Ecumenism and Collaboration are Keys for the Catholic Church in the
Middle East
VATICAN CITY, MAY 3, 2010 thanks to Zenit.org
The pre-synodal
council for the Special Assembly for the Middle East is underlining the urgency
of a convinced ecumenical commitment and respectful collaboration with Jews and
Muslims.
The third meeting of the council for the Middle East of the General Secretariat
of the Synod of Bishops was held April 23-24 in Rome, the Vatican press office
reported today.
It noted that “the objective of the Special Assembly for the Middle East
is twofold: to confirm and reinforce Christians in their identity through the
Word of God and the sacraments, and to revive ecclesial communion between the
particular Churches, so that they can offer a genuine Christian witness, in
contact with the other Churches and ecclesial communities.”
Quoting St. John’s Gospel, the communiqué added: “Hence the urgency of a
convinced ecumenical commitment, ‘that all may be one, so that the world will
believe.'”
It pointed out that, “despite the difficulties of the present
moment,” the Church in the Middle East, “trusting in Divine
Providence, remains confident in a future of peace, of justice and respectful
collaboration with those belonging to Judaism and Islam, for the good of all
the inhabitants of the region.”
In this preparatory meeting of the synod for the Middle East, which will be
held October 10-24 in the Vatican, participants continued to fix the
foundations for the reflection that will take place on different questions,
among them the Christian witness in Muslim-majority societies.
In this sense, the communiqué explained that “the future synod will also
be a precious occasion to examine thoroughly the religious and social
situation, to give Christians a clear vision of the meaning of their being
active witnesses of Christ, in the context of societies of Muslim
majority.”
It added, “An attempt will be made, therefore, to proceed to a reflection
on the present situation, not easy given the conflicts and instability which
cause the exodus of the population, including not a few Christians.”
Cyprus
The members of the pre-synodal council highlighted the “joy and
gratitude” with which they received the invitation to participate in the
Eucharistic Celebration presided over by Benedict XVI in Nicosia, during his
June 4-6 trip to Cyprus.
During the celebration of that Mass, the Pope will distribute the Instrumentum
laboris of the synod to the pastors of the Mideast Churches.
The communiqué explained that the two-day meeting was attended by all the m
embers of the pre-synodal council for the Special Assembly for the Middle East
except for Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, Chaldean patriarch of Babylon, Iraq.
The secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops, Archbishop Nikola Eterovic,
opened the meeting. Other members of the council gave addresses on the
ecclesial situation in the socio-political context of the regions of the Middle
East.
As well, the council worked on an outline of the Instrumentum laboris, the
assembly’s working document.
The members worked to integrate the various contributions of the Eastern Churches,
the episcopal conferences, the Vatican dicasteries and several religious
institutions into an “organic scheme.”
“Once written in its definitive form,” the scheme “will serve
the Synodal Fathers as a study document and order of the day for the debate in
the Synod Hall,” explained the communiqué.
Thirte en ecclesiastical authorities form part of the pre-synodal council.
These include: Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, Maronite patriarch of Antioch,
Lebanon; Cardinal Ivan Dias, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization
of Peoples; and Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity.
The council also includes: Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the
Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue; Cardinal Leonardo Sandri,
prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches; Patriarch Antonios Naguib,
patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts, Egypt; Patriarch Ignace Youssif III
Younan, patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians, Lebanon; Gregorios III Laham, patriarch
of Antioch for the Greek Melkite Church; Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni, Catholic
patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians, Lebanon; Archbishop Fouad Twal, Latin
patriarch of Jerusalem; Archbishop Ramzi Garmou, archbishop of Teheran of the
Chaldeans and president of the Ir anian episcopal conference; Bishop Luigi
Padovese, president of the Turkish episcopal conference and apostolic vicar of
Anatolia; and Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly.
The synod’s theme is “The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and
Witness. ‘Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul’
(Acts 4: 32).”