Unity in diversity

3 oriental rite priests

Tomorrow morning I will be celebrating Mass inside the Empty Tomb, over the marble slab that covers the original rock table where the Body of Christ was laid. Will remember you all and your intentions there. It's great to be confirmed in faith by this archaeological event. This time people can be sure that this is the place of the burial. Celebrating Mass there will never be the same.

The other day while resting in Jaffa, I celebrate one Mass with the community. It was presided by Fr. Tojy, a syro-malabar rite priest. On his right was a greek catholic rite priest Fr. Pantelemon and on his left was an ethiopic catholic rite priest Fr. Medhin. All belong to the oriental rite of the Catholic Church but they were celebrating the latin Roman rite!!! It was very funny because they were not familiar with the roman rite. Only here in the Holyland will you see celebrations like this .... truly catholic ("universal"). Yesterday morning I concelebrated the 1st Mass of the Dead with the community again. The whole community was there: polish, filipino, ukrainian, indian, ethiopian and singaporean. And Mass was celebrated in italian ... which is not any of our mother tongues!!! Again, how catholic can you get???? Unity in diversity.

Several days back there was a revolution of sorts at the Wailing Wall. The ultra-orthodox jews have control over the Wall and dictate who and how prayers can be conducted there. That practically excludes all other jewish groups except the ultra-orthodox. It enforced unity in religion by conformity with the ultra-orthodox tradition. The govt. promised to divide a space separate from the ultra-orthodox for other jewish groups to pray ... but it never materialised. The govt. is afraid of the ultra-orthodox. So groups representing liberals, reform, conservative and other smaller groups of jews marched into the Wall carrying Torah scrolls. Ultra-orthodox jews physically forced them back and scuffles broke out. Eventually they succeeded in reaching the Wall and praying there. But bad blood has been stirred and we can expect repercussions for challenging the powerful yet minority ultra-orthodox community.  http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.750459  and  http://www.timesofisrael.com/in-historic-first-pluralistic-worshipers-bring-torah-scrolls-to-western-wall/  and  http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Violent-fracas-breaks-out-at-Western-Wall-471476

Well it's always a tension between unity in diversity ... and unity by conformity.