Ishtartv.com - catholicnewsagency.com
By Courtney Mares, Vatican City, Jun 20, 2022
Pope Francis discussed the "survival of Christians in the Middle
East" with Catholic bishops from Syria and Lebanon at the Vatican on
Monday.
The pope met with Patriarch Youssef Absi of Antioch and other
representatives of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church as the Eastern church
began its synod of bishops, which is taking place in Rome June 20-25.
In the meeting, Absi asked Pope Francis to put pressure on political
authorities to “draw a red line,” prioritizing the protection of the Christian
presence in the Middle East.
The patriarch told the pope of the Melkite bishops’ concern that
widespread poverty, low standards of living, and dangerous conditions have led
to a wave of emigration from the region, particularly of young people.
Pope Francis said: “You are rightly concerned about the survival of
Christians in the Middle East — I too am worried — it’s a concern that I fully
share.”
The pope also noted that the Melkite church now has a worldwide presence
with eparchies in Argentina, Australia, the United States, Canada, and
Venezuela.
The Melkite Greek Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic Church in full
communion with the pope based in the Syrian capital of Damascus. Absi was
elected as the Melkite patriarch of Antioch, Alexandria, Jerusalem and All the
East during a synod in Lebanon in 2017.
Pope Francis recalled that since the start of his pontificate thousands
of people have died in “beloved and martyred Syria” and millions more have fled
the region as refugees.
“The tragedies of recent months, which sadly force us to turn our gaze
to the east of Europe, must not make us forget what has been going on in your
land for 12 years,” the pope said.
During the meeting, Pope Francis renewed his appeal to both Syrian
authorities and the international community to achieve “an equitable and just
solution to the tragedy in Syria.”
“On more than one occasion I happened to meet and hear the account of
some young Syrian who had arrived here, and I was struck by the drama he
carried within him, by what he had experienced and seen, but also by his gaze,
almost drained of hope, unable to dream of a future for his land. We cannot allow
even the last spark of hope to be taken out of the eyes and hearts of young
people and families,” the pope said.
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