DIOCESAN BULLETIN OF THE LATIN PATRIARCHATE ... -...

jerusalemDIOCESAN BULLETIN OF THE LATIN PATRIARCHATE

spEcial issUE yEar 76

Synod forthe Middle EastOctober 10 − 24, 2010

Jerusalem

Year 76

Special issue

Synod forthe Middle EastOctober 10–24, 2010

Latin PatriarchateP.O.B 14152Jerusalem 91141

Communication Officeof the Latin Patriarchate

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Photos :- Osservatore Romano- Fr. Rifaat Bader www.abouna.org

LATIN PATRIARCHATE PRINTING PRESSBEIT JALA — 2010

In thIs specIal Issue

Editorial ............................................................................................................. 2

Introduction ..................................................................................................... 4

The Synod Participants from the Holy Land ............................... 8

I. Homily of the Holy Father for the Inauguration of the Synod ............................................................................................... 10

II. Speeches .................................................................................................... 14

III. Homily of Pope Benedict XVI: Mass for the Conclusion of the Synod ........................................ 87

IV. List of Final Propositions .............................................................. 91

V. Message to the People of God ...................................................... 108

Table of Contents ........................................................................................ 121

Index of Themes ......................................................................................... 124

Synod forthe Middle East

October 10 − 24, 2010

Synod for the Middle East2

Editorialby H.B. Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem

Dear Faithful of the Latin Patriarchate,Dear Friends of the Holy Land,

The two main objectives of this Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East are ‘Communion and Witness.’ I must admit that we went to the Synod with a little ‘fear and apprehension.’ So many countries involved, and even more problems to overcome. And then, what do you think of interreligious dialogue, where there are different types of Islamic and political situations in the Holy Land that could hamper the dialogue with Judaism?

Humanly speaking, it seemed to be a particular challenge to bring together different realities, and develop a common message!

On October 10th, the Holy Father’s homily resonated in the hearts of all the Synod Fathers, “Pentecost is the original event but it is a permanent dynamism. The Synod of Bishops is a privileged moment where the path of the Church can be renewed with the grace of Pentecost that the Gospel is proclaimed openly and received by all nations.”

It was a prophecy that was made...

The 160 bishops of the Middle East, representatives of the Episcopal Conferences of all continents, experts, and fraternal delegates, we all entered the Synod Hall as in the Cenacle. “All devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and his brothers” (Acts 1:14). This was exactly our situation, united in hope and prayer for the coming of the Holy Spirit upon us all, that He was at the center of our meeting and bringing about our unity.

October 10 – 24, 2010 3

After two weeks of meetings, interventions, speeches, some candid, sincere and sometimes tense and argumentative; we were united in writing a beautiful message of hope addressed to the faithful of the Middle East. Forty four (44) concrete propositions were presented, and when translated into practice will become our new guidelines. The much-awaited miracle took place!

These two documents cover five main areas: the renewal of the Christian faith, the communion among the Catholic Churches, ecumenism, interreligious dialogue, and emigration.

We wish to summarize here what we wrote in the Final Message. We confess that we have not done so far, all that we could have, in an opportunity to live the communion between our communities. We have not worked enough to support you in faith, and provide the spiritual nourishment you needed in your difficulties. The Lord invites us, Bishops, to a personal and collective conversion. Today, we return to you full of hope, strength and determination, bringing with us the Message of the Synod and its recommendations, to study them together, apply them, live them in our churches, each according to our particular state.

Dear faithful, dear priests, seminarians, religious men and women, in this special issue of our newsletter, we would like to offer you the interventions of delegates from the Latin Patriarchate, along with other significant interventions, and especially the Final Message and 44 Propositions, which are the ‘fruits’ of the Synod. This newsletter is not intended to be an archival document to be stored and set aside. Rather, it is a basic document that is intended to be studied and discussed, to promote reflection and action, so that together, in the light of the Holy Spirit, we can renew our Church in the Middle East. The success of this renewal will depend on our joint efforts and our docility to the Holy Spirit.

We invite you to read these documents, especially the ‘Message‘ and ‘Propositions‘. Let us meditate on them and pray that the Lord may bring to fruition in this land what He wants to work in each of us: to be true pastors and fervent Christians, faithful, proud and full of zeal and charity.

Dear faithful, we want to assure you once again of our love for you, our proximity to your daily concerns, our support and our prayers! Let us walk together in the light of the risen Christ!

May the Blessed Virgin Mary, invoked as protector of the Synod for the Middle East, guide and protect us. ■

Sincerely,

† Fouad Twal, Patriarch


Introduction1) Why a Synod for the Middle East?

● The leaders of Churches in the Middle East are concerned about the plight of their people. Some Christians feel they have no future in this land of their ancestors. Others are oppressed, all are plagued by difficulties of every kind: harassment by their fellow citizens of other religions, difficulty in finding employment or housing, transportation problems, and the pain of seeing family members emigrate. Many feel abandoned by God, a number no longer practice their faith and are desperate. They cry and look up to the heavens in their anguish.

● During his recent trips in the Middle East (Turkey in 2006; Holy Land: Israel, Jordan and Palestine in 2009; Cyprus in 2010), the Holy Father listened to all the struggles and sufferings of the people in the region. He understood the desire of religious leaders of various churches to meet together, to pray, to support each other, to address the common problems of their people and to try to find solutions.

● Attentive to the cries of the people of God, bringing them to prayer and carrying them in his heart, Pope Benedict XVI addressed the Heads of Churches in the Middle East during a meeting with the Council of Catholic Patriarchs of the East (CPCO), held at Castel Gandolfo on September 19, 2009. “I took the opportunity to announce a Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East that I have convened to be held October 10 to 24, 2010, on the theme, «The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness. “The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul” (Acts 4, 32).» With these words, the Holy Father launched an unprecedented initiative in the history of the Church, to bring together all the Catholic Bishops of the Middle East to work together for the renewal of that region.

2) What is a Synod?

After Vatican II, Synods are regularly held at the Vatican, convened by the Pope on a specific topic or a particular geographical area, to reflect with the Holy Father and even offer him advice. In general, the Synod has advisory status, as in the case of the Synod for the Middle East.

October 10 – 24, 2010 5

3) For whom is the Synod?

– The land/the population: ● 17 countries: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, United Arab Emirates,

Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Syria, Turkey, Palestinian Territories and Yemen

● 350 million people● 20 million Christians, approximately 5.5% of the population● 5.5 million Catholics, approximately 35% of Christians

– Catholics in the Middle East:● The Latin Church● Six Eastern Churches sui iuris, from the earliest centuries, presided over by a

Patriarch, Father and Head of the Church: ♦ Armenian Church♦ Chaldean Church♦ Coptic Church♦ Greek-Melkite Church♦ Maronite Church♦ Syriac Church

4) Preparation for the Synod

● In preparation for this historic ecclesial event, Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, Secretary General for the future Synod, presented a paper entitled Lineamenta on January 19, 2010, This document included a lengthy questionnaire, which was used as a basis for reflection by the episcopate, clergy, religious and faithful of Middle Eastern Churches. It was from the many responses to this document that the Instrumentum Laboris was developed. This working paper, forty pages of text, was the working reference of the Synod. This was the document that Pope Benedict XVI presented to representatives of the Bishops of the Middle East during his visit to the island of Cyprus on Sunday, June 6, 2010.

● From the Instrumentum Laboris, each Synod Father was invited to prepare a five-minute statement to be presented to the Assembly. Everyone had the choice, when to take action. All interventions were highlighted during the Synod. Freedom of speech prevailed, and the themes were uniquely different from one another.


● Nearly all the Bishops’ Conferences have come together to allocate the themes of the interventions. For the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land, this was organized during the annual inter-ritual retreat in July in Galilee.

5) Main actors of the Synod

– 185 Synod Fathers, of which 159 are active● 101 Bishops of the Middle East● 23 Bishops of the “Diaspora”, the pastors of the Churches Eastern Catholic

immigrants from the Middle East in different regions of the world (e.g., the Maronite Bishop of Sydney, Australia)

● 19 Bishops, from North Africa, Eastern Europe, Europe, and America, especially those who have Christian communities in their Dioceses, originating from the Middle East (e.g., the Archbishop of Paris)

● The Prefects of the 14 departments of the Roman Curia who have close interaction with the life of the Church in the Middle East

● 10 Representatives from the Union of Religious Superiors● 17 Synod Fathers appointed by the Pope

– 34 Auditors (people who have a particular role within the Churches involved)– 36 Experts (people assisting in the drafting of reports and propositions)– Fraternal Delegates, representing 14 churches and ecclesial communities, Orthodox

and Protestant, historically rooted in the Middle East– 3 Special Guests: Rabbi David Rosen for dialogue with Judaism, Mr. Muhammad Al-

Sammak, and Ayatollah Seyed Mostafa Mohaghegh Ahmadabad for dialogue with Islam

6) Manner of holding of the Synod

● The first week was devoted to listening and studying the interventions. Almost all of the participants spoke. Pope Benedict XVI was present for most all of the meetings and was very attentive to every presentation.

● The second week was mainly dedicated to a specific work in small groups, editing and collating propositions previously prepared by the participants.

● Upon completion of the preparation work, the Synod Fathers drafted, voted on and approved two important documents:– A Final Message (Message to the People of God) addressed to all the faithful of the

Middle East, and– 44 Specific Propositions, with the intent to express in practice the concrete proposals

of solutions designed for the Middle East. This tentative text will guide the Holy

October 10 – 24, 2010 7

Father as he drafts an apostolic exhortation. This final document, with the involvement of and commitment from the universal Church, will be the real fruit of the Synod.

7) Main themes of the Synod

The following key issues addressed by the Synod Fathers, are the guiding principles of the Final Message and 44 Propositions, which are categorized and summarized into five major areas:

● The deep yearning for personal and collective conversion of all Christians living in the Middle East, bishops, priests, religious and faithful; a conversion based on reading and meditating on the Word of God.

● The desire for increasing and intensifying of communion among Churches and Catholic dioceses in the Middle East. There can be no Christian witness without communion. The reference to the early Church described in the Acts of the Apostles, in which all placed their wealth in common, devoted themselves to prayer and the breaking of bread, was very much in the minds of the Synod Fathers during their work.

● The desire for openness to Orthodox and Evangelical churches. Although full communion is still a desire not yet achieved, it is necessary to anticipate unity through fraternal charity. There is a real need to work toward unification of the date for Easter.

● The desire for a peaceful dialogue with non-Christians emerged as an imperative. Christians are invited to move beyond themselves and be open to real dialogue and charity. Did Jesus not speak with the Samaritan woman, the Roman centurion, the Canaanite? Should we not imitate him in every way? Dialogue is the only alternative to the clash between civilizations, cultures and religions.

● The desire to see Christians remain in the Middle East. The migration issue has been extensively discussed. The Synod Fathers have studied the causes and proposed some solutions in an attempt to restrict the migration phenomenon. However, it is clear that we cannot separate this issue from other concerns, because faith and openness towards one another will help Christians find the meaning of their presence in the Holy Land. It is a call and a vocation, not a fatality.

Many other important issues were also discussed and addressed, including immigration, youth, the role of women, the new evangelization, witness and the life of Christians in society.

With this introduction and the texts of the interventions that are offered below, we invite you, dear friends, to read especially the two documents published at the end of this special issue: The Message to the People of God, and the 44 Final Propositions. ■


The SynodParticipantsfrom the Holy LandI. Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land

† H.B. Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem† H.B. Michel Sabbah, Patriarch Emeritus of Jerusalem† H.E. Salim Sayegh, Patriarcal Vicar of Jerusalem of the Latins for Jordan† H.E. Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, Patriarcal Vicar of Jerusalem of the Latins for

Israel† H.E. William Shomali, Auxiliary Bishop of Jerusalem† Most Rev. Elias Chacour, Archbishop of Akka, Acre, Ptolemaid of the Greek-

Melkites, Israel† Most Rev. Paul Nabil El-Sayah, Archbishop of Haifa and Holy Land of the

Maronites, Patriarchal Exarch of Jerusalem and Jordan of the Maronites, Israel† Most Rev. Yasser Al-Ayyash, Archbishop of Petra and Philadelphia in Arabia of

the Greek-Melkites, Jordan† Most Rev. Gregoire Pierre Melki, Patriarchal Exarch of the Patriarchate of

Antioch of the Syrians, Jerusalem† Most Rev. Joseph Jules Zerey, Auxiliary and Protosyncellus of the Patriarchate

of Antioch of the Greek-Melkites, JerusalemMost Rev. Raphaël François Minassian, Patriarchal Exarch of the Armenian

Patriarchate of Cilicia, JerusalemVery Rev. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, O.F.M., Custos of the Holy Land, JerusalemRev. Umberto Barato, O.F.M., Vicar Emeritus of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem,

CyprusRt. Rev. Paul Collin, Chaldean Catholic Patriarchal ExarchRev. David M. Neuhaus, S.J., Vicar of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem for the

pastoral care of the Hebrew-speaking Catholics, Jerusalem

October 10 – 24, 2010 9

II. ExpertsRev. Msgr. Salim Soussan, Protosyncellus of the Archeparchy of Haifa and the

Holy Land of the Maronites, IsraelRev. Rafiq Khoury, Parish Priest of Bir Zeit, Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem,

Palestinian TerritoriesRev. Elias Daw, President of the Ecclesiastical Court of Appeals of the Greek-

Melkite Catholic Church, IsraelRev. Giovanni Claudio Bottini, O.F.M., Dean of the Faculty of Biblical Sciences

and Archaeology of Jerusalem (Pontifical University “Antonianum”, Rome), Jerusalem

Rev. Frans Bouwen, M. Afr., Editor of “Proche Oriente Chrétien”, IsraelRév. Peter Du Brul, S.J., Department of Religious Studies, Betlehem University,

Palestinian TerritoriesRev. Pier Giorgio Gianazza, S.D.B., Professor of Theology, Salesian Theological

Institute of Jerusalem Rev. Hanna Kildani, Parish Priest of the Parish of Martyrs of Jordan; Professor of

Modern History of Christianity in the Holy Land, JordanRév. Peter H. Madros, Doctor in Biblical Theology and Biblical Studies, Latin

Patriarchate of Jerusalem, IsraelRev. Frédéric Manns, O.F.M., Professor of the Faculty of Biblical Studies

and Archaeology of the “Studium Biblicum Franciscanum” in Jerusalem (“Antonianum” Pontifical University, Rome), Jerusalem

Rev. Selim Sfeir, Judicial Vicar of the Eparchy of Cyprus of the Maronites, CyprusRev. Guy Tardivy, O.P., Prior of the Dominican Convent “Saint-Etienne”, Biblical

and French Archaeological School of Jerusalem Sister Telesphora Pavlou, Professor of Dogmatic Theology and Philosophy at the

“Studio Teologico San Salvatore”, Jerusalem

III. AuditorsRev. Rino Rossi, Director of the “Domus Galilææ,” Corazin, IsraelProf. Sobhy Makhoul, General Secretary, Catholic Maronite Exarchate of Jerusalem,

the Territories of the Palestinian Authority and Jordan, IsraelDr. Epiphan Bernard Z. Sabella, Associate Professor of Sociology, Bethlehem

University, Palestinian TerritoriesMr. Anton R. Asfar, Council Member of the Syriac-Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate

of Jerusalem, IsraelMr. Husam J. Wahhab, President, Catholic Action of Bethlehem, Palestinian TerritoriesMrs. Huda Muasher, President, ‘Caritas,’ Jordan. ■


I. Homily of the Holy FatherSolemn Mass of Inaugurationof the Special Assembly of the Synodof Bishops for the Middle East

The Middle East and especially the Holy Land is the cradle of our faith. The Church, the communion and the witness to the world must bear the universality of the divine plan for every man. This is made possible through the Holy Spirit received at Pentecost, which is certainly an original event but also a permanent dynamism. Despite the difficult political and social situation, Christians of these countries with the support of the universal Church, are called to renew and rekindle their Christian identity.

Venerable Brothers,Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,Dear brothers and sisters!

The Eucharistic celebration, the highest form of giving thanks to God, has extraordinary meaning for us today, here at the tomb of St. Peter: the grace of seeing gathered together for the first time in a Synodal Assembly, around the Bishop of Rome and Universal Pastor, the Bishops of the Middle East. This unique event demonstrates the interest of the entire Church for that precious and beloved part of the People of God who live in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East. First of all, we raise our thanksgiving to the Lord of history, because he has willed it despite the often difficult and troubled events, from the time of Jesus until today, the Middle East has seen the continued presence of Christians. In those lands, the one Church of Christ is expressed in the variety of the liturgical, spiritual, cultural and disciplinary traditions of the six venerable Oriental Catholic Churches sui iuris, as well as in the Latin tradition. The fraternal greeting, which I address with great affection to the patriarchs of each of them, I would also like to extend to all the faithful entrusted to their pastoral care in their own countries and also in the Diaspora.

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On this Sunday, the 28th in Ordinary Time, the Word of God offers a theme for meditation that is significantly relevant to the Synodal event we are inaugurating today. Our continuation in reading from Luke’s Gospel brings us to the episode of the healing of the ten lepers, of whom only one, a Samaritan, returns to thank Jesus. In connection with this text, the first reading from the Second Book of Kings recounts the healing of Naaman, the Aramean army chief, also a leper who is healed by dipping himself seven times in the waters of the River Jordan, as ordered by the prophet Elisha. Naaman also returned to the Prophet, and recognizing him as the mediator of God, professes his faith in the one Lord. So, two people with leprosy, two non-Jews, are healed because they believe in the word of God’s messenger. They are healed in body, but they are open to faith, and this heals their soul, it saves them. The Responsorial Psalm sings of this reality: “Yahweh has made known his saving power, revealed his saving justice for the nations to see. Mindful of his faithful love and his constancy to the House of Israel” (Ps 98:2-3). This then is the theme: salvation is universal, but it passes through a specific historical mediation: the mediation of the people of Israel, which goes on to become that of Jesus Christ and the Church. The door of life is open for everyone, but this is the point, it is a “door”, that is a definite and necessary passage. This is summed up in the Pauline formula we heard in the Second Letter to Timothy: “the salvation that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 2:10). It is the mystery of the universality of Salvation and at the same time, of its necessary link with the historical mediation of Christ Jesus, preceded by that of the people of Israel and continued by that of the Church. God is love and wants all men to be part of His life; to carry out this plan He, who is One and Triune, creates in the world a mystery of a communion that is human and divine, historical and transcendent: He creates it with the “method” - so to speak - of the covenant, tying himself to men with faithful and inexhaustible love, forming a holy people, that becomes a blessing for all the families of the earth (cf Gen 12:13). Thus He reveals Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (cf Ex 3:6), who wants to lead his people to the “land” of freedom and peace. This “land” is not of this world; the whole of the divine plan goes beyond history, but the Lord wants to build it with men, for men and in men, beginning with the coordinates of space and time in which they live and which He Himself gave them. With its own specificity, that which we call the “Middle East”, makes up part of those coordinates. God sees this region of the world, too, from a different perspective, one might say, “from on high”: it is the land of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the land of the Exodus and the return from exile; the land of the Temple and of the Prophets, the land in which the Only Begotten Son of Mary was born, lived, died, and rose from the dead; the cradle of the Church, established in order to carry Christ’s Gospel to the ends of the earth. And we too, as believers, look at


the Middle East with this view, from the perspective of the history of salvation. It is this internal point of view which guided me during Apostolic visits to Turkey, the Holy Land–Jordan, Israel, Palestine–and Cyprus, where I was able to experience firsthand the joys and concerns of the Christian communities. It was for this reason, too, that I willingly accepted the proposal of the Patriarchs and Bishops to convoke a Synodal Assembly to reflect together, in light of Sacred Scripture and Church traditions, on the present as well as the future of the faithful and populations of the Middle East. Looking at that part of the world from God’s perspective means recognizing in it the “cradle” of a universal design of salvation in love, a mystery of communion which becomes true in freedom and thus asks man for a response. Abraham, the prophets, and the Virgin Mary are the protagonists of this response which, however, has its completion in Jesus Christ, son of that same land, yet descended from Heaven. From Him, from his Heart and his Spirit was born the Church, which is a pilgrim in this world, yet belongs to Him. The Church was established to be a sign and an instrument of the unique and universal saving project of God among men; She fulfils this mission simply by being herself, that is, “Communion and Witness”, as it says in the theme of this Synodal Assembly which opens today, referring to Luke’s famous definition of the first Christian community: “The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul” (Acts 4:32). Without communion there can be no witness: the life of communion is truly the great witness. Jesus said it clearly: “It is by your love for one another, that everyone will recognize you as my disciples” (Jn 13:35). This communion is the same life of God which is communicated in the Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ. It is thus a gift, not something which we ourselves must build through our own efforts. And it is precisely because of this that it calls upon our freedom and waits for our response: communion always requires conversion, just as a gift is better if it is welcomed and utilized. In Jerusalem the first Christians were few. Nobody could have imagined what was going to take place. And the Church continues to live on that same strength which enabled it to begin and to grow. Pentecost is the original event but also a permanent dynamism, and the Synod of Bishops is a privileged moment in which the grace of Pentecost may be renewed in the Church’s journey, so that the Good News may be announced openly and heard by all peoples. Therefore, the reason for this Synodal Assembly is mainly a pastoral one. While not being able to ignore the delicate and at times dramatic social and political situation of some countries, the Pastors of the Middle Eastern Churches wish to concentrate on the aspects of their own mission. As regards this, the Instrumentum Laboris, elaborated by a Pre-Synodal Council whose members we thank for their work, underlined these ecclesial finalities of the Assembly, pointing out that, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it wishes to re-enliven communion of the

October 10 – 24, 2010 13

Catholic Church in the Middle East. First of all within each Church, between all its members: Patriarch, Bishop, priests, religious persons, persons of consecrated life, and the laity. And, thereby, in the relationships with the other Churches. Ecclesial life, corroborated in this way, will see the development of very positive fruits in the ecumenical path with the other Churches and ecclesial Communities present in the Middle East. This occasion is also propitious to constructively continue the dialogue with Jews, to whom we are tied by an indissoluble bond, the lengthy history of the Covenant, as we are with the Muslims. Also, the workings of the Synodal Assembly are oriented to the witness of Christians on a personal, family and social level. This requires the reinforcing of their Christian identity through the Word of God and the Sacraments. We all hope that the faithful feel the joy in living in the Holy Land, a land blessed by the Presence and by the Paschal Mystery of the Lord Jesus Christ. Over the centuries those Places attracted multitudes of pilgrims and even men and women in religious communities, who have considered it a great privilege to be able to live and bear witness in the land of Jesus. Despite the difficulties, the Christians in the Holy Land are called to enliven their consciousness of being the living stones of the Church in the Middle East, at the holy Places of our salvation. However, living in a dignified manner in one’s own country is above all a fundamental human right: therefore, the conditions of peace and justice, which are necessary for the harmonious development of all those living in the region, should be promoted. Therefore, all are called to give their personal contribution: the international community, by supporting a stable path, loyal and constructive, towards peace; those most prevalent religions in the region, in promoting the spiritual and cultural values that unite men and exclude any expression of violence. Christians will continue to contribute not only with the work of social promotion, such as institutes of education and health, but above all with the spirit of the Evangelical Beatitudes, which enliven the practice of forgiveness and reconciliation. In this commitment, they will always have the support of the entire Church, as is solemnly attested by the presence here of the Delegates of the Episcopacies of other continents. Dear friends, let us entrust the work of the Synod Assembly for the Middle East to the many saints of this holy land, invoke the constant protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary so that the subsequent days of prayer, reflection and fraternal communion bear abundant fruits for the present and the future of cherished population in the Middle East. We wholeheartedly send them the following wish: “’Peace be with you, my brother, and with your family, and with all who belong to you.!” (1Sam 25:6). ■

† Benedict XVI


II. Speeches1) The Ordinaries of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem

Intervention of H.B. Fouad TWAL,Patriarch of Jerusalem of the Latins

The Mother Church of Jerusalem is the direct descendant of the first Christian communities. Despite the vicissitudes of history, she has remained faithful to her faith from the beginning. All Catholics in the world are called to come and visit the Holy Land, the real “fifth Gospel”, to see the holy places and to support the living stones of the local Church. Despite their sufferings, Christians of this land are called to give a strong testimony of reconciliation and dialogue.

Holy Father and dear Brothers,

It is my responsibility to tell you about the Mother Church of Jerusalem, which includes Palestine, Israel, Jordan and Cyprus, with Jerusalem as the center and the heart of the most significant expression in which the Lord tells us “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1, 8).

The Mother Church of the Holy Land though small is very much alive, a tangible and living reality. She is like all other churches, yet particularly unique in a biblical and historical sense. Christians in our countries are not converts during a certain period of history. They have been members of the body of descendants of the first community formed by Jesus Christ himself. We still have the grace of a vibrant community, that by its faithful, its institutions and holy places witness to Jesus of Nazareth, alive as the collective memory of the story of Jesus.

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Our early Christians were certainly Jews who accepted Jesus Christ. Like the Virgin Mary of Nazareth, the Apostles, the disciples, the devout women and thousands of others who believed in Jesus formed the first Christian community, with St. James, our predecessor, and St Simeon as their pastors.

Among the early Christians were also believers of pagan origin who lived in the Holy Land: the Aramaics, Canaanites, Phoenicians, Samaritans, Philistines, Nabateans and Arabs added to the Greeks and Latins, thereby increasing the number of Christian believers in the area. From the time of Jesus and the Acts of the Apostles, many of them, including the Bedouins, believed in Jesus Christ, and in time the entire Holy Land became a Christian country.

This Christian community experienced many challenges and changes in history, but from the beginning, a nucleus remained true to their faith. We can say that our Christian faith in the Holy Land was never interrupted. A long and solid historical sequence takes us back from the first Christian community of the Holy Land to the time of Jesus Christ.

Some historical and chronological realities of ecclesial and pastoral consequences for the Universal Church are:

1. The Church of Jerusalem, the Mother of all Churches in the world, is your Mother Church, where you were all spiritually and ecclesially born. (Psalm 87). She watches over the Holy Places of the Patriarchs, prophets, Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary and the Apostles on behalf of and for the whole Church. She keeps an incomparably precious historical heritage, and faith that is substantially based on the mystery of the Incarnation. She is, as Pope Benedict XVI reminds us, “the fifth Gospel”.

2. The Mother Church of Jerusalem is a local church, one with history, identity, language and culture. She has parishes, clergy, four seminaries, religious communities and institutions, biblical institutes, schools and local structures. Likewise, she is an integral part of the universal Church. As Church and Mother Church of the Holy Places, she is open to the world and all peoples.

3. The Mother Church of Jerusalem must, therefore, be the object of love, prayer and attention of the whole Church, from bishops, priests and the faithful people of God. This was repeatedly encouraged by popes, especially Pope John Paul II and lately, Pope Benedict XVI. Be co-responsible and supportive of the Mother Church of Jerusalem, in witness and communion about which the Synod speaks, making known our duties as shepherds in the spirit of episcopal collegiality.


4. The best way to love the Holy Land is to come as pilgrims to visit the Holy Places and experience the local community. This journey to places of very special significance enriches the local Christians and creates an atmosphere of ecclesial communion. It is an expression of support for our Christian brothers and sisters, an assurance that they are not forgotten and abandoned. Pope Benedict XVI was himself a shining example during his pilgrimage. We were inspired by his presence and his words directly addressed to all peoples of the Holy Land.

5. The second way to love the Holy Land is by serving the needs of many. There is a need for priests, religious and lay people, who generously come to share their gifts and talents, learn the language, adapt to the country’s culture and traditions and minister to the local church and the needs of our Christian community. We welcome individuals: guides, researchers, archaeologists and biblical scholars. I make a special appeal to young people who feel called to the priesthood, to seminarians who love the land of Jesus and the original communities of this land – study the Scriptures, and I persuade you be incardinated into the clergy of Jerusalem.

6. The Christian Community of the Holy Land is suffering and our numbers are dwindling. We have become a small minority (only 2% of the population). Your Mother Church lives in a generally difficult situation, in an environment of conflict and violence, of instability and injustice, in the challenges of everyday life, lack of livelihood and anxiety about the future. Calvary is a Church, threatened by emigration. She has a great responsibility of bringing forth the message of peace and reconciliation in this land of the Gospel, the message of coexistence, dialogue and cooperation with Muslims and Jews. She also suffers from the division of her own Christian communities as she arduously works for ecumenical and inter-church dialogue and unity.

7. Faced with these challenges and this overwhelming mission, do not leave your Mother Church of Jerusalem alone and isolated. Sustain and support her with your prayers, your love and solidarity, to stay rooted in the land of Jesus. We, the bishops of the Holy Land, and all Bishops of the Universal Church, will absolutely not allow the Holy Land to become a large open air museum, without a vibrant Christian presence. I request that all here present read the moving Apostolic Exhortation Nobis in Animo, § 10, written by Pope Paul VI on March 25, 1974. We are very grateful to the Holy See, to bishops, priests and all our friends for their generosity and the many ways of spiritual and material support for the Holy Land, to the Congregation of Eastern Churches, to the Equestrian

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Order of the Holy Sepulchre worldwide, and all organizations who are helping our Christian community in Jerusalem. We thank all associations and individuals for their generosity in promoting peace and justice.

Despite insurmountable difficulties, we believe in God’s plan, we believe in the mission of the Church and in the spirit of the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians, as we humbly and courageously proclaim: “For he is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh…that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two, thus establishing peace.”(Ep.2:14-15)

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Intervention of H.B. Michel SABBAH,Patriarch Emeritus of Jerusalem of the Latins

Christians in the Holy Land must give testimony of Jesus Christ; it is a true vocation. The political conflict should not prevent this mission from coming true, with God’s help.

The future of Christians is one that we make of ourselves as pastors and faithful. Christians in all countries of the Middle East, we have a vocation. As we become aware and as we live our specific vocations, we will make a future that God intends for us.

Our vocation is to witness to Jesus in His land, in Palestine, Israel and the Middle East, the cradle of Christianity.

Our vocation is to live in and for our societies. First and foremost, is our relationship with Muslims. Whatever our experiences, which may vary from one country to another, more successful or less successful, the basic principle is for each of us in our respective countries to be aware that we have a vocation by which we are sent to Arab-Muslim societies. Now, we see only the difficulties, or fears, threats or pressure or oppression. We welcome our realities from the hand of God with serenity. We speak with everyone. We take our mission to all. Most see usability as


we see it, others may differ. We talk about the rise of Islamic movements, but they, too, are our partners to whom we are sent. They, too, are our brothers and sisters. A Christian may be seen as anyone's enemy. With all, we speak of our reality clearly, with courage and conviction. If we are called to sacrifice, we die, not as oppressed citizens, but as martyrs giving our lives for Jesus Christ and for those who kill us.

Secondly, we are dealing with historical forces who want to remake the international face of our Middle East, while completely ignoring our presence. We become the first victims, for example: Christians of Iraq after the U.S. invasion, and those in Palestine in the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. In this case, who will deal with these international forces? It is a threat that will continue unless we again find the way to dialogue and interaction with these forces.

Thirdly, in the Holy Land, Palestine and Israel, our vocation leads us to be living witnesses of Jesus Christ. Here we are partly in a political conflict in which we are the victims. A Palestinian Ecumenical Christian voice was heard in the document known as “Kairos Palestine, A moment of truth, a word of faith, hope and love.” published in December 2009. It is a document understood and welcomed by some, and not understood and strongly criticized by others. Some Palestinian Christians say they have the duty and right to resist evil to which they are subject, but a resistance that falls within the logic of Christian love.

In conclusion, we have a purpose to lead Christians in the Middle East to understand that they carry a special mission and to recognize that their societies need their presence. Whatever situation we are in, political or social injustice, oppression, threats, uncertain future… Christians should not and cannot be weak or despondent. Let us be strong in our faith in dealing with the realities that God gives us.

We are called to be salt of the earth. It is a difficult vocation to be the salt in our society. This means accepting that we remain small and almost invisible, yet continuing to believe, hope and love.

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Intervention of Mons. Salim SAYEGH,Patriarcal Vicar of Jerusalem of the Latins for Jordan

The proliferation of sects, particularly strong in Jordan, as an example, constitutes a threat to the Catholic faith. To counter it, various pastoral measures are to be implemented: visit the families, seriously deal with adult education, improve catechesis in schools, review and revise catechism books.

The Challenge of Cults - I refer to N.36-40 of the Instrumentum Laboris regarding the challenges facing Christians (2. Freedom of religion and conscience). Among the problems facing the Church in the Middle East is that of sects, which causes great doctrinal confusion.

Our days are filled with their theological fantasies. Their pastors are well prepared, very welcoming, courageous and even aggressive. They freely interpret the Bible as they visit families, sowing discord and confusion. In Jordan, for example, there are about fifty sects, five of which have more active pastors than that of Catholic and Orthodox churches together.

What can be done to safeguard the treasury of the faith and to limit the growing influence of other sects? Pastoral means are many and there are various ways to do these. I cite four:

1) Visit families. Priests and pastors of souls are strongly encouraged to visit families and to assume the responsibility of explaining, defending, disseminating, witnessing and helping the faithful to live the Catholic faith. Sects are in our parishes. We must act accordingly. Belonging to a Church of tradition, Catholic or Orthodox, does not protect “ipso facto” the faithful from the threatening dangers of their faith.

2) Strongly address the Christian formation of adults. Many of our faithful are vaguely aware of their moral and sacramental responsibilities. They are not evangelized. They are sure prey for other sects. We must courageously create centers of spirituality and biblical studies.


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3) Sensitize Catholic schools to their Catholic mission. Often, those in charge of schools do not give the same importance to catechetical instruction as they do to other subjects and materials. Rarely are catechists trained and prepared for their work. Too often they are indiscriminately chosen simply to fill gaps.

4) Revise catechism books and texts to clearly express the faith and doctrines of the Catholic Church, as inspired and enlightened by Holy Scripture, Apostolic Tradition and the Magisterium.

In conclusion, pastors need to understand their fundamental and primary mission in the Church: that of protecting our treasury of faith, keeping it strong and solid beyond the ritual differences and political disputes.

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Intervention of Mons. Giacinto-Boulos MARCUZZO,Patriarcal Vicar of Jerusalem of the Latins for Israel

The formation of the laity, priest and the community is the basis for a solution to many problems of the Church in the Middle East. For this, we must implement a “cultural and historical mediation of faith,” so that Christian identity and Christian life come together, in a land where faith is often synonymous with social class rather than personal commitment.

Holy Father, dear Colleagues,

Encouraged by experience, I feel a very strong sense of pastoral duty to speak on formation. How do we solve the many problems of the Church in the Middle East? They are so numerous that one hardly knows where to begin. I think the best answer is to return to the substance and heart of the problems, that is formation. The Churches of the Middle East must give absolute priority to the formation of laity, priests, and the community. Let us form, renew and reawaken our communities from within. That is the one essential thing needed to start solving our problems to improve today’s predicament, and to better prepare us to deal with the numerous and diverse challenges of our time.

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In the midst of our circumstances, we often feel we are in front of a diseased tree that needs care. We treat the branches, but we neglect to treat the trunk and roots, so we do not solve our problems. Let us return to the root of it all, to formation, training, and education. Once the roots and trunk are cleaned and nurtured, the branches bear fruits, thus giving us excellent crops and a bountiful harvest.

1) What is formation and training?

I humbly propose to this Assembly what seems to be the best solution among many as a great operation of cultural and historical mediation of faith. Formation is the greatest need of the Church in the Middle East.

This synergy of operation between faith and reason puts our faith to its source in the Bible and Revelation, and to the life of the faithful. I understand culture itself as identity, life, language, art, challenges, circumstances of time and space, in short the reality of our faith. There is too wide a distance between the two ends of faith and life. Cultural mediation is precisely the pastoral mediation by which one goes beyond faith, incarnating it in the reality of life.

The Christian faith exists and is well rooted in the Middle East, thank God, but it is hereditary, social and confessional. Faith needs to be more personal, engaging and alive. Without this mediation, our faith is fideism, dogmatism and sectarianism, and it can easily slip toward fundamentalism and fanaticism.

2) What are the foundations of mediation and cultural history of the faith?

This mediation is primarily based on three classical phases, always new and revolutionary: See, Judge and Act. See our reality, its perpetual change and reflect on it. Judge this reality from faith and the Word of God bringing it to a salutary understanding. Act accordingly with a relevant plan and purpose.

This is the way of the same Gospel, where Jesus Christ invites us to “study the Word of God, read the signs of the times and witness to the truth”. This is the very method of the Annunciation and the “road to Emmaus”. This is the method of the tradition of the Church and even the monastic tradition of lectio divina. This is the method used by Vatican II, manifested in almost all recent documents of the Holy See. The documents of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs of the Orient and even our Instrumentum Laboris are impregnated with this method of


cultural and historical mediation. We discover, it is expressed in our faith in the Most Holy Trinity: the Father creates the world and life, the Son is the Word and the light that gives us faith to brighten our lives. The Holy Spirit is sent to help us live our faith.

3) Where is the mystery of the effectiveness and success of this cultural mediation?

The operation of faith is based on some fundamental pillars: a) the renewing power of the church’s meeting, shared reflection and expression, b) the revitalizing breath of the Word of God, c) joint responsibility for action which is not regarded as an imposition from above, but a motivation that comes from within which engages the person, especially the youth.

As one can readily understand, this is a very demanding operation, which requires an application at all levels and monitoring the courage of the truth and sincerity of the commitment. It is challenging yet worthy, as it really forms an individual and invigorates a community.

4) Is it possible to apply the cultural mediation?

In the seventh and eighth centuries, the Christians in the Middle East achieved a great cultural mediation of faith and produced the “Arabic Theology “ or “Christian Arabic Literature.” We can say that this operation has saved the Christian presence in our countries. It even contributed to the ‘Development of Christian Dogma” which was dear to Blessed John H. Newman. This Arabic theology is no longer known and taught. It does not have much influence in our Churches today. However, it can be a great opportunity for unity and dialogue. The Arab-Christian patrimony is the most beautiful historical example of a well done cultural mediation of faith. Let us keep this valuable source open, for without this patrimony, our churches will remain anchored in particularities and nostalgia.

Cultural mediation of faith has been accomplished both in the past and the present. In recent years in the Holy Land, we had a pleasant and joyful experience of a pastoral operation on a great scale, called the Diocesan Pastoral Synod. This was a Synod that involved all communities in the Holy Land in three countries, four Churches sui juris, and seven dioceses. The results were very positive where the process had been properly applied. It revitalized and converted the faithful and the

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community. The experience gave us a “Common Pastoral Plan,” which became our best pastoral guide for all groups at the beginning of the second millennium.

5) New historical turning points of the Church in the Holy Land.

Cultural mediation of faith is necessary especially in times of change, innovation, cycles and phases in history. In the Holy Land, we have two new phenomena in the Church which calls upon a cultural mediation.

a) The presence of a Christian community of Arab Palestinian tradition living in the midst of a Muslim community, both of which exist in a Jewish majority. This is unprecedented in history. It is a community that is completely new and needs to cut through its path.

b) The birth of a “Hebrew-speaking Catholic community” in the midst of Israel.

6) Proposals for training and for renewal of Christian communities in the Middle East.

a) That the Synod adopt basic training and ongoing formation as a pastoral priority for the Churches in the Middle East.

b) Developement and teaching of Arabic literature and theology in universities, schools and training centers.

c) Encourage the Eastern method of biblical, traditional and historic cultural mediation based on the mystery of the Incarnation and “on the road to Emmaus.”

Jesus of Nazareth tells us: “Martha, Martha, you take care of many things, but only one thing is necessary” (Lk 10: 41-42). Formation and training are absolutely essential for us in the Middle East. In conclusion, let me paraphrase our Lord Jesus Christ’s command: Seek ye first formation and training and everything else shall be added unto you. Thank you.

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Intervention of Mons. William Hanna SHOMALI,Auxiliary Bishop of Jerusalem of the Latins

The richness of the Eastern Churches is for the most part liturgical. The Latin Church of Arabic language is the union between the Latin Catholic tradition and the Eastern tradition. Linguistic adaptation of the liturgy has a most important role in local inculturation. Today, the liturgy is a strong bond of union for Eastern Christians with the universal Church. It is a way of evangelization and sanctification, although the road ahead is still long, especially with respect to unity among the various Eastern rites.

Holy Father, Your Eminence, Beatitudes, dear Colleagues,

My theme for this presentations is: the Latin liturgy in Arabic language - an example of inculturation.

“The Church breathes through both lungs,” wrote John Paul II: the Eastern, and Latin Catholic Churches. These two traditions came together in a joyful way in the East.

The Latin Church of Arabic language is not of the West, although it includes many Westerners: religious, diplomats, and thousands of foreign workers. An Arabic-speaking Christian belonging to this Church feels 100% Eastern and 100% Latin rite. This liturgy benefited from the dynamism of missionaries and religious congregations who were inspired and enthusiastically made use of the new gifts. The richness of the Eastern liturgies facilitated inculturation in the East.

I now present the achievements of this liturgy, then later speak of expectations and recommendations.

I. Achievements:

1. Most of our Latin liturgical books have been translated to Arabic.

2. The liturgical chant evolved from a period of imitation and dependence to a time of creativity. In the beginning, our ancestors borrowed from Gregorian chants,

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from the repertoires of European chants, and from the Syriac Maronite liturgy. The second phase shifted to the creativity of our composers. Aware of the spirit and brilliance of the Latin liturgy marked by accuracy, conciseness and clarity, and imbued with the culture of the Arabic language, they created impressive compositions and valuable chants. They blended Gregorian and Eastern traditions for the chanting of Psalms.

3. Through the Latin liturgy, our faithful feel incorporated into the larger body of the Church that uses this rite on a global and universal scale. When our faithful travel or migrate, they can readily integrate into another country and can quickly adapt to their host communities. Pilgrims visiting the Holy Land can fully and joyfully participate in our Sunday liturgy as they recognize their own in our local liturgy and rituals.

4. The liturgy is an excellent venue for catechesis and way of sanctification of the faithful. Recently, we rejoiced with the beatification of two Palestinian religious women: the Carmelite nun known as the “Little Arab” and the foundress of the Rosary Sisters. Note that the Carmelite Sister was born a Greek Catholic but fostered and nurtured by the Latin liturgy. It was the same set of circumstances in the case of the venerable Salesian, Simon Srouji. We can say that each breathed with both lungs of the Church. In them, communion has become a visible reality.

A distinct feature of the Latin liturgy of the Holy Land is the reality that salvation history embraces the geography of salvation. Venerating the holy places is a liturgy itself. Commemorating the mysteries of the life of Jesus within a daily, weekly, monthly and annual cycles are made real by the celebration of Masses and in processions and pilgrimages. These include daily prayers and processions in the Churches of the Nativity and the Holy Sepulchre, Palm Sunday processions, pilgrimages to the Baptismal Site, daily Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa, and more. These rituals are very much alive. We are grateful for the perseverance and tenacity of the Franciscan Friars of the Custody of the Holy Land. It is an opportunity and a privilege for pilgrims to experience the richness of our liturgy.

II. Expectations and recommendations:

1. Despite considerable achievements, there remains a need for an extensive and judicious work of inculturation especially in the sacraments of marriage and baptism, and funeral rites. This inculturation should respect the spirit of the Latin and Eastern cultures in bringing together the Eastern liturgies.


2. We desire and look forward to the unification of our Easter celebrations with the Orthodox Churches, a topic raised by Patriarch Lahham three days ago. It is a sign that even our Muslim brothers are insistently asking us to be united in our celebrations. This also implies the unification of our Lenten observance and the manner by which we practice fasting and abstinence. Considering that fasting and abstinence are significant in the tradition of Islam and Judaism, we desire that the Eastern rite and Latin Catholics unite in our Lenten practices. It will be a significantly positive witness of unity for both Christians and non-Christians.

3. Latin liturgy and other Eastern liturgies celebrated in Arabic should become more unified in its theological and liturgical vocabulary. The amalgamation of expression leads to greater communion and a greater testimony to our Christian and non-Christian brothers and sisters.

Conclusion: The mission of evangelization and sanctification is realized through the liturgy. The Latin liturgy in the Middle East has an essential role to play with respect to Eastern liturgies in the work of evangelization and sanctification of peoples.

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Intervention of Rev. F. David NEUHAUS, S.J.

Patriarchal Vicar of Jerusalem of the Latins for the pastoral care of the Hebrew-speaking Catholics (Jerusalem)

Hebrew-speaking Catholics are those living in integrated Jewish-Israeli society, from different waves of immigration since 1948. Many of them are also Arab families now living in Jewish neighborhoods. This small community living its faith in Hebrew is in need of effective pastoral care in that language, to ensure effective transmission of the faith. Moreover, the situation of full integration of Catholics into Israeli society is a major asset in the dialogue between the Church and the Jewish people.

I would like to thank the Holy Father for naming me to this Synod.

With the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, waves of immigration augmented the Jewish population by millions and among the immigrants, thousands of Catholics, mostly members of Jewish families, found themselves part of Jewish,

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Hebrew speaking Israeli society. For reasons of language, culture and politics, they did not find their place within the predominantly Arabic speaking local Church. The Oeuvre Saint-Jacques was founded in 1955 to respond to the pastoral need of Catholics living in Jewish society and to promote dialogue between the Church and the Jewish people. The pastoral aspect of the Oeuvre Saint-Jacques has been transformed into a Hebrew Speaking Catholic Vicariate within the Latin Patriarchate and has led to a further definition of its scope and mission within the context of a new wave of immigration bringing circa one million Russian speakers to Israel and among them tens of thousands of Christians. Today Hebrew is also a language of the Church in the Middle East [read also in Hebrew].

Today there are seven communities that serve the needs of the Hebrew and Russian speaking faithful throughout Israel. They are vibrant oases of life for these Catholics who constitute a doubly marginalized minority: within a society that is predominantly Jewish and within a Church that is predominantly Arab. We continue to work hard to render Catholic sacramental, catechetical and community life fully possible in Hebrew. We live our Christian faith embedded in a Jewish society whose language, liturgy, feasts and practices molded the earliest Christian communities. Inculturating ourselves in this society surely evokes the earliest of the Christian communities in Jerusalem at the time of the apostles. At the same time, we are called to profound communion with our Christian Arab brothers and sisters as we pray together for justice and peace for all.

Over the years, three other Catholic populations have also begun to live in Hebrew, thus necessarily widening the scope of a Hebrew speaking Catholic Vicariate in Israel:

– Tens of thousands of Catholic migrant workers;– Thousands of refugees who arrive from all corners of the globe;– Tens of Christian Arab families who have moved to live in Jewish areas where

Hebrew is the dominant language.

As a result of these three realities today in the State of Israel, there are thousands of Christian children who study in Israeli, Jewish, Hebrew language schools and are admirably inculturated. It is increasingly necessary to develop the Hebrew-speaking Catholic expression so that the evangelization and catechetical formation of these populations can be carried out effectively. What is at stake is the preservation of the Christian identity of these children.

A Hebrew Speaking Vicariate has, within this context, a double mission. First, towards the Church in Israel/Palestine and the Middle East: called to help the


Church move from a discourse of suspicion because of the political conflict, to a discourse of respect for a religious and spiritual tradition that is intrinsically linked to the Christian faith at its very root. Second, toward Israeli Jewish society: called to help Jewish Israeli society understand the Catholic Church, her teachings and principles as well as to help Israelis become aware of the deeply rooted presence of the Church and of Christians in the Holy Land, sensitizing it to the issues that Christians face. The fact that Jews constitute the dominant majority fundamentally conditions the dialogue. Nowhere else and never before have Christians experienced directly the sovereignty of a Jewish polity. The positive side of engaging with a Jewish majority, confident and secure in a society defined by the mores of Jewish tradition is the increasing openness to Christians. This dialogue must serve both the ongoing search for a just solution to the conflict as well as the continuing Christian witness to the Resurrected Lord in the Land that was his earthly home.

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Intervention of Rev. F. Umberto BARATO, O.F.M.

Patriarchal Vicar Emeritus of Jerusalemof the Latins for Cyprus

(...) Cyprus falls under the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. There are four parishes: three administered by the Franciscans of the Holy Land and one by a priest of the Patriarchate. The number of Latin Catholics is small. The four parishes, together with four religious congregations of women, minister primarily to migrants and to tourists.

Immigrants constitute an added wealth for the Church of Cyprus. The pastoral care toward them is particular and delicate. They only stay for a few years and are generally only free on Sundays. However, pastoral care must be practiced as though they were remaining permanently within the parish. Catechesis is fundamental, above all for preparation for the sacraments. Ecclesial groups (Legion of Mary, Charismatics, Neocatechumenal Way, Secular Franciscan Order, national groups for prayer, etc.) may be of great help in outreach with the faithful, through their knowledge and collaboration in parish activities. (...) ■

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2) The Assembly of the Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land (A.C.O.H.L.)

Intervention of Mons. Elias CHACOUR, Archbishop of Akka, Acre,

Ptolemaid of the Greek-Melkites (Israel)

(...) During the past twenty past centuries, our Christians from the Holy Land were at the same time condemned and privileged to share oppression, persecution and suffering with Christ. He is risen but his cross is still high in our sky. Our Christianity is still hanging on that terrible cross. Christians continue to live under daily threats from officials who dream of the continuing transfer of our minority away from their lands, their homes, and away from their ancestral homeland. If it were not for Him, the cross would have been damned and hated. Centuries have long past, filled with our sufferings and our persecutions.

But today, our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, called the Catholic Church and all Christians of good will to turn their sight towards the remnant of the family of Christ. We come here to invite you all to reconsider your priorities regarding the Holy Land, and regarding its inhabitants. (...)

Being the archbishop of the largest Catholic Church in the Holy Land, the Melkite Catholic Church, I earnestly invite you, and plead with the Holy Father to give even more attention to the living stones of the Holy Land. (...) We want to stay where we are. We need your friendship more than your money.

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Intervention of Mons. Paul Nabil EL-SAYAH,Archbishop of Haifa and Holy Land of the Maronites,

Patriarchal Exarch of the Patriarchate of Antiochof the Maronites (Israel)

Ecumenism must be a priority for the Christians of the Middle East, and especially of the Holy Land. Divisions between Christians create a scandal in the eyes of the world. It is fundamental that it be given an important place in the Council of the Churches.

The ecumenical question in the Middle East in general, and in the Holy Land in particular, has become one of the most important challenges for the Church from the grass roots up. We have 13 mainline Churches in Jerusalem and their traditions and memories are more hardened than anywhere else in the world, and their physical and psychological boundaries are very clearly drawn. The scandal of our divisions is often broadcast live worldwide, especially when conflicts flair up in the Holy Sepulcher on Good Friday or in the Church of the Nativity on Christmas morning, while the international media is watching.

1) Our identity as Christians will always be lacking unless we earnestly strive to bring forward the ecumenical agenda;

2) Communion within and among each of our Churches is a prerequisite for meeting our sister Churches and other Christian communities and cultivating an authentic ecumenical spirit;

3) Witness cannot be authentically carried out without our Churches being together and working together. Meeting the ecumenical challenge is not for us an option but an absolute necessity.

In conclusion I have three suggestions:

1) I wish to urge our Churches to take the necessary steps to save the Middle East Council of Churches, as it seems to be on the verge of collapse. It is the only umbrella under which all our Churches come together. This will be a great loss for the ecumenical cause;

2) Give the ecumenical agenda greater importance at the local level according to the circumstances of each and every diocese, parish or community;

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3) Institutions and organizations are important, but unless we cultivate the ecumenical spirit in and among our people, institutions and organizations will remain totally dead. Ecumenical formation is a must at all levels and particularly in the seminaries and houses of formation.

Finally I am fully convinced that attempting to meet the ecumenical challenge will be one of the yardsticks with which the success and failure of this Synod will be measured. Being together and working together as Churches is a vital condition for an effective Christian presence in the Holy Land and in the Middle East at large.

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Intervention of Mons. Yasser AYYASH,Archbishop of Petra and Philadelphia in Arabia

of the Greek-Melkites (Jordan)

Jordan, an Arab moderate, allows Christians to practice their religion freely. Moreover, ecumenism is a reality. Orthodox and Catholics celebrate Christmas and Easter on the same day. But emigration and the lack of dialogue with Muslims are issues still relevant today.

First of all, we express our most sincere gratitude to Pope Benedict XVI, who brought us together in this Special Synod of the Catholic Church for the Middle East: Communion and Witness, a Synod that looks like a special blessing for the Catholic Church and for Christians in the Middle East, a Synod in which the Fathers of the Church are gathered to study, pray, and realize the aspirations of the faithful.

With my intervention, I would like to direct your attention to issues relating to the theme of the Catholic Church and to Christians in general in Jordan. In spite of the current situation of the countries in the Middle East, especially in Palestine, Jordan, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II Bin Al Hussein, enjoy peace, serenity, stability and moderation. These realities help us to truly give witness to Christ. In Jordan, we remember two historic visits: that of Pope John Paul II and that of Pope Benedict XVI, and the warm welcome reserved for them in Jordan and in the Holy Land. We thank Pope Benedict XVI for his love and his special attention to the churches in the Middle East, inviting the faithful to witness


even more to their faith within their countries, and to persevere in the Holy Land, the land of love and peace.

Our Christian witness is expressed through:

1) The schools, hospitals and charities which provide services out of love, without any discrimination and on equal terms, to Christians and Muslims, through education, ethics and science;

2) Celebration of prayers and rites fully in our churches and parishes without any difficulty. Within the law, we can buy and build churches, schools and other buildings;

3) For more than forty years Christians have celebrated Easter according to the Eastern calendar and Christmas according to the Western calendar, all together, Catholics and non-Catholics;

4) Catechesis is taught in Christian schools and some private schools, but not in public schools, although several attempts have been made to that effect. There is more than one scholastic curriculum. Ideally, there should be a unified curriculum for the faithful of the Catholic Church, and preferably for all Christians;

5) Christians are actively involved in daily life in diverse areas. Their role is effective, strong and well recognized;

6) Emigration continues to be a serious problem with both positive and negative implications. Emigration is both internal and oriented towards the countries of the diaspora, not to mention the immigrants arriving in Jordan for work or because of recurring wars. The local Church has conducted humanitarian and pastoral ministry according to its capabilities. The reasons for emigration are varied: political, security, economic, and search for a better future... However, religious persecution is rarely cited as a reason for emigration;

7) There is no official Islamic-Christian dialogue at a national level. For this purpose, meetings are held regularly between Jordan and the Holy See. We hope that the Council of Churches in the Middle East may overcome the difficult challenges for the sake of Christian unity and witness;

8) There are several cases of apostasy against the Islamic religion. There are many reasons which are not related to faith. Cases of conversion to Christianity are rare;

9) More mutual cooperation, unification of common efforts and genuine charity will give us the courage and strength for our witness to bear fruit, to give glory to God, and to take root in the Christian’s land and in his faith. Thank you.

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Intervention of Mons. Grégoire Pierre MELKI,Patriarchal Exarch of the Patriarchate of Antioch

of the Syrians (Jerusalem)

The emigration of Christians from the Holy Land is a real setback, politically, economically and from the testimony of faith. This situation is an enormous challenge to us all. The resolution of political conflict, reconciliation of churches, and implementation of social projects may regulate this painful phenomenon.

(...) As the first reason for emigration, the [Israeli-Palestinian] conflict in question should lead opposing parties, as well as the body of international instances, to work harder for an equitable and lasting solution to this conflict.

On the other hand, we must point out other factors that have contributed to the decline in the number of Christians in the Holy Land: decrease in the birthrate among couples, marriage at older age, reunification of families, pursuit of superior studies abroad, etc... The existing political and religious divisions are in themselves valid reasons.

Though beneficial in some regards to the countries that welcome our emigrants, emigration significantly diminishes the Christian presence and witness in the Holy Land. It also has a negative impact in socio-political life in general, since it deprives the homeland of persons with potential that could accelerate progress and development.

This situation calls to us. We must do something. Some proposals include:

– Make a plea to the body of international instances so that they apply pressure on relative parties for a rapid solution to the conflict;

– Make a plea to the Churches present that they must work seriously for closeness and unity;

– Implement more concrete and common projects such as housing, creation of jobs and hospitals;

– Provide pastoral care for African and Asian Christians who come to our countries...


Intervention of Mons. Joseph Jules ZEREY,Auxiliary and Protosyncellus of the Patriarchate of Antioch

of the Greek-Melkites (Jerusalem)

The families of the Middle East must discover the call to live a radical faith as the early Christians did. Communities and movements that the Spirit inspires in the Church are instruments to rediscover the mercy of God and his action in the life of every man.

Why do many of our families emigrate? Why do they live half-heartedly, crushed by greed, the pressures coming from all sides, notably from the media, political, social and material, as well as those coming from other professions of faith or other religions? Why have so many lost their call to live like the first Christians, who, with the Apostles, lived an evangelical life, centered on Christ in prayer and in sharing?

I strongly state that many of our “so-called Christian” families have a vital need for re-evangelization and to personally embrace the forgiveness and mercy of God earned by the passion, the death and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

During the past forty years, we have all witnessed the Holy Spirit evoking a renewal in the Church from which new movements and communities were born that live the missionary dynamic such as the great Apostles and great Saints (which we know), who during the centuries knew how to evangelize the heart of the Church and of the world.

These past years in our Arab countries and in other countries, I have met several families who truly live their Christian faith despite the enormous difficulties in their daily lives. These families burning with the charity of Christ bear their crosses with faith and hope against all hope.

These families cannot hold and cannot be missionaries unless through a personal bond. They experience a deep love for Christ strengthened by daily prayer and the support of small fraternities or parish communities who meet each week around the Word of God. These “small Cenacles” will allow them to live the Sunday Eucharist in a more intense way.

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These families live the presence of the Risen Christ among them, which vivifies them through His Holy Spirit and leads them to the Father.

An international center for family spirituality will be built in Nazareth very soon. This center will be at the service of the local Church and the universal Church. I ask that it may shine over all the cities of the Holy Land to help families face their daily problems and difficulties, and especially encourage them to become true missionary families, true hearths of charity and light.

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Intervention ofMons. Raphaël François MINASSIAN,

Patriarchal Exarch of the Armenian Patriarchate of Cilicia (Jerusalem)

(...) The local Church of the Holy Land in Jerusalem is aware of the acute problems of a socio-political nature faced by Christians in the Middle East, and has faith in the imperative importance of the media that can play a positive role in proposing solutions. (...)

Collaboration in the field of the mass media is still weak among the Catholics of the Middle East because of the differences between cultures and ecclesiastical traditions. (...)

The mass media can play an important role and be one of the most suitable means for creating a real communion between the various Catholic Churches, starting with an effective collaboration between them in such a way that the mass media might truly become a place of witness to Jesus and to Christian values.

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Intervention ofthe Very Rev. Pierbattista PIZZABALLA, O.F.M.

Custos of the Holy Land (Jerusalem)

“In the Holy Land, too often the pastoral perspective takes as its starting point, the problems and the situations, rather than the vocation of the Christians and the Churches of these special and blessed lands.” Those of Jerusalem have a particular appeal and universal testimony. We must rediscover the living memory of the Incarnation in the Holy Places. Do not despair over the small number of Christians. Being a minority does not prevent them from renewing the strength of their identity and providing a testimony of faith.

Most Eminent and Excellent Fathers,Illustrious Authorities and Members of this Synod.

In the Holy Land, too often the pastoral perspective takes as its starting point the problems and the situation rather than the vocation of the Christians and the Churches of those special and blessed lands (cf. Instrumentum Laboris, no. 6).

I, however, believe that we are at a time and in a place where it is necessary to start off from the vocation that is proper to the Churches of the Holy Land. Moreover, this seems to me to be the sense of the invitation by the Holy Father in his inaugural Homily, when he asked us to look on this land as God does, “from on high”. I would also like to begin my speech recalling the first manifestation of the Church in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost; “We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travellers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.” They were all astounded and bewildered, and said to one another, “What does this mean?” (Acts 2, 9-12)

This universal encounter of all languages in Jerusalem and their meeting in God is not only a memory, it is still the present and future. Today as then, the Church of Jerusalem was born and develops with a universal vocation and opening. Every

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day, the Friars Minor of the Custody of the Holy Land are admiring witnesses and – not infrequently – generous and diligent promoters of the physical and spiritual movement that brings millions of people to return to and gather in Jerusalem, where they are in search of the centre, the heart and the first source of the Christian faith and life.

Ad Intra: as a Christian community living in the Holy Land, we have to rediscover being and living in the places of the origins. However it is not simply and solely a question of places. We are and we experience the living memory of the Incarnation. This has not only taken place in time, but also in a space. Living in that space with vitality is a vocation and service to the whole Church. We are asked to recover and develop this awareness. The pastors and the faithful of the Churches of the Holy Land must develop a greater knowledge of the places that someone has defined “the fifth Gospel”. The Holy Places are an important opportunity for evangelization and prayer, as well as a certainty of the Christian identity of the Holy Land. Jerusalem in particular cannot be seen only as the result of a struggle between opposing factions; it remains the starting point and the arrival of the wanderings of the faith of every believer in Christ, indeed, of anyone who shares Abraham’s faith. The pilgrims who come to the Holy Land from all over the world, like the presence of Jewish and Muslim faithful around the same sacred area of the Holy City appear to the eyes of faith as a fulfilment, even if only a partial one, of the prophecy of the gathering of all peoples on Mount Zion to be instructed in the ways of the Lord and to walk in His paths (cf. Is 2, 2-4; Micah 4, 2-4).

There is therefore, the need of renewed care for the formation and catechism of all those who are preparing to be pastors and of the faithful, so that they are all ready for the challenges that evangelization and the mission present in this time and in this Land of ours. A pastoral formation that concentrates more of the studied, meditated and announced Word of God appears essential (cf. Instrumentum laboris, nos. 8; 62-69). The difficulties, and even the prohibitions, that the explicit announcement of the Gospel encounters in our lands must not push us only to preserve what exists but ask us as individuals and as a community, to be creative, capable of eloquent and incisive testimony.

Ad Extra: the pilgrimages on the one hand, the multiple character – multilingual, multiracial and multi-ritual – of the Church of the Holy Land on the other, ask us to be an increasingly “extrovert” Church, I would say hospitable, open to others and to the other. The Church of the Holy Land has always been a minority. Being a minority is part of our identity and we must not turn this into a drama. This condition reminds us that we are not nor do we exist for ourselves, but enter into


relation with all those who meet us and urge us to be constructive. And this, in truth, happens. Although being a little more than 1 per cent of the population, the Church with its works reaches more than 5 per cent of the population

Allow me here to recall the service of the Custody of the Holy Land in education, assistance and university training, offered not only to Latin Christians but also to the faithful of other confessions and religions. In recent years, the Custody of the Holy Land opened a collaboration for the pastoral care of groups of Hebrew-speaking Catholics and Catholic immigrants (c.r Instrumentum Laboris, nos. 49-53). The centres for study, research and reception and social communication, founded and supported by the Custody, such as the Franciscan Centre of Oriental Studies in Cairo, the Memorial of St. Paul in Damascus, the Magnificat Institute of Music, the Franciscan Multimedia Centre and the Faculty of Biblical Sciences and Archaeology in Jerusalem are open to Christians of every confession.

Being a minority must not prevent us from being vibrant witnesses of faith and belonging, from making strong and precise cultural proposals, the only space of confrontation possible in our Land. Being a minority must not make us close in, but open up to new forms of creativity, which are not only allowed but at times even expected by our brothers of other faiths.

For us living in the Holy Land, the ecumenical commitment is first of all the daily encounter of and with people, of brothers and sisters who beyond diversities, share the common Christian path and the shared commitment to peace (Instrumentum Laboris, no. 82). It is also the daily expression of the task that prejudices and history have given us and have become tangible and concrete in the Holy Land. As far as the delicate and difficult political scenario is concerned, without entering into delicate questions which are already discussed amongst ourselves, I would like to underline here how it is not always clear to us either, that it is up to us, Christians of the Holy Land who do not lay claim to territories and privileged positions, to preserve, keep visible and conscientiously defend in all the ways possible and in all public places, the Christian character of the Holy Land and of Jerusalem, something that is not always obvious and perhaps not always accepted.

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3) Institutions associated to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem

Intervention of Card. John Patrick FOLEY,Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre

of Jerusalem (Vatican City)

The Knights of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre bring an important contribution to the material and spiritual work of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem to Christians in the Holy Land. Moreover, they support the role of Christian schools in Jordan, Israel and Palestine, which contribute to mutual understanding among Christians, Muslims, and Jews.

As messengers of Christ’s peace, I am convinced that all of us must pray and work for peace in the Middle East, especially for a just and lasting peace between Palestine and Israel and among their neighbors.

I am convinced that the continued tension between the Israelis and the Palestinians contributed greatly to the turmoil in all of the Middle East and also to the growth of Islamic fundamentalism.

While many including the Holy See, have suggested a two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, the more time passes, the more difficult such a solution becomes, as the building of Israeli settlements and Israeli controlled infrastructure in East Jerusalem and in other parts of the West Bank make increasingly difficult the development of a viable and integral Palestinian state.

During the Holy Father’s historic pilgrimage to the Holy Land last year, I had the opportunity for brief conversations with political leaders at the highest level in Jordan, Israel and Palestine. All of them spoke of the great contribution to mutual understanding made by Catholic schools in those three areas. Since Catholic schools are open to all and not just to Catholics and to other Christians, many Moslem and


even some Jewish children are enrolled. The effects are apparent and inspiring. Mutual respect is engendered, which we hope will lead to reconciliation and even mutual love.

As the one honored by our Holy Father with the task of serving as Grand Master of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, I am inspired by the interest and generosity of the almost 27,000 Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulchre in 56 jurisdictions all over the world.

Many have made pilgrimages to the Holy Land where they have visited not only the places made sacred by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ but also the parishes, schools and hospitals which serve those we call the “living stones”, the Christian descendants of the original followers of Jesus Christ in that land we call “holy’’.

Since the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre sent more than $50 million to especia1ly assist the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and other Christian communities and institutions to survive and indeed excel in service to the entire community in the Holy Land.

Such generosity, while important, is secondary to the development of an ever deeper spiritual life on the part of our members and of those whom we serve.

Years ago, I noted that the so-called five pillars of Islam really had their origins in Judaeo-Christian sources. Jews, Christians and Moslems all believe in one God; we all practice frequent and I hope, fervent prayer; we all, in different ways, practice fasting; we believe in and practice almsgiving; and we all seek to take part in pilgrimage to Jerusalem, a city sacred to Jews, Christians and Moslems.

May these common beliefs and practices be acknowledged and followed in the hope of greater mutual understanding and of reconciliation, peace and indeed love in that land which all of us, Jews, Christians and Moslems, are moved to call “holy”.

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Intervention of Prof. Agostino BORROMEO,Governor General of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre

of Jerusalem (Italy), auditor

The Church should support Christians in the Middle East, in order to stop their emigration. It must continue to participate in the construction of social housing, health care, financial assistance through microcredits for example. This is a strong testimony to the unity of the universal Church, by communion among its members.

This intervention is focused on the theme of emigration (no.43, 48 of the Instrumentum Laboris). It is apparent that the phenomenon of emigration in Middle Eastern countries is determined by factors which the Church itself cannot influence as properly underlined in no. 44. In addition to the traditional aid to the Churches, one could nevertheless seek to create new strategies for the betterment of living conditions for Christians.

I will cite some examples:

1) the construction of social housing;

2) the creation of medical clinics at locations far from hospital centers;

3) the concession of micro-credit, especially for financing activities that create new sources of income or increase what is already being received;

4) the elaboration of a system of micro-insurance, with special reference to health insurance sector;

5) contact with Western companies to verify if they may be interested to transfer some stages of production processes to the Middle East.

Of course, these initiatives should be activated in close collaboration with the local ecclesiastical authorities and under the control of the individual Churches. Even if the results may be modest, they will still represent a concrete testimony to the closeness of Christians all around the world with the problems and sufferings of our brothers and sisters in the Middle East.

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Intervention of Mr. Epiphan Bernard Z. SABELLA,Associate Professor of Sociology, Bethlehem University

(Palestinian Territories), auditor

Christians in the Holy Land are called to follow as models, the early followers of Jesus who shared in the testimony of Christ. This testimony is today a joint action plan, which is carried by a common vision of society.

The example of the twelve disciples of Jesus who went out to preach the good news should be our model in the Churches of the Middle East. Their «plan of action» was the witness of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And so is our «plan of action» today. The Church in the Middle East is made up of a multitude, with different rich traditions, liturgies, growth potentials, and together we are called to have a joint plan of action that speaks of:

1) Peacemaking in the region: That a just and lasting peaceful solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict would see a Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital, living in peace with itself and with its neighbors. We also need to work for peace within our societies.

2) Social, economic and cultural inequities which result in poverty, unemployment and despair for millions of our compatriots: We base our intervention on the social teachings of the Church and link to efforts on the Millennial Development Goals of the UN. His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI warned us of idols, such as unrestrained capitalism focused on profits. Our region is at the same time the richest and the poorest in the world.

3) Emigration and immigration: Attention is needed to particular groups, especially highly-educated and skilled youth who can compete for jobs on the world market and are likely candidates to emigrate. We need them to invigorate the Church and we should work towards their involvement and participation. At the same time, we should respect the human rights and dignity of immigrants who come to work in the Middle East.

4) Vision of the future for our societies and region that is based on equal citizenship, similar opportunities, human rights and social justice.

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Churches need to provide a leadership model that is empowering to the Church communities themselves and to their societies. We should all go from here, empowered by the Holy Father to develop strategies that would be of service to both our Churches and societies. The model of the first disciples should give us hope as well as the support of the Universal Church.

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Intervention of Mrs. Huda MUASHER,Director, “Caritas” (Jordan), auditor

The Eastern Christian identity is an integral part of the Arab identity. Secularism in the region should not be seen as moving away from religion but as a denial of the foundation of a state on religious grounds. Eastern Christians have the mission to bring the East and West together in dialogue.

I am filled with a sense of fear because of the location and what the Assembly presents, and at the same time humbled by being a participant in this important historic event. I remind you who know, what a lady from Soufanieh in Damascus said in the words of the Blessed Virgin, inviting us to act “for the unity of the Church and the importance of preserving the Christian presence in the East.”

Let me first introduce myself. I am a Christian grandmother from the East, a Jordanian, and an Arab. I love my Christian faith with all my will and my whole being, and I respect anyone who loves his religion and obeys Him, because He has taught us that “we are all brothers in Christ.”

I can participate only by speaking frankly as a simple grandmother. What we expect from the Synod is, that we go beyond talking about the past and the reality of the situation of Christians in the East but to reach a clear vision and program on how to confront and overcome the challenges of this reality.

Let us start by recognizing the peculiarity of the Eastern Christian identity and the importance of defining it. The Eastern Christian belongs to the nationality of his country who contributed and still contributes to the development of the Arab and Islamic civilization. He is also the successor of the first Christians in these lands.


The peculiarity of the Eastern Christian demands the start of new inter-religious dialogue between the children of the same people before or at the same time as a dialogue between those who guide its thought, until the Christian’s ignorance about his Muslim brother’s religion vanishes along with the Muslim’s about his Christian brother’s.

The Eastern Christian is a lay person who by “lay” does not mean moving away from religion, but a rejection of a state based on religion, whether it is Christian, Muslim or Jewish.

The peculiarity of the Eastern Christian also demands that Christians celebrate their feasts together as in Jordan where Christians celebrate Christmas according to the Western calendar and Easter according to the Eastern calendar. This means that Christians share their celebrations and their sufferings. In this way, they become of a single heart and a solid unity. I have the strong impression that the happiness of Christ our Lord will be great, if all Christians were to celebrate their feasts together.

Finally, the Eastern Christian perceives himself as the most suitable to deal with the West, because he takes a position starting from his convictions of defending the causes of his nation and he assumes the responsibility of bringing the concept of moderate Islam to the whole world. And he sees no contradiction of this with his own religion and faith. In Jordan, the Christian abides by the “Amman Letter” of 2003 as the basis of the concept of moderate Islam.

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4) Other Bishops from the Middle East

Intervention of Mons. Edmond FARHAT,Apostolic Nuncio (Lebanon)

The Church in the Middle East is called to make a strong testimony. The Muslim world is in crisis, and often, the Church is used to direct and promote the radicalization of Islam. Despite the injustices, Christians should not be afraid, and must trust in God’s strength and power.

(…) I would like to give two considerations, one about the past, and the other on the future of Middle Eastern Christians.

The recent past had us endure great trials of faith that the document does not hesitate to call “The unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict, disregard for international law, the selfishness of great powers and the lack of respect for human rights” (IL, no. 118), with all their negative consequences, such as, emigration and discouragement. The Middle Eastern situation today is like a living organ that has been subject to a graft it cannot assimilate and without specialists capable of healing it. As a last resource, the Eastern Arab Muslim looked to the Church, believing, as he thinks himself, that it is capable of obtaining justice for him. This is not the case. He is disappointed, he is scared. His confidence has turned into frustration. He has fallen into a deep crisis. The foreign body, not accepted, gnaws at him and impedes him from taking care of his general state and development. The Middle Eastern Muslim, in the great majority of cases is in crisis. He cannot make justice on his own. He finds any allies neither on the human nor the political level, let alone scientific level. He is frustrated. He revolts.

His frustration resulted in revolutions, radicalism, wars, terrorism and the call (da’wat) to return to radical teachings (salafiyyah). Wishing to find justice in his own radicalism he turns to violence. He believes there will be more of an echo if he attacks the constituted bodies, the most accessible and fragile is the Church.


Not knowing the concept of gratuity, he accuses Christians of having backward thoughts, of proselytism, of being accomplices to the imperial powers. From Iraq to Turkey, from Pakistan to India, the victims have multiplied. They are always the innocent ones and the benevolent servants: Mons. Luigi Padovese, Andrea Santoro in Turkey, the lawyer killed with his family in Pakistan, Mons. Claverie and the religious persons in Algeria, the priests, religious and innocent faithful, killed during the war in Lebanon, they were easy targets.

For the future, the text recommends not to be afraid. This does not mean that we become indifferent. But it is the time for purification and to feel the pains of childbirth, even in the Muslim society. It is up to us to continue our path under these conditions. It is our mission. It is our role that nobody else can fill for us. It is not only speaking of the almighty God, but also of His Son Jesus Christ, in Arabic. Not only should there be no fear, but the message must be transmitted to future generations. Bathed by the blood of its martyrs, encouraged by its teachers, saints and blessed, the Middle Eastern churches will flourish like the Lord’s vineyard and will bear much fruit.

Today, the Church endures injustice and calumnies. As in the Gospel, many leave, others tire, or flee. The frustrated and desperate take their revenge on the innocent. Behind the physical assassinations and the burning failures, there is sin. It is this “anonymous power served by men, by which men are tormented and even killed”, as the Holy Father said to us at the beginning of our work (Reflection by the Holy Father, First General Congregation, October 11, 2010).

When Jesus died “the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth quaked, the rocks split, the tombs opened” (Mt 27:51). Evil thought to have won. At the moment of His resurrection and His victory over death, it was a quiet dawning. He rose without making a sound, He pushed the rock away quietly, there were no witnesses. Life does not need witnesses. He is the Master and the Lord. He would do the same for His Church in the Middle East.

The action of God continues throughout history. The Church in the Middle East lives this moment on the path of the Cross and purification, which leads to renewal, to resurrection. The present suffering and anguish are the cries of labor pains. If they last, it is because this demon that torments our society can be chased away only by prayer. Perhaps we have not prayed enough!

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Intervention of Mons. Paul DAHDAH,Apostolic Vicar of Beirut of the Latins (Lebanon)

Communion is ardently desired in the Church, and many documents seek to achieve it. Yet the facts are too often far from the ideals of the Church. It is important for the clergy to return to irreproachable conduct and behavior for the edification of the faithful.

In the text of the Instrumentum Laboris, the theological, trinitarian, christological and ecclesiological foundations of ecclesial communion are clearly expressed. (…)

The text mentions the ecclesial organisms, already in place, to favor and develop communion between the Eastern Catholic Churches on a global level, then on the level of Patriarchates and finally Eparchies. It points out the central role of the Patriarch and then the Bishop to favor communion, cohesion, and unity in diversity. The text also underlines the “serious spiritual and moral responsibility” of the ministers of Christ and consecrated persons. (No. 58).

Apparently all has been said, all is clear, but the text suggests that the reality is far from the ideal presented this way and there is still much to be done to achieve communion. The diagram of ecclesial institutions and the legislation that rule these structures seem perfect, but does this beautiful machine work? (…) In no. 58 we read: “many of the faithful expect of them a greater simplicity of life, a real detachment from money and worldly goods, a radiating practice of chastity, and a transparent moral purity”.

The text seems soothing and shy to us. However, we can read a clear denunciation of the harmful effects of confessionalism and clericalism, pettiness, hunger for profit, the quest for power, comfort and titles in the members of the clergy and religious men and women who act without complexes as functionaries and being noteworthy. These types of behavior lead to scandal, to the disintegration of communion, the alienation and opposition to the Church and Christian religion, making a bed for all types of sects. (…)

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Intervention of Mons. Paul HINDER,Apostolic Vicar of Arabia of the Latins (United Arab Emirates)

The presence of Christians, exclusively immigrants in the Gulf, raises the question of their place in countries where Islam is the state religion, with all the restrictions that this implies. It is necessary to ensure access to the Church for these people, yet respecting the various rites.

The two Vicariates of the Arabian Peninsula, comprising Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Yemen and Saudi Arabia, have no native Christians. The three million Catholics in a population of 65 million inhabitants are all labor migrants from a hundred nations, the majority from the Philippines and India. About 80% are of Latin Rite, the others belong to Catholic Oriental Churches. Both Apostolic Vicars are of Latin Rite; the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin has the ius commissionis for the territory; two thirds of the 80 priests are Capuchin Friars from India, the Philippines, Europe and America, belonging to different rites.

The special situation in the Vicariates of the Gulf:

1) Catholic presence in Arab countries with Islam as state religion. Strict immigration laws (restriction to the number of priests) and security system. Individual rights and social care are very limited. There is no freedom of religion: no Muslim can convert but Christians are welcome into Islam. Freedom of worship is limited to designated places, granted by benevolent rulers (except in Saudi Arabia). Churches are too few, attendance is very high, in a single parish up to 25,000 come on Fridays with 10 and more Masses. Distance from church, employment and camp rules make participation for many christians impossible. The Catholic Church is law-abiding and is trusted by the government.

2) Unity of Catholic Church in diversity of rites and nationalities. The Church has to adapt its structures and pastoral work to the limits imposed by the external circumstances. (…)

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Opening Mass of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East in the Vatican

The Catholic Patriarchs of the East


First Mass: Bishop Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, Vicar, Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem (Second from the right)

First Mass: entrance procession. From left to right: Rev. Hanna Kildani, Rev. David Neuhaus, S.J.,Rev. Rifaat Bader, Rev. Iyad Twal, priests of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem,followed by Very Rev. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, O.F.M., Custos of the Holy Land

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Morning Prayer with the Holy Father, prior to the working session

The Catholic Patriarchs of the East with the Holy Father. (From left to right):H.B. Thottunkal Baselios Cleemis, Archbishop of Trivandrum of the Syro-Malankar (India); H.B. Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem; H.B. Ignace Joseph Younan III, Patriarch of Antioch; H.B. Antonios Naguib, Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts; H.B. Emmanuel III Karim Delly, Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans; His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI; H.B. Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and the East; H.B. Michel Sabbah, Patriarch Emeritus, Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem; H.B. Nerses Bedros XIX, Armenian Patriarch; H.B. Gregory III Lahham, Patriarch of Antioch Melkites.


Working sessions at the Synod

H.B. Fouad Twal Bishop Salim Sayegh

Bishop William Shomali

Rabbi David Rosen Ayatollah MostafaMohaghegh Ahmadabadi

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Very Rev.Pierbattista Pizzaballa, O.F.M.

Archbishop Yasser Ayyash

H.B. Michel Sabbah and H.B. Fouad Twal

Dr. Bernard SabellaArchbishop Maroun Lahham

Working sessions at the Synod


H.B. Fouad Twal with the Holy Father

H.B. Michel Sabbah with the Holy Father

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Bishop Salim Sayegh with the Holy Father

Bishop William Shomali with the Holy Father


The Latin Patriarchate family present at the Synod

Bishop Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, Bishop William Shomali, H.B. Michel Sabbah,H.B. Fouad Twal, Archbishop Ghaleb Bader at St. Peter’s Square, Vatican

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Intervention of Mons. Ghaleb Moussa BADER, Archbishop of Algiers of the Latins (Algeria)

Dialogue is a specific mission of the Church in Algeria. This dialogue translates a living presence and sharing in the simplicity of everyday reality. This is the best testimony that can be given to Christians, and it is very appreciated by all.

Given its small reality, our church is called upon each day and each moment to encounter with others, the different... to the point that our church has almost made encounter its specific mission in this country and defines itself even as “the church of encounter”... In this encounter with the other, a spontaneous, free, sincere and constructive dialogue begins and develops.

In daily life, this dialogue becomes a simple presence, a simple sharing. It translates concretely into free services inspired by nothing but love for others and the search to answer the needs of those we are in dialogue. To dialogue on a daily basis means to live, work, walk, search together, give and receive and sometimes, to rejoice and suffer together.

Many prejudices, fears, misunderstandings, ignorance and false conceptions can fall and disappear as a result of this daily dialogue. Mutual knowledge and trust are created, which are often necessary to heal relations between believers and between the religions themselves.

Our churches have the awareness of having and living a prophetic mission, that of preparing and creating for today and for tomorrow a climate for a more serene dialogue, and even more.

This dialogue is the best witness of faith that our churches can give, and often it is more effective than the direct announcement of the Good News. We are happy to see that this dialogue is highly accepted and appreciated by the people because it is free and sincere, and is beginning to bear good fruits.

This dialogue is fundamental for the life of our Christians and for civil peace in our countries. The absence of official dialogue creates a crisis in reciprocal official relationships. It is more serious if daily dialogue is missing, because it is peace, life and the very existence of these groups that will be at risk... The experience of our


churches in the Maghreb teaches us that true dialogue begins with small details of daily life, one that does not wish to appear as such but wishes to be a simple presence, a simple service... True dialogue arises where men are found with their joys and concerns, their down-to-earth questions on daily matters as well as their questions on fundamental topics regarding life and man’s destiny.

Dialogue needs education. Now, the dialogue of life is the best education and the best school to learn, to know, to respect others, and to collaborate together.

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Intervention of Mons. Maroun Elias LAHHAM,Bishop of Tunis of the Latins (Tunisia)

The Maghreb is an integral part of Arab-Muslim world. The reality of Christianity is different, since these communities do not go back to the early Church but are composed of foreigners. North Africa needs vocations, and therefore this call is made for Africa and the Middle East.

(...) The nations in the Maghreb are part of the Arabic Muslim world. There are a few peculiarities in one country or another. Life in Rabat, in Algiers, in Tunis or in Tripoli is the same as life in Amman, in Damascus, in Baghdad or in Cairo. This can be applied above all to relationships with Islam and in the fact of living the Christian faith in a very different context. The Churches in the Maghreb region have every reason to place themselves in relationship to their sister Churches of the Middle East, and to bring their specificity as dialogue of life and thought with Islam, a dialogue from the point of view of foreigners and not as fellow citizens.

[Middle East has the grace of having some Christian Arab minorities, while Christianity that existed in the first centuries has completely disappeared in the Maghreb region]. In the Maghreb churches, the faithful are foreigners where there are at least 60 different nationalities represented. They are Europeans (businessmen, diplomats, residents, retirees, Christian women in mixed marriages...), Africans (students, employees of the African Bank for Development, military personnel, families, immigrants...), some Christian Arabs of the Middle East (Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan) and a handful of locals baptized in the Catholic Church (in Tunisia and in Algeria).

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The collaboration required is an exchange of priests, religious persons, consecrated lay persons or volunteers to work in the parishes and in the different institutes of the Church in Northern Africa. Up until now, it was Europe that provided these. Today, this is no longer the case with the decrease in priestly and religious vocations. Not having any local Christian families or residents for generations, our churches have two directions in which to turn to for help: Africa and the Middle East.

It is true that the life of a priest in the Middle East differs from the life of a priest in the Maghreb context (I can say this from my own experience, being myself, as well as my brother from Algiers, Middle Easterners). However, by the grace of God and a serious effort in adaptation, it is possible and even enriching. For the religious, integration is easier, because they have the support of the community.

“Ask and you shall receive” said the Lord. We have asked, we wait to receive.

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5) Members of the Roman Curia

Intervention of Card. Zenon GROCHOLEWSKI,Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education (Vatican City)

Education has an important role in the Church in the Middle East. It allows the transmission of the Christian identity and fosters the commitment of the faithful in the society. If Christian institutions are open to all, they must, however, provide clear and solid education, to ensure proper training of the faithful.

The Church in the Middle East has a long educational tradition. Today, thousands of Catholic scholastic institutions exist with about 600,000 students. They are generally highly esteemed and offer a scholastic education without distinction or discrimination, granting access to everyone, especially the poorest. There are four Catholic universities in the region with campuses abroad, eight institutes of higher ecclesial studies and at least ten seminaries for different rites. In Middle Eastern


countries, there are various opportunities for Catholic educational institutions to carry out their activities and mission. Thus, their presence in some areas is more concentrated while less in others.

Referring to Number 3 of the Instrumentum Laboris, which outlines in a general way the specific objective of this Assembly, that Catholic educational institutions might carry weight in the fulfillment of nearly all of the premises present in the various points of the document:

– providing to Christians the reason for their presence in the Middle East and their mission in each country, forming authentic witnesses to the faith at all levels and individuals qualified to communicate the faith;

– reviving ecclesial communion and cooperation between the very diverse components of the Middle East’s ecclesial reality, in ecumenical commitment and interreligious dialogue, in cooperation with Jews and Muslims in religious, social and cultural fields for the common good;

– reinforcing the necessary Christian commitment in public life, in civil and political activities through means of communication, contributing to facing appropriately the challenges of peace and those born out of the ambiguity of modernity, creating a just, fair and human society, contributing to the whole development of the countries of the Middle East at all levels and enrichment of Christian values.

So that Christians may be duly respected in carrying out their charitable mission, including education: the qualified promotion of concepts of “positive laity”, dignity and rights of the human person, true religious freedom, and respect for the freedom of others is necessary. Catholic educational institutions can and must contribute to this promotion initiatives.

It is difficult to find among the premises highlighted in the Instrumentum Laboris any one for which educational institutions is not important. Each educational institution must contribute within its own field of activity and according to its concrete possibilities.

I would like to highlight four items:

1) Our institutions are open to all and respectful of those who do not share the Christian faith, so that nobody feels like a guest or a foreigner. This does not mean, however, silencing the Christian values in which the Catholic educational system is founded nor the weakening of its own specific identity and Christian mission.

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2) Institutes of higher learning must have contact and dialogue with other institutions of the same type within the territory in order to promote peace, respect for human rights, progress civil and political commitment, and commitment to ecumenism, interreligious dialogue, etc.

3) The genuine promotion of priestly vocations and the sound philosophical, theological, spiritual and cultural preparation for future priests appropriate to the specific needs of the place remains fundamental. The strengthening and development of the Church in the Middle East depends by large upon the quality and efforts for vocation promotion.

4) It is of extreme importance that the Bishops/Eparchs consistently accompany Catholic educational institutions with their presence, encouragement, assistance, and constructive counsel.

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Intervention of Mons. Angelo AMATO,Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints

(Vatican City)

The vocation of every Christian is towards holiness. The Middle East received this vocation and has responded. Many faithful of the Middle East have recently been beatified and canonized.

Jesus invited one and all of his disciples to holiness of life: “Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48). The Apostle Paul encouraged Christians to be, in Christ, “be holy and faultless in love” (cf. Eph. 1:4). The Second Ecumenical Vatican Council called the faithful to the universal vocation of holiness: “In the Church, everyone whether belonging to the hierarchy, or being cared for by it, is called to holiness, according to the saying of the Apostle: ‘For this is the will of God, your sanctification’ (l Ts 4:3)” (LG 39). The sanctity of the faithful is a gift of the Holy Spirit, Divine trinitarian love, in the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. From the beginning of Christianity, the saints, confessors and martyrs, have been numerous in the Eastern Church. In the last year, the two most recent beatifications in the Middle East have occurred in Nazareth and in Kfifan in Lebanon. On 21


November 2009 in Nazareth, Sister Marie-Alphonsine Danil Ghattas was beatified, a native of Jerusalem and founder of the entirely Arab Congregation of the Sisters of the Rosary, apostolically active in many places in the Middle East. In Kfifan, north of Beirut, Br. Estefan Nehme, a professed religious of the Lebanese Maronite Order was beatified on 27 June. The faithful who participated at the beatification of Br. Estefan numbered more than 100,000.

Other than witnesses to the faith and of communion within the Church, the blesseds and saints have a triple function. First and foremost, as authors of an authentic inculturation of the Gospel, their existence demonstrates that it is possible to be perfect disciples of Christ in one's own land and culture. Secondly, they are witnesses to a victorious interreligious dialogue, in fact their lives are characterized by the heroic exercise of charity, the true universal language of humanity understood and appreciated by all, even by non-Christians. Lastly, they are credible missionaries of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in that they lived in harmony in word and action.

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Intervention of Card. Jean-Louis TAURAN,President of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue

(Vatican City)

The Synod is an opportunity to rethink the dialogue with other religions and the place of the three major monotheistic religions in the Middle Eastern societies. It is also a challenge to make bold proposals to foster dialogue and encourage Christians to remain in their countries.

The Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East represents a chance and a challenge!

A CHANCE, because it should lead to better understanding:

– that the unresolved conflicts in the region are not caused by religious reasons, testifying to this is the presence among us of representatives of Judaism and of Islam;

– the urgency for a three-way reflection (Jews, Christians and Muslims) on the place of religions in the Middle Eastern societies.

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A CHALLENGE, to provide Middle Eastern Christians with concrete orientations:

– let us not be shy in reclaiming freedom of worship and religious freedom: society and state should neither force persons to act against their conscience, nor hinder them from acting according to their conscience;

– invest more in schools and universities attended by Christians and Muslims: they are indispensable laboratories of co-existence;

– Let us ask ourselves if we are doing enough on the level of local churches, to encourage our Christians to stay: housing, tuition, health care. We cannot expect everything from others...

A SUGGESTION The promotion of Arab-Christian literature which play a role in the dialogue between Christians and Muslims, especially in its cultural dimension (no. 96). We should at least teach this in our schools, in parallel with Arabic literature.

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Intervention of Mons. Claudio Maria CELLI,President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications

(Vatican City)

New communication technologies are now globalized, and therefore, also present in the Middle East. It is becoming a dominant power over people. This is why the Church must use this tool for evangelization, and teach its members to do likewise.

As aptly underlined by the Instrumentum Laboris (no. 67) and by the Relation (p.12), means of communication, traditional and new, offer a great opportunity for evangelization and the spreading of the values of the Gospel, especially among young people who are perhaps not assiduous churchgoers, but who increasingly use these means and communicate among themselves through the networks.(…)

This “digital” culture is marked by its immediacy, by its fast sequence of images, music, and by brief concise text. The spoken form too has changed, and words alone are no longer sufficient. Books and the press will not disappear, nor


will the simple parish bulletin, but these are no longer enough.

Digital culture is also present in the various nations of the Middle East and the local churches through television, radio, cinema, websites and social networks. All this media space has an impact on daily life. It shapes values, choices, opinions and questions, what a person thinks, and it affects Christians too... sometimes with a force that is much more penetrating than that of the catechists, the priest in his sermon and the bishop. It is no coincidence that the Holy Father invited us to be present, to exercise a diakonia of this culture, offering the message of Christ in today’s languages, digital and traditional, real and virtual, announcing the mercy of God, listening to the other, love for our enemies, welcome and respect for every human being, in particular, the weak. Diakonia, service to people in their culture.

This is also possible in dialogue with non-believers, with so many who are in search of God, as Pope Benedict invited us - “the courtyards of the Gentiles”, that is, of spaces for dialogue and listening for those who have questions and are searching. (…)

As indicated in the Relatio, the formation of pastoral agents is necessary, obviously not limited to lay people and journalists. The formation of seminarians is urgent, not so much as regards technology, which they are better at managing than we are, but as regards communication, and communion in this rapidly developing culture. Without priests, and then without bishops who understand modern culture, there will still be a communications divide which will not favor the transmission of the faith to the young in the Church. It is not sufficient to build websites. What is needed is a presence that is able to create authentic means of communication, that opens “places” where people can gather to testify to their faith in respect of the other. Obviously, this does not mean overlooking personal meeting and physical community life, these are not alternative actions. They are now both indispensable for extending God’s kingdom.

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6) Other Bishops

Report of Card. Péter ERDŐ,Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, President of the Council

of European Episcopal Conference (Hungary)

Europe owes much to the Middle East from which came the light of Christ. This is a permanent call to ask ourselves if the message of the Gospel is still alive in Europe. The reception of immigrants constitutes another challenge.

In the name of the European Bishops represented by the Presidents of all the Episcopal Conferences of the continent who gathered ten days ago in Zagreb at the 40th plenary session of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences, I express my most heartfelt and cordial greetings to the prelates present here and to all the Catholics of the Middle East.

Seen from Europe, the Holy Land and the Middle East are found to the east. It is from there that the light of Christ came, the light that remains forever, the true Invincible Sun that will never set. The face of Jesus shines like the sun (Mt 17:2) and illuminates the whole history of humanity. But the chosen disciples who saw this splendor on the mount of the Transfiguration, as the drama of the passion and resurrection of the Lord were already being prepared.

Europe is in debt to the Middle East. Not only do a multitude of the fundamental elements of our culture come from that region, but the first missionaries to our continent came from there too. We gratefully conserve the memory of the event described in the Acts of the Apostles: “One night Paul had a vision: a Macedonian appeared and kept urging him in these words, ‘Come across to Macedonia and help us.’ Once he had seen this vision, we lost no time in arranging a passage to Macedonia, convinced that God had called us to bring them the good news” (Acts 16:9-10). It was a providential decision by the Holy Father Benedict XVI to dedicate an entire year to Saint Paul, the Apostle to the Nations, whose fervor and wisdom are extremely relevant for the new evangelization.


Speaking of this, I have to recall our European episcopal pilgrimage to Tarsus, the city of St. Paul, but I also repeat the expression of sorrow and solidarity of the European Bishops that we offered on the occasion of the violent death of His Excellency Mons. Luigi Padovese, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Turkey.

When we consider the Middle East, we Europeans have to examine our consciences. Is the Gospel message still alive among us, that good news that we received from the Apostles? Or is that light and enthusiasm that stems from faith in Christ absent now from our lives?

In our times, when Christian refugees and emigrants arrive in Europe from various Middle Eastern countries, what is our reaction? Do we pay enough attention to the reasons that force thousands if not millions of Christians to leave the land where their ancestors lived for almost two thousand years? (…)

The theme of this Synod is “The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness.” In the Acts of the Apostles, we read that the multitude of believers was “of one heart and soul” (Acts 4:32). Such a communion still exists in the Church today, rather, the communion of the saints is an article of our Creed. Such an essential communion has to be - like the Church itself - both visible and invisible at the same time, it has to move in the world of grace and also in society. (…)

“Physician, heal thyself” (Lk 4:23), writes St. Luke, the “dear doctor” (Col 4:14). We therefore have to heal ourselves, we, the Christians of Europe with the help of the Holy Spirit, so that we can reflect the light of Christ received from the East, and pass on the gift obtained through our courageous witness.

In this sense I ask for God’s blessing on this Synod and on all the Christians of the Middle East: Stella Orientis, pray for us!

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Report of Card. Roger Michael MAHONY,Archbishop of Los Angeles for North America (USA)

The Latin Church in the United States has two challenges with regard to the Christians of the Middle Eastern diaspora. It is first to preserve the diversity of traditions within the unit. Another fundamental element is to help give an evangelical testimony to the Gospel of forgiveness toward the enemy, Jewish or Muslim, often at the source of emigration.

On behalf of the Bishops and the Catholics in North America, I am pleased to offer my greetings to all our brother Bishops and Catholics from the various Churches in the Middle East gathered for this historic Special Assembly. We are blessed in our country to have very large numbers of your members living in our midst and in solidarity with the Catholic Church in the United States.

My focus here will be on the question of how Christians from the Middle East in the diaspora are living the mystery of communio among themselves and other Christians. I will then turn my attention to the specific witness that Christians from the Middle East are challenged to give.

Although my remarks have broad application across North America, I will give examples from my experience in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, since all of the Eastern Catholic Churches are represented in our Archdiocese.

Witness to Communion. While acknowledging their union with Rome, inter-ecclesial relations should be encouraged, not only among the sui iuris Churches in the Middle East but especially in the diaspora (para 55). Recognizing the haemorrhaging of Christians from the Middle East to Europe, Australia, and the Americas, we have sought various ways to transform emigration into a new opportunity for support for these Christians as they become established throughout the diaspora (para 47-48). We try to support these Eastern Catholic Churches sui iuris by welcoming them and by assisting them in the establishment of parishes and schools, cultural institutions and organizations to serve the needs of their people as they settle in the West.

We have welcomed Assyrian-Chaldean, Coptic, Greek Melkite, Maronite, and Syriac Catholics, and the Archdiocese assisted several of them over the years with financial loans and other means to help them make a home in Los Angeles. In my


twenty-five years as Archbishop, I visited each of these communities, encouraging them “to be themselves” while living within the geographic area of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Among other resources, we have the Eastern Catholic Pastoral Association, which provides clergy from these and other Eastern Catholic Churches, to gather bimonthly for prayer and mutual support in an effort to coordinate pastoral activities in a spirit of mutual edification rather than rivalry (para 55).

Communion is at the heart of the divine life: diversity in unity; unity in diversity. Unity in diversity, diversity in unity, lies at the heart of the communio which is the Church. In the United States, deep respect for diversity poses unique challenges. “The faithful of the various Churches sui iuris often frequent a Catholic Church different from their own” [i.e., a Roman Catholic Church]. “Such people are asked to maintain their attachment to their own community, i.e., the one in which they were baptized” (para 56).

But many Eastern Catholics coming from the Middle East do not do this and simply become Roman Catholic. Two practical examples of the tension between diversity and unity will suffice. When it comes to the question of enrolling their children in Roman Catholic elementary schools, where there is a reduction in tuition for children of those who are active “parishioners”, how do Christians of the Eastern Churches maintain their attachment to the Church in which they were baptized? How might Roman Catholic pastors, administrators and heads of schools be educated and encouraged to assist these immigrants in retaining their connection with their own community by not placing additional burdens on them such as having to choose between joining a Roman Catholic parish for the benefit of a tuition reduction, or retaining their membership in a parish of their own Eastern Church? (…)

A particularly challenging area in assisting the peoples of the Eastern Churches to live the fullness of the Gospel is addressed in Lineamenta 90f, “The Desire and Difficulty of Dialogue with Judaism” and 95f, “Relations with Muslims”. Many of these initiatives have already been taken up in our country and in our Archdiocese where we have a strong ecumenical, interfaith and interreligious legacy. Regrettably, such initiatives take place without much participation on the part of immigrant Christians from the Middle East. In fact, they are often critical of our efforts in these arenas, especially in the matter of forgiveness (para 68, 69, 113).

Often, Middle Eastern Christians come to North America with attitudes and opinions toward both Muslims and Jews that are not in keeping with the Gospel

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or with the strides we have made in the Church’s relations with other religions. Because we in Los Angeles live “up close” with peoples of many different faiths, how can we assist the people of this particular diaspora to correct these erroneous beliefs which might then influence their homelands through Christians living in the West? Although they may not want to hear it, Christians living in the Middle East and emigrating to the West need to be challenged to be a sign of reconciliation and peace. The sine qua non of both is forgiveness.

I have found that the biggest challenge we face with our immigrant peoples, whether they be Middle Eastern Catholics or Vietnamese Catholics who have fled their country for Southern California, or Cubans who have fled Cuba for the Miami shores, is not one of assisting them in living the mystery of communio between and among various Christians and Christian Churches. The biggest challenge is to help them respond to the grace of giving witness to the Gospel by forgiving those enemies who quite often are the principal reason for their leaving their homeland to find peace and justice on our shores. We would do well to be mindful of our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II. After giving his message for World Day of Peace in 2002 to the world’s diplomats, he summed it all up in the challenging phrase: “No peace without justice, no justice without forgiveness.”

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7) Representatives of other Denominations and Religions

Intervention of H. E. Munib YOUNAN,Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan

and the Holy Land,President of the World Lutheran Federation (Israel),

Fraternal Delegate

The Lutheran Church shares the same concerns and aspirations of the Catholic Church in the Middle East. We must work together and witness together to the next level of unity and love, to help the local population who suffer from political and economic instability.

Your Holiness, your Eminences, your Excellencies, I bring greetings to you from Jerusalem, the city of our Lord’s suffering and death, the city of his resurrection and ascension, the city of Pentecost and the birth of the Church. The Apostle Paul calls us in Ephesians 4:3 to “make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” And so, I stand here “with all humility and gentleness” speaking to you about our common concerns for the body of Christ. (…)

For me, the future of Christianity is dependent upon peace and justice in the Middle East. How can we together offer a living and dynamic witness? It is essential that we not concentrate only on a confessional witness, but that we speak with one voice in a common witness.

Our grassroots are expecting to see us acting together, witnessing together, living together, and loving together. For this reason, it is essential that we strengthen our ecumenical relations in Israel, Palestine, and in the whole Middle East.

How can we do this?

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First, the Middle East Council of Churches is the only body in the world which gathers the four families of churches: Catholic, Orthodox, Oriental, and Evangelical. We are currently not walking as vigorously as we should, but rather limping along. I appeal to you to help us revive this ecumenical framework where we all can work together.

Secondly, we have to act together in creating jobs, in providing safe and affordable housing, in improving schools, and in strengthening all Christian institutions because they serve everyone regardless of gender, ethnicity, politics or religion. Our Lutheran schools, for example, educate an equal number of Christians and Muslims, boys and girls, side by side, creating a climate of mutual respect. This is our strength. We must continue our efforts so that Christians may remain steadfast in their own countries, as an integral part of the fabric of their own societies, working for the good of all.

Thirdly, the common witness of the church, despite decreasing numbers, is essential for building a modern civil society, which is democratic, respectful of human rights, and promotes freedom of religion, a conscience for the entire Middle East, for the Arab and Muslim world, for Israel and Palestine. Over the course of these two thousand years, Christianity has not played a dominant role in governing this region, but we have always presented a living witness as the leaven in the dough of our societies. Our church is not timid and hiding, afraid of its own survival, but confident in the strength provided by the Spirit to be prophetic, to speak truth to power, and to promote justice for all with peace, reconciliation, and forgiveness.

Fourthly, our ecumenical witness shows itself in active interfaith dialogue. This must occur on several tracks. One is the promotion of better Muslim-Christian relations. We hold up with appreciation the 2007 open letter by Muslim leaders, “A Common Word,” which speaks about the core of religion as ‘loving God and loving neighbor’. The 2005 Amman message of King Abdullah II of Jordan states that “we must support those embodying the real Islam, and combat extremism.” I endorsed his proposal last month to the United Nations for an annual World Interfaith Harmony Week. Where better than in Jerusalem should we Christians present a paradigm on how to live and dialogue with Islam?

The second track of interfaith dialogue promotes Muslim-Christian-Jewish relations. The Council of Religious Institutions in the Holy Land brings together in Jerusalem leaders of all three faiths to jointly promote coexistence, combat extremism and seek solutions to societal problems. (…)


We Lutherans, are committed to work together with you Catholics, as with the Orthodox churches and other mainline Evangelical churches, for the sake of our common witness in the Middle East.

And so we commit ourselves to “making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

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Intervention of Special Guest,Rabbi David ROSEN,

Adviser to the Chief Rabbinate of Israel (Israel)

Relations between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people have experienced a real transformation in recent years, in particular through the journey of Pope John Paul II in 2000, and that of Pope Benedict XVI last year, which called Catholics to rediscover the Jewish roots of their religion. But some mutual ignorance persists in many cases, and the political context in the Holy Land sometimes makes dialogue difficult.

The relationship today between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people is a blessed transformation in our times - arguably without historic parallel.

In his words in the great synagogue here in Rome last January, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI referred to the teaching of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council as “a clear landmark to which constant reference is made in our attitude and our relations with the Jewish people, marking a new and significant stage.”

Naturally, this striking transformation in the way the Jewish people is viewed and presented, still had and has to contend with the influence of centuries, if not millenia, of the “teaching of contempt” towards Jews and Judaism, which obviously is not eliminated overnight nor even over forty five years. Inevitably, the impact of this transformation in Catholic-Jewish relations varies considerably from one context to another, influenced by sociological, educational and even political factors. (…)

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I confess to having been surprised to find Catholic clergy and sometimes even hierarchy from some countries, not only ignorant about contemporary Judaism but often even about Nostra Aetate itself, the Vatican documents that flowed from it and thus the relevant teachings of the Magisterium concerning Jews and Judaism. (…)

It is true that Christian Arab Israelis are a particularly successful religious minority in many respects. Their socio-economic and educational standards are well above average, their schools receive the highest grades in annual matriculation examinations. Many of them have been politically prominent and they have been able to derive much benefit from the democratic system of which they are an integral part. However, the daily life of the vast majority of Arabs and Jews takes place in their own respective contexts. As a result, most Jewish Israelis do not meet contemporary Christians; and even when they travel abroad, they tend to meet non-Jews as such, not as modern Christians. Accordingly, until recently, most of Israeli society has been quite unaware of the profound changes in Catholic-Jewish relations. However, this situation has begun to alter significantly in the last decade for different reasons, but two in particular are especially noteworthy.

The first is the impact of the visit of the late Pope John Paul II in the year 2000, following the establishment of full bilateral relations between Israel and the Holy See six years earlier. While the latter had already had some effect on perceptions in Israel, it was the power of the visual images, the significance of which Pope John Paul II understood so well, that revealed clearly to the majority of Israeli society the transformation that had taken place in Christian attitudes and teaching towards the Jewish people with whom the Pope himself maintained and further sought mutual friendship and respect. For Israelis to see the Pope at the Western Wall, the remnant of the Second Temple, standing there in respect for Jewish tradition and placing there the text that he had composed for a liturgy of forgiveness that had taken place two weeks earlier here at St. Peter’s, asking Divine forgiveness for sins committed against the Jews down the ages, was stunning and overwhelming in its effect. (…)

The other major factor is the influx of other Christians who have doubled the demographic make-up of Christianity in Israel.

I refer first of all to the approximately estimated fifty thousand practicing Christians who were part and parcel of the immigration to Israel in the last two decades from the former Soviet Union. As integrally connected at the same time to Jewish society through familial and cultural ties, they arguably represent the first


Christian minority that sees itself at the same time as part and parcel of a Jewish majority since the very first Christian community.

These Christians, as the Arab Christian communities, are Israeli citizens who enjoy full franchise and equality before the law. However, there is a third significant Christian population in Israel whose legal standing is sometimes problematic. (…) Nevertheless, the substantial Christian presence among this population maintains a vibrant religious life and constitutes a significant third dimension to the Christian reality in Israel today. (…)

Christians in Israel are obviously in a very different situation from their sister communities in the Holy Land who are part and parcel of a Palestinian society struggling for its independence and who are inevitably caught up in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on a daily basis. (…) This would seem to be reflected in a wider geographical context, where the impact of the Arab-Israeli conflict has all too often meant a discomfort for many Christians with the Church’s rediscovery of its Jewish roots and sometimes a preference for historical prejudice.

Nevertheless, the plight of Palestinians generally, and Palestinian Christians in particular, should be of profound concern to Jews both in Israel and the Diaspora. To begin with, especially as Judaism brought the recognition to the world that every human person is created in the Divine Image; and that accordingly, as the sages of the Talmud teach, any action of disrespect for another person, is an act of disrespect for the Creator himself; we have a special responsibility in particular for neighbors who suffer. This responsibility is even greater when suffering is born out of a conflict of which we are a part and paradoxically precisely where we have the moral and religious duty to protect and defend ourselves. (…)

In fact, in recent months, there has been a notable improvement in conditions, for example, regarding the free movement of clergy, and there have also been recent indications that there is a growing understanding of the needs of the local Christian communities by the authorities, notwithstanding the security challenges. We continue to advocate for such, believing it to be ultimately in the interests of all. (…)

Yet, even beyond our particular relationship, Christians as a minority in both Jewish and Muslim contexts play a very special role for our societies at large. The situation of minorities is always a profound reflection of the social and moral condition of a society as a whole. The wellbeing of Christian communities in the Middle East is nothing less than a kind of barometer of the moral condition of

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our countries. The degree to which Christians enjoy civil and religious rights and liberties testifies to the health or infirmity of the respective societies in the Middle East. (…)

“Send Your peace upon the Holy Land, upon the Middle East, upon the entire human family; stir the hearts of those who call upon Your Name, to walk humbly in the path of justice and compassion”. (Pope Benedict XVI at the great synagogue in Rome)

And allow me, as one who comes to you from the city that is holy and beloved to us all, to conclude with the words of the Psalmist “May the Lord bless you from Zion and may you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life”(Psalm 128:5).

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Intervention of Special Guest,Mr. Muhammad AL-SAMMAK,

Political Councilor for the Mufti of Lebanon

Christians and Muslims lived together for centuries in the Middle East and have shared the same suffering. The persecution of Christians undermines the fabric of culture and the Eastern society and culture, because it highlights a facet of Islam that is not a reflection of the true religion. Christian emigration is a loss of Arab identity. We need to respond and resolve this situation.

When I was honored with the invitation to the Special Synod for the Middle East, I asked myself two questions. The first is, why is this Synod consecrated to the Christians of the East? And the second, what does it mean to invite a Muslim to this Synod, what role can I play there, now and in the future? To try to answer the first question brings up many more questions.

First of all, had the situation of Eastern Christians been good, would we have called for this Synod? And then, can this Synod ensure the serenity and confirm their roots in the land of their fathers and ancestors, in this land where the light of Christian faith arose to embrace the whole world?


Personally, as a Muslim, I truly believe it is very important for the Vatican to focus attention on the problems of Christians in general, and the Eastern Christians in particular, this East, the source and cradle of Christianity. At the same time, I hope that the initiative of the Saudi Arabian king Abdallah Ben Abdel Aziz in favor of interreligious and intercultural dialogue can move the Arab and Islamic attention to this cause, under all its national, religious and human dimensions, so that these two initiatives of the Vatican and Saudi Arabia, can complement each other towards resolution of the problems of Christians in the East, knowing that this is one and the same Islamic-Christian issue.

As for the second question, I don’t think I was invited to this Synod to learn about the difficulties of Christians in certain Eastern countries. As Easterners, our suffering is only one. We share in our suffering. We live them in our social and political setbacks, in our economic and developmental regression, and in our religious and confessional tension. However, this fact of making Christians the target because of one’s religion, even if this is a new and accidental phenomenon for our societies, can be very dangerous. The greatest danger is that it poses the problem of reciprocity. This, in fact, is a phenomenon foreign to the East and more so, in contradiction with our religious cultures and our national constitutions. This indicates two very serious facts.

The first is an attempt to tear the fabric of our national societies, to break them apart and to take away the ties of their complex tissue built up and recognized over the past centuries. Second is the attempt to show Islam in a different light than what it truly reflects. In opposing what it professes and in contradiction to what it is fundamentally based upon, the knowledge of the differences between peoples as one of the signs of God in creation, as the living expression of God’s Will, as the acceptance of the rule of pluralism and the respect for the differences and faith in all Divine messages and in what God revealed. The Holy Koran says: “Of the People of the Book are a portion that stand (for the right). They rehearse the Signs of Allah all night long, and they prostrate themselves in adoration. They believe in Allah and the Last Day; they enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong; and they hasten (in emulation) in (all) good works. They are in the ranks of the righteous.” (3:113-114).

Two negative points demonstrate the problem faced by Eastern Christians. The first point concerns the lack of respect for the rights of fully equal citizenship when faced with the law in certain countries. The second concerns the misunderstanding of the spirit of Islamic teachings, especially the part relative to Christians which the Holy Koran qualifies as “nearest among them in love to the believers ” and

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justifying this love by saying “this is because there are priests and monks among them and because they do not behave proudly”.

These two negative points, in all they entail as to negative intellectual and political content, and in all imply as attitudes relative to the agreements and their applications and cause as worrisome and harmful actions, which are bad for us all, Christians and Muslims, and offend all of us in our lives and in our common destinies. For this, we are called upon, as Christians and Muslims, to work together to transform these two negative elements into positive elements, through the respect for the bases and rules of citizenship which accomplishes equality in rights and then in duties. Secondly, in denouncing the culture of exaggeration and extremism in its refusal of others and in its wish to have the exclusive monopoly of an ultimate truth, and in working towards the promotion and spreading of a culture of moderation, of charity and of forgiveness as a sign of respect for the differences of religion and beliefs, of language, of culture, of color and of race. As we are taught by the Holy Koran, we put ourselves at the judgment of God about our differences. Yes, the Christians in the Middle East are not the only ones being tested.

Yes, the Christians in the Middle East need support and help, but this should not ease their emigration or turning within themselves, nor through the abandonment of national and moral duties toward them by their Muslim partners. To ease emigration is forcing them to emigrate. To turn in on oneself, is to slowly suffocate. To abandon the right to defend the rights of others for a free and dignified life is to diminish the other’s humanity and abandon the constants of faith.

The Eastern Christian presence, which works and acts with Muslims, is a Christian as well as an Islamic need. This is a need for the East and for the entire world. The danger represented by the erosion of this presence on the qualitative and quantitative levels is a Christian as well as an Islamic concern, for Eastern Muslims and Muslims all over the world. Furthermore, I can live my Islam with all other Muslims from all states and from all ethnicities, but as a Middle Eastern Arab, I cannot live my being Arabic without the Middle Eastern Christian Arab. The emigration of Christians is an impoverishment of the Arabic identity, of its culture and of its authenticity.

I underline once again, here before the stands of the Vatican, what I have already said before the stands of the venerable Mecca. I am concerned about the future of Eastern Muslims because of the emigration of Eastern Christians. To maintain the presence of Christians is a common Islamic duty as well as a common Christian duty.


The Christians of the East are not a minority by accident. They are at the origins of the presence of the East before Islam. They are an integral part of the cultural, literary and scientific formation of Islamic civilization. They are also the pioneers of modern Arabic renaissance and have safeguarded its language, the language of the Holy Koran.

Since they were at the forefront in the liberation and return of sovereignty, today they are also at the forefront to confront and resist occupation, to defend the violated national rights, especially in Jerusalem, and in occupied Palestine in general.

Any attempt at approaching their cause without considering these true facts rooted in our national societies, ends up with the wrong conclusions, based on the wrong judgment and consequently lead to the wrong solutions.

Therefore, it is very important that this Synod be something more than the cry of Christian suffering which echoes in this valley of pain of our suffering East. Hope rests upon the practical and scientific foundations the Synod may give in favor of an initiative of common Islamic-Christian cooperation that can protect Christians and watch over Islamic-Christian relations, so that the East, the place of Divine revelation, remains worthy of raising the banner of faith, charity, and peace for itself and for the entire world.

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Intervention of Special GuestAyatollah Seyed Mostafa Mohaghegh AHMADABADI

(Iran)

In a globalized world in search of spiritual values, it is good for believers of every religion to exercise their rights without shame or fear, and live in line with their own historical and cultural background. The relationship between Christianity and Islam have always been cordial, with the exception of a few dark passages of history. Such a relationship is vital for world peace today.

During the past few decades, religions were faced with new conditions. The most important aspect of this is an over-extended confusion of their disciples in

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real scenes of social life, as well as in national and international arenas. Before the Second World War, and in spite of technological developments, the followers of different religions more or less lived in their own national boundaries. Neither the enormous problem of immigration existed, nor did exist such expansion of communication that connects so many different social groups together. Neither the world had become such a “global village” that “connects” so many destinies together! But today, we witness the great changes that have occurred in the past half century and that this transformation continues with an incredible pace. This not only had a qualitative effect in the relationship among religions, but also affected relationships between different segments of religions and even with their own followers. Certainly, no religion can stay indifferent toward this rapidly changing situation.

At the end of the second millennium, multi-culturalism within societies was more or less accepted worldwide. Up until then, understanding of a multi-cultural society was much different than what we experience today. And the newly entered culture into a society could have only been accepted as “the new Culture” and not on the basis of its own merit and excellence. But today there are less and less societies and groups who would defend a monolithic cultural society. The Balkan experience proved that cultural and ethnic dominance of one group over others could not be defended while disregarding other existing groups within that society. This is an important factual necessity and not an isolated intellectual perception.

In societies where different ethnic groups with their own languages and religions have been placed for the sake of social stability and ethic sanity, one is required to respect their presence and their rights. Concordance of interests and social welfare on national and international levels is as such, that no one group or country can be disregarded. This is the reality of our time. Mutual understanding between religions reflects this newly positioned status, and in the future these conditions will necessarily have to be taken into consideration. Everyone will be sharing each other’s destiny. Today, this idea is being shared by many opinion leaders and gradually more masses of people are associating with this reality. A prerequisite for this kind of thinking, is to put aside formal classical and conditioned viewpoint of other religions and cultures to have a more objective vision. We have to look to other cultures with understanding, respect and sympathy.

At the same time, there still exists, biased and reactionary viewpoints derived from a historically prejudiced, expansionist and supremacist political and


cultural system of thinking. But I believe that in the long term, discriminatory and chauvinistic thinking is diminishing and bound to fade away.

Besides these transformations, other cultural and intellectual changes have been shaped, although mostly in the sphere of Western and industrialized world. This has brought some questions and doubt in the mind, even on issues that previously seemed “inevitable”. Now, there seems to be an increasing desire and craving for discovering “others”, other cultures and ways of life, other philosophies and religions. This wish, apart from being a curiosity, is more of an inner and spiritual need common among the youth and thinkers in these societies. This movement will certainly affect spiritual understanding of each other’s religion. It should be noted that the major tendency today, is the attention to Asiatic faiths, and the new religious sects that are offspring of industrialized societies with mostly spiritual basis. These groups find more and more followers every day.

We should also consider what the ideal condition is for the believers and followers? How is the best situation achieved? It seems that the ideal world is where believers of any faith, freely and without any apprehension, fear and obligation could live according to the basic principles and modes of their own customs and traditions. Such right, universally recognized, should be practiced by the states and communities.

Furthermore, the right of interpretation of each faith should be given to the believers of the religion, as long as interpretation is based on scientific and the basic spirit of that religion. The truth is believers have a better recognition than anyone else and the right of interpretation of their own faith. Each faith must have its own present-day exegesis, without which, it would be a hard task. No one is allowed to make an interpretation or make decision on behalf of others. Each faith has its own logic and method based upon its own requirements and moment in time. Any adaptation and conformity outside of this framework that is not recognized by the faithful, has no legitimacy and therefore not effective and lasting.

It is good for each religion and believers, that disciples of each faith practice their rights without any shame and fear, and live according to their own historical heritage and culture. Stability of the world depends on the stability of the livelihood of small and large groups and societies. This can only be achieved, when all live without fear and threat from others. This is the most important element in achieving ethical and social stability and peace. It is our duty to bring about such conditions.

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The relationship between Islam and Christianity is based upon inspirations and propositions of the holy Quran, since the establishment of Islam in Saudi Arabia, has been founded upon friendship, respect and mutual understanding. In the holy Quran, Jesus is referred to as the “Word of God”. Believing in him has been set as a basis for believers, any doubt in his guidance has been denounced. “ (...)You will find [that] the closest to the believers are those who say we are Christians, that is because among them are learned priests and monks and they are not arrogant...” Ma’eede Sura, ch. 82

“ (...) When the angels say: Oh Myriam, Allah bestows you the glad news of the birth of a son, whose name is Jesus (...) and shall be honored in this world (...)” Al-Omran Sura, ch. 45.

It is unfortunate that during certain periods in the past 1400 years, at times because of political considerations, there have been dark moments in this relationship. But one should not relate these illegitimate acts of certain individuals and groups, neither to Islam nor to Christianity. According to the teachings of the Quran, in most Islamic countries notably Iran, as it has been stipulated also by law, Christians live side by side and in peace with their Muslim brothers. They enjoy all legal rights like other citizens and perform their religious practices freely. At the end, I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI for his timely and vital remarks in his speeches in Jerusalem and in Istanbul, regarding the importance of continued healthy and friendly rapport between Christians and Muslims. Such approach and manners are essential for all believers and certainly important for peace in the World.

Thank you, and may God bless you!

C C C


8) Other Interventions

Intervention ofthe Very Rev. José RODRÍGUEZ CARBALLO, O.F.M.

General Minister of the Order of Friars Minor (Italy)

The Franciscans are precursors in dialogue with Muslims. In the context of the new evangelization, it is important to improve preparation and direction, particularly with regard to the Word of God.

In the year 1218, Saint Francis of Assisi departed for the East. He met with Sultan Malek al Kamil in Damietta. In the manner of the crucified, the poor man did not commence with weapons, nor with the desire of conquest, but with the firm will to encounter others, the different and in that situation, the enemy. Do not go against anybody, but in the midst of, among (cf. 1 Rule 16.5). It is the teaching of “non violence” and of dialogue. Since then we, the Franciscans, have been continuously present (cf. Paul VI) in the Holy Land, as Custodians of the Holy Places, on behalf of the Catholic Church, and the “living stones”, in schools, parishes and in the numerous social services available to all, without distinction of creed. It is the small/great miracle of this prophetic act of Francis at Damietta, and of the teaching of non-violence and of the “dialogue of life”. (…)

“Without communion there is no witness” (Pope Benedict XVI).

In the context of the new evangelization I make four proposals:

– To create one unique catechism for all the Catholics in the Middle East;

– To take concrete initiatives for a formation appropriate to the needs of the new evangelisation, of the particular situation of the Middle East, of all the pastoral agents, priests, religous and the laity;

– In continuity with the Pauline Year, to celebrate a year dedicated to St John in all the Churches of the Middle East, if possible with the brothers of the non-Catholic Churches;

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– To enhance biblical studies, especially through the three Biblical Institutes already present in Jerusalem: the the Franciscans’ Faculty of Biblical Sciences and Archaeology, the Dominicans’ School of the Bible and Archeology, and the Jesuits’ Biblical Institute;

Further, I hope that in the face of the steady decline of Christians in the Holy Land, a word of comfort arises out of this Synod for the Christian and in particular, Catholic communities living in those lands. (…)

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Intervention of Rev. Rino ROSSI,Director of the “Domus Galilææ”, Corazin (Israel), auditor

The faithful in the Holy Land are often beset by many intentions. They sometimes succumb to these temptations. It is for the pastors to provide special care and propose new ways to catechize the faithful.

(...) With the seminarians and young people who operate in our center, we visited very many Christian families of the various rites of the Holy Land, Jordan and Cyprus. We came across so much suffering, the same problems that are found in the Church in other parts of the world: crisis in so many families, abandonment by young people of religious practices, problem of abortion, being closed to life, gambling which destroys entire families, the dream of being able to go abroad for an easier life, not to mention drugs, pornography, and the spread of sects.

When the Domus Galilaeae opened, a large number of Jews started visiting us. In the last year alone, more than a hundred thousand came. They are drawn by the welcome and the beauty of the house. Many of them do not know the Church or Jesus Christ. They ask us many questions about our faith, often they come back. We feel we have to welcome them and serve them as brothers.

I think that the Holy Spirit whom we invoked at the start of this Synod loves our faithful with an immense love and wants to save them from the attacks of the devil who seduces them, as only he knows how to do. He is the true enemy. But Christ has power over him and he gave this power to the Church, to you pastors.


We have an enormous responsibility to the lost sheep of our parishes. Woe is me if I do not evangelize them! The Oriental Fathers in the first centuries, faced by the challenges of their time, in a pagan world, elaborated an itinerary for Christian initiation, the Catechumenate. The Church like a mother, in a slow journey in stages, handles eternal life for her children. Today we have to offer to our Christians a Catechumenate that is suited to their condition of being baptized. (...)

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Intervention of Mr. Anton R. ASFAR,Council Member of the Syriac-Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate

of Jerusalem (Israel), auditor

Christians in the Holy Land have a real mission and need the full spiritual and material support of the Church. Land is a fundamental element of this support, as well as encouraging the young people to establish Christian families and accompanying them through their life of Christian witness.

To be a Christian living in the Middle East is a great honor, a vocation and a witness of the presence of Christ for all Christians. God gave us the grace of living in the Holy Land, this implies great wisdom, which for some is obvious, whereas some cannot understand or interpret it. We, the Christians of the Holy Land, live in an atmosphere that cannot be experienced in any other country in the world. It is an environment made up of religious [and cultural] pluralism. (…)

The Christian youth in the Holy Land is one who is capable of effectively building society, but needs continuous and permanent support from the local and universal Church. The Christian youth in the Holy Land really appreciates that the Church supports their existence and appurtenance in this land.

The Catholic Church in the Holy Land has acted and will always act to ease the suffering of the Christians in the Holy Land by assuring them of institutions in the areas of education and healthcare, as well as the pastoral, housing and programs for development. (…) The whole world highly appreciates what the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land do in trying to conserve a sacred identity, and what other Churches have done, but there is a great demand of housing for christians in Jerusalem. This is discouraging to our young people and increases

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their responsibility, especially in economic terms, thus pushing them to have less children. (…)

Excellencies, here are some hopes:

1. To create a bank for the Holy See which would be called a Bank to support the Christian presence in the Holy Land. This resource would be available to the Council of Catholic Bishops in the Holy Land, which will formulate particular mechanisms and guidelines to achieve the following objectives:

a) to purchase large parcels of lands and properties in Jerusalem and Bethlehem because of the sacred significance in these two places, and the need to safeguard the Christian presence;

b) to encourage young people to get married, ensuring them support in forming a Christian family;

c) to ensure the greatest number of housing units.

2. To diminish the economic burden upon the christians in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Make it possible for Christians who live in these two cities to be exonerated of any scholastic or university fees, which will reinforce their presence in the region and encourage them to have more children.

I would like to thank His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI for inviting me to this vital Synod for our region and I would also like to thank all who constitute it.

✧ ✧ ✧

Intervention of Mrs. Anan J. LEWIS,Professor of Victorian and Modern English Poetry,

English Department, University of Baghdad (Iraq), auditor

The situation in Iraq discourages the Christian presence in the country. The faithful do not need much material aid but a real spiritual guidance to find the strength to remain rooted in their homeland and be an authentic Christian witness.

Speaking as a consecrated virgin (Ordo Virginum) in Iraq, university professor, director of the youth in the Latin Church, and representing the lay people of Iraq, I


would 1ike to emphasize that besides security, political and social stability, there are no good reasons for Iraqi Christians to stay and be deeply rooted to their land and faith unless sincere spiritual and pastoral care is initiated on the part of the fathers of the Church. Iraqi Christians now are urgently needing to be fed with love and embraced by the spiritual support of well trained and loving priests. Neither Sunday homilies nor Friday catechism classes for children are enough to encourage lay people to stay. Instead of raising funds to renovate chapels or buy empty buildings, or decorate gates, let us build living stones and establish small projects for the youth of both genders to discover their crafty and professional skills. Holding meetings on regular basis for them and their families, enlightening them about their sacred role as consecrated lay people in Iraq is equally crucia1 (…).

However, Iraqi lay Christians are aware that the Church within its capacity, is showing genuine efforts to deepen their faith and improve their social and economic situation. They also know that this burden does not only lie on the Church’s shoulders; the Iraqi government and the international community can share this burden, yet remain silent. (...)

Nonetheless, Christian laity, specially those who have always been conscious of the importance of witnessing to their faith, whether in time of peace or war, are persistent to be authentic witnesses, reinforcing their communion with the Church of which they are an integral part. Their role, which at times is becoming more influential than that of the clergy is embodied in helping the poor and the sick, organizing spiritual and social activities for the elderly and young people, establishing groups of prayer, teams of social and health services, as we have in many Caritas programs, or helping their parish priests in teaching catechism or liturgy. Such dedicated Christian men and women in Iraq are aware that their role is irreplaceable, though always in the face of death where every minute of safety counts, they are contributing to the fabric of the Iraqi society, endeavoring to work on behalf of all Christians who are displaced, segregated, or shaken in faith, to promote a feeling of love and peaceful coexistence among Iraqis, regardless of religion or gender. ■

C C C

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III. Homily of Pope Benedict XVIMass for the Conclusionof the Special Assembly of the Synodof Bishops for the Middle East

Like the publican of the Gospel, the Synod Fathers are invited to humility in the task that is theirs as they return to their home dioceses. Peace is urgent for Christians in the Middle East. This is essential for them to live in total freedom and make contributions to society. The Gospel must be rediscovered and proclaimed to all, far and wide. Hence, the theme of the next Synod in 2012 will address New Evangelization, as announced by the Holy Father.

Venerable Brothers,Illustrious Ladies and Gentlemen,Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Two weeks from the opening celebration, we are gathered once again on the Lord’s day, at the Altar of the Confession in St. Peter’s Basilica, to conclude the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East. In our hearts is a deep gratitude towards God who has afforded us this truly extraordinary experience, not just for us, but for the good of the Church, for the People of God who live in the lands between the Mediterranean and Mesopotamia. As Bishop of Rome, I would like to pass on this gratitude to you, Venerable Synod Fathers: Cardinals, Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops. I wish to especially thank the Secretary General, the four Presidents Delegate, the Relator General, the Special Secretary and all the collaborators, who have worked tirelessly in these days. This morning, we left the Synod Hall and came to “the temple to pray”: in this, we are touched directly by the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, told by Jesus and recounted by the evangelist St. Luke (cf. 18:9-14). We too may be tempted, like the Pharisee, to tell God of our merits, perhaps thinking of our work during these days. However, to rise up to Heaven, prayer must emanate from a poor, humble heart. And therefore we too, at the conclusion of this ecclesial event, wish to first and foremost give


thanks to God, not for our merits, but for the gift that He has given us. We recognize ourselves as small and in need of salvation, of mercy; we recognize all that comes from Him and that only with his Grace we may realize what the Holy Spirit told us. Only in this manner may we “return home” truly enriched, made more just and more able to walk in the path of the Lord.

The First Reading and the Responsorial Psalm stress the theme of prayer, emphasizing that it is much more powerful to God’s heart when those who pray are in a condition of need and are afflicted. “The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds” affirms Ecclesiasticus (35:21); and the Psalmist adds: “Yahweh is near to the broken-hearted, he helps those whose spirit is crushed” (34:18). Our thoughts go to our numerous brothers and sisters who live in the region of the Middle East and who find themselves in trying situations, at times very burdensome, both for the material poverty and for the discouragement, the state of tension and at times of fear. Today the Word of God also offers us a light of consoling hope, there where He presents prayer, personified, that “until he has eliminated the hordes of the arrogant and broken the sceptres of the wicked, until he has repaid all people as their deeds deserve and human actions as their intentions merit” (Ecc 35:21-22).

This link too, between prayer and justice makes us think of many situations in the world, particularly in the Middle East. The cry of the poor and of the oppressed finds an immediate echo in God, who desires to intervene to open up a way out, to restore a future of freedom, a horizon of hope.

This faith in God who is near, who frees his friends, is what the Apostle Paul witnesses to in today’s epistle, in the Second Letter to Timothy. Realizing that the end of his earthly life was near, Paul makes an assessment: “I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith” (2 Tm 4:7). For each one of us, dear brothers in the episcopacy, this is a model to imitate: May Divine Goodness allow us to make a similar judgment of ourselves! St Paul continues, “the Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed for all the gentiles to hear” (2 Tm 4:17). It is a word which resounds with particular strength on this Sunday in which we celebrate World Mission Day! Communion with Jesus crucified and risen, witness of his love. The Apostle’s experience is a model for every Christian, especially for us Shepherds. We have shared a powerful moment of ecclesial communion. We now leave each other so that each may return to his own mission, but we know that we remain united, we remain in his love. The Synodal Assembly which concludes today has always kept in mind the icon of the first Christian community, described in the Acts of the Apostles: “The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul” (Acts 4:32). It is a reality that we experienced in these past days, in which we

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have shared the joys and the pains, the concerns and the hopes of Christians in the Middle East. We experienced the unity of the Church in the variety of Churches present in that region. Led by the Holy Spirit, we became “united, heart and soul” in faith, in hope, and in charity, most of all during Eucharistic celebrations, source and summit of ecclesial communion, and in the Liturgy of the Hours as well, celebrated every morning according to one of the seven Catholic rites of the Middle East. We have thus enhanced the liturgical, spiritual and theological wealth of the Eastern Catholic Churches, as well as of the Latin Church. It involved an exchange of precious gifts, from which all the Synodal Fathers benefitted. It is hoped that this positive experience repeats itself in the respective communities of the Middle East, encouraging the participation of the faithful in liturgical celebrations of other Catholic rites, thus opening themselves to the dimensions of the Universal Church.

Common prayer helped us to face the challenges of the Catholic Church in the Middle East as well. One of these is communion within each sui iuris Church, as well as in the relationships between the various Catholic Churches of different traditions. As today’s Gospel reminded us (cf Lk 18:9-14), we need humility, in order to recognize our limitations, our errors and omissions, in order to be able to truly be “united, heart and soul”. A fuller communion within the Catholic Church favors ecumenical dialogue with other Churches and ecclesial communities as well. The Catholic Church reiterated in this Synodal meeting its deep conviction to pursuing such dialogue as well, so that the prayer of the Lord Jesus might be completely fulfilled: “May they all be one” (Jn 17:21).

The words of the Lord Jesus may be applied to Christians in the Middle East: “There is no need to be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom” (Lk 12:32). Indeed, even if they are few, they are bearers of the Good News of the love of God for man, love which revealed itself in the Holy Land in the person of Jesus Christ. This Word of salvation, strengthened with the grace of the Sacraments, resounds with particular potency in the places in which, by Divine Providence, it was written, and it is the only Word which is able to break that vicious circle of vengeance, hate, and violence. From a purified heart, in peace with God and neighbor, may intentions and initiatives for peace at local, national, and international levels be born. In these actions, to whose accomplishment the whole international community is called, Christians as full-fledged citizens can and must do their part with the spirit of the Beatitudes, becoming builders of peace and apostles of reconciliation to the benefit of all society.

Conflicts, wars, violence and terrorism have gone on for too long in the Middle East. Peace, which is a gift of God, is also the result of the efforts of men of goodwill, of the national and international institutions, in particular of the


states most involved in the search for a solution to conflicts. We must never resign ourselves to the absence of peace. Peace is possible. Peace is urgent. Peace is the indispensable condition for a life of dignity for human beings and society. Peace is also the best remedy to avoid emigration from the Middle East. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” we are told in the Psalm (122:6). We pray for peace in the Holy Land. We pray for peace in the Middle East, undertaking to try to ensure that this gift of God to men of goodwill should spread through the whole world.

Another contribution that Christians can bring to society is the promotion of an authentic freedom of religion and conscience, one of the fundamental human rights that each state should always respect. In numerous countries of the Middle East there exists freedom of belief, while the space given to the freedom to practice religion is often quite limited. Increasing this space of freedom becomes essential to guarantee to all the members of the various religious communities the true freedom to live and profess their faith. This topic could become the subject of dialogue between Christians and Muslims, a dialogue whose urgency and usefulness was reiterated by the Synodal Fathers.

During the work of the Synod what was often underlined was the need to offer the Gospel anew to people who do not know it very well or who have even moved away from the Church. What was often evoked was the need for a new evangelization for the Middle East as well. This was quite a widespread theme, especially in the countries where Christianity has ancient roots. The recent creation of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization also responds to this profound need. For this reason, after having consulted the episcopacy of the whole world and after having listened to the Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, I have decided to dedicate the next Ordinary General Assembly, in 2012, to the following theme: “Nova evangelizatio ad Christianam fidem tradendam - The new evangelization for the transmission of the Christian faith”.

Dear brothers and sisters of the Middle East! May the experience of these days assure you that you are never alone, that you are always accompanied by the Holy See and the whole Church, which, having been born in Jerusalem, spread through the Middle East and then the rest of the world. We entrust the results of the Special Assembly for the Middle East, as well as the preparation for the Ordinary General Assembly, to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church and Queen of Peace. Amen. ■

† Benedict XVI

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IV. List of Final Propositions

INTRODUCTION

Propositio 1Documentation Presented to the Supreme Pontiff The synod fathers present to the Supreme Pontiff for his consideration the documentation resulting from the Special Assembly concerning «The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness. “Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul” (Acts 4: 32)». This documentation includes: the “Lineamenta”, the “Instrumentum laboris”, the “ante” and “post disceptationem” presentations, the texts of the interventions, both those presented in the synod hall and those “in scriptis”, and especially some specific recommendations to which the synod fathers have given a certain importance.

The synod fathers humbly ask the Holy Father to consider the possibility of issuing a document on the Communion and Witness of the Church in Middle East.

Propositio 2The Word of God The Word of God is the soul and foundation of the Christian life and of all pastoral work; we hope that every family would own a Bible.

The synod fathers encourage daily reading of and meditation on the Word of God, especially “lectio divina”, and the creation of a website about the Bible, including Catholic explanations and commentaries which are easily understood by the faithful. We would also like to see the preparation of an introductory booklet to the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, which could offer a simple way to help people read the Bible.

They also encourage eparchies/dioceses (throughout the document, the word “diocese” also applies to an “eparchy”, the equivalent term in Eastern terminology) and parishes to introduce and promote Bible studies in which the Word of God is meditated upon and explained in such a way as to answer the questions the people


have, and help them to become more familiar with the Scriptures, deepening their spirituality and apostolic and missionary commitment.

Propositio 3A Biblical Pastoral Programme The synod fathers urgently recommend that work be undertaken to place the two Testaments of Holy Scripture at the centre of our Christian life by encouraging the faithful to proclaim them, read them, meditate on them, interpret them in the light of Christ and celebrate them liturgically, as did the first Christian communities.

We propose that a Year of the Bible be proclaimed after due preparation and that it be followed by an annual Week of the Bible.

I. CHRISTIAN PRESENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Propositio 4Identity of the Eastern Catholic Churches Amidst a world marked by division and extreme positions, we are called to live communion in the Church staying open to everyone, without succumbing to confessionalism. We will be able to do this if we remain faithful to our rich historical, liturgical, patristic and spiritual heritage as well as the teaching of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council and to the norms and structures of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, the Code of Canon Law and the particular laws of the Churches.

Propositio 5Sharing in the Cross Whilst denouncing persecution and violence like everyone else, the Christian remembers that being Christian means sharing the cross of Christ. The disciple is not greater than the Master (cf Mt 10:24). He recalls that blessed are those who are persecuted for justice sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven (cf Mt 5:10).

However, persecution must raise the awareness of Christians worldwide of the need for greater solidarity. It must also arouse in us the commitment to support and insist on international law and respect for all people and all peoples.

The attention of the whole world should be focused on the tragic situation of

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certain Christian communities of the Middle East which suffer all manner of trials sometimes even to the point of martyrdom.

National and international bodies should also be called upon to make a special effort to bring an end to this situation of tension by re establishing justice and peace.

Propositio 6The Land Given that attachment to the land of one’s birth is an essential element of the identity both of individuals and of peoples, as well as an environment of freedom, we exhort our faithful and our Church communities not to give in to the temptation to sell off their real estate. In difficult economic circumstances, we propose to help Christians retain possession of their lands or to acquire new ones through the creation of projects responsible for making them prosper, allowing the owners to stay where they are with dignity. This effort must be accompanied by an in depth examination of the meaning of the Christian presence and vocation in the Middle East.

Propositio 7Managing Goods For the sake of transparency, it is necessary to devise an auditing system for the Church’s financial affairs, which distinguishes clearly what belongs to the Church and what belongs personally to those in service of the Church. At the same time, it is necessary to maintain the properties and goods of the Church and her institutions.

Propositio 8Encouragement to Make Pilgrimages The East is the land of biblical Revelation. Very early on, the region became a place of pilgrimage in the footsteps of Abraham in Iraq, of Moses in Egypt and in Sinai, of Jesus in the Holy Land (Egypt, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Israel and Lebanon) and of St. Paul and the Churches mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles and the book of Revelation (Syria, Cyprus, and Turkey).

Pilgrimage to the Holy Places has been encouraged by the Supreme Pontiffs. Going back to the place of origins is an opportunity for a profound catechesis, enabling the pilgrim to discover the riches of the Eastern Churches and to meet and encourage the local Christian communities, the living stones of the Church.


Propositio 9Peace Our Churches commit themselves to pray and to work for justice and peace in the Middle East and call for a “purification of memory”, choosing the language of peace and hope and avoiding that of fear and violence. They call upon the civil authorities to implement the resolutions of the United Nations concerning the region, particularly the return of refugees and the status of Jerusalem and the Holy Places.

Propositio 10Consolidating the presence of Christians Our Churches must create an office or a commission entrusted with the study of the phenomenon of migration and of the factors behind it so as to find ways of stopping it. They are to do all that is possible to boost the presence of Christians in their countries, and to do this especially through development projects to limit the phenomenon of migration.

Propositio 11Pastoral practice for emigration The presence of numerous Eastern Christians in all the continents challenges the Church to devise an appropriate pastoral programme in light of emigration:1) the Eastern bishops are to visit the seminaries of the Middle East to present the

situation and the needs of their eparchies;2) the formation of seminarians with a missionary spirit, open to different cultures;3) the preparation and accompaniment of priests missioned outside the patriarchal

territory;4) the promotion of vocations work in the communities outside of the patriarchal

territory; and5) the sending of priests and the establishment of their own eparchies wherever the

pastoral needs require them according to the canonical norms.

Propositio 12Emigration and Solidarity1) To awaken and reinforce a sense of solidarity and of sharing with the country of

origin, by contributing to pastoral projects and in cultural, educational, economic and social development;

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2) to educate Christians who have emigrated to remain faithful to the tradition of their origins;

3) to strengthen bonds of communion between emigrants and the Churches in their native countries.

Propositio 13Emigration Formation We urge Churches in the countries which receive immigrants to be familiar with and to respect Eastern theology, traditions and patrimonies, and that this be reflected in their norms, and sacramental and administrative practices. This will help collaboration with Eastern Churches present in those countries, and in the formation and pastoral care of their faithful.

Propositio 14Immigration We are seriously concerned about the condition of immigrant workers in the Middle East, both Christians and non Christians, especially women. Many of them find themselves in situations that are difficult or that even undermine their dignity.

We call on patriarchal synods and episcopal conferences, Catholic charitable institutions, especially Caritas, political leaders, and all people of good will, to do everything in their power to ensure the respect of immigrants’ fundamental rights as recognised by international law, regardless of the nationality or religion of the immigrants in question, and to offer them legal and human assistance. Our Churches should seek to provide the spiritual help they need as a sign of Christian hospitality and of ecclesial communion.

Propositio 15Welcoming Churches To better welcome and guide immigrants to the Middle East, the Churches from which they come are asked to maintain regular contact with the Churches which welcome them by assisting them to set up the structures they need, i.e. parishes, schools, meeting places, etc.


II. ECCLESIAL COMMUNION

A. Communion Within the Church (Ad Intra)

Propositio 16Communion within the Catholic Church “The Holy Catholic Church, which is the Mystical Body of Christ, is made up of the faithful who are organically united in the Holy Spirit by the same faith, the same sacraments and the same government and who, combining together into various groups which are held together by a hierarchy, form separate Churches or Rites. Between these there exists an admirable bond of union, such that the variety within the Church in no way harms its unity; rather it manifests it” (Orientalium Ecclesiarum, 2). To strengthen this communion, we recommend:

1) the creation of a commission of cooperation between the Catholic hierarchs of the Middle East, which will be responsible for the promotion of a common pastoral strategy, better understanding of one another’s traditions, inter ritual institutions and joint charitable organizations;

2) the organisation of regular meetings between Catholic hierarchies of the Middle East;

3) the sharing of material resources between rich and poor dioceses;4) the foundation of a priestly association, Fidei Donum, for the mutual assistance

of eparchies and Churches.

Propositio 17New Ecclesial Movements A number of the synod fathers recognize that the new ecclesial movements of the Western tradition, increasingly present in the Churches of the Middle East, are a gift of the Spirit to the whole Church. To help the charism of these movements to build up the Church, it behoves their members to live out their own charism taking into full account the culture, history, liturgy, and spirituality of the local Church. To make this happen, these movements are asked without delay to start working in union with the bishop of the place and to follow his pastoral instructions. It would be desirable for the Catholic hierarchy of each country of the Middle East to work out a common pastoral position on the movements in question, their integration and pastoral activity.

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Propositio 18The Jurisdiction of Patriarchs Outside of the patriarchal territory, in order to maintain the communion of the Eastern faithful with their patriarchal Churches and to provide them with appropriate pastoral service, it is desirable to study the question of extending the jurisdiction of the Eastern Patriarchs to cover members of their Churches wherever they live throughout the world, with a view to taking appropriate measures.

Propositio 19The Situation of the Catholic Faithful in the Gulf Countries In a spirit of communion and for the good of the faithful, it would be desirable to form a commission bringing together the representatives of the relevant dicasteries, the apostolic vicars of the region and the representatives of the sui iuris Churches concerned. This commission would be responsible for studying the situation of the Catholic faithful in the countries of the Gulf, the ecclesiastical jurisdiction, and suggest solutions to the Holy See which it deems helpful for the promotion of pastoral action.

Propositio 20Vocations Vocations work supposes:

– prayers for vocations in the family, in the parish, etc.;

– promoting the Christian life in families so as to make possible the blossoming of vocations;

– the creation of vocations committees in each diocese involving priests, consecrated men and women and lay people to organize meetings for young people so as to present to them the various vocations in the Church and clarify their discernments;

– devise a plan of spiritual formation for young people involved in the ecclesial movements;

– making parishes and schools more aware of the different kinds of vocations, priestly, consecrated and lay;

– maintaining or setting up minor seminaries where feasible;

– calling on priests and consecrated men and women to witness by the coherence of what they say and do in their lives;


– to intensify an ecclesial communion between priests, which requires an openness to the different pastoral needs of dioceses. This can help remedy the low number of priests in some dioceses; and

– to attract young people to consecrated life by the example of a deep, radiant, happy spiritual life.

Propositio 21The Arabic Language The experience of the synod for the Middle East has highlighted the importance of the Arabic language, above all that it has contributed to the development of the theological and spiritual thought of the universal Church, and more precisely the patrimony of Arabic Christian literature.

The proposal was made to make greater use of the Arabic language in the major institutions of the Holy See and their official meetings, so that Christians of Arab culture have access to information from the Holy See in their mother tongue.

B. Communion Among the Bishops, Clergy and Faithful

Propositio 22The Clergy To make sure the clergy have a reasonable and dignified standard of living, especially when they are advanced in years and not in active service, it is necessary:

1) to put in place a system of solidarity that ensures an equal salary for all priests who are active or inactive, as set out in the canonical norms;

2) to institute a system of social protection according to the conditions of each country that should be extended to men and women religious, as well as to the wives of married priests and to their children who are minors.

Propositio 23Married Priests Clerical celibacy has always and everywhere been respected and valued in the Catholic Churches, in the East as in the West. Nonetheless, with a view to the pastoral service of our faithful, wherever they are to be found, and to respect the traditions of the Eastern Churches, it would be desirable to study the possibility of having married priests outside the patriarchal territory.

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Proposito 24The Laity By Baptism, lay people participate in the triple function of Christ’s priesthood, becoming prophets, kings and priests. The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council recognized the role and mission of the laity in its decree on the lay apostolate (Apostolicam Actuositatem). Pope John Paul II convoked a synod on the laity and published the apostolic exhortation Christifideles laici in which he expressed esteem for “the very important apostolic collaboration which the lay faithful, men and women, bring to the life of the Church through their charisms and all their activity in the cause of evangelization, the sanctification and the Christian animation of the temporal realm” (no. 23).

The synod fathers commit themselves in the same way, especially since lay people in the East have always played a role in the life of the Church. The fathers want lay people to share in a greater degree of responsibility in the Church, encouraging them to be apostles in their workplace and to witness to Christ in the world in which they live.

Propositio 25Formation of seminarians As a way of developing our unity in diversity, seminarians are to be formed in the seminaries of their respective Churches as well as to receive their theological formation in a joint Catholic faculty. In certain places and for pastoral and administrative reasons, however, it may be helpful to have a single seminary for different Churches.

Propositio 26The Consecrated Life At the heart of the Church is consecrated, apostolic, monastic and contemplative life. The synod fathers show deep gratitude to consecrated men and women for their evangelical witness. They remember especially the martyrs of yesteryear and the present day. They ask that the consecrated life, adequately renewed, be welcomed, encouraged, and integrated ever more closely into the life and mission of the Church in the Middle East.

Our Churches recognize the importance of the place of consecrated women and women religious in society, by virtue of their witness of faith, their disinterested service and their precious contribution to “the dialogue of life”.


Propositio 27Women and Children Our Churches are to take the appropriate means to foster and reinforce the respect, dignity, role and rights of women. The competent and generous devotion of women at the service of life, the family, education and healthcare need to be highly appreciated. Our Churches are to ensure that they are integrated and take a full part in pastoral activities by listening carefully to them.

Children are the crown of marriage and a special gift for the world, the Catholic Church and Catholic parents have always shown a special interest for the health and education of all their children. Every effort must be made to safeguard and promote the respect of their natural human rights from the moment of conception, and to provide them with healthcare and Christian education.

C. Communion With the Churchesand Ecclesial Communities: Ecumenism (Ad Extra)

Propositio 28Ecumenism Unity between the disciples of Christ in the Middle East is above all the work of the Spirit. It is to be sought through a conversion of the heart, in a spirit of prayer, respect, perseverance and love, far removed from any trace of the mistrust, fear and prejudice which constitute such obstacles to unity. We wish to see our Churches renew their ecumenical commitment through practical initiatives:

– by supporting the Council of the Churches of the Middle East;

– by providing our parishes, schools and seminaries with formation in an ecumenical spirit, underlining the achievements of the ecumenical movement;

– by implementing any pastoral agreements which may have been made;

– by organising meetings of the faithful and pastors for prayer, meditation on the Word of God and collaboration in all areas;

- by adopting a standard Arabic translation of the Our Father and the Nicene Creed; and

– by working for a common date for the celebrations of Christmas and Easter.

The Eastern Catholic Churches, living in communion with the Church of Rome and in fidelity to their Eastern traditions, have a vital ecumenical role to play.

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The synod fathers urge these Churches to inaugurate an ecumenical dialogue at the local level. They recommend also that the Eastern Catholic Churches take part as much as possible in international commissions for dialogue.

Propositio 29Feast of Martyrs To inaugurate an annual feast in common for all the martyrs of the Churches of the Middle East and to request each Eastern Church to draw up a list of its own martyrs, witnesses of the faith.

III. CHRISTIAN WITNESSWITNESSES OF RESURRECTION AND LOVE

A. Christian Formation

Propositio 30Formation To help adults to grow in a living faith, our Churches of the Middle East propose the creation of catechetical centres where they are lacking. Ongoing formation and collaboration between the different Churches at the level of the laity, seminaries and universities are indispensable. All these centres should be open to all the Churches. Catechists in particular must be properly prepared through a suitable formation which takes into account current problems and challenges.

All the baptised are to be ready to give an account of their faith in Jesus Christ and are to be concerned about putting forward the Gospel without timidity but also without giving offence. Formation is to address the celebration of the mysteries, knowing, living and acting. Homilies are to be well prepared, based on the Word of God and linked to real life. It is important that formation includes learning about modern technology and communication science. Lay people are to witness firmly to Christ in society. The foundations which will enable them to become such witnesses are in Catholic schools which have always been recognised as the most important means of religious education for Catholics and


for a social formation which leads to mutual understanding of all members of society. At the university level, we encourage the foundation of an association of institutions of higher education with particular attention to the social doctrine of the Church.

Propositio 31Pastoral Workers In order to form leaders and pastoral workers in various areas, we recommend the foundation of inter ecclesial formation centres in each country which employ the new technology of audiovisual communications. The resources they produce should be available on line and on DVD to make them as cheaply and widely available as possible.

Propositio 32Catholic schools and Educational Institutions The synod fathers encourage Catholic schools and educational institutions to continue to be faithful to their mission of educating new generations in Christ’s spirit, in human and Gospel values, and consolidating a culture of openness, conviviality, care and concern for the poor and for those who suffer from disability. In spite of the difficulties, the fathers invite them to maintain the educational mission of the Church and to further the development of young people who are the future of our societies. Given how important the role of these institutions is for the common good, we remind those in positions of responsibility to offer them their support.

Propositio 33Media The synod fathers have noted the pivotal importance of the new means of communication for Christian formation in the Middle East, as well as for the proclamation of the faith. They are communication networks which hold out the promise of special opportunities for the spreading of the Church’s teaching. Concretely, the synod fathers advocate the aid and maintenance of the existing structures in this area, such as “Télé lumière Noursat,” “la Voix de la Charité” and others, so as to fulfil the objectives for which they have been established in an ecclesial spirit. Some synod fathers have even wanted to support the creation of a media city for Noursat both regionally and internationally.

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The synod fathers heartily recommend to those in charge of audiovisual structures in our Churches:

– the creation of a team with technical and theological expertise;

– the establishment of programmes of biblical formation for pastoral purposes;

– the use of subtitles in Turkish and Farsi for Christians in Turkey and Iran.

Propositio 34Mission Heirs of an apostolic spirit which has taken the Good News to distant lands, our Eastern Catholic Churches are asked to renew their missionary spirit in prayer, through formation and through being sent on mission. The urgency of the mission both ad intra and ad extra is an incentive for the Churches.

Propositio 35The Family The family, the basic unit of society and the “domestic Church,” needs to be accompanied and supported through its problems and difficulties, especially in the urban environment. In order to attain this objective, we need to make better provisions in centres for marriage preparation, counselling and guidance centres, spiritual and human guidance of young families, and their ongoing pastoral support, above all those facing difficult situations (emotional difficulties, disability, drugs etc.). Child bearing and the good education of children should be encouraged. The practice of home visiting by pastors should be revived.

Propositio 36Youth “Youth are the future of the Church”, said Pope John Paul II. His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI continues to encourage youth: “Despite these difficulties, do not let yourselves be discouraged, and do not give up on your dreams! Instead, cultivate all the more your heart’s great desire for fellowship, justice and peace. The future is in the hands of those who know how to seek and find sound reasons for life and hope” (“Message for the XXV World Youth Day”, 7, 28 March 2010). Moreover, he appeals to them to be missionaries and witnesses in their societies and in their way of life. He calls them to deepen their faith and grow in their knowledge of Jesus Christ, their Ideal and Model, so as to participate with him in the salvation of the world.


The synod fathers commit themselves:

– to listen to them so as to respond to their questioning and their needs;

– to ensure their necessary spiritual and theological formation, suitable to assist them in their work;

– to build with them bridges of dialogue so as to bring down the walls of division and separation in societies;

– to put to use their creativity and their knowhow so they can serve Christ, their peers and the society in which they live.

Propositio 37A New Evangelisation Our Churches are called upon to adopt the mentality of a New Evangelisation by taking into consideration the cultural and social context in which people live, work and act today. This demands a profound conversion and renewal in light of the Word of God and the sacraments, especially reconciliation and the Eucharist.

Propositio 38Social Doctrine The synod fathers urgently recommend the diffusion of the social doctrine of the Church, which is oftentimes lacking. It is an integral part of faith formation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church are important resources in this area.

The synod fathers urge the bishops’ conference of each country to form an episcopal commission to prepare and propagate the Church’s social discourse, taking as its starting point the teaching of the Church, the various positions adopted by the Holy See regarding current affairs and the actual circumstances facing each country.

The synod fathers urgently recommend that the Eastern Churches take care of the elderly, of immigrants and refugees with their many different social needs and most especially of the disabled, setting up whatever structures are needed to meet their needs and facilitating their integration in society.

In fidelity to God the Creator Christians are to have at heart the protection of nature and the environment they call upon government and all men of women of good will to unite their efforts to safeguard creation.

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B. The Liturgy

Propositio 39Liturgy The biblical and theological wealth of the Eastern liturgies is at the spiritual service of the universal Church. Nonetheless, it would be useful and important to renew the liturgical texts and celebrations, where necessary, so as to answer better the needs and expectations of the faithful. This renewal must be based on an ever deeper knowledge of tradition and be adapted to contemporary language and categories.

C. Interreligious Dialogue

Propositio 40Interreligious dialogue Christians in the Middle East are called upon to pursue dialogue with the followers of other religions, bringing hearts and minds closer together. For this to happen, they, along with their partners, are invited to work to fortify interreligious dialogue, to strive for the purification of memory through the forgiveness for the events of the past, and to seek a better future together. In their daily lives, they are to endeavour to accept one another in spite of their differences, working to build a new society in which fanaticism and extremism have no place. The synod fathers would like to see drawn up a formation plan which helps people to be more open, for use in teaching establishments as well as in seminaries and novitiates. This will help build a culture of dialogue based on human and religious solidarity.

Propositio 41Judaism Judaism has a central place in the Declaration of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Nostra Aetate. Initiatives of dialogue and cooperation with Jews are to be encouraged so as to foster human and religious values, freedom, justice, peace and fraternity. Reading the Old Testament and getting to know Jewish traditions lead to a better understanding of the Jewish religion. We reject anti Semitism and anti Judaism, while distinguishing between religion and politics.


Propositio 42Islam The Declaration of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Nostra Aetate, alongside the pastoral letters of the Eastern Catholic Patriarchs, serves as the basis for the Catholic Church’s relations with Muslims. As Pope Benedict XVI has said: “Interreligious and intercultural dialogue between Christians and Muslims cannot be reduced to an optional extra. It is in fact a vital necessity, on which in large measure our future depends” (Pope Benedict XVI, “Meeting with representatives of Muslim Communities”, Cologne, 20 August 2005).

In the Middle East, Christians share a common life and a common destiny with Muslims. Together they build up society. It is important to promote the notion of citizenship, the dignity of the human person, equal rights and duties and religious freedom, including both freedom of worship and freedom of conscience.

Christians in the Middle East are called to pursue a fruitful dialogue of life with Muslims. They are to take care to show an attitude of esteem and love, leaving aside every negative prejudice. Together, Christians and Muslims, they are called upon to discover their respective religious values. They are to offer the world an image of a positive encounter and a fruitful collaboration between believers of the two religions, combating together every sort of fundamentalism and violence in the name of religion.

CONCLUSION

Propositio 43Follow up on the Synod The Churches which have taken part in the Synod are called upon to make sure that it is properly followed up by working together with the Council of the Catholic Patriarchs of the Middle East and the official structures of the relevant Churches, with a greater involvement of priests and lay and religious experts.

Propositio 44The Virgin Mary Holy Mary, the Virgin of Nazareth, who shows us how to listen to the Word of God, is the Blessed Daughter of our land. From the very beginning of Christian

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history, it was the theological reflection of our Eastern Churches which led to the decisive and glorious definition of Mary as “Theotokos”, Mother of God. In the liturgies of all our Churches, the Virgin Mary has a place of honour and is the object of the special love of all the People of God. This Daughter of our land, whom all peoples call blessed, is justifiably invoked as Mother of the Church, especially since the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council. Aware of the special bonds which, by God’s design, unite us to the Mother of Jesus, we propose that our Churches come together and jointly entrust the entire Middle East to the protection of the Virgin Mary. ■

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V. Messageto the People of GodDuring the Fourteenth General Congregation held on Friday, October 22, 2010, the Synod Fathers approved the “Nuntius”, the Message to the People of God, at the conclusion of the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East.*

“Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul” (Acts 4:32)

To our brother priests, deacons, monks, nuns, consecrated persons, our dear lay faithful and all people of good will.

Introduction

1. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you.

The Synod of Bishops for the Middle East was for us a new Pentecost. “Pentecost is the original event but also a permanent dynamism, and the Synod of Bishops is a privileged moment in which the grace of Pentecost may be renewed in the Church’s journey” (Pope Benedict XVI, Homily at the Opening Liturgy, 10 October 2010).

We have come to Rome, We the Patriarchs and Bishops of the Catholic Churches in the Middle East with all our spiritual, liturgical, cultural and canonical patrimonies, carrying in our hearts the concerns of our people.

For the very first time, we have come together in a Synod, gathered around His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, with both cardinals and archbishops, who are heads of the various offices in the Roman Curia, presidents of Episcopal Conferences around the world, who are concerned with the issues of the Middle

* Official text, written in four languages (Arabic, French, Italian and English) published here is the English version.

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East, representatives from the Orthodox Churches and ecclesial communities and Jewish and Muslim guests.

We express our gratitude to His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI for his care and for his teachings, which guide the journey of the Church in general and that of our Eastern Churches in particular, especially in the areas of justice and peace. We thank the Episcopal Conferences for their solidarity, their presence in our midst during their pilgrimages to the holy sites and their visits to our communities. We thank them for guiding our Churches in the various aspects of our life. We thank the different ecclesial organisations for their effective assistance.

Guided by the Holy Scriptures and the living Tradition, we have reflected together on the present and the future of Christians and all peoples of the Middle East. We have meditated on the issues of this region of the world which God willed, in the mystery of his love, to be the birthplace of his universal plan of salvation. From there, Abraham’s vocation was initiated. There, the Word of God, Jesus Christ, took flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. There, Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of life and the kingdom. There, he died to redeem humanity and free us from sin. There, he rose from the dead to give new life to all. There, the Church was formed and went forth to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to the world.

The primary aim of the Synod is pastoral. Thus, we have carried in our hearts the life, the pains and the hopes of our people as well as the challenges they need to confront each day “because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Rm 5:5). Dear sisters and brothers, we therefore address this message to you. We wish it to be an appeal to safeguard the faith, based on the Word of God, to collaboration in unity and to communion in the witness of love in every aspect of life.

I. The Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness throughout History

Journey of Faith in the Middle East

2. In the Middle East, the first Christian community was born. From there, the apostles after Pentecost went evangelising the whole world. There, the early Christian community lived amid tensions and persecutions, “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and


the prayers” (Acts 2:42), and no one of them was in need. There, the first martyrs, with their blood, fortified the foundations of the nascent Church. After them, the hermits filled the deserts with the perfume of their holiness and their faith. There, the Fathers of the Eastern Church lived and continued to nourish the Church in both the East and West through their teachings. In the early centuries and later, missionaries from our Churches departed for the Far East and the West, bringing with them the light of Christ. We are the heirs of that heritage. We need to continue to transmit their message to future generations.

In the past, our Churches provided saints, priests and consecrated persons; they still do in the present. Our Churches have also sponsored many institutions which contributed - and still do - to the well being of our societies and countries, sacrificing self for the sake of the human person, who is created to the image of God and is the bearer of his likeness. Some of our Churches continue to send out missionaries who carry the Word of God to many places in the world. The pastoral, apostolic and missionary needs mandate us to put together a pastoral master-plan to promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life in order to ensure the Church of tomorrow.

We are now at a turning point in our history: The God who has given us the faith in our Eastern lands 2000 years ago, calls us today to persevere with courage, strength and steadfastness in bearing the message of Christ and witnessing to his Gospel, the Gospel of love and peace.

Challenges and Aspirations

3.1. Today, we face many challenges. The first comes from within ourselves and our Churches. We are asked by Christ to accept our faith and to apply it to all situations in our lives. What he asks from our Churches is to strengthen the communion within every Church sui iuris and that of the Catholic Churches of various traditions, and to exert every effort in prayer and charitable acts in order to attain the full unity of all Christians so as to fulfil the prayer of Christ: “that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (Jn 17:21).

3.2. The second challenge comes from the outside, namely, political conditions, security in our countries and religious pluralism.

We have evaluated the social situation and the public security in all our countries in the Middle East. We have taken account of the impact of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the whole region, especially on the Palestinians who are suffering the consequences of the Israeli occupation: the lack of freedom of

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movement, the wall of separation and the military checkpoints, the political prisoners, the demolition of homes, the disturbance of socio-economic life and the thousands of refugees. We have reflected on the suffering and insecurity in which Israelis live. We have meditated on the situation of the holy city of Jerusalem. We are anxious about the unilateral initiatives that threaten its composition and risk to change its demographic balance. With all this in mind, we see that a just and lasting peace is the only salvation for everyone and for the good of the region and its peoples.

3.3. We have reflected in our meetings and in our prayers the keen sufferings of the Iraqi people. We have recalled the Christians assassinated in Iraq, the continued suffering of the Church in Iraq and her sons who have been displaced and dispersed throughout the world, bringing with them the concerns for their land and their fatherland. The synod fathers have expressed their solidarity with the people and the Churches in Iraq and have expressed their desire that the emigrants, forced to leave their country, might find in the welcoming countries the necessary support to be able to return to their homeland and live in security.

3.4. We have extensively treated relations between Christians and Muslims. All of us share a common citizenship in our countries. Here we want to affirm, according to our Christian vision, a fundamental principle which ought to govern our relations, namely, God wants us to be Christians in and for our Middle Eastern societies. This is God’s plan for us. This is our mission and vocation - to live as Christians and Muslims together. Our actions in this area will be guided by the commandment of love and by the power of the Spirit within us.

The second principle which governs our relations is the fact that we are an integral part of our societies. Our mission, based on our faith and our duty to our home countries, obliges us to contribute to the construction of our countries as fellow-citizens, Muslims, Jews and Christians alike.

II. Communion and Witness Within the Catholic Churches of the Middle East

To the Faithful of our Churches

4.1. Jesus says to us: “You are the salt of the earth, the light of the world” (Mt 5:13.14). Your mission in our societies, beloved faithful, through faith, hope and


love, is to be like “salt” which gives savour and meaning to life; to be like “light” by proclaiming the truth which scatters the darkness; and to be like the “leaven” which transforms hearts and minds. The first Christians of Jerusalem were few in number, yet they were able to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth because of the grace of “the Lord who acted with them and confirmed their Word by signs” (Mk 16:20).

4.2. We want to greet you, Christians of the Middle East, and we thank you for all you have achieved in your families and societies, in your Churches and nations. We commend you for your perseverance in times of adversity, suffering and anguish.

4.3. Dear priests, our co-workers in the mission of catechesis, liturgy and pastoral work, we renew our friendship and our trust in you. Continue to transmit to your faithful with zeal and perseverance the Gospel of life and Church’s tradition through your preaching, catechesis, spiritual direction and the good example of your lives. Build up the faith of the People of God to make of it a civilisation of love. Provide the sacraments to the People of God so that this People might aspire to be renewed. Gather them together in the union of love by the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Dear consecrated men and women in the world, we express to you our gratitude and with you we thank God for the gift of the evangelical counsels – of consecrated chastity, of poverty and obedience – through which you have made the gift of yourselves as you follow Christ, the special love to whom you long to witness. It is thanks to your diverse apostolic initiatives that you are the true treasure and wealth of our Churches and a spiritual oasis in our parishes, dioceses and missions.

We unite ourselves spiritually to hermits, to monks and nuns who have dedicated their lives to prayer in contemplative monasteries, sanctifying the hours of day and night, carrying the Church’s concerns and needs to God in their prayers. You offer the world a sign of hope through the witness of your life.

4.4. We express to you, faithful lay people, our esteem and our friendship. We appreciate everything you do for your families and societies, your Churches and home countries. Remain steadfast amidst trials and difficulties. We are filled with gratitude to the Lord for the charisms and talents which he has showered you and which equip you to participate, through the power of your baptism and chrismations, in the Church’s mission and her apostolic work to permeate the temporal world with the spirit and values of the Gospel. We invite you to give the witness of an authentic Christian life, of a conscientious religious practice and of good morals. Have the courage objectively to proclaim the truth.

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Those of you who suffer in body, in soul and spirit, the oppressed, those forced from your homes, the persecuted, prisoners and detainees, we carry you all in our prayers. Unite your suffering to that of Christ the Redeemer and seek in his cross patience and strength. By the merit of your sufferings, you gain God’s merciful love.

We greet each of our Christian families and we look upon your vocation and mission with esteem as a living cell of society and a natural school of virtue and ethical and human values, the “domestic Church” which transmits the practices of prayer and of faith from one generation to the next. We thank parents and grandparents for the education of their children and grandchildren, who, like Jesus grow “in wisdom, in stature and grace in the sight of God and men” (Lk 2:52). We commit ourselves to the defence of the family through our pastoral programmes on its behalf, through marriage preparation courses and centres, open to all but mainly to couples in difficulty, where they can be welcomed and obtain counseling, and by defending the fundamental rights of the family.

We now wish to speak to the women of our Churches in a special way. We express to you our appreciation for what you are in the various states of life: girls, mothers, educators, consecrated women and those who engaged in public life. We revere you, because you harbour human life within you from its very beginnings, giving it care and tenderness. God has given you a special sensitivity for everything that pertains to education, humanitarian work and the apostolic life. We give thanks to God for your activities and we hope that you will be able to exercise greater responsibility in public life.

Young women and men, we look to you with the same love which Christ had for the young man in the Gospel (cf. Mk 10:21). You are the potential and renewing force for the future of our Churches, our communities and our countries. Plan your life under the loving gaze of Christ. Be responsible citizens and sincere believers. The Church joins you in your desire to find work commensurate with your talents, work which will help to stimulate your creativity, providing for your future and making possible the formation of a family of believers. Overcome the temptation of materialism and consumerism. Be strong in your Christian values.

We greet the heads of Catholic institutions of education. Pursue excellence and the Christian spirit in your teaching and education. Aim at the consolidation of a culture of harmonious living and concern for the poor and disabled. In spite of the challenges which confront your institutions, we invite you to maintain them, so as to further the Church’s educative mission and to promote the development and common good of our societies.


We address with great esteem those who work in the social sector. In your institutions you are at the service of charity. We encourage and support you in this mission of development, guided by the rich social teaching of the Church. Through your work, you strengthen the bonds of fellowship between people and serve the poor, the marginalised, the sick, refugees and prisoners without discrimination. You are guided by the words of the Lord Jesus: “Everything you do to one of these little ones, you do it to me!” (Mt 25:40).

We look with hope to prayer groups and apostolic movements. They are schools where our faith can mature and we can be given the strength to live that faith in family and society. We appreciate their activities in parishes and dioceses and their support for pastors, in accordance with the Church’s directives. We thank God for these groups and movements which are active cells in the parish and seed-beds for vocations to both the priesthood and the consecrated life.

We appreciate the role of the means of social communication, both printed and audio-visual. We thank you journalists for your collaboration with the Church in broadcasting her teachings and activities and, over the course of these days, for having given global news coverage to the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod.

We are pleased with the contribution of the media, both international and Catholic. With regard to the Middle East, Télé Lumiere-Noursat merits a special mention. We hope it will be able to continue its service of providing information and forming the faith, of working on behalf of Christian unity, of consolidating the Christian presence in the Middle East, of strengthening interreligious dialogue and the communion of all peoples of Middle Eastern origin, presently in every part of the globe.

To our Faithful in the Diaspora

5. Emigration has become a generalised phenomenon by Christians, Muslims and Jews alike. All emigrate for reasons arising from political and economic instability. However, Christians also emigrate from a sense of insecurity, in varying degrees, in many Middle Eastern countries. May Christians have trust in the future and continue to live in their dear countries.

We send our greetings to you, members of our Churches in the various countries of the Diaspora. We ask you to keep alive in your hearts and concerns the memory of your countries and your Churches. You can contribute to their development and

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their growth by your prayers, your thoughts, your visits and by various other means, despite the fact that you are far from the Middle East.

Look at your goods and your properties in your home country; do not abandon and sell them too quickly. Keep them as your patrimony and as a piece of the homeland to which you remain attached, a homeland which you love and support. The land is part of a person’s identity and his mission. It is a vital aspect of the lives of those who remain there and for those who one day will return there. The land is a public good, a good of the community and a common patrimony. It should not be reduced to a question of individual interests on the part of those who own it and who alone decide, according to their desires, to keep or abandon it.

We accompany you with our prayers, you the children of our Churches and of our countries, forced to emigrate. Bear with you your faith, your culture and your patrimony, so as to enrich your new countries which provide you with peace, freedom and work. Look towards the future with confidence and joy. Hold fast to your spiritual values, to your cultural traditions and to your national patrimony, in order to offer to the countries which welcome you the best of yourselves and the best of that which you have. We thank the Churches of the countries of the Diaspora which have received our faithful and unceasingly collaborate with us to ensure the necessary pastoral services for them.

To the Migrants in our Countriesand our Churches

6. We send our greetings to all immigrants of varying nationalities, who have come to our countries seeking employment.

We welcome you, beloved faithful, and we see your faith as a source of enrichment and a support for the faithful of our Churches. We joyously provide you with every spiritual assistance you might need.

We ask our Churches to pay special attention to these brothers and sisters and their difficulties, whatever may be their religion, especially when their rights and dignity are subject to abuse. They come to us not simply to seek the means for living but offer the services which our countries need. Their dignity comes from God. Like every human person, they have rights which must be respected. No one should violate those rights. That is why we call upon the various governments which receive them to respect and defend their rights.


III. Communion and Witness Together with the Orthodox and Protestant Communities in the Middle East

7. We send our greetings to the Orthodox and Protestant Communities in our countries. Together we work for the good of all Christians, that they may remain, grow and prosper. We share the same journey. Our challenges are the same and our future is the same. We wish to bear witness together as disciples of Christ. Only through our unity can we accomplish the mission that God has entrusted to us, despite the differences among our Churches. The prayer of Christ is our support; the commandment of love unites us, even if the road towards full communion is still distant for us.

We have walked together in the Middle East Council of Churches and we wish, with God’s grace, to continue on this path and to promote its activity, having as an ultimate goal a common testimony to our faith, the service of our faithful and of all our countries. We acknowledge and encourage all initiatives for ecumenical dialogue in each of our countries.

We express our gratitude to the World Council of Churches and to the different ecumenical organisations which work for the unity of the Churches and for their support.

IV. Cooperation and Dialogue with our Fellow Citizens, the Jews

8. The same Scriptures unite us; the Old Testament, the Word of God is for both you and us. We believe all that God revealed there, since he called Abraham, our common father in the faith, Father of Jews, of Christians and of Muslims. We believe in the promises of God and his covenant given to Abraham and to you. We believe that the Word of God is eternal.

The Second Vatican Council published the document Nostra Aetate which treats interreligious dialogue with Judaism, Islam and the other religions. Other documents have subsequently clarified and developed the relationship with Judaism. On-going dialogue is taking place between the Church and the representatives of Judaism. We hope that this dialogue can bring us to work together to press those in authority to put and end to the political conflict which results in separating us and disrupting everyday life in our countries.

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It is time for us to commit ourselves together to a sincere, just and permanent peace. Both Christians and Jews are called to this task by the Word of God. In his Word, we are invited us to listen to the voice of God “who speaks of peace”: “Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his holy ones” (Ps 85:9). Recourse to theological and biblical positions which use the Word of God to wrongly justify injustices is not acceptable. On the contrary, recourse to religion must lead every person to see the face of God in others and to treat them according to their God-given prerogatives and God’s commandments, namely, according to God’s bountiful goodness, mercy, justice and love for us.

V. Cooperation and Dialogue with our Fellow Citizens, the Muslims

9. We are united by the faith in one God and by the commandment that says: do good and avoid evil. The words of the Second Vatican Council on the relations with other religions offer the basis for the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Muslims: “The Church regards with esteem also the Muslims. They adore the one God, living and subsisting in Himself; merciful and all- powerful, the Creator of heaven and earth, who has spoken to men” (Nostra Aetate 3).

We say to our Muslim fellow-citizens: we are brothers and sisters; God wishes us to be together, united by one faith in God and by the dual commandment of love of God and neighbour. Together we will construct our civil societies on the basis of citizenship, religious freedom and freedom of conscience. Together we will work for the promotion of justice, peace, the rights of persons and the values of life and of the family. The construction of our countries is our common responsibility. We wish to offer to the East and to the West a model of coexistence between different religions and of positive collaboration between different civilisations for the good of our countries and that of all humanity.

Since the appearance of Islam in the seventh century and to the present, we have lived together and we have collaborated in the creation of our common civilisation. As in the past and still existent today, some imbalances are present in our relations. Through dialogue we must avoid all imbalances and misunderstandings. Pope Benedict XVI tells us that our dialogue must not be a passing reality. It is rather a vital necessity on which our future depends (Pope Benedict XVI, Meeting with Representatives from the Muslim Communities, Cologne, 20 August 2005). Our duty then is to educate believers concerning interreligious dialogue, the acceptance of pluralism and mutual esteem.


VI. Our Participation in Public Life: An Appeal to Governments and to Political Leadership in our Countries

10. We appreciate the efforts which have been expended for the common good and the service to our societies. You are in our prayers and we ask God to guide your steps. We address you regarding the importance of equality among all citizens. Christians are original and authentic citizens who are loyal to their fatherland and assume their duties towards their country. It is natural that they should enjoy all the rights of citizenship, freedom of conscience, freedom of worship and freedom in education, teaching and the use of the mass media.

We appeal to you to redouble your efforts to establish a just and lasting peace throughout the region and to stop the arms race, which will lead to security and economic prosperity and stop the hemorrhage of emigration which empties our countries of its vital forces. Peace is a precious gift entrusted by God to human family, whose members are to be “peacemakers who will be called children of God” (Mt 5:9).

VII. Appeal to the International Community

11. The citizens of the countries of the Middle East call upon the international community, particularly the United Nations conscientiously to work to find a peaceful, just and definitive solution in the region, through the application of the Security Council’s resolutions and taking the necessary legal steps to put an end to the occupation of the different Arab territories.

The Palestinian people will thus have an independent and sovereign homeland where they can live with dignity and security. The State of Israel will be able to enjoy peace and security within their internationally recognized borders. The Holy City of Jerusalem will be able to acquire its proper status, which respects its particular character, its holiness and the religious patrimony of the three religions: Jewish, Christian and Muslim. We hope that the two-State-solution might become a reality and not a dream only.

Iraq will be able to put an end to the consequences of its deadly war and re-establish a secure way of life which will protect all its citizens with all their social structures, both religious and national.

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Lebanon will be able to enjoy sovereignty over its entire territory, strengthen its national unity and carry on in its vocation to be the model of coexistence between Christians and Muslims, of dialogue between different cultures and religions, and of the promotion of basic public freedoms.

We condemn violence and terrorism from wherever it may proceed as well as all religious extremism. We condemn all forms of racism, anti-Semitism, anti-Christianism and Islamophobia and we call upon the religions to assume their responsibility to promote dialogue between cultures and civilisations in our region and in the entire world.

Conclusion:Continue to Bear Witness to the Divine Paththat has been Shown to Us in the Person of Jesus

12. Brothers and sisters, in closing, we say with the St. John the Apostle: “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was made visible to us what we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; for our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” (1 Jn 1:1-3).

This Divine Life which has appeared to the apostles over 2000 years ago in the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ and to which the Church has witnessed throughout the course of her history will always remain the life of our Churches in the Middle East and the object of our witness, sustained by the promise of the Lord:“Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the time” (Mt 28:20). Together we proceed on our journey with hope, “and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Rm 5:5).

We confess that, until now, we have not done what is possible to better live communion in our communities. We have not done enough to better live communion among our communities. We have not done everything possible to confirm you in your faith and to give you the spiritual nourishment you need in your difficulties. The Lord invites us to a conversion as individuals and communities.

Today we return to you full of hope, strength and resolution, bearing with us the message of the Synod and its recommendations in order to study them together


and to put them into practice in our Churches, each one according to the Church’s states of life. We hope also that this new effort might be ecumenical.

We make a humble and sincere appeal to you, that together we might embark on the road of conversion, allowing ourselves to be renewed through the grace of the Holy Spirit and again draw close to God.

To the Most Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church and Queen of Peace, under whose protection we have accomplished our Synodal task, we entrust our journey towards new, Christian horizons in the faith of Christ and through the power of his word: “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev 21:5). ■

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Table of Contents

Editorial of His Beatitude Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem .............................. 2

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................. 4

The Synod Participants from the Holy Land ...................................................................................... 8

I. Homily of the Holy Father: Solemn Mass of Inauguration of the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East .......................... 10

II. Speeches: 1) Ordinaries of the Latin Patriarhate of Jerusalem .................................................................... 14 • Intervention of H.B. Fouad TWAL, Patriarch of Jerusalem of the Latins ................. 14 • Intervention of H.B. Michel SABBAH, Patriarch Emeritus of Jerusalem of the Latins ........................................................................ 17 • Intervention of Mons. Salim SAYEGH, Patriarcal Vicar of Jerusalem of the Latins for Jordan ...................................................... 19 • Intervention of Mons. Giacinto-Boulos MARCUZZO, Patriarcal Vicar of Jerusalem of the Latins for Israel ........................................................ 20 • Intervention of Mons. William Hanna SHOMALI, Auxiliary Bishop of Jerusalem of the Latins ............................................................................. 24 • Intervention of Rev. F. David NEUHAUS, S.J. Patriarchal Vicar of Jerusalem of the Latins for the pastoral care of the Hebrew-speaking Catholics (Jerusalem) ......................................................................... 26 • Intervention of Rev. F. Umberto BARATO, O.F.M. Patriarchal Vicar Emeritus of Jerusalem of the Latins for Cyprus ............................. 28

2) The Assembly of the Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land (A.C.O.H.L.) ............... 29 • Intervention of Mons. Elias CHACOUR, Archbishop of Akka, Acre, Ptolemaid of the Greek-Melkites (Israel) ......................... 29 • Intervention of Mons. Paul Nabil EL-SAYAH, Archbishop of Haifa and Holy Land of the Maronites, Patriarchal Exarch of the Patriarchate of Antioch of the Maronites (Israel) .................................................... 30 • Intervention of Mons. Yasser AYYASH, Archbishop of Petra and Philadelphia in Arabia of the Greek-Melkites (Jordan) ........................................... 31 • Intervention of Mons. Grégoire Pierre MELKI, Patriarchal Exarch of the Patriarchate of Antioch of the Syrians (Jerusalem) .... 33 • Intervention of Mons. Joseph Jules ZEREY, Auxiliary and Protosyncellus of the Patriarchate of Antioch of the Greek-Melkites (Jerusalem) ............................... 34 • Intervention of Mons. Raphaël François MINASSIAN, Patriarchal Exarch of the Armenian Patriarchate of Cilicia (Jerusalem) ............... 35 • Intervention of the Very Rev. Pierbattista PIZZABALLA, O.F.M., Custos of the Holy Land (Jerusalem) ............................................................................................ 36


3) Institutions associated to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem ........................................ 39 • Intervention of Card. John Patrick FOLEY, Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (Vatican City) ................................................................................................................ 39 • Intervention of Prof. Agostino BORROMEO, Governor General of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (Italy), auditor ..................... 41 • Intervention of Mr. Epiphan Bernard Z. SABELLA, Associate Professor of Sociology, Bethlehem University (Palestinian Territories), auditor .................................................................................................... 42 • Intervention of Mrs. Huda MUASHER, Director, “Caritas” (Jordan), auditor ........................................................................................... 43

4) Other Bishops from the Middle East ................................................................................................ 45 • Intervention of Mons. Edmond FARHAT, Apostolic Nuncio (Lebanon) .............................................................................................................. 45 • Intervention of Mons. Paul DAHDAH, Apostolic Vicar of Beirut of the Latins (Lebanon) ................................................................. 47 • Intervention of Mons. Paul HINDER, Apostolic Vicar of Arabia of the Latins (United Arab Emirates) .................................. 48 • Intervention of Mons. Ghaleb Moussa BADER, Archbishop of Algiers of the Latins (Algeria) .......................................................................... 57 • Intervention of Mons. Maroun Elias LAHHAM, Bishop of Tunis of the Latins (Tunisia) ........................................................................................ 58

5) Members of the Roman Curia ............................................................................................................... 59 • Intervention of Card. Zenon GROCHOLEWSKI, Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education (Vatican City) ........................... 59 • Intervention of Mons. Angelo AMATO, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints (Vatican City) .......................... 61 • Intervention of Card. Jean-Louis TAURAN, President of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue (Vatican City) .... 62 • Intervention of Mons. Claudio Maria CELLI, President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications (Vatican City) ..... 63

6) Other Bishops .................................................................................................................................................. 65 • Report of Card. Péter ERDŐ, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, President of the Council of European Episcopal Conference (Hungary) ................ 65 • Report of Card. Roger Michael MAHONY, Archbishop of Los Angeles for North America (USA) ......................................................... 67

7) Representatives of other Denominations and Religions ....................................................... 70 • Intervention of H.E. Munib YOUNAN, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, President of the World Lutheran Federation (Israel), Fraternal Delegate ..................................................................................... 70 • Intervention of Special Guest, Rabbi David ROSEN, Adviser to the Chief Rabbinate of Israel (Israel) ................................................................... 72

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• Intervention of Special Guest, Mr. Muhammad AL-SAMMAK, Political Councilor for the Mufti of Lebanon ......................................................................... 75 • Intervention of Special Guest Ayatollah Seyed Mostafa Mohaghegh AHMADABADI (Iran) .................................. 78

8) Other Interventions .................................................................................................................................... 82 • Intervention of the Very Rev. José RODRÍGUEZ CARBALLO, O.F.M. General Minister of the Order of Friars Minor (Italy) ..................................................... 82 • Intervention of Rev. Rino ROSSI, Director of the Domus Galilææ, Corazin (Israel), auditor ............................................ 83 • Intervention of Mr. Anton R. ASFAR, Council Member of the Syriac-Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Jerusalem (Israel), auditor .......................................................................................................... 84 • Intervention of Mrs. Anan J. LEWIS, Professor of Victorian and Modern English Poetry, English Department, University of Baghdad (Iraq), auditor ........................................ 85

III. Homily of Pope Benedict XVI: Mass for the Conclusion of the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East .................... 87

IV. List of Final Propositions ........................................................................................................................ 91 • Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 91 • I. Christian Presence in the Middle East ................................................................................... 92 • II. Ecclesial Communion ................................................................................................................... 96 • III. Christian Witness: Witnesses of Resurrection and Love ......................................... 101 • Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................. 106

V. Message to the People of God ................................................................................................................ 108 • Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 108 • I. The Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness throughout History .................................................................................................... 109 • II. Communion and Witness Within the Catholic Churches of the Middle East ................................................................................................................................. 111 • III. Communion and Witness Together with the Orthodox and Protestant Communities in the Middle East .................................................................. 116 • IV. Cooperation and Dialogue with our Fellow Citizens, the Jews ......................... 116 • V. Cooperation and Dialogue with Our Fellow Citizens, the Muslims .................. 117 • VI. Our Participation in Public Life: An Appeal to Governments and to Political Leadership in our Countries .......................................................................... 118 • VII. Appeal to the International Community ......................................................................... 118 • Conclusion: Continue to Bear Witness to the Divine Path that has been Shown to Us in the Person of Jesus ............................................................... 119

Index of Themes .................................................................................................................................................... 124


Index des ThemesChristian Identity and Vocation

– H.B. Fouad Twal ............................................................................................................................................. 14– H.B. Michel Sabbah ..................................................................................................................................... 17– H.E. Giacinto–Boulos Marcuzzo .......................................................................................................... 20– H.E. William Shomali ................................................................................................................................. 24– Most Rev. Elias Chacour ........................................................................................................................... 29– Mrs. Huda Muasher ...................................................................................................................................... 43– Card. Zenon Grocholewski ...................................................................................................................... 59– Card. Roger Michael Mahony ................................................................................................................ 67– Mr. Anton R. Asfar ........................................................................................................................................ 84

Christian Formation – Word of God– H.E. Salim Sayegh ........................................................................................................................................ 19– H.E. Giacinto–Boulos Marcuzzo .......................................................................................................... 20– Very Rev. Umberto Barato, O.F.M. ........................................................................................................ 28– Very Rev. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, O.F.M. ........................................................................................... 36– Very Rev. José Rodriguez Carballo, O.F.M. ...................................................................................... 82– Rev. Rino Rossi ............................................................................................................................................... 83

Conversion – Call to Holiness– Most Rev. Jules Joseph Zerey ................................................................................................................. 34– Card. Angelo Amato ...................................................................................................................................... 61

Custody of the Holy Land– Very Rev. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, O.F.M. ........................................................................................... 36– Very Rev. José Rodriguez Carballo, O.F.M. ...................................................................................... 82

Cyprus– Very Rev. Umberto Barato, O.F.M. ........................................................................................................ 28

Ecumenism and Inter–Church Dialogue– Most Rev. Paul Nabil El–Sayah ............................................................................................................ 30– Most Rev. Yasser Ayyash ........................................................................................................................... 31– Most Rev. Grégoire Melki ........................................................................................................................ 33– Most Rev. Raphaël Minassian ................................................................................................................ 35– H.E. Munib Younan ...................................................................................................................................... 70

Education – Schools– H.E. Salim Sayegh ........................................................................................................................................ 19– H.E. Giacinto–Boulos Marcuzzo .......................................................................................................... 20

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– Card. John Patrick Foley ............................................................................................................................ 39– Card. Zenon Grocholewski ....................................................................................................................... 59– H.E. Munib Younan ..................................................................................................................................... 70

Emigration– H.B. Fouad Twal ............................................................................................................................................. 14– Most Rev. Yasser Ayyash ........................................................................................................................... 31– Most Rev. Grégoire Melki ........................................................................................................................ 33– Prof. Agostino. Borromeo ......................................................................................................................... 41– Mr. Epiphan Bernard Sabella .................................................................................................................. 42– Card. Jean–Louis Tauran ........................................................................................................................... 62– Card. Péter Erdő .............................................................................................................................................. 65– Mrs. Anan J. Lewis ....................................................................................................................................... 85

Europe– Card. Péter Erdő .............................................................................................................................................. 65

Evangelization– Most Rev. Claudio Maria Celli .............................................................................................................. 63– Card. Péter Erdő .............................................................................................................................................. 65– Very Rev. José Rodriguez Carballo, O.F.M. ...................................................................................... 82

Family– Most Rev. Jules Joseph Zerey ................................................................................................................. 34– Mr. Anton R. Asfar ........................................................................................................................................ 84

Forgiveness– Card. Roger Michael Mahony ................................................................................................................ 67

Gulf– Most Rev. Paul Hinder ................................................................................................................................ 48

Hebrew Speaking Vicariate– Rev. David M. Neuhaus, S.J. .................................................................................................................... 26

Holy Land– H.B. Fouad Twal ............................................................................................................................................. 14– Most Rev. Elias Chacour ........................................................................................................................... 29– Very Rev. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, O.F.M. ........................................................................................... 36– Card. John Patrick Foley ........................................................................................................................... 39– Mr. Anton R. Asfar ........................................................................................................................................ 84

Holy Places– Very Rev. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, O.F.M. .......................................................................................... 36


Immigration– Very Rev. Umberto Barato, O.F.M. ........................................................................................................ 28– Mr. Epiphan Bernard Sabella .................................................................................................................. 42

Inter–religious Dialogue– Rev. David M. Neuhaus, S.J. .................................................................................................................... 26– Most Rev.Yasser Ayyash ............................................................................................................................ 31– Card. John Patrick Foley ........................................................................................................................... 39– Most Rev. Edmond Farhat ........................................................................................................................ 45– Most Rev. Ghaleb Bader .......................................................................................................................... 57– Card. Jean–Louis Tauran ........................................................................................................................... 62– Rabbi David Rosen ....................................................................................................................................... 72– Mr. Muhammad Al–Sammak .................................................................................................................. 75– Ayatollah Seyed Mostafa Mohaghegh Ahmadabadi .................................................................. 78

Iraq– Mrs. Anan J. Lewis ....................................................................................................................................... 85

Islam– Most Rev. Edmond Farhat ........................................................................................................................ 45– Mr. Muhammad Al–Sammak .................................................................................................................. 75– Ayatollah Seyed Mostafa Mohaghegh Ahmadabadi ................................................................... 78

Israeli–Palestinian Conflict– H.B. Michel Sabbah ..................................................................................................................................... 17– Most Rev. Grégoire Melki ........................................................................................................................ 33– Card. John Patrick Foley ............................................................................................................................ 39– Mr. Epiphan Bernard Sabella .................................................................................................................. 42

Jordan– Most Rev. Yasser Ayyash ........................................................................................................................... 31

Judaism– Rev. David M. Neuhaus, S.J. .................................................................................................................... 26– Rabbi David Rosen ....................................................................................................................................... 72

Laity– Mrs. Huda Muasher ....................................................................................................................................... 43

Liturgy and Arabic– H.E. William Shomali ................................................................................................................................. 24

October 10 – 24, 2010 127

Maghreb– Most Rev. Ghaleb Bader ............................................................................................................................ 57– Most Rev. Maroun Elias Lahham ......................................................................................................... 58

Media– Most Rev. Raphaël Minassian ................................................................................................................ 35– Most Rev. Claudio Maria Celli .............................................................................................................. 63

Mother Church of Jerusalem– H.B. Fouad Twal ............................................................................................................................................ 14– Very Rev. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, O.F.M. ........................................................................................... 36

Pilgrimages– H.B. Fouad Twal ............................................................................................................................................. 14– Very Rev. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, O.F.M. ........................................................................................... 36– Card. John Patrick Foley ........................................................................................................................... 39

Sects– H.E. Salim Sayegh ........................................................................................................................................ 19– Ayatollah Seyed Mostafa Mohaghegh Ahmadabadi .................................................................. 78

Testimony– H.B. Michel Sabbah ..................................................................................................................................... 17– Most Rev. Raphaël Minassian ................................................................................................................ 35– Very Rev. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, O.F.M. ........................................................................................... 36– Mr. Epiphan Bernard Sabella .................................................................................................................. 42– Most Rev. Edmond Farhat ........................................................................................................................ 45– Most Rev. Ghaleb Bader ............................................................................................................................ 57– H.E. Munib Younan ..................................................................................................................................... 70

Vocations and the Role of the Clergy– H.E. Salim Sayegh ........................................................................................................................................ 19– Most Rev. Paul Dahdah .............................................................................................................................. 47– Most Rev. Maroun Elias Lahham ......................................................................................................... 58– Rev. Rino Rossi ............................................................................................................................................... 83

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