New energy for Middle East Christians:
A conversation with the Coptic Patriarch
and Cardinal-designate Antonios Naguib
by Mario Ponzi
Translated from the 10/23/10 issue of
Fear, despair, solitude, timidity - these words should be abolished from the vocabulary of the Catholic Churches of the Middle East. Written in capital letters in their place are courage, hope, communion and witness.
This is the resolve expressed unanimously by the Synodal Fathers in the list of Propositions that they were to present the Pope at the end of their work today.
This was reaffirmed in this interview given by the Catholic Coptic Patriarch of Alexandria, Antonios Naguib, who is one of those to be named cardinal at Benedict XVI's third consistory next month.
As the general moderator of the special Synodal assembly on the Middle East, the Egyptian patriarch took time off from preparing the draft of the Propositions.
On the eve of this assembly, you spoke to our newspaper of the expectations and hopes placed in the meeting by the Catholics of the Middle East. Now that it has ended, have these hopes and expectations been confirmed?
I am sure of it. The contributions offered these days have been essential to provide exhaustive answers to the fundamental questions concerning the presence and the life of Catholic communities in the Middle East. Starting with the need to stem the 'hemorrhaging'' of Christians from the region, assuring respect for the rights of everyone, justice. and the possibility of living with full dignity.
Before entering the assembly, many of us asked ourselves how we should look at our future, at that of our Churches. Now, leaving this meeting, we are certain of one thing: that we should look forward to the future no longer with fear but full of hope.
In effect, whereas the Instrumentum laboris for the assembly often used the words fear, trepidation, despair, to describe the conditions of life for Christians in the Middle East, these words no longer appear in the Propositions...
Precisely. After the first interventions, during which the emphasis was on the fears and despair that have characterized the life of Christians in that region,
we decided to stop using those words. Not so much to exorcise a mentality that has increasingly imposed itself in our context, but rather to start teaching our faithful to live in the light of the Holy spirit which never abandons us.
The Synodal fathers have expressly requested never to refer to fears and trepidation in all of our documents starting with the Propositions. The common will was that the assembly should represent a major step forward towards hope.
An invitation to look to the future with a more positive spirit?
Certainly. We have always done that, but now,
we must transform it into a lifestyle. We should be positive in our vision, our way of thinking, our relations with others, our pastoral activities.
Among the expectations you mentioned before the assembly, you thought it was urgent to recover unity among the various churches of the Middle East. Is that at hand now?
The question of such communion is very important. It was before and it still is. Perhaps even more precisely because these days we truly lived that communion among ourselves.
We discussed together for the first time. It was also the first time we worked together, edited shared documents together, but above all, we gave common witness.
Communion and witness
[the themes of the assembly] are the two fundamental elements of our identity as children of the one God. As the Pope said in his homily at the inaugural Mass of the assembly, there can be no witness without communion.
Communion among ourselves is the expression, or better yet, the translation of the love of God, the presence of God-love. A living presence in our churches. And we are called on to bear concrete witness. There was a great sensibility to this in the whole assembly.
In fact, we have included an appeal for such a communion among all the churches in the region, which we have extended to include all sister Churches, and the other religious communities in the region, especially Muslims and Jews.
Will there be a new way to foster the ecumenical dialog?
I believe so, Up till now, we have approached dialogue too timidly. But with the impulse from this assembly, we shall pursue dialog with everyone without any more timidity, fear, and much less, subjection.
You would be strengthened by awareness of the role that Catholic communities already play in the social context in so many countries...
Of course. I would even say that
this is precisely the platform from which we can claim parity of rights. We Catholics do have an active presence that is appreciated and even sought in the fields of education, social development and human promotion, in addition to charitable activities. Especially since these are services offered to everyone, without distinction.
And although we Catholics are a minority in these nations, majority of those who benefit from our social activities are non-Christians.
In fact, recognition of this came in the interventions made by the Jewish and Muslim representatives at the assembly...
And I thought they were very sincere. They also offered their vision of the collaboration that should exist among us, and that we can take part in common action while firmly maintaining our respective identities.
It was also clear to everyone that our common steps would be inspired by our faith in God and our trust in man and in his right to live in peace.
Rabbi Rosen emphasized a special problem: the need to know each other better. He said he has met some Catholic pastors who are not up-to-date on the development of dialog between Jews and Catholics, just as many Jews know nothing about Catholicism.
He is right. And this goes as well for the Muslim-Christian relationship. That is why, for us, it has been very helpful to have the input from experts in Arab-Muslim literature and veterans in inter-religious dialog. But obviously, a lot more needs to be done, starting with knowing ourselves and our own religion better.
If you had to summarize this Synodal assembly, what would you emphasize?
First of all, the common prayer to the Holy Spirit so he may illumine our Churches to keep in mind - and to concretely live - all the experience that has ripened during these extraordinary days.
But I would especially underscore the opportunity we were given to strengthen our union with the universal Church and among ourselves - it is an aspect that I consider essential to our witness in the Middle East.
Are these priorities reflected in the Propositions?
Substantially, yes. Because the recurrent concept is precisely the need for communion and witness.
Other aspects emphasized?
The need for better, deeper dialog with other religions in the region, as well as with other Christians; the search for peace; respect for individual freedoms; equal justice for all; the problems of emigration and immigration which both present their respective pastoral problems; the protection and appreciation of women;
proper formation in seminaries and continuing education for priests. This last item is most important because the future of our churches depends on doing it right. There is much to reflect on and work to do.
How did you react to the news that you had been made cardinal, coming as it did during the assembly?
As a sign. I grasped the sense of the double responsibility that the Pope wished to give me: on the one hand, to reinforce the contact between our local Church and the universal Church; on the other, my personal responsibility to render service to the universal Church according to the disposition of the Pontiff and the Holy See.
Our Lady of Egypt is the patron saint of Patriarch Naguib's cathedral in Nasr City, Cairo.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 24/10/2010 04:06]