is part of the debt of love we owe to our neighbor, but it has to be handled with the comprehensive outline above in mind. We cannot wish evil on a neighbor, as Saint Paul says. If we want to live in a world full of neighbors and not adversaries, we have to learn to talk. Related scripture links Where guilt lies: Lev. 19:17-18 The need for witnesses: Deut. 19:15 Lessons on settling disputes: Matt. 18:1-5 (child), 10-14 (sheep), 15-20 (talk), 21-35 (forgive) Catechism links If another sins: CCC 553; 1088; 1373; 1444; 2472 The debt of love: CCC 1824; 2055; 2196; 2845

Authors Alice Camille

understanding culture of contempt character assassination listening meaningful dialogue

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