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                                  VIS-Press releases   
      
   EIGHTH GENERAL CONGREGATION   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 15 OCT 2010 (VIS) - The Eighth General Congregation of the   
   Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops was held this   
   morning in the Synod Hall in the presence of the Holy Father and of 168 Synod   
   Fathers. The president delegate on duty was Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect   
   of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.   
      
   Extracts from some of the Synod Father's speeches are given below:   
      
   BISHOP SHAHAN SARKISSIAN OF ALEPPO, SYRIA, ARMENIAN PRIMATE OF SYRIA. "We must   
   give clearer and more concrete witness of the unity of the Churches, which   
   today is more imperative than ever for the Middle East. ... Mutual respect and   
   reciprocal understanding are the foundation for Islamic-Christian dialogue and   
   coexistence. We must dedicate more profound attention to coexistence with   
   Islam, while remaining faithful to Christian mission and identity. ...   
   Priorities include relaunching and promoting Christian education, spiritual   
   renovation and diaconate, internal evangelisation and the transmission of   
   Christian values to young people, active participation of lay people in the   
   life and vocation of the Church. We must underline the importance of ecumenical   
   co-operation and bilateral dialogue. The reform and reorganisation of the   
   Council of Middle Eastern Churches constitutes a major priority to which member   
   Churches are dedicating their efforts".   
      
   CARDINAL JEAN-LOUIS TAURAN, PRESIDENT OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTER-   
      
   RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE. "The Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of   
   Bishops represents an opportunity and a challenge. An opportunity, because it   
   could lead to better understanding: (1) that the unresolved conflicts in the   
   region are not caused by religious reasons, as evinced by the presence among us   
   of representatives of Judaism and of Islam; (2) of the urgency for a three- way   
   reflection (Jews, Christians and Muslims) on the place of religions in Middle   
   Eastern societies. It is also a challenge, to give Middle Eastern Christians   
   concrete guidelines. Let us not be shy in reclaiming not only freedom of   
   worship, but also religious freedom. Society and State should neither force a   
   person to act against his conscience, nor hinder him from acting according to   
   his conscience. Let us invest more in schools and universities, which are   
   attended by both Christians and Muslims. They are indispensable places of   
   co-existence. Let us ask ourselves if we are doing enough, at the level of the   
   local Churches, to encourage our Christians to stay: housing, tuition,   
   healthcare. We cannot expect everything from others".   
      
   BISHOP GIACINTO-BOULOS MARCUZZO, AUXILIARY OF JERUSALEM OF THE LATINS.   
      
   "Formation is absolutely the greatest need of the Church in the Middle East; it   
   is the pastoral priority that the Special Synod for the Middle East should   
   adopt. ... I am convinced that the best way to implement this pastoral   
   operation of faith is the traditional and ever new: See, judge, act. To see   
   reality, changes and 'signs of the times'; to judge this reality in the light   
   of the Word of God and faith and discern properly; finally, to bring it to life   
   by planning methods of action and commitment. ... Currently, all Catholic   
   Churches in the Holy Land have performed another great act of cultural   
   mediation with a pastoral diocesan Synod which truly revived and renewed our   
   faith, providing us with a shared "general pastoral plan" for the current time.   
   The best approach to times of novelty and change is the cultural mediation of   
   faith, and this is also the best approach to our situation in Israel where   
   there are two great historical novelties for the Church: (a) an   
   Arab-Palestinian minority living in a Jewish majority; (b) the birth of a   
   Hebrew-speaking Catholic community".   
      
   AGOSTINO BORROMEO, GOVERNOR GENERAL OF THE EQUESTRIAN ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS OF   
      
   THE HOLY SEPULCHRE OF JERUSALEM. "Apart from the traditional help to Churches,   
   new strategies could also be sought with the aim of creating better living   
   conditions in favour of Christians. Let me mention a number of examples: (1)   
   Building social housing. (2) Creating medical clinics in places far distant   
   from hospitals. (3) Granting microcredit, especially to finance activities that   
   create new sources of income, or augment those that already exist. (4) Creating   
   a system of microinsurance, with particular reference to the field of   
   healthcare. (5) Contacting western companies with the aim of finding out if   
   they are interested in transferring some of their productive processes to the   
   Middle East. Naturally, these initiatives will have to be put into effect in   
   close collaboration with the local ecclesiastical authorities, and under the   
   control of each of the individual Churches. Although the results may be modest,   
   they would represent a concrete witness of the closeness of Christians all over   
   the world to the problems and sufferings of our brothers and sisters in the   
   Middle East".   
      
   JOCELYNE KHOUEIRY, PRESIDENT OF THE LAY MOVEMENT "LA LIBANAISE FEMME DU 31   
      
   MAY". "In our Church we must offer women, young people, couples, families, and   
   especially disabled people, the chance to make choices in their lives that are   
   coherent with the Gospel, and to discover their mission in the Church and in   
   Arab and Middle Eastern society. ... Integrating early preparation for marriage   
   and family values into our educational and pastoral programmes must be a   
   priority, in order to help counteract, with conscience and responsibility, the   
   misguided choices of consumer society. ... If Christian women can express   
   themselves and bear witness to the beauty of the faith and of the true meaning   
   of dignity and freedom, they become important witnesses who addresses Muslim   
   women and open new paths of dialogue. May our families always be supported and   
   accompanied by their Church, mother and educator, in order to become real and   
   effective shrines open to the gift of life, especially when this is affected by   
   disability or socio-economic difficulties".   
   SE/VIS 20101015 (950)   
      
   SUMMARY   
      
   --- MPost/386 v1.21   
    * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS =Meridian, MS= bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)