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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

CWN - The patriarchs of four Eastern churches, Catholic and Orthodox, have joined in an appeal for Christians not to leave Syria during the current crisis.

"With all my heart we ask the Christians of Syria not to leave our beloved country, despite the violence, the suffering, the displacement,” the patriarchs said. The message, released through the Fides news agency, was timed to coincide with the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI in Lebanon. The appeal was signed by Melkite Patriarch Gregory III Laham; Syrian Catholic Patriarch Ignatius III Younan; Syrian Orthodox Patriarch Zakka I Iwas; and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius IV Hazim. All four prelates have their headquarters in Damascus.

"Be patient, do not run away," the patriarchs implore their people. Acknowledging the dangers that Christians are suffering in Syria today, they recognize the “temptation” to leave the country, but ask the faithful to bear the pain.

If Christians continue to leave Syria, the prelates argue, the country’s conflict could spill over into Lebanon (where most refugees have sought shelter). Meanwhile, they warn, Syria could follow the pattern of Iraq, where strong pressure from Islamic militants has greatly diminished the historic Christian presence.

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

Vatican City,  (VIS) - This morning Benedict XVI began the second day of his apostolic trip to Lebanon by paying a courtesy visit to Michel Sleiman, president of the Lebanese Republic, at the presidential palace in Baabda. There he also met with Nabih Berri, speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, and Naguib Miqati, prime minister of Lebanon, before going on to encounter the heads of the Sunni, Shia, Druze and Alawite religious communities.

Accompanied by the President, the Holy Father then planted a cedar of Lebanon in the palace gardens. Having completed this symbolic act, he moved on to the palace's 25 May Hall where he pronounced an address before the authorities, the diplomatic corps, religious leaders and representative from the world of culture. Extensive excerpts from the Holy Father's words are given below.

"I have asked God to bless you, to bless Lebanon and all who dwell in these lands which saw the birth of great religions and noble cultures. Why did God choose these lands? Why is their life so turbulent? God chose these lands, I think, to be an example, to bear witness before the world that every man and woman has the possibility of concretely realising his or her longing for peace and reconciliation!".

"The energy needed to build and consolidate peace also demands that we constantly return to the wellsprings of our humanity. Our human dignity is inseparable from the sacredness of life as the gift of the Creator. ... To build peace, we need to look to the family, supporting it and facilitating its task, and in this way promoting an overall culture of life. The effectiveness of our commitment to peace depends on our understanding of human life. If we want peace, let us defend life! This approach leads us to reject not only war and terrorism, but every assault on innocent human life, on men and women as creatures willed by God. Wherever the truth of human nature is ignored or denied, it becomes impossible to respect that grammar which is the natural law inscribed in the human heart. ... We must combine our efforts, then, to develop a sound vision of man, respectful of the unity and integrity of the human person. Without this, it is impossible to build true peace.

"While more evident in countries which are experiencing armed conflict, there are assaults on the integrity and the lives of individuals taking place in other countries too. Unemployment, poverty, corruption, a variety of addictions, exploitation, different forms of trafficking, and terrorism not only cause unacceptable suffering to their victims but also a great impoverishment of human potential. We run the risk of being enslaved by an economic and financial mindset which would subordinate “being” to “having”! The destruction of a single human life is a loss for humanity as a whole. ... By questioning, directly or indirectly, or even before the law, the inalienable value of each person and the natural foundation of the family, some ideologies undermine the foundations of society. ... Only effective solidarity can act as an antidote, solidarity that rejects whatever obstructs respect for each human being, solidarity that supports policies and initiatives aimed at bringing peoples together in an honest and just manner. ... A better quality of life and integral development are only possible when wealth and competences are shared in a spirit of respect for the identity of each individual. ... Nowadays, our cultural, social and religious differences should lead us to a new kind of fraternity wherein what rightly unites us is a shared sense of the greatness of each person and the gift which others are to themselves, to those around them and to all humanity. This is the path to peace! ... This is the approach which ought to guide political and economic decisions at every level and on a global scale!

"In order to make possible a future of peace for coming generations, our first task is to educate for peace in order to build a culture of peace. Education, whether it takes place in the family or at school, must be primarily an education in those spiritual values which give the wisdom and traditions of each culture their ultimate meaning and power. ... The goal of education is to guide and support the development of the freedom to make right decisions, which may run counter to widespread opinions, the fashions of the moment, or forms of political and religious ideology. This is the price of building a culture of peace! Evidently, verbal and physical violence must be rejected, for these are always an assault on human dignity, both of the perpetrator and the victim. Emphasising peacemaking and its positive effect for the common good also creates interest in peace. ... Thoughts of peace, words of peace and acts of peace create an atmosphere of respect, honesty and cordiality, where faults and offences can be truthfully acknowledged as a means of advancing together on the path of reconciliation. May political and religious leaders reflect on this!

"We need to be very conscious that evil is not some nameless, impersonal and deterministic force at work in the world. Evil, the devil, works in and through human freedom. ... It seeks an ally in man. Evil needs man in order to act. Having broken the first commandment, love of God, it then goes on to distort the second, love of neighbour. Love of neighbour disappears, yielding to falsehood, envy, hatred and death. But it is possible for us not to be overcome by evil but to overcome evil with good. ... A profound transformation of mind and heart is needed to recover a degree of clarity of vision and impartiality, and the profound meaning of the concepts of justice and the common good. A new and freer way of looking at these realities will enable us to evaluate and challenge those human systems which lead to impasses, and to move forward with due care not to repeat past mistakes with their devastating consequences. The conversion demanded of us can also be exhilarating, ... (but) it is quite demanding: it involves rejecting revenge, acknowledging one’s faults, accepting apologies without demanding them, and, not least, forgiveness. Only forgiveness, given and received, can lay lasting foundations for reconciliation and universal peace.

"Only in this way can there be growth in understanding and harmony between cultures and religions, and in genuine mutual esteem and respect for the rights of all. In Lebanon, Christianity and Islam have lived side by side for centuries. It is not uncommon to see the two religions within the same family. If this is possible within the same family, why should it not be possible at the level of the whole of society? The particular character of the Middle East consists in the centuries-old mix of diverse elements. Admittedly, they have fought one another, sadly that is also true. A pluralistic society can only exist on the basis of mutual respect, the desire to know the other, and continuous dialogue. Such dialogue is only possible when the parties are conscious of the existence of values which are common to all great cultures because they are rooted in the nature of the human person. ... These values are inseparable from the rights of each and every human being. By upholding their existence, the different religions make a decisive contribution. It cannot be forgotten that religious freedom is the basic right on which many other rights depend. The freedom to profess and practise one’s religion without danger to life and liberty must be possible to everyone. The loss or attenuation of this freedom deprives the person of his or her sacred right to a spiritually integrated life. ... Religious freedom has a social and political dimension which is indispensable for peace! It promotes a harmonious life for individuals and communities by a shared commitment to noble causes and by the pursuit of truth, which does not impose itself by violence but rather “by the force of its own truth”: the Truth which is in God. ... Authentic faith does not lead to death. The peacemaker is humble and just. Thus believers today have an essential role, that of bearing witness to the peace which comes from God and is a gift bestowed on all of us in our personal, family, social, political and economic life. The failure of upright men and women to act must not permit evil to triumph. It is worse still to do nothing.

"These few reflections on peace, society, the dignity of the person, the values of family life, dialogue and solidarity, must not remain a simple statement of ideals. They can and must be lived out. We are in Lebanon, and it is here that they must be lived out. Lebanon is called, now more than ever, to be an example. And so I invite you, politicians, diplomats, religious leaders, men and women of the world of culture, to testify with courage, in season and out of season, wherever you find yourselves, that God wants peace, that God entrusts peace to us".

Following the meeting at the presidential palace, the Pope travelled to the headquarters of the Catholic Patriarchate of Cilicia of the Armenians where he was welcomed by the Patriarch, His Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni. There Benedict XVI blessed a statue of the monk Hagop who compiled the first book to be printed in Armenian, the "Book of Friday" published in Venice in 1512. Pope Benedict then had lunch in the community's refectory with patriarchs and bishops of Lebanon.

Published by VISarchive 02 - Saturday, September 15, 2012

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

Vatican City,  (VIS) - Shortly before 2 p.m. local time today, Benedict XVI arrived at the international airport of Beirut, which is named after Rafik Hariri, the former prime minister of Lebanon who was killed in a bomb attack in 2005.

The Holy Father was greeted by Lebanese President Michel Sleiman, His Beatitude Bechara Boutros Rai, patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites; Nabih Berri, speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, and Naguib Miqati, prime minister of Lebanon.

Pronouncing his first words on Lebanese soil, the Pope recalled how, during President Sleiman's visit to the Vatican in February 2011, a ceremony had taken place to bless a great statue of St. Maron which stands in a niche on the outside wall of the Vatican Basilica. The presence of that statue, Pope Benedict said, "is a constant reminder of Lebanon in the very place where the Apostle Peter was laid to rest. It witnesses to a long spiritual heritage, confirming the Lebanese people’s veneration for the first of the Apostles and for his successors". The Holy Father also expressed his satisfaction at the excellent relations that have always existed between Lebanon and the Holy See, and underlined the ecclesial importance of one of the reasons for his trip, "the signature and the consigning of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops, 'Ecclesia in Medio Oriente'".

He then went on to thank the Catholic patriarchs for their presence, particularly Cardinal Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir and his successor Patriarch Bechara Boutros Rai. He also greeted Lebanese bishops and, through them, "all the Christians of the Middle East". The Exhortation, he explained, is "addressed to everyone" and "is intended as a roadmap for the years to come. During these days I am also pleased to be able to meet many representatives from the Catholic communities of your country, so as to celebrate and pray together. Their presence, commitment and witness are a valued contribution and are highly appreciated in the daily life of all the inhabitants of your beloved country". The Pope also expressed his warm greetings to the Orthodox patriarchs and bishops who had come to welcome him, as well as representatives of the other religious communities in Lebanon.

"Your presence", he said, "shows the esteem and the cooperation which, in mutual respect, you wish to promote among everyone. I thank you for your efforts and I am certain that you will continue to seek out the paths of unity and concord. I cannot forget the sad and painful events which have affected your beautiful country along the years. The successful way the Lebanese all live together surely demonstrates to the whole Middle East and to the rest of the world that, within a nation, there can exist cooperation between the various Churches, all members of the one Catholic Church in a fraternal spirit of communion with other Christians, and at the same time coexistence and respectful dialogue between Christians and their brethren of other religions. Like me, you know that this equilibrium, which is presented everywhere as an example, is extremely delicate. Sometimes it seems about to snap like a bow which is overstretched or submitted to pressures which are too often partisan, even selfish, contrary and extraneous to Lebanese harmony and gentleness. This is where real moderation and great wisdom are tested. And reason must overcome one-sided passion in order to promote the greater good of all".

"I have also come to say how important the presence of God is in the life of everyone and how the manner of coexistence, this conviviality to which your country wishes to bear witness, will run deep only if it is founded upon a welcoming regard for the other and upon an attitude of benevolence, and if it is rooted in God who wishes all men to be brothers. The celebrated Lebanese equilibrium which wishes to continue to be a reality, will continue through the good will and commitment of all Lebanese. Only then will it serve as a model to the inhabitants of the whole region and of the entire world. This is not just a human task, but a gift of God which should be sought with insistence, preserved at all costs, and consolidated with determination".

"I have come to Lebanon as a pilgrim of peace, as a friend of God and as a friend of men. ... Looking beyond your country, I also come symbolically to all the countries of the Middle East as a pilgrim of peace, as a friend of God and as a friend of all the inhabitants of all the countries of the region, whatever their origins and beliefs. ... Your joys and sorrows are constantly present in the Pope's prayers and I ask God to accompany you and to comfort you. Let me assure you that I pray especially for the many people who suffer in this region. The statue of St. Maron reminds me of what you live and endure".

Following the welcome ceremony the Pope travelled to the apostolic nunciature in Harissa.

Published by VISarchive 02 - Friday, September 14, 2012

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Last Updated: 13 June 2022

Address during the signing ceremony
of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation
following the Special Assembly for the Middle East
of the Synod of Bishops
(14 September 2012)

Most Holy Father,

Herzlich Wilkommen! Welcome to the East and to Beirut and the Church of Lebanon, one in all its spiritual traditions! Welcome to Lebanon, with all its Muslim and Christian denominations! Welcome to the Melkite Greek Catholic Church and to this church dedicated to Saint Paul, built after the model of the Basilica of the Holy Wisdom (Aghia Sophia) in Constantinople, and property of our Missionary Society of Saint Paul!

Welcome too in the name of the Assemblies of Eastern Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops who responded to your call and took part in the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops, which was a sign of your care and affection.
      
You are bringing a message to this "message-Lebanon,” as it was so aptly described by your predecessor, Blessed Pope John Paul II, a friend of Lebanon, Arab countries and the whole world.

Light comes from the East: ex Oriente lux. From the East the light went out westwards, carrying the message of Jesus. “That was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world,” (John 1:9)

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

Protocol 469/2012R
Rabweh, 13/09/2012

Respect for the faith of others
Condemnation of the film defamatory to Islam

As Patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church and Head of the Assembly of the Catholic Hierarchy in Syria, we denounce the disgraceful film produced by some inhumane faction whose objective is to sow discord and animosity in society.

We also condemn the violent and uncivilised reaction of certain groups, which cannot claim to be defending Islam as they are far removed from the Muslim way of thinking, since the best way of defending Islam is to live and behave according to Islamic values.

We call everyone to love, mutual respect, encounter and dialogue, and to live according to their holy faith in order to construct a better world, a world civilised by faith, hope and love.

Gregorios III (Laham)

Patriarch of Antioch and All the East
Of Alexandria and of Jerusalem

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

CWN - In an interview with Aid to the Church in Need, the head of the Syrian Catholic Church—an Eastern Catholic church in full communion with the Holy See—said that the right to religious freedom “only exists on paper” in the region and that “fundamental Islam does not want a dialogue on equal terms in the long run.”

“When a young man, a Christian, falls in love with a Muslim woman and she loves him, he has to become a Muslim in order to marry her,” said Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III Younan. “Where is the freedom of faith there?”

He added:

Another example: We now have a family from Iran here and they want to be baptised. But in doing this they are risking their lives. Where is the freedom of religion there? Islam does not tolerate a change of faith. There is a similar situation in Turkey. There you can see what follows when freedom only exists on paper.

The goods of Christians have been confiscated and many churches have been destroyed. But the Christians were in Asia Minor before the Muslims. Rights are also officially recognised in Iraq, but nobody protects them, nobody does anything against the persecution of Christians. And now Syria. Our presence is also under threat there.

Criticizing EU support for the Syrian rebels, he added:

Permit me to speak quite frankly. There's a lot of hypocrisy in all this. For many governments it's merely a matter of economic interests. They don't really care about the fate of the Christians in the Middle East. Otherwise they would advocate equality before the law and the observance of human rights for all, including in those countries where the so-called Arab Spring has not taken place.

More than a year ago we said that the Arab Spring would result in chaos and civil war. This is not a matter of taking sides for or against Assad or some other potentate in the region. It's a matter of equal rights for all. It's a matter of the primacy of human rights and not the primacy of one religion. Integration and living side-by-side are only possible if this primacy is respected.

I said it to the government in Paris and I'll say it to you: Fundamental Islam does not want a dialogue on equal terms in the long run. If the EU were serious about its human rights principles they would openly take up the cause of the future of younger generations in the region. Let's put it like this: there's a lot of economic opportunism around.