Melkite Eparchy of Newton

In Damascus, City of Paul, Apostle to the Nations General Report on the Bimillennial Year - July 23, 2009 ~|~ Earlier Documents ~|~ On the Opening of the Year of Saint Paul - July 18, 2008 Practical Guidance for Celebrating the Year of Saint Paul - December 9, 2008 Paul, Apostle of the Resurrection ~|~ April 6, 2009 ~|~ Paul and the Dialogue of Cultures in the East - April 25, 2009 On Straight Street in the Steps of Saint Paul - May 5, 2009 The Movie Premiere of Damascus - May 22, 2009 On the Closure of the Year of Saint Paul - June 12, 2009 Sermon on the Closure of the Year of St. Paul - June 29, 2009

Proclamation and Preparation

After the proclamation of the Year of Saint Paul by His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, Patriarch Gregorios III and his Vicar General, Archbishop Joseph (Absi) went to the President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Doctor Bashar al Assad to inform him officially about the year and to ask what could be done. His Excellency's reaction was very positive and he offered help in every way, especially from the Ministries of Tourism, Information and others.

The Patriarch wrote a letter in readiness for the Opening of the Year (see the Patriarchal website) to all his bishops, priests and laity in Syria and around the world outlining the plans for the forthcoming year and explaining its spiritual significance.

Opening the Year

The year was opened by His Holiness in Rome. Patriarch Gregorios wished to take part in it personally and to represent Damascus and Syria. So on the evening of 28 June 2008 he attended Solemn Vespers in the Basilica of Saint Paul-without-the-Walls, where Cardinal di Montezemolo is Archpriest. The Pope celebrated Vespers with the participation of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at his side.

In Damascus there was the usual official annual celebration of the Feast of the Holy Apostles at Tel Kawkab, the place of the risen Lord's appearance to Saint Paul. The three Patriarchs (Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic and Syrian Orthodox) took part in it, Patriarch Gregorios being represented by his Patriarchal Vicar, Archbishop Joseph (Absi). Also present was the Minister of the Awqaf, Muhammad abd-as-Sattar as-Sayyid, and the Grand Mufti of Syria Shaykh Muhammad Badr Hassoun. The Greek Orthodox Patriarch Ignatios IV (Hazim) spoke, then the Mufti and the Minister.

In Rome, Patriarch Gregorios contacted Cardinal di Montezemolo, (with whom he had maintained a friendship since the latter's time as Papal Nuncio in Jerusalem ) and also the Italian Episcopal Conference, since he knew that an exhibition was being prepared for the Pauline Year. He also was in contact with Mr. Motta for all news relating to Saint Paul and with the review Paulus, founded for the occasion.

The Year takes Shape

After the opening of the year, Patriarch Gregorios sent a letter to all churches under his jurisdiction, giving guidance to their clergy on celebrating the year. (The text was published in Arabic. Ten recommendations for clergy and people were also published in English on the Patriarchal website and on the website of the Eparchy of Newton.) During the year, priests were advised to preach on the Epistle rather than on the Gospel.

In Damascus a committee was set up, presided over by Archimandrite Antoine Mousleh. The committee did all in its power during the year to arrange processions in Straight Street, especially in the vicinity of the Eastern Gate (Bab Sharqi), Saint Ananias' and the Pauline quarter of the Old City. Several parishes held their own processions, always kindly assisted by a police presence. For several months, the committee also published a little monthly bulletin which from time to time carried a word from the Patriarch, who would take an Epistle and choose verses that seemed most relevant to people. Inside the bulletin would be an article headed, Letter of Saint Paul to the Damascenes, in which were set out the main ideas from some Pauline theme found in the Epistles. Thus, the people of Damascus were addressed in the name of Saint Paul by writers hidden by the Apostle. Also inside the bulletin were the Holy Father's discourses and other information on Saint Paul 's life and on related events worldwide.

Walks of Witness

On the evening of Tuesday 23 September 2008, in the old city of Damascus, some 2,500 pilgrims took part in a walk in honor of Saint Paul as part of the celebrations for the Year dedicated to the Apostle of the Gentiles.

The walk, headed by Patriarch Gregorios III, included eleven stations, while meditations, prayers and chants accompanied the way from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch as far as the Melkite Greek Catholic Chapel of Saint Paul-on-the-Wall, via Straight Street and the Eastern Gate (Bab Sharqi.)

The meditations focused on the conversion of Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus, his baptism in Damascus by Saint Ananias and the faith of the first Christians of Damascus.

The walkers were welcomed on their arrival at the Eastern Gate, by the unfurling of a giant canvas portrait of the Apostle, depicting his return to Damascus, after his flight into the Arabian wilderness (the present day Syrian district of Hauran.)

Syrian television covered the walk, accompanied as it was by choral groups and bands from the city's different Christian communities and by firework displays.

At the conclusion of the walk, in the big square that separates the Chapel of Saint Paul-on-the-Wall from the adjacent children's home and old people's home, the walkers could view on a giant hoarding the different designer posters produced by the Syrian Ministry of Tourism for the Year of Saint Paul.

A brief address from Patriarch Gregorios III closed this walk of witness, which was also part of the celebrations of Damascus, Capital of Arab Culture 2008 – a culture that is both Christian and Muslim.

The next walk in honour of Saint Paul took place on 30 September in Damascus, on the eve of the feast of Saint Ananias, first bishop of the city.

Damascus Conference (23-25 April)

One very important event during the year was the Damascus Conference on Saint Paul held from 23-25 April, Reading Paul from the East.

Scholars from the Middle East, the United States of America, Great Britain and the Netherlands took part in the conference, which was held under the auspices of the Franciscan Centre of Oriental Studies in Cairo, Syriaca, University of Padua, Italy and the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate.

The following program appears with grateful acknowledgment to the website of the Custodie de Terre Sainte:

The conference was held at the Patriarchate where the Patriarch gave a lecture entitled Paul and the Dialogue of Cultures in the Middle East. (The text of the lecture was published in Arabic, and will soon appear in print in French and English. At present it can be read in English on the Patriarchal website.)

On the 25 April, as the conference closed, there was the formal opening of Mr. Eugenio dal Pane's exhibition on Saint Paul, sent courtesy of the Episcopal Conference of Italy.

It so happened that the 26 April was the fourth anniversary of the Holy Father's pontificate, so there was a Liturgy followed by a reception at the Patriarchate in Damascus, which gave the opportunity to ambassadors and other guests from various countries to see the exhibition.

Syrian Films and Exhibitions

Besides the exhibition, there was a very good film on Saint Paul, made by Syrian television and the Syrian Ministry of Tourism, and shot in all the places relating to Paul's life.

There was also a fine art exhibition from the collection of Mr. Salah Muhammad, showing sixty or so significant pictures, portraits and icons of Saint Paul from around the world. Similarly, the Ministry of Tourism produced three posters on Saint Paul, one showing the Pauline places in Damascus, the second, some of the world's most beautiful paintings of Saint Paul, while the third shows the Orthodox Institute of Saint Paul at Tel Kawkab, presented by the Russian Church to the Church of Antioch.

At the Patriarchate, there was created a very beautiful poster that has become well known, entitled Syria, the Cradle of Christianity, showing an icon of the Apostle against the background of Saint Paul-on-the-Wall (Bab Kisan), and surrounded by four medallions showing the scenes from his conversion, while below is the caption, Damascus, City of Saint Paul, Apostle to the Nations. (All the wording on the poster has been translated into English and German and can be seen on the Patriarchal website.)

Patriarch Gregorios was able to show the posters during the Episcopal Synod in Rome in October 2008. They were sent to many envoys, in many embassies. The Ministry of Tourism sent out hundreds of them to various places.

Then there was the well-known film, Damascus, produced by Agape Films, a special institution founded by Pastor Jamal Makar. The film received its world premiere, presided over by Patriarch Gregorios III, on 30 March at the Damascus Opera and was subsequently shown in different parishes in Damascus, other Syrian eparchies, and in Jordan and in Lebanon.

On 16 May, the same film received its European premiere in the Vatican in the Augustinianum, in the presence of His Beatitude, Patriarch Gregorios, Pastor Makar, Cardinal di Montezemolo and three other Cardinals together with representatives from eighty different embassies and countries – a splendid occasion.

So it can be said that Syria did a great deal for this Year of Saint Paul.

Four Patriarchal Letters

The Patriarch also wrote four letters during the Pauline Year: that of Christmas 2008, "For to me, to live is Christ," which mentions how the conversion of Saint Paul gave him a direction in life and a sense of mission.

The second letter, for Lent 2009, "I am crucified with Christ," aims to explain how life in Christ is not easy, but is really a way of the cross, but with Christ.

The third letter, for Pascha "…Ye be risen with Christ," demonstrates how the way of the cross does not end with the cross but with the resurrection and that just as we participate in the resurrection, so we have to enable people, our fellow-citizens, to participate in the resurrection.

Fourthly and lastly, is the letter for the Closure of the Pauline Year, The Collaborators of Saint Paul, in which the Patriarch collected about a hundred names of those whom the Apostle called to collaborate with him, in order to show the importance in apostolic work of all categories of people, mostly laymen and women, and how they too are called to continue that work. (These letters, as well as being published in Arabic, have been translated into English and French and can be found on the Patriarchal website.)

The Closure Month

So we come to the month of June, for which a leaflet containing the whole programme was produced. The Synod of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church opened with an introductory talk from Bishop Issam (Darwish) of Australia on the characteristics of Saint Paul 's personality.

Then, still on the Pauline theme, there was the annual retreat, (9-12 June) for the priests of Damascus, at which the Patriarch presented his four letters, which enabled the priests of the Eparchy, with the Patriarchal Vicar, really to share, communicate and meditate together on Saint Paul.

On Sunday, 7 June, at six in the evening, the Patriarch, accompanied by the Patriarchal Vicar, and the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Mario Zenari and Archbishop Nicholas (Sambra) from America and Archbishop Issam (Darwish) and some priests from Damascus celebrated in the town of Mismiyeh in the Hauran, being officially received by Archbishop Boulos (Borkhosh), Metropolitan of Hauran and Jabal al Arab and a crowd of faithful, with all the priests of the Eparchy (some twenty). Also present for the official reception was a representative of the Governor of Dara al Swayda. Both at the celebration of the Liturgy in church and afterwards outside in the square there were about four thousand faithful. The place that commemorates Saint Paul 's stay is called Koum Khaled. There were some beautiful banners there, both religious, on Saint Paul, and national. The Patriarch explained the meaning of the Pauline celebrations and (as in his letters) the meaning for Paul's life of his three-year stay in the Hauran and Mismiyeh, during which the Apostle recapitulated the whole Old Testament with a new vision. Archbishop Boulos said a word of welcome. This ceremony thus opened the final month of celebrations of the Pauline Year.

Monday, 8 June at six in the evening the Patriarch, with the Patriarchal Vicar and the parish priest, Father George (Jbeil) and other priests with the faithful celebrated Vespers in the church of Saint Joseph in Tabbaleh in Damascus. Afterwards, souvenir key-rings showing icons of Saint Paul and the Theotokos were distributed. Then they all went in procession from the Church of Saint Joseph to the church at the Memorial Saint Paul, in the care of the Franciscan Fathers. The police accompanied the procession, during which hymns were sung and meditations on the life of Saint Paul were read at each station. The Franciscan Father Romualdo (Fernández) received the pilgrims at the Memorial Saint Paul as they prayed and sang in the church and gave them an explanation about the meaning of the Memorial, which was constructed on the occasion of the visit of Pope Paul VI to the Holy Land in 1964. He also explained the different routes that Saint Paul may have taken from Jerusalem to Damascus. As Father Romualdo spoke in Spanish, the Patriarch translated into Arabic. Afterwards there was a hymn and final blessing.

Friday, 19 June was a big day since at six in the evening there was a celebration of the Divine Liturgy in the patriarchal school at Mleiha in Damascus and the young people from the catechetical classes and their directors participated at their Solemn Communion together with Youth groups, Scouts, Faith and Light groups of handicapped people and other pastoral movements in the Eparchy. In all there were about eighteen hundred persons. The title given to the occasion was Meeting of the Children of Damascus with the Lord Jesus and with the Apostle Paul. To all there were distributed tee-shirts, showing two Saint Paul medallions with the slogan "For to me, to live is Christ," and Saint Paul hats and scarves. All received little souvenir images showing Saint Paul with the background of Saint Paul-on-the-Wall (Bab Kisan). All those were offered by Mr. Kheirallah Khouli, a benefactor of the Church.

The Patriarch, the Patriarchal Vicar and the priests were received by the young people with a great ovation and a speech was given by the Patriarch on The Way of Saint Paul, by analogy with the way of the cross. What the Patriarch calls Saint Paul's way begins with Saint Paul's vision at the place of the appearance on his way to Damascus from Jerusalem, then Straight Street and the House of Ananias, the flight down from the wall, the cave at the Memorial Saint Paul, leading thence to the desert. That is the way of the cross, or Saint Paul 's way in Damascus. The Patriarch above all thanked the Damascenes and especially the President of the Republic who really wished to make this Jubilee a feast for Damascus and Syria. At the end of the celebration refreshments were handed out and sweets distributed. Then a popular dance was held as all rejoiced, like true children of Saint Paul.

On Saturday, 20 June, at about six in the evening, there was a celebration at the same school for all the confraternities for men and women of the Patriarchal Eparchy with the Legio Mariae, about one thousand people in all, who all participated in the Divine Liturgy, with the Patriarch, the Patriarchal Vicar and the priests of the Eparchy. The Patriarch, in his talk, again emphasised the way of Saint Paul and the role, especially of parents – since husbands and wives in the confraternities were present – in keeping the deposit of faith in their children, as Saint Paul did with Timothy, and for continuing too as families to be collaborators in the mission of Saint Paul. Just as Paul needed collaborators, the clergy today need collaborators too, from among the lay-people, the sons and daughters of the Church in Damascus. At the end, refreshments were served and souvenir photos and Saint Paul tee-shirts, hats and scarves distributed. A dance by the young people followed.

On Sunday, 21 at six in the evening there was a celebration unconnected with Saint Paul, at Saint Cyril's at Qasaa, as the patronal feast of the church had been postponed from 9 June to that day. Patriarch Gregorios presided, accompanied by the Patriarchal Vicar and by Archimandrite John Faraj, Superior General of the Basilian Order of the Holy Saviour, since the Salvatorian Basilian Fathers run that parish's pastoral service (Father Joseph Lajin, Father George ‘Abboud and Father Tony AbouArraj.) The Patriarch on that occasion issued a decree to enable those priests of Damascus who wish to wear the cross of the Patriarchal Eparchy of Damascus without the archimandrite's veil to do so – a token of recognition for the work of the Salvatorian Fathers in the Eparchy's parishes.

On Thursday, 25 in the evening there was a celebration of the Divine Liturgy in the Melkite Chapel of Saint Paul-on-the-Wall, Damascus, which is always visited by pilgrims and where there is a beautiful statue of Saint Paul, given some time ago by Mgr. Pierrino Gelmini. The Patriarch was accompanied by the Patriarchal Vicar, some priests and many faithful, especially the Aleppine Sisters and the Council of the centre, who sought to commemorate Saint Paul in the best way, since close by the sanctuary is a small orphanage for thirty orphans and an old people's home, also for thirty, run by this patriarchal commission and the Aleppine Sisters. So the Liturgy to celebrate this place was held a little in advance of its usual feast day, 29 June. There too the Patriarch presented The Way of Saint Paul, to make known the places and their spiritual meaning to the sons and daughters of the Damascus Church. The Patriarch invited the faithful present (as he had at all the other celebrations) to come and take part in the final triduum of the Year of Saint Paul.

By 26 June delegates from fourteen countries had arrived – from Austria, Brazil, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, the Maghreb, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Scotland, Spain, and Ukraine. The Patriarch had invited the delegates of thirty Episcopal Conferences which responded by sending about forty people to represent those conferences and their countries. Heading the delegations was the representative of the Holy Father, Benedict XVI, who had decided to send extraordinary delegates in his name to seven different places. The delegate for Damascus was Cardinal Antonio María Rouco Varela, Archbishop of Madrid and President of the Spanish Episcopal Conference. With him came another Cardinal, Cardinal Martínez Sistach, Archbishop of Barcelona and Vice-President of the Spanish Episcopal Conference. (In fact, he practically represented the Conference, since Cardinal Varela represented the Holy Father.) In the evening, then, the Cardinal, as Envoy of the Holy Father, was officially received by the Patriarch, the Patriarchal Vicar and the Apostolic Nuncio and by representatives of the Ministries of Tourism and of the Awqaf and by the Mufti of Damascus. The Ministry of Tourism placed at the Patriarchate's disposal two coaches to receive the delegates, with two guides, speaking English and French, to accompany the delegates during the three days of celebrations.

The delegates were accommodated in two hotels, Bayt Zaman and Bayt Rose, which are both in the Old City, on Straight Street. So the delegates were able to feel physically the holy places associated with Saint Paul, between Bab Touma and Bab Sharqi, not far from Saint Ananias' Chapel, Saint Paul-on-the-Wall and the Melkite Greek Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Syriac Orthodox Patriarchates and the Syrian Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Latin and Maronite Bishoprics which are all in the Old City. The Patriarchate funded the delegates' stay and some of their meals were offered courtesy of Khayrat Kheirullah while other meals were also offered free of charge.

On the evening of 26, the Syrian National Symphony gave a concert at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Damascus attended by those delegates who had already arrived.

The Final Triduum

So we arrive at the final triduum of the Pauline Year.

On 27 June at 8a.m. the Cardinal presided at the celebration of the Latin Mass in Saint Ananias' Chapel. All the delegates (about forty of them) took part, together with the Patriarch and the Patriarchal Vicar and some priests of the Eparchy. Then the Patriarch spoke, as did the Cardinal. (The latter's talks are available in Spanish and French.)

After a meal at the hotel, at 10:30a.m. the delegates were welcomed by Scouts in the courtyard of the Patriarchate, which was adorned by the flags of the delegates' various countries. There was a short service in the Cathedral to open the conference and explain a little about the Patriarchal Church.

Then followed the study session Paul and Damascus, led by the Patriarch, based on his lecture given during the Conference Reading Paul from the East. He especially wished to set out the rich heritage of Paul, his cultural pluralism and the fact that his spiritual legacy remains till now as a deposit in the hands of the Middle East's Christians and a mission given to the Christian faithful in Syria and other Arab countries for them to continue this multicultural presentation of faith there. In his presentation, the Patriarch wished to emphasise the relationship between cultures in Saint Paul 's day and in our own time in Syria and how Christians are called to continue that enculturation of faith. We could conclude thus: that the triduum and celebration of the Year of Saint Paul is a continuation of the celebration of Damascus, Capital of Arab Culture 2008.

The second session was on Christian Remains in Syria, given in English by Mr. Abdullah Hajjar of Aleppo, which set out the very important sites for historic Christian culture in Syria and how they constitute the vestiges of Christian presence since the first years of Christianity in Syria.

At noon the delegates left Damascus by coach to go to the Greek Orthodox Monastery of the Theotokos at Saydnaya where they were received by Bishop Ghattas (Hazim), representing Patriarch Ignatios IV (Hazim) and by the Abbess of the Monastery and the many faithful present. They visited the church where the nuns sang a welcoming hymn and Eis polla eti for the Patriarch, the Cardinal and the other bishops. The visitors venerated the holy place, a little cave dedicated to the Mother of God, where they were anointed with holy oil and prayed in Latin and Arabic.

They were invited to dine at Janna Saydnaya, the meal being offered by the owners of the restaurant, Elie Maari and Elie Rahhal. The delegates were delighted to see the big variety of rich Arabic dishes at the restaurant.

After that at about four in the afternoon they arrived at Maaloula, where the priests, Father Faris and Father Tawfiq welcomed them. Other priests accompanied the visitors from the entrance to the town and there was folk singing and dancing. The Scouts were there too and singing in Aramean until the visitors arrived at the parish Church of Saint George, where they were welcomed in for prayers. The Cardinal said a few words, as he had earlier at the Church of Saydnaya. Then they briefly visited the very beautiful little church of Saint Leontius (Lawandios) and the little Monastery of Repentance, both of which were stations on the pilgrim way to Jerusalem.

The delegates then visited the Greek Catholic Monastery of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, which belongs to the Order of the Holy Saviour. There they listened to Aramean chant and Father Tawfiq explained the history of the church and the icons. The Our Father was recited in Arabic and Aramean and Greek and then the Patriarch invited three delegates to say it too, each in his own language. This was very beautiful and witnessed by a little group of faithful there.

On returning to Damascus, everyone gathered at the Patriarchate at about seven in the evening to go in the two coaches to the al Assad Opera, where at eight there was a concert, with the participation of six choral groups from different Christian communities in Damascus, singing religious songs in different languages used in church: Syriac, Aramean, Chaldean, Greek, Assyrian, Arabic, Armenian and Latin. Present in an official capacity was the Vice-President of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Also present were the Patriarch, the Patriarchal Vicar and other bishops from different communities, priests, monks and nuns, so the Opera was full to capacity with one thousand two hundred persons. Between one hundred to one hundred and fifty members of the press were there, (as for the Opening of the Year) invited by the Ministry of Tourism, which also paid for their tickets and stay. At the end of the concert, the Patriarch congratulated the choirs and gave a present - the Patriarchate's poster for the Pauline Year in a framed mosaic - to the Cardinal representing the Pope. The Cardinal replied. The Patriarch gave a presents also to the Vice-President of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Faisal Mikdad and to Mr. Shadi Tharwi who organised the concert.

Mr. Kheirallah Khouli, the great benefactor of the Pauline Year, invited the group to an excellent evening meal. (He had also organised the Christmas Carnival on 23 December, 2008 with a big parade on the Damascus road from 6-9p.m of 3500 Scouts, for whom he provided festive clothing.)

On the morning of Sunday 28 June, there was a Mass at the Franciscan Memorial Saint Paul, presided over by Cardinal Rouco Varela and assisted by the Latin Bishop, Nazzaro. The Patriarch was present and gave a short speech of welcome.

Afterwards the delegates went back to the Patriarchate to continue with the study session. At eleven was the talk The Church in Syria Today in which the Patriarch explained something of relations between Christian groups and Christian-Muslim relations, freedom of conscience and freedom of worship, catechism, the personal statute – everything concerning inter-Christian and Christian-Muslim relations in Arab and Muslim countries.

Then there was a presentation on the Church in Damascus, with different contributions at a round table. Mgr. Samir Nassar gave a presentation on the Maronite Church and Mgr. Joseph Arnaouti on the Armenian Church, Mgr. Joseph Tabi on the Syrian Catholic Church and Mgr. Joseph Absi the Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Syria. As the day before, the attention had been focused on the time of Saint Paul and Damascus and the ancient remains of Christianity in Syria, the aim of this day was to look at the Church in Syria today which is still very much alive. So the subject of discussion was today's Church, with its faithful, the schools, clinics, different youth movements, leagues, religious confraternities and so on. At the end of the study session the Patriarch presented different gifts to the delegates and gave a brief talk on Saint Paul and Damascus, stressing the importance of Damascus to the celebration of the whole year.

At 1p.m., the delegates dined at the restaurant and were ready by half-past three in the afternoon to meet at the entrance to the Great Umayyad Mosque. There they were welcomed officially by the Minister of the Awqaf, Muhammad abd-as-Sattar as-Sayyid, together with about twenty shaykhs. In the great hall of the mosque the Minister gave a short speech of welcome to the Cardinal representing the Holy Father, and to the Patriarch and those in attendance, the Patriarchal Vicar, about twenty priests from Damascus and to the delegates. The Cardinal replied to the Minister in a prepared speech. The Patriarch rounded off the exchange with a spiritual word on the meaning of the place and of the meeting and ended by reading Saint Paul 's hymn to love. (I Corinthians 13)

Then the Cardinal, Patriarch and all the delegates went inside the mosque to the tomb of Saint John the Baptist. After a moment of silent prayer, the Minister recited some verses of the venerable Qur'an on the subject of Saint John the Baptist's birth, then the priests recited litanies to which everyone replied by singing, "Kyrie eleison," three times. Then the Patriarch closed with the great litany of Vespers and everyone sang the hymn of the Holy Cross, "Save thy people…" An explanation was given, a tour of the mosque was made and the party left to continue their walk.

They crossed Straight Street to the wonder of the folk on that over-crowded street, and went towards the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Dormition. They were received at the cathedral by two bishops. There they venerated the icons, the Gospel Book on the altar, lit candles and sang a hymn to the Virgin. The bishops gave a little explanation after which everyone went to the reception hall of the Patriarchate. His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatios IV (Hazim) received them in very friendly fashion and informal greetings were exchanged.

Then the delegates returned to their hotels, emerging at about six thirty in the evening to go, led by the Cardinal and the Patriarch, to Tel Kawkab, the traditional Orthodox site of Jesus' appearance to Saint Paul. Vespers were celebrated with the participation of a great crowd of faithful of all denominations. At the end, there was a formal speech from Patriarch Ignatios IV, the Grand Mufti of Syria, Muhammad Badr el-Din Hassoun and the Minister of Tourism.

At nine in the evening Mr. Muhammad abd-as-Sattar as-Sayyid greatly honoured the Cardinal, the Patriarch, some bishops and priests from Damascus, the members of the delegations and some shaykhs by taking them to a fine open air restaurant not far from Ebla, the exhibition centre of Damascus. Throughout the meal, the choir from the Ummayyad Mosque sang religious and national songs and the dervishes danced for the group, gyrating around them – an extraordinary sight. The delegates returned to their hotels at midnight.

On Monday 29 June, after some free time, the Patriarch and Patriarchal Vicar, with some priests, together with the Cardinal and about thirty of the delegates, were received at the presidential palace by the President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Doctor Bashar al Assad. The President gave a short speech of welcome, stressing the importance of dialogue and living together in the country as Christian and Muslim fellow-citizens, the importance of citizenship and the importance of Christianity in the country's culture. The Cardinal also spoke from a prepared text in Spanish, while the Patriarch did his best to provide the translation into English and French in the presence of the President and the delegates. The Cardinal particularly thanked Syria and its President for all that they did during the Pauline Year to make it such an exceptionally enjoyable time. Responding to the Cardinal's conveying the Holy Father's greetings, the President charged him with taking his greetings to the Holy Father together with an invitation to visit Syria.

After the midday meal, all returned to the hotels.

In the afternoon at about four fifteen, the delegates reassembled in the courtyard of the Patriarchate. The Patriarchate and the surrounding streets were decorated by the flags of the delegations, by country and by some banners welcoming the delegates in Arabic and English, with other banners of Saint Paul. From the courtyard of the Patriarchate they went out in procession, dressed in their respective liturgical vestments, whether Eastern or Western. The clergy entered in procession with the Scouts amidst the flags of the different communities. All the squares around the Cathedral were filled with seating in front of television screens so that people could follow the Liturgy taking place inside the Cathedral.

For the Divine Liturgy, there concelebrated the Patriarch, the Patriarchal Vicar, Metropolitan Jean (Jeanbart), Archbishops Issam (Darwish) and Isidore (Battikha) and two Romanian Greek Catholic Bishops, Virgil (Bercea) and Florentin (Crihalmeanu), thirty-one priests of the Damascus Eparchy and others from other eparchies, accompanied by the singing of three choirs. These were: Mr. Bassam ‘Abboud and the choir of Saint Gregory the Theologian from the Patriarchate, the choir of Saint Cyril's, directed by Mr. Wissam and a youth choir. Then the Scouts accompanied and organized everything. As the Liturgy began, the Cardinal was on the parathrone. The delegate bishops were all seated, as were the bishops from Damascus, including Syrian Catholic and Armenian Catholic and there was translation from Arabic to Spanish. Also present were the Greek, Armenian and Syrian Orthodox, so all Christian communities were there.

The Liturgy began in Arabic and Greek. During the Little and Great Entrances, children celebrating their Solemn Communion this year accompanied the processions, carrying their own copies of the New Testament, or other symbols. The Gospel was read in Arabic and Aramean by deacon-elect Sleiman Kalloumeh.

Afterwards, the Cardinal gave a sermon in Spanish translated into Arabic by Mgr. Joseph Arnaouti. The Cardinal especially thanked everyone and was delighted at the brotherly atmosphere and the fact of the different religions living together and the shared Muslim-Christian life, especially under the guidance of the President of the Republic. The Patriarch also gave a sermon about Saint Paul and his collaborators, showing how Saint Paul is not saying farewell but bidding today's Christians to continue his mission. (His words can be found on the Patriarchal website in English, French and Arabic.) Towards the end, the Our Father was recited in Arabic, Greek and Aramean.

During communion, the choirs who had sung at the Opera sang again in Greek, Latin, Syriac, Aramean, Chaldean, Assyrian and Armenian. The Patriarch gave the final blessing and the choir sang the Polychronion for the Pope after which the Cardinal gave his final blessing.

There followed a big procession on this day of Closure. All went out, the confraternities with their flags, Scouts, singers with loudspeakers, some six to eight thousand people, with hymns, prayers, Christian folk-songs, stopping at different stations to commemorate Saint Paul, at the entrance to the Patriarchate, in front of the minaret of the little mosque, then outside the Syrian Catholic church, the Armenian Orthodox church, opposite Saint Ananias' Chapel, then by the Eastern Gate (Bab Sharqi). At this last place there were more prayers and hymns. The police accompanied the whole procession and the Scouts lowered down from the wall a big picture, showing Saint Paul returning to Damascus to remain there always. There followed a firework display. The walk continued outside the walls, with Scouts, singing, prayers, still with the police accompanying as far as the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate's Chapel called Saint Paul-on-the-Wall, at which point the procession came to an end. The Patriarch and Cardinal gave the blessing and thanked all in Syria, beginning with the President of the Republic, who participated in celebrating that year.

A small meal was offered in the orphanage, presented by the committee which runs the establishment. After that, all went by coach to the Citadel of Damascus, which is just by the entrance to the mosque. At the entrance, the Minister for Tourism Saadallah al Qallah al Agha and the representative of the Ministry of the Awqaf welcomed the party. The Patriarch was invited to give a speech to open the evening, which he did, concluding with chanting the hymn to love from the thirteenth chapter of Saint Paul 's First Epistle to the Corinthians - a first in the history of the citadel. After that, the Minister for Tourism spoke a word of welcome to the delegates to explain all that his ministry had done in the course of the year to celebrate Saint Paul, especially as there was about a half million more visitors than usual because of the Pauline Year. Both the Patriarch and the Minister agreed that no other State and Church had done more to celebrate Saint Paul than had Syria 's. The Minister thanked the President of the Republic for the success of this Pauline Jubilee in Syria and the Patriarch for all his efforts to present the year as a continuation of the year of Damascus, Capital of Arab Culture. He thanked him too for inviting the delegates from Episcopal Conferences throughout the world to come and participate in Saint Paul. Saint Paul went out from Damascus into the whole world and the world came to Damascus to celebrate Saint Paul.

After that, came the event which was a great surprise – a ballet arranged and performed by the theatrical company Ornina and representing the life of Saint Paul – very beautiful and impressive. The ballet begins with the persecution of Christians by Saint Paul, then shows his conversion, and baptism on stage in the theatre, when Ananias baptizes him, saying in Arabic, "I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, one only God. Amen." It continues by showing all the stages of the life of Saint Paul and his global mission. It also touches upon the Christian-Muslim religious aspect, the political aspect with Damascus and the importance of Syria and above all, of peace in the region. After that, came an address from the Cardinal. Then thanks were exchanged, the Minister took his leave and the Patriarch said farewell to the delegates because that very night he had to leave Damascus to go to Ain Traz, Lebanon.

On the 30 June, the Patriarchal Vicar was left to accompany the delegates, saying his farewells and seeing them to the airport.

Thanksgiving

So let us thank the Lord for the beautiful ending to the Year of Saint Paul! In some small way we have repaid a little of our debt to Saint Paul. Damascus enriched Saint Paul and Paul Damascus. The faith of the first Christians drew Saul the persecutor to Damascus and Paul made Damascus famous throughout the world, by everywhere and always speaking in his Epistles about his experience of having met at Damascus the Lord, risen from the dead, who gave him his mission. Since this meeting with Jesus, Damascus speaks always of Paul and of Jesus. May Damascus, Syria and their Christians continue with Saint Paul 's mission!

Sermon of His Beatitude, Patriarch Gregorios III June 29th 2009 On the Closure of the Year of Saint Paul At the Melkite Greek Catholic Cathedral of the Dormition Damascus, Syria

Introduction

At the end of this Year of Saint Paul dedicated to the Bimillennium of his birth, we are meeting in the context of a celebration of the Divine Liturgy to pray together - faithful of East and West, Church Pastors coming from eparchies of about twenty countries and Pastors of Damascus' Churches with their faithful from Catholic and Orthodox parishes.

We thank the Holy Saviour for the grace of this jubilee. We thank the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI who decided that this jubilee should be celebrated throughout the world. For his part, he decided to delegate our dear brother, His Eminence Cardinal Antonio María Rouco Varela, Archbishop of Madrid, President of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, to take part in the Closure of this Pauline Year. We say to you, Ahlan wa sahlan, welcome, with our affection and gratitude.

In connection with your visit, His Holiness, Pope Benedict wrote, and I quote,

As the Year dedicated to Saint Paul is drawing to an end, we are pleased to send Cardinals to those places where that admirable herald of the Gospel of Christ lived and worked and which rightly deserve to be called Pauline Places. Among them, Syria has a special importance, since the Apostle, being near Damascus, saw the Lord, and then in that same city, preached Jesus for some days. (cf. Acts 9:5 and 19-20)

We thought of you, Venerable Brother, who head the Metropolitan Church of Madrid, and by these letters we appoint you Our Envoy Extraordinary to the celebrations of the Closure of the Year of Saint Paul which are to take place in Syria on 29 June next, during the solemn celebrations for the Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. …

When in the presence of religious and civil authorities, you will take care to show them both the importance of the person and teaching of the Apostle to the Gentiles and his concern for the salvation of the whole human race.

In our name, you will greet all the Pastors of Syria and the other Hierarchs gathered there, the priests, monks and nuns and faithful lay-persons, encouraging them towards greater spiritual unity and convey to them our kind thoughts.

We thank their Eminences, Beatitudes, Right Reverend Bishops and reverend clergy who have kindly accepted our invitation. They represent the Episcopal Conferences of the following countries: Austria, Brazil, Chile, France, Germany, India, Italy, the Maghreb ( Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Western Sahara), Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Scotland, Spain and Ukraine.

We thank our brothers, their Excellencies the Pastors and bishops who head the Church in Damascus and Syria, in the unity of faith and the plurality of communities, languages and traditions: His Excellency, representative of His Beatitude Ignatius IV (Hazim), Greek Orthodox Patriarch, His Excellency, representative of His Holiness Zakka I (Iwas) Syriac Orthodox Patriarch and Their Excellencies, representatives of the Maronite, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Chaldean, and Latin Churches; their Excellencies from the Armenian Orthodox Church and the Assyrian Church – the latter representing our brothers and sisters from Iraq, numbering about one and a half million, whom Syria has welcomed, as have Churches in Damascus and Syria, which have done much to assist them in their tragic circumstances.

Thanks to all their Excellencies, their countries' Ambassadors present amongst us!

Our great gratitude goes to His Excellency, Doctor Bashar al-Assad, President of the Syrian Arab Republic. Thanks to his guidance this Jubilee of Saint Paul became a most remarkable, unique celebration for State and Church. I can say with great pride that the Syrian State has done more than any other to contribute to the success of this jubilee. Thanks to His Excellency, our beloved President and to his collaborators, especially from the Ministry of Tourism.

All that is but a part of the debt we owe to Saint Paul, spiritual son of Damascus. In fact there are three cities which are among the most important for keeping the memory of Saint Paul : Tarsus, Rome and Damascus.

Tarsus was his birthplace two thousand years ago, Rome the place of his martyrdom or blood baptism and Damascus the place of his encounter with Christ, risen from the dead, place of his conversion, baptism and election for his unique mission.

The Church sings this hymn in honour of Saints Peter and Paul: "What prison did not hold thee as prisoner? What Church does not have thee as preacher? Damascus takes pride in thee, Paul, for it saw thee cast to earth by light, Rome received thy blood and it too is filled with pride; but Tarsus rejoices more than all for it honours thy swaddling clothes. O Peter, rock of faith and thou, Paul, glory of the whole world, come forth together from Rome and strengthen us." (Hypakoë, Tone 8, of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, 29 June)

From Damascus, Paul went out into the world and preached his "gospel," that is to say, his letters (fourteen of them) through which he illustrated the richness of the proclamation of the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory. So Saint Paul became the Apostle to the Nations, the Apostle to the whole world.

Today the world is coming to Damascus to venerate Saint Paul in Damascus, which is the only place outside Palestine that the risen Lord appeared after his resurrection. In Damascus the first sizeable community was founded as early as the year 36 A.D. That is what enabled our Syrian President, Doctor Bashar al-Assad, to declare during the visit of His Holiness John Paul II to Syria in 2001, " Syria is the cradle of Christianity and the meeting place of civilisations." Saint Paul is the character who best integrated in himself those civilisations and cultures of the East.

Dear brothers and sisters!

Today the Church of Damascus welcomes you. Today your hosts are the descendants of Saint Paul 's godparents at his baptism by Saint Ananias, first Bishop of Damascus! You are welcomed today by the descendants of the first Christian community. Today, you are hosted by the Church of Antioch, Eastern capital of the Roman Empire and heir of the great riches of the Church, Greek, Syriac, Aramaic, Armenian and Arab. In fact we have present here today, pastors and faithful who still today in part pray and speak in various languages: Greek, Syriac, Aramean, Assyrian, Armenian and especially Arabic, which is the language of our Christian and Muslim culture and civilisation in Arab countries. That is the language and culture of approximately three hundred and forty million Christians and Muslims who together largely make up our countries in which they have been living together for fourteen hundred and thirty years – and that despite wars, invasions, tensions, crises and even persecutions.

You heard the faithful sing and pray their faith in different languages (some of them Saint Paul 's) on the evening of the twenty-seventh at the Opera. Those choirs are participating in our Closure Liturgy today, as we celebrate together our common faith that has been our ancestral possession from the time of Saint Paul, Apostle to the Nations!

I would like to mention especially the Hauran and the village of Mismiyeh where Saint Paul stayed, not just for some days but for three years, as he tells us himself. (See Acts p.1450 note d and Epistle to the Galatians 1:17-18 p.1537 of the Jerusalem Bible.)

Those three years were Saint Paul 's monastic novitiate of ascesis, meditation and prayer, like that of the prophets who preceded him and the monks who founded after him in Syria many monasteries, of which the remains still exist to this day.

During those three years of solitude in the Hauran, Paul succeeded, by the grace of the Lord Jesus who appeared to him on the road, in unifying everything in Christ: he unified both Testaments, the Old and the New, making them one, breaking down the "wall of partition[1]." Saint Paul enabled Christianity to breathe with both lungs – the Old and the New Testaments which form the great heritage of Christianity and of humanity unified in Jesus Christ.

Today the Eastern and Western Church is breathing together in these holy celebrations. Yes, indeed, the Church breathes with both Eastern and Western lungs, because of your presence with us, dear brothers representing the different Episcopal Conferences of the Christian world, alongside the Pastors of the Church of Damascus and Syria, Church of the Christian East.

Dear brothers!

Allow me to show you the following points forming a fragrant bouquet of Damascus jasmine for the Closure of the Year of Saint Paul:

1. Paul loved Jesus more than any lover could. Jesus became the center of his whole life and teaching. May we love the Lord as Paul did!
2. Paul changed from Saul the persecutor to the chosen Apostle. He accomplished the passing over (Pesach or Pascha) from the Old to the New. Am I, c contemporary Christian from Damascus, capable of accomplishing this passing over? Am I capable of putting off the old garment of sin, so as to clothe myself in the new garment of baptism? Can I lay aside the old man, to put on the new man, created in the image and likeness of God, in righteousness and holiness?
3. The world needs Paul, so as to become that beautiful world of Paul's thought, which is the mind of Christ. May everyone in the world tread the road to Damascus, so that the world may change and people move from shadows to light, from night to day, sin to righteousness, persecution to love, violence to kindness, selfishness to altruism, terrorism to solidarity, fundamentalism to openness, the spirit of vengeance to such feelings as Saint Paul expresses when he exhorts the faithful to have among themselves the thoughts and manners that are in Christ Jesus, and reminds them that the fruits of the Spirit are "love.. gentleness, temperance." (Galatians 5:22-23)
4. Paul boasts of the cross of Christ, "I am crucified with Christ." (Galatians 2:20) The cross is the symbol of Christianity and is to be found everywhere in our churches and homes. The symbol of the cross is a call to solidarity with our brothers and sisters in humanity, to lighten the suffering of the cross. The cross is everywhere present, reminding us that there is a fellowman or woman, a brother or sister somewhere, nailed to the cross. It is up to me as a Christian to take that person down from the cross.
5. Paul is the great apostle of the resurrection. He saw the risen Christ on the Damascus road and then the living Christ gave him the mission of the resurrection and life to the world, after the example of his Master, who said, "I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly," (John 10:10) and without distinction. Christianity is the religion of the cross and resurrection, of solidarity and life. Hence, the name for the first Christians in Syria, children of the resurrection. {Insert from Pascha on rising with Christ.}
6. Paul, the great Apostle needs collaborators to spread the gospel message. In the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles of Paul can be found a hundred names of men and women who were with Paul preaching. Paul described them in glowing terms: in his Epistles, his fellow-workers are "brethren," "dear," "sisters," "parents," "fellow-labourers in Christ Jesus," "beloved," "first-fruits" of those risen in Christ and elect of Christ, especially in the Epistle to the Romans. (16: 1-16) Today more than ever, we need collaborators, lay-people who are faithful, keen, courageous, active, strong, who are highly capable, be it in business, politics or higher education, who are influential, prudent, wise, loving and selfless, experienced and, as the Psalmist says, "as arrows are in the hand of a mighty man." (Psalm 127: 4)
7. Christians, children of the resurrection, who follow the "new way," the Damascus road, Paul's way, the way of Christ who said, "I am the way," must be united so as to help one another to carry Jesus' message to the world, so that Jesus may be "the way, the truth and the life" (John 14: 6) and the "light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." (John 1: 9) United, Christians are capable of bearing Jesus' message to the world in the language of people today. We need a new Pentecost, a new epiclesis in the Church. That is what we sing in the kontakion of Pentecost, "When the Most High …dispensed the tongues of fire, He called all to unity."
8. We Arab Eastern Christians have a special role, excellent for bearing the message of Christ in the world. However, two great dangers threaten that presence and mission: emigration and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict which has lasted for more than sixty years. We ask you brothers coming from all over the world to pray and work for peace in Palestine and in the Middle East. Palestine 's and Jerusalem 's peace is peace for the Middle East, for Arabs and for the whole world. Pray for us to remain here where Jesus, the Apostles, Paul and the saints lived and for us to continue to be "a sweet savior of Christ." (II Corinthians 2:15)
9. Yes! Let us stay together, Christians of East and West, of all Churches, sons and daughters of the one Church of Christ ! Let us stay together to bring about the Kingdom of Jesus Christ upon earth.
10. Yes! Let us stay together, all Children of Faith, Christians and Muslims, faithful believers of East and West, to work together and build together the civilization of Peace, Love and Life in our world. Damascus will remain faithful to Saint Paul : Syria will always maintain the broad outlook of Saint Paul 's teachings. All we Syrian citizens, both Christian and Muslim, will continue together along the Damascus road in the steps of Saint Paul towards our encounter with Jesus. Damascus will continue to speak to the world, as does Saint Paul from Damascus.

Conclusion

Dear brothers and sisters,

Jesus entrusts his apostolate, his mission, to us. Saint Paul calls us today, at this closure of the celebration of his birth in Tarsus, as he once called his numerous fellow-workers, to continue the mission of Jesus risen from the dead. Jesus calls us, entrusting to each one of us the same mission that he confided to Paul on the road to Damascus, ordaining Saint Ananias, first Bishop of Damascus, to baptize Saul the persecutor, who would change into Paul and be the chosen vessel of God. "He is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel : for I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake." (Acts 9: 15-16)

Dear brothers and sisters, dear friends,

Saint Paul recommends his Epistles to us, as he did to the hearts, souls and minds of the faithful of the first Christian communities, so that his teaching may remain in your hearts. He speaks to us as he did to the faithful of Corinth when he wrote,

"Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart." (II Corinthians 3: 2-3)

With the Apostle, we speak to you, at the end of this Year of Saint Paul …, who had Jesus' heart, as Saint John Chrysostom said. Again with the Apostle, we say to you, (Philippians 4: 7-9)

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you."

And also:

"Greet one another with an holy kiss. All the saints salute you." (II Corinthians 13: 12-13)

And finally,

"The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema. Maranatha. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen." (I Corinthians 16: 21-24)

Cyprus ' Archbishop on Straight Street in the Steps of Saint Paul April 2009

Archbishop Chrysostomos II of Nova Justiniana and All Cyprus, accompanied by an episcopal delegation, has been visiting Damascus in this Year of Saint Paul, in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul, as guest of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch. He also visited the Greek Catholic Patriarch on Sunday, 3 May.

At 5pm., Archbishop Chrysostomos and his companion bishops were received by Patriarch Gregorios III, together with his Patriarchal Vicar, Bishop Joseph (Absi), the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Mario Zenari and all Catholic bishops in Damascus , first in the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God. There, Archbishop Chrysostomos and his delegation were showered with flowers by a wedding party, and escorted by a Scout group and the choir singing Resurrection hymns. Patriarch Gregorios then invited his guest to enter the sanctuary to venerate the Gospel Book, which Archbishop Chrysostomos was pleased to do. The choir then sang "Many Years" for the Archbishop.

Afterwards Archbishop Chrysostomos and his party made a tour of the Patriarchate where, in the Reception Hall, Patriarch Gregorios addressed his visitors, alluding to the fact that Saul made his first missionary journey to Paphos, (formerly the metropolitan see of Cyprus' Archbishop) as we learn from the thirteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 13: 6-12.) It was also in Paphos that Saul became known as Paul, after encountering the deputy, Sergius Paulus, who "believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord." In reply, Archbishop Chrysostomos expressed himself very happy with the warmth and sincerity of his welcome at the Melkite Greek Catholic Cathedral in Damascus . He spoke of the importance of the role of Saint Barnabas , Cyprus ' patron and companion of Paul. Patriarch Gregorios presented his distinguished guest and brother hierarch with a complete set of the Liturgical Books in Arabic and Greek, which are the fruit of his own years of service as head of the Patriarchal Commission for Liturgy. For his part, Archbishop Chrysostomos presented a plate with the emblem of an imperial eagle.

Earlier on Sunday, Archbishop Chrysostomos and his delegation had concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with Orthodox Patriarch Ignatios IV (Hazim.) Afterwards, Patriarch Ignatios hosted a lunch for eighty at his patriarchal residence. Patriarch Gregorios III was pleased to accept an invitation from Patriarch Ignatios on this occasion.

Sunday's visit of Archbishop Chrysostomos ended with a dinner in his honor, hosted by the Ambassador of Cyprus, Mr. Efstathios Orphanides, at which Patriarch Gregorios III was among the many distinguished clerical guests, both Christian and Muslim.

Patriarchal Letter of His Beatitude Gregory III Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, of Alexandria and Jerusalem On the Occasion of the Opening of the Year of Saint Paul Damascus 2008

To their Excellencies, my beloved brother Bishops, members of the Holy Synod, most reverend Superiors General and Mothers General, and all faithful parishioners of our Melkite Greek Catholic Church,

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all." (cf. II Corinthians 13:13)

With this Pauline greeting, by which priest, bishop and Patriarch salute the faithful at the beginning of the anaphora during the Divine Liturgy, we greet you, reverend brothers and dear sons and daughters, in Arab countries and throughout the diaspora. At the beginning of this Year of the Holy Apostle Paul, we greet you from our patriarchal residence in Damascus and from the quarter of Saint Paul, spiritual son of Damascus by baptism.

I shall write a special letter for this year, but I believe I have to send this foreword to enable us thereby to begin together the Year of Saint Paul in spiritual and ecclesial fellowship that will give us joy for this blessed jubilee. I am writing this especially to my brother, his Excellency Joseph Absi, Patriarchal Vicar in Damascus, and to all my sons, the priests and monks, as well as to the nuns and lay-people of our Patriarchal Eparchy of Damascus. I am entrusting this year to our Vicar, priests and committees of that eparchy, to work together as a commission under the presidency of our son, Archimandrite Antonios Mousleh, so as to make the celebration of this Pauline Year special in all our parishes in Damascus.

Celebration in Rome

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI will open this jubilee year on Saturday 28 June 2008 in Rome. I shall take part, by special invitation, in the opening on Saturday and on Sunday 29, Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, will concelebrate with His Holiness in the Pontifical Mass in the Basilica of Saint Peter.

I shall be representing our Patriarchal Church, during this opening, in Eternal Rome, place of the martyrdom of Saint Paul; together with the Assembly of the Catholic Hierarchy in Syria, as its president, and our Patriarchal Eparchy in Damascus where the Patriarchal Throne of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church is geographically situated. I shall pray at the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul as we did with my brothers, their Excellencies the Hierarchs, the Superiors General and Mothers General and the groups that accompanied us last May, during our historic visit to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI who welcomed us with their Eminences the Cardinals, his collaborators in the Roman Curia, with an abundance of love and appreciation.

My Beloved,

I believe that the two most important places for the celebration of the Year of Saint Paul are Damascus and Rome. Damascus was his spiritual birthplace through the baptism bestowed by the Holy Apostle Ananias, our predecessor and first Bishop of Damascus. The second is Rome, place where ended Paul's "good fight" as he calls it, with his martyrdom wherein the Apostle shed his blood as a libation for love of Christ. In fact, he says, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain," (Philippians 1:21) "and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)

The Importance of the Celebration in Damascus

I would like to emphasize especially the importance of the celebration of the Year of Saint Paul to Damascus, capital of Syria, which has been chosen this year as capital of Arab culture for the year 2008. During the reception of the late Pope John Paul II in May 2001, President Bashar Al-Assad said that Syria is the "cradle of Christianity." Saint Paul embodies the history of Christianity in Syria and in this very city constitutes one of the distinguishing symbols of culture, civilization, heritage and especially religion, for faith is the source and foundation of civilizations. Damascus is the place of our splendid Antiochian Patriarchal Throne. Antioch, called the Great City of God, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire and capital of the Umayyad caliphs, is also the capital of the Christian East, and the most senior bishopric after Jerusalem, the City of the Resurrection. In Antioch, the disciples of Christ were called Christians for the first time. That is the name which preceded every national or communal kind of name for Christians. May this beautiful, blessed, universal name again refer to Christians of all rites, confessions, nationalities, countries and peoples!

Damascus Heir of Antioch

Damascus, today, is the headquarters of three Eastern Patriarchs that are heirs of the Antiochian See: Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic and Syrian Orthodox. To them may be added the two Patriarchs who bear the title of Antioch but are in Lebanon (at Bkerkeh and Sharfeh): that of the Maronite Church and that of the Syriac Catholic Church.

On this occasion, we wish that Antioch and its five heirs in Damascus and Beirut, in Syria and Lebanon, representing the Christians most involved in the Arab East, its culture, civilization and religious and civil history of faith, and in the multiplicity of its confessions and Christian and Muslim millets, may find the place that is their due! May the Church of the Arab East again play a guiding role in the spiritual, faith, pastoral, civil, cultural, economic, sociological and even political domains!

The Year of Saint Paul and the Role of Christians in the Arab World

May the celebration of the Year of Saint Paul be a stimulus for the Church of the Middle East to play its dynamic role in the Arab Christian and Muslim context, unique in Christian dialogue, of fostering peace in that region, supporting human rights whose basis is in faith in God, such as is found in Christianity and Islam. These rights are capable of opening up in the Arab world new horizons onto that prosperity and flourishing of civilization expected by the young generation of Arabs.

Moreover, very dear reverend brothers, I would like to inform you that His Holiness the Pope will send a representative at the end of the year to Syria, Lebanon and other countries of the region where Saint Paul traveled to proclaim the Gospel of peace and love.

Opening of the Jubilee Year in Syria and Lebanon

Several special events will take place in Syria and the Lebanon. In the latter country, the opening of the year will be celebrated on Saturday 28 June with ecumenical prayer in which all denominations will participate – Catholic, Orthodox and Evangelical.

In Damascus itself, for three days, there will take place a series of events shared by all the different Christian communities, with the participation of the Syrian Ministry of Tourism (details of the program are available in Damascus.) These celebrations are related to the places which witnessed the main stages of the conversion and calling of Paul:

• monastery of the vision of Saint Paul at Tel Kawkab (an important site of the Greek Orthodox Church) where the official opening of the Year of Saint Paul will take place;
• Church of Saint Ananias, in the care of the Franciscan Fathers;
• monastery of Saint Paul on the Wall or at the Kisan Gate, whence Saint Paul fled to Hauran (this important site belongs to the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate);
• cave where Saint Paul took refuge after his flight (in the care of the Franciscan Fathers, Bab Sharqi quarter.)

The program includes a pilgrimage along Straight Street and visits to the great Umayyad Mosque, the citadel of Damascus, the Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic and Syriac Orthodox Patriarchates, besides the important sites mentioned above.

The celebration also includes a pilgrimage to the Church of Saint Paul at Daraya (an Arab word meaning monastery of the vision, the place where it is thought that the Lord appeared to Saint Paul), as well as in other churches of the capital dedicated to Saint Paul, amongst which is the church shared by Greek Catholics and Orthodox at Dummar, and the cathedral of the Syriac Catholics.

General Program in Damascus

Concerning our Damascene eparchy and Syria in general, we should like to mention the creation of a special committee to work out the details of different programs in the light of the celebrations anticipated this year. Amongst these are being arranged talks, an exhibition on Saint Paul, the publication of a monthly bulletin under the title, "Letter of Saint Paul to the Damascenes," pilgrimages to Damascus itself and the parishes and places in the city that recall Saint Paul, to Turkey (visit to Tarsus, birth city of the Apostle, Cappadocia, Antioch), as well as to Malta, Athens and Italy.

Still on the theme of our Damascene eparchy, we should like to express our gratitude to his Excellency President Bashar Al-Assad, whom we met in company with our brother, Vicar General Joseph Absi, and to whom we explained the whole importance of this anniversary of the second millennium of the birth of the holy Apostle Paul, spiritual son of Damascus. For this jubilee confirms the remark of the President, that we recalled with pride, namely that, "Syria is the cradle of Christianity and the meeting-place of civilizations." His Excellency showed a keen interest in the matter and asked the Ministries of Tourism and Information to undertake substantive measures to co-operate in ensuring the success of this anniversary. For that purpose, the Syrian Ministry of Tourism published three large posters. The patriarchal committee in its turn has created a poster on which Saint Paul is seen looking out from the walls of Damascus at the whole world, both East and West. After his conversion, it was from Damascus that he would carry the light of the Holy Gospel to the four corners of the earth.

We have sent out to several episcopal conferences across the world invitations to come and visit the holy places of the Pauline adventure in Damascus.

Brethren and Beloved Children,

We believe this jubilee year to be a special opportunity to renew holy faith in the hearts of our faithful. That is what His Holiness the Pope recommended when we visited him last May. For that purpose, every bishop in his eparchy ought to find appropriate ways to mark this jubilee year. We hope to remain in contact to exchange services and talks with a view to the success of this jubilee, and that it may bear fruit in our parishes. We pray especially for the Year of Saint Paul to be a year of just, lasting and general peace in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq as throughout all our dear East.

We close this letter in peace and love, after the manner of Saint Paul whose own would conclude in an outpouring of love, kindness, brotherliness and tenderness. We would like these feelings to reach in our name, all those who read and publish this letter. So we wish that all to whom these feelings extend may share them with family, relatives, friends, acquaintances, colleagues and fellow-citizens.

We greet you, brethren, with the words of the Apostle himself, "Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with an holy kiss. All the saints salute you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all! Amen." (II Corinthians 13: 11-13)