This address was delivered on May 13 2012 in Jerusalem by
Auxiliary Bishop William Shomali of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The synod on the Middle East will take place in Rome from 10-24 October, 2010.
Dear brothers and sisters,
Thank you for organizing this conference to prepare better
yourselves for the upcoming Middle Eastern Synod. After all, this Synod is
meant for you too. You have understood this and have thus assiduously answered
the questions posed in the lineamenta.
You will surely be the first to implement the eventual
recommendations of the Synod. Thank you for your essential and valuable
cooperation. You m en and women religious of the Holy Land continue to be at
the forefront of the Church’s witness to Christ’s love for all men and women,
irrespective of religion and race. Your testimony in the field of charity,
education and health care is unique and irreplaceable.
The Synod of the Catholic Church for the Middle East concerns Arab
and non-Arab countries that spread over a vast geographical area from Egypt to
Turkey, from Iran to Israel and right through to the Gulf, Iraq, Lebanon,
Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Cyprus. It includes directly or indirectly 14
million Christians in a population of 330 million inhabitants, among whom we
find Arabs, Turks, Iranians, Greeks and Jews. This synod will focus on this
very complex and diverse situation.
It’s true that in these last years we have seen a Synod for
Lebanon and another for the Holy Land. One might feel entitled then to pose the
following question: “Instead of so ambitious a Synod for the entire Middle
East, why not o rganize a special Synod for each of those countries that has
not yet had one? Why should Lebanon and the Holy Land redo the same work?”
The answer lies in the fact that the number and complexity of problems and
challenges facing the Middle East are too large to be handled by the various
single dioceses and churches separately. In addition, our globalized world makes
a synod dealing comprehensively with all our common problems under the
authority of the Sovereign Pontiff necessary, “cum Petro et sub Petro“.
The Synod sets forth two main goals:
1 – Confirm and strengthen Christians in their identity through
the Word of God and the Sacraments.
2 – Giving new life to the ecclesial communion between the sui
iuris Churches so that they might provide an authentic witness of joyful and
attractive Christian life.
One peculiarity of the Middle East is the large number of sui
iuris Eastern Churches that have taken root here: the Mel kites,
Syrians, Maronites, Copts, Armenians and Chaldeans. These churches need to live
their liturgical and linguistic particularity on the one hand, and a greater
communion among themselves on the other. Currently, this communion leaves
something to be desired. They also need pastoral and liturgical renewal. The
Latin Church went through this change at the Second Vatican Council, which
revolutionized its liturgy and ecclesiology and gave it a new openness to the
world. The Eastern Churches are in need of a similar revolution so that they
might be able to adapt and modernize and thus better meet the needs of their
congregations today.
So much for the introduction to the theme of our conference. Now
let’s get into the details.
I. The geopolitical situation in the Middle East
1- Turkey. This country has 72 million inhabitants
(source: wikipedia), with a Muslim majority. Christians number 100,000,
slightly more than 1 per thousand. Turkey is a secul ar country, separating
state and religion (Islam). It
is seeking to give a good impression to gain entry into the
European Community. To Turkey’s credit you could cite the secularization
introduced by Ataturk in 1924; on the negative side we must cite the Armenian
genocide, for which Turkey refuses take responsibility and the partition of the
island of Cyprus between Turks and Greeks, for which it also bears
responsibility.
2- Iran. In this country Shia Islam is dominant in all
sectors of society. 72 million are Muslim, while Christians – predominantly
Armenians and Assyrians – number only 200,000. News from Iran report the
existence of an active Baptist community, which has made thousands of converts
to Christianity (about 10,000 known conversions). But a convert finds himself
treated as a renegade, a traitor to Islam and a backer of the chief enemy:
America. Iran is rich and supports the Shia of Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza for
religious and ideological re asons. This country has territorial ambitions in
the Gulf where there is a large and forcefully muted Shiite minority.
3- Saudi Arabia and the UAE. 33 million people live in
this oil rich region. The various political regimes have differing attitudes
towards Christians; it goes from respect – as in Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Dubai –
to the intransigence and lack of freedom – as in Saudi Arabia. While Qatar has
allowed the construction of a large church that can hold 5000 faithful,
Christians in Saudi Arabia, numbering around half a million, are not allowed to
gather for prayer. They meet secretly in private homes to pray on Sunday,
running the risk of repercussions. Another problem is posed by the existence of
a large number of Christian immigrant workers, often deprived of their
elementary social and religious rights. In addition, militant Islam takes
advantage of these immigrant workers’ economic embarrassment in order to
convert to them to Islam. There are a number of converts each year, who are
promised substantial material benefits.
4- Egypt. The number of Copts is not yet certain.
Local government statistics speak of 6 million whereas the Coptic Church speaks
of 12 million. The figure of 10 million is certainly closer to the truth.
Clashes between Muslim and Coptic communities are frequent. The Egyptians are
the most religious people in the world in terms of pious practice, but also in
terms bigotry. The Copts feel despised and deprived of many rights, especially
their freedom of worship (as demonstrated in the difficulty of building a church)
and freedom of conscience. Their occupy an insignificant place in society and
government. As an example: out of 454 Egyptian parliamentarians, only three are
Christian, or less than 1%, while the percentage of Christians in Egypt is 10%
at least.
“In Egypt, the rise of political Islam on the one hand and the, in part,
forced disengagement of Christians from the civil so ciety on the other, make
their lives subject to intolerance, inequality and injustice. In addition, by
means of the media and the schools this Islamization penetrates into Christian
family life, modifying their mentality so that they unconsciously conform to an
Islamic world view.” (Instrumentum laboris).
5- Iraq. The U.S. invasion decimated the Christian
community. Before 1987, it numbered 1.25 million followers, mostly Chaldeans.
Today they are less than 400,000. One of the great disasters of this century is
the massive exodus of Iraqi Christians due to the insecurity and harassment of
which they are victims. In Iraq, the war unleashed forces of evil in the
country, among varying political streams and religious denominations. It has
taken a toll on all Iraqis, but the Christians have been among the main victims
because they represent the smallest and weakest of Iraqi communities. Even today,
global politics completely fail to take them into account. This is in addition
to other calamities that have struck the Christians of the Middle East in the
past two centuries:
– The genocide of one million and half Armenians in Turkey in 1915;
– The genocide against the Maronites in 1860 and the Lebanese Civil War caused
the exodus of many Christians;
– The constant emigration of Christians from the Holy Land for more than a
century.
6- Syria. The situation of One and a half million
Christian Syrians seems tranquil under the Syrian Baath, which rests on the
support of minorities, the Asad family itself being from the Alawite minority.
But there is always the fear an unexpected change and turnaround. In Iraq, for
example, Christians enjoyed many privileges during Saddam’s regime. It seems
that all it takes is a dethroning to open Pandora’s Box against the Christian
population. A phobia with regards to upheavals still exists in the Arab world,
given that state policy often depends on the alternatively benevolent or
malevolent attitude of the family or party in power, rather than a durable
popular mind-set.
7- Lebanon: Christians are divided on both the
political and religious planes, and nobody possesses a plan acceptable to all.
The political balance achieved in 1943 when the Christians made up 55% of the
total population does not currently reflect the situation on the ground. The
Shiites, who are becoming ever more numerous and stronger, are demanding more
authority in Parliament. The current balance of power is weak. Lebanon must
attain to the position of a mature democracy and leave behind its absurd
confessionalism without bloodshed.
8- Jordan is a quiet country. The Christians feel
safe and enjoy religious freedom, with representatives in parliament and in
government. We have witnessed the warm welcome that the Jordanian King and
Government gave to Pope Benedict XVI. Despite this, freedom of conscience does
not exist. It is something that w e observe in all Arab countries. Islam claims
to be the religion of truth, the only truth. The other religions are only
tolerated. Therefore it is not permissible for a Muslim to abandon the truth
for error. Change of religion is perceived as a betrayal of society, culture
and nation, three realities primarily built upon a religious tradition.
9- Palestine and Israel: The conflict between
Palestinians and Israelis has lasted for over 80 years including six violent
confrontations, to which we must add the two general Intifadas. It is an
ideological conflict that does not appear close to finding a solution in the
short term. The economic situation and lack of security have obliged a large
part of the Palestinian Christians to emigrate. The Palestinian diaspora
numbers somewhere around 500,000, the majority located in Chile.
II. Identifying Some of the Major Problems Facing the Synod
The survey has allowed us to identify the major problems face d by
Christian communities in the Middle East:
– An emigration that has weakened the fabric of
Christian life. This emigration has also opened the eyes of moderate Muslims
who see in this exodus an impoverishment of Arab society and the loss of
moderate elements. Many Palestinians intellectuals – including Faisal Husseini,
the current Grand Mufti of Palestine, Tayseer Tamimi, the Grand Magistrate,
President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad – have said that the
departure of Christians has been a loss for all Palestinians and will end up
setting Jewish and Muslim extremism face to face. Christians are a moderate
element that attracts Western sympathy for the Palestinian question. In
addition, in the past, the Christians of Lebanon, Egypt, Syria and Palestine
participated in the progress and development of their respective societies.
With their numbers reduced, making up but a small percentage of the total
population, their presence becomes insigni ficant, providing all the more
reason for this remnant to emigrate.
– Conversions to Islam. It is true that few Christians
become Muslims. But given the small number of our communities, every one
counts. In Egypt, it is estimated that up to 15,000 young Christian girls
become Muslim for reason related to marriage. Each year, similar cases occur in
Palestine and Jordan. Each time it’s a tragedy for the family, which looks upon
this conversion as a betrayal in front her religion and herself. In the
majority of cases, the girl is considered lost because the girl completely
loses touch with her family. Conversion does not affect girls only. Foreign
workers in the Gulf countries are also victims. In order to continue to find
work, conversion to Islam helps tremendously. Counting just the small emirate
of Dubai, the number of men and women who went over to Islam in 2008 was 2,763.
They belonged to 72 different nationalities.
– The rise of political Islam : “The rise of
political Islam from the period of around 1970 is a striking phenomenon that
affects the region and the situation of Christians in the Arab world. This
political Islam includes various religious currents who aim at imposing an Islamic
lifestyle on Arab, Turkish or Iranian societies, and all those who live there,
Muslims and non-Muslims alike. For these currents, detachment from Islam is the
source of all evils. The solution is thus the return to Islamic origins. Hence
the slogan: Islam is the solution […] To achieve this end, some do not
hesitate to resort to violence.” (Instrumentum Laboris).
– The Ghetto Mentality: “Religion is regarded as
an identifier that not only differentiates but may also divide and be used to
generate a closing off of relationships and hostility. The danger lies in
turning in on ourselves and in fear of the other. We must both strengthen the
faith and spirituality of our faithful and strengthen the soci al bonds and
solidarity among them, without falling into a ghetto mentality” (Instrumentum
Laboris).
III. Synod’s Response to the expectations of Middle Eastern
Christians
The Church does not claim to offer prefabricated solutions to all
the problems facing Christians living in the Middle East. The situation of each
church, or even every believer, is unique and there is no perfect solution for
all. Instead, the Church indicates the places and ways to arrive at the
solution to these problems and offers three important paths:
1- It is necessary to form Christians in reading and living the
Word of God
In the Middle East there is a lot of piety and much popular
devotion. But the Word of God has not yet taken its rightful place in the
spirituality of the Christian people. Lectio divina has remained the privilege
of an elite. One must expend great effort in order to initiate people in
reading the Bible and meditating on it. Part of the success of the sects is
their contact with the Word of God, plus the fact they have communities
everywhere that are fervent and attract those in search of warmth.
The Holy Scriptures, written in our land and in our languages
(Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek), with literary and cultural expressions that we
feel as our own, will guide our thinking. The Word of God is read in the
Church. These Scriptures, transmitted and meditated upon in our sacred
liturgies, have come to us through church communities. They are an
indispensable reference for discovering the meaning of our presence, our
communion and our witness in the current context of our respective countries.
Here is a response to Lineamenta concerning the
Word of God: “God’s Word directs and gives meaning and significance to
life, transforming it radically. It blazes paths of hope, and provides a vital
balance in our triple relationship with God, ourselves and others. Moreover, it
is a help for f acing the challenges of today’s world. Thus it ought to be the
reference for Christians in educating their children, particularly with regards
to the experience of forgiveness and charity. Some families do indeed find
there their inspiration in educating their children.
2- We need to form Christians in forgiveness, reconciliation and
openness to the other
The Middle East is torn by bloody conflicts, producing implacable
hatreds and resentments. Kurds, Iranians, Palestinians, Israelis and Lebanese
have suffered terribly, and their wounds have yet to close much less heal.
Sometimes religion is mixed in as the background to the conflict in order to
ideologize and consolidate it. The solution lies not in retaliation, which
creates a vicious circle of endless violence, but rather in dialogue and
forgiveness. This will be the long-term work of educators. Christians have
their contribution to make in resolving political or religious conflicts.
Being open to the ot her also has a religious dimension. While
visiting the Holy Land, Palestine and Turkey, Pope Benedict XVI insisted on
meeting with Muslim leaders. He did the same with the Hebrew religion in order
to encourage dialogue. He knows that the future of humanity depends on our
efforts in this way.
Being open to the other also has an ecumenical dimension. Among
the responses to Lineamenta we find these relevant lines:
“All the divisions between Churches of the Middle East are the bitter
fruits of the past, but the Spirit works with the churches to bring them
together and break down barriers to that visible unity willed by Christ;
“…that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in
you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have
sent me.” (Jn 17:21)
The major divergence between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches is
in how we understand of primacy of the Bishop of Rome. In his encyclical U
t unum sint(Numbers 88-96, especially 93 and 95), Pope John Paul II accepts
responsibility for “Finding a way of exercising the primacy which, while
not in any way renouncing what is essential to its mission, is nonetheless open
to a new situation, taking into account the dual Latin and Eastern canonical
tradition. “
3- We need to form Christians in considering their presence here
as a vocation and not as their fate
Christians living in the Middle East are rooted in a certain
culture and language, and live with other peoples with whom they share a
language, history and many traditions. Christians should not feel that they are
foreigners. They are called to be witnesses of Christ in those countries where
they live. To flee their countries of origin means to escape reality. We need
to encourage Christians to live with faith and joy in the land of their
ancestors. Their departure weakens the few who remain, who then also seek to
leave.
The faithfu l expect their pastors give them clear reasons for
their mission in each country. It is not for us to be anything other than
authentic witnesses of the Risen Christ present in His Church through the Holy
Spirit, in those countries where we were born and where we live, countries that
are characterized not only through a process of political and democratic
maturation, but, unfortunately, also by conflict and instability.
Another factor that could help to limit emigration: to make
Christians more aware of the meaning of their presence and the need to engage,
here and now, in public life. Everyone in his own country bears the message of
Christ to his society. This message is to be carried forward even in
difficulties and persecution.
Conclusion
I would like to conclude with some testimonies regarding the
religious and clergy that came out in the responses to Lineamenta:
“The responses underscore the importance of Christian witness
at all levels: first of all, in consecrated life, which is present in our
country to varying degrees. The first mission of men and women religious is
prayer and intercession for the society; for greater justice in politics and
economics, more solidarity and respect in family relationships, stronger
courage to denounce injustice, more honesty in order to not become embroiled in
local disputes or in seeking personal interests. Such is the ethic that
pastors, men and women religious and religious educators need to propose, with
a marked consistency in our personal and communitarian lives as well as our
social, charitable and educational institutions. And all of this so that our
faithful might be ever truer witnesses of the Resurrection in society.”
“The formation of our clergy and faithful, in homilies and in
catechesis, must give to the believer the authentic meaning his or her faith,
and give him also an awareness of his role in society in the name of that
faith. The believer must be taught to seek out and recognize God in everything
and everyone, contributing his efforts to render present in our society and our
world, through the practice of personal and social virtues: social-justice,
honesty, uprightness, hospitality, solidarity, openness of heart, moral purity,
fidelity, etc.. “
“The ministers of Christ, consecrated men and women, and all
those who seek to follow Him more closely, bear a heavy spiritual and moral
responsibility in our community: they should be a model and an example for
others. The community expects them to live the Gospel values concretely in an
exemplary manner. It is not surprising to see that many of the faithful on
their part desire a greater simplicity of life, a real detachment from money
and worldly comforts, a radiant and transparent practice of chastity and moral
purity. The Synod would like to be of service in this sincere examination of
conscience so that we might discover our strengths to promote and develop them,
and uncover our weaknesses in order to receive the courage to correct
them.”