Catholic paper: Dictator's Vatican welcome undermined Zimbabwe bishops

[jgr58]

The Vatican clearly messed up on this issue. The Zimbabwean bishops should be given a huge apology by the Vatican for allowing President Robert Mugabe to not only recieve Holy Communion, but for allowing him to be received with any kind of honor or respect at all. The Vatican has left the Catholics of Zimbabwe ‘hanging’ for this dictator to ‘wip’ over and over again. This dictator can hardly be considered ‘repentant’ of his murdereous actions in the past. I am angry at the Vatican for allowing yet another display of ‘very poor’ judgement to tarnish our Church.
To the bishops of Zimbabwe, I for one will pray for you and our fellow Catholics who have been betrayed by the ‘very poor’ judgement displayed by the Vatican.

Here’s a portion of the article:
SOUTHERNCROSS-MUGABE May-19-2011 (750 words) With photo. xxxi

Catholic paper: Dictator’s Vatican welcome undermined Zimbabwe bishops

By Catholic News Service

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNS) – Southern Africa’s independent Catholic weekly defended the Vatican against criticism for allowing Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to receive Communion at the beatification of Blessed Pope John Paul II, but took church officials to task for the warm welcome given the dictator.

In an editorial in the issue dated May 18-24, editor Gunther Simmermacher noted that no formal invitations were issued to heads of state, and he noted that “international diplomacy sometimes requires unpalatable things of its practitioners.”

But he also said the “televised sight of the tyrant being warmly embraced by a broadly smiling prelate” was “embarrassing for the courageous bishops of Zimbabwe, and to the clergy, religious and laity who strive for a peaceful transition to an equitable and accountable democracy.”

“Shortly before departing on his ‘absolutely heavenly’ Vatican sojourn, Mr. Mugabe described the Zimbabwean bishops as ‘so-called men of God who lie’ and ‘mere puppets of Western countries,’” said the editorial. “In that light particularly, Mr. Mugabe’s reception in the Vatican has created an impression, surely inaccurate, that the Vatican sides with him against the bishops of Zimbabwe.”

The editorial said it was certain Mugabe would “refer to his welcome in the Vatican when next he feels compelled to insult and attack the bishops of his country and to denounce their apostolic obligation to work for justice and peace.”

“Their teaching authority on issues of social justice has been compromised,” said the editorial.

 

[Dale_M]

Here is the link to the article cited in the first post.
catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1101979.htm

Yes, Mugable’s presence was disturbing and it is perhaps not surprising that he is using his welcome to claim that he has Vatican support. Both situations are saddening.

Fr. Alexander Lucie-Smith, writing for the UK newspaper, The Catholic Herald pointed out…

[T]he Vatican could ban Mugabe, as could the UN. Quite so. But there is a problem here. The Vatican is a Church; on what grounds can it ban someone from coming to Mass? It is perfectly true it could place Mugabe under interdict for his many sins and misdemeanours, but if you start with Mugabe, where would you finish? Should Berlusconi also be banned? What about the much married Sarkozy? What about, let us say, the late Robin Cook? In these circumstances, given the difficulty in judging politicians, it does seem reasonable to accept all comers. They accepted Mussolini and Jörg Haider, after all. The latter did cause an outcry, but to have banned him would have made every prospective visit a nightmare of potential protest.

catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2011/05/02/banning-mugabe-would-push-the-vatican-into-a-diplomatic-minefield/

If there were a way for the Vatican to disavow Mugabe’s political spin on his presence at the beatification, that would be good. But how can they do that?

 

[ChadS]

I believe Mugabe is also banned from traveling to most European countries, however I don’t believe the Vatican had the same proscription. This put Italy in the uncomfortable position of having to provide security for a man they’d rather not have in their country since agreements between the Holy See and Italy put the responsibility for most security issues at the Vatican on the Italian state.

Mugabe might get some mileage out of this now, but the next time anything happens in his country he’ll find out which side the Holy See is truly on. He won’t be able to use this event forever.

ChadS

 

[TedDC]

catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1101979.htm

 

[JackVk]

“This is an opportunity to recall that when the pope gives an audience to political figures, they are never invited by the pope. They are the ones who ask to be received. And the fact that they are received does not in any way imply a judgment on their government or on their personal conduct,” he said.

He added that for large ceremonies in St. Peter’s Square: “There is no selection of who receives Communion. It is not possible to do so. Only those who receive Communion directly from the pope are personally authorized to do so.”

Keep these in mind.