Communion Archives < For Better or For Worse

Sin, Sinned, Sinning, Sinner

Sin 1. a) the breaking of religious law or a moral principal, especially through a willful act b) a state of habitual violation of such principals 2. any offense, misdemeanor, or fault – sinned, sinning 1. to break a religious law or moral principal; commit a sin. 2. to commit an offense or fault of any kind: do wrong.

   I don’t remember if I had used these exact words in my weekly “released-time” class at the nearest Catholic church, but I certainly got the idea right and could communicate it very well. I had to!
   I was being prepared for first Holy Communion and that meant I had to learn about Sin and sins and be ready to accuse myself to the priest at my first Confession, which of course preceded first Communion!
   (I was then six going on seven years old!)
   Naturally I had been taught about Moses and the Ten Commandments
—and all the very many and diverse ways associated with not obeying them well enough: Sin!
   My most common sins had to do with acts of disobedience to my parents or, later, things like accidentally swallowing some water when brushing my teeth on Sunday before going to Communion (breaking the Eucharistic fast).
   The sixth commandment was hard to understand, “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” but, as I got a little older, I learned that it was about bad thoughts, bad desires, and bad actions, alone or with others!
   It was a tricky business trying to discover and not forget to confess all my weekly sins.
   I still remember one Saturday afternoon when I couldn’t recall any sins to tell the priest in confession.
   So, I did what the Nuns had taught me, and told the priest that I couldn’t remember any new sins to tell, but that I was heartily sorry for all my past sins.

   “You get out of here, kneel down, and pray—and then come back here and confess,” the priest roared!
   (I was so scared that I never made a confession like that again—ever!)
   This is only a childhood memory, but it is a reminder of how things were in those days—and of the sort of obsession with sin that characterized them in some, if not many, parts of the world!
   The emphasis on sin, repentance, and confession had its merits and value amid all the problems of growing up and living a good adult life, but it dominated my early formation and the understanding of God and his commandments.
   It was a tough struggle in adult years, to come to terms with what the sixth commandment was really all about. It always had seemed that somehow it was the “sexth” commandment, in practice!
   One thing is for sure, I grew up with a keen consciousness of “sin” in dozens of small ways and relatively less awareness of the forgiveness and love of God, ever a cause for joy and rejoicing!
   Deo gratias! (Thanks be to God) is somehow more important or life-giving than Confiteor Deo omnipotenti… (I confess to almighty God…), though both have their distinct place and use.
   One of the things that people marveled at in the life of Jesus was how he fraternized with sinners. He didn’t behave like them, but he treated each and every one of them with compassion, forgiveness, and love.
   We know about the sins that we sinners are all capable of and worse. Don’t let that make you forget to rejoice with Jesus over your repentances and his pardons!

10 September 2023

Collaboration

My dictionary defines “collaborate” as: [from the Latin collaboratus, past participle of collaborare, to work together from com, with + laborare, to work] 1. to work together, especially in some literary, artistic, or scientific undertaking. 2. to cooperate with the enemy; be a collaborationist.
   Paradoxically, many a great writer, artist, or scientist apparently has worked alone, either because of a quirk of personality or even a selfish desire to be a solitary achiever.
   On the other hand, what accomplishments are the fruit of exclusively individual invention or creation with no reliance on or influence at all from the work of confreres, predecessors, or antecedents?
   Collaboration is not a mathematical concept, in the sense that one and one makes two—for frequently and often the work of two people together can reach a level and attainment that exceeds the capacity of either separately!
   A collaborationist, literally, doesn’t have to be an enemy (the current usage of the word), but could refer to any group of people, joined together to some extent in seeking a solution to a common problem or working together to complete a common task.
   Further, collaboration certainly could include collaboration in the quest for meaning in our lives, knowledge of the will of God, faith, and religion.
   Genesis tells the story of Creation:
   In 1:26 it says: “Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth.”
   In 2:15 it says: “The Lord God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it.
   “Have dominion” and “cultivate and care for” are collaboration mandates!

   Notwithstanding the many great writers, artists, scientists, and other specialists, from the beginning the plan of God for us involves and has involved collaboration—collaboration in the work of creation and in the care and shaping of the created world.
   Collaboration is related to “synodality” defined as: [from the Greek συν, together + ὁδός, way or journey] 1. The specific modus vivendi et operandi of the Church, the People of God, which reveals and gives substance to her being as communion when all her members journey together, gather in assembly and take an active part in her evangelizing mission. 2. the involvement and participation of the whole People of God in the life and mission of the Church.
   The mission of the Church then is not merely the concern and responsibility of the clergy and the religious but includes the “laity” also—that is, it includes each and every one of the members of the Church!
   It’s an aberration if we’re all not involved in collaboration! Just because this may have been the practice for a long, long time doesn’t mean it’s right.
   Now, we’re trying to revise and restore the correct order of things and of responsibilities in the work of God.
   Is it disturbing? Of course, all radical change is disturbing!
   Do we get it exactly right? Hopefully, but, remember, we’re used to progressing through a process of trial and error.
   Don’t become frozen in place, but beware of thin ice as you try to get moving again!
   You’re not meant to be a monument to the past but may be challenged to be a pioneer—one of those who dare to go or lead the way to where few have gone before!

2 April 2023

What the Lord Requires of You

   You have been told, O mortal, what is good,
     and what the Lord requires of you:   Only to do justice and to love goodness,
     and to walk humbly with your God.
(Micah 6:8)

   To know what the Lord require of us is a never-ending quest through the entire course of our lives.
   Traditionally, as a child, we may have been taught that part of the answer was to obey the commandments and laws of God and of the Church. In practice, it also usually included to do what our parents, family, clan, friends, fellow believers, fellow citizens, and others who influence our lives told us was right and proper.
   In the previous verses Micah posed the question with some examples of the traditional answers of his time:

   With what shall I come before the Lord,
     and bow before God most high?
   Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
     with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
     with myriad streams of oil?
   Shall I give my firstborn for my crime,
     the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
(Micah 6:6-7)

   He used some extreme examples of types of sacrifices that were considered possible requirements of God.
   We do something similar ourselves in raising our children, when we give them long lists of does and don’ts, sometimes in great detail.
   No wonder that we tend to think first of guilt and sinfulness when the question of what the Lord require of us comes up.
   Look at our traditions and rituals. What an emphasis we give to the negative, to sacrifice, atonement, mortification, and giving up pleasurable things when we think about how we stand with God and what he requires of us.

   Jesus taught us to address God in prayer as a father, as a loving parent, not as supreme being, master of the universe, or an all-powerful and demanding judge and ruler.
   Hopefully we may have been blessed by having a loving parent and so have some positive appreciation of this image of God. And, even if we had a parent limited in his or her ability to love and care for us, we probably yearned for and imagined a better.
   With good parents, we have only to reach out to be embraced, consoled, understood, accepted, and loved. We never doubt their limits to respond compassionately and forgive our offenses. We even reluctantly understand the fairness of some of the restrictions or punishments they placed upon us.
   We’re not fundamentally afraid of a good parent, nor totally concealing our behavior. We instinctively trust them to be merciful and forgiving.
   Micah might not have had precisely this kind of image and understanding of God, but he certainly would have understood it.
   As a prophet and teacher he was accentuating the positive, encouraging focusing on the underlying nature of the Lord, and trying to liberate those who heard his word from being over whelmed by their failings and need for punishment and atonement.
   It’s strange, isn’t it, that, even though probably we all more or less always knew this, in practice we still often tend to act as though God is to be feared and judge ourselves more harshly than we may deserve.
   It’s almost a kind of egoism, that we can be so unforgiving of our limitations and so imagining of deserved punishment for them.
   Remember, what Jesus requires of us is to “Love one another as I have loved you!”

5 September 2021

The Early Christian Community

The first summary description of life in the early Christian community is found in the Acts of the Apostles (2:42-47):

They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. (Acts 2:42)

   – The teaching of the apostles referred to instructions for the members of the Christian community, explaining the scriptures in the light of the life and teachings of Jesus.
   – The communal life (or brotherhood or fellowship) referred to the sharing of goods and possessions which expressed and strengthened the community (or communion) of spirit.
   – The breaking of the bread referred to the Jewish meal at which the presider pronounces a blessing before dividing the bread (or distributing the food). For the early Christians, it denoted the Eucharist.
   – The prayers referred to the prayers in common (later, especially, the prayers of the Divine Liturgy or Mass).
   Verse 46 says:

Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes.

It seems to refer to a simpler version of what later evolved into what we now call the Divine Liturgy or Mass, before it became elaborated with ritual ceremonies and vesture and presided only by an ordained minister.
This “communion” implied not only communion with the Lord, but also the communion of their common faith and fidelity to the apostolic teachings, of their sharing of goods and unity of spirit, and of their remembrance and thanksgiving for salvation in Jesus and unity in the one Spirit.

   “Common”—“communal”—“community”—“communion”—even “communism” are all related words, although they certainly have a very wide range of meanings and usages nowadays.
   But, it helps to know what they share in their root meanings and how they have evolved and changed in their usage. It may help us to use and understand them better.
   Under Pope Pius XII, archeological investigations were initiated to unearth the grave and relics of St. Peter the Apostle.
   According to tradition, the main altar of St. Peter’s basilica was built over his tomb.
   Researchers began to explore the area.
   Beneath today’s basilica were the remains of the first basilica. Beneath the remains of that Constantinian era basilica were the remains of a much earlier monument.
   That monument was built in a Roman cemetery, even damaging some of the nearby graves. The cemetery was next to the Circus of Nero on a road out of the city near the Vatican hill.
   How hard it is to imagine the original site of Peter’s crucifixion and burial as one stands in the great basilica of our day—but it is the very place!
   As the centuries passed and as one structure was built on and elaborated over another it became harder and harder to recognize the grave site itself.
   Our words are like that, especially our religious words. They sometimes have been elaborated and embellished, successively enlarged and rebuilt almost to the point that it’s hard to imagine their original meanings.
   Dig carefully for the original sense, but don’t destroy all the good, grandeur and development over the centuries!

2 May 2021

Thanks Be to God!

What Americans do on the fourth Thursday of the month of November, what Jews do on the fifteenth day of the month of Nisan, and what Christians do on Sundays have a lot in common.
All three involve symbols, and the symbols involve remembrance, and remembrance involves gratitude, and gratitude expresses itself in giving thanks.
Thanksgiving in the United States traces its origin to 53 Pilgrims celebrating their first harvest in Plymouth in 1621, joined by 90 Native Americans. The format of the Thanksgiving celebration is a meal together, giving thanks to God for his bounty, and the typical foods served evoke those of the original celebration, especially turkey, cranberry sauce, corn, and other fall vegetables—and pumpkin pie!
Passover began as a celebration of the liberation of the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt. It is celebrated with a ritual family meal of remembrance, rich in symbolism. Many of the foods eaten are reminders of specific aspects of the ancient history of the Jewish people.
Sunday Mass (or Divine Liturgy) is a kind of weekly echo of the Easter celebration. It is rooted in the Passover observance and also is a ritual, collective meal of remembrance, rich in symbolism. The foods eaten are only two: bread and wine.
Sometimes what happens with ritual observances is that we can get so engrossed in the details that we pay less attention to the overall meaning. And, with ritual meals, we can get so absorbed by the foods themselves that we pay less attention to their symbolism.
Thanksgiving, Passover, and Mass, each in its own way, are about remembering the gifts, love, and providence of God and personally and collectively giving thanks to God for them.

“Thanksgiving” names the essence of the observance, “Passover” alludes to the critical moment in the history of the people of God which was the beginning of the observance, and “Mass”, oddly, echoes the final Latin words of dismissal (Ite, missa est) when the Sunday observance is over!
The better name for the Sunday observance is Eucharist—which comes from the Greek word, eucharistia, meaning gratefulness, thanksgiving.
What sometimes happens with our observance of each of these rituals is that we may become so concerned with, devoted to, or distracted by particular aspects of them that we are insufficiently attentive to their central element and purpose: grateful personal and collective thanksgiving to God.
In St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian Christians, he reminded them of this, that the essence of their weekly observance was more than just a meal together:

. . . the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Cor 11:23b-24)

The broken bread was to remind them of the loving gift of Jesus’ body, of his life for them; the wine, of the lifeblood of Jesus that sealed the new covenant. For all this, and for you and I being part of it, we ever give grateful thanks to God!

14 June 2020

Open the Doors

The church is the house of God.
How long is this going to continue?
When will the doors be open?
Why can’t we celebrate?
I need communion.
I need to be in touch. I can’t keep going if I’m always shut out.
Social distancing doesn’t mean no contact or relations, just not unwittingly harming one another.
For God’s sake, I need to find peace and joy, pardon and love. That’s why I go to church!

“Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Co 3:16).
How long is this going to continue?
When will your doors be opened?
Why can’t we celebrate?
I need communion.
I need to be in touch. I can’t keep going if I’m always shut out.
Social distancing doesn’t mean no contact or relations, just not unwittingly harming one another.
For God’s sake, I need to find peace and joy, pardon and love. That’s why I go to you!

“I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” (Jn 13:34)
That means that I must do my very best to love all those with whom I am in communication.
That means that I must strive to love all those who relate to me.
That means that I must try to love all those whose lives cross the path of mine.
That means that I must be open to loving all those who seek to enter my life.
I wonder if the new commandment implies that as we have loved one another, so God will love us? (I hope not!)

It’s prudent right now that we should avoid large assemblies, including ones in church.
We don’t want to endanger the lives of others by unknowingly infecting them with something that can harm. And, we don’t want to be endangered by others who unknowingly may infect us with something that can harm.
But, for God’s sake, it’s not prudent at all — it even goes against all that we aspire to be and do, not to mention the commandment of the Lord — to avoid contact with and shut out of our lives all those who come to us in want and need.
I can live with the church doors shut, but I can’t live with the doors of your heart shut.
For God’s sake, I can’t live without peace and joy, pardon and love. That’s why I go to you!

“When the Son of Man comes . . . he will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’” (Mt 25: 31, 34-40).

10 May 2020

(Available in
Spanish translation)

Communion Is a Network

A turning point in the history of Christianity was its establishment as the official religion of the Roman Empire. Christianity not only was tolerated but also became an integral part of the structure of civil society.
How did Christians see themselves and their interrelationships before being organized into territories (dioceses) under religious leaders recognized and empowered by the government?
Early Christianity did not have the complexity of structure we are familiar with now. Fundamentally, Christians understood themselves and recognized each other as disciples and followers of Jesus.
A “church” was a local assembly or community of believers, united in the Spirit and guided by duly constituted leaders, the successors of the Apostles and those appointed by them.
The bond of union of these local Christian communities was pax et communio. They communicated with each other by letters or delegates, recognizing each other as fellow believers and exchanging peace in the Lord.
The community of communities — the universal church — was held together in the early centuries not primarily by juridical or sacramental ties but by the action of the Holy Spirit and personal relationships among its members. This unity, as the word “communio” suggests, was nurtured by frequent and regular communication.
From this point of view, the church is a kind of network — a network of communication among its members with and in the Spirit of Jesus. This is a concept that today’s world understands very well. It is the essence of the internet, the powerful communication tool that is revolutionizing modern society.
The mysterium or complex reality of the church always can be viewed from a variety of perspectives, each with its own merit and validity.

Viewing the church as a communion of persons, as a communications network, can shed some new light on many issues.
For example, the question of the pastoral care of Eastern Catholics living outside their homelands: Traditionally, the jurisdiction of Eastern Catholic patriarchs is limited to their historical territories. From the perspective of the church as a personal network, geography is less significant and restriction of patriarchal authority, less appropriate.
Another example, the ancient principle of one bishop for each place: If participation and communication in a personal network is a defining element of a local church, then there is no problem in having many different personal networks, different churches, in the same geographic area.
Communio grows with increasing, deeper and more effective communication.
From this perspective, looking at Christian churches around the world that are overcoming their isolation one from the other and regularly and frequently communicating, the church of Christ is gradually becoming more and more “one.”
The challenge of establishing and developing interreligious relations is also a matter of extending communio — of increasing personal communication in spite of differences.
Through visits, dialogue, and sharing of resources as well as better understanding of ethnic, cultural and linguistic differences, personal networks can and will grow. Our goal should be to build networks that not only join together Christians and believers in the one God but also join together all men and women of good will — ultimately, the whole human family.

(Published as “Networking” in
one, 36:6, November 2010)

Suggestions concerning Goals

Is the special assembly of synod “pro Medio Oriente” focused exclusively on the geographical area or more broadly on the persons everywhere? Is it only about Christians in the Middle East or is it about Christians of the Middle East. Perhaps the first stated goal of the synod could be amended to read as follows:

1) to confirm and strengthen Middle East Christians in their Christian identity, through the Word of God and the sacraments;

The second stated goal is complex; perhaps it could be divided into two. Regarding “communion,” it has many degrees: first, communion among Catholics, then communion among Christians, then communion among believers in the one God, then communion among all members of the human family. Perhaps the second stated goal of the synod could be amended to read as follows:

2) to foster communion primarily among the Middle East Catholic churches and in turn among all Middle East Christians, all believers in the one God, and all peoples; and

The other part of the second stated goal concerns witness; perhaps it could be considered a third goal. The core of Christian witness is love, and authentic and effective witness is manifest in self-giving or service. Perhaps a third stated goal of the synod could be as follows;

3) to offer an authentic and effective witness in our lives by generous and loving service to others, both to fellow disciples of Christ Jesus and to all regardless of creed.

Responses to the Preliminary Questionnaire

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE MIDDLE EAST:
COMMUNION AND WITNESS.
“Now the company of those who believed
were of one heart and soul” (Acts 4:32)

INTRODUCTION

1. Do you read Scripture individually, in your family or in living communities?

The personal degree of interest in and knowledge about Scripture varies widely in the Middle East.
Traditionally, it is Protestant and Evangelical Christians who emphasize the importance of Scripture in the life of the Church; historically it has not been a major emphasis in Orthodox and Catholic churches, with the exception of Egypt. Probably because of the impact of Presbyterian missionaries in Egypt, the Coptic Orthodox Church places a great emphasis on the Scriptural formation of its clergy and people. Catholic churches need to improve the Scriptural formation of their clergy and integrate preaching and teaching the word of God into the life of local parishes and communities.
Scripture is part of the region’s history. Thus the people of the Middle East cannot read Scripture without a certain bias. The Old Testament in particular is often misunderstood as though it was Israeli propaganda. The image of Israel as God’s chosen people over against the crushing of other nations, particularly Egypt, provoked many to ask, “Why does God favor Israel and not us? Why are we excluded from God’s love?” Accordingly, it is important to teach the historical development of Scripture, with a special emphasis on the relations between the Old and New Testaments.

2. Does this reading inspire the choices you make in family, professional and civic life?

The impact of Scripture upon the lives of individual Middle East Christians varies widely. For many Scripturally better educated Christians and Christian lay leaders, it has a powerful effect upon the decisions of their daily live and their choice of careers and service in their communities.
Middle East Christians live in a culture that still espouses values directly opposed to the Gospel such as revenge, honor killings, even cheating for the sake of the tribe, clan, or family. Christians need to understand that they must live “counter cultural” lives: to understand that forgiveness is at the heart of the Gospel message and to practice it in a Judeo-Islamic world where discrimination, humiliation, injustice, violence, and war are endemic.

CHAPTER I
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE MIDDLE EAST

3. What are the Churches doing to support and encourage vocations to the religious and contemplative life?

During the last decade, different Catholic churches in Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt, particularly the Maronite and Melkite Greek Catholic, have created “Vocation Committees” headed by the local bishop with specialized priest as members who encourage vocations through seminars, social gatherings, summer camps, and participation in social and pastoral work with parish priests. Some Catholic media provide special vocational promotion programs.
The Catholic churches in the Middle East have a strong seminary formation system. Minor seminaries are still important, and the quality of major seminary formation is generally very good. Political considerations impede the movement of students across frontiers and boundaries, especially in and out of Israel and Israeli-controlled Palestinian areas.
Isolated communities of contemplatives, often with foreign personnel, have been developed in several places with some success; however, generally there is not a great deal of interest nor encouragement of the contemplative life.
Although monasticism is a historic characteristic of the Eastern churches, the nurturing of monastic communities is no longer characteristic of the churches of the region, with the exception of the Coptic Orthodox. The Coptic Orthodox Church is distinguished by the importance of its monasteries which usually serve as active centers of clergy formation and lay training.

4. How can we contribute to the improvement of the social environment in the various countries in our region?

Education is the best and most effective tool to improve the social environment. Experience has shown that children and young adults from different religions and churches who attend the same educational institution grow to have better understanding and tolerance of each other’s religious beliefs and social life. In addition to educational institutions, the other social service institutions of the churches such as orphanage, homes for the elderly, clinics, and hospitals, usually assisting people on the basis of need, not creed, make a powerful contribution and witness to the majority societies of the region which are not Christian. Many churches also have programs of popular education, vocational training, literacy, family awareness, youth and women empowerment, and leadership formation.
Historically, the Christian churches of the Middle East have tended to adopt a defensive and withdrawn posture vis-à-vis Islam. Further, Christians have tended to isolate themselves, sometimes with an attitude of superiority, as wealthier and better educated with ties to and identification with the developed countries of the West; this, in turn, has nurtured an erroneous impression that Christians are foreigners to the region.
Local Christians need to emphasize that they are native citizens with ancient historic roots in the region, predating Islam, and not a product of Western colonialism. They need to assert their role in ensuring each country’s independence, development, and progress and participate in programs and projects of interreligious understanding and Christian-Muslim and Christian-Jewish dialogue.

5. What is your Church doing to assist, with the necessary critical eye, in dealing with contemporary ideas in your societies?

The churches play an important role in keeping a balance between modernization and religious life in the Middle East. Catholic schools and universities run by religious congregations keep up with modernization through the development of their curricula while maintaining a solid relationship with pastoral education. Many of the churches, also, have pioneered and been very active in developing programs and centers for treating contemporary problems, especially drug addiction.
A particular contemporary challenge for Middle East churches and Christians is to give priority to engagement in the struggle for justice and peace in the region as an integral component of Christian life and responsibility. Churches have an important role to play in peace-making. Christian faith and the teachings of Jesus call for Christians to be advocates of mutual understanding, communication and dialogue, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
Middle East Christians need to acknowledge that they have contributed to the tensions in the region, ask forgiveness from those around them, and become more proactive in building better religious, social, and political relationships with their neighbors.

6. How can respect for freedom of religion and freedom of conscience be increased?

Respect for freedom of religion and conscience can be increased by providing venues for individuals and communities to clarify the meaning of these freedoms, by encouraging interreligious dialogues, by focusing on commonalities rather than differences, by enhancing peaceful collaboration between religions, and by developing stable and prosperous societies characterized by respect, tolerance, and mutual comprehension.
Freedom of religion and freedom of conscience are values increasingly strongly espoused by the Catholic Church since Vatican Council II, but still remain foreign to most Middle East societies. Religious freedom is usually controlled and limited by government authority; the degree and style of religious freedom varies from country to country. Turkey and Lebanon are the only countries of the region without an established state religion. Muslim countries having varying degrees of tolerance of Christianity and do not allow conversions to Christianity; many have controls upon both Christian and Muslim religious freedom and practice because of fear of Islamic radicalism. Increasingly Christians are being discriminated against and in some situations persecuted.
Respect for freedom of religions can be enhanced on the government level by clear and strict laws favoring respect for human rights and freedom of religious practice and prohibiting discrimination and oppression. National dialogues and education programs about other religions in public and private schools are also needed.

7. What can be done to stop or slow the emigration of Christians from the Middle East?

Political instability and oppression, economic hardship, discrimination, and increasing Muslim and Jewish extremism are factors prompting Christian emigration from Middle East countries in addition to the opportunities in other countries and social and family ties to them. Christian emigration cannot be stopped but in can be slowed by the provision of affordable housing and employment opportunities. Christian churches and church organizations should encourage Christians to be integrated into the society of their countries and assist them to remain through the creation of housing and income generating programs, including small business loan schemes.
Christians need to be encouraged to engage in more leadership roles in their societies, joining the armed forces, police, and civil service and to be forceful in opposing discriminatory legislation and practices.
Special attention needs to be paid to young people, especially those in the age groups at highest risk of emigration. Encouragement of participatory church membership and involvement in community affairs by churches and parish communities is a high priority. Church educational institutions and programs play an important role in providing quality modern education and vocational and professional training.

8. How can we follow and stay in touch with Christians who have emigrated?

The concern of the churches in the Middle East must place the well-being of their members over their own self-interest. This means, if necessary, the support of emigration and assisting their members to prepare for emigration and resettlement in other countries.
The presence of ecclesiastical jurisdictions and appropriately trained clergy of Eastern churches in the countries of immigration is necessary to support immigrants in their language and culture leading to their integration into their new societies. Where such jurisdictions do not exist, they need to be established; further, they need to be in full communion and collaboration with their respective mother churches in the Middle East.
Modern technologies facilitate communications throughout the world. News and support networks need to be increasingly developed, which requires up-to-date information acquisition, storage, and display—i.e., databases with data on Christian emigrants and their current situations.
Emigrants should be encouraged to keep in touch with their home-country communities, to provide assistance to them, and to promote better understanding and political relations with their home countries.

9. What should our Churches do to teach the faithful respect for immigrants and their right to be treated with justice and charity?

In varying degrees, all Middle Eastern countries are experiencing the movement of peoples so characteristic of the modern world, although only Israel is constituted as a country of immigration. War and violence have provoked massive flights of people from their homes, especially in Palestine, Cyprus, Lebanon, and Iraq. Discrimination and poverty have prompted further internal movements of peoples in the region. Many countries invite and welcome guest workers from within and outside the region. Churches should advocate public awareness programs, especially through Catholic and Christian media, to enhance knowledge of, respect and justice for, and acceptance of immigrants and their welcome into local communities and parishes.

10. What is your Church doing to provide pastoral care for Catholic immigrants and to protect them against abuse and exploitation by the State (police and prison officers), by agencies and employers?

Local churches in many countries provide special Masses and ministries for immigrants, pastoral care, legal counseling, and special care and vocational training for imprisoned immigrants. Pontifical Mission provides a variety of programs to support Catholic immigrants, including funding for youth centers, Sunday schools, and catechetical programs, and maintains two libraries providing study facilities and special programs for immigrants.

11. Do our Churches work to train Christian executives to contribute to the social and political life of our countries? What could they do?

Some of the region’s Catholic universities have degree programs and continuing adult education programs that develop lay leadership, especially in the social sectors through the training of health care professionals, teachers, catechists, and legal professionals. In several countries, there is a strong emphasis on the development of youth groups and youth leadership through Catholic secondary schools and parishes.
Generally, the Christian churches of the Middle East are very traditional in their structures and leadership, depending on priests and religious to exercise professional and leadership roles. A systematic development of lay leadership and lay formation programs by church institutions is lacking, apart from church sponsored colleges and universities preparing students for professional careers.
Although historically Christians have been proportionately well represented in movements and the struggle for independence in the Middle East, there are hardly any church-sponsored programs for the preparation of lay Christians for roles in public and civil service, government, and public administration nor any attempts to collaborate with institutions in other countries with well-developed programs in these sectors.

CHAPTER II
ECCLESIAL COMMUNION

12. What does communion in the Church mean?

Communion in the Church implies communication on the level of faith; sharing and emphasizing common beliefs, devotions, practices, and resources; and building and expressing community. The ideal of communion is unity amid diversity, rooted in the common identity of Christians as followers of Jesus Christ.
Generally the Eastern churches are relatively small, with a disproportionate amount of clergy and hierarchy. Their historical relationships have been dominated by rivalries—between Orthodox and Catholic, among individual Orthodox and Catholic churches, even among Latin jurisdictions and religious communities; however there have been some positive ecumenical movements, especially between the Greek Orthodox and Melkite Greek Catholic churches and between the Chaldean church and the Assyrian Church of the East.
In many parts of the Middle East, Christian laity easily mix, intermarry, and attend and share sacraments in one another’s churches. Also, there is a good level of collaboration among most Christian churches regarding social issues and in the provision of social services.
Occasionally different Christian churches share the use of church buildings and centers for divine worship, in addition to the sharing of educational and health care facilities and programs.

13. How is communion manifested among the various Churches of the Middle East and between them and the Holy Father?

In most of the Middle East, there are national or regional councils of Catholic hierarchs as well as ecumenical councils of churches. In many cases, political, social, and economic pressures have stimulated increased collaboration and communication among the different churches. The Pope, as successor of Saint Peter with a special charism and ministry of unity, is universally respected in the region, welcomed everywhere as the preeminent Christian spokesperson, and accepted by all Christians as the first of patriarchs and bishops and as head of the Latin Church.

14. How can relations among the various Churches be improved in the areas of religious, charitable and cultural activity?

Relations can be improved through the sharing and coordination of resources, including schools, home for the elderly, church buildings, universities, housing projects, and the like; through interfaith dialogue and common prayer; and through collaboration in works of community development, justice, and peace.
Besides the local native church communities and parishes, there are many other language groups and communities of Christians in the region. Generally, there is little contact between the local churches and these foreign and expatriate Christians. Yet often these very foreign and expatriate Christians and their communities can play an important role for the revitalization of the local church; many are associated with international renewal movements.

15. Does the attitude of “Church people” concerning money pose a problem for you?

Yes. Many “Church people” in the Middle East forget about some church teachings and Christian values once they get to a position of power and control; there have been many reported cases of corruption in Christian institutions. Also many “Church people” are bad managers of funds and financial resource either knowingly or because of ignorance and lack of preparation and training. The same lack of professional training often leads them naively to depend on spurious, opportunistic, and unreliable business counselors and church members. Frequently clergy compete in raising funds from foreign agencies, institutions, and churches for projects that are personal to them but that are not necessary nor represent priorities for the local church.
Many of the Eastern churches have too elaborate a “superstructure.” Per capita, there are more bishops, priests, and even religious in many parts of the Middle East than in most other parts of the world. A reduction in the number of dioceses and bishops should be carefully studied as well as the possibility of inter-ritual collaboration within a single jurisdiction.

16. Does participation of the faithful of your Church in celebrations of other Catholic churches pose a problem for you?

There is no problem whatsoever for Catholic faithful to attend one another’s churches, and the custom is widespread for Christian faithful, especially Catholic and Orthodox to do the same. However, the increasing presence of some Christian evangelical and fundamentalist groups and sects and the financial support and benefits they sometimes offer can undermine the traditional faith and observance of Catholics and Orthodox.

17. How can relations of communion among the various people in the Church be improved: between bishops and priests, people in consecrated life, lay-people?

Leadership in the church, whether exercised by bishops, priests, religious or laity must be rooted in Gospel values as a ministry or service. Historically, the conferring of quasi-civil authority on heads of churches during the Ottoman period has confused their role and distracted them from positions of spiritual authority. Additionally, the historical dependency of the churches of the Middle East on financing from foreign church and national sources has often further tempted and distracted Christian clergy from their spiritual and pastoral responsibilities. The greatest challenge is to build mutual trust, respect, and encouragement. An increasingly well educated laity need to have a greater role in the planning and execution of the activities of the churches, especially in the social sector. Priority needs to be given to building and developing persons, communities, and programs rather than construction of buildings.

CHAPTER III
CHRISTIAN WITNESS

18. Does catechesis prepare the young to understand and live the faith?

Although effective catechesis is very important, often it is handed over to personnel with inadequate preparation, even teenagers, who themselves need a better understanding of religion and faith. The low pay of teachers and catechists is an obstacle to recruiting and retaining them. Also, in many places, the priest is relatively unknown to the young, socially distant from the faithful, and more absorbed in finances and administration than pastoral care.

19. Do homilies respond to the expectations of the faithful? Do they help understand and live the faith?

In most of the Middle East, especially in the Arabic language sectors, there is an esteem for classical rhetoric with its extravagant vocabulary and emotional content; however this should not be the style of exposition of the Gospel message. Preachers—i.e., priests—are not well prepared for preaching; often the religious content of their message is more focused on restating church doctrines, customs, and disciplines then explaining them and less the on the teachings of Jesus and the values of the Gospel. Sermons do not give enough attention to the relation of Christian teachings to contemporary problems and challenges. Clergy themselves need a better grounding in Scripture and a better spiritual formation, as well as a practical development of effective communication skills.

20. Are Christian radio and TV programmes adequate? Would you like to see something else in your country? What programmes seem to you to be missing?

Although existing resources in some regions—e.g. Telelumiere television—are very good, they are not adequate to the needs of the entire Middle East. There should be at least one Catholic or Christian radio and TV station in every country and more programs attractively explaining the teachings of Jesus, the doctrines of the Church, and relations with other churches and religions in order to increase faith, understanding, and tolerance.
Secular media often are more dynamic and contemporary than the religious; however, they are often rooted in a value system that is antithetical to Christian teachings. The Christian media need to offer a corrective and bring balance to the impact of the news and political analysis, cinema, TV programs, and modern music, especially from Western and partisan local sources.

21. Practically speaking, how can ecumenical relations be promoted?

First, ecumenical relations can be promoted by considering the Church to be one but with internal divisions and separations rather than as a group of independent churches; in this perspective, the ecumenical challenge is to overcome separations and reconcile historical alienations, not to negotiate terms of relations between disparate organizations. Second, the well-established ecumenical principle should be followed of never doing separately what can be done together.
The Balamand declaration concerning the historical legitimacy of the various existing Eastern churches but renouncing proselytism as well as uniatism as methods of ecumenism in contemporary society should be observed by all the Christian churches and ecclesial communities.
Christians in each country and preferably throughout the entire region should agree on the dates of celebration of common major Christian religious holidays and observances.
Every Christian church and community should integrate ecumenism and intra-Christian understanding and collaboration into the faith life and activity of each local parish and community.

22. Does the re-discovery of a shared heritage (Syriac, Arabic and others) have some importance?

Knowledge of one’s roots is an indispensable component of identity and self-assurance. Greater dissemination of information about the Christian past and heritage of the entire Middle East and knowledge of the high points of Middle East Christian scholarship, achievement, and culture is needed. The absurd contemporary prejudices that identify Christians and Christianity as foreign to the Middle East need to be identified as such and systematically and carefully corrected; likewise Middle East Christians themselves need to nourish their identity and religiosity from their own historical sources and traditions and not look towards foreign and Western Christian traditions for their models.

23. Do you think the liturgy needs to be reconsidered to some extent?

The liturgy needs to become more appealing to youth, who are attracted by the enticement of Western media and modern technology. The Latin Church liturgy is radically simplified compared to most of the Eastern churches and in some senses is more adaptable and flexible. Traditional Eastern liturgies are more formal, elaborate, and longer, although they admit introducing use of modern vernaculars and more contemporary music. All liturgy involves ritual; appreciation of tradition and rituals needs to be taught and explained to every new generation.

24. How can we bear witness to our Christian faith in our Middle East countries?

The most effective way of bearing witness to our Christian faith is by letting our actions speak, more than our words. By living our Christianity faithfully and providing loving services to all people through our institutions and programs without discrimination and by showing solidarity among all the Christian churches and ecclesial communities, we give a powerful witness to what we believe and profess. The greatest witness of the churches is charity.
Additionally, it would be useful to educate the general public and Christians themselves about the contributions of Christians to their Arab societies in various fields such as the arts, politics, economics, and education and through a variety of service institutions.

25. How can relations with other Christians be improved?

Relations with other Christians can be improved by sharing religious holidays, celebrations, and social services; by accepting the baptism of other Christian churches and communion in other Christian churches; and by demonstrating solidarity with Christians in other countries throughout the Middle East and the world. They can also be improved by:
– undertaking ongoing dialogue and exchange that is frank and speaks to the religious traditions that unite,
–opening centers for ecumenical encounters and joint academic and intellectual discourses and publications,
–subscribing to a policy of non-provocation that is in keeping with the religious tenets and traditions of mutual respect and acknowledgment, and
–developing mechanisms that monitor infractions of a religious nature and intervene to prevent the escalation that may result from these infractions.

26. How should we regard our relations with Judaism as a religion? How can peace and the end of political conflict be promoted?

It is important to distinguish Judaism as a religion from the Jewish national movement, Zionism, that led to the establishment of the State of Israel. In the Middle East, this is very difficult since so many political and ethnic factions and groups wrap themselves in a mantle of religion, whether Jewish, Christian, or Muslim. Religious relations between Jews and Catholics have been well defined. Historically, Christianity is a developed form of Messianic Judaism; the practical challenge is to educate people to the commonality of their roots and seek to reconciliation and integration.
Christianity does not demand to be an established religion, even though Eastern Christianity enjoyed that status for a thousand years after the collapse of the Western Roman empire. The Church can live and function in a Muslim society and in a Jewish society. However, as followers of Jesus, Christians have a right and an obligation to work for justice, reconciliation, and peace.
Many Christians are hesitant to engage in a courageous struggle for justice and peace either out of fear and an unwillingness to risk or out of the mistaken understanding that justice and peace are merely political issues. Christians, especially, ought to be and frequently are advocates of mutual understanding, forgiveness, and reconciliation. They have a unique role to play in Middle Eastern societies, building bridges between Muslims and Jews, East and West.
A solution to the core problem of the region, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, lies in finding a formula to share what was once Mandate Palestine rather than to divide and separate it. The political and social methodologies of the past 62 years have been rooted in division and separation without success.

27. In what areas can we collaborate with Muslims?

The “A Common Word” initiative, developed by the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and subscribed to by more than 138 Muslim scholars, clerics, and intellectuals, offers a platform for further efforts in developing Muslim-Christian collaboration. It calls attention to the fundamental common ground between Christianity and Islam and signals that the basis of collaboration between the three great Abrahamic faiths is their fidelity and submission to the will of the one God.
A “dialogue of truth” between Christians and Muslims—i.e., conversation about beliefs, practices, and theological systems—is not easy both because of the decentralized nature of Islam and the level of critical scholarship within the Islamic community.
A “dialogue of charity” between Christians and Muslims—i.e., practical collaboration in good works in the social sphere—is not only possible but long since underway. Christians can and do serve Muslims through their educational, health care, and other social service institutions; further they often make common cause with Muslims in affirming moral values relating, for example, to marriage, the family, and human sexuality.
In many of the conflict situations in the Middle East, Christians and Muslims often find themselves on the same political side, rooted in their sharing of a common culture and concerns.

CONCLUSION
What Is the Future for Middle Eastern Christians?
“Do not be afraid, little flock!”

28. Why are we afraid of the future?

Christians, especially in the Arab, Persian, and Turkish worlds, fear their increasing alienation from the mainstream society due to the relentless pressures of a kind of militant Islamic extremism that tends to demand their allegiance and conformity or, failing that, brands them as foreign to their native lands and society. Further, the civil authorities governing most of the Middle East countries are weak and unstable, often yielding to the demands of Islamic extremists at the price of the human and political rights of Christians and other vulnerable groups in their societies.

29. How do we incarnate our faith in our work?

We incarnate our faith in our work by being responsible and conscientious and by making career choices that consider not only our personal advantages but also how best to serve the needs of our churches, communities, and countries.

30. How do we incarnate our faith in politics and society?

The teachings of Jesus place demands upon the behavior of His followers that run contrary to many of the most popular ideas, values and movements of modern societies both in the Middle East and around the world. The challenge for individual Christians and the churches of the Middle East is to be faithful to the Gospel and the promptings of the Spirit and not to compromise their convictions for secondary and short-term political and social advantages.

31. Do we believe we have a specific vocation in the Middle East?

The Lord’s mandate to his disciples, “. . . you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth,” clearly includes and points to regions of the Middle East. Christians have special roles, first, of witness and, second, of mediation. Their faith and the Church can make a precise contribution to bringing together the disparate groups and interests that polarize and tear apart the region.

32. Any other comments?

In order to maintain a Christian presence and viability in the Middle East, the churches in the region, Europe, the Americas, and elsewhere are called upon to work closely together. Religious leaders must unite to develop a common agenda that aims at keeping their faithful in their homelands and ensuring that these centuries-old communities continue to function. The viability of Christian communities cannot be an egoistic and religiocentric concern; rather it is an enterprise that will ensure the kaleidoscopic nature of the social and religious makeup of the Middle East countries. It will also ensure that the indigenous Middle Eastern Christians will not end up only as expatriate communities in distant foreign lands.
Christians in many parts of the Middle East, especially in the core Holy Land, are too dependent on financial assistance from abroad. Each local church can only have a long-term future as a viable and reasonably self-sustaining community. In many parts of the region, the relatively easy availability of outside funding tempts church leaders to invest more resources and efforts in enterprises disproportionate to the needs and dimensions of their communities and that betray the Gospel principle that the followers of Jesus, “the little flock,” are called to serve.