Synod: New Evangelization more urgent than ever in Mideast

The Synod of Bishops for the New Evangelization got underway in the Vatican Monday morning after formally commencing with a solemn mass Sunday in St. Peter’s square. The Synod is drawing bishops, cardinals and patriarchs from around the world to share their experiences and discuss ways to bring the Catholic Church into a new era: re-energizing a hackneyed faithful and reaching out to those who have yet to believe in Jesus Christ.

Among church leaders from the Middle East attending the Synod are Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai and his Patriarchal Vicar General, Archbishop Paul Sayah from Lebanon.

Tracey McClure spoke to Archbishop Sayah ahead of the Synod, asking him what the Patriarch will be bringing to the meetings.

Archbishop Sayah says the Patriarch “will bring with him the concerns of the Christians of the Middle East, the Christians of Lebanon of course… our Patriarch Bechara Rai is the President of the Council of Patriarchs for the Middle East so he has a role beyond the Middle East Church and beyond Lebanon.

“He certainly will be bringing the concerns, and he will be bringing the experience (ed. of the Church in the Middle East) also because each region or each church has a way of perceiving evangelization and how to do it most effectively.”

The Archbishop says in this way, he believes the Patriarch will be able to make a positive contribution to the Synod “especially now…with the situation of the Christians in the Middle East … a very difficult situation.

“Evangelizing our people now is all the more urgent because our people are going through huge problems in all the countries of the Middle East.” In particular, Archbishop Sayah cites Iraq, where conflict and targeted attacks have forced tens of thousands of Christians to flee the country, the frighteningly similar situation today in Syria, and Egypt where Christians have also been the focus of attacks.

“We have a new reality in the Middle East and we have to deal with that new reality. How do you offer Jesus Christ, how do you offer the Gospel to those troubled people?”

Patriarch Rai, he says, will be sensitizing bishops at the Synod to “this new reality,” and to the uncertainties and fears of the region’s Christians for what the future holds. But how do you reach out to Christians in the region who increasingly feel their very existence is in question?

“Of course, this is the million dollar question. It’s a huge, big challenge. But I think you have to start dealing with the immediate and most urgent needs of the people and this is what the Church has been trying to do in Lebanon with the refugees coming from Syria. I think if you bring Jesus Christ to those people you have to bring the loving Christ; you have to bring the caring Christ. And this comes in all sorts of ways: it comes through the presence of the church, close to those people; it comes through offering them what they need. It comes through also helping them rediscover their own commitment as Christians.

The dispersal of Christians from the Middle East represents a particular challenge for the Universal Church reflects the Archbishop who says “being present to them spiritually, economically, psychologically … I think this is probably the way (forward).”

“The main thing is to be there, to be present and do what you can to show them they’re not left alone. I think this is one way of reminding them of the presence of God in the world through the Church.”

Listen to the interview by Tracey McClure: