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The Synod on the Middle East was a very successful experience of communion and sharing of the Churches in the multiplicity of expressions communicated in total freedom: having experimented and fulfilled this communion is the real concrete result of the Synod, which will soon be giving its fruits in the immediate future. This, in summary, is the overall evaluation brought back by the friars of the Custody of the Holy Land who took part in the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Bishops’ Synod, which met in the Vatican from 10th to 24th October and which was presented in Jerusalem at a very crowded meeting on Monday 1st November in the Convent of St. Saviour.
The meeting was introduced by Father P. Marcelo Cichinelli, moderator of the permanent formation of the Custody, who then introduced the speakers, Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Custos of the Holy Land, Father Claudio Bottini and Father Frédéric Manns of the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, who were present at the Synod as experts with the task of helping the General and Special Secretariat of the Synod through passing on summaries and observations and also taking part in the discussion in the “minor circles” to draw up the “Propositions” to be voted in the Hall and presented to the Holy Father.
Father Bottini offered first of all a very useful synthetic picture to help situate the role of the Synod as a collegial institution of the Church, then presenting the constellation and the functions of the participants who represented the variegated realities of the Church of the Middle East: « It was a “Special Assembly for the Middle East” – therefore it was not an “Ordinary Assembly” (as was, for example, the one held two years ago on the subject of the Word of God) and it brought together the Bishops of the Middle East to reflect on the topic: The Catholic Church in the Middle East: communion and witness.” The Synod had a twofold purpose: to confirm and reinforce Christians in their identity, thanks to the Word of God and the Sacraments; to renew and promote ecclesiastical communion between the different Churches in the Middle East, so that they offer an authentic and effective testimony of life, which also includes the ecumenical dimension, inter-religious dialogue and the missionary aspect.» Father Bottini also conveyed his emotion for this ecclesiastical event which, for the first time in history, saw gathered around the Bishop of Rome and Universal Pastor all the bishops of the Middle Eastern region.
With regard to the Pope, Father Bottini observed «his simple and discreet presence as father and pastor: the Pope prayed and listened more than he spoke and he found the time to have lunch with the whole of the Synodal Assembly and a minute for everyone, greeting each participant personally.” In his intervention, Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa described the Synod as a “beautiful experience of Church”, underlining the freedom of expression of all the Synodal Fathers without any type of censorship: «In the first part of the Synod, all the Synodal Fathers were invited to speak for five minutes. There were also two fraternal delegates from the Orthodox Churches who expressed critical tones regarding the Pope. The Episcopal Conferences were organized to avoid repetitions. In the Holy Land, we had made reached agreement in July.
Two main topics were dealt with in the speeches: our vocation here in the conscience of our roots and how to live this daily reality where we have been summoned. In the whole of the Synod, the considerations of a social and pastoral nature prevailed over those of a theological and spiritual nature.» Much debated amongst these was the relationship with Islam, whilst little was said about the relationship with Judaism: «In the face of the need for freedom of religion and of conscience for everyone, there resounded all the souls of the Middle East, from the most tragic and troubled ones of Iraq and Iran to the more positive experiences, as in Syria. “Positive laity” or rather “full citizenship” was talked about, according to the expression preferred by the bishops. Other problems covered were ecumenical dialogue and the relationship with movements, at times positive, at others problematic. On the other hand, little was said in the interventions about the role of the laity and of women, whilst a great deal was said about communication and the media.” The Middle East is increasingly elsewhere: the Custos of the Holy Land underlined one aspect that could be defined “geo-pastoral” :«It has concretely emerged that there are no longer any geographical borders and that the expression Middle East is increasingly geographically relative, if we think for example that 80% of the Catholics in Sweden are Chaldean, that in the USA there are Maronite churches of the second and third generation with their bishops, that 50% of all the Christians in the Middle East – local Christians and Filipino immigrants – are in the Arab Emirates. All this brings with it new pastoral and juridical problems.”
Father Manns’ finest memory is linked to a meditation by the Pope during the liturgy of the Third Hour on the first day of the Synod, a very deep reflection on the subject of the “fall of the divinities” (today the terrorist ideologies, drugs, false styles of life induced by public opinion, economic slavery produced by the multinational corporations). The occasion is Psalm 81: «I said: “You are gods, you are all children of the Almighty, but you will fall like all the powerful”» (read the text of the pope’s meditation).
Then the theologian Frédéric Manns offered twelve propositions on “Being Christians in the Middle East”. Being Christians in the Middle East is a vocation, not a privilege; it means believing in a God-Trinity, it means being witnesses of future hope, in the Church incultured in a Semitic world which recognizes its roots in the Old Testament and in Judaism, seeking the image of God in every man, especially in the Muslim, from whom he claims reciprocity. The globalized world is launching new challenges which require an appropriate catechism, breathing with the two lungs of the East and West; an important and specific tool can be attention to the pilgrimages in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Asia Minor, which will allow meeting the living stones which are the communities and establishing new forms of knowledge and collaboration.
The first question from the assembly was precisely on the subject of the holy places, as it was felt that little importance was paid by the Synod to this topic. Father Pizzaballa answered that effectively little was said about the holy places and that in the context of the Synod Jerusalem itself took on reduced dimensions before the geographical extent of reference and the preference given to the aspects of social life. However, the seventh final proposition talks about pilgrimages all over the Middle East and on the subject there was obviously the contribution in the Hall by the Custos of the Holy Land. On the contrary, according to Father Bottini (who also mentioned a positive testimony by the fraternal delegate of the Church of England) the right importance was given to the issue; Father Manns related in this regard to the contributions of delegates from Lebanon and Egyptin his study group, who reported the difficulties for their faithful to take part in pilgrimages.
To a question on the evangelization of communion between the churches and on the “New evangelization”, Father Pizzaballa answered that in effect this latter expression is very vague (some use it to refer to the relationship with movements, others to the internal renewal of the dioceses), but that everyone feels the need to re-evangelize. The subject is nevertheless delicate: Father Manns said that three ambassadors, having heard a great deal said about “mission” are alleged to have gone to Cardinal Tauran, Chairman of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, asking to be enlightened on what sounded to them like a “new crusade”. Father Bottini underlined that the Pope asked the bishops to find concrete forms of unity and collaboration.
There were many interventions at the Synod on consecrated life and there were very many bishops from religious communities. The religious, said Father Bottini, were praised and thanked for their educational and charity work and a final proposition was also produced on this subject. Father Manns, however, said that some Orientals criticized the contemplative life and that the General of the Friars Minor José Rodriguez Carballo took their defence, subsequently receiving the personal thanks of the Pope. But what were the concrete results of the Synod, what is new, what new paths must the Christians in the Middle East take? The Synod is not a deliberative body, Father Pizzaballa reminded the assembly: it was simply a question of having an experience of communion and sharing, which in itself in important and which took place for the first time in history. Friendships were made, people got to know one another better and this is already a great result. Father Bottini said that in the commissions very concrete subjects were discussed concerning questions related to the land, to cooperatives, to the return of emigrants and the sale of property. Father Manns recalled that the concrete decisions will be taken by the Bishops’ and Ordinaries’ Conferences and that in any case the Pope’s post-synodal apostolic exhortation must be awaited.
Lastly, the question on the controversies according to which the Synod was alleged to have deal excessively with politics to the extent of taking up specific positions in reference to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa clearly stated that these controversies were unfounded and that during the works of the Synod this question was never discussed: it was not until the end that a few sentences were added in the written reports, almost not to disappoint the expectations of those who would have looked for something on the subject. Father Bottini said that he was very sorry that many media were interested only in marginal controversies relative to interventions and documents taken out of context, for example the case of the Message of the Synod which the Synodal Fathers rejected on the first reading but which the press disclosed as though it were an official document. However, it is to be rejoiced that many newspapers, radios, televisions, not to mention the electronic meteor, saw in the event of the Synod a sign of sincere and politically disinterested love of the Catholic Church for the tormented region of the Middle East and its populations, especially the Christians.
Fra Riccardo Ceriani
The meeting was introduced by Father P. Marcelo Cichinelli, moderator of the permanent formation of the Custody, who then introduced the speakers, Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Custos of the Holy Land, Father Claudio Bottini and Father Frédéric Manns of the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, who were present at the Synod as experts with the task of helping the General and Special Secretariat of the Synod through passing on summaries and observations and also taking part in the discussion in the “minor circles” to draw up the “Propositions” to be voted in the Hall and presented to the Holy Father.
Father Bottini offered first of all a very useful synthetic picture to help situate the role of the Synod as a collegial institution of the Church, then presenting the constellation and the functions of the participants who represented the variegated realities of the Church of the Middle East: « It was a “Special Assembly for the Middle East” – therefore it was not an “Ordinary Assembly” (as was, for example, the one held two years ago on the subject of the Word of God) and it brought together the Bishops of the Middle East to reflect on the topic: The Catholic Church in the Middle East: communion and witness.” The Synod had a twofold purpose: to confirm and reinforce Christians in their identity, thanks to the Word of God and the Sacraments; to renew and promote ecclesiastical communion between the different Churches in the Middle East, so that they offer an authentic and effective testimony of life, which also includes the ecumenical dimension, inter-religious dialogue and the missionary aspect.» Father Bottini also conveyed his emotion for this ecclesiastical event which, for the first time in history, saw gathered around the Bishop of Rome and Universal Pastor all the bishops of the Middle Eastern region.
With regard to the Pope, Father Bottini observed «his simple and discreet presence as father and pastor: the Pope prayed and listened more than he spoke and he found the time to have lunch with the whole of the Synodal Assembly and a minute for everyone, greeting each participant personally.” In his intervention, Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa described the Synod as a “beautiful experience of Church”, underlining the freedom of expression of all the Synodal Fathers without any type of censorship: «In the first part of the Synod, all the Synodal Fathers were invited to speak for five minutes. There were also two fraternal delegates from the Orthodox Churches who expressed critical tones regarding the Pope. The Episcopal Conferences were organized to avoid repetitions. In the Holy Land, we had made reached agreement in July.
Two main topics were dealt with in the speeches: our vocation here in the conscience of our roots and how to live this daily reality where we have been summoned. In the whole of the Synod, the considerations of a social and pastoral nature prevailed over those of a theological and spiritual nature.» Much debated amongst these was the relationship with Islam, whilst little was said about the relationship with Judaism: «In the face of the need for freedom of religion and of conscience for everyone, there resounded all the souls of the Middle East, from the most tragic and troubled ones of Iraq and Iran to the more positive experiences, as in Syria. “Positive laity” or rather “full citizenship” was talked about, according to the expression preferred by the bishops. Other problems covered were ecumenical dialogue and the relationship with movements, at times positive, at others problematic. On the other hand, little was said in the interventions about the role of the laity and of women, whilst a great deal was said about communication and the media.” The Middle East is increasingly elsewhere: the Custos of the Holy Land underlined one aspect that could be defined “geo-pastoral” :«It has concretely emerged that there are no longer any geographical borders and that the expression Middle East is increasingly geographically relative, if we think for example that 80% of the Catholics in Sweden are Chaldean, that in the USA there are Maronite churches of the second and third generation with their bishops, that 50% of all the Christians in the Middle East – local Christians and Filipino immigrants – are in the Arab Emirates. All this brings with it new pastoral and juridical problems.”
Father Manns’ finest memory is linked to a meditation by the Pope during the liturgy of the Third Hour on the first day of the Synod, a very deep reflection on the subject of the “fall of the divinities” (today the terrorist ideologies, drugs, false styles of life induced by public opinion, economic slavery produced by the multinational corporations). The occasion is Psalm 81: «I said: “You are gods, you are all children of the Almighty, but you will fall like all the powerful”» (read the text of the pope’s meditation).
Then the theologian Frédéric Manns offered twelve propositions on “Being Christians in the Middle East”. Being Christians in the Middle East is a vocation, not a privilege; it means believing in a God-Trinity, it means being witnesses of future hope, in the Church incultured in a Semitic world which recognizes its roots in the Old Testament and in Judaism, seeking the image of God in every man, especially in the Muslim, from whom he claims reciprocity. The globalized world is launching new challenges which require an appropriate catechism, breathing with the two lungs of the East and West; an important and specific tool can be attention to the pilgrimages in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Asia Minor, which will allow meeting the living stones which are the communities and establishing new forms of knowledge and collaboration.
The first question from the assembly was precisely on the subject of the holy places, as it was felt that little importance was paid by the Synod to this topic. Father Pizzaballa answered that effectively little was said about the holy places and that in the context of the Synod Jerusalem itself took on reduced dimensions before the geographical extent of reference and the preference given to the aspects of social life. However, the seventh final proposition talks about pilgrimages all over the Middle East and on the subject there was obviously the contribution in the Hall by the Custos of the Holy Land. On the contrary, according to Father Bottini (who also mentioned a positive testimony by the fraternal delegate of the Church of England) the right importance was given to the issue; Father Manns related in this regard to the contributions of delegates from Lebanon and Egyptin his study group, who reported the difficulties for their faithful to take part in pilgrimages.
To a question on the evangelization of communion between the churches and on the “New evangelization”, Father Pizzaballa answered that in effect this latter expression is very vague (some use it to refer to the relationship with movements, others to the internal renewal of the dioceses), but that everyone feels the need to re-evangelize. The subject is nevertheless delicate: Father Manns said that three ambassadors, having heard a great deal said about “mission” are alleged to have gone to Cardinal Tauran, Chairman of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, asking to be enlightened on what sounded to them like a “new crusade”. Father Bottini underlined that the Pope asked the bishops to find concrete forms of unity and collaboration.
There were many interventions at the Synod on consecrated life and there were very many bishops from religious communities. The religious, said Father Bottini, were praised and thanked for their educational and charity work and a final proposition was also produced on this subject. Father Manns, however, said that some Orientals criticized the contemplative life and that the General of the Friars Minor José Rodriguez Carballo took their defence, subsequently receiving the personal thanks of the Pope. But what were the concrete results of the Synod, what is new, what new paths must the Christians in the Middle East take? The Synod is not a deliberative body, Father Pizzaballa reminded the assembly: it was simply a question of having an experience of communion and sharing, which in itself in important and which took place for the first time in history. Friendships were made, people got to know one another better and this is already a great result. Father Bottini said that in the commissions very concrete subjects were discussed concerning questions related to the land, to cooperatives, to the return of emigrants and the sale of property. Father Manns recalled that the concrete decisions will be taken by the Bishops’ and Ordinaries’ Conferences and that in any case the Pope’s post-synodal apostolic exhortation must be awaited.
Lastly, the question on the controversies according to which the Synod was alleged to have deal excessively with politics to the extent of taking up specific positions in reference to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa clearly stated that these controversies were unfounded and that during the works of the Synod this question was never discussed: it was not until the end that a few sentences were added in the written reports, almost not to disappoint the expectations of those who would have looked for something on the subject. Father Bottini said that he was very sorry that many media were interested only in marginal controversies relative to interventions and documents taken out of context, for example the case of the Message of the Synod which the Synodal Fathers rejected on the first reading but which the press disclosed as though it were an official document. However, it is to be rejoiced that many newspapers, radios, televisions, not to mention the electronic meteor, saw in the event of the Synod a sign of sincere and politically disinterested love of the Catholic Church for the tormented region of the Middle East and its populations, especially the Christians.
Fra Riccardo Ceriani