Concluding programme of Middle East Synod

(October 19, 2010) The city of Rome hosted two events on Tuesday on the occasion of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East that is taking place in the Vatican, Oct. 10-24. A conference on the theme, “Christian Witness at the Service of Peace” was organized in the morning at Campidoglio or Capitoline Hill, the administrative headquarters of Rome city. Among those who participated in the conference were Rome mayor, Gianni Alemanno, Italian Foreign Minister, Franco Frattini, some participants in the Middle East synod and officials of various collaborating bodies. At night a special international concert was to be staged near the Vatican on the theme, "Effata, Artists in Dialogue for the Middle East." Meanwhile in the Vatican, synod participants continued to gather in small working groups to discuss a list of 23 questions they were given on Monday. Coptic Patriarch Antonios Naguib of Alexandria, Egypt, the synod's recording secretary on Monday morning presented to the synod assembly a summary of their first week of deliberations and a set of 23 questions to discuss and help draft proposals to be presented to Pope Benedict XVI before the synod formally ends on Sunday with a Mass. On Wednesday the General Relator, the Secretary and the Special Relator of the working groups will summarize the propositions into a single list and present them to the floor the following day, to be further worked upon in small groups to include amendments. Monday afternoon, a delegation comprising presidents and patriarchs of the synod paid a visit to Italy’s foreign minister, Franco Frattini to present to him what the Middle East Synodal Fathers expect from Italy the European Union for peace and prosperity in the region.