Mass marking the opening of the synod devoted "to the present and the future" Christians of the Middle East, in St. Peter's. Benedict XVI to the rescue of the Catholic Churches of the MO
Pope Benedict XVI gave yesterday at St. Peter's in Rome, launched an important and historic Synod spent " present and future "of Christians in the Middle East, a region which, he said magnificently," is the cradle of a universal plan. " A breath of hope for churches weakened by emigration.
In the hope of a "new Pentecost" that would renew that Pope Benedict XVI yesterday gave the kickoff of a special assembles the synod of bishops dedicated to "venerable" Churches Middle East. The meeting will be held until October 24.
The solemn Mass in St. Peter's, on this occasion, allowed the pope to justify his call. In this part of the world, he said, that "the universal plan of salvation in love" manifested itself in history. "And we also, he chained, as believers, we look to the Middle East with the same look in the perspective of salvation history. It is this inner light that guided me in the apostolic journeys in Turkey, Holy Land - Jordan, Israel, Palestine - and Cyprus, where I could almost hear the joys and concerns of Christian communities. That is why I gladly accepted the proposal of the patriarchs and bishops to convene a synodal assembly to reflect together, in light of Scripture and the Tradition of the Church on the present and future populations of the faithful and the Middle East. "
In the mind of Pope's solicitude for the Christians of the Middle East is inseparable from that it feeds in respect of all other communities. Reflect "the present and the future of Christians" is indissolubly reflect those of their Muslim compatriots.
In his homily, the pope has not, at no time explicitly mentioned. But what worries the local churches, and preparatory documents for the synod clearly say is the emigration of Christians outside the Middle East with a special predilection for the faithful of the Holy Land, birthplace geographic, human and cultural Christianity.
The numbers in this regard speak for themselves. Less than 2% of Palestinian Christians in historic Palestine, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, emptied of Christians, 0.2% Christians in Turkey, where they accounted for 20% of the population in the early twentieth century, 600,000 Christians in Iraq where, Just 20 years ago, they were 1.2 million. The problem
major
The causes of bleeding are multiple and the synod is called upon to articulate them clearly. We ready to Benedict XVI the idea that the major problem that arises today, not only in the Middle East, but worldwide, is the relationship with Islam. The current Islamic extremists, some expressions of Islam state, who tend to be radicalized, are of course concerned. But to reject the bulk of responsibility on the coexistence increasingly difficult with Islam - or Judaism - does not fully of the facts. Difficult economic conditions are also involved. Unemployment, the delay in reviving the economy, corrupt regimes are certainly involved, and indeed the unequal international trade, the arms race, international policies based primarily on the search for economic or strategic interests of great powers .
In addition, if, to stem emigration - we can never completely stop the human mobility - we must act on the political, economic and social issues, we must not forget the spiritual. Departures are not just physical. It is spiritual. It is those Christians met by indifference, which is ravaging Europe and Western countries, but which, carried by the culture of these countries and the media, forget the Eastern Christians their identity. These are all considerations that the synodal assembly will consider from now, a process well established when, in a synodal document, "alternating between analysis and synthesis, stakeholder consultation and decisions taken by the competent authorities, in a process that allows continuous audit of results and the lineup of new proposals. "
But beyond that right mix, success depends on the Synod goodwill of the 185 bishops gathered for the first time around the Pope, "a visible sign of the unity of the Church", as recalled in a prayer intention, Emir Harith Shihab, at the opening Mass in St. Peter. In his homily, Benedict XVI recalled that the purpose of the synod is "primarily pastoral, even if we can not ignore the delicate and sometimes dramatic social and political situation in some countries." "The first Christians in Jerusalem were few, has chained the pope. Nobody could have imagined what has taken place thereafter. And the church lives always the same force that has grown from then. Pentecost is the event originated, but is also a permanent energy, and the synod of bishops is a special time in which can renew itself in the path of the Church the grace of Pentecost. "If there is a miracle to hope for, it will be, first, that side. The synod will bring something new, it is itself a moment of renewal.
"salvation history through mediation," the pope said in his homily
Here are large excerpts from the homily delivered by Benedict XVI yesterday during the solemn opening Mass of the Synod, attended by all members of this assembly: "Let us first of all thank the Lord for our history because it allowed that, despite the vicissitudes often difficult and turmoil, the Middle East always see from the time of Jesus until today, the continued presence of Christians. In these lands, the one Church of Christ is expressed in the variety of liturgical traditions, spiritual, cultural and disciplinary six venerable Oriental Catholic Churches. "The salvation is universal, but determined through mediation, history. The door of life is open to everyone, but it is indeed a "door", that is to say, a passage defined and necessary. (...) It is the mystery of the universality of salvation and at the same time, its necessary connection with the historical mediation of Christ, preceded by the people of Israel and continued by that of the Church. (...) Thus it is revealed as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who wants to lead his people to "land" of freedom and peace. This "land" is not of this world, God's plan goes beyond the story, but the Lord wants to build it with men, by men and men, from spatial and temporal coordinates in which they live and that he himself gave.
"What we call" Middle East "is one with its own specificity, such coordinates. This region of the world, God also sees a different perspective, we could say "from above": the land of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the land of the exodus and return the exile of the temple and the land of the prophets, the land in which the only-begotten Son was born of Mary, where he lived, died and rose again, the cradle of the Church. And we, as believers, we look to the Middle East with the same look, from the perspective of salvation history. (...) Watch this part of the world from the perspective of God means recognizing in it the "cradle" of a universal plan of salvation in the love (...). The Church is constituted to be among men, a sign and instrument of the one universal salvific plan of God, it accomplishes its mission by simply being herself, that is to say, "Communion and Testimony" as stated in the theme of the Synod Assembly (...). Pentecost is the event originated, but is also a permanent energy, and the synod of bishops is a special event in which can renew itself in the path of the Church the grace of Pentecost. "The purpose of this synodal assembly is mainly pastoral, even if we can not ignore the delicate and sometimes dramatic social and political situation of each country (...). Working paper (reports) that it is his intention, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to revive the communion of the Catholic Church in the Middle East. Primarily within each church, through its member (...). And then in relations with other churches in the ecumenical journey with other Churches and Ecclesial Communities in the Middle East. This occasion is also propitious to continue so constructive dialogue with the Jews which binds us inextricably to the long history of the Alliance, such as with Muslims (...). "Despite the difficulties, the Holy Land Christians are called to revive the consciousness of being living stones of the Church in the Middle East, with the holy places of our salvation. But to live with dignity in his own country is above all a fundamental human right which is why we must promote conditions of peace and justice, essential for the harmonious development of all inhabitants of the region. All are called to make their own contribution: the international community, by supporting a Road reliable, honest and constructive to peace; religions mainly in the region, promoting the spiritual and cultural values that unite people and exclude any expression of violence. Christians continue to make their contribution not only through works of social advancement, such as institutes of education and health, but especially with the spirit of the evangelical beatitudes that drives the practice of forgiveness and reconciliation. In this commitment, they will always have the support of the whole Church (...) "
A first is the first time that gather around the Pope almost all Ordinaries the Middle East. Bishops from the Eastern Churches which are headed by a patriarch and the representatives of six other Eastern Catholic Churches: Churches Ethiopian, Greek, Romanian, Syro-Malabar, Syro-Malankara (Indian Catholic community of Syriac tradition) and Ukrainian. Also participate in the synodal assembly of bishops from countries in Europe and America with significant Christian communities from the Middle East, as well as heads of various departments of the Vatican who have close links with the life of the Church in MO
A sign of availability
During its deliberations, the Synod will hear a speech by Rabbi David Rosen, director of interreligious affairs for the American Jewish Committee and the Heilbrunn Institute for International Interreligious Undestanding (Israel). In addition, will address the synod fathers two representatives of Islam: Mohammed el-Sammak, political adviser to the Mufti of the Republic, to Sunni Islam, Ayatollah Seyyed Mostafa and Mohageh Ahmadabad, a professor at the Faculty of right to Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran and member of the Iranian Academy of Sciences for Shiite Islam. Their presence is "a sign of the availability of the Catholic Church to continue the dialogue with Judaism, with which Christians have sex quite special, as with Islam, if present in the Middle East," says one synodal document.
Stats Men
Middle East covered by the Synod comprises the following states: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, UAE, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait , Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Syria, Turkey, territories Palestine and Yemen. The region hosts 356 million people, including nearly 6 million Catholics, 1.6% of the population, while all Christians together represents some 20 million people, is 5.62% of the population Total. The Eastern Churches are the patriarchal Churches Coptic, Syriac, Greek Melkite, Maronite, Chaldean and Armenian.
Fadi Noun
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