This is an excerpt of the Vatican translation of the Report Before the
Discussion delivered 11 October 2010 at the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops by
the general relator, Patriarch Antonios Naguib of Alexandria of the Catholic
Coptic Church.
* * *
Most Holy Father,
Your Eminences, Beatitudes and Excellencies,
Fraternal Delegates of the Sister Churches and Ecclesial Communities,
Dear Experts and Invited Guests,
First of all, I would like to express my deep gratitude to His Holiness, Pope
Benedict XVI for having appointed me as General Relator of this Special
Assembly for the Middle East. This is the first time I have taken on such an
awesome task. I will try to ca rry it out to the best of my ability, relying on
the Lord’s assistance and your understanding.
PREFACE
Saint Luke reports in the Acts of the Apostles that Jesus, before taking leave
of his apostles, gave them these instructions: «You shall receive power when
the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem
and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth» (Acts 1:8).
The Apostles, after having received the Holy Spirit, undertook their mission
and began fearlessly to announce the Good News of the Lord’s life, death and
resurrection (cf. Acts 2:32). Peter’s first proclamation resulted in the
conversion and Baptism of approximately three thousand persons and many others
after them, all of whom were radically transformed: «Now the company of those who
believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things
which he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common» (Acts
4:32).
These happenings at the Church’s origin inspired the topic and the goal of our
Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops: communion and
witness — both communal and personal — flowing from a life grounded in Christ
and animated by the Holy Spirit. Over the centuries, the example of the Church
of the Apostles has always been the model for the Church in every age. Our
Synodal Assembly aims at offering us assistance in returning to this ideal, in
helping us examine our lives so as to give them a renewed energy and vitality
which will purify, regenerate and invigorate us.
The Holy Father personally consigned to us the Instrumentum laboris of this
Special Assembly, during his Apostolic Visit to Cyprus, a gesture which showed
his particular concern for our Churches. Yesterday morning’s Solemn Eucharistic
Concelebration, at which His Holiness was the principal celebrant, is the best
guarantee of God’s blessing on this Assembly. Assured of this heavenly
assistance and relying on the help and guidance of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we
confidently approach our task.
INTRODUCTION
All of us received the announcement of the Special Assembly for the Middle East
of the Synod of Bishops with great joy, enthusiasm, gratitude and fervor. The
Holy Father’s decision was seen as his fatherly acceptance of a proposal which
was of particular concern to us and a demonstration of his special care for our
Churches as Bishop of Rome and as the Supreme Shepherd of the Catholic Church.
We have already witnessed his special consideration on various occasions and
frequently during his homilies and discourses. We experienced it in a
particular manner, during his Apostolic Visits to Turkey (2006), to Jordan,
Israel and Palestine (2009) and most recently to Cyprus (2010). However, the
actual presence of the Holy Father in our midst, during these proceedings, brin
gs the love, solidarity, prayer and support of the Successor of Peter, the Holy
See and the entire Church.
As soon as the Holy Father announced the event on 19 September 2009, the
General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops worked with the Pre-Synodal Council
for the Middle East to prepare the Lineamenta, and, subsequently, the
Instrumentum laboris. For the most part, these documents find their basis in
Sacred Scripture, with references to the documents of Vatican Council II, the
Codes of Canons of the Eastern Churches and the Code of Canon Law. Particular
consideration was given to the 10 Pastoral Letters of the Council of Patriarchs
of the Middle East. I believe that the work was well done, despite the limited
time available in preparation.
I feel it would be useful to propose the following topics in the Instrumentum
laboris for more detailed treatment in the course of our work.
A. The Goal of the Synod (nn. 3 – 6)
The twofold aim of the Synod was well received and appreciated in our Catholic
Churches, namely:
1) to confirm and strengthen the Church’s members in their Christian identity,
through the Word of God and the sacraments; and
2) to foster ecclesial communion between the Churches sui iuris, so that they
may offer an authentic and effective witness. Essential elements in this
witness in our lives are ecumenism, inter-religious dialogue and the missionary
effort.
The Instrumentum laboris insists on the need and importance that the synod
fathers give our Christian people reasons for their presence in our countries
and confirm them in their mission of being, and continuing to be, authentic
witnesses of the Risen Christ, in every aspect of their lives. Amidst
oftentimes very difficult yet promising circumstances in life, they are a
visible icon of Christ, the “flesh and blood” incarnation of his Church and the
present-day instrument of the Holy Spirit’s activity.
B. A Reflection Guided by Holy Scripture (nn. 7 – 12)
We are proud to come from lands where men, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote
the Holy Books in some of our native languages. This, however, makes demands on
us. Holy Scripture must be the soul of our religious life and witness, both as
individuals and communities. The Holy Liturgy is the centre and summit of our
ecclesial life, where we celebrate and listen regularly to the Word of God. In
our reading, praying and meditating upon the Holy Bible, whether as a Church,
in small groups or individually, we must look for and find the answers to the
meaning of our presence in our countries, our communion and our witness, taking
into consideration our surroundings and the present-day challenges of new
situations.
The Instrumentum laboris draws attention to an insufficient response to the
great thirst of our faithful for the Word of God, its understanding and its
assimilation in their hea rts and lives. In this regard, appropriate
initiatives need to be considered, undertaken, encouraged and supported,
particularly through utilising the modern media which are available today.
Individuals, who, in virtue of their vocation, are more directly in contact
with the Word of God, have a special responsibility to witness and intercede
for the People of God. Memorisation of biblical texts is always beneficial and
fruitful.
«Salvation history» needs to be highlighted in the exegesis and interpretation
of the Sacred Scriptures, which reveal the unique, divine plan, unfolding over
the ages and intimately bound to both the Old and the New Testament, a plan
which finds its center and summit in Jesus Christ. Inasmuch as the Bible is the
Book of the Christian community, the biblical text can only be correctly
interpreted within the Church.
Therefore, the Church’s tradition and teaching, especially in our Eastern
countries, are the indisputable reference-point for understanding and
interpreting the Bible.
The Word of God is the source of theology, morality and apostolic and
missionary spirituality and vitality. The Word sheds light on life’s
happenings, thereby transforming, guiding and giving them meaning. Some
unthinking or bad-intentioned persons use the Bible as a “recipe book” or a
basis for superstitious practices. We have the responsibility to educate our
faithful not to give credence to such people. The Word of God also shed’s light
on communities and personal choices in life, providing responses to the
challenges of life, inspiration to ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue and
the manner of dutifully approaching political life. The Word of God, therefore,
needs to be the reference-point for Christians in education and witness, so as
to indicate to people of good the path which leads to the God for whom they are
searching.
Bishops]