CELRA meets in Rome

The meeting of the Latin Bishops of the Arab Regions was supposed to hold its annual meeting in Egypt but due to the situation in that country it was decided to transfer the meeting to Rome. Of the thirteen members, nine were present at the Rome meeting: the President of the Conference, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Fouad Twal, accompanied by two of his vicars, Bishop Boulos Marcuzzo from Nazareth and Father David Neuhaus, from the Saint James Vicariate for Hebrew Speaking Catholics in Israel, the secretary of the conference, Archbishop Camillo Ballin from North Arabia, Archbishop Paul Hinder from South Arabia, Bishop Jean Sleiman from Baghdad, Bishop Paul Dahdah from Beirut, Bishop Adel Zaki from Cairo and Bishop Giorgo Bertin from Djibouti (and Somalia).

The first day of the conference was dedicated to an exchange of news from each of the dioceses. This was a fascinating occasion to catch up on what is happening in the different parts of the Middle East.

The two bishops from the Arabian Peninsula updated those present on the new division of the dioceses that had been carried out in May 2011. The North Arabian diocese includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar. 43 priests serve a Catholic population of about 1.5 million Catholics, almost all of them migrant workers. The South Arabian diocese includes the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Oman. 48 priests serve a population of about 1.2 million Catholics, almost all of them migrant workers too. The two bishops described the diverse situation in this region: in some countries Catholics are relatively free to practice their religion whereas in other countries there are enormous restrictions and some the priests are underground. In many locations there are huge numbers of faithful without churches. The two bishops instituted a feast of Our Lady of Arabia on the second Sunday of ordinary time, an occasion to pray for the Church in this region.

Although absent due to illness, Bishop Nazarro from Aleppo, Syria, sent a report that was read at the meeting. Offering some details about the political situation and asking for prayers that calm might be restored, he also described the inauguration of the new Latin Cathedral in Aleppo, dedicated to the martyrs of Damascus (who died in the events in that city in 1840).

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem gave a long report on the myriad activities in the Jerusalem diocese: the follow up on the Synod, the effect of the Arab Spring, the fall in the number of pilgrims, the political activity around the bid of the Palestinians for adherence to the United Nations, the influx of migrants and the internal Church events that marked the year, notably the visit of the relics of Saint Therese of Lisieux, the World Youth Day and the opening of the American University of Madaba in Jordan, under the direction of the Latin Patriarchate.

Bishop Marcuzzo of Nazareth complemented the information shared by the Patriarch, focusing on the positive results of the visit of Saint Therese and updating those present on the negotiations between the Holy See and the State of Israel.

Father David informed those present of the activities of the Saint James Vicariate including a report on the activities for children (catechetical books and classes, summer camp) and young people (participation in the WYD and the continuing meetings). He also spoke of the diverse encounters with Israeli Jews. The Patriarch asked Father David to update those present on the developments in the Pastoral for Migrants including the challenges in establishing a coordinated ministry that serves the diverse populations.

Bishop Zaki from Egypt spoke of the political events in Egypt – the initial hopes for more democracy and the growing fear that Islamic fundamentalists will gain more and more control. This report was of course under the shadow of the recent events in Cairo, including the violent clash between Copts and the police that left 26 dead. However, the bishop underlined also a growing solidarity of some Muslims with their Christian brothers. Although the Latin presence in Egypt is very small, there is a large number of priests and religious affiliated to the Latin Church and an enormous number of migrants, including 55 000 Catholic Sudanese alone.

Bishop Sleiman from Iraq described a slight improvement in the situation in Iraq but noted the great problems that face the country: unity in the face of confessional, ethnic and ideological division, religion in political life, the incoherence within the new constitution, the division of resources and corruption. He also noted the problems within the Catholic Church in Iraq.

Bishop Dahdah from Lebanon described the effects of the election of a new Maronite Patriarch in March. In Lebanon too there is a need for a pastoral among migrants, a population that includes many Iraqi refugees. The political situation in Lebanon continues to be unstable.

Finally, Bishop Bertin described the situation in the Horn of Africa, where millions are threatened with starvation in the wake of a terrible drought. He focused specially on Djibouti and Somalia, describing the life of a Church whose primary mission is one of philanthropy and witness among Muslims. The situation of instability continues in Somalia, threatening the unity of the country.

The sharing of the bishops was vivid and animated.

On the second day, a small group of bishops attended the weekly audience with Pope Benedict XVI. The afternoon session included a presentation by Bishop Marcuzzo of the second volume of Pope Benedict’s book, Jesus of Nazareth. After this, Bishop Bertin presented the Lineamenta for the 13th Synod of Bishops on the new evangelization.

On the third day, the bishops were able to visit the various offices of the Roman Curia. In the afternoon, at the concluding session, the Bishops welcomed the new Secretary General of Caritas, Mr. Michel Roy, who gave a survey of Caritas’s worldwide outreach. Practical aspects of the CELRA were discussed including the decision on where and when to meet next time (in September 2012 in Jordan). The final moments of the meeting were dedicated to a discussion of Verbum Domini, the exhortation after the Synod on the Word of God. During their meeting in Rome, the members of CELRA named Father Pietro Felet, Betharam Father and actual secretary of the Assembly of Ordinaries of the Holy Land, new secretary of the CELRA, replacing Archbishop Ballin.

Those present bid each other farewell as they return each one to his flock.