2010-10-08 16:25:21

Jewish, Muslim, other Christian Churches to address Middle East Synod


(October 8, 2010) The Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East that begins on Sunday in the Vatican, will witness the presence of a Jewish and two Muslim leaders as well as representatives of 14 traditional Christian Churches and ecclesial communities. The details and timetable of the synod were presented at a press conference in the Vatican on Friday by Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, the secretary general of the Vatican’s Synod of Bishops. The Oct. 10-24 synod will discuss the theme, "The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness…” Among those who will address the two-week synod is Jewish representative Rabbi David Rosen, adviser to Israel’s Chief Rabbinate and interreligious affairs director for the ‘American Jewish Committee’ and ‘Heilbrunn Institute for International Interreligious Understanding’ in Israel. The two Muslim leaders are Sunni representative Mohammed al-Sammak, political counsellor of the Mufti of Lebanon, and Shiite representative, Ayatollah Sayed Mostafa Muhagag Ahmadabadi, professor of Islamic Law at Teheran University and member of Iran’s Academy of Sciences. Archbishop Eterovic said that the representatives of the Jewish and Muslims communities have been invited by the Pope as a sign of the Catholic Church’s willingness to continue dialogue with them in a region whose presence is quite significant. Also participating in the synod meetings will be representatives of 14 churches and ecclesial communities not in communion with the Roman Catholic Church that have historical roots in the Middle East. Archbishop Eterovic said that in all 185 synod fathers (with the right to vote) are participating in the Middle East synod that will be shortest in history, spanning just 14 days. Half way through, there will also be a canonization ceremony on Oct. 17 when the Pope will declare 6 new saints for the Catholic Church.







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