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SPEECH OF THE ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, FRANCO FRATTINI, ON THE OCCASION OF THE CONFERENCE AT THE CAMPIDOGLIO |
The speech of the Italian Foreign Minister, Franco Frattini, on the occasion of the Conference at the Campidoglio “Middle East Christian Witness at the Service of Peace” on 19 October 2010 is published below.
Thank you first of all for this further opportunity for reflection. I have already had the honor of speaking with the patriarchs and H.E. the Secretary General of the Synod. We are now continuing these reflections in public on a theme that the organizers, when we think about it, have done well this morning to place before such a well-qualified assembly. I believe it is a theme we should all be aware of, one that is crucial for the future of our world.
Father Lombardi has just said that it was in the Middle East that Judaism, Christianity and Islam not only were born, but developed over many centuries following a path of spiritual maturing that undoubtedly favored a profound development of ideas, experience, and individual and collective life. Unfortunately, especially since the tragedy that marked our recent past (September 11th), a tendency has appeared in the world of defining identities of belonging in an exclusive, or worse, exclusivist way. There are those who spoke, and are still speaking, of conflict between religions and civilizations, those who speak of conflict between Christianity and Islam, between Islam and the West. I am convinced that if there is a conflict in our world it is between tolerance and dialogue on one side, and intolerance and extremism, on the other. Personally I reject the thesis according to which an unresolvable clash is under way today between cultures, religions and civilizations, but it is undeniable that the conflict with tolerance and extremism has had a particular impact on Christians. Often what occurs is a situation that can be symbolically described quoting the title of a recent book on the subject: Christians and the Middle East. The Great Escape (by Fulvio Scaglione, 2008, pp. 235, Edizioni San Paolo, editor’s note). The title of the book gives a dramatic idea of something that could and might happen. H.E. Mons. Eterovic recalled how the number of Christians had already dropped during the last century. Today it is falling dramatically. More generally, the Christian communities are at risk of seeing their presence and territorial diffusion reduced.
Episodes of violence against Christian minorities are on the increase and this is a phenomenon which we have to view with great concern. I read a recent report on religious restrictions, published by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, a dependable American institution. This investigation reveals how in general for every 100 deaths caused by religious hatred and intolerance in the world, 75 are Christian. This is a percentage that terrifies us. Tens of thousands of Christians every year are the subject of persecution, violence against their person, confiscation of possessions and intimidation. Their desire to live in peace and alongside other religions is denied, and indeed they are often punished for the simple fact of being Christian.
What also emerges from the interventions in this assembly is a general picture of a situation of great suffering among the Christian communities severely struck in Iraq, divided in Lebanon, subject to the repercussions of Islamization in many Arab countries, forced elsewhere to resist the abuses of authoritarian regimes, of full-blown dictatorships that persecute and strike out against Christians. I do not believe it would be too strong an expression if I said that “Christianophobia” is a growing and very real risk today, that in some way we have been concerned about in recent years, but that today we have to fear day after day. Christian communities today face a great challenge, that which comes from living in countries where there are internal political divisions and international crises and a challenge rising from the sometimes fanatical presence of fundamentalist movements that often tend to confuse Christians, the bearers of the Christian faith, with a cultural characteristic of the West to be struck at and opposed. This is a particularly dangerous phenomenon.
In many contexts Christian communities live in a condition of isolation and alienation that is totally absurd, despite the fact that throughout history it was the Eastern Churches which were the centers of propelling and spreading Christianity. This happens despite the fact that the Christian communities have been present in the territory long before the arrival of Islam. These are phenomena we have to view with concern. In some cases the greater involvement of the population in political life has led to an exasperation of both the contrasts between the various communities as well as religiously inspired identity, confusing religion with the state and therefore compromising that respect for freedom and equality in the personal, social, civil and religious rights of all minorities and not just of the Christian minority. I believe this respect should be an indicator of the maturity, of the health of a democracy.
I am convinced that a political analysis of the Christian presence in the Middle East has to be articulated in the political-international dimension (ongoing and latent conflicts); the symbolic-identity dimension (the prevalently religious characteristics of a number of movements that are born in and unfortunately feed off extremism) and the democratic dimension (that of rights and therefore the crucial theme of religious freedom). The great objective of peace, which is the objective of the patriarchs, of the Church, but I believe should also be that of all the democracies, has to be pursued by promoting a synergy between all these dimensions. We have to have an overall vision both of the challenges that we have before us as well as the contribution we can make. We need to reform a tissue of relationships between states, within communities and between communities, in such a way as to avoid the lacerations of both ancient and modern origin. All these points are dealt with with great far-sightedness in the Instrumentum laboris. The document of participation and preparation of the Synod for the Middle East touches on questions of primary importance such as reciprocal awareness among the three monotheistic religions, the need for a shared undertaking for peace, agreement and the promotion of spiritual values, as well as that concept that is particularly dear to me of positive laicity as the contribution of Christians to the promotion of a healthy democracy, lay in a positive sense, but that also recognizes, because of this, the role of religion in public life.
I was very struck by the appeal to Christians not to bend, not to retreat under the blows of adversity, but to continue to behave actively to spread a spirit of reconciliation. I was particularly struck by that most beautiful phrase in your document about the ‘pedagogy of peace”. This means denouncing violence, wherever it comes from, in the name of that value you teach us about and that is fundamental for our Christian faith: forgiveness. This is obviously an extremely difficult task that requires courage, but it is indispensable to recuperate that sense of dialogue between the faiths that is essential to achieve peace.
Christians will certainly have to become increasingly aware of the essential value of their presence in the Middle East, a widely recognized value. Christians also have to be aware of the need to seek with Muslims an understanding about how to oppose those aspects that threaten society just as much as extremism. I refer to atheism, materialism and relativism. Christians, Muslims and Jews can work together to achieve this common goal.
I believe that a new humanism is required to oppose these perverse phenomena, because only the centrality of the human person is an antidote that will defeat fanaticism and intolerance. This is why Italian foreign policy sees the promotion of religious freedom as a fundamental point, since this deals with a fundamental right of each human person. This is not a collective issue, but a question relating to the person.
The Italian government has done a lot. We have been busy in the European Union. I promoted a course of action that might lead to European support for religious freedom, promoting the rights of people who belong to religious minorities, thinking obviously of the Christian minority that suffers in many countries of the world. I believe that every state should be vigilant about this question in order to avoid intolerance.
I also acted at the United Nations in September. Speaking on behalf of Italy I promoted a resolution on religious freedom and the rights of all minorities to express their religion at the General Assembly. I hope that wide support will be given to this possible resolution (so far almost 30 countries have indicated their willingness to support it), and for this reason I launch an appeal. So far not all the countries of the European Union have taken this step. I say this with a certain sadness, but I hope that to these 30 countries many others will be added and that this resolution might be approved in the session of the General Assembly that has just opened.
We also had to act as the Italian Government against a sentence, which you will all be aware of, of the Court of Strasbourg that forbad the exposition of the Crucifix in public places. I am convinced - and this conviction is shared by the Italian Government - that the Crucifix represents the right to express one’s faith and that there is no contradiction between this symbol, which is a symbol of peace and reconciliation, and the lay state that protects all religions; a state that also protects my religion, though, which I therefore have the right to profess publicly as well.
Italy’s action (the first of its kind at the Court of Strasbourg) was supported by ten countries, small ones like Cyprus and large ones like Russia. It is with great sadness that I note that only Italy, among the founding countries of the European Union, subscribed to this appeal, because the very nations that felt Europe was worth founding did not participate in this action in favor of freedom with us, which is after all one of the pillars of the Charter of Rights that the European Union wanted to establish.
As regards the conditions of Christians in the Middle East, we watch carefully and follow, through Italian foreign policy, the Christian presence in the Middle East which, despite an overall drop in numbers, still represent s a fundamental element in those countries today. You are well aware of the statistical data about the reduction in the Christian presence, but we are concerned that this reduction is often generated by political instability in those countries, by the lack of economic prospects and by the radicalization that is spreading in some countries. The Christian presence is a great resource for that region and for this reason it must always be safeguarded. This is why Italy strongly agrees with appeasing action of the Synod for the Middle East in favor of safeguarding the Christian presence in the lands where Christianity was born.
We hold very dear this witness that, above all, in the Holy Land, Christians and the Catholic institutions in loco carry out. We believe, for example, that the hoped-for and unfortunately delayed peace settlement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will certainly be an element, when peace comes, that will greatly improve the condition of Christians in the Holy Land, contributing to preserve that multiconfessional and multicultural character of the Holy City of Jerusalem. This is a fundamental theme that we Christians hold very dear, as do the faithful of other religions.
Of course I think of Italy’s commitment in Lebanon, a commitment that will continue, and that cannot disregard the special nature of that country. I remember the definition of the Holy Father who called Lebanon a “message country” precisely because of its example of peaceful coexistence between religions and I believe that Italy has to continue to commit to help Lebanon, not only in areas that are prevalently Christian, but also there where all those who live in that country are present (Shiite, Sunni, Druze and Christian, obviously), so that the multiconfessional nature of Lebanon might be safeguarded.
I think of Christians in Iraq. I have visited that country a number of times and on each occasion I asked for an end to violence and persecution (I remember, in particular, the massacres in Mosul). Again as regards the commitment of the Italian Government I would like to remember my recent meetings with the President of Iraqi Kurdistan and the mission to Baghdad as soon as the new Iraqi government is established. I will emphasize on that occasion that the Christian minority in Iraq is an essential component of the history and society of that country.
I think of Egypt, a country we love and that has a long shared history with Italy going back centuries and millennia. We are always encouraging the government there to make the most of the Coptic community that lives in Egypt, in the framework of an equality among religions that, on the basis of the Constitution, our Egyptian friends have always reaffirmed. I remember the day after a tragic incident that led to the violent deaths of a number of Christians in Egypt, I went to where it happened and was met by President Mubarak, who once more expressed a powerful political message when he told me, before repeating it in public: “We all live, Muslims and Copts, beneath the same flag of the same country based on the principle of citizenship”. This is the sentiment that in Egypt I believe has to always be repeated and confirmed.
We look to Turkey, a country whose approach to the European Union Italy has always strongly supported. We support it because we are encouraging a process of modernization and reform in that country. We obviously look at the Christian community in Turkey, a community that has been greatly reduced in number, that has suffered from the violent deaths of some of its exponents of extraordinary spiritual value. I think obviously of Mons. Padovese. We encourage Ankara to take further steps to safeguard religious minorities and, in particular, the Christian minority. We hope that the constitutional referendum that certainly helped Turkey take a step towards Europe will bring benefits.
But we also look to Iran, a country with which the world is trying forcefully to reopen a dialogue on delicate issues, but where the Christian community represents an important social component. In respect of the autonomy and independence of all countries and therefore also, obviously, of Iran, we look very carefully at the requests of the Iranian Christian and the will of all the minorities who wish to have a role in society.
I conclude these reflections of mine with the hope that the efforts of the Synod for the Middle East, the commitment of Christian communities throughout the world and of governments that, like Italy’s, are sensitive to these themes, can work to promote living together. We have countries that are a positive example in the Middle East. Among these Syria and the Kingdom of Jordan. Countries that we look on with affection also for this element that characterizes them, but let us not forget that at the level of local realities, the level of communities, of the young and very young, Christians and Muslims have long learned to live together in peace. Let us avoid that government and political conflicts be allowed to divide what in the community at the level of day-to-day living is often united. Thank you.
[00203-02.13] [NNNNN] [Original text: Italian]
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CONFERENCE ON THE MIDDLE EAST AT THE CAMPIDOGLIO |
A delegation of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops attended the conference entitled “Middle East. Christian witness for peace” which was held Tuesday, 19 October, 2010 in the Campidoglio. The meeting was sponsored by the City of Rome, the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vatican Radio and the International Center of Communion and Liberation.
Peace in the Middle East is the great hope for all the peoples of the world. This, in short, is the “red thread” that has linked all the interventions presented at the Campidoglio, as reported by Vatican Radio. And peace is the word invoked by several voices, as well as the importance of the Christian presence in the Middle East. “The values of Christianity” - said the Mayor of Rome, Gianni Alemanno - “may inevitably be the best medicine to ensure that in solving the conflict, in creating peace and justice, that the tension, anger, resentment and hostility arising from the hatred accumulated over many years should not be an obstacle”.
This was echoed by the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, H. E. R. Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, who pointed out that peace is a gift from God and that every member of the Church is called to follow their vocation, that is, to be a peacemaker. “This vocation” - said the Secretary-General - also has an important social dimension that could break the vicious circle of violence, revenge and hatred and prepare our hearts to find true peace in reconciliation and in justice”.
The General Relator, S. B. Antonios Naguib, asserted the role of Christians in political parties and called for “the courage to make tough decisions” in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which, he said, “has disastrous consequences for religious and political life of the entire region”.
From Rome to the Middle East and to Rome from the Middle East, continued Father Federico Lombardi, Director of the Holy See Press Office, Vatican Radio and CTV, explaining the strong link which exists between the Italian capital and the Middle East region. Father Lombardi also noted the crucial role of the mass media in ensuring that the Christians of the Middle East sense the solidarity of the international community, both at a social and political level. Thus, Father Lombardi highlighted the greatest demand perceived by the Synod: “To show solidarity, tackling, in a promising way for the future, the reflection on what is the true meaning, the true place of undivided practice, today, in the Middle East and in all other countries in the world, of religious freedom, freedom of conscience, full citizenship to build the social and political communities in which we live. These issues should be explored precisely in order to be able to diffuse them and be able to make everyone aware of the good of the Christians of the Middle East”.
The intervention by the Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini was dramatic: out of every 100 deaths due to religious intolerance in the world, he said, 75 are Christians and the situation is alarming. “Christianophobia today” - he continued - “is a growing and very real risk, that today we have to fear day after day. In many contexts, the Christian communities live in a state of isolation and alienation, despite being throughout history the centers of propelling and spreading Christianity, long before the arrival of Islam”. The Minister Frattini also mentioned the proposal to introduce an UN resolution on the protection of minorities and of religious freedom and stressed that dialogue is essential to try to resolve conflicts. In this context, the real challenge of Christianity is then to demonstrate its anthropological relevance.
The full text of the speech by Freign Minister Frattini is published in Bulletin N.20.
“In the war-torn Middle East, to the weak constitution of every man are also added: objective situations of suffering, the threat to fundamental rights, marginalization and suppression of freedom; it is there that Christianity has to reveal its truth, its capability to reawaken the person and to save humanity”, said Don Julián Carrón, president of the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation.
The Middle East seems a paradox, concluded Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Custodian of the Holy Land: right there where they were born, Christians are few in number. Yet, they are a deeply rooted and very active reality. “You can not say that there is not a Christian witness” - explained the Custodian of the Holy Land - “There are the deeds, the activities of Christians: the Christian Churches are not closed in on themselves, there is a tremendous vitality and the Christian presence - the works, the activities of the Church - through schools, hospitals, universities, reaches more than two and a half percent of the population”.
[00202-02.04] [NNNNN] [Original text: Italian]
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DELEGATION OF SYNODAL FATHERS IN VISIT TO THE ITALIAN EMBASSY TO THE HOLY SEE |
A delegation from the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops was received in the late morning of Monday, 18 October 2010 at the Italian Embassy to the Holy See. Ambassador Antonio Zanardi Landi welcomed to Palazzo Borromeo: the President Delegate ad honorem, H. B. Card. Nasrallah Pierre Sfeir, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites, Bishop of Joubbé, Sarba and Jounieh of the Maronites (Lebanon); the Presidents Delegate Card. Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches and H. B. Ignace Youssif III Younan, Patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians (Lebanon); the Relator General, H. B. Antonios Naguib, Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts (Arab Republic of Egypt ); H. B. Gregorios III Laham, B.S., Patriarch of Antioch of the Greek-Melkites, Archbishop of Damascus of the Greek-Melchites (Syria); H. B. Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni, Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians, Archbishop of Beirut of the Armenians (Lebanon); H. B. Fouad Twal, Patriarch of Jerusalem of the Latins (Jerusalem); Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, Titular Archbishop of Cibale, General Secretary of the Synod of Bishops; Rev. Mons. Fortunato Frezza, Undersecretary; Rev. Ambrogio Ivan Samus.
The meeting began with a moment of prayer in the chapel dedicated to St. Charles Borromeo and was attended by the Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini. Those who spoke were: Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, who illustrated the aims of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops, underlining its pastoral character, and Card. Leonardo Sandri, who expressed appreciation for the great amount of work Italy has carried out and is still carrying out to safeguard religious freedom. Minister Franco Frattini, greeting the Synod Fathers, declared that Italy has presented a motion at the UN in support of religious minorities. So far he motion has been supported by 27 countries, but the aim is involve a total of 40. Frattini added that the setting up is being planned of European diplomatic sections in all continents to safeguard, among other things, religious freedom, underlining that the role of the European ambassador will be that of monitoring, ensuring that this is respected. The Minister also reported to the Synod Fathers that he had asked for protection for the Christians in Iraq at his recent meeting on 4 October at the Italian Foreign Ministry with the president of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan, Massoud Barzani, and that he will return to defend the cause of the Christian minorities in Baghdad, which he will visit, after the elections, and again on 11 November to Islamabad, in Pakistan, when he will address university students. Finally as regards the situation in the Holy Land, Minister Frattini said that the Italian state is contributing to the construction of housing for young couples to stem the emigration of Christians.
[00201-02.03] [NNNNN] [Original text: Italian]
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Intervention of Mons. Emmanuel DABBAGHIAN, Archbishop of Babylon of the Armenians (IRAQ) |
I ask that you consider all the problems of the Middle East as “signs of the times” wished for and allowed by the Lord. The Lord said: And yet not one [sparrow] falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Saint Paul said that the Good Lord makes all profit return to those who love Him.
Here are some examples of the signs of the times.
1. We have heard about the problems of the Holy Land, emigration, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, injustice, the lack of respect for human rights, etc... But all this was allowed by the Lord for even deeper reasons. Because the Holy Land is a country of pilgrimage, and is where the Lord revealed himself and lived among us (Jn 1:14). The Lord wishes to be visited, loved, consulted... And since the pilgrimage is an answer to the spiritual need of man just as in the Vatican, even if there are no inhabitants, the Vatican is always peopled by pilgrims. Even more so the Holy Land which possesses this unique and divine sanctuary must be filled with pilgrims. Therefore I propose to the Eminent Synodal Fathers to ask all the Bishops of the whole world (Eastern and Western) through the Holy Father, who has the authority and the charism, to take charge (of those he is able to) to organize each of them in an annual pilgrimage, establishing for each bishop a fixed date, so that all the days of the year are occupied, and the Holy Land will be peopled by pilgrims, who, after having being enriched by the Lord’s graces become in turn like the “Samaritan” of the witnesses of Christ. Let us point out again that the influx of pilgrims to the Holy Land would convince the inhabitants who have emigrated to return to their homeland.
2. It remains a sign of the times the emigration of part of our faithful to Europe, to America, to revive their faith.
It remains a sign of the times the emigration of millions of migrants to the Gulf who demand our spiritual help. And to conclude, we should remember that the Risen One said: make disciples of all nations (Sunnites, Shiites and Jews) and fill your church with people.
I thank the Lord because the multitude of Synodal Fathers are of one heart, one soul, and because they are the successors of the Apostles, surely they will change the world, despite the many difficulties. Thank you.
[00179-02.01] [IN122] [Original text: French]
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Intervention of Mons. Mansour HOBEIKA, Bishop of Zahlé of the Maronites (LEBANON) |
The focus of my intervention is on purely practical questions, in view of practical solutions, as our faithful are hoping for.
Since Christians have been massively emigrating from the Near East, willingly or unwillingly, their problem is not simply the practice of certain rights, but the rejoicing in the right to live in their homeland. The goal of the Synod should be in the first place to help them maintain this right. A plea should be made for them to the great powers, in the name of human rights, and for the countries in which they live, in the name of Islam.
Our young are usually forced to travel abroad to earn a living. The Church in Lebanon, which has already done a lot, must mobilize itself more to alleviate the acuity of this crisis. The solution could be in giving the young plots of land in the form of emphyteutic bail of 99 years. On these lots, the young persons could build their houses, factories, any kind of commercial project.
Lebanon is considered the school of the Middle East, the University of the Middle East and the hospital of the Middle East. It has always been that this private section, held mainly by the Church, is very expensive.
The Church, especially interested in encouraging births could commit with its institutions to lighten teaching fees for the third and fourth child in the same family, by creating an aid fund for this purpose; or also by re-claiming from the State with greater insistence to take from the public budget, fully or just a part of the expenses for private schooling.
On the other hand, as to what concerns the hospitals, we will need to find for families insurance policies that cost less from insurance companies officially recognized by the Church or managed directly by her.
Concerning job opportunities for the young people, a sine qua non condition to keep them in Lebanon, we need to mobilize the Christian Diaspora of Lebanese origin in the entire world and encourage them to invest in Lebanon to create jobs.
Certain bad political choices have caused waves of emigration that could have been avoided. For these errors not to be repeated ever again, the ecclesiastical authorities could play a greater role together to stop such unduly risky positions in being taken.
These measures, as modest as they are, would certainly contribute to reinforcing the Christian presence in Lebanon and elsewhere, to increase the resilience of families in the difficult economic conjunctures and to encourage the young persons to get married and to build families.
[00169-02.02] [IN109] [Original text: French]
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Intervention of Mons. Yasser AYYASH, Archbishop of Petra and Philadelphia in Arabia of the Greek-Melkites (JORDAN) |
First of all we express our most sincere gratitude to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, who has brought us together in this special Synod on the Catholic Church in 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, they enjoy peace, serenity, stability and moderation.
These realities help us to truly give witness to Christ. In Jordan, we remember the two historic visits of Pope John Paul II and 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 Church in the Middle East, inviting the faithful to witness even more to their faith in their countries, and persevere in the Holy Land, land of love and peace.
Our Christian witness is expressed through:
1. The schools, the hospitals and the charities which provide their service in love, without any discrimination and on equal terms, to Christians and Muslims, in education, ethics and science.
2. We celebrate our prayers and our rites fully in our churches and parishes without any difficulty. In addition, 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 official 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 its diverse areas. Their role is effective, strong and well recognized.
6. Emigration continues to be a serious problem with implications both positive and negative. Emigration is both internal and oriented towards the countries of the diaspora, not to mention the immigrants who arrive 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, the search for a better future ... However, it is rare to hear the reason cited as “religious persecution”.
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 test faced, in the service of Christian unity and witness.
8. There are several cases of apostasy against the Islamic religion. There are many reasons and in no way related to faith. There are few cases of apostasy against the Christian religion.
9. More mutual cooperation, unification of common efforts and genuine charity will give us the courage and strength for our witness to bear fruit, give glory to God and take root in the Christian’s land and in his faith. Thank you.
[00168-02.03] [IN108] [Original text: Arabic]
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Intervention of Mrs. Anan J. LEWIS, Professor of Victorian and Modern English Poetry, English Department, University of Baghdad (IRAQ), auditor |
Speaking as a consecrated virgin (Ordo Virginum) in Iraq, university professor and director of the youth in the Latin Church, representing the lay people of Iraq, I would 1ike to emphasize that besides security and political and social stability, nothing can give 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 are now in urgent need to be fed with love and embraced by the spiritual support of well trained and loving priests. Neither Sunday homilies nor Friday Catechist 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; otherwise, criticizing Protestant groups for tempting Catholics to leave their faith will be futile. And if all this sounds fanciful, paying them a visit might be helpful!
However, Iraqi lay Christians are aware that the Church is showing genuine efforts to deepen their faith and improve their social and economic situation within its capacity. They also know that this burden does not only lie on the Church's shoulders; the Iraqi government and the international community share lots of this burden, yet remain silent. Hence, living as an Iraqi Christian in the midst of severe conditions where every minute of safety counts. Nonetheless, Christian laity, specially those who have always been conscious to 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 is becoming at times more influential than that of the clergy is embodied in helping the poor and the sick, organizing spiritual and social activities for elder and young people, establishing groups of prayers, teams of social and health services for those in need, as we have in the several Caritas programs, or helping their parish priests in the fields of Catechist teaching 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 dislocated, segregated, or shaken in faith, e1'eating a feeling of love and peaceful coexistence among Iraqis regardless of the religion or gender.
[00160-02.02] [UD020] [Original text: English]
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Intervention of Mr. Husam J. WAHHAB, President, Catholic Action of Bethlehem (PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES), auditor |
As a Christian witness in the Holy Land, I see that the Christian presence in the Holy Land is essential and gives life to the holy places. With this presence, we are facing many difficulties that put the Christian presence on the stake. Part of these difficulties is the church division, emigration, isolation, political instability, and occupation.
Beside the church division and emigration we should be careful to the dangerous of the possible elimination of the Palestinian Christian from his society. Therefore, our preoccupation with this question aims in the first instance to avoid the any self preoccupation and isolation so that the Palestinian Christian will not feel unjustly treated. Accordingly, we seek to stand by him in order
to work and to feel that he is all part of his society.
The concept of separation between religion and state in the Middle East does not exist since many of the laws and regulations are inspired by religion. Our efforts should be concentrated to influence regulators to respect the privacy of the Christian citizens in the society.
The Christian society appreciates the work of the church over the past years and the continuous support of the local Christian institutions. In addition, the surrounding Arab society do highly appreciate the presence of Christian institutes especially Catholic Schools, Bethlehem University, hospitals which builds bridges of understanding and respect between the Muslims and Christians that creates a mutual respect between each another.
Bishops, priests, and lay people should work towards creating an atmosphere that promotes a culture of peace and justice. This atmosphere of peace and justice will encourage the future generation of young people to stay in their own lands.
It is vital to the Church to work with lay people in the field of formation, especially with children and youth toward unity with all vocations to grow together in communion. In this perspective the Catholic Action and other kinds of institutions are helpful to work by the help of lay people and church in order to promote unity and feeling of internal peace. Church should open avenues of international relationships with other world churches and communities to promote pilgrimage to the holy land that creates more solidarity towards the Christian presence.
Our goal is to continue our presence in the Middle East and develop our programs in a way that attracts more and more people to be witnesses to our Lord Jesus and to Spread the Word of God in our community and to live our Christian life in pride in order to be a living example to our future generation.
[00157-02.02] [UD019] [Original text: English]
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Intervention of Mr. Anton R. ASFAR, Council Member of the Syriac-Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Jerusalem (ISRAEL), auditor |
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 others cannot understand or interpret it. We, the Christians of the Holy Land, live in an atmosphere that cannot be experienced in any other country of the world. It is an environment made up of religious pluralism, on one hand Christians, Muslims and Jews, on the other Arabs and Israelis. Those who say that we cannot live or co-exist in this environment should leave this land, because they are not worthy of being witnesses of Christ. Yes, we can live in this holy space of land, because where there is suffering, there is life and witness. As one of the Fathers said one day, we can find a laboratory of cohabitation, and if we can achieve this, the world can too.
Christian youth in the Holy Land is a youth capable of effectively building society, but it needs continuous and permanent support from the local and universal Church. The Christian youths in the Holy Land really appreciate what the Church does to support 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 at the same time of institutions in the areas of education and healthcare, as well as the pastoral, housing and programs for development. Now, despite all its effectiveness, all these programs and projects aim at confirming Christians in the Holy Land, the Church does not have the enough means to be able to change the reality that the Israeli authorities impose such as modifying the lay of the land, especially in Jerusalem. Here, I would like to thank His Eminence Card. Foley for having realized this question and for the attention he dedicates to it. In his brief speech, he stated: “The infrastructures controlled by the Israelis make this difficult”. Land in the region of Jerusalem is greatly reduced and many are threatened with expropriation and sale, but the Church doesn’t have the means to buy this land which is offered to it every day. This reduces the occasions of assuring the future generations of the possibility of living and confirming their presence in Jerusalem. The whole world highly appreciates what the Latin Patriarchate and the Custos of the Holy Land do with regards to this, in trying to conserve its sacred identity, and what other Churches have done, but the numbers talk of a great demand for housing in Jerusalem by Christians. This discourages our young persons and increases their duties, especially economic, and thus pushes them to have less children. In fact, recently we can see a decrease in the number of children in Christian families.
Excellencies, here are some hopes:
1. To create a bank for the Holy See which would be called Bank for the support of Christian presence in the Holy Land, which would be available to the Council of Catholic Bishops in the Holy Land, and which would entail several particular mechanisms to achieve the following objectives:
a) buying a large number of plots in the region of Jerusalem, in particular, and Bethlehem in general, because of the sacred meaning in these two places and the need to safeguard the Christian presence;
b) to encourage young persons to marry, ensuring them with a first support to form a Christian family;
c) ensure the greatest number of housing units.
2. To diminish the economic burden that weighs upon the believers in the two regions of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, make it so that Christians that live in these two regions are exonerated of any scholastic or university fees, which would reinforce their presence in the region and would encourage them to have more children.
I would like to thank His Holiness the Pope for having invited me to this living and vital Synod for our region and I would also like to thank those that constitute it.
[00156-02.02] [UD018] [Original text: Arabic]
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Intervention of Mr. Hanna ALMASSO, Member of the National Team of Leaders of the J.O.C. Dubai (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES), auditor |
Allow me to take you back in time to look at the work and history of the hoped to be Doctor of the Church, Cardinal Joseph Cardijn. He successfully managed to link the working youth living in the midst of the industrial revolution to the message of our faith and into our churches
and communities through his method of "See Judge Act" used in the Review of Life and for Action Campaigns. Through this method young workers learn to evolve their whole lives by the light of the Gospel and become committed to act and start to build the kingdom here on earth. These formed young leaders reach out and become Catechists to other young people, which is exactly what is needed today and is written in the Instrumentum Laboris paragraphs 53, 62 and 108.The working circumstances in the Middle East, due to the technical revolution, may have changed many peoples way of working but the shape and the heart of the youth today remains the same and many of the underlying problems have not disappeared from our societies. They are in need of the same spirituality to keep them close to Christ and to help them see that the church is there to support them.
Cardijn's methods are available today in many Middle East countries through the work of many Catholic organizations like CIJOC, however, as we know from experience and as recommended in paragraphs 21 and 22 of the Instrumentum Laboris, these lay movements need to be supported and encouraged by all available means. We request the continued and increased support of the Church to assist all lay movements as here lies the promise of unity for the Middle East Churches through the work of the young people themselves.
[00134-02.02] [UD014] [Original text: English]
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Intervention of Mr. Tanios CHAHWAN, Member of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, President of the National Council for the Laity in Lebanon (LEBANON), auditor |
The formulation of modernity in the Arab Muslim world represents a problem at the same time tragic and complex: tragic because this formulation is touched by a major and complex handicap, in the fact that its understanding does not depend on just one factor, but on several, of an endogenous and exogenous nature, which overlap and are interdependent. They operate from a well-determined content and become visible, in the framework of a complex dynamic, through the ways of action and reaction.
In effect, the movement of history between Islam and the West is a pendular movement of flux and reflux. In the wake of historical stages, these factors - which are historical, ideological, religious, social, psychological, psycho-social and cultural - were formed and were amplified on one side and the other...
About the endogenous factors, I consider:
- “The Arabs’ view of their past, multifaceted up to now, which tends to be represented as a healthy screen against cultural drifting”.
- The glorification of history.
- The Arabs’ inferiority complex regarding the West.
- The Palestinian cause.
- The conflict about Islam between those of Islam.
- The holy in Islam.
- The relation of Islam to Patrimony.
As for the exogenous, I distinguish:
- “The speech of the West on Arabic Muslim values, sometimes ambiguous but often hostile”.
- The Promethean complex of the West.
- The West’s fear for its decline.
- The covetousness of the West in the Arab Muslim world.
This Synod Assembly is called upon to help Eastern Christians to commit once again with their fellow citizens and to contribute answers of hope, that favor the development of a dynamic process of renewal and renaissance of Arabicity, which would foresee:
- the understanding and apprehension of the social reality of the Arab world in view of its transformation;
- cultural reconciliation between East and West with a view to making less fatal the logic of conflict and opposition between them which is often preached through the logic of history’s movements.
[00135-02.02] [UD015] [Original text: French]
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Intervention of Mrs. Jocelyne KHOUEIRY, Founding member and President of the lay movement "La Libanaise-Femme di 31 May" (LEBANON), auditor |
I would like to pause on the notion of “presence” as mentioned in the conclusion of the lineamenta. As a Christian woman belonging to the Church in an Arab and Middle Eastern world, I believe that the quality of our presence as Christians greatly depends on the permanence of our existence before the Lord our Savior and before our brothers in this region. The conclusion of the text states that this presence could become important and a considerable factor in our behavior.
I think we are called upon to being (and not only to formulate) a real, human and cultural answer to all the questions posed by our generation. An answer that reflects the meaning of the new man and the sacred value of his life. We must give opportunities to women, children, couples, families and especially handicapped persons in our Church to be able to make a choice of life coherent with the Gospel and to discover their own mission within the Church and the Arab and Middle Eastern societies. I hope we can pay special attention on the moral, social and bio-ethical issues touching the essence of our witness especially because our society is not sheltered from the acts that harm the dignity of marriage, procreation and the human embryo. To integrate distant preparation to marriage and family values must be included in the priorities of our educational and pastoral programs to contribute to facing with conscience and responsibility the shifts in the consumer society which has invaded us despite the existential difficulties we are living. So that the Christian woman can express herself and bear witness to the beauty of faith and the true sense of dignity and freedom is also an urgent witness that calls upon the Muslim woman and opens new paths for dialogue. So that our families may be supported and accompanied by their church, mother and teacher, so that that may concretely and deliberately be the sanctuaries open to the gift of life especially when this last one is blessed by a handicap or socio-economic difficulties, not being a secondary factor when faced with the continuous threat of emigration. A conversion, on the level of our scale of values and our way of being, is very urgent. We are called upon to become like Mary, the servants of Hope in this region wounded and victim of so much injustice. And what blocks him from entrusting in him or even consecrating to him the Middle East threatened by so many fatal dangers?
[00129-02.02] [UD012] [Original text: French]
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Intervention of Mons. Thomas OSMAN, Bishop of Barentu (ERITREA) |
We too live in an extremely difficult situation because of a complex interweaving of problems and environmental, economic and political emergencies. The experience of fraternal communion which we are able to live in these days gathered around the Holy Father, is undoubtedly a gift of the Consoling Spirit for all our communities in Eritrea.
The presence of an African Church like ours, Ethio-Eritrean, in the context of a Synod on the “Catholic Church in the Middle East” stands out for many reasons. Geographically we are at a crossroad between Africa and Asia and, for this reason, our area has been for millennia the site of fruitful meetings between peoples, cultures and religions from the two sides of the Red Sea.
The Semite cultural component, which came to unite with the pre-existing Nile-Saharan and Kushite in pre-Christian and early Christian times, constituted the terrain into which the preaching of the Gospel was grafted along with the totality of the Judaic-Christian traditions that form part of the model of Christianity that developed in our territory. This was not simply a transposition of cultural models, but a real inculturating symbiosis that allowed Christianity, as recognized by the Synod of Bishops for Africa in 1994, to take root in the “mens” and cultural humus of our people. A constitutive part of this symbiosis were the liturgical, spiritual-monastic and literary traditions originally borrowed from the Coptic and Syriac Churches, and then developed for themselves through the many centuries of isolation of our country after the fall of the Kingdom of Aksum, and which bore fecund fruits in the interior lives of the Christian communities and the spread of the Gospel.
We are convinced that today too our region can and must continue to carry out its mission as a “bridge” for bringing together Africa and the Middle East in an enriching exchange of spiritual and cultural values, experiences and meetings, as is happening at this Synod. This could be facilitated by, among other things, the institution, possibly to be realized through the mediation of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, of cultural structures and formal and informal means of study, meeting and reflection. This would allow us to propose again together an efficacious testimony of the “unity of hearts and souls” in facing the threat of the lack of peace and the variety of destructive forces that hang over our continents.
The possibility of making the two areas of the Red Sea into a laboratory for peace and intercultural and inter-religious dialogue will in fact depend on the ability of our Christian communities to lay the foundations for a formal diplomacy, that diplomacy of the spirit and heart which is, above all a gift of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the Spirit of peace and love.
[00143-02.02] [IN102] [Original text: Italian]
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Intervention of Mons. Joseph KHOURY, Bishop of Saint-Maron de Montréal of the Maronites (CANADA) |
The Eparchy of Saint Maroun of Canada wishes, first of all, to express its thanks to His Holiness Benedict XVI for his solicitude towards Eastern Christians. This synod, that he wanted to consecrate to them, will lead to a deep reflection on today’s situation and on their future. It will call upon the conscience and responsibility of each Christian in the region and especially of the pastors and political and social leaders. Its work should also draw special attention from the intellectual elite and the managing classes of the Middle Eastern countries.
Eastern Christians have lived in their own homelands since the beginning of time. Witnesses of the first period of Christianity, the wealth of their spiritual and liturgical heritage is inestimable. Their contribution to all of Christianity, to the progress of each individual country and their contribution to cohabitation and dialogue no longer need to be demonstrated. Their openness to the East and to the West has made it a necessary path of unity for better mutual knowledge.
Attached to sincere and loyal dialogue with other religious families in the region and with respect for the differences, they have the right to live with dignity and serenity. They must be able to bear witness to their faith in complete freedom.
The fate of Eastern Christians will depend greatly on the evolution of dialogue with cultures and religions and in particular the relations between East and West. We would like to believe that in this global village which is what the world has become and where paradoxically fundamentalism and sectarianism have become more and more violent and intransigent, justice, cohabitation and the fundamental rights will always have their place.
[00140-02.03] [IN099] [Original text: French]
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Intervention of Mrs. Pilar LARA ALÉN, President of the "Fundación Promoción Social de la Cultura" (SPAIN), auditor |
During my first visit to Lebanon in 1992, I realized what the situation of the country and of Christians was and I told His Exc. Mons. Alvaro del Portillo, who was the Prelate of Opus Dei at the time about it and he answered me that it was one of the subjects which mattered the most to Pope John Paul II. In 1996, I had the chance to have a conversation with His Holiness Jean Paul II who told me that Lebanon is a land of martyrs and that “As long as she will have saints, she will have Christians”. He also asked me to work to help the Christians in the Holy Land to not abandon it, so that it wouldn’t become a museum.
Today the foundation is present in 41 countries and on four continents. In the five Middle Eastern countries, our main area, we have generated more than 98 programs with a business of more than 60 million euros.
After these years of experience in the land, I would like to comment on the situation; in the Middle East we can see a disappearance of entire Christian communities, with indifference from the whole world, especially Europe. At the same time, war is part of daily life; poverty is not the only reason for conflicts, more often the religious factor is. And finally, Christians continue to live around their Churches, even if sometimes it is a simple social formalism.
The conclusion is that the presence of Christians is fundamental for peace and reconciliation. But they should act without displacing religion from public life, like what happened in Europe because this is of no utility to development. The religious values allow us to progress, at times, on the social and personal level. In consequence, Christians must adapt their behavior to their beliefs, to overcome hatred and resentment and to seek forgiveness. They should not preach with words, the evangelical message and its action, vengeance and armed battle.
Every person has the obligation to obtain the formation which allows him to acquire the conditions to progress in his professional and Christian life.
[00126-02.03] [UD009] [Original text: French]
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Intervention of Prof. Sobhy MAKHOUL, General Secretary, Catholic Maronite Exarchate of Jerusalem, the Territories of the Palestinian Authority and Jordan (ISRAEL), auditor |
I discovered that Christianity is first of all a religion but rather the historical coming, singular and unrepeatable, of the Incarnation of the Word of God: Jesus Christ.
Recognizing this event is easy: it is like recognizing the face of a friend among the crowd. Because every man is created for this meeting: like John and Andrew, the Samaritan woman, Zacchaeus and the centurion.
Today, as in every corner of the world, in this world “after Christ and without Christ” as C. Pèguy wrote, we too, Christians of the Holy Land in the Middle East need to encounter here and now the expression of Christ to start over from Him. Everything else will be given to us later, we need to be reborn, like Nicodemus, to find happiness and the taste for life and to be able to demonstrate this to everyone we meet.
Let us remember that in fact we are already the light of the world and salt of the earth and that all of man and all men are awaiting Christ, as John Paul II reminded us in his first encyclical “Redemptor Hominis”.
The Christian is called in the world to recognize the presence of Christ and to start from Him when dealing with any situations. Otherwise, problems will always appear to be inexorable and without solution. Our point of departure and of judgment is original: the Lord is present in His Church here and now. Only then can we become truly useful to the world.
The lack of peace is an obvious consequence of the absence of justice in the Middle East. The world powers that boast of being the defenders of freedom and human rights are the first to sacrifice the weak and minorities at the negotiating table for their political or economic interests.
In the current global political situation, the only guarantor of the Christian presence is the Holy See, so we ask for more incision and dynamism from that front.
[00123-02.03] [UD007] [Original text: Italian]
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Intervention of Rev. Raymond MOUSSALLI, Protosyncellus of the Patriarchate of Babylon of the Chaldeans (JORDAN) |
We are a part of the history and of the culture of this Middle Eastern region, and if we should be forced to abandon it we will lose our identity within the next generation. For this reason I hope that out of the Synod will emerge the need for a much closer collaboration between the heads of the various Churches in mutual dialogue with moderate Muslim brothers. As we know, our Churches, together with the clergy in Iraq, are being attacked. There is a deliberate campaign to drive Christians out of the country. There are satanic plans by fundamental extremist groups that are not only against Iraqi Christians in Iraq, but Christians throughout the Middle East.
Chaldean Catholic Christians make up the majority of the refugee community that has the vicariate of the Patriarchate of the Chaldean Church as its point of reference, they are about 10,000 people. Further, there are Assyrians, Syrians, Armenians and approximately 10,000 more who live in Jordan with 350,000 Muslim Iraqi refugees. They are living in conditions of extreme poverty with no hope of returning to the land of their ancestors. For years, they have lived in situations of great tribulation often culminating in acts of real persecution. As the Church we are committed with Caritas, the Pontifical mission, other organisations (education - catechism - health - socio-pastoral initiatives... ) but our means are limited. The majority of the refugee community has delivered to us documents that contain written testimony addressed to diplomatic representatives of Western countries (the United States and Australia in particular) and to the Amman Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in order to obtain recognised refugee status. According to their sources approximately 50,000 people are registered.
We want to make the international community aware that it cannot remain silent in the face of the massacre of Christians in Iraq, the countries with the Catholic tradition, so that they might do something for Iraqi Christians, beginning with placing pressure on local Government”. We are experiencing a time that is catastrophic for the emigration of families and the loss of our population which still speaks the Aramaic language spoken by Our Lord Jesus Christ.
[00117-02.05] [IN091] [Original text: Italian]
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Intervention of Mons. Paul-Emile SAADÉ, Bishop of Batroun of the Maronites (LEBANON) |
INTRODUCTION
One of the biggest problems facing Christians in Lebanon and in Middle Eastern countries is displacement. It can be summarized in its spiritual, theological, cultural, political and social dimensions. In brief, it is the most realistic expression of the situation of life and existence itself of Christians.
First, the causes of this displacement:
1. Security reasons: it refers to the denominational and sectoral strife and conflicts related to dogmatic and ideological differences. Plus the continuous results of the Arab-Israeli conflict and all the regional wars caused by it.
2. Socio-political reasons: based on the quality and honesty of those who are in power. Whenever the judge is weak politically and militarily speaking he goes to persecute the minorities to cover his own weakness.
3. Publicity reasons: this is represented specially by what the Western evangelizers do (such as the Protestant sects, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc...) of publicity and activities inside the countries of the region, especially inside the minority communities in order to serve religious and political goals at the same time.
4. Religious reasons: Through the growth of fanatical and extremist movements from the Sunni and Shiite in the majority of the region’s countries and the activities and influence of these movements and their desire to come to power themselves. All these reasons are a direct threat against Christians who are displaced inside their own country or in other distant countries.
Second, the negative results:
1. Emigration and displacement are two main factors in demographic impoverishment for the Christian minorities. According to Dr. Said Adin Ibrahim, in the late ‘80s, the Catholic Christians in the Middle East numbered about 2.3 million but in 2000 they were only 1.614.000.
2. This decrease expresses not only the imbalance on the demographic level but also on the qualitative level, shown by the emigration of two main groups of the country’s growth: the brains and specialized personnel that directly affects the existence, the presence and the role of Christians in these countries.
Third, the solution:
1. Christians are asked to be more attentive or conscious of the meaning of their presence and the need for their commitment in public life (Instrumentum laboris, no. 46).
2. Improving links between the Christians of the Middle East and the Christians of the Diaspora. The Church has an essential role in reinforcing these links for equal service to both.
3. To enliven the Christian faith and the witness to Jesus in actions and daily life.
4. Sensitizing Christians to their rights to free and dignified living in the land of their ancestors and to remain there. Their homeland is the land of their ancestors, the homeland is not a hotel.
5. Collaboration among faithful, Church and state, to respect the decree on human rights that guarantees the minimum level of religious and cultural freedom and participation in political life in their countries.
6. Collaboration with the moderate Islamic communities and encouraging them to stand firmly against fanatical extremist religious movements.
[00111-02.02] [IN085] [Original text: Arabic]
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Intervention of Mons. Issam John DARWICH, Bishop of Saint Michael's of Sydney of the Greek-Melkites (AUSTRALIA) |
This intervention has two parts:
In the first part, I will talk about my Church in Australia and in the second about my Church in the Arab countries.
I thank His Holiness who expressed his paternal care for the whole Church through our call to this Assembly at this time in Rome, the Eternal City of Saints Peter and Paul.
We have to recognize with great respect that the Latin Church in Australia and New Zealand, especially the Catholic Episcopal Conferences, played a vital role in keeping our Eastern Catholic heritage and traditions.
Our most fraternal communications are with the Christian Orthodox who come from Egypt, Sudan and the Middle East. We also have good relations with the Coptic Orthodox from Egypt and Sudan and other non-Calcidian communities in the East, such as the Syrians and the Assyrians, as we also find many common factors such as language, culture and traditions.
Our Dioceses participate in a dialogue with many Muslim communities in Australia, and one of the most important activities was establishing a “Muslim and Christian Friendship Association of Australia”, which worked to strengthen the positive relations between the two religions and decreased the tensions between them through conferences, mutual visits and common activities, and contributed to solve disagreements between the Muslims and the Australian communities in the years after the tragic events of September 11 2001.
We as Eastern Catholics and as brothers with Orthodox Churches especially the Church of Antioch, hope the Roman Catholic Church will give us a larger role in the dialogue with our Orthodox brothers on the local and international levels. And this will guide us to greater closeness with our two Churches of Antioch and this in itself will be a great witness that we can give to our Arab, Muslim and Christian societies.
We also hope that the Eastern Catholic Churches will overcome the obstacles that face them in their Apostolic and Pastoral mission and allow Christ’s face to shine forth.
The main problems:1. We see intolerance increasing daily among the Eastern Catholic Churches especially in the clergy’s spirits and those who are working in the Church administrations.
This intolerance sows suspicion and affects clearly the lay people’s attitudes and lives. To be healed of this we need to make a clear plan which can be realized to educate the clergy and the lay persons with clear programs and so the Eastern Catholics will fulfill the reality of the one universal church. It is sad that not every Catholic listens to the words of Pope Benedict XV: “The Church of Jesus Christ is not Latin nor Greek nor Slav, but Catholic. And so she does not distinguish between her faithful, Greek, Latin or Slav or other nationalities; all are perceived as equal by the Holy See”.
2. Communication among the Eastern Catholic Churches is still superficial and there is very little collaboration especially on social and apostolic projects; for example, the sad situation in Lebanon where every Church seems to be interested achieving political benefits for themselves and more than the other Churches, while they should be seeking to benefit all Christians. This surely shows our weakness and divisions.
3. We, who have been asked to be pastors of souls, seem to waste a lot of time on political issues. This should be the role of lay people while we, the consecrated, have to show more interest in the proclamation of the Word of God and the Gospel of Salvation and have to devote all our energies to offering the spiritual and educational bread for our people. Our Eastern Catholic people, who are committed in faith in the Middle East and who are faithful to mutual respect and fraternal cohabitation offer, finally, a very large and valuable contribution to support the Arab and Muslim world.
[00108-02.06] [IN083] [Original text: Arabic]
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WELCOME SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC TO A DELEGATION OF SYNODAL FATHERS VISITING THE QUIRINAL PALACE |
Here below is the complete text of the impromptu welcome speech by the Italian Head of State, the Honorable Giorgio Napolitano during the visit to the Quirinal Palace by a delegation from the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops
Your Eminence Sandri, Blessed Monsignors,
I thank you profoundly for having wished to visit us, bearing witness to a very meaningful event: we might say, without exaggeration, to an event of historical importance, that is, the Synod for the Middle East. You wished to come to this Palace in which the Presidents of the Italian Republic are the most recent arrivals: we have been here, myself and my predecessors, for only sixty years, after it had been the Pope’s residence for nearly three centuries.
But I would also like to immediately say that I thank you for your “beautiful Italian”: I listened to Patriarch Naguib: I would not have been able to converse with you in Latin because the time when I studied it is too far in the past. This conversion from Latin to Italian is something that the President of the Republic deeply appreciates.
Your commitment, if I understood properly, is a commitment to renewal, of relaunching and enhancing the Catholic, and more generally, Christian, presence in the Middle East. And it is a commitment from which – I am convinced – great benefit may derive and provide an impulse to the cause of religious pluralism, the cause of dialogue, and the cause of peace in this tormented region. Naturally, without confusing political responsibility with the Churches’ responsibility, I believe there is something deeply shared, yet distinct, between the commitment of political authorities such as the Italian ones, and your commitment, above all for peace.
During the course of this last year or just slightly longer, I visited various countries of the region: I was in Jerusalem for a meeting with both Israeli authorities and Palestinian representatives, because we are always concerned about finding a long-overdue peaceful solution between Israel and the Palestinian populations and representatives; Italy has always worked – and this has been a constant of Italian foreign policy, regardless of the succession of governments – in a spirit of friendship with Israel and, at the same time, in a spirit of authentic friendship with the Arab countries, to bring that conflict to an end so that a peaceful coexistence might finally be achieved, in mutual respect, of the State of Israel and of an independent, stable and prosperous Palestinian State.
We do not know if in this phase new paths are truly opening up, we earnestly hope they are: this is what our government, represented here by Undersecretary Craxi, who at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dedicates herself with special enthusiasm to the achievement of this great objective, is working for. We hope that this comes to pass, and that we may all truly make our contribution so that finally a way may be found to emerge from a situation that causes not only terrible suffering especially for the Palestinian populations, but also has the gravest impact on the entire regional framework of the Middle East, or – as we say now – the great Middle East. We know that the moment in which the question of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is finally resolved – and resolved justly – it will be truly possible to overcome many other worrying tensions throughout the region as well.
You have spoken rightly, and more generally, of human rights: at one time, one said “the rights of man”, a questionable translation, because the rights of man are also the rights of the person – of man as well as woman – and this is one of the fundamental dimensions of the European Union’s commitment. I believe it is a commitment we must always hold in the absolutely highest regard, even when we are assailed by the present economic crisis and therefore attention is focused on the economy, and we study figures and diagrams and make predictions. But we can never forget that the European Union, and before that the European Community, was born as a community of values, and among these values human rights are a cornerstone that - I repeat - should always guide the action of the European Union even when its attention is so powerfully drawn elsewhere by other problems.
In the last year I also visited Lebanon and Syria, and certainly in these two countries conditions are better, also as regards the work of Catholics and Christians: there is greater pluralism, more respect and they really are an example that I believe should be extended to other states in that part of the world. The European Union too in developing its relationships with these countries must never overlook bringing up forcefully the problem of freedom of worship and, more generally, religious freedom, religious pluralism. In Damascus in fact I met representatives of all the confessions - I don’t know if some of you were there - and I remember that there were also representatives from the Muslim and Jewish communities. I believe that effectively this great tradition of dialogue between the monotheistic religions that the Catholic Church pursues with great conviction - the present Pontiff takes a personal interest in this - is truly one of the fundamental paths to ensure what someone called, appropriately in my view, the reconciliation between civilizations.
Finally, to face up to such complex challenges, that are so difficult in this historical period, that also involve problems regarding the survival of the planet, and therefore themes of our shared destiny, I think that the possible reconciliation - which should be pursued actively - between civilizations is the major resource we have at our disposal to nourish our hope and pursue our ideals, our objectives.
[00110-02.08] [NNNNN] [Original text: Italian]
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Intervention of Mons. Elie Béchara HADDAD, Archbishop of Saïda of the Greek-Melkites (LEBANON) |
The sale of Christian land in Lebanon is becoming a dangerous phenomenon. It threatens the Christian presence to the point of reducing it to a minimum in the future.
To resolve these phenomena, we propose:
- the creation of a strategy of solidarity between the Churches, sponsored by the Holy See
- Modify the discourse of the Church towards Islam, to distinguish clearly between Islam and fundamentalism. This eases our dialogue with Muslims in view of helping us to persevere in our land.
- To go from the concept of helping Middle Eastern Christians to the concept of development to root them deeper in their land and finding work for them.
Our experience in the Diocese of Saida is predominant on this level.
[00077-02.03] [IN055] [Original text: French]
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Intervention of Mons. Paul HINDER, Apostolic Vicar of Arabia (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES) |
The two Vicariates of the Arabian Peninsula, comprising Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Yemen and Saudi Arabia, have no native Christians. The 3 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 on the number of priests) and security system. Individual rights and social care very limited. No freedom of religion (no Muslim can convert but Christians are welcome into Islam), limited freedom of worship in designated places, granted by benevolent rulers (except in Saudi Arabia). Churches too few, attendance very high, in a single parish up to 25 000 on Fridays with 10 and more masses. Distance from church, employment and camp rules make participation for many impossible. Catholic Church is law abiding and 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. The Rescript ex audientia approved by Pope John Paul II in 2003 and confirmed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006 gives jurisdiction over all the faithful of whatever Church, rite or nationality, to the two Ordinaries under whose sole jurisdiction all the priests in the Vicariates work. The Ordinaries have the obligation that the faithful of other sui iuris Churches may practice and observe the norms of their Rite, which they do to the best of their ability. The Rescript has helped to maintain and promote unity, to avoid fragmentation and to provide the best possible pastoral ministry to all the Catholic faithful. All priests must render service to all the faithful, assisted by the thousands of lay volunteers in catechesis, youth and family ministry, hospital and prison apostolate and social work.
Through fraternal relations between the two Apostolic Vicars and the heads of the Oriental sui iuris Churches communion will be strengthened and agreements of collaboration made in respect of the particular situation in order to make more vibrant the witness of the Church in the Gulf which is an exclusively pilgrim and migrant Church.
[00074-02.02] [IN052] [Original text: English]
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Intervention of Mons. Béchara RAÏ, Bishop of Jbeil of the Maronites (LEBANON) |
We can read in no. 34 of the Instrumentum laboris: “In Lebanon, Christians are deeply divided at the political and confessional level and are lacking a commonly accepted plan of action”. There is no division on the confessional level, but a diversity of Catholic, Orthodox and Evangelical “sui iuris” Churches, each having their own liturgical, theological, spiritual and disciplinary patrimony. There is however a division on the political level, which does not touch the essence but the strategic options. As for the essence, Christians are in agreement about national constants, defined in the document called “the constants” published by the Maronite Patriarchate on December 6th 2006, which was accepted and signed by the heads of the Christian political parties. These constants were developed in another document which appeared in 2008 entitled: Charter of Political Action in the Light of the Teaching of the Church and the Specificity of Lebanon.
As for political options, the division of Christians is centered on the strategy relating to the protection of the said constants and the efficient and effective presence of Christians. This division is caused by today’s political conditions, internal as well as regional and international.
For there are strong divisions between the Sunnite and the Shiite in the Arab world, apparently on the regional level, in the coalition, on the Sunnite side, between Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan, and on the Shiite side between Iran and Syria. This division was transformed into a bloody conflict between the Sunnite and the Shiite of Iraq. On the international level, the conflict can be located between the United States and its allies in favor of the Sunnites on one hand, and Iran on the other, because of regional ambitions and its nuclear program. In Lebanon, it is the political conflict between the Shiites and the Sunnites, where the division of Christians can be placed. To save the Lebanese regime and their effective presence, one part chose alliance with the Sunnites, another part with the Shiites and a third part calls for good relations with the Sunnites and the Shiites, and to not allow ourselves to be led into the politics of the regional and international axes.
The political project acceptable to all consists in perfecting the civil State, whose elements can be found in the “Constants”, the “Charter of Political Action” and the Constitution. This is what differentiates Lebanon from other Middle Eastern countries, all having religious regimes.
[00069-02.03] [IN046] [Original text: French]
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Intervention of Mons. Bosco PUTHUR, Titular Bishop of Foratiana, Curia Bishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly of the Syro -Malabars (INDIA) |
First of all, the Major Archbishop, the Synod of Bishops, the Priests, the Religious and the Faithful of the Syro Malabar Church are grateful to the Holy Father for having invited us to participate in this Synod. Since our Major Archbishop, Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil CSsR is not at present able to travel, I am asked to represent the Syro Malabar Church. Our Church wholeheartedly welcomes and supports the initiatives taken by the Holy Father to empower the Catholic Church in the Middle East so that it can in communion bear witness to the Gospel in this region.
However, through this intervention I would like to bring to the attention of this august assembly certain pastoral problems indicated in the Instrumentum Laboris Nos. 49 and 50, which read: "A new and important phenomenon taking place in Middle Eastern countries is the arrival of hundreds of thousands of immigrant workers from Africa and Asia ... These people are subject to social injustice ... This immigration calls for the attention of our Churches which have the pastoral responsibility to assist them in both religious and social matters."
The Syro Malabar faithful have been present in the Gulf Region since the1960s. They fully depend upon the Latin Vicariates of Kuwait and Arabia for their pastoral needs. These ecclesiastical structures created in the twentieth century for a few thousand emigrants are not at all adequate to take care of millions of faithful now present in the region.
We gratefully acknowledge the efforts of the two Vicars apostolic of the region. However, the situation of the pastoral care of the Syro Malabar faithful in the Arabian Gulf countries is very inadequate and unsatisfactory. There are almost 430,000 Syro Malabar migrants in the region (Saudi Arabia 190,000; UAE 110,000; Oman 45,000; Kuwait 40, 000; Bahrain 35,000 and Qatar 10,000), but not even a single parish is erected for them. There is no proper pastoral care and faith formation catechesis for the Syro-Malabar faithful according to the proper ecclesial tradition, except in Doha. The Syro Malabar hierarchy is not at all involved nor invited for this purpose. The only church that was built for our faithful in Doha is not even erected as a parish, but remains an outstation of the Latin parish. Besides, serious restrictions are placed on the Syro Malabar Hierarchy through a “Rescript” from the Holy See, which prevents any involvement of our Church in providing proper pastoral care to our faithful in the area.
The community is in a precarious situation and many of them have become indifferent to the practice of Catholic faith. The local Ordinaries are neither able to do nor adequately prepared to give proper pastoral care as per the heritage of the individual Church. The Syro Malabar Church is not granted any freedom to look after her faithful in the region, a right envisaged in the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, Canon Law and other magisterial documents. The Religious priests at present working in the region do not have the necessary pastoral and liturgical formation to take care of our people. As there is the inadequacy in the pastoral care, there is the ever growing danger of our people being led astray by Pentecostal groups thriving in the Gulf region. Hence it is essential to entrust the pastoral care of the Syro Malabar faithful to our own Church, erecting proper ecclesial structures and granting jurisdiction to our hierarchy. Contrary to the opinion generally circulated by some ecclesiastics, the governments in the Gulf Region are in general open to the Christian communities, since at present they need emigrant workers.
We hope and pray that the Apostolic See may take appropriate action to redress the grave situation in the region and enable all concerned to provide adequate pastoral care to our faithful in accordance with the liturgical and spiritual tradition of the St Thomas Christians.
[00062-02.03] [IN040] [Original text: English]
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Intervention of Mons. Basile Georges CASMOUSSA, Archbishop of Mossul of the Syrians (IRAQ) |
In our Middle Eastern countries, we are small minorities, ravaged considerably by the following factors:
1. Galloping emigration, where Christians lose more and more their faith in their own historical countries.
2. The waves of terrorism inspired by religious ideologies, Islamic or totalitarian, denying even the principle of equality, to benefit a fundamental negation which crushes minorities, among which are Christians, the most vulnerable.
3. The alarming decrease of births among Christians, faced with an ever growing natality among Muslims.
4. The unjust accusation against Christians of being troops loaned or led by and for the so-called Christian West, and thus considered as a parasite in the Nation. Present and active here well before Islam, the feel undesired in their own home, which becomes more and more a “Dar el-Islam”. Even the West is no longer gentle, the term “Christian” only evokes the religious dimension there. Almost always the social aspect of the human group, its fundamental rights being damaged, in its cultural identity, in its belongings, even in its existence, because of its religion. Here is the Eastern Christian in Islam countries condemned be it to disappear or to go into exile. What is happening in Iraq today makes us think back to what happened in Turkey during the First World War. It is alarming!
5. The fractioned state of Middle Eastern Christian Communities: institutional ecclesial and identity divisions of the local churches fierce about their autonomy, other times on doctrinal and territorial or linguistic bases, artificially erected into ethno-political nationalism (today’s Iraq is an example), referring however to the same patristic and linguistic energy, having undergone the same historic fate of “dhimitude”, the future being shaded for all by the same symptoms of dis-aggregation, due to external as well as internal factors.
These are the true challenges, with terrible consequences, that the Middle Eastern Christians face!
[00059-02.03] [IN037] [Original text: French]s
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Intervention of Gregorios III LAHAM, Patriarch of Antioch of the Greek-Melkites, Archbishop of Damascus of the Greek-Melkites (SYRIA) |
Peace, conviviality and the Christian presence in the Arab world are tied in an existential and solid way. The Christian presence in the Arab world is threatened by the cycles of war that fall on this region, the cradle of Christianity.
The main reason is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: the fundamentalist movements, the Hamas movement, the Hezbollah are consequences of this conflict as well of internal dissension, slowness in development, the rise of hatred, the loss of hope in the young who constitute 60% of the population in Arab countries.
The emigration of Christians: Among the most dangerous effects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: emigration which will make Arab society a society with only one color, only Muslim, faced with a European society also known as Christian. Should this happen, should the East be emptied of its Christians, this would mean that any occasion would be propitious for a new clash of cultures, of civilizations and even of religions, a destructive clash between the Muslim Arab East and the Christian West.
Trust between East and West: To convince Christians to stay, we think it is necessary to address our Muslim brothers to tell them with honesty what our fears are: the separation of religion and State, the Arabicity, democracy, Arab nation or Muslim nation, human rights and laws that propose Islam as the only or main source of legislation which are even an obstacle to the equality of their own citizens before the law. There are also fundamentalist parties, Islamic integralism, which have been blamed for acts of terrorism, for killings, for burning churches, for extortion, in the name of religion and strong here being the majority humiliating their neighbors.
To make peace, this is the great challenge: This is the great “jihad” and the great good. This is the true victory and the true guarantee for the future of freedom, prosperity and security for our young, Christians and Muslims, who are the future of our Nations.
[00052-02.03] [IN030] [Original text: French]
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Intervention of Mons. Youssef BÉCHARA, Archbishop of Antelias of the Maronites (LEBANON) |
My intervention refers to no.25 and 39 of the Instrumentum Laboris where the issue is positive laicism. Further on in no. 109, it has been stated that there is no laicism in the Muslim countries.
Given that the overwhelming majority of Middle Eastern Countries are Muslim and therefore refuse laicism, it would be preferable, for our Synod, to use instead the term of citizenship or civic State. This is a term that is more acceptable and includes the same realities. Moreover it was used by religious dignitaries and Moslem writers in Lebanon and other countries.
Also, the Eastern Catholic Patriarchs, in their pastoral letters, notably those that deal with relations between Christians and Muslims, use the term citizenship widely (no. 32).
But for the reality of citizenship to be admitted, generalized and integrated on the level of constitutions and above all mentalities, a dual task is required:
- at the popular societal level, the means of social communication can be of great assistance. Because , this means anchoring the notions of what citizenship entails, above all the equality of all and the acceptance of religious and cultural diversity.
- at the educational level, in schools and universities, citizenship can be nourished throughout the years of training. A work of purification is indispensable at the level of programs to eliminate discriminations.
This dual task is indispensable if we want to go beyond the level of the elites for whom citizenship, dialogue and even freedom are allowed, in order to be able to reach the masses which can be manipulated and turned towards any sort of extremism.
[00038-02.07] [IN016] [Original text: French]
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