On February 7th, in a conference room near the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, a symposium was heldin preparation for the 2015 Synod: " Family call and mission within the Church and the contemporary world". The conference was chaired by His Eminence Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops. As conductor of the General Synod scheduled for this fall, H.E. came to hear and consult the families and bishops of the Holy Land. In November 2014, a papal delegation had also visited Lebanon to evaluate the same question surrounding the family.
In the conference room lined with acrimson carpetas to honor the presence of the Roman prelate, Fra Frederic Manns OFM, the moderator, outlined the symposium's framework and reminded that if thedecreasing number of Christian is known to all, the adage tell us that "It's not quantity that counts, but the quality". The Christians of the Holy Land, in constant decline, represent about 2% of the Israeli population and 1.5% of the West Bank; As for Gaza's Christians they do not attain1% of the population of the coastal enclave. The main causes are the low birth ratesamong the Christian families and their high emigration rates.
The Custos, Fra Pierbattista Pizzaballa, joined His Beatitude Fouad Twal to recall the words of Paul VI during his visit at the Basilica in 1964: "The Family of Nazareth is the school where we have understood the words of Jesus, the words of the Gospel, for the first time. Here we learn to see, listen, and ponder the deeper meanings of the mystery of the manifestation ofSon of God .” The Custos reported the timelessness of these teachings "always at the center of the Universal Church's debates".H.E. reminded the family's importance not only for the Church,but for "all mankind" because "it is the primal cell of any society".
The introductory lecture "Family in the Bible" given by Fra Giovanni Claudio Bottini, OFM, professor at the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, was followed by the intervention of the Shakur family, members of the Pontifical Council for the Family. They spoke about the coexistence of Christian families in the midst of the Jewish and Muslim communities of the Holy Land. "We must stop saying that the Middle East cannot live without its Christians," exclaimed Mr. Nasser Chakour, "rest assured," he punctuated, "it can and unscrupulously so [...]. The Christians in Arab countries have a chronic historical trauma that has impacted them through the generations,"he said. "To end this fear, our Christianity must cease to be a religion and become a way of life. Prayer is not enough, concrete action is necessary.”According to Mr. Shakur, families are called tobuild their house on the "rock".
Broadcasted live via the Christian Media Center's website,Fra Frederic Mannswas given the green light to start the second and final part of the day. It was the turn of Archbishop MarounLaham to discuss the situation and challenges facing Christians in the Middle East. "The family, thank God, is still healthy and in its traditional form," he reassured.The dignity of the families is bearing the full brunt of armed conflict and the difficult political and social situations. He stressed that among the major challenges facing the Church in this region is the relationship of Judaism and Islam between faith and politics. For the latter, commented Archbishop Laham, "God, the people and the land are one; This system of beliefis key and unalterable,” thus forcing Christians to follow various doctrinal, social, cultural and relational codes dictated by Islam and Judaism. "Wemust see the Christian presence in the Arab countries as the will of God, accept it, and turn it into a mission. The apprehension vis-à-vis that mission comes from a historical fear. It is urgent to break that barrier with our faith, a faith that liberates and opens new horizons.”He concluded by urging families to embrace the Paschal dynamic "for the Church of Jerusalem is that of Golgotha, he concluded , but also that of the Resurrection”.
In conclusion, H.E. Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri informed the assembly about the organization of the fall Synod, while a first list of participants has been made public. These members were elected by their respective Episcopal conferences. Speculation by the press has already begun to determine what Bishop will vote in favor of such a directive or a tendency (especially in regards to the thorny issues of remarriage or homosexuality). The Holy Land lifts in its prayers H.E. Cardinal Baldisseri so that his long experience and knowledge of the Universal Church (in many nunciatures: Guatemala, Japan, France, Zimbabweand Haiti) may help the Church to respond to the challenges of its time.
These two days of events, which began with a fraternal meeting of families the preceding day,ended with an Arabic Mass at the Basilica,presided by His Beatitude Fouad Twal. A candlelight procession united the families of Galilee with Polish pilgrims to other pilgrims from around the world during which a rosary was recited in Arabic, Polish, English, and French.
Nizar Halloun
In the conference room lined with acrimson carpetas to honor the presence of the Roman prelate, Fra Frederic Manns OFM, the moderator, outlined the symposium's framework and reminded that if thedecreasing number of Christian is known to all, the adage tell us that "It's not quantity that counts, but the quality". The Christians of the Holy Land, in constant decline, represent about 2% of the Israeli population and 1.5% of the West Bank; As for Gaza's Christians they do not attain1% of the population of the coastal enclave. The main causes are the low birth ratesamong the Christian families and their high emigration rates.
The Custos, Fra Pierbattista Pizzaballa, joined His Beatitude Fouad Twal to recall the words of Paul VI during his visit at the Basilica in 1964: "The Family of Nazareth is the school where we have understood the words of Jesus, the words of the Gospel, for the first time. Here we learn to see, listen, and ponder the deeper meanings of the mystery of the manifestation ofSon of God .” The Custos reported the timelessness of these teachings "always at the center of the Universal Church's debates".H.E. reminded the family's importance not only for the Church,but for "all mankind" because "it is the primal cell of any society".
The introductory lecture "Family in the Bible" given by Fra Giovanni Claudio Bottini, OFM, professor at the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, was followed by the intervention of the Shakur family, members of the Pontifical Council for the Family. They spoke about the coexistence of Christian families in the midst of the Jewish and Muslim communities of the Holy Land. "We must stop saying that the Middle East cannot live without its Christians," exclaimed Mr. Nasser Chakour, "rest assured," he punctuated, "it can and unscrupulously so [...]. The Christians in Arab countries have a chronic historical trauma that has impacted them through the generations,"he said. "To end this fear, our Christianity must cease to be a religion and become a way of life. Prayer is not enough, concrete action is necessary.”According to Mr. Shakur, families are called tobuild their house on the "rock".
Broadcasted live via the Christian Media Center's website,Fra Frederic Mannswas given the green light to start the second and final part of the day. It was the turn of Archbishop MarounLaham to discuss the situation and challenges facing Christians in the Middle East. "The family, thank God, is still healthy and in its traditional form," he reassured.The dignity of the families is bearing the full brunt of armed conflict and the difficult political and social situations. He stressed that among the major challenges facing the Church in this region is the relationship of Judaism and Islam between faith and politics. For the latter, commented Archbishop Laham, "God, the people and the land are one; This system of beliefis key and unalterable,” thus forcing Christians to follow various doctrinal, social, cultural and relational codes dictated by Islam and Judaism. "Wemust see the Christian presence in the Arab countries as the will of God, accept it, and turn it into a mission. The apprehension vis-à-vis that mission comes from a historical fear. It is urgent to break that barrier with our faith, a faith that liberates and opens new horizons.”He concluded by urging families to embrace the Paschal dynamic "for the Church of Jerusalem is that of Golgotha, he concluded , but also that of the Resurrection”.
In conclusion, H.E. Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri informed the assembly about the organization of the fall Synod, while a first list of participants has been made public. These members were elected by their respective Episcopal conferences. Speculation by the press has already begun to determine what Bishop will vote in favor of such a directive or a tendency (especially in regards to the thorny issues of remarriage or homosexuality). The Holy Land lifts in its prayers H.E. Cardinal Baldisseri so that his long experience and knowledge of the Universal Church (in many nunciatures: Guatemala, Japan, France, Zimbabweand Haiti) may help the Church to respond to the challenges of its time.
These two days of events, which began with a fraternal meeting of families the preceding day,ended with an Arabic Mass at the Basilica,presided by His Beatitude Fouad Twal. A candlelight procession united the families of Galilee with Polish pilgrims to other pilgrims from around the world during which a rosary was recited in Arabic, Polish, English, and French.
Nizar Halloun