Signs of Hope in a Place of Despair, Part 2

The Holy Father, Benedict XVI, will convene a special synod for the Middle East to be held from the 10th to the 24th of October 2010. The theme will be The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and Testimony. On this occasion, I would like to express my gratitude to the Holy Father for this opportunity and blessing, which will be of benefit to us all.

The Holy See wants the Eastern Churches to progress, but they themselves must contribute fully, by sustaining this journey together. During this synod, every Church is called to play a leading role. Every Church is invited to go forward, to search for renewal in order to rejuvenate hic et nunc (here and now). The Synod could be a new Pentecost.

Looking at the experience of the Second Vatican Council is of great help to us. The majority of our Churches have not yet followed the guidelines of the Council. For the Synod be effective, the Eastern churches must take advantage of this very impulse of the Spirit to rediscover their identity and mission, to achieve unity and communion, in order to put into action their commitment and testimony. They must speak about things that are practical and concrete, presenting the situations objectively and courageously.

The nature of the Church is ecumenical. This synod will be an intense and special period, and the Church must not miss this propitious opportunity. The Eastern Churches must open up to the Spirit of Renewal and leave the past behind. They should move on from a very rigid history, hard to practice today, and prepare for the future. The Church has its vocation, called mission. Attachment to one's roots must necessarily be a commitment to be faithful to our contemporaries, with all their changes. Each local church must assume its responsibilities and then find the best way to put into practice the guidelines of this synod in the present society. Even if given the chance, a Church alone is not able to cope with this, but together and in communion with the universal Church, everything is possible. There are many problems to be evaluated.

Liturgical Reform. The Eastern Churches are churches and not ethnic groups. Their mission is open to everyone and not only to those who practice their faith (Chaldeans, Syrians, Copts). As Saint John Chrysostom says, liturgy is for man. The Eastern Churches are therefore called to make a serious liturgical reform, appropriate to the context in which the faithful live, or risk losing many, who may choose to follow other religious sects.

Sacred Scripture. More importance and space should be given to the Sacred Scripture. Even today, in some of our churches, there are still two Tables: the Eucharist and the Bible. We should not despise any of the two Tables that have been prepared! Structural Reforms (dioceses and the territories), which go back to medieval times. There are some small dioceses with only a priest or two. What can be done? And then there are the Middle-East Christians that live in the Diaspora ... the Eastern Christians must not close themselves within their communities.

Human Bleeding (Emigration). The migration of the faithful from Iraq, the Holy Land, Lebanon is cause for serious and immediate concern. It will not be just the fault of "others" if the Middle East is emptied of Christians but of the Christians themselves. The Eastern Church must have a clear vision with concrete plans to stem this exodus. This requires a common effort of the churches who speak as one voice to local authorities. It may be that a new evangelization of the Eastern Christians is necessary.

Unity with Sister Churches. Right now it’s nothing big, apart from some small project to build houses. Giving a common testimony is very urgent! Muslims do not always understand the divisions and denominations of Christians. It is important to restore unity between Orthodox and Catholics, particularly since dogmatically they are already united (and the proof is the same Statement of Faith that the Holy See and several sister churches have in common). Today practically very few things are being done with other Christians. Every church works only for its faithful. The Orthodox Churches talk about lack of solidarity and lack of charity. Islam. Christians must open up the missionary dimension of their presence in Muslim lands. Their departure is a loss. Even for the Muslims, an East without Christians would not be the same. A dialogue with the Jews is also very important, so as to help the separation between Judaism and Zionism. We need to promote “religious dialogue” on the basis of diverse identities - whether cultural, historical, or social, and establish a relationship based on “mutual understanding”, an understanding that is capable of bringing "peace in areas where tensions are still high among the faithful of different religions. "Unfortunately, especially after September 11, religion has become an expression of political identity! To bear witness to the steadfast love of God for mankind and His omnipotence is the task that in a renewed manner we choose to undertake. We want to believe in hope, despite disillusionments and many difficulties.