Vatican City, 12 December 2014 (VIS) –
“Through you, I greet your communities throughout the world, and
express my encouragement in particular to those in Iraq and Syria,
who are living through a time of great suffering and fear in the face
of violence”, said the Pope this morning, as he received His
Beatitude Ignatius Youssef III Younan, Patriarch of Antioch and all
the East of the Syrians, accompanied by the bishops and faithful of
the Syriac-Catholic community.
The Holy Father, who expressed his
solidarity and compassion for this community, assuring them of his
prayers, reiterated that the difficult situation in the Middle East
continues to cause an exodus of the faithful of this Church to the
Eparchies of the diaspora, and creates new pastoral needs. “It is a
challenge”, he said; “on the one hand, of remaining faithful to
origins, and on the other, of entering different cultural contexts,
working in the service of the 'salus animarum' and the common good”.
“This movement of the faithful
towards countries that are considered safer empoverishes the
Christian presence in the Middle East, the land of the prophets, the
first preachers of the Gospel, the martyrs and many saints, the
cradle of the hermits and monasticism. All this requires you to
reflect on the situation of your Eparchies, which need zealous
Pastors as well as courageous faithful, capable of bearing witness to
the Gospel in the dialogue, at times not easy, with people of
different ethnic and religious backgrounds. Many have fled from the
inhumanity that throws entire populations onto the streets, leaving
them without means of subsistence”.
The Pope invited the bishops to
coordinate their efforts to respond to the humanitarian needs, both
of those who stay at home and those who flee to other countries, and
in this regard he recalled that during their meeting in Rome the
Syriac Church had asked to be able to hold a Synod outside the
patriarchal territory. This request was accepted immediately in order
to facilitate the meeting, intended to acknowledge the pressing needs
of the Church and to respond to the spiritual expectations of the
faithful. In particular, the Syriac Church has undertaken the process
of reform of the Divine Liturgy, in the service of the Word of God,
which should allow new devotional zeal. This has required “intense
examination of the Tradition and great discernment, knowing how
sensitive the assembly of the faithful is to the great gift of the
Word and the Eucharist”.
“Now, as you return home, you are
refreshed by this experience of communion at the tombs of the
apostles Peter and Paul; a communion that finds particular expression
here today, as we raise to the Lord along with the Successor of Peter
a prayer of gratitude and supplication”. He concluded, “Dear
brothers, I exhort you to continue your pastoral efforts and your
ministry of hope in the service of the venerable Syriac-Catholic
Church. I greet with affection the faithful who accompany you, in
whom I see the different communities you represent. I invite you to
transmit to all the expression of my closeness and my prayer to the
Lord”.
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