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GÜR TOUR
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DO YOU KNOW THESE ?
After presenting their discoveries to the Archb ishop of Smyrna in 1896,
a formal declaration of the discovery was published. In subsequent years,
the Vatican allowed religious ceremonies to be celebrated at the site. Before
and after the discovery of the house, many of the popes had offered their
implicit recognition of the site as being the home of the Blessed Virgin
Mary. Pope Benedict XIV (1740-58) in his treatise on the Feast of the Assumption
once wrote: "John amply fulfilled Christ's order; in every way he forever
cared for Mary with a sense of duty; he had her live with him while he remained
in Palestine, and he took her with him when he departed for Ephesus, where
the Blessed Mother at length proceeded from this life into heaven." Pope
St. Pius X (1903-14) granted plenary indulgences for pilgrimages to the
shrine and sent his apostolic blessing to all those involved in the restoration
of the house. In 1951, Pope Pius XII (1938-58) declared Mary's home an official
sanctuary for pilgrims and confirmed the plenary indulgences for those who
made the journey to the shrine. Before being elected to the Chair of Peter,
Pope John XXIII had visited Ephesus. In 1961, he reaffirmed the plenary
indulgence for pilgrims visiting the home. Six years later, Pope Paul VI
(1963-78) made a pilgrimage to the holy shrine. After being elected pope
in 1979, John Paul II also visited the Virgin Mary's home and again confirmed
the significance of the house as a place of worship. On November 30th 1979,
Pope John Paul II visited Meryem Ana and celebrated Mass.
An eyewitness recalls:
“ It was Friday, November 30th. The weather was almost spring-like and 2,000
of the faithful were gathered, round the altar on the raised bank near the
House. There were Catholics from the archdiocese of Izmir, Americans from
the NATO base. Poles working in Turkey and many, many others. They had come
from all over in coaches, taxis and private cars. This is without counting
the hundreds of police and the military. Everyone was calm though they waited
more than three hours. When the Holy Father and his entourage arrived they
were greeted by an explosion of joy. There was tremendous jostling, but
the Pope managed to enter “Mary’s House” where he remained for a quarter
of an hour. From there he went to the altar on the earth bank where he was
greeted by the Archbishop of Izmir, Domenico Caloyera, then the Pope celebrated
mass in Latin. After proclaiming the Gospel he spoke in French for about
25 minutes... The congregation was especially attentive and the devotion
shown during the liturgy was visibly profound. Since there was little time
and the crowd was too large, the Pope himself distributed communion to only
about 50 people. At the end, after the Solemn Benediction, John Paul II
greeted the principle groups of pilgrims in French, Italian, English and
Polish. Thunderous applause and cheers greeted this and continued as the
Pope made his way as 100 meters to the waiting car.
The visit of John Paul II lasted an hour and a half. Among the gifts presented
to the Pope was a magnificent edition of the Koran in two volumes, in Arabic
with a parallel French translation the work of Sheik Si Hamza Boubaker,
rector of the Moslem Institute and the Paris Mosque. In presenting this
the Selcuk municipality wanted to underline that the Koran too, honors Jesus
and his mother, Mary...”
MARY'S LAST EARTHLY HOME?
"Kim A. Lawton"
Many believe the Blessed Virgin Mary died in this small stone house in Western
Turkey It is a hot and dusty autumn day in Western Turkey, the biblical
land of Asia Minor. But on top of a small mountain just outside the ancient
city of Ephesus, a small park offers a shady oasis for pilgrims. They come
to see Meryemana Kultur Parki, or "Mary's House," the spot where many Christians
believe the Blessed Virgin Mary spent her last days on earth. Just a few
miles down the mountain, hundreds of tourists push and shove their way every
day among the magnificent white-columned ruins of Ephesus, some of the largest
and best preserved remnants of the once-thriving Roman empire. Yet here
on Bulbul ("Nightingale") Mountain, the atmosphere is peaceful, reverent.
A narrow path leads to a small stone house shrouded by trees and flowers.
Three nuns sit on benches near the house, praying, while several European
families make their way through the low doorway leading into the house.
A Turkish Muslim woman stands in front of the house. She beckons to her
companions to come along. "Hurry. I want to do the pilgrimage, too," she
says. Every year, thousands of pilgrims journey across Turkey to visit sites
that are significant to Christians, Jews and Muslims. Christianity, in particular,
has deep roots in what is now the nation of Turkey, the crossroads between
Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
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