RELIGION BRIEFING

Saturday, November 29, 2008

THE VATICAN

Pope May Change Catholic Mass

Pope Benedict XVI may change the sequence of the Catholic Mass, including the sign of peace exchanged between worshipers, in order "to create a more meditative climate" of worship, a senior Vatican official said.

Cardinal Francis Arinze said the pope had asked all bishops for their views on whether the sign of peace, which is shared before Communion, should be moved to an earlier point in the Mass.

Arinze, who heads the Vatican body in charge of liturgy and sacraments, made the announcement in last Saturday's edition of the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano.

"The meaning of this gesture is often not fully understood," Arinze said. "It is thought to be a chance to shake hands with friends. Instead it is a way to tell those nearby that the peace of Christ, really present on the altar, is also with all men."

Under the contemplated change, Arinze said, the sign of peace would instead take place at the "offering of the gifts" when the Eucharistic bread and wine are brought forward.

Pope Benedict has more than once expressed concern about the disruptive potential of the sign of peace when performed in an inappropriate fashion.

In a 2007 document, he called for "greater restraint in this gesture which can become exaggerated and cause a certain distraction in the assembly before the reception of Communion."

Arinze gave no indication of when Benedict might decide on the possible change.

-- Religion News Service

Media Sing Beatles' Praises

Vatican media are praising the Beatles' musical legacy and sounding philosophical about John Lennon's boast that the British band was more popular than Jesus.

Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano recalls that Lennon's comment outraged many when he made it in 1966.

But it says that the remark can be written off now as the bragging of a young man wrestling with unexpected success.

The Beatles often dealt with issues of love, war, peace and justice through different phases of their personal and musical development and through several albums.

The Vatican's comments were triggered by last week's 40th anniversary of the Beatles' "White Album."

The newspaper as well as Vatican Radio last week noted the anniversary, saying the album demonstrated how creative the Beatles were, compared with what it called the "standardized, stereotypical" songs being produced today.

-- Associated Press

WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES

Delivering Bethlehem Messages

The World Council of Churches will help deliver Christmas messages and prayers of peace to the biblical birthplace of Jesus.

Christianity's largest ecumenical movement says messages e-mailed before the Jan. 7 Christmas celebrated by Orthodox Christians will be printed and handed out at schools and places of worship in the West Bank city of Bethlehem.

The council says the messages are appreciated by people in Bethlehem who refuse to give up hope for peace between Palestinians and Israelis. It said e-mails should be sent to the Arab Educational Institute -- aei@p-ol.com -- which does social work in Bethlehem.

-- Associated Press

INFLUENTIAL JEWS

Newspaper Names Top 50

Famous -- and infamous -- American Jews associated with the election season and the ongoing problems in the kosher meat industry dominated the Forward newspaper's list of 50 influential Jews this year.

The Forward, the largest national Jewish weekly in the United States, published its "Forward 50" this month, grouping its entries into categories of politics, community, food, religion, money, and culture and media.

Topping the list were: Rabbi Morris Allen, an ethical kosher activist; J Street political lobby founder Jeremy Ben-Ami; President-elect Barack Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel; Obama's national campaign finance officer, Penny Pritzker; and comedian Sarah Silverman, the face of "The Great Schlep" elderly voter mobilization effort in Florida.

-- Religion News Service

THE BIBLE

More Translations in the Works

Wycliffe U.S.A. is launching a major effort to translate the Bible into the native tongues of more language groups.

The company has a $50 million gift from an anonymous donor to help with the goal of translating the Bible into the remaining 2,400 or so language groups around the world that don't have a translation.

The group's president, Bob Creson, said that about 1,400 translations in more than 70 countries are under way.

Creson said the 75-year-old Wycliffe U.S.A., an Orlando-based Bible translation company, has dedicated itself publicly to its effort, the Last Languages Campaign.

Creson said the public is welcome to assist, emphasizing that literacy has always been a component of the group's mission. He said it's especially important to teach women in illiterate societies to read and write, because they can become "change agents" in their families and societies and react to address needs.

-- Associated Press