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Photo: Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I embrace.
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CWN - The Eastern Catholic churches “should be kept and preserved” through current crises, Pope Francis said in a June 22 address to the Reunion of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches (ROACO).
In his address the Holy Father observed that the Eastern Catholic churches have endured “terrible waves of persecution and suffering, both in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.” The churches of Eastern Europe have been freed from oppression under Communism, he observed, but in the Middle East—and particularly in Syria, Iraq, and Egypt—Christians still “suffer as a result of the ongoing war and the senseless violence perpetrated by fundamentalist terrorism.”
The Pope thanked ROACO for its support for the Eastern churches, saying that the survival of these Christian communities is “encouraging pilgrimage to the roots of the faith.” He remarked that in many countries, “Christians—be they Catholics, Orthodox, or Protestant—shed their blood as a seal of their witness.”
Pope Francis also made the observation that immigration has weakened the Christian presence “in the territories where they had flourished for centuries.” He offered the hope that Christians, “if forced to emigrate, be welcomed in the places where they arrive, and continue to live according to their own ecclesial tradition.”
Reflecting on the topic for discussion at the ROACO meeting—the formation of candidates for the priesthood—the Pope said that the Church recognizes “the radical nature of the choice expressed by many of them, and the heroism of their testimony of dedication alongside their often sorely tried communities.”
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The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Bishop Joseph Absi was elected on Wednesday the new patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, a source told The Daily Star.
The election of Absi comes a month after Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Gregorius III Lahham.
Lahham had hinted at his intention to resign several times over the past few years, and eventually made the decision following the unraveling of Orthodox Christianity’s synod in June 2016.
Lahham wrote a letter on June 20, 2016, to the Synod of the Eastern Churches to announce his resignation.
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Liturgy to Include Blessing of Sick
The Pontifical Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, located at 448, East 116th St. has announced plans for a Coptic Liturgy to be celebrated as part of the events during the 133rd Annual Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The Liturgy will be celebrated on Sunday, July 9th at 5 PM. The priests who serve at the Shrine are members of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate, commonly known as the Pallottines. Their founder, St. Vincent Pallotti was a confessor to the Eastern Rite Colleges in Rome. He developed a great love for what he termed “The treasures of the East.” He instituted the Epiphany Octave during which time a different Eastern Rite was celebrated in the Pallottine churches. In tribute of the desires of their founder, and to draw attention to the plight of the Eastern Churches, the Shrine began to include an Eastern Liturgy in its patronal celebrations. Father Fayez of the Coptic Catholic Church of the Resurrection will be the celebrant, assisted by members of his congregation. It will conclude with a blessing of the sick.
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CWN - The Synod of the Melkite Catholic Church convened on June 19 in Ain Traz, Lebanon, to choose a new Patriarch.
The resignation of Patriarch Gregory III Laham, who is 82 years old, was accepted by Pope Francis in June. After a day of prayer and reflection, the Melkite bishops will begin voting on June 20 to elect a successor. The new Patriarch will be announced after the vote receives papal recognition.
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CWN - Maronite Catholic Patriarch Bechara Rai expressed concern about “deficiencies in the pastoral and spiritual formation of priests,” in his address to the Synod of Maronite bishops last week.
The Lebanese prelate saw “a significant drop in the level of scientific and theological competence” among his priests, and consequently a “slacking off in the theological, dogmatic, and moral teaching” of the Maronite community. He observed that too many priests are offering opinions—sometimes online, without proper authorization—that do not correspond to Church teachings, and are consequently “scandalizing the faithful.”
The Maronite Patriarch also voiced his concern about the incidence of marital breakdown. “Our courts are allowing annulments for psychological reasons all too easily,” he said. Rather than accepting the collapse of marriages, he said, the Church should seek out new ways to defend marital unions through “intensive pastoral care, and the creation of centers for marriage preparation and centers for counseling and reconciliation.”
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CWN - The number of Christians living in Syria and Iraq has been cut in half—and perhaps significantly further—since the onset of the Syrian civil war in 2011, according to a new report.
The report by Open Doors and Middle East Concern finds that Syria’s Christian population, which stood at 2 million before the civil war, is now perhaps 1 million. In Iraq, where an offensive by the Islamic State drove Christians out of the Nineveh Valley, at least 100,000 have fled the country. Of course who remain, many are now displaced; some are considering a return to their homes now that the Iraqi government has regained control of the Nineveh Valley.
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