Melkite Greek Catholic Church
 

First Meeting of the Presynodal Council

for the Middle East

Rome - September 21 and 22, 2009

Two days of meetings were held in the Headquarters of the Bishops' Synod in Rome to prepare the Synod for the Middle East previously announced (on September 19) by the Holy Father, to be held in Rome between 10-24 October 10th and the 24th, 2010.

These meetings presented an opportunity to make a brief but comprehensive review of the socio-politico- religious situation in the Middle East, in order to prepare the main topics (Lineamenta) to be dealt with in the coming Synod.

An Audience with the Holy Father was on the agenda for the morning of Monday September 21st.

Participating in the first meeting of the Presynodal Council were:

  • 1. H. B. Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites
  • 2. H. B. Emmanuel III Delly, Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans
  • 3. H. E. Cardinal Ivan Dias, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples
  • 4. H. E. Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
  • 5. H. E. Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
  • 6. H. E. Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches
  • 7. H. B. Antonios Naguib, Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts
  • 8. H. B. Gregorios III Laham B.S., Patriarch of Antioch of the Melkite Greeks
  • 9. H. B. Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni, Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians
  • 10. H. B. Fouad Twal, Patriarch of Jerusalem of the Latins
  • 11. H. Ex. Mgr. Jules Mikhael Al-Jamil, Archbishop of Takrit of the Syrians, Procurator and Apostolic Visitor for Western Europe
  • 12. H. Ex. Mgr. Ramzi Garmou, Archbishop of Teheran of the Chaldeans, President of the Episcopal Conference of Iran
  • 13. H. Ex. Mgr. Luigi Padovese O.F.M. cap., Apostolic Vicar of Anatolia, Titular Bishop of Monteverde, President of the Episcopal Conference of Turkey

Observer: Rev. Mgr. Alberto Ortega Martín, Counsellor of Nunciature of Second Class, Second Section, Secretary of State

Expert: Rev. Dr. Samir Khalil Samir, S.J., Professor

Members of the Pre-synodal Council for the Middle East for the whole year are the following:

  • 1. H. B. Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites
  • 2. H. B. Emmanuel III Delly, Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans
  • 3. H. E. Cardinal Ivan Dias, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples
  • 4. H. E. Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
  • 5. H. E. Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
  • 6. H. E. Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches
  • 7. H. B. Antonios Naguib, Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts
  • 8. H. B. Ignatius Youssif III Younan, Patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians
  • 9. H. B. Gregorios III Laham B.S., Patriarch of Antioch of the Melkite Greeks
  • 10. H. B. Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni, Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians
  • 11. H. B. Fouad Twal, Patriarch of Jerusalem of the Latins
  • 12. H. Ex. Mgr. Ramzi Garmou, Archbishop of Teheran of the Chaldeans, President of the Episcopal Conference of Iran
  • 13. H. Ex. Mgr. Luigi Padovese O.F.M. cap., Apostolic Vicar of Anatolia, Titular Bishop of Monteverde, President of the Episcopal Conference of Turkey

N. B.: H. B. Ignatius Youssif III Younan has designated H.Ex. Mgr. Jules Mikhael Al-Jamil, Archbishop of Takrit, Procurator and Apostolic Visitor for Western Europe to be his substitute.

Patriarchal Secretariat

Of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church


Index of the Documents Concerning the Council for the Middle East

 

Third Reunion of the Presynodal Council for the Middle East

Rome - April 23-24, 2010

Report by Patriarch Gregorios III
of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church

The work of preparation for the Synod for the Middle East has made progress in this third reunion of the members of the Presynodal Council, who are the seven Patriarchs of the Middle East, the President of the Episcopal Conference in Iran and the President of the Episcopal Conference in Turkey. The work was led by Archbishop Nikola Eterović, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, Rome.

The members studied in a plenary session and in three groups the vast amount of material made up of answers from eparchies, institutions and religious to the questions of the Lineamenta, sent to all Churches in January 2010.

The next step will be for the Office of the Synod of Bishops to produce a document about this recent meeting of the Presynodal Council to be sent in a few days' time to Council members, who are asked to reply with comments as soon as possible to the Synodal Office.

Then it will be the work of the Synodal Office to produce the final version of the document for the Synod for the Middle East, which will be proposed to Pope Benedict XVI, for his approval. This final document is called the Instrumentum Laboris and will be translated into Arabic and other languages and presented by His Holiness to the members of the Presynodal Council during the papal visit to Cyprus from 4 to 6 June.

The General Secretariat of the Synod will send further information about their eventual participation to all members of the coming Synod for the Middle East to be held in Rome between 10 and 24 of October. The General Secretariat of the Synod will send invitations to observe to Orthodox Churches, to Muslims and to Jews.

The Synod was prepared by the Presynodal Council in September 2009 and in November of the same year. This was the third and final meeting of the Presynodal Council.

All members of our Church are asked to pray for the success of this unique and very important event in the life of the Catholic Churches of the Middle East.

Ed. V. C.

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