POPE IN CYPRUS - Pope hands over Middle East Synod's working document
(June 6, 2010) Pope Benedict XVI, who is in Cyprus on a pastoral visit June 4-6,
handed over the Middle East Synod's working document to the Bishops. Below is the
text of his discourse :
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I thank Archbishop
Eterović for his kind words, and I renew my greetings to all of you who have come
here in connection with the launch of the forthcoming Special Assembly for the Middle
East of the Synod of Bishops. I thank you for all the work that has been accomplished
already in anticipation of the Synodal Assembly, and I promise you the support of
my prayers as you enter this final phase of preparation. Before I begin, it is only
fitting that I recall the late Bishop Luigi Padovese who, as President of the Turkish
Catholic Bishops, contributed to the preparation of the Instrumentum Laboris that
I am consigning to you today. News of his unforeseen and tragic death on Thursday
surprised and shocked all of us. I entrust his soul to the mercy of almighty God,
mindful of how committed he was, especially as a bishop, to interreligious and cultural
understanding, and to dialogue between the Churches. His death is a sobering reminder
of the vocation that all Christians share, to be courageous witnesses in every circumstance
to what is good, noble and just. The motto chosen for the Assembly speaks to us
of communion and witness, and it reminds us how the members of the early Christian
community “were of one heart and soul”. At the centre of the Church’s unity is the
Eucharist, Christ’s inestimable gift to his people and the focus of our liturgical
celebration today on this Solemnity of the Lord’s Body and Blood. So it is not without
significance that the date chosen for the Instrumentum Laboris of the Special Assembly
to be consigned should be today. The Middle East has a special place in the hearts
of all Christians, since it was there that God first made himself known to our fathers
in faith. From the time when Abraham set out from Ur of the Chaldeans in obedience
to the Lord’s call, right up until the death and resurrection of Jesus, God’s saving
work was accomplished through particular individuals and peoples in your homelands.
Since then, the message of the Gospel has spread all over the world, but Christians
everywhere continue to look to the Middle East with special reverence, on account
of the prophets and patriarchs, apostles and martyrs to whom we owe so much, the men
and women who heard God’s word, bore witness to it, and handed it on to us who belong
to the great family of the Church. L’Assemblée Spéciale du Synode des Évêques,
convoquée à votre demande, va tenter d’approfondir les liens de communion entre les
membres de vos Églises locales, ainsi que la communion de ces mêmes Églises entre
elles et avec l’Église universelle. Cette Assemblée désire aussi vous encourager dans
le témoignage de votre foi dans le Christ que vous rendez dans les pays où cette foi
est née et a grandi. Il est également connu que certains d’entre vous endurent de
grandes épreuves dues à la situation actuelle de la région. L’Assemblée Spéciale est
une opportunité pour les Chrétiens du reste du monde d’offrir un soutien spirituel
et une solidarité à leurs frères et sœurs du Moyen-Orient. C’est une occasion pour
mettre en relief la valeur importante de la présence et du témoignage chrétiens dans
les pays de la Bible, non seulement pour la communauté chrétienne à l’échelle mondiale,
mais également pour vos voisins et vos concitoyens. Vous contribuez d’innombrables
manières au bien commun, par exemple par l’éducation, le soin des malades et l’assistance
sociale, et vous travaillez à la construction de la société. Vous désirez vivre en
paix et en harmonie avec vos voisins juifs et musulmans. Souvent, vous agissez en
artisans de paix dans le difficile processus de conciliation. Vous méritez la reconnaissance
pour le rôle inestimable que vous remplissez. C’est mon sérieux espoir que tous vos
droits soient de plus en plus respectés, y compris le droit à la liberté de culte
et la liberté religieuse, et que vous ne souffriez plus jamais de discrimination d’aucune
sorte. I pray that the work of the Special Assembly will help to focus the attention
of the international community on the plight of those Christians in the Middle East
who suffer for their beliefs, so that just and lasting solutions may be found to the
conflicts that cause so much hardship. On this grave matter, I reiterate my personal
appeal for an urgent and concerted international effort to resolve the ongoing tensions
in the Middle East, especially in the Holy Land, before such conflicts lead to greater
bloodshed. With these thoughts, I now present to you the text of the Instrumentum
Laboris of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops. God
bless your work abundantly! God bless all the peoples of the Middle East!