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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

So it seems to Gregorios III, an authentic voice from Syria, from where there is no objective reporting

07.05.12

Currently a guest in Trier: Patriarch Gregorios III Photo: Bost

Bodo Bost spoke for PAZ with Patriarch Gregorios III, head of some two million Melkites, one of the largest Eastern Churches in union with Rome, based in Damascus, Syria.

PAZ: You have come from a region in crisis. Do you hope that the situation in Syria will settle down again?
Gregorios III: Unfortunately we cannot expect that tomorrow, but perhaps the day after tomorrow. The situation is very tense and will get increasingly so, as there are many outside influences that stoke the fire and  exacerbate the situation, by supplying weapons and funds … Syrians have to find one another, talk with one another, that is the only way for the situation to settle down. That is why I am telling Europe, not to further inflame the situation in Syria, but rather help our people through more trust and confidence. Europe and the USA must stay out of this conflict, as only Syrians alone can resolve this conflict. If Israel is allowed nuclear weapons and other countries not, this generates one-sidedness, which just further inflames hatred, not lessens conflicts in the region. We Eastern Christians are hated by Muslims on account of you, because Christian countries in Europe and the USA cannot manage to bring about a just peace in the Middle East. We want to pray for peace in Jerusalem and the peace of the Holy Land.

PAZ: Will President Bashar Assad reach out to the opposition, even if Europe does nothing towards resolving the crisis in Syria?
Gregorios III: Help us, so we can agree. We have been living together as Christians and Muslims now for over a thousand years. No-one can prescribe for us how we should be shaping our life together. Give us an opportunity, for people in Syria to find one another and shape their future by themselves peacefully.

PAZ: Does the Church support President Assad?
Gregorios III: We don’t need to support any system. We were there already before Assad and before his father and we shall be there after Assad. We are a free Church; we speak with the government to help the people, not to support the regime.

PAZ: What hopes do you place in the Annan plan?
Gregorios III: Without faith in the future there will be no peace and no peace plan can help then. We need optimism and faith in a better future.

PAZ: In what way does foreign influence have a detrimental effect on Syria?
Gregorios III.: A good example of that is the report of the Arab League’s leader of the Observer Mission, General Dabi. His report was objective and fair and issued a good account of the Assad Government; therefore nobody wanted to take any notice of this report.

PAZ: Do you also have any contacts with the Observer Mission?
Gregorios III: Not directly, but people have come and reported to us, so we have learned from their report.

PAZ: What future do you see for Syria?
Gregorios III: The world is not fair. Only God is just and only God can bring peace. The world is ruled by economic interests. Formerly Saudi Arabia and Qatar were quite staunch friends of Syria. Why are they now against Assad? Are the regimes there better for Christians or for human rights? Today Syria is a huge weapons cache and the international community wants to give even more money to Syrian rebels.

PAZ: At the beginning of March the Um Al-Zennar Church (Church of the Mother of God’s Belt) of Homs was torched. This Church is the most significant Christian symbol in the centre of the civil war-torn city of Homs, where the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch had his headquarters from 1933 to 1959 and here there was one of the most important relics in Syria with the Mother of God's belt. What do you know of its destruction?
Gregorios III.: The church was damaged, as it lay in the field of fire of the opposing factions. Actually this important church is in the Christian quarter of Homs. The rebels have dug into this quarter, from which the Christians have fled, and shoot from there at the security forces, which have their positions in the outer suburbs and return the fire from there. We haven’t been able to talk about peaceful demonstrators for a long time now.

PAZ: How is Muslim-Christian dialogue in Syria?
Gregorios III: We have no problems with one another. Interference from abroad is the problem.

PAZ: Why have you come to Trier on pilgrimage to the holy tunic?
Gregorios III: I came for the first time to the holy tunic in Trier with a group organised by Pax Christi in August 1959. At that time the German-French friendship was being prepared. Robert Schuman went at that time on pilgrimage to the holy tunic. It was my first visit to Germany. Since then I have been captivated by the land, its people and its culture. I have such a close relationship to Trier and its people. Through Saint Athanasios, who in the fourth century was banished from Egypt to Trier, Trier also has a relationship to Eastern Christians. And the holy tunic also came originally from Jerusalem, where I was for many years patriarchal vicar of my Church.

PAZ: What meaning does the holy tunic have for you?
Gregorios III: It is a symbol of the unity of the Church. This tunic symbolises the suffering of Christ, but also his resurrection. Yet we must do much more, to reach the communion of all Christians. Unfortunately Europe is weak in faith, so it is afraid of Islamisation. We Christians of East and West must stand together more. The more faith and love and hope there is in the world, the less violence there will be in the world. But this can only come about through God’s grace.

Source:  http://www.preussische-allgemeine.de/nachrichten/artikel/das-ausland-soll-sich-heraushalten.html  Translation from German: V. Chamberlain

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

Speech of H. B. Gregorios III (Laham), Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and All the East,

of Alexandria and of Jerusalem

Conference on “Women and their role in an era of change”
Liqaa (Meeting) – a global centre

for inter-civilisational Dialogue

3 May 2012

Dear sisters and brothers

I have great pleasure in welcoming you to the Liqaa (Meeting) centre and inaugurating this conference. You will also be very welcome to organise your conferences in our centre.

In the latter half of the twentieth century, women in the Arab world began to acquire rights equal to men at all levels (voting rights and the right of standing for office, the right to work, etc.). Yet, we find today that there is still a disparity linked to the nature of politics in certain countries, namely, those which still adopt a religious political stance.

During the events that have overtaken the Arab world over the past year and up till now, women have been taking part in peaceful demonstrations calling for the implementation of change.  However, the current revolutions unleashed from the end of 2010 up to the present have induced and incited subversive religious tendencies.

Indeed, following the coming to power of new regimes as a result of on-going revolutions in the Arab world, the role of women is suffering a remarkable decline. We can in fact see a falling away of rights already acquired by women, such as the right to participate in political life and work and legal protection from tribal customs. This worrying state of affairs also affects all other aspects of the country’s life, such as personal liberties, freedom of thought and expression, the devolution of power, etc. 

Women’s roles then are bound up with the kind of society that today’s Arab citizens want. Of course, the civil state guarantees women’s rights, though many aspects need further development, especially through men and women’s faith outlook. International charters call for women’s role in the constitution to be approved, as well as legislation and protection by means of law courts.

Clear measures with a view to protecting the significant role of women can be found in the “Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women[1]” adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (UN) in 1979 and binding upon all countries that have ratified the convention.... These rights are unfortunately not taken into consideration by the current revolutions.

Equality through excellence

Now I as a Christian have to put forward my view of women, as each of us has to enrich the other through faith in God and neighbour.

Jesus Christ’s view

Jesus Christ’s view of women is not based on equality between men and women, but gives a unique role for each in relation to the other. During his daily life in the Jewish community, Jesus arouses the perplexity of his contemporaries due to his way of adopting undesirable, even forbidden habits: sitting with sinners, touching lepers, talking to tax collectors and interacting with all Jewish groups despite their differences and certainly treating women differently.

I would like to mention the Apostolic Letter of Blessed Pope John Paul II, “The dignity and vocation of women” (Mulieris dignitatem 15 August, 1988[2]) on the occasion of the Marian Year. We should remember how Jesus Christ defended the dignity and personal vocation of women. On the level of women’s marital role, Jesus Christ explained in detail to his contemporaries the framework in which Mosaic divorce law was given, just as he emphasised creation’s essential purpose, that “all may be one.” (John 17: 21) “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” (Mark 19: 6)

These actions have multiple implications. In that way, Christ redirects human history towards God’s essential objective. Male and female are in the image and likeness of God and together progress along the road to eternal salvation. The Apostolic Letter “The dignity and vocation of women” says: “The principle of this ’ethos,’ which from the beginning marks the reality of creation, is now confirmed by Christ in opposition to that tradition which discriminated against women. In this tradition the male ’dominated,’ without having proper regard for woman and for her dignity... This ’ethos’ is recalled and confirmed by Christ's words...” (V, 12)

Women in the Bible

If we turn to study the presence of women in the Gospel, we see that it is characterised by diversity and singularity. In the Apostolic Letter “The dignity and vocation of women” we find a working out and explanation of that presence. In fact we find some of those women who became Jesus’ disciples had been sick but obtained healing and blessing. Jesus Christ cites several parables in which women figure, such as the wise virgins, the woman who lost a coin and others. John’s Gospel mentions the case of the woman taken in adultery. Jesus speaks to her with respect and love, far from any discrimination, since he was concerned only with her reformation. Among the most significant scenes of the Gospel can be counted the myrrh-bearing women who were more faithful to Jesus than his male apostles and who were therefore first to receive the news of the glorious resurrection.

That is Jesus’ approach to mankind: granting gifts to women and men alike and their own place in the saving purpose of God.

The Second Vatican Council’s view

The Second Vatican Council reflects this Gospel vision in the Pastoral Constitution called “Joy and Hope[3],” (Gaudium et Spes) giving the following view: “Everyone must consider his every neighbour without exception as another self, taking into account first of all his life and the means necessary to living it with dignity.” (Joy and Hope, 27) The constitution also adds that the evangelical vision of the human being requires real equality in human dignity among all to be increasingly recognised.  The document reminds us: “True, all men are not alike from the point of view of varying physical power and the diversity of intellectual and moral resources. Nevertheless, with respect to the fundamental rights of the person, every type of discrimination, whether social or cultural, whether based on sex, race, colour, social condition, language or religion, is to be overcome and eradicated as contrary to God's intent. For in truth it must still be regretted that fundamental personal rights are still not being universally honoured. Such is the case of a woman who is denied the right to choose a husband freely, to embrace a state of life or to acquire an education or cultural benefits equal to those recognized for men.” (Joy and Hope, 29)

The Virgin Mary, a model of convergence among Christians and Muslims in today’s society

Today’s reality obliges us to think about means to reach agreement about the role of women in our society. This suggests the prophetic role that the Virgin Mary played in the convergence of perspectives of members of the same nation, since her glorification is shared. The Virgin Mary plays a role in the saving plan of God recognized in both Gospel and Qur’an. This could provide common grounds for discussing the role of women. She is a kind and caring mother who having experienced the loss of her beloved son, continues to guide upcoming generations to God.

1.      The Virgin Mary an exemplary mother in society

The Virgin Mary has great significance for Muslims and Christians as God chose her and blessed her, just as he prepared her for giving birth to Jesus Christ. We also encounter a common belief that she became pregnant without intercourse with a man and remained intact before, during and after the birth of her son. Both religions alike glorify the Virgin Mary for her obedience and her reaction to God-given grace. Her modesty and simplicity are extolled by both religions as is her life dedicated to God and prayer. That is why all Lebanese have agreed to make the Feast of the Annunciation a national holiday. That is indeed a model of life dialogue superior to any other kind.

The practical aspect of that perspective is very fruitful for our research. Indeed, just as the Virgin Mary played a key role, women today ought to follow that example. As the Virgin Mary was able to fulfil the will of God in her life, so women today should be enabled to fulfil God’s will in complete freedom. This means that they must play a role in society, in religion thereby following the Virgin Mary’s example. So, achieving equality between men and women does not mean abolishing differences and distinctions between them but rather reconciling, integrating and complementing one another, each according to his or her given talents.

2.      Women and motherhood

A woman may contribute fully to the process of creation just as she may support the family. Such a woman reflects the essence of dedicating one’s life to others as well as of self-giving. Returning to the Apostolic Letter on “The dignity and vocation of women,” we find that mutual self-giving through marriage may be crowned with the gift of new life. That God-given dignity belongs particularly to mothers and is a source of joy for them as the spouses share in the same task of creation with the Everlasting God. The letter states significantly that “motherhood implies from the beginning a special openness to the new person: and this is precisely the woman's ‘part.’”   (The dignity and vocation of women, VI 18) Respect for life taking shape in the mother’s womb prohibits abortion or rejection of birth-giving. Everyone knows how much women suffer as a result of a miscarriage. Yet we should not consider motherhood to be the ultimate role for women any more than responsibility for the bringing up of children is theirs alone. In fact, as the couple’s life is based on partnership, each partner plays a role shared in the light of that partnership and mutual understanding.

Finally, we should like to emphasise the importance of the role of families in which mothers bind together their members. God gave families the distinct vocation of being the primary living cells of society. They fulfil their mission if they succeed in making their homes temples for God through their piety and the prayers of their members.

Thank you, dear friends and may God almighty bless you.

Recommendations

1. Strengthen the principle of non-discrimination against women, on the basis of the faith perspective that places women, alongside men, at the centre of God’s creation, whilst respecting their role that complements men’s.
2. Ask the new governments to confirm their commitment to respecting women’s role, by enshrining the faith perspective in society through requisite legislation to maintain women’s role today.
3. Make society aware of women’s special role in families and society by studying the example of the Virgin Mary or other women.
4. Emphasise the importance of motherhood as sharing in creation, thereby underlining the prohibition on abortion.
5. Broaden our faith perspective to include contemporary changes to do with women’s work and lifestyle so that faith should not be restrictive.

H. B. Gregorios III (Laham)
Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, of Alexandria and of Jerusalem

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Damascus 10 May 2012

“We were praying in the cathedral chapel when a strong explosion shattered all the windows. The walls of the nave shuddered as if jolted by a sudden gust of wind; we thought it might be an earthquake.” H.B. Gregorios III Laham, Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and All the East is still incredulous, while describing to MISNA the moments of terror that accompanied the double bombing of the Syrian capital this morning. The Cathedral of Bab Sharqi, at the end of the `Via Recta' that leads to the Chapel of Ananias (a Christian martyr who enabled Saint Paul to recover his sight), is perhaps some two or three kilometres from the site of the explosion which up to now, according to a provisional estimate, has killed at least 55 and injured another 300.

“The television showed images of a huge crater, cars and buildings shattered, blood everywhere. The minibus bringing the children to our school had come that way barely 10 minutes before. It is a miracle that they were not involved,” explains the cleric, President of the Assembly of the Catholic Hierarchy in Syria, condemning “an act of cruelty without precedent in Syria, which has shown the true face of the forces at work behind this absurd propaganda war.” The Patriarch’s voice, shaking with emotion on the day of the worst attack in the country’s recent history, is also raised against the world that “is not listening to the Syrian people’s cries of distress.”

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Maronite Archbishopric of Aleppo 25 April 2012

The Assembly of the Catholic Hierarchy in Syria held its regular springtime meeting at Aleppo in the headquarters of the Maronite Archbishop on 25 April 2012, chaired by its President, Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregorios III. Also taking part were Syrian Catholic Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III (Younan), Archbishop Mario Zenari, Papal Nuncio to Syria and Catholic bishops in Syria.

The Fathers reviewed the situation in Syria in the light of current painful events. They discussed pastoral problems relating to the life and social mission of the Church in the harsh conditions experienced by some regions of the country. They issued the following report:

1.       We stand shoulder to shoulder with our Syrian people, in seeking a dignified life, national unity, solidarity among all the various social, religious and national constituent groups; in pursuing the widespread, effective reform process that has to be undertaken on the ground, in political, social and cultural spheres and service, through co-ordinating the efforts of all Syrians – government, parties, constructive opposition, specialists – in the framework of national unity and active participation in national dialogue (absolutely indispensable for any reform and without which it would remain but a vain hope), recognizing that this is the best way to escape the cycle of violence and repression. The State has called for dialogue and we invite all national parties at home and abroad to build a new multi-party democratic Syria. We also encourage everyone to participate fully in free and fair elections for the National Assembly on 7 May next, to express the popular will.

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Prot. No. 237
 

†  BARTHOLOMEW

By the Mercy of God
Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome
and Ecumenical Patriarch

To the Plenitude of the Church

Grace, Peace and Mercy from the Savior Christ, Risen in Glory
 
*   *   *

He became the first-born among the dead.
(Easter Apolytikion, 3rd tone)

 
Beloved children in the Lord,

If Christ’s Resurrection referred to Himself, then its significance for us would be negligible.  The Church proclaims, however, that, the Lord did not arise alone. Together with Himself, He also resurrected all people. This is how our predecessor, St. John Chrysostom, proclaims this great truth in thunderous language: “Christ is risen, and none are left dead in the grave; for in being raised from the dead, he became the first-fruits of all who were asleep.” This means that Christ became the first-fruits of the resurrection of all who have fallen asleep and who will fall asleep in the future, as well as of their transition from death to life. The message is a joyful one for us all because, with His Resurrection Christ abolished the power of death. Those who believe in Him await the resurrection of the dead and are accordingly baptized in His death, rise with Him and live on in life eternal.

The world that is alienated from Christ endeavors to amass material goods because it bases its hopes for survival on them. It unwisely imagines that it will escape death through wealth. Deceived in this way to amass wealth, supposedly to extend their present life, human beings disperse death among others, too. They deny others the financial possibility of survival, often even violently depriving others of life, in the hope of preserving their own life.

How tragic! What a huge deception. For life is only acquired through faith in Christ and incorporation in His body.

The experience of the Orthodox Church assures us that those united with Christ live even after death, coexist with the living, are in dialogue with them, can hear them and are often even capable of miraculously fulfilling their requests.

This means that it is no longer necessary to search for the “fountain of immortality.” Immortality exists in Christ and is offered by Him to all.

There is no need for some nations to be destroyed in order for other nations to survive. Nor is there any need to destroy defenseless human lives so that other human beings may live in greater comfort. Christ offers life to all people, on earth as in heaven. He is risen, and all those who so desire life may follow Him on the way of Resurrection. By contrast, all those who bring about death, whether indirectly or directly, believing that in this way they are prolonging or enhancing their own life, condemn themselves to eternal death.

Our Risen Lord Jesus Christ came into the world in order that all people “may have life and life in abundance” (John 10:10). We deceive ourselves if we believe that prosperity in the world can come from destroying one another. Christ raises the dead and invalidates their killing. Christ has the power to transcend death. Moreover, the fact that he conquered death confirms His contempt of death. Christ leads to life; He re-bestows life, which happens to be interrupted, because He is “our life and our resurrection.” This is why we, the faithful, do not fear death. Our strength lies not in the invulnerability of our existence but in its possibility for resurrection.

Christ is Risen! We, too, shall arise!

Therefore, beloved brethren and children in the Lord, let us follow the Risen Christ in all His works. Let us come to the assistance of those deprived of the means for survival so that their life may be preserved. Let us proclaim to all those who are ignorant of Christ’s Resurrection that, through this, death was abolished and, as a result, they too may share in His Resurrection by believing  in Him and following His way. Our own resurrection is only possible when it is offered for the resurrection of others, of our brothers and sisters. Then alone will the triumphant proclamation that “Christ is Risen!” refer to the salvation for all of humanity. Let it be so!

Holy Pascha 2012

† Bartholomew of Constantinople
Your fervent supplicant for all


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Damascus 31 March 2012

Patriarch Gregorios III, as President of the Assembly of the Catholic Hierarchy in Syria, together with Syrian Catholic and Maronite and Armenian Catholic bishops and Latin Catholic priests, today (31 March) received at the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate in Damascus Mgr. Giampietro Dal Toso, Secretary of the Papal Council Cor Unum accompanied by the Papal Nuncio Archbishop Mario Zenari. Mgr. Dal Toso was delivering one hundred thousand dollars for urgent humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people from His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.

The sum had beenearmarked by the Pope forimmediate assistance to the Syrian “population exhausted from violence.”

Benedict XVI has also decided to devolvethe collections gathered during Holy Thursday Mass that he will celebrate on the 5^th of April in the basilica of San Giovanni in Lateranoto the humanitarian assistance of Syrian refugees.

The Catholic Churches of Syria are currently engaged, especially through Caritas Syria, and working in the name of the Assembly of Catholic Hierarchy in Syria, in projects of assistance to the Syrian population without distinction on grounds of politics or religion through their charitable branches, in particular in the areas of Damascus, Homs and Aleppo. Cor Unum highlights that"we know the Holy Father's repeated calls for the cessation of violence in Syria and that a way be found for dialogue and reconciliation between the warring parties, with a view to peace and the common good… The Pope,” concludes the Cor Unum text, “exhorts us to pray for those who are suffering in this country."