c. 1997 Religion News Service
Restored Holy Sepulchre dome sheds new light on revered site
(RNS) The newly restored 115-foot dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the traditional site of Jesus’ tomb, was unveiled Thursday (Jan. 2) in Jerusalem.
The dome had been blocked for decades by scaffolding as restoration was held up by arguments over control among the various Christian denominations that lay claim to portions of the church in Jerusalem’s Old City.
Bells rang and an invited audience burst into applause as canvas curtains were pulled away to reveal the interior of the dome’s new motif of golden rays against a backdrop of pearly white dotted with sparkling gold stars, the Associated Press reported.
With the curtains and scaffolding removed, sunlight was also able to pour through a skylight, illuminating the dark, dank interior of the 900-year-old church.
A Roman Catholic couple from Rye, N.Y. _ George and Marie Doty _ donated the $5 million needed of the restoration project.
Ara Normart, an artist from Fresno, Calif., designed the interior motif, which he called an”explosion of light”meant to represent”the glory of God enveloping the risen Christ.” Getting the project done required the three main denominations that control parts of the Holy Sepulchre _ the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Orthodox churches _ to agree to work together after centuries of animosity and jealousy.
In the 1850s, the ruling Ottoman Turks gave those three denominations _ as well as the Ethiopian, Egyptian Coptic and Syrian churches _ the right to oversee specific parts of the vast Holy Sepulchre. Each group fiercely guarded its part of the church.
Normart said gaining the cooperation of the three denominations was the most significant aspect of the project for him.”This is a day of great joy for us,”added George Doty, a retired investment banker.”We’re all children of God, hoping for the same future. It is gratifying to see how much can be accomplished when men of goodwill go forward courageously together.” The Rev. Jerome Murphy-O’Connor, a biblical scholar in Jerusalem, told the AP that the arguing denominations were”scared”into cooperating. Otherwise, he said,”The place would have fallen down.” The first church of the Holy Sepulchre was constructed in 336 by the Emperor Constantine. In 1009, the church was razed and a new one was constructed by the Crusaders over the next 100 years.
Referring to the restoration project, Marie Doty said,”We saw the need. It’s the birthplace of Christianity. It’s more fitting that it not be under scaffolding.”
Update: Vatican envoy goes to Cuba
(RNS) A Vatican representative flew to Cuba Thursday (Jan. 2), marking the first time that Fidel Castro’s communist government has welcomed a senior official of the Roman Catholic Church.
Cardinal Camillo Ruini heads a Vatican delegation that will spend three days in Cuba visiting charitable works financed by the Catholic church in Italy. Ruini will also meet with Cuban officials, and, the Associated Press reported, will likely help pave the way for Pope John Paul II’s scheduled visit to Cuba later this year.
Last November, Castro met with the pope at the Vatican for the first time since the 1959 revolution that declared the island nation a socialist state. Since then, some 350 Catholic schools were nationalized, more than 100 foreign priests were expelled from the country and religious freedoms were curtailed.
Relations between the Vatican and Cuba have improved vastly in recent months, leading to Ruini’s visit this week. Ruini, who is chairman of the Italian conference of bishops, will travel to Haiti on Sunday (Jan. 5).
Evangelical groups urge churches to hold second Reconciliation Sunday
(RNS) The National Black Evangelical Association (NBEA) and the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) continued their reconciliation efforts by calling for a second annual Reconciliation Sunday on Jan. 19, the day before the national observance of the birthday of the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
The two groups are in the midst of an admittedly slow process toward improved understanding.”When you dig a big hole, it takes a long time to fill it up,”said the Rev. Russell L. Knight Jr., NBEA president.”Yes, it’s frustrating not to have it happen fast … but I continue to want to be engaged, because knowing God _ and how he functions _ he just might do this.” These efforts come after decades in which black evangelicals viewed the NAE as an organization that did not consider racial issues a high priority. The Rev. Don Argue, who assumed the presidency of NAE in 1995, has named racial reconciliation as one of his primary goals.
The Rev. Leonard Hofman, chairman of the NAE, urged evangelical leaders to emphasize reconciliation.”Reconciliation should take high priority, permeating everything we do,”he said.”It’s easy to appoint a committee, but we have to demonstrate that our Christian claims are backed up by faith in action.” Hofman added that reconciliation is needed across a variety of cultures.”To unite God’s people, Christians must seek to live and love their brothers and sisters from America’s diverse backgrounds _ Asians, Hispanics, Europeans, Middle Easterners and Africans.” In addition to urging the observance of Reconciliation Sunday, the two groups continue to urge churches and their members to take practical steps to build relations, such as forming racial reconciliation task forces, starting friendships with individuals of other races and adopting a”sister church”of a different race.
Passages:
Jack Hamm, Christian artist and editorial cartoonist
(RNS) Jack Hamm, a former editorial cartoonist and internationally acclaimed Christian artist, died Dec. 22 in Dallas after a lengthy heart illness.
He was 81, reported Baptist Press, the official news service of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Hamm distributed gospel illustrations and cartoons to newspapers and magazines _ including The Dallas Morning News, Newsweek and Time _ free of charge.
He and his wife, Dorisnel, distributed the inspirational artwork through their Religious Drawings ministry that they founded in the 1960s.
Hamm wrote and illustrated more than 25 books. Early in his career, he also helped draw such comic strips as”Bugs Bunny,””Buck Rogers”and”Alley Oop.”
Bishop Edward Hettinger, senior member of U.S. Catholic hierarchy
(RNS) Bishop Edward Hettinger, the senior member of the Roman Catholic Church’s American hierarchy, died Dec. 28 in Columbus, Ohio. He was 94.
Hettinger was ordained in 1928 and was appointed vicar-general and chancellor of the Columbus diocese while serving as pastor of St. Margaret of Cortona Church, The Washington Post reported.
He was the first auxiliary bishop of the diocese and its senior priest at the time of his death.
Quote of the Day: Tony Campolo
(RNS) Evangelical leader and sociology professor Tony Campolo was quoted by The Washington Post on his views about the 16th annual Renaissance Weekend, where the rich and famous _ including President Bill Clinton and his family _ spend the New Year’s holiday in Hilton Head, S.C., schmoozing and discussing topics like religion and spirituality:”There is a growing sense in America that we need to restore a direction for our lives, a purpose for our nation, that we have to tap into an array of common values that we can utilize to build a moral society. We’re all groping for this and the question that is dominating the sessions is: How do we do this in a pluralistic society?”
END RNS
