‘Same-sex synod’ what? By Sr. Teresa R. Tunay, OCDS

Pope Francis greets a cardinal as he leaves at the end of a mass to mark the opening of the synod on the family in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, Rome, Italy, October 5, 2014. [Picture source: Christian Post]

…and that’s the truth [from CBCP News]

THEY are at it again—those who have an axe to grind against the Catholic Church are finding media morsels to feast upon at the ongoing Synod of Bishops in the Vatican. Further exploiting Pope Francis’ most misconstrued quote “Who am I to judge?”, these people with special interests label what is actually a synod on the family as “same-sex synod”, a “novelty”, an occasion for “hundreds of celibate men” to display once more their “obsession with sex” colliding head on with their “puritanical idealism”. It is high season for optimistic militant LGBT entities to repackage and resell their pet theories while judging the bishops and the Church as being “outdated” and woefully out of touch with reality.

I follow with mixed amusement and compassion the ways anti-Church advocates—claiming “human rights”—manipulate mainstream and social media to advance their agenda. They start with looking oppressed—as though gays were the most tyrannized people on planet Earth. But are they, seriously? At least in the Philippines, they are far from oppressed—they are not only accepted, they are loved, adored, and some are even envied for their wealth and popularity. And their gifts and talents are not just acknowledged by the Church but are welcomed and utilized in its ministry. I have heard of gay boys being rejected by their fathers, but only in the movies. All the gay persons I know have no problem with acceptance.

The earliest memories I have of gays are those about the two men in charge of our town’s Flores de Mayo. “Dalawang bakla lang ang gumagawa ng lahat diyan,” my mother would admiringly inform us, referring to the two middle-aged unmarried men—with soft wrists and hard core devotion to the Virgin Mary—who would virtually bloom whenever Santacruzan time came around. They recruited sagalas, assigned Reinas their consortes, supervised the makeup, the flower arrangements, the carroza decoration—everything! It never occurred to me that they were different—maybe I was too naïve to notice, just as I was too innocent to appreciate the biggest role in the Santacruzan given to me—Ang Babaeng Samaritana.

No, I think the LGBT champions want more than mere acceptance—they want “gay rights” to be recognized as human rights. They want marriage (just like the straights), they want their own “family” of adopted kids, and in the process they try to “revolutionize” Church teaching in the name of human rights. What’s sad is they don’t seem to understand that by fighting for “gay rights” they are seeking affirmation based on mere sexuality. In a sense they are actually asking people to measure their worth by the yardstick of sexual preference, thereby wasting their own potential as human beings.

Claiming that the only natural love they know (and the act that accompanies it) is one for and with another person of the same gender, they argue that they have a right to find happiness in love. “Kasalanan ko bang ipinanganak akong isang sirena?” (Is it my fault that I was born a mermaid?), a lot of gay men I know have jokingly asked. Like any other person they look for someone to love, be loved by, and when they do, they have sex without babies (to put it bluntly). It’s sex to please oneself and the beloved. Pleasure blinds the indulgent, and this is where their problem worsens. They drop out of Church, or in any case stop listening to “God talk”—instead they choose listen to “the other side”, and from there it’s a slippery slope to perdition.

Somebody has to remind them of their “divine rights”, to convince them that they are—like everybody else, inside or outside the Catholic Church—children of a kind and loving God. As such we have a right to ask for strength from our Father in times of temptation. As His children we all are bound by love to listen to God’s voice, to seek His will in everything we do—and certainly, wasting sexual energy is not one of them.

“Who says you have to have sex with your boyfriend to express your love?” I tell this to my gay friends who seem to flit from one fling to another in search of happiness in love. (They keep getting brokenhearted anyway). “Happiness in love is not found in human love alone—perhaps, in ‘making you a sirena’ God wants to be your siyukoy (merman)! But if you keep complaining and marching in the streets for your gay rights, how can you hear the Father telling you He loves you?”

It is said that hope springs eternal in the human breast. And so my gay friends still hope that with such a dynamic pope as Francis at the helm, the ongoing synod of bishops will maybe allow same-sex marriage. “You see,” I tell them, “you’re just listening to the noise! The Church will continue to love you dearly but it will never bless your same-sex union and call it marriage.” And that’s the truth.

TIME News: What the Vatican Really Said About Homosexuality

TIME News - It's not the big shift people think it is

The Catholic world and the media were riled Monday by a Vatican document interpreted by many as signaling a softer church stance toward homosexuality, but the inclusive tone of the document is a long way from actual policy change.

At issue are three words most people have never heard of: Relatio post disceptationem. That’s the name of the document the Catholic Church’s Extraordinary Synod of the Bishops released Monday, one week into the Synod’s gathering to discuss the state of the family in the modern world. It translates, “Report After Debate,” and it was read aloud in the Synod hall to kick off the Synod’s second week. One of the report’s 58 sections—the one causing the biggest stir—is titled, “Welcoming homosexual persons.”

“Homosexuals have gifts and qualities to offer to the Christian community,” the passage begins. “Are we capable of welcoming these people, guaranteeing to them a fraternal space in our communities? Often they wish to encounter a Church that offers them a welcoming home. Are our communities capable of providing that, accepting and valuing their sexual orientation, without compromising Catholic doctrine on the family and matrimony?”

For a Church that has historically linked the word “homosexual” with the word “sin,” the idea of welcoming gays in any capacity can appear to be a significant move. Headlines immediately spoke of a “dramatic shift” and a “more tolerant” stance from the church.

But before rushing to conclusions, everyone, on all sides, should calm down.

First, here’s what the document actually is:

The relatio is a mid-Synod snapshot of 200+ Catholic leaders’ conversations that happened in the Synod hall last week. It is a starting point for conversations as the Synod fathers start small group discussions this week. It is a working text that identifies where bishops need to “deepen or clarify our understanding,” as Cardinal Luis Antonia Tagle put it in Monday’s press briefing. That means that the topic of gays and Catholic life came up in the Synod conversations so far and that it is a topic for continued reflection.

Second, here’s what the document is not:

The relatio is not a proscriptive text. It is not a decree. It is not doctrine, and certainly not a doctrinal shift. It is also not final. “These are not decisions that have been made nor simply points of view,” the document concludes. “The reflections put forward, the fruit of the Synodal dialogue that took place in great freedom and a spirit of reciprocal listening, are intended to raise questions and indicate perspectives that will have to be matured and made clearer by the reflection of the local Churches in the year that separates us from the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of bishops planned for October 2015.”

Pope seeks religious liberty in Muslim Mideast

By Philip Pullella

Photo: Bishops at Mass marking the end of the synod of bishops from the Middle East in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican October 24, 2010/Alessia Pierdomenico (Photo Source: Reuters)

VATICAN CITY, Reuters - Pope Benedict called on Islamic countries in the Middle East on Sunday to guarantee freedom of worship to non-Muslims and said peace in the region was the best remedy for a worrying exodus of Christians.

He made his a appeal at a solemn mass in St Peter's Basilica ending a two week Vatican summit of bishops from the Middle East, whose final document criticized Israel and urged the Jewish state to end its occupation of Palestinian territories.

Hariri: Maintaining Christian Presence in Mideast is Wealth for Arabism, Islam

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri

Beirut, Lebanon , Naharnet - Prime Minister Saad Hariri said on the occasion of the conclusion of the Synod held in Rome under Pope Benedict XVI that maintaining Christian presence in the Middle East is "wealth for Arabism and Islam."

FINAL MESSAGE OF SYNOD FOR MIDDLE EAST

VATICAN CITY, 23 OCT 2010 (VIS) - During yesterday's Thirteenth General Congregation of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops, the Synod Father's approved their Final Message.

Extracts from the English-language version of the Message are given below:

I. THE CHURCH IN THE MIDDLE EAST: COMMUNION AND WITNESS THROUGHOUT HISTORY. THE JOURNEY OF FAITH IN THE MIDDLE EAST

"The first Christian community was born in the Middle East. From there, the Apostles after Pentecost went out to evangelise the whole world. ... We are now at a turning point in our history: The God Who gave us the faith in our Eastern lands 2000 years ago, calls us today to persevere with courage, strength and steadfastness in bearing the message of Christ and witnessing to His Gospel, the Gospel of love and peace".

"Today we face many challenges. ... What Christ asks from our Churches is to strengthen communion within every 'sui iuris' Church, and between the Catholic Churches of different traditions, and to exert every effort in prayer and charitable acts in order to attain the full unity of all Christians".

41 Propositions of Mideast Synod

Photo Source: AsiaNews

Addresses Identity of Christians, Migration, Dialogue

VATICAN CITY, OCT. 24, 2010 (EWTN / Zenit.org).- Here is the unofficial Vatican translation of the 41 propositions of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops on the theme The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness."

Middle East: The Need to Recognize Christians as Citizens with FULL Rights in the Society

Synod: Christians and Islam demand religious freedom, to fight extremism

by Samir Khalil Samir

New strengths in mission emerge at the Synod for the Middle East: the scourge of extremism that suffocates Christians and Muslims, the need to recognize Christians as citizens with full rights in society, the right to the proclamation of the gospel. A summary of the week’s proceedings by an expert at the synodal assembly.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - A new factor that emerged forcefully during the Synod is that Christians are not called to fight against Islam. On the contrary, the interventions by Synod Fathers and Muslim guests expressed the need to work together to stop extremism and ensure full citizenship for Christians in Middle Eastern societies.

We can say that the central idea that emerged in the first week of the synod is the task of helping Christians to live in the East, where Christianity was born, but where it is now a minority.

1. Tolerance and discrimination

Israeli rabbi speaks of interfaith cooperation in Vatican

Rabbi David Rosen, along with Sunni and Shi'ite representatives, address over 250 bishops in Middle East forum.

VATICAN CITY, The Jerusalem Post – Rabbi David Rosen delivered a historic speech on Wednesday to Pope Benedict XVI as over 250 bishops gathered in the Vatican’s Synod Hall for the Special Assembly on the Middle East On Thursday, Sunni and Shi’ite representatives spoke.

These three religious leaders are the only non-Christian guests at the October 10- 24 synod. In different ways, they each painted a picture of a difficult but possible coexistence between the three monotheistic religions in the cradle of their birth, based on recent advances in interreligious dialogue and reciprocal respect for religious and cultural pluralism.

Rosen, adviser to Israel’s Chief Rabbinate, and the American Jewish Committee’s international director for interfaith affairs, was chosen as world Jewry’s sole representative.

He is the second rabbi to have been thus honored, preceded at the 2008 Synod on the Bible by Haifa Chief Rabbi She’ar Yashuv Cohen.

After speaking, Rosen, accompanied by Israel’s Ambassador to the Holy See Mordechay Lewy and this reporter, who is also the AJC’s liaison to the Holy See, met privately with the pope.

Rabbi Rosen thanked Benedict for his continued commitment to the Catholic Church’s respectful dialogue with Judaism, and the pope noted with appreciation Rosen’s “empathy with suffering on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict” and his “consideration for the importance and wellbeing of Christians ‘as a barometer of the health or infirmity’ of societies in the Middle East.”

In his speech, Rosen paid tribute to the Israeli Christians’ achievements in education and their outstanding role in “promoting interreligious understanding and cooperation in the country.”

Rosen said that although he was “fully conscious of the carnage of the recent past in the streets of our cities” and the “ongoing threats... from those openly committed in the destruction and extermination of Israel..., we must strive to do all we can to alleviate hardship..., especially as they pertain to the Christian communities in Jerusalem and environs.”

He went on to say that “for me personally as an Israeli Jerusalamite, the distressing situation in the Holy Land and the suffering of so many on the different sides of the political divide, is a source of pain...,” even though “it is used and abused to heighten various tensions that go well beyond the geographical context of the conflict itself.”

The speeches Thursday by the Shi’ite representative, Iranian Ayatollah Seyed Mostafa Mohaghegh Ahmadabadi, professor of law and a member of the Iranian Academy of Sciences, and the Sunni representative, Muhammad al-Sammak, political councillor to the mufti of Lebanon, revealed substantial differences between them.

While Ahmadabadi ostensibly embraced respect for cultural and religious diversity and the necessity for interreligious understanding, because “we share each other’s destinies,” Sammak took a realistic look at the lack of “equal citizenship” for Christians in many Middle East countries and the “misunderstanding of the spirit of Islamic teachings” that lead to “negative intellectual and political content” and “worrisome and harmful actions bad for us all” resulting in Christians emigrating and a “culture of extremism” for Islam.

In calling Christians “pioneers of modern Arabic renaissance,” Sammak made a brief reference to their also being in “the forefront to confront and resist occupation, defend violated national rights, especially in Jerusalem and in occupied Palestine in general.”

Chatting with the press before going to the synod, Ahmadabadi spoke of the Koranic teaching of respect for Christianity and Judaism, then proceeded to attribute the origin of contemporary Islamic and Christian fundamentalism to Israeli fundamentalist groups.

These were the only references to Israel made by the two Muslim representatives – aside from including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a long list of causes for unrest affecting Christian life in a context that largely condemned extremism and defended “true” Islamic teachings.

Regarding freedom of conscience, a difficult and recurring theme of the synod, both men pointed to the historic origins of negative attitudes by Muslim countries towards conversions from Islam. Due to past wars between Islam and Christianity, conversion was equated with treason.

“This concept must be changed,” Sammak said, pointing out that the Koran forbids the coercion of conscience and does not recognize coerced adherence to Islam.

Asked whether he agreed with Rosen’s statement that Christians could become “blessed peacemakers in the city whose name means peace,” the Lebanese political councillor replied, “I subscribe blindly to anything said by Rabbi David Rosen.”

Patriarch: Jordan Supplying 80% of Seminarians

Emphasizes Nation's Importance for Christian Community

By Mariaelena Finessi

ROME, OCT. 19, 2010 (Zenit.org).- When Benedict XVI made his pilgrimage to the Holy Land in May 2009, Jordan was his first stop.

But many pilgrims overlook Jordan, excluding it from official Holy Land tours. Still, it is one of the nations that falls under the jurisdiction of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and according to the patriarch, the importance of Jordan needs to be recognized.

Archbishop Fouad Twal, himself of Jordanian birth, spoke of his homeland at the exhibit "A Look at Christians of the Middle East," being sponsored by the Custody of the Holy Land during the synod on the Middle East, which is under way through Sunday.

The archbishop said that in Jordan "is the most consistent portion of our local Christian community, grown numerically with the addition in 1948 and in 1967 of so many Palestinian refugees."

The result is that today the country has 65 parishes and 77,000 faithful.

In fact, Archbishop Twal noted, "80% of our seminarians are of Jordanian origin."

The patriarch asserted that Christians of the Holy Land must be at the center of the Church's attention: They are "descendants of the first community formed by Jesus Christ himself," he reminded, and never before has it been so much the "Church of Calvary" such that the presence of Christians in the Holy Land can be read as "a mission, a vocation," called by God to "bear this cross."

For its part, Jordan is an example of dialogue and religious coexistence, Archbishop Twal continued. He pointed to the charitable work done by the Christian community there, though it is a minority. Jordan assists something like 500,000 refugees, especially Iraqis, and aspires to be a model for the whole of the Middle East area, he said.

It was also in Jordan, the prelate continued, that the best reactions to the Pope's Regensburg address could be found. There, there was an openness that culminated in Benedict XVI's visit to the mosque of Amman, where he was received explicitly as Successor of Peter.

Addressing issues

Archbishop Twal was accompanied during his address by a leader of Caritas-Jordan, Monsignor Sayegh e a Huda Muhasher.

The decisive role of Christians in Jordan's civil society is found in that which Benedict XVI defined as "the dialogue of works," Muhasher said. "There are so many, and as laity we have a great role in them."

He said Caritas has addressed all the most serious national emergencies, including that of the immigrants.

"We have two charitable fronts," the Caritas director said, "one for Jordanians, for whom Caritas was founded, and one for all the foreigners who arrive in the country and are in need of help."

And being a laboratory of coexistence between Christians and Muslims, between citizens and foreigners, "the greater part of funds received in the last years has been allocated to Iraqi refugees and not to Jordanians," he added.

Among Caritas' many projects -- it is the only organization that can enter prisons, for example -- there is one that Muhasher highlighted: a care center for disabled children and their families.

There, he said, parents are "taught how to address and live with handicaps."

The Caritas leader spoke of beginning every activity with prayer, "without showy gestures but each one in the silence of his heart."

Six Stories of Mideast Churches

"Sui Iuris" Churches Gathered in Rome for Synod

By Andrea Kirk Assaf

ROME, OCT. 19, 2010 (Zenit.org).- St. Peter's square these days is a particularly international meeting point. Amidst the throngs of ever-present tourists drawn together between Bernini's colonnades strides an Iranian ayatollah in his distinctive round turban, followed shortly after by a group of Iraqi clerics in red and black vestments, who quietly and intently speak to one another as they move to their next appointment at the Vatican.

Other soberly yet ornately dressed Oriental clerics make a brief appearance as they too join this international delegation of Middle Eastern clergy gathered in Rome for the work of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops, which concludes Sunday.

In his briefing at the beginning of the synod, Archbishop Nikola Eterović, the secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops, recalled that in addition to the Latin Church, there six Eastern Catholic Churches "sui iuris" in the Middle East, each with its own patriarch, father and head of the Church.

Here, we look back on the ancient stories of these six Eastern Churches that eventually brought these men together to pray and ponder and propose solutions to the problems faced by their flock back home.

Armenian Church

The country of Armenia was evangelized by Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus, and was the first to make Christianity its official religion in 301 under the governorship of St. Gregory the Illuminator. The Armenian Church broke away after the Council of Chalcedon in 554, as did all the Eastern Catholic churches now referred to as "uniate." After several attempts at reunification with Rome by members of the Armenian Orthodox Church over the centuries, Pope Benedict XIV ultimately announced the establishment of the Armenian Catholic Church in 1742.

Its patriarchate (currently led by Patriarch Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni) is located in Bzoummar, Lebanon, and its communities are found in Egypt, Syria, Turkey, Israel, Iran, Iraq, and Palestine, as well as in the global diaspora, particularly in the United States. There are an estimated 540,000 Catholic Armenians around the world.

Chaldean Church

The Catholic Chaldean Church originated in Edessa (in modern day Turkey) with the Apostle Thomas. Today its patriarchate is located in Baghdad, Iraq, headed by Patriarch Emannuel III Delly, and its members number approximately 419,000. In 2007, Patriarch Delly became the first Chaldean Catholic elevated to the rank of a cardinal.

The line of patriarchs in communion with Rome dates back to 1553, though this line was broken on several occasions and rival patriarchs created their own lines of succession. In 1830, only one patriarch remained and Pope Pius VIII granted him the title of Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans.

The history of the Chaldean Church has been marked by waves of persecution through the centuries in Iraq, nearly decimating their number and scattering their population, yet the Church to this day maintains a firm presence and vibrant community.

Catholic Coptic Church

The roots of this Church are found in the conversion of an Orthodox Coptic bishop, Amba Athanasius, to Catholicism in 1741, along with 2,000 others. Athanasius was appointed apostolic vicar to this new flock but later returned to the Orthodox Church. He left behind a line of Catholic vicars, however, and in 1824 the Holy See created a Patriarchate for the Copts, re-established in 1895 by Pope Leo XIII, who appointed the first patriarch.

The current Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria, who heads a Church of 163,000 in Egypt, is Archbishop Antonios Naguib, the general relator of the Mideast synod.

Greek Melkite Church

The Melkites, also known as Byzantine Catholics, number 1.3 million around the world. They entered into full communion with Rome in 1729 under the Pontificate of Benedict XIII.

Melkite Patriarch Gregory refused to sign the declaration on the doctrine of papal infallibility at Vatican Council I, along with others in a minority called the anti-infallibilists, but later consented with the addition of the clause "except the rights and privileges of Eastern patriarchs." Gregory's concerns about the latinization of the Eastern Churches was somewhat relieved by Leo XIII's encyclical "Orientalium Dignitas." Following Vatican Council II, the Melkites took further measures to remove Latin-rite traditions from their liturgy.

The current patriarch in the See of Akko, Haifa, Nazareth and All Galilee is Archbishop Elias Michael Chacour, a Palestinian who has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his charitable and peace-promoting work, namely with the Mar Elias Educational Institutions.

The current Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Alexandria, and Jerusalem is Gregory III Laham, who resides in Damuscus, Syria. In the Middle East his flock can be found in Israel, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon, and also in Africa, South America, North America and Australia.

Maronite Church

The Maronites derive their name from the Syrian monk St. Maron, who was an important figure in the Christian community of Antioch at the same time as St. John Chrysostom, but who left the city to follow the example of St. Anthony of the Desert and took up a hermitic life.

The Maronites voted in favor of the Council of Chalcedon in 451, subsequently finding themselves the sole Chalcedonian Christians in the region. Some 350 Maronite monks were then killed by monophysites, causing the Maronites to flee and settle in Lebanon, particularly in the mountainous regions.

The first specifically Maronite patriarch, John Maron, was elected in 687, in the midst of an Islamic invasion and conflict with the Orthodox Church and the Byzantine Emperor, Justinian II. The Muslim conquest of Eastern Christendom cut off Maronite communication with Rome for 400 years, until the time of the First Crusade, when the Maronites re-affirmed their union with Rome in 1182, the only non-uniate Eastern Christian Church in the Middle East to this day. In 1584, the Maronites established their presence in Rome with the Maronite College, followed by the building of several monasteries and convents of Maronite orders.

Today, the majority of Christians in Lebanon are still Maronite, approximately 930,000, and the patriarch, currently the Cardinal Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, resides outside Beirut in the town of Bkerke. The Maronite diaspora is far greater in number at nearly three million, with congregations in Australia, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Israel and Cyprus.

Syriac Church

The Syriac Church, also referred to as the Western Syriac Rite, uses a Syriac language liturgy that is called the "Anaphora of St. James" and dates back to the bishopric of St. Peter in Antioch. The Syriac Catholic Church made a final split from the Orthodox Church and came into union with Rome in 1781.

Dramatically, in 1782, Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Michael Jarweh of Aleppo declared himself Catholic and in union with Rome shortly after his election, and then took flight to Lebanon where he established an unbroken line of Catholic Syriac patriarchs. During the 18th century the Church went underground due to persecution from the Orthodox, encouraged by the Ottomans.

In the subsequent years the patriarchate was moved from Lebanon to Aleppo, Syria, then to Mardin, Turkey, and finally back to Lebanon to Beirut during the Assyrian genocide of World War I, which brought about the deaths of over 37,500 Syriac Catholics at the hands of Turkish nationalists.

Today there are approximately 159,000 Syriac Catholics globally, concentrated in the Middle East in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Turkey, and also in the diaspora in Australia, Sweden, France, Venezuela, Brazil, Sudan, the United States and Canada. The current Patriarch of Antioch and All the East of the Syrians is Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan, who resides in Beirut, Lebanon.

Christian Emigration an Islamic Crisis

Interview With Lebanese Political Adviser

By Tony Assaf and Robert Cheaib

ROME, OCT. 19, 2010 (Zenit.org).- When Muhammad al-Sammak hears someone affirm that interreligious dialogue is useless, he counters: "What is the alternative?"

Al-Sammak, a Sunni Muslim who is secretary general of Lebanon's Christian-Muslim Committee for Dialogue, thus asserts that it is urgent to spread a culture of dialogue in all levels of society.

This scholar and advocate of interreligious coexistence, who is also an adviser to Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, addressed the synod of bishops on the Middle East last Thursday. The synod is under way at the Vatican through Sunday.

ZENIT spoke with the Lebanese leader about his address to the synod fathers, the particular mission of Lebanon for promoting peace, and what should be seen as a truly Islamic view of Christianity.

ZENIT: Does the content of your address at the synod represent the opinion of Sunni Muslims in the Middle East or is it only the view of a faction? As a Muslim, what do you expect from the synod?

Al-Sammak: The position I presented in the synodal intervention represents Islamic doctrine, and I am a committed Muslim who speaks, whether in the Vatican or in sacred Mecca. What I said is faithful to Islamic teaching, and I don't think that a true believing Muslim can distance himself from this position. Also in the preparatory phase of the speech I made a series of consultations with the Lebanese premier, the World Association of the Islamic Appeal, as well as the general council of King Abdullah's initiative for dialogue between cultures and religions, given that Saudi Arabia is the first point of reference in the Islamic world. Because of this, I think the text expresses the thinking of the Islamic world in general.

ZENIT: Continuing with your speech at the synod, you affirmed: "To ease emigration, this is forcing [Christians] to emigrate. To turn in on oneself, is to slowly suffocate." In your opinion, what should the synod do to prevent the emigration of Christians from the Middle East?

Al-Sammak: Clearly the text of my intervention is an invitation -- not only to encourage Christians to stay in their countries of origin, but also to help them to stay. And the help should not come only from references such as the Vatican or the synod of bishops; it should also come from the local political authorities and from the civil societies of which Christians form a part. There is a joint Muslim-Christian responsibility.

It seems to me that Christians should give up the idea of emigration from the Middle East. And, on the other side, Muslims should realize that Christian emigration constitutes in truth a catastrophe for them in the first place. Hence, it is a civic duty of Muslims to contribute so that the Christian presence in the Middle East will take up again its credibility and its role, and not remain only a mere presence, so that the Middle East will again be what it has been in the course of centuries: a cradle of religion, of culture and of civilization.

ZENIT: What position should Christians take as a social and political presence in Lebanon in regard to the internal divisions of Islam between Sunnis and Shiites? Is it enough to take a position of "positive neutrality" as suggested by Sateh Nour ed-Din, a Muslim political opinion maker, who affirms: "Christians should do nothing other than adopt a position of positive neutrality between Sunnis and Shiites." Isn't the neutrality suggested, rather, a negative, passive and marginal position?

Al-Sammak: Christians in Lebanon are not mere spectators, nor a foreign element to be reconciled with internal elements in the national structure as if they were external factors. Lebanon was born in response to the Christian need. And the constitution of the Lebanese nation came in 1920 as a response to such a particular need. The role of Christians in Lebanon cannot be reduced to reconciliation between political and religious forces. The Christian role is foundational and essential. Hence, it isn't possible to imagine Christians as passive spectators or advisers. The nation regards them in every aspect. And we must be very clear that a great part of the Christian suffering in the Middle East is due to the diminution of the Christian role in Lebanon, which is reflected negatively on the spirit of Christians in the rest of the region. The fostering of a Christian presence in the Middle East should start necessarily in Lebanon, which is the nation-message of civil coexistence between Muslims and Christians.

ZENIT: You state that the role of Christians in Lebanon is "foundational and essential," and during your intervention in the synod of bishops, you said: "I can live my Islam with all other Muslims from all states and from all ethnicities, but as a Middle Eastern Arab, I cannot live my being Arabic without the Middle Eastern Christian Arab." However, there are other views in Islam of the Middle East, which consider Christians as residues of the Crusades to be eliminated in any possible way, and regard Christians as allies and spies of the West, considered erroneously the political and religious kingdom of Christians! In face of this duplicity, Christians find themselves before a difficult crossroads. Which of these faces is the true Islam?

Al-Sammak: This argument requires a long discussion, which is not possible at this moment. But let us begin from historical data. Christianity is older than Islam in the East. There are churches that still subsist and that were built much earlier than the birth of the Prophet Mohammed and of the advent of Islam. I would like to report a documented episode that recounts the visit to the Prophet by a Christian tribe in Najran in the Arabian Peninsula. The embassy came to discover the new religion of which it had received news. The Prophet received it in his home, which is the second most sacred place of Islam, where the mosque of Medina is now erected. They stayed with the Prophet for a whole day, lunching and dining together, and when the hour of Vespers arrived, the Prophet invited them to pray in his house, but they preferred to pray outside. The success of the meeting is reflected in a document called "the pact of Najran." It concerns all Christians and commits Muslims religiously until the day of the resurrection. The duty of Muslims is to respect Christians and to protect and watch over their places of worship. The pact prohibits a Muslim from building a home or another mosque using stones used previously by Christian churches. There are also other interesting topics that I have inserted in a 15-point study, which concern every Muslim. Hence, when someone says that Christians are an added novelty in the Middle East, I ask: how can they be so, when they are older in the region of Muslims as documented by the sacred writings themselves of Islamic tradition?

Then it is said that Christians are a residue of the Crusades. But how can they be so, if in reality, they were themselves damaged by these Crusades, beginning with the sacking of Constantinople and extending to the Western coasts of the Mediterranean. These affirmations made by factions of Islam are mere suppositions based on an erroneous culture.

Then there is another problem: Some Muslims look at the West as if is were Christianity. This isn't true. I know well that the late Pope John Paul II invoked tenaciously the mention of the Christian roots of Europe in the unified Constitution of the European Union. But the final text was issued without the least reference to these roots. Hence it isn't right to burden the shoulders of Christianity and of Christians with the choices of the West. It isn't right to aggravate Christians with responsibility for the conflict between Islam and the West.

These problems are unknown by so many Muslims who come to mistaken conclusions based on erroneous assumptions. Because of this, it is essential to spread the right culture that corrects these assumptions.

ZENIT: Speaking again of Christian emigration from the Middle East, we hear various Muslims affirm that it is a great loss in the first place for Muslims. What are you doing concretely to prevent, or put an end to, this phenomenon?

Al-Sammak: Within the limit of our capacity we seek to sensitize Muslims on the grave loss that the flight and emigration of Christians inflicts on the Middle East. Because of this exodus, the East loses its identity, its plurality, the spirit of tolerance and of mutual respect. Also at the level of religious practice, a Muslim has need of the Christian to practice the moral values of his faith, such as tolerance and respect. Therefore, emigration lacerates and enervates the rich fabric of the East, weakening our societies and leading them to a dangerous precipice.

Moreover, if Christians emigrate, the image we transmit is that Muslims are intolerant toward Christians in the Middle East. It will be natural for Westerners to deduce that Muslims don't know and cannot coexist with others, hence how can they coexist with us? This would reflect very negatively on the close to 500 million Muslims who live in non-Muslim societies. What will be their fate? Hence, it is an advantage for Muslims to preserve the Christian presence in the Middle East.

ZENIT: There has been talk in the synod of "positive secularity," and some prelates suggested modifying the terminology to be more consonant with contemporary Islamic sensibility, suggesting the expression "civil state." Is it dogmatically possible, in a religion such as Islam that considers itself at the same time "religion and state" (Din wa dunya), to arrive at an idea of a civil and pluralistic nation that constitutes the theocratic state?

Al-Sammak: This type of research isn't new in Islam. With us in Lebanon the late imam Mohammad Shams el-Din suggested to his time the project of the civil state, that is the idea of a believing nation where the state respects the plurality of faiths, and also non-belief. Faith in fact is a question of conscience, it is the relationship between God and man, and God judges everyone. The Quran says: "There is no forcing in religion." This verse does not only mean "not to force anyone to believe," but also "there cannot be faith with constriction." On this principle we can build the concept of the civil state. The state must respect religion and religious rites, becoming at the same time a nation for all. So much has been said about this already in so many Muslim meetings, that's why it is a question that can be discussed.

ZENIT: Religious dialogue is a phenomenon that has been under way for several decades. Some, however, criticize this dialogue, affirming that it happens only among religious leaders and that it remains mere ink on paper, without being embodied in the daily life of ordinary people. What is your opinion as an active member of the path of Muslim-Christian dialogue? And what is the state of this dialogue today?

Al-Sammak: I believe, first of all, that there is no alternative to dialogue. When someone affirms "dialogue is useless," I counter: "What is the alternative?" This is an essential point of departure.

My theory on dialogue is the following: Dialogue is the art of finding the truth in the opinion of the other. I don't possess truth. Already the fact of beginning to dialogue with the other means that I admit to not having a monopoly on truth, but that I am in search of it. It also means that I will be able to find it in the opinion and view of the other; that is why I respect the other and respect his view. This concept of dialogue builds bridges of reciprocity, which is distinguished from mutual respect.

And dialogue for us is not only theoretic. We do not lose occasions to go to the people, through cultural centers, publications, television broadcasts, interviews, meetings. We also organize residential meetings where we bring together Christian and Muslim young people who spend from one to three weeks together, working together, listening to one another, seeing how each one prays and lives his life and faith. Attending these meetings are young people of several countries of the Middle East but also of Europe. In the thematic meetings we touch upon issues of current importance such as liberty of conscience, the right of citizenship, religious liberty. All this is not enough. The work must be wider, but this is what is in our power and we believe it is urgent to spread this culture in all levels of society.

Synod: no to anti-Semitism and violence, but solidarity with Palestinians

The report after discussions states that the Palestinian situation favors Islamic fundamentalism which is growing and stifles all forms of religious freedom, encourages emigration and impoverishes countries in the region. The choice of dialogue, but "in truth". Christians must not close in on themselves but promote democracy, justice and the secular nature of the state.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - " While condemning the violence whatever its origin and calling for a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we express our solidarity with the Palestinian people, whose current situation encourages fundamentalism" in the region. Hence the lack of respect for religious freedom a major cause of the increasing emigration of Christians and often educated people of other religions, which deprives the country of important energy.

The “Relatio post disceptationem”, or report after discussions, is explicit regarding the dramatic situation in the Middle East and particularly the Christians who live in the region. The report was read this morning in the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East, in the presence of the Pope, by the general relator, Egyptian Archbishop Antonios Naguib, patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts.

"The socio-political situation of our countries - the document states - have a direct impact on Christians, who feel more strongly their negative consequences”, particularly of events like the war in Iraq and the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Regarding the latter it reiterates the call for a two-state solution and says that "on more than one occasion the Holy See has clearly expressed its position, hoping that the two peoples can live in peace, each in its homeland with secure, internationally recognized borders".

Large space is devoted to religious freedom. It "is the basis of relations between Muslims and Christians" and "should be a priority issue in interreligious dialogue. We would like - the document states - the Koranic principle that 'no compulsion in religion' was actually put into practice". Some synod fathers "spoke of the constraints, limits on freedom, violence and exploitation of migrant workers in other countries". This latter fact is part of the growing phenomenon of many workers of Christian religions arriving from Africa and Asia, mainly women. "These - explain the synod fathers - find themselves in an atmosphere of Muslim predominance, and sometimes with little opportunity for religious practice. Many feel abandoned, faced with abuse and mistreatment, in situations of injustice, and violation of laws and international conventions”. To the point that “some immigrants change their names to be more accepted and supported".

While making these present realities, none of the Fathers, though, " No one quoted the Koranic verses on which the extremists base themselves to justify their attitude and acts of violence. This shows the praiseworthy attitude of the Pastors to see what unites and calms rather than what separates. " " Our closeness to Muslims is strengthened by 14 centuries of living together, in enduring difficult moments as well as many positive ones”.

Clear, therefore, the choice in favour of dialogue, which in order to be successful, requires that Christians and Muslims know each other better. "We have the duty to educate our faithful for interreligious dialogue and in the acceptance of religious diversity, in respect and in mutual esteem. The prejudices inherited from the history of conflicts and controversies, on both sides, must be carefully faced, clarified and corrected". In any case, "dialogue must be fulfilled in truth”.

Even in the current situation, however, Christians "must become increasingly rooted in their societies and not be tempted to turn inward as a minority." Instead, "according to the possibilities in each country, Christians must promote democracy, justice and peace, and positive secularism in the distinction between religion and state and respect for every religion."

Vatican Bishops Ponder Middle East Christians

St. Mark Catholic Church, Alexandria, Egypt [Photo Source: skycrapercity.com ]

VOANew.com - Vatican bishops are going into the second week of a synod to discuss the future of Christians in the Middle East, amid scattered persecution and an ongoing exodus from the region.

The Sunday service at the old Anglican church in Cairo's Garden City was sparsely attended. Sunday is not an official holiday in Egypt and many Christians cannot take time off from their jobs to attend church. Some churches in the Middle East hold worship services on Friday, the Muslim sabbath, instead.

As a Vatican synod enters a second week of deliberations over the thinning ranks of Christians in the Middle East, many Christians say life for them in a Muslim environment is becoming more difficult.

Theologian Paul Haidostian, president of Haigazian University in Beirut, says Christians tend to leave the Middle East, especially in times of political turbulence and war. "Minorities in general, and in this case Christians, always pay a certain price any time there is instability or there are wars - even when the wars are not religious and are not against any Christian. So they look for better ways of living elsewhere, thinking that new countries, other countries will provide safety," he said.

Since the end of Lebanon's civil war two decades ago, large numbers of Christians have emigrated to the West.

A young man who lives in Beirut's largely Muslim Hamra district, Ziyad Hajjar, says being a Christian in the predominantly Muslim Middle East, is not an enviable position.

"[Muslim] people have the power here in the Middle East and we cannot say anything. We cannot talk about our religion because here it is dangerous. Here, [Muslims] can easily make problems for you if they found out you are Christian."

In Cairo, Samir, a Christian refugee from Sudan, says that Christians are persecuted in Egypt and in his homeland.

He said it is difficult for a Christian to find work because many fields are closed to them. Samir complains that people tell him and other Christians that they will not get jobs if they are not Muslim. He adds that the situation is similar in the Sudan and that Christians often are told they have the choice of converting to Islam or dying of starvation.

Samir says that many families face the stark choice of sending their children to Islamic schools or not sending them to school at all. "Many Christian families," he says, "are thinking of leaving because they do not want to send their children to an Islamic school."

Samir says the worst form of persecution is the killing of converts to Christianity. Some Christians, like himself, have converted to Christianity, but they face an uncertain fate. "Islam forbids conversion," he notes, "and they often kill apostates.

Despite the slow exodus of Christians from the Middle East, Paul Haidostian of Haigazian University says he is optimistic. "As a Christian, I do not want to connect everything with numbers. Human beings are not static; they are dynamic. They have mobility of various sorts and I think we always have to find genuine ways of being effective, positive witnesses of our faith, with whatever numbers we are," he said.

The Synod to support the Churches of the Middle East and the universal mission, Pope says

Benedict XVI presides over the Special Assembly, which opened today. Communion and witness by Christians must be reinforced by strengthening ties between Christian Churches and the dialogue with Jews and Muslims. However, the region’s Christians must be able to live “with dignity in their homeland” with religious freedom, peace and justice. Everyone must contribute, the international community; religions, so that they can reject violence; and the Universal Church, so that the faithful can “feel the joy of living in the Holy Land.”

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – The Special Assembly for the Middle East began today. Its focus is pastoral, not political. However, it must reflect “upon the present and future of the faithful and of the communities of the Middle East,” focusing “on the aspects that pertain to their mission,” said Benedict XVI as he explained the significance of the Synod of Bishops that opened today in the Vatican until 24 October in the presence of 177 synodal Fathers and about 70 priests from various ecclesiastic rites and traditions. To highlight the pluralism of rites and the universality of the celebration, the Gospel was chanted in Latin and Greek. Choirs sang in Latin and Arabic.

In his homily during today’s Eucharistic celebration in Saint Peter’s, Benedict XVI said that he “welcomed the proposal of the Patriarchs and Bishops to convene a Synodal Assembly”, after visiting Turkey, the Holy Land (Jordan, Israel and Palestine), and Cyprus “where I was able to see close-up the joys and preoccupations of Christian communities”.

The region’s 3 million Catholics (and 14 million Christians) are negatively affected by the political situation, which includes violent persecution and economic problems that compel them to emigrate. The Pope is aware of all these situations but he wants all the participants to the Synod to see the Middle East from a more specific point of view. “God views this region of the world from a different perspective, from “above” as it were. It is the land of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the land of exile and return from exile`; the land of the Temple and the Prophets; the land where the Only-begotten Son was born to Mary, where he lived, died and rose; the cradle of the Church, created to bring the Gospel of Christ to every corner of the Earth. As believers, we took look at the Middle East this way, from the perspective of the history of salvation.”

“Looking at this part of the world from the perspective of God,” he said, “means recognising in it the ‘cradle’ of a universal plan of salvation based in love, a mystery of communion that is realised in freedom and thus calls on men to give an answer.”

The Synod must deepen the Churches’ “communion and witness” as denoted by the title chosen by the Synodal Assembly “The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness. ‘The community of believers was of one heart and mind (Acts, 4:32)’.”

Pope Benedict XVI in Cyprus meeting Muslim Community Leaders
(Photo Source: AsiaNews)

“Without communion there can be no witness. The great witness is precisely the life of communion.” This is happening even if Christians are a minority in the region. “In Jerusalem, the first Christians were few. Nobody could have imagined what was going to take place. In addition, the Church continues to live on that same strength which enabled it to begin and to grow. Pentecost is the original event but also something that is permanently dynamic. The Synod of Bishops is a privileged moment during which we can renew the grace of Pentecost in the path of Church, so that the Good News may be directly announced and welcomed by all the nations.”

Reviving the communion among all the members of the Church (patriarchs, bishops, priests, religious, people of consecrated life and laity) will be ecumenically fruitful “in relations with the other Churches” and “the dialogue with the Jews, with whom we are indissolubly linked in the long history of the Covenant, as well as with Muslims.”

“Everyone wants the faithful to feel the joy of living in the Holy Land, a land blessed by the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ and his glorious Pascal mystery. Over the centuries, these Sites have drawn legions of pilgrims as well as male and female religious communities, who saw living and bearing witness in the Land of Jesus as a great privilege. Despite the difficulties, Christians in the Holy Land are called to raise awareness that they are the living stones of the Church in the Middle East, near the Holy Sites of our salvation.”

For this to happen, the Christians of this region must enjoy “a fundamental human right, that of living with dignity in their homeland.” Hence, it is necessary to promote “conditions for peace and justice, which are necessary for the harmonious development of all those living in the region”.

“Therefore,” the Pontiff said, “everyone is called to make their personal contribution: the international community, by supporting a stable, loyal and constructive path towards peace; the main religions in the region, by promoting spiritual and cultural values that unite men and exclude any expression of violence.” At the same time, “Christians will not only continue to contribute to socially-valued activities, through their educational and health care facilities,” but they will especially do so “with the spirit of the Evangelical Beatitudes that underlies forgiveness and reconciliation. therefore, they will always receive the support of the Church, as solemnly demonstrated by the presence here of the Delegates of the Episcopates of other continents.”

Benedict XVI ended the homely entrusting everyone to the saints of the Middle East and the Virgin Mary, “so that the upcoming days of prayers, reflection and brotherly communion may bring fruition to the present and future of the dear communities of the Middle East. To them, we address our augural greetings: “Peace be with you, my brother, and with your family, and with all who belong to you (1Sam, 25:6)!’”

When the Pope addressed thousands of pilgrims in Saint Peter’s Square for the Angelus, the Synod of the Churches of the Middle East was also the main topic of his thoughts. Benedict XVI reminded those present of the synod, of communion and witness in countries “sadly marked by deep divisions and torn by years of conflict.”

“This is a hard task,” he added, “since Christians in the Middle East often face a difficult life at a personal, family and communal level. This should not discourage anyone. More necessary and urgent than ever, the everlasting message of Christ comes out of this context: ‘Repent, and believe in the Gospel (Mk, 1:15)!’ In my recent trip to Cyprus, I handed over the Instrument of Work of this Synodal Assembly. Now that it has arrived, I urge everyone to pray, and ask God for many gifts of the Holy Spirit.”

After noting that the month of October is dedicated to the Rosary, Benedict XVI ended saying, “Dear friends, we all know how much the Virgin Mary is loved and venerated by our brothers and sisters in the Middle East. Everyone looks upon Her as an attentive Mother, close to every suffering, a Star of hope. To her intercession we entrust the Synodal Assembly that opens today, so that the Christians of the region may get stronger in communion and bear witness to the Gospel in love and peace.”

Declining Christian Populations in Middle East Is Alarming

Declining Christian Populations in Middle East Is Alarming

By Cindy Wooden

Source: Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Concern, and even alarm, over the real threat of the disappearance of Christians from the Middle East was a recurrent theme at the Synod of Bishops focusing on the region.

Prelates look at a prayer book
before a session of
the Synod of Bishops for the
Middle East. (CNS/Paul Haring)

Christians, who were present in the region long before Islam, "are presently facing a deadly dilemma: to choose between disappearance and isolation, which would bring an end to their historical role and their mission," said Hares Chehab, secretary general of Lebanon's National Committee for Islamic-Christian Dialogue.

Chehab, a papally appointed observer at the synod, addressed the gathering Oct. 12 and echoed concerns voiced by a variety of bishops who spoke before him.

The region is gradually emptying itself of Christians, "who had contributed so much to the elaboration of its civilization, and were always the pioneers in the battle for its freedom, its ascent to modernity," he said.

The emigration of Christians cannot be attributed only to economic difficulties, "otherwise the whole region would have been depopulated," Chehab said. He pointed instead to "discrimination, persecution in certain areas, fear in others, the lack of freedom (and) inequality of rights" as the leading motives for leaving.

A key to addressing the problem is to strengthen Christian-Muslim dialogue, he said. But while dialogue is taking place in many countries throughout the region, too often it never gets beyond the common belief in one God and values like the importance of family, which Christians and Muslims share, he said.

The standard dialogue style "should give way from now on to another form where the language of complaisance would be banned, to focus especially on truth, no matter how hard it is, but with love and sincerity," Chehab said.

Chehab, like many of the synod members, pointed to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as the chief reason for the strained relations and sense of insecurity that push many Christians to flee the region.

Melkite Patriarch Gregoire III Laham of Damascus, Syria, told the synod that "among the most dangerous effects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict" is the phenomenon of Christian emigration, "which will make Arab society a society with only one color, a society uniquely Muslim."

If the Middle East is seen as Muslim and the West seen as Christian, "any occasion would be propitious for a new clash of cultures, of civilizations and even of religions—a destructive clash between the Muslim Arab East and the Christian West," the patriarch said.

Patriarch Laham also called for increased Christian-Muslim dialogue and for Christians to tell their Muslim brothers and sisters "what our fears are," including concern about a lack of separation between religion and government, lack of equality and about a legal system that is based on Islamic law.

"To make peace, this is the great challenge. This is the great 'jihad' and the great good," he said, using "jihad," the Arabic word for "struggle."

U.S. Cardinal John P. Foley, grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, told the synod that praying for peace in the Middle East is an obligation all Christians share.

"I am convinced that the continued tension between the Israelis and the Palestinians has contributed greatly to the turmoil in all of the Middle East and also to the growth of Islamic fundamentalism," he said.

"While many, including the Holy See, have suggested a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, the more time passes, the more difficult such a solution becomes, as the building of Israeli settlements and Israeli-controlled infrastructure in East Jerusalem and in other parts of the West Bank make increasingly difficult the development of a viable and integral Palestinian state," the cardinal said.

Melkite Archbishop Joseph J. Zerey of Jerusalem said Christians must make their own examination of conscience about why their brothers and sisters are leaving the region in such numbers.

Emigration, living the faith "half-heartedly" or giving in to material, political or social pressures often are the result of not living a life centered on prayer and Christian charity, he said.

"Many of our so-called 'Christian' families have a vital need for re-evangelization and to personally embrace the forgiveness and mercy of God earned by the passion, the death and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ," the archbishop said.

He encouraged the bishops to welcome the new Catholic movements as instruments for strengthening the faith commitment of Christians in the region.

Syrian Catholic Archbishop Basile Casmoussa of Mosul, Iraq, said emigration has meant that Christianity is losing its presence in the land where it was born. The situation is exacerbated by "waves of terrorism inspired by religious ideologies," which crush minorities, including "Christians, the most vulnerable," as well as by "the alarming decrease of births among Christians" and an ever growing birthrate among Muslims, he said.

Indian Catholics fast for the synod and religious freedom in Saudi Arabia

Update on the Synod here

Fr George Joshua, an Indian priest, leads the activity. He is an important figure in the struggle for the religious freedom of Indian Catholics living in Saudi Arabia. He tells AsiaNews about the suffering and abuses inflicted upon on the million Christians living in the Muslim country, where every religion other than Islam, is banned.

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques visited Pope Benedict XVI  in 2006 at the  Vatican City, a first such visit by a Saudi Monarch.

Mumbai (AsiaNews) – More than 700 Indian Christians from the Christ Army for Saudi Arabia (CASA) are fasting and praying for the success of the Synod of the Churches of the Middle East and for religious freedom in Saudi Arabia. Fr George Joshua, an Indian priest who belongs to the Malankara rite, is their leader; he provides spiritual support to Catholic migrant workers from Indian living in Saudi Arabia.

In 2006, Fr Joshua spent four days in a Saudi prison for celebrating Mass in a private home and was eventually expelled. A year later, he set up CASA in Trivandarum, Kerala. Across the state, the movement holds prayer meetings to focus attention on the fate of Christians in Saudi Arabia.

“There is no religious freedom in Saudi Arabia and no official pastoral care for the over a million who live in the country, of which nearly 3 lakhs are Indian,” he said. One lakh corresponds to 100,000.

Over the past few months, CASA has prayed for the Synod hoping that Catholics living in the desert kingdom can one day be free to worship as they please.

In the kingdom, priests are not allowed to celebrate Mass, he said. Any activity has to be underground, away from the eyes and ears of the Muttawa, the Saudi religious police.

“Recently, a French priest was picked up for celebrating Mass to various groups,” Fr Joshua said. “He was released only after many hours of interrogation.

Christians caught praying together are arrested right away, imprisoned and then thrown out of the country.

“Catholics can only pray in the privacy of their home and alone. They are not allowed to pray with family or friends,” the priest explained.

However, “Starting in 1995, new religious movements have emerged with lay people secretly praying and reading the Bible. In addition, some are even able to teach the catechism to children.”

The only priest of Indian origin in Saudi Arabia is a certain Fr John, who caters to the needs of English- and Malay-speaking Catholics, Fr Joshua said.

Christian Presence in Mideast Is Significant

Preserving the Church in the Region Is Key Issue for Synod

By Bishop Béchara Raï

VATICAN CITY, OCT. 13, 2010 (Zenit.org).- On Wednesday, while Benedict XVI held his regular Wednesday general audience, instead of attending the daily plenary session of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops, small dialogue groups met in various languages.

Pope Benedict XVI addressing faithfuls
gathered in St. Peter's every Wednesday.

Today the teams were given the freedom to choose the subjects for discussion, according to the report submitted by the General Relator, Patriarch Antonios Naguib. What are the points that the synod fathers want to emphasize? What are the points they wish to be clarified?

They focused again on the goal of the synod, which is, in fact, an overview of the reality of Christians and their present situation and their future prospects in the countries of the Middle East. This is to be considered in light of the Word of God, the Bible, Apostolic Tradition and the teachings of the Church, in order for Christians to realize their place in the history of salvation, in God's salvation in the Middle East, where the Incarnation began, and where redemption was fulfilled, and where the first Christian community was established before any other.

Christians need to realize that they have a significant presence. This presence and how to preserve it is the main topic and the main purpose of the synod. Christians have an active presence in the Middle East that needs to be preserved.

On the other hand, the fathers focused on the communion between the churches and the value of working together, the value of mutual respect, to have a fruitful testimony in our societies. In the heart of this Catholic communion we discussed communion with the Orthodox Churches, and the relations with Muslims and other religions in the Middle East.

Clarifications

We also reviewed several issues that must be clarified, such as the term "positive secularism," and everyone agreed on calling it "civil state." Others wanted to clarify some of the concepts of citizenship and human rights issues, wondering how can we preserve the Christian presence in the Middle East if there is a lack of respect for human rights.

Some others emphasized the freedom of religion, because Christians in their home countries are the original citizens and they have their basic rights and equality with their brothers and fellow citizens, whether they are Muslims in Arab countries or Jews in Israel.

We discussed the way to live our mission, and we asked local officials in Arab countries and the international community to help Christians to live in dignity and have their political and national, social and cultural rights. This was an important topic today, and we hope that through this consultation and thinking together, we will reach out with one voice in today's world that is a small village, not just because of media and technology, but also as a result of globalization.

Therefore, we cannot live in countries that lack the basic human rights and distinguish between minorities and majorities. This is what we want for the countries of the Middle East. Lebanon is a living example of this. Here I stress again the message of Lebanon in this area, where there is equality between all religions and where human rights are respected, and we hope to move the Lebanese experience to all countries in the Middle East.

These were some of the points we have focused on today.

* * *

Bishop Béchara Raï is the Catholic Maronite bishop of Jbeil, Lebanon, and the president of the episcopal commission for communications in Lebanon. He is currently a participant in the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops, and is writing a daily briefing for ZENIT's Arabic edition.