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Photo: Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I embrace.
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Patriarch Gregorios III continued his pilgrimage in Italy, beginning with the Presanctified Liturgy at the Greek College, Rome on the Feast of Saint Benedict, 14 March. His Beatitude spoke a word of greeting to the College and congratulations to the Holy Father on his name-day.
On the following day, His Beatitude met with Andrea Riccardi, Minister for International Co-operation and Integration and founder of the Sant’Egidio Community and went on to give a press conference, explaining the purpose of his pilgrimage in the context of peace, living together and Christian presence in the Middle East. At midday for half an hour, His Beatitude met His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican, and speaking in German, talked to him about the role of Christians in the Middle East, the role of the Pope, of the Episcopal Conferences, of Vatican diplomacy, the role of local churches in the Middle East and especially in Syria. At 3.30p.m. His Beatitude received the recently withdrawn Italian Ambassador to Syria, Achille Amerio, who talked most amicably with him for an hour. His Beatitude was able to explain to him more about the situation in Syria.
On Friday, 16 March, Patriarch Gregorios III had meetings with the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti and Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, before serving the Akathist at the Greek College.
At the weekend, His Beatitude travelled to Piacenza, attending the panikhida for Virginio Foglietta, late Prior of the Patriarchal Order of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem.
On Sunday evening, His Beatitude returned to Beirut.
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Continuing his European round-trip of episcopal conferences and European political institutions, H. B. Gregorios III, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, of Alexandria and of Jerusalem began his talks in Great Britain by a meeting with H. G. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, H. G. Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster and with a representative of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Afterwards, he gave a talk at Heythrop College, University of London. Among those present (c. 60 persons) Ukrainian and Coptic Orthodox bishops, university teachers, monks and nuns and lay-persons. Mr Anthony O’Mahony of Heythrop College introduced His Beatitude. After the talk, the Principal of the College, Michael Holman SJ invited the Patriarch to lunch. For all these meetings, the Patriarch was accompanied by Rev. Dr Shafiq Abouzayd, priest of the Melkite parish in London and Ms Valerie Chamberlain, liaison officer for the trip to the U.K.
On Sunday, 11 March, (the third Sunday in Lent) His Beatitude celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the parish church of St Barnabas, Pimlico meeting parishioners. In the afternoon, His Beatitude met the Lebanese ambassador to Britain, H. E. Inaam Osseiran at a meal offered by Father Shafiq and members of the parish council.
As in Berlin on 5 and 6 March and in Paris on 7 and 8 March 2012, Gregorios III emphasised the relationship between peace, living together and Christian presence in the Middle East, which is a reservoir of Christians and a cultural reservoir of the region. This region, and Syria especially, needs to regain its tranquillity, thanks to a dialogue among all the parties concerned. He asked European leaders and Church leaders to call for a cease-fire and dialogue and reconciliation.
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Gregorios III: “The foundations of hope for a real Arab Spring depend on inter-Muslim and Muslim-Christian unity.”
Rounding off his tour of Episcopal Conferences and Government Offices with the Vatican and Italy, H. B. Gregorios III, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, of Alexandria and Jerusalem was received by Pope Benedict XVI for half an hour on Thursday 15 March 2012. The meeting, which took place in the Holy Father’s office, focused on matters of ecclesial concern amid the crises of the Middle East and their consequences both from a regional and international perspective.
During the meeting, H. B. Gregorios III emphasised the need of dialogue for peace in Syria and in the Middle East, since only dialogue guarantees coexistence and knowing how to live together in this rapidly changing and very challenging region.
The Patriarch underlined that the role of Christians is to be peace-makers and bridge-builders for genuine dialogue among the Arab world’s sons and daughters for a better future.
Rabweh, 15 March 2012
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CWNews.com - The head of the Maronite Catholic Church has spoken with reporters about his fears that the “Arab Spring” is becoming a winter. “We are with the Arab Spring but we are not with this spring of violence, war, destruction and killing,” said Patriarch Béchara Boutros Raï, who has led the Eastern Catholic church since March 2011. “This is turning to winter … How can it be an Arab Spring when people are being killed every day? They speak of Iraq and democracy, and one million Christians out of an original 1.5 million have fled Iraq.”
Discussing the situation in Syria, he added:
Syria, like other countries, needs reforms which the people are demanding. It’s true that the Syrian Baath regime is an extreme and dictatorial regime but there are many others like it in the Arab world.
All regimes in the Arab world have Islam as a state religion, except for Syria. It stands out for not saying it is an Islamic state ... The closest thing to democracy (in the Arab world) is Syria.
We are not defending it. But we regret that Syria, which wants to take a step forward ... is undergoing this violence and destruction and (use of) power and weapons …
We do not speak out against any sect and we do not fear moderate Islam. We fear the extremists groups that use the language of violence.
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CWNews.com - Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople has met with lawmakers to discuss proposed changes to the country’s constitution. The appearance by the Ecumenical Patriarch—the acknowledged “first among equals” of Orthodox Church leaders—is historic insofar as the Turkish government has never before acknowledged his stature as a religious leader.
“We are confident that our viewpoints will be taken into consideration,” Patriarch Bartholomew said after his session with the legislators. He pointed out that his meeting was important insofar as minority groups were being consulted. “We don’t want to be second-class citizens,” he said.
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Damascus - The Holy Synod of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church has, as foreseen, ended its work on 8 February, 2012. The final communiqué published this morning announces that the Synod Fathers have chosen candidates suitable for consecration as bishops, in line with the number of eparchies declared vacant and the titular sees whose holders have reached the canonical retirement age. The list of names will be sent to the Holy See for approval.
The Holy Synod considered the situation prevalent in the countries of the patriarchal territories – in particular, Syria and Egypt. The Fathers launched an appeal to the conscience of these countries’ governments and their opponents to stop the bloodbath and for all parties to consent to resort to dialogue under the aegis of the international community and Arab countries. This dialogue should end in lasting peace built on justice, democracy and freedom.
The Fathers welcomed the open-mindedness that was evident during the Muslim-Christian summit of 7 February in Beirut in which H. B. Patriarch Gregorios III took part. They also asked the Lebanese government to look after the people’s needs, while hoping that all members of the government would grasp the need to rise above personal ambitions and interests.
Finally, the Holy Synod lent its support to the documents published in January by Al-Azhar on freedom of religion and conscience.
The next Synod of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church will be held starting on 18 June 2012 at the patriarchal summer residence of Aïn-Traz (Lebanon.)
Translation from French: V. Chamberlain