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A
Diplomatic Soiree
It was a delightful evening! The invitations had been sent out weeks in advance to various dignitaries and officials, including members of the various military commands in Djibouti. What was the occasion? Why it was the 25th Anniversary of Pope John Paul II serving as the head of the Catholic Church. Because I have been working very closely with the Bishop of Djibouti and Somalia, a friendship with Monsignor Giorgio Bertin has developed. He is a most gracious man, and a courageous fighter against social injustice. Allow me to explain the status of the Catholics on the base. Camp Lemonier has a very active and involved Catholic community. However, because of a significant shortage of priests in the military chaplaincy and the size of this base, assigning a priest here along with a Protestant chaplain presents its challenges. Enter the Bishop. Some months ago the need for a priest to come and offer services (Mass) in the chapel on base was presented to the Bishop who assigned one of several priests that speak English to come each Sunday morning to perform Mass for our Catholic military members. Periodically I visit with the Bishop at his residence at the grounds of the Cathedral. On one such visit a few weeks ago I asked if he could have the priest come earlier on Sunday to offer confession. He said it was no problem, and the next Sunday the priest came early to meet with the penitent. And so it has continued.
All of this has brought about good relations with the command and the base as a whole, to the extent that the Bishop has been hosted on the base and had lunch with the commanding general. The Bishop has also personally delivered Mass at the chapel when there was no priest available. It has been a very harmonious relationship. So with the celebration of the Pope's twenty-five years as the Holy See, an evening of socializing on the Cathedral grounds was planned. Those chosen to attend from the base were selected because of position or faith group. Therefore, BGen Robeson (Marines) was invited as the commanding general of CJTF-HOA, along with his deputy, BG Willard Broadwater (Army). The commanding officer of the Camp Lemonier, Col Mike Pannell was invited along with the executive officer, LtCol George Dinardo. The sergeants major of the two commands were also invited, SgtMaj Jimmy Shidaker, and SgtMaj William Hunt. The chaplains were also invited. Besides me, there is Chaplain Hal Scott (Baptist) and our visiting rabbi, Chaplain Mitch Schranz. And of course the Catholic leadership on the base was invited. On October 15th, in a caravan of SUVs, we drove out to the Cathedral, arriving right at 7:00 p.m. The Bishop and the secretary to the Papal Nuncio, a most engaging priest from Sri Lanka, greeted us at the entrance to the garden area. There was quite a cross-section of the community represented. There were ambassadors from such nations as France and Saudi Arabia. World organization leaders attended from WHO (The World Health Organization) and Caritas, a Catholic charity serving the health needs of peoples everywhere. Nuns from the order established by Mother Teresa were also there, along with an interesting mix of religious representatives from the community. For example, the head of the Coptic Church of Ethiopia was there.
What I enjoyed most were those moments of surprise. I was in uniform, so was recognizable as a chaplain. One French Naval Officer walked over to me and asked me, "Catholic or Protestant?" I replied, "Protestant." He smiled and said, "So am I." His name is Emmanuel Ortet, and he's a Chaplain, and on closer examination I could barely make out the cross on his shoulder boards for its ornate design. His English was limited, as is my French, but we had a wonderful time conversing. He is a Baptist and leads a worship service in Djibouti on Sunday nights. He invited Chaplain Hal Scott and me to come out some Sunday, and also to arrive early enough to join them for dinner. French cooking? That sounds just fine to me!
Rabbi Mitch Schranz wore civilian attire, so I was enjoying the opportunity of introducing him to various dignitaries, and mentioning that he is Jewish and a rabbi. I wish I could have taken some stealth photos of the expressions. It was choice! Later I saw two German Naval Officers, one that was wearing shoulder boards with a plain cross right in the middle of each board. I asked if he was a chaplain. He assured me he was. A Lutheran in fact, which came as no surprise. The other officer was a doctor. Glasses of wine were made available, and for us tea-totalers in the crowd there was Coca Cola. Young French children, whose parents are here either with the military or industrial corporations provided various hors-d'oeuvres on trays throughout the evening. The weather was ideal, the setting was comfortable, and the company was extremely interesting as well as pleasing. Everyone was having a lovely time. Yet I couldn't help but see some irony in it all. Many of us — the military in particular (Americans, Germans, French and Spanish) — are here, far from our homes and countries, because there are those in our world who prefer to hate and destroy. Only on this night there was friendship and good cheer. If it were only that simple: sending out invitations for a diplomatic soiree. But I have read the end of the Book! Revelation 7:9 says, "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands." Wow! You may not have been here in Djibouti for this special event, but the future gathering around the throne of God is one soiree I definitely plan to attend. How about you? |
