The great “yes” of Cyprus

“You deserve gratitude for the inestimable role you play. It is my firm hope that your rights be increasingly respected, including that of freedom of worship and religion, and that you do not suffer from discrimination of any kind”. These words encapsulate all Benedict XVI’s gratitude to the Christians of the Middle East, whom he called “peacemakers”. From Cyprus, where he handed over the “Instrumentum laboris” (IL) of the Synod for the Middle East to the patriarchs and bishops on 6 June, Benedict XVI declared that “the Middle East has a special place in the hearts of all Christians. The Synod wishes to encourage you in the witness of your faith in Christ, which you render in the countries where this faith was born and grew up. It is also well known that some of you are suffering great hardships due to the current situation of the region. The Special Assembly is an occasion for Christians from the rest of the world to offer their spiritual support and solidarity to their brothers and sisters in the Middle East”. On the Synod’s preparatory document, the “Instrumentum laboris”, SIR Europe has interviewed the Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus, the Most Rev. Joseph Soueif, who fills the role of special secretary at the Synod, and also represents the Maronite Catholic Church in the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE).Your Excellency, having participated in its organization, can you sum up this journey of the Holy Father to Cyprus?“First of all I wish to recall Bishop Padovese, who was tragically killed in Turkey on 3 June. He has left a huge legacy in view of the Synod and was expected to be with us in Cyprus. The Pope’s visit was a great success. Cyprus opened an ecumenical dimension in the Church. It was a dialogue of life, enabling us to meet and pray together. The visit to Latin and Maronite Catholics was a great experience of communion in the Church. The pope encouraged us to strengthen our faith, communion and witness also with forgiveness and reconciliation. These were significant exhortations in the context of an island that has been divided since 1974”.What’s the significance of the handing over of the Instrumentum laboris? “The Pope exhorts the Catholic Church in the Middle East to be present in communion and witness. That’s the mission of Christians in the Middle East. Our presence must be one of quality; it must be constructive and missionary, in spite of our condition of being a minority. Past history shows that Christians were a minority conscious of their role, mission and witness. The Synod’s appeal today is that the more communion is lived, the more witness is reinforced. Middle Eastern Christians are a sign of hope and peace for the whole region”.And yet they encounter obstacles such as the lack of religious freedom, occupation, political Islam, and the Sharia. A sombre picture for Christians in the region emerges from the IL. Don’t you agree?“It’s true, and the problems vary from country to country. But the response cannot be to shut up shop and get out. In the past, in spite of the problems which were not all that different from those we are experiencing today, the decision was made to remain. Today, perhaps also because mobility is easier, people tend to emigrate. Bearing witness means sacrifice, but we cannot think of emigrating whenever we run into an obstacle. Our presence here is not casual: it forms part of God’s plan, even more so now, with the conflicts and divisions of the present. The absence of Christians in the region would be a grave loss for the whole of the Middle East, where they represent elements of moderation and of social and religious pluralism”.Among the themes touched on in the Instrumentum laboris is there one that could prove more strategic for the future of Christians in the Middle East?“Ecumenism. The document exhorts the communion of churches and communities. And from this derives a real witness for non-Christians. Communion, moreover, must be open to a shared pastoral project and a common Christian social vision. The document clearly points out that we cannot be true Christians unless there’s an ecumenical dimension, from which descends, I repeat, a dialogue with non-Christians and with the faithful of other religions. Such dialogue is vital for our region. The Synod is also an opportunity for the Oriental Church to conduct an examination of conscience on the quality of its presence here”.After the publication of the IL what will be the next step towards the Synod?“A period of spiritual and cultural preparation of the churches and synodal fathers for the Synod in October now begins. The Synod’s general Secretariat will formulate procedures of work to involve once again all those components of the Church who contributed to the drafting of the preparatory document, as well as the members of other faiths involved in its discussion. The IL, in fact, was drafted on the basis of suggestions received from the clergy, laity, religious and various church associations in the Middle East. The Synod may authorise the presence of scholars and theologians also of other faiths”.Do you think that the Synod may arouse the attention of politicians, as hoped for by the Pope in his audience of 9 June?“That is essential, since peace is a fundamental dimension for this region. For us, I would add, peace is Christ. It must be sought not only at the popular, but also at the political level. Peace will help the people, the citizen to live his life with serenity and in security. And that’s a natural right”.