Bishops Synod discuss various problems in Middle East

(Oct.13,2010) The Synod of Bishops for the Middle East on the theme “Communion and Witness” continues in the Vatican. During Tuesday afternoon’s 4^th General Congregation, Latin-rite Patriarch Fouad Twal of Jerusalem said that the Mother Church of the Holy Land is a concrete and living reality, even though a minority. Stating that Christians in the country are the direct descendants of the very first Community formed by Jesus Christ Himself, he called for prayers from all the people of God for the Mother Church.
India’s Syro-Malabar rite Auxiliary Bishop Bosco Puthur of Ernakulam- Angamaly, spoke of thousands of immigrant workers from Asia and Africa, who are subject to social injustice in the Middle East. He urged the Apostolic See and all Churches, which have the pastoral responsibility, to redress the grave situation in the region and assist them in both religious and social matters.
And Major Archbishop Baselios Cleemis Thottunnkal of Trivandrum, Kerala, of the Syro-Malankara rite, pointed out that all the churches of various traditions are engaged in deepening Christian witness in the Middle East and he prayed that their efforts are strengthened even more. He added that their common commitment with Muslims, Jews and all the religions and people of good will is to promote justice everywhere.
The need for dialogue with Muslims, the urgency of civil rights, including freedom of religion, emigration, sects, the importance of education in school and at home to face corruption in society, and the challenges Christians face in the Middle East, were some of the problems that emerged earlier on Tuesday morning during the Middle East Synod of Bishops.
Chaldean Archbishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk, Iraq, stressed the need for a serious commitment to dialogue with Muslims. "Without dialogue with them, there will no be peace or stability. Together, we can eliminate war and all forms of violence. We must join our voices to denounce the booming business of the arms trade,” he said. Referring in particular to the situation of Iraqi Christians, Archbishop Sako said that emigration is the biggest challenge, therefore the Eastern Churches and also the universal Church, must take their share of responsibility, and together with the international community and local authorities, come up with common choices that respect the dignity of the human person. The strength of a State should be based on its credibility in applying laws that serve its citizens, without discrimination between the majority and minority. We want to live in peace and liberty instead of just surviving" said Archbishop Sako .
Maronite Archbishop Paul Youssef Matar of Beirut, Lebanon, highlighted the responsibility of Christians and Muslims. He said “Christians, right from childhood, must not feel they have to forge a destiny limited to themselves but rather a common destiny with their partners. Being part of the Arab world, should not cause them to lose their rights or their freedom, but confirm them in common with the rights and freedoms of their fellow citizens. Archbishop Matar also highlighted the responsibility of Western powers. He said they have committed injustices and historical errors in their encounter with the Middle East and should now make amends by removing injustices. Christians in the West and the rest of the world must show solidarity with their brothers and sisters of the Middle East. They should exercise pressure on public opinion at home, as well as on their governments, to re-establish justice in their relationships with the Middle East and Islam and help liberate the world from fundamentalism, he said.
The need for communion was instead at the heart of the intervention delivered by Latin-rite Archbishop Jean Benjamin Sleiman of Baghdad, Iraq. He said “Our presence and our future, our witness and our commitment depend on it. But communion is above all contradicted by sectarianism. Rites have become confessions. Our churches are invited to free themselves of this historical legacy in order to once again find the model of the community of Jerusalem”, he said.
Latin-rite Patriarchal Vicar Salim Sayegh, of Jerusalem in Jordan, spoke about sects, which are causing a great doctrinal confusion. In Jordan,he said there are fifty seven of them, five of which have more active pastors than all Catholic and Orthodox churches together". To preserve the faith, there is an urgent need to visit the families, to explain, defend, sow, and help live the Catholic faith," he said and called for the serious Christian formation of adults, and urged Catholic schools to raise awareness of their mission as Catholic schools.
The Middle East Bishops Synod that began on 9 Oct will conclude on Oct 24.