CHRISTIAN MIGRATION FROM MID-EAST AT HEART OF PATRIARCHS’ MEETING
by Youssef Hourany

Asia News, Italy
Oct 18 2006

A meeting of the seven leaders of the eastern Churches opened yesterday
in Lebanon. The leaders criticized some Arab states that treated
Christians as second class citizens and fundamentalist groups that
portrayed them as linked to the West.

Beirut (AsiaNews) – How to stop the emigration of Christians –
guarantors of human rights – from the Middle East was the main topic
of the first day of a meeting of the seven patriarchs of the East.

The gathering opened yesterday in Bzoummar, the seat of the
Armenian-Catholic patriarchate on Mount Lebanon. From the start,
participants lamented conditions facing Christians in some Arab states,
where they were treated as second class citizens, made to feel like
"strangers in their homeland" and hence pushed to emigrate.

Significantly titled "The Church and the earth", the Ordinary Session
of the meeting of the seven patriarchs of the East started yesterday,
Tuesday 17 October, with an appeal to all Christians of the East.

Ending on Friday, the meeting gathers the following patriarchs:
Maronite, Nasrallah Sfeir, Greek-Melchite, Gregory III Laham, Coptic,
Antonios Nagib, Syrian-Catholic, Boutros VIII Abdel Ahad, Latin of
Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah, Chaldean, Emmanuel III Delly, as well as
the host, the Armenian Catholic patriarch, Narsis Bedros XIX.

The Apostolic Nuncio in Lebanon, Mgr Luigi Gatti, greeted the
patriarchs and underlined the importance and meaning of the chosen
topic. He also stressed the value of the Christian presence in this
land, because "Christians must understand that their staying is the
only guarantee of the survival of symbolic values of independence,
pluralism, denominational balance and respect for human rights". The
pontifical representative expressed hope that dialogue would be
strengthened, as it is the only means capable of fighting fear,
anguish and neglect.

In his opening address, the Armenian-Catholic patriarch talked much
about the hidden danger in the emigration of Christians from the
Middle East. He insisted on the value of the Christian presence
in the region, consisting of testimony and mission. He indicated
wars and social crises as the main historical reasons for migration
that has affected all religious families of the East. But Narsis
Bedros XIX also hit out at the approach of some Arab countries that
treated Christians like second class citizens, making them feel like
"strangers in their homeland". This attitude was caused by a lack
of trust in Christians, who are often thought to be linked to the
West and to be somehow less Arabic than their compatriots. Moreover,
due to the action of fundamentalist groups, continued the Armenian
Catholic patriarch, we are faced with violence and persecution
against Christians, their churches and their assets, to force them
to leave their land of origin and to emigrate. To this must be added
the incentives offered by countries that need their presence.

The patriarch closed his speech by reiterating the need of keeping
the Christian presence alive in the East and of highlighting their
cause in the international community. Key to the struggle is immediate
solutions for the prevalent unemployment crisis, to give Christians
the jobs they deserve.

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