AOCTS: Towards the Synod

 The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land (AOCTS) held its bi-annual meeting from Monday, March 8 until Wednesday, March 10, 2010 in Galilee at the Domus Galilaeae.

The Assembly includes all the heads of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land and at this meeting all were present: the president of the assembly, Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal and his three Vicars, Bishop Marcuzzo from Nazareth, Bishop Selim Sayegh from Amman and Father David Neuhaus from the Hebrew-speaking Catholic community, as well as the two emeritus bishops, Patriarch Michel Sabbah and Bishop Kamal Bathish. The three Greek Catholic bishops were also present: Archbishop Elias Chacour from the Galilee, Archbishop Joseph Zreyi from Jerusalem, Archbishop Yaser al-Ayyash from Amman as well as emeritus Archbishop Boulos Mouallem. Present too were Maronite Archbishop Paul Sayyah, Syrian Catholic Bishop Gregoire Pierre Melki, Armenian Mgr. Raphael Minassian and Chaldean Vicar Paul Collin. The Assembly also includes the Custos of the Holy Land, Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa and, as invited guest, the Nuncio, Archbishop Antonio Franco. The secretary of the Assembly, Father Pietro Felet was the organizer of the proceedings.

The three days of meetings began with a spiritual reflection offered by Father Doan Nguyen, superior of the Jesuits in the Holy Land. His words focused on the challenges to communion and witness in the early Church according to the Acts of the Apostles. Much time was consecrated to the upcoming October Synod in Rome. The Ordinaries also heard reports on the work of Pontifical Mission and Caritas, two of the central charitable operations of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land.

The meeting ended with a solemn mass in honor of the Nuncio who is celebrating fifty years since his ordination to the priesthood. The priests in Israel were invited and the mass reflected the diversity of the Church in the Holy Land. This included two intentions in Hebrew and a offertory song in Hebrew too. We wish the Nuncio mazal tov on this auspicious occasion.