Vatican treads carefully over Kosovo

Respect for Serbia and Kosovo, respect for UN Resolution 1244.

For our Vatican audience,

John 12:44
And Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me.

Mark,

As a Catholic who served with US KFOR for two years, and who is supporting Serbia during these times, I take offense to the statments you have made about the Holy Father. HH Pope Benedict XVI planning a visit to commission a new Church is pastoral and not political, he should not be limited to where he should have to tend the faithful. The Catholic community in Kosovo (and in Serbia proper) is a minority and still needs care.

Wether or not it is the wishes of the Holy Father to recognize Kosovo, remains to be seen. But it would strain Orthodox - Catholic relations which have been mending as of late, and bringing the Orthodox back into communion with the Catholic Church is one of the Holy Father's top priorities.

the pope has been brushing up on his political posturing :)
he's pro-albanian just like his predecessor john paul was and is planning a trip to pristina when mother teresa's cathedral is completed.

You raise an important and interesting point; I haven't heard anything about the Albanian Catholic minority in any recent reporting. I'm Serb, but have a passing familiarity with their situation both in Kosovo and Albania proper.

there situation is the same as the other albanians. we don't divide ourselves up based on how we pray to god.

Anthony,

You raise an important and interesting point; I haven't heard anything about the Albanian Catholic minority in any recent reporting. I'm Serb, but have a passing familiarity with their situation both in Kosovo and Albania proper. Here's hoping that we all make it through the coming months and years peacefully and with justice. Thanks for your support.

anthony,
steps were recently taken by the late pontiff to speed up canonization for the our late sister teresa by the vatican and this cathedral being built in pristina is to not only honor her but for worship, too.
the pope is a holy man and can see w/his own eyes who is doing what during these trying days in the balkans.
the vatican is it's own nation w/it's own flag and seat at the UN. he can speak freely for he is the leader of a small nation and the leader of over a billion catholics worldwide. just because you don't agree w/him doesn't make it wrong.

Mark,

If you reread my comments you will notice that I do not know what the Holy Father's intentions are, nor am I telling the Supreme Pontiff what to do. I am merely observing his past statements and priorities of his pontificate.

You will also notice that I defended the Holy Father's aspirations to visit Pristina (Prishtine) to consecrate or visit the new Church. I said that he should be able to visit wherever the faithful need his attention, regardless of the political situation on the ground. Just because I side with Serbia, does not mean I was attacking my own religious leader.


As for ethnic - Albanians, you certainly do discriminate amongst yourselves. Tell me why, as it has been explained to me in the past, the Catholics in Urosevac( Ferizaj) and Klina (Kline) worried about meeting in public fellow Christians, (Orthodox Clergy) or performing liturgy outside, namely processions.

I oversaw closed door meetings between a former Catholic pastor of the Guardian Angels Church in Urosevac (Ferizaj) and the Parish Priest of the St. Uros Church, these had to take place in Strpce and I had to mediate under the cover of darkness.

Also the Parish Priest expressed to me that he would never hold procession of the Blessed Sacrment, which is practice on certain Catholic Holy Days, because of fear of the local Islamic community in Urosevac (Ferizaj). Also he had Soldiers and the Catholic KFOR Chaplain escort to the Mosque in downtown Urosevac (Ferizaj) to wish the imam there a happy Ramadan. After he arrive the imam went on an angry diatribe about his conversion to the true faith.

You might not see it but as an outside observer for 22 months, who was very active in the local Parishes, Urosevac (Ferizaj), Binac (Bince), Klina (Kline), and others, I know that Catholics - Albanians have to fear in a potentially Islamic state just as Serbs do.

Mark,

As a Catholic who served with US KFOR for two years, and who is supporting Serbia during these times, I take offense to the statments you have made about the Holy Father. HH Pope Benedict XVI planning a visit to commission a new Church is pastoral and not political, he should not be limited to where he should have to tend the faithful. The Catholic community in Kosovo (and in Serbia proper) is a minority and still needs care.

Wether or not it is the wishes of the Holy Father to recognize Kosovo, remains to be seen. But it would strain Orthodox - Catholic relations which have been mending as of late, and bringing the Orthodox back into communion with the Catholic Church is one of the Holy Father's top priorities.

the pope has been brushing up on his political posturing :)
he's pro-albanian just like his predecessor john paul was and is planning a trip to pristina when mother teresa's cathedral is completed.

Respect for Serbia and Kosovo, respect for UN Resolution 1244.

For our Vatican audience,

John 12:44
And Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me.

Anthony,

You raise an important and interesting point; I haven't heard anything about the Albanian Catholic minority in any recent reporting. I'm Serb, but have a passing familiarity with their situation both in Kosovo and Albania proper. Here's hoping that we all make it through the coming months and years peacefully and with justice. Thanks for your support.

anthony,
steps were recently taken by the late pontiff to speed up canonization for the our late sister teresa by the vatican and this cathedral being built in pristina is to not only honor her but for worship, too.
the pope is a holy man and can see w/his own eyes who is doing what during these trying days in the balkans.
the vatican is it's own nation w/it's own flag and seat at the UN. he can speak freely for he is the leader of a small nation and the leader of over a billion catholics worldwide. just because you don't agree w/him doesn't make it wrong.

You raise an important and interesting point; I haven't heard anything about the Albanian Catholic minority in any recent reporting. I'm Serb, but have a passing familiarity with their situation both in Kosovo and Albania proper.

there situation is the same as the other albanians. we don't divide ourselves up based on how we pray to god.

Mark,

If you reread my comments you will notice that I do not know what the Holy Father's intentions are, nor am I telling the Supreme Pontiff what to do. I am merely observing his past statements and priorities of his pontificate.

You will also notice that I defended the Holy Father's aspirations to visit Pristina (Prishtine) to consecrate or visit the new Church. I said that he should be able to visit wherever the faithful need his attention, regardless of the political situation on the ground. Just because I side with Serbia, does not mean I was attacking my own religious leader.


As for ethnic - Albanians, you certainly do discriminate amongst yourselves. Tell me why, as it has been explained to me in the past, the Catholics in Urosevac( Ferizaj) and Klina (Kline) worried about meeting in public fellow Christians, (Orthodox Clergy) or performing liturgy outside, namely processions.

I oversaw closed door meetings between a former Catholic pastor of the Guardian Angels Church in Urosevac (Ferizaj) and the Parish Priest of the St. Uros Church, these had to take place in Strpce and I had to mediate under the cover of darkness.

Also the Parish Priest expressed to me that he would never hold procession of the Blessed Sacrment, which is practice on certain Catholic Holy Days, because of fear of the local Islamic community in Urosevac (Ferizaj). Also he had Soldiers and the Catholic KFOR Chaplain escort to the Mosque in downtown Urosevac (Ferizaj) to wish the imam there a happy Ramadan. After he arrive the imam went on an angry diatribe about his conversion to the true faith.

You might not see it but as an outside observer for 22 months, who was very active in the local Parishes, Urosevac (Ferizaj), Binac (Bince), Klina (Kline), and others, I know that Catholics - Albanians have to fear in a potentially Islamic state just as Serbs do.