Vatican City, 15 May 2015 (VIS) –
This morning in the Holy See Press Office Fr. Rifat Bader, director
of the Catholic Centre for Studies and Media in Amman, Jordan,
presented the figure of the Palestinian blesseds Sister
Marie-Alphonsine Danil Ghattas, founder of the Sisters of the Most
Holy Rosary of Jerusalem, and the descalzed Carmelite Maryam Baouardy
(Mary of Jesus Crucified). Along with another two women religious,
the French Jeanne-Emilie de Villeneuve and the Italian Maria Cristina
of the Immaculate Conception Brando, they will be canonised by Pope
Francis this coming Sunday in St. Peter's Square.
The solemn celebration will be attended
by cardinals and bishops resident in Rome and from various parts of
the world, including a delegation of 2124 people from the Palestine
territories and Jordan headed by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem,
Fouad Twal. The Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas will also be
present, along with numerous prelates from Lebanon, Iraq, Morocco,
Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Cyprus.
“Patriarch Fouad Twal affirmed that
'the declaration of the sainthood of the two nuns from Palestine is a
spiritual event of prime importance for the citizens of the Holy
Land, amid the difficulties we are experiencing, as the two saints
enlighten our path'”, said Fr. Badir. “As the Holy Land, wrecked
by violence and dissent, has for some time had a tarnished image, our
two saints emerge to restore its sanctity, reminding us that sanctity
is possible even in the most difficult circumstances. The
canonisation of the two girls from the East during these dark times
is an invitation from His Holiness Pope Francis to pray, knowing that
only prayer can miraculously help save our faith in the midst of
these times of trial. Now we have two new saints who represent a
model of perfection for Christians, as well as for Muslims and Jews
alike. They are both named Mary, and this name is widespread and
commonly used among all three traditions. It is a sign of our modern
time which suggests that we can talk about the three religions
without any discrimination”.
“This grand event”, added Fr.
Badir, “is a message of solidarity and encouragement to the
Christians of the Holy Land, especially for those in all other Middle
East countries, to those who have been forcibly displaced and
deported from their home countries, and to all those who suffer
persecution, and whose persecutors sometimes think that by killing
they are offering a sacrifice to God, as Jesus Himself warned”.
The new saint Mary of Jesus Crucified
was “subjected to acts of extremism and an attempt on her life,
seeking to force her to change her religion. She now intercedes for
those who are being killed because of their religion and their
religious affiliation. Her life and intercession are a cry urging
respect for religious and ethnic differences as well as acknowledging
human beings as creatures who are made in the image and likeness of
God”. St. Marie-Alphonsine “succeeded in gaining the support of
the religious authorities to set up the first Arab religious
congregation, and placing the Arab world on the map in the fields of
education and religious teaching”.
“Furthermore, the rosary schools
associated with this Arab religious congregation have a prominent and
influential presence in Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, the Gulf states
and Rome. We realise that during the late 19th and early 20th century
this religious congregation contributed to increasing the Arab role
in culture, social awareness, spiritual guidance and education of
generations of men and women. Illiteracy has been eliminated in many
parts of the Middle East as a direct result of the active
contribution of nuns and religious congregations to literacy
education”.
He concluded, “The two saintly nuns,
whose canonisation coincides with the Church celebrations of the year
of consecrated life and the blessed Marian Month of May, pray that
the Lord would bring peace and calmness to our hearts and minds, and
that we will return to worshipping the Almighty. … We view the
consecration of the founder of the Rosary Sisters as an invitation to
intensify the daily Rosary prayers in Churches, houses, and parish
groups to bring peace, love and mutual respect among all the peoples
of the Middle East”.
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