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NZ priest defends his actions

Published: January 08, 2009

NZ priest, Fr Gerard Burn, has defended his actions in smattering blood and paint over a statue of assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin while an Israeli official has criticised Vatican Cardinal Renato Martino after he described Gaza as like a "concentration camp".

Fr Burns said it was a symbolic act and nothing compared to the killing taking place in Gaza.

About 1,000 people marched through central Wellington protesting against Israel's air and ground offensive in Gaza and calling on the New Zealand Government to end its neutral stance.

Fr Burns, the parish priest of Te Parisi o te Ngakau Tapu in Porirua, was one of the protest leaders and smeared the blood and paint on the Yitzhak Rabin peace memorial.

Mr Rabin was prime minister of Israel from 1974-1977 and again from 1992-1995. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 and was assassinated by a right wing Israeli radical in 1995.

Kiwi Friends of Israel called for Fr Burns to apologise for his actions.

"Kiwi Friends of Israel strongly supports the right of all New Zealanders to have a robust debate on the rights and wrongs of Israel's policies but attacking peace memorials isn't legitimate behaviour.

"The desecration is doubly contemptible given Mr Rabin's lifelong commitment to peace and stability in Israel and Palestine."

But Fr Burns said Mr Rabin's commitment to peace was not "lifelong", but rather he "converted" to peace later in life.

The paint was a "symbolic action" and a "denunciation of the (Israeli) state, not an attack on the Jewish faith.

"I have a great esteem for the Jewish faith. I mean the founder of Christianity was Jewish ... but, the Israeli state is another beast altogether."

The prophets of Judaism would be criticising Israel's actions, Fr Burns said.

An Israeli flag was also burnt at the protest.

There was no comparison between the burning of a flag, or painting of a monument and the killing taking place in Gaza, he said.

As for the New Zealand Government's response, Fr Burns believes "not taking a side is taking a side. It's to say you accept what's going on."

Catholic Church spokeswoman Lyndsay Freer told The New Zealand Herald priests were entitled to their individual views.

The New Zealand church's stance echoed Pope Benedict's address last week.

"We feel that in the interests of peace and dignity dialogue must take place, and the killing must stop, from both sides."

Israel slams Martino

In breaking news, Israel on Wednesday slammed a senior Vatican official for comparing the Gaza Strip to a "concentration camp," saying the comments were "based on Hamas propaganda."

"Making remarks that seem to be based on Hamas propaganda while ignoring its numerous crimes ... does not bring the people closer to truth and peace," foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told AFP.

Cardinal Renato Martino, the Vatican's justice and peace minister, was quoted by the online Italian daily Il Sussidiario as saying the conditions in Gaza "increasingly resemble a big concentration camp."

 

SOURCE

Priest who smattered blood on Israeli memorial defends his actions (3 News NZ)

Israel slams Vatican official for Gaza 'concentration camp' jibe (Africasia)

 

 

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Recent Comments

  1. Cardinal Martino is absolutely correct in his description of the Gaza Strip as one big concentration camp.

    The claim itself is not new, but what is touching the nerve of the UIsraeli government is that it is being made by a senior Vatican churchman.

    Venezuela is the one nation that;'s gone beyond offering a torrent of words...it expelled the Israeli ambassador.

    Perhaps the Vatican should take the additional step..let's hear Pope Benedict make a direct demand on the Israeli government to end its onslaught on the defenceless Gaza people..before they are all killed.

    Let the Vatican's nuncios in each land express similar and public comments to their resident Israeli envoys.

    Posted By: Brian Haill

  2. I totally supports Fr. Burn's sentiments if not his actions. The Jews have certainly learnt how to put the boot in since their own dreadful experiences in the Second World War and before. This doesn't justify the disgusting and barbarous way they are treating innocent civilians in the Gaza strip. They have not learnt anything from history, and the UN should step in to cease their murder of innocent children.

    Posted By: Brent Egan

  3. Thank you Brian for your comments.

    I have written to the nuncio in Canberra asking that Cardinal Bertone team reconsider the Pope's planned visit to the Holy Land this year lest the Pope be embarrassed by having him welcomed to the country by people who should be charged for war crimes against a captive population in the Gaza Strip.

    Posted By: Elias Nasser

  4. The state of Israel might be guilty of many things, but the actions of Fr. Burns are simply stupid and silly and help no one. Unfortunately, in recent times, NZ Catholic clergy seem rather prone to this kind of showing off. Perhaps I am being a little harsh. After all, if you are not going to engage in pastoral work, pouring blood on various places is something to do, I guess.

    Posted By: Adeodatus

  5. Fr Burns actions are a wonderful prophetic testimony to the horrors the Israeli state is carrying out on the Palestinian people. The rocket attacks on Israel are unhelpful, and should not be directed at civilians, but these are dwarfed by the occupation and genocide being carried out on the Palestinians.

    NZ catholic bishops should join Fr Burns in working publicly for diplomatic and economic sanctions to pressure the governing power - Israel - to respect human rights and end the bloodshed, as is their legal & moral responsibility.

    May we be blessed with more Fr Burns and Murnanes.

    Posted By: Brian

  6. Fr Gerard Burn is a noble man. His conscience couldn't keep him silent while he is seeing the unprecedened barbaric crimes that are being committed by the Israeli occupying "defence" thugs against the besieged, mpoverished civilian masses of the original owners of the Palestinian land that is called now "Israel" This brave man has not bowed to the ugly universal Zionist terrorism . May God bless him and all those who are like him.

    Posted By: M Richardson

  7. I would like to point to the fact that the Israeli army record on international law is rather bleak. And why not? There is no entity which would make Israel accountable for its action before and now. The shelling of UN posts and emergency vehicles is not new, remember war in 2006 between Israel and Lebanon? The UN has lost its meaning and USA its credibility.

    Posted By: vitezslav kovarik

  8. Enough of this anti Israel stuff!

    Remember it was God who gave the land of the Canaanites to Israel to start with. However the state of Israel came to be now, is not God behind that too??

    When Christ returns, just remember where he intends to touch down !!!!

    Posted By: Steve

  9. (Steve) "However the state of Israel came to be now, is not God behind that too??"
    Only in the same sense that he is "behind" the current existence of the state of Australia. And like all human kingdoms, both Australia and Israel have a limited lifespan. One day they will both be conquered or split apart, and be consigned to the history books.

    "When Christ returns, just remember where he intends to touch down !!!!"
    Really Steve, tell us where??
    And you know this because...???

    AFAIK all He told us about the geography of His second coming is that we will see Him coming from the East. The Holy Land is West of here.

    Posted By: Ronk

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