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Clergy in Middle East must be the ‘last among the least’, says Pope

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by catholicherald.co.uk Christians in war-torn areas of the Middle East must never be far from priests and bishops in their country so they can feel God’s closeness in the midst of suffering, Pope Francis has said. “It is fundamental to always nourish the style of evangelical closeness: in the bishops, so they may live it toward their priests and that they in turn make the Lord’s caress be felt by the faithful entrusted to them. But all the while keeping the grace of remaining disciples of the Lord, beginning with the first who learn to be the last among the least,” he said.

The Pope spoke during a meeting with members of a Vatican coordinating body, known by its Italian acronym ROACO, which operates under the auspices of the Congregation for Eastern Churches. The funding agencies include two based in the United States: the Catholic Near East Welfare Association and the Pontifical Mission for Palestine. The Congregation for Eastern Churches and the coalition of funding agencies are responsible for assisting Eastern Rite churches around the world as well as the Latin Rite Church in the Holy Land.

The Pope thanked ROACO members for their work throughout the years in areas of the world that have experienced “terrible waves of persecution and hardships, both in Eastern Europe and the Middle East”. Although Christians are returning home in some areas they were forced to flee, others, “especially Syria, Iraq and Egypt, see their children suffer because of the continuing war and senseless violence perpetrated by fundamentalist terrorism”, he said. “All these events have led us through the experience of Jesus’s Cross: it is the cause of disturbance and suffering but, at the same time, it is a source of salvation,” the Pope said. Pope Francis also called on ROACO to “build a bridge” between Eastern and Western churches by helping all Christians so they may feel welcomed and live “according to their own ecclesial tradition”. “Let us not forget that in the East, even in our days, Christians – it doesn’t matter whether they are Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant – shed their blood as a seal of their witness,” the Pope said.

How the Church is helping Christians return to Aleppo

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Aleppo as it appeared before Syria's civil war, in October 2009. Credit: Guido Camici via Flickr (CC BY 2.0).

By María Ximena Rondón

Aleppo, Syria, (CNA/EWTN News).- Christians who fled Aleppo because of the four year battle for the city are now returning, and in the face of such challenges as poverty, destruction, and a shortages of basic goods, they persevere with the help of the local Church. Fr. Ibrahim Alsabagh, a Franciscan priest in the city, told CNA that between January and June, 18 Catholic families have returned to Aleppo from places like Armenia, France, Germany, and Venezuela. In addition, 400 Christian families of the Armenian community returned to the area.

He said these families have decided to return because in their host countries “they live in poverty and feel like foreigners. Also because they miss the warmth of the Christian community that welcomes, heals, and accompanies each family with all its needs.” “When they see they aid that we give to the Christians in Aleppo, they say, ‘Why don’t we return home, to our culture, to our society when the bombings have ceased?’” he said.

Syria's largest city before the country's civil war began in 2011, control of Aleppo was divided among government and several rebel groups from July 2012 until the Syrian government recaptured the metropolis in December 2016. The Franciscan said that while rebels have been expelled from the city, unfortunately "living conditions have not improved in Aleppo. The only thing that has improved is that there are no more bombings, thank God, but there is still insecurity." In addition, “it is difficult to work because there are few hours in which there is electricity. There is also a small labor force because many young people are gone.There is food, but high prices,” he added. He explained that the economic situation in Aleppo is so difficult that "even if the both parents work, it is impossible to get ahead without the help of the Church. There are many needy people and we trust in divine providence." On the other hand, he indicated that only a third of the Christians have stayed in the city. He stated that the Christians who remained were the poorest.

There are also some families who had the firm conviction that "what the Lord wants them there because they must fulfill the mission of being a bridge of reconciliation and of bearing witness to Jesus Christ in this land.” Fr. Ibrahim stressed that in the midst of this difficult situation "the key is the community that comes out to give people a sign of hope and remains a beacon. They are a very strong support to the family, especially when people feel alone and have left everything to return to their country. " He commented that the Franciscans have developed a project to help Christians rebuild their homes. Since 2016 the order has rebuilt some 470 homes, and this year they have created an office where nine engineers evaluate the cases of families whose houses were damaged in the war. Fr. Ibrahim added that there are several families who, despite having their homes destroyed, are still required to pay the mortgage on their home to the bank. The church also helps them. The priest said that the money with which he supports the families comes from "many of the people and the families around the world who pray for us and send donations. Even if they are modest, it shows how the Lord works miracles with them." "As St. Francis of Assisi said, we depend on the generosity, the divine providence from which our aid comes. Every day we see this miracle and we thank those who help us with our whole heart.” In addition, the priest said that there are 30 couples who will get married soon, and said that this aid is also for them. "This is a great joy for us, to see that young people get married and say yes to the gift of life. This gives us great consolation,” he said. “It means that there is a future in Aleppo and a desire for life to conquer death.”

Jumblatt Restores Relations With Russia

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Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt leaves the Elysee Palace in Paris following a meeting with French President Francois Hollande

by Nazeer Rida - Asharq Al-Awsat

Beirut- Leader of Lebanon’s Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) deputy Walid Jumblatt was received warmly in Moscow on Friday, reflecting a great improvement in the relations between the two parties following Jumblatt’s harsh positions against the Syrian regime and its president Bashar al-Assad. The visit also revealed that Jumblatt was capable of restoring relations with Moscow, through the same Syria crisis door, as he reiterated his support for a political solution in Syria in which Moscow plays a role. Jumblatt’s trip to Russia coincided with the Russian efforts to revive the Syrian peace talks in Geneva and Moscow’s attempts to fortify a ceasefire deal and demarcate the borders of the deescalation zones that would involve Deraa, a Syrian province located near Suwayda, which includes a majority of Druze.

The PSP leader arrived Friday to Moscow where he separately met with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov. His meeting with Lavrov was rather political, while Jumblatt said his meeting with Bogdanov was of a “cordial nature.” The Druze leader had last met with the Russian foreign minister about two years ago, which explains that Jumblatt’s visit to Moscow this week has opened a new horizon of the relations between the two sides.

Lebanese Forces Leader: Opening Lebanese Border Is not Anyone’s Choice

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Lebanese Forces Leader Samir Geagea

By Youssef Diab - english.aawsat.com

Beirut – Secretary-General of Lebanese Hezbollah Hasan Nasrallah made recent statements hinting towards opening borders for foreign fighters in case of new war with Israel. These statements were a blatant defiance for the Lebanese government risking transforming Lebanon into a war zone similar to the case of Syria. Lebanese Forces Leader Samir Geagea condemned Nasrallah’s remarks reiterating that opening the Lebanese border is not up to anyone. “It is not up to anybody to open Lebanese borders, even the Lebanese Cabinet,” he said. Geagea questioned “if we want to defend our country in case of an Israeli aggression, do we open the border and recruit thousands of strangers as fighters, from unknown whereabouts, for them to occupy the country? “In case of an Israeli aggression against Lebanon, it is clearly logical for the Lebanese Army to face it aided with the other Lebanese armed forces and backed by the Lebanese people,” Geagea stated.

On Friday on the occasion of al-Quds Day, Nasrallah warned Israel against attacking Lebanon or Syria, saying “hundreds of thousands” of Arab and Muslim fighters would be ready to strike back. “I’m not saying countries would intervene directly, but it would open the door for hundreds of thousands of fighters from all around the Arab and Islamic world to participate in this fight, from Iraq, Yemen, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan,” Nasrallah said. Director of Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs (LISA) Sami Nader said that Iran is trying to expand its presence in response to the US-Russian agreement spoken about in Syria. He stated that since the Syrian crisis, Iran is trying to infiltrate into Golan Heights and enforce Israel into clashes. Nader stressed that violating UN Resolution 1701 will cost Lebanon highly, and that is why Hezbollah is trying to enforce a new plan against Israel over the Syrian border.

President Michel Aoun extends Eid al-Fitr greetings to Lebanese

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The Daily Star BEIRUT: President Michel Aoun Sunday extended Eid al-Fitr greetings to Lebanon. "Every eid has joy, and joy carries hope," Aoun said in a post on Twitter. "We ask God for a Eid al-Ftir that will give the Lebanese their hope..." The president also wished for security and peace. A statement from Aoun's press office added that he extended his greetings to leaders across Arab and Muslim countries. Meanwhile on Friday, a statement from the Parliament's media office said that Speaker Nabih Berri will not be accepting Eid al-Fitr greetings this year in view of the crises engulfing Arab countries. June 25 marks the first day of Eid al-Fitr. Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian will lead Eid al-Fitr prayers and deliver a speech at 6:15 a.m. at the Mohammad al-Amine Mosque in Downtown Beirut. Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian will lead Eid al-Fitr prayers and deliver a speech at 6:15 a.m. at the Mohammad al-Amine Mosque in Downtown Beirut.

Mustaqbal: Lebanon Will Not Remain an Iranian Platform to Target Saudi Arabia

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Saudi

by english.aawsat.com -

Lebanon’s Mustaqbal Movement, headed by Prime Minister Saad Hariri, condemned on Saturday the latest speech of “Hezbollah” chief Hassan Nasrallah during which he attacked Saudi Arabia. The Movement stressed in a statement that the “Lebanese people will not allow Lebanon to remain an Iranian platform to target Saudi Arabia and Arab countries.” Nasrallah delivered a speech on Friday on the occasion of “Quds Day,” which is marked in Iran by anti-Israel and anti-US rallies. The Mustaqbal statement described Nasrallah’s speech as “renewed yelling against the Kingdom that reflects the pain that the Iranian agenda is suffering from in the Arab region.” The suffering has “pushed it to insanity and playing on the edge of the abyss.”

The Lebanese movement noted that Saudi Arabia’s policies have exposed the goals of Iran’s “disruptive agenda. It has also become clear that Iran and the Israeli enemy are two faces of the same coin.” They are both enemies of Arabs and “Iran in particular has outdone Israel because it is directly responsible for the plights of some Arab countries.” It lamented how “some sides are insistent on sabotaging Lebanon’s ties with its Arab brothers, starting with Saudi Arabia. They have sought diligently to target it as part of efforts to improve the image of Iran, from which the Lebanese have only seen destruction, division and implication in its disruptive wars.” The Mustaqbal Movement therefore said that all sides should assume their responsibilities, saying that the Lebanese people will not allow their country to remain an Iranian platform to attack Arab countries, starting with Saudi Arabia, whenever Tehran’s interests demand it.

“We are concerned first and foremost with Lebanon’s interest, which we place above all else,” stressed the statement. It highlighted Saudi Arabia’s leading role in fighting terrorism, whether in the form of ISIS or Iran, and it is one of the primary defenders of the dignified life of the Arab and Muslim nation. The Mustaqbal Movement also condemned the “cowardly” terrorist attack that was thwarted in Mecca on Friday, saying that it was aimed at undermining Saudi Arabia’s pioneering role in the region under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It noted that the plot came in wake of Yemen’s Houthi militia’s attempt to strike Mecca with Iranian rockets only a few months ago. Friday’s failed attack comes to complement the Houthi plot, said the movement, noting that it is a “dangerous sign” that Iran is beginning to employ terrorism in its battle to destroy Saudi Arabia after it used such a tactic in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Bahrain and Lebanon.