The Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East - Scenes from Commemorative Mass for Leaders of Poland

In the late afternoon of Saturday, April 10, 2010, we visited Ignatius IV, the Antiochian Orthodox Patriarch of All the East at his residence in Damascus.

He received us most graciously. Besides a couple of photos, here is a backgrounder on this prelate intensely committed to the re-unification of Christ's Church:

The Patriarchate of Antioch by Fr. Ronald G. Roberson

Antioch was a very important urban center in the ancient world, and it was there, according to the Book of Acts, that the followers of Jesus were first called Christians. Antioch eventually became the seat of a Patriarchate that included all the Christians in the vast Eastern Province of the Roman Empire and beyond.
Reactions to the Council of Chalcedon triggered a schism in the Patriarchate. This church is descended from those who accepted Chalcedon, mostly Greeks and Hellenized sections of the indigenous population. A larger group, which repudiated the council, eventually formed the Syrian Orthodox Church.

Such was the situation when Antioch fell to the Arab invaders in August 638. The local Chalcedonian Orthodox now suffered sporadic persecutions, and the patriarchal throne was often vacant or occupied by a non-resident during the 7th and first half of the 8th centuries.

The Byzantines regained possession of the city in 969. The Greek patriarchate would flourish under Byzantine rule until Antioch fell to the Seljuk Turks in 1085. During this period, the West Syrian liturgy was gradually replaced by the Byzantine liturgy, a process that would be complete by the 12th century.

In 1098, the Crusaders took Antioch and set up Latin kingdoms along the coast of Syria that would endure for nearly two centuries. A Latin Patriarchate of Antioch was established, while a line of Greek Patriarchs continued in exile.

After Antioch was taken by the Egyptian Mameluks in 1268, the Greek Patriarch was able to return to the area. Because Antioch itself had long ago been reduced to a small town, the Patriarchate was permanently transferred to Damascus in the 14th century. The area was taken from the Mameluks by the Ottoman Turks in 1517 and remained under Turkish control until the end of World War I. The church was greatly weakened by a schism in 1724, when many of its faithful became Catholic and formed what would become the Melkite Greek Catholic Church.

The great majority of the faithful of this Patriarchate had long since been Arabs or arabized. In 1898 the last Greek Patriarch was deposed, and an Arab successor was elected in 1899. Thus the Patriarchate became fully Arab in character. A strong renewal movement, involving Orthodox youth in particular, has been under way since the 1940s.

The St. John of Damascus Academy of Theology, located near Tripoli, Lebanon, was established by the Patriarchate in 1970. In 1988 it was officially incorporated into Balamand University.

The Holy Synod of the Antioch Patriarchate is composed of the Patriarch and all the active Metropolitans. It meets at least yearly, and has the function of electing the Patriarch and other bishops, preserving the faith and taking measures against certain violations of ecclesiastical order. In addition, a general community council is made up of the Holy Synod and lay representatives. Meeting twice a year, this body is responsible for financial, educational, judicial and administrative matters. When a new Patriarch needs to be chosen, it selects three candidates, one of which is then elected by the Holy Synod.

The present Patriarch has been active in the ecumenical movement and has been involved in efforts to reestablish the unity of all those whose roots can be traced back to the ancient undivided Antioch Patriarchate. With this in mind he met on July 22, 1991, with the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch, Ignatius Zakka I Iwas.

Being received by the Ignatius IV Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East at his residence in Damascus

They signed a document that called for “complete and mutual respect between the two churches.” It also forbade the passing of faithful from one church to the other, envisaged joint meetings of the two Holy Synods when appropriate, and provided guidelines for intercommunion of the faithful and even Eucharistic concelebration by the clergy of the two churches.

The Patriarchate has participated in a special bilateral theological commission for dialogue with the Melkite Greek Catholic Church to explore ways of healing the schism of 1724. The Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch, Maximos V, addressed a meeting of the Antiochian Orthodox Holy Synod for the first time in October 1996. The Antiochian Patriarch has vigorously supported the international dialogue with the Catholic Church.

There has been extensive emigration of Antiochian Orthodox out of the Middle East since the late 19th century, and dioceses have been established in North America, Argentina, Brazil, and Australia. In North America the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese is under the supervision of Metropolitan Philip Saliba (358 Mountain Road, Englewood, New Jersey 07631). In 2005 the Archdiocese had 245 parishes and missions in the USA and 16 in Canada.



This jurisdiction includes a Western Rite Vicariate composed mostly of former Episcopalians (Anglicans) with about 10,000 members. In addition, a number of Evangelical Christians originating in the Campus Crusade for Christ were received into the Antiochian Archdiocese in 1987. They eventually formed 20 parishes, all of the Byzantine rite. Known at that time as the Antiochian Evangelical Orthodox Mission, it was disbanded and its parishes integrated into the regular structure of the Archdiocese in 1995.

Location: Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Kuwait, Iran, the Americas, Australia, Europe; Head: Patriarch Ignatius IV (born 1920, elected 1979). Title: Patriarch of Antioch and All the East; residence: Damascus, Syria; membership: 750,000

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Remembering Polish President and other Victims of Plane Crash

The assembly was large and reverent on Tuesday evening at Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica as prayers and song were offered in suffrage of Polish President, First Lady and other leaders who lost their lives on April 10 en route to a ceremony commemorating the Katyn Massacre.

Photos courtesy of Frank Scheme; the complete album may be viewed at: http://frankscheme.zenfolio.com







The following photos courtesy Deborah Gyapong, CCN:





Condolences to the Polish Ambassador

St. Anselm - Homily for Fr. Gerald Gahagan's Funeral - A Visit with Christian Refugees from Iraq

Today, the liturgy permits an optional memorial of Doctor of the Church, St. Anselm of Canterbury (c. 1033 – 21 April 1109), an Italian, a Benedictine monk, a philosopher, and a prelate of the church who held the office of Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109.

Called the founder of scholasticism, he is famous in the West as the originator of the ontological argument for the existence of God. In 1720, Anselm was recognized as a saint by Pope Clement XI; he was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church, though he was never formally canonized.

On 21 April 1909, 800 years after his death, Pope Pius X issued an encyclical "Communium Rerum", praising Anselm, his ecclesiastical career, and his writings. His symbol in hagiography is the ship, representing the spiritual independence of the church.

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Open House, December 2009

Funeral Liturgy of Father Gerald Joseph Gahagan, Priest of the Archdiocese of Ottawa, St. Patrick’s Basilica, Ottawa, April 21, 2010; [Texts: Isaiah 25:6-9 (Psalm 23); 2 Timothy 1:8b-14; John 6:35-40]

Father Gerald Joseph Gahagan died early in Eastertide, when we, the followers of Jesus, are full of joy in the resurrection of Jesus, who has put an end to suffering, death and the tears of his disciples.

The readings chosen for this Mass are meant to comfort us in our loss and to help us pray that our brother, uncle, fellow priest, pastor, friend may receive a merciful judgment from Christ the Good Shepherd and be led by him to fulfil his every aspiration—and we know they were many—and to slake his every longing at the waters of eternal life in God’s heavenly Kingdom.

All of a Christian’s life is lived between the two great watershed events of history, the culmination of the incarnation of God’s word in human flesh that took place in the paschal mystery through the death and resurrection of Jesus, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, his coming again in glory which brings that paschal mystery as it is lived in the lives of his disciples to glorious fulfilment.

As our eyes gradually turn from Jesus’ resurrection to the coming one that will be ours, the liturgy urges us to keep alert because the Lord Jesus is coming: coming at the end of time yes, but also coming in the mystery of our own death.

The Second Vatican Council reminded us that the most important moment in each Christian’s life is their configuration to Christ’s dying to sin and rising to new life in the sacrament of baptism, which Father Gerry experienced in this parish church of St. Patrick.

It was also here that he frequently went to the Lord in confession, received Holy Communion countless times and was anointed by the Holy Spirit to take part in Christ’s mission both in his Confirmation and definitively in the Holy Priesthood on June 5, 1965.

Baptismal imagery has pride of place in a Christian’s funeral: the paschal candle—symbol of Christ’s presence among us—[the pall on the coffin, a sign of our brother’s having been clothed with the new life of Christ at baptism]— and the white garments worn by the celebrants and with which our brother priest, Gerald Gahagan is garbed in his coffin.

Each Christian lives the union with Christ in his or her unique way. Not only the inner spirituality of the sacraments but also that inner life which is nurtured by the Word of God—heard and meditated on—by personal prayer. All of these were the stuff of the life of our brother Gerald Joseph Gahagan.

And so last Thursday, the day before his passing into the fullness of eternal life, as we chatted and prayed in his hospital room, I asked whether he wanted me to read him something and he said, yes, something from the Heroes of the Reformation by Belloc.

Looking around, I could not find it, but there were newspapers, periodicals and books on sports which he followed with a passion; politics, which he commented on with authority and conviction; and Phil Edmonston’s 2010 “Lemon Aid”, a guide to purchasing a new car, which he had in mind to do this spring.

Father Gerry was a man of hope and optimism: he would tell me of the long-term subscriptions he had taken out—all this at a time when he used to say, “I have four things I can die of at any time!” As long as the Lord would leave him here, Father Gerry felt, let’s make the best of it. And he did, whether it was a drink of Scotch whiskey or dawdling over a late breakfast, going out for a meal with Cathy and Joe, anticipating a visit from his protégé Matthew Keshwah or any number of other pleasures that made every day a delight for him. He would have no trouble accepting the Lord’s invitation to the eschatological banquet at the end of time that Isaiah foretold in the first reading.

In the end, I found his Bible and asked if he would let me read him a text, at which he lit up. We read from Romans chapter eight where Paul says that the sufferings of this time are not worth comparing with the weight of glory that will be ours when the groans and travails of hours on the dialysis machine or going down for another consultation will finally be swallowed up as we share the glory of our Risen Lord.

This is why, several months ago, I chose the second reading because it speaks of the way in which an individual—the priest as minister of the gospel—realizes in his body and in his spirit what Paul spoke about on the macro-level in his magisterial Epistle to the Church at Rome. Father Gerry was willing to join with Christ in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace.

This grace, Paul says, was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, a vocation Father Gerry took some time to finally accept, having, at one point, left priestly formation for several years.

But in due time he recognized that he had been appointed a herald, an apostle and a teacher, and for this reason did he suffer as he did.

With St. Paul Father Gerry could say, “I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him”.

And so, he would say to us, “Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.”

In a book describing the nature of the diocesan priesthood, the author depicts the diocesan priest in these terms, “someone chosen, sensitised, and specially empowered to call down fire, the fire of God’s creative love. In the radiance and heat of that fire, the priest doctors the souls of others, who often are seeking for what they do not know and cannot name. Carefully and confidently guiding people into that mysterious fire and quickening its flame in our midst—this is the heart and soul of the diocesan priesthood” (George Aschenbrenner, Quickening the Fire in Our Midst: The Challenge of Diocesan Priestly Spirituality [Chicago: Loyola Press, 2002], 156).

Each priest has his own way to give expression to the unity with Christ that enables him to bring the fire of the Holy Spirit to his people. Clearly one of Father Gahagan’s ways of embodying his charism was in that personal care he manifested to his parishioners and the gift he had, and care he took, in knowing and remembering each by name (as Christ the Good Shepherd does) when he served as a curate at Ottawa’s Blessed Sacrament Church and Our Lady of Fatima Churches and, later on, as Pastor of St. Peter Celestine (Pakenham), St. Michael's (Corkery), St. Clare's (Dwyer Hill), St. Philip's (Richmond) and finally, for eighteen years, at St. Theresa of the Child Jesus (Ottawa).

There is no gift or talent one has received that cannot be embraced by the Risen Lord in service to his church and so it’s important to encourage young men today to put their gifts and talents at the service of God’s people as Father Gahagan did.

I only really got to know Father Gerry in his retirement years at the Archbishop’s residence where he had arrived a year before I came to Ottawa. Most of all I heard of how proud he was of his time at St. Theresa’s and the one picture of him I found of the web last Friday when I Googled his name was of him at the altar there. And that brings us to the heart of the priest’s ministry: the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, the theme of the gospel reading for this very day.

Here we see the deep roots in the mystery of Christ and the Church of the profound meaning of Father Gerry’s life and his ministry. In the rich gospel passage, Jesus associates his gift of himself as the bread of life, with his pledge to give those who believe in him the gift of eternal life: “ Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. … Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; for … this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.”

When I was a teenager, our parish priest gave several of us young men a brief talk on the priesthood. His closing words were about the end of a life spent in devotion to Christ and His people; he said of a priest’s relation with Christ, “with the Lord the best is always yet to come”.

We know that this is true for our dear friend, relative, brother priest. And so we pray: “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.”

“May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.”

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A Visit with Christian Refugees from Iraq

The streetscape near the Melkite church and centre which hosts Iraqi Christian refugees

After our visit to sites of Christian origins, our CNEWA delegation travelled to a Melkite parish in Damascus where Christian refugees from Iraq receive a warm welcome, are able to take advantage of medical attention, eat at a community dining centre and socialize, sharing their disappointments and hopes. This they did with us during our hour-long exchange with them on April 10.

This week's edition of the Catholic Register contains a 12-page special section on Iraqi Christians (also available on-line at www.catholicregister.org). Some photos of our CNEWA session:

Preparing a salad for close to a thousand mouths

A sense of desperation is not hard to discern

A chance to tell their story to visitors from overseas

This priest accompanies his people exiled from Iraq

More on the Patriarchate of Antioch - KofC Banquet to Honour Priests

The Evolution of the See of Antioch into Patriarchate(s)
by Chorbishop John D. Faris

The Old City Wall of Damascus near where traditon holds Paul escaped in a basket

Patriarchal status. Because of the prominence of Antioch, it was natural that the bishops of the Roman provinces surrounding it (collectively known as the “East”) gravitated toward the city and looked to its bishop for guidance. In 325, the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea I (canon 6) declared that it was already an ancient custom for the bishops of Antioch to exercise a certain jurisdiction over the other bishops of the region.

This arrangement was reaffirmed in canon 2 of the Council of Constantinople in 381. The Council of Ephesus also addressed the status of Antioch in 431, which declared the bishops of Cyprus to be emancipated from the bishop of Antioch.

Similarly, the Council of Chalcedon in 451 emancipated the bishop of Jerusalem from the bishop of Antioch and assigned the 58 bishoprics in the provinces of Palestine to him.

Concelebrated Mass in Melkite Chapel of St. Paul at the Wall, Damascus

The title assigned to the bishop of Antioch was patriarch, a term that might be strange to Western Christians although it is quite familiar to the Eastern Christian world. The word patriarch is of Greek origin and was used in the Bible and early church to designate prominent members of a society. After Christianity had acquired public recognition in the fourth century, the title patriarch was employed as a sign of respect to various bishops who enjoyed a certain superiority, either because of their personal prestige or pre-eminence or the importance of the local church over which they presided.

By the sixth century, the title of patriarch came to be reserved to the bishops of the five principal sees in the Christian world: Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem. All five sees claimed some connection to Peter and his ministry.

Dismemberment of the patriarchate. The evolution of the Patriarchate of Antioch can most aptly be described as “dismemberment,” resulting in numerous claimants to this title.

The first division took place as a consequence of the condemnation of Nestorius at Ephesus in 431. The supporters of Nestorius fled the Roman Empire for Persia, eventually declared themselves to be independent of Antioch and established a patriarchate in Seleucia, later Baghdad. Today this community of 400,000 is known as the Assyrian Church of the East, whose head, Mar Dinkha IV, bears the title of Catholicos-Patriarch.

The condemnation of Monophysitism at the Council of Chalcedon resulted in further dismemberment of the Antiochene patriarchate. The Christians of the countryside generally rejected the council and came to be known as Jacobites, after Jacob Baradai, a bishop who ordained numerous bishops. Those who adhered to the doctrine of the council lived in the metropolitan areas and were closely aligned with the imperial court at Constantinople. For this reason, they called themselves Melkites from the Syriac malek, or king. From the middle of the sixth century, both factions fought over the patriarchate.

The successors of the Jacobites, today known as the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, with its 500,000 faithful, are governed by Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I, who resides in Damascus, Syria.

Because of the Arab invasions in the middle of the seventh century, the Melkite patriarch fled to Constantinople. In 960, the Byzantines recaptured the region and re-established the Melkite patriarch in Antioch. Because of their close bonds with Constantinople, the Melkites of Antioch gradually abandoned Antiochene rites in favor of Byzantine rites. The same close bonds between Constantinople and Antioch meant that when Constantinople and Rome excommunicated each other in 1054, Antioch followed.

At the end of the 11th century, the Crusaders conquered Antioch and, at first, reinstated the Melkite Orthodox Patriarch, John IV, to the see. However, he soon withdrew to Constantinople. The Latin Christians then elected their own patriarch; there was a Latin patriarch in Antioch until the Mamluks conquered the city in 1268.

The popes continued to appoint titular, or honorary, Latin patriarchs of Antioch until the middle of the 20th century. Pope Paul VI later abolished the practice.
When the Latin Kingdom fell, the Melkite Orthodox patriarch returned to Antioch, but transferred his see to Damascus in the next century because Antioch had declined under Turkish rule. Today, the Melkite successor, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, Ignatius IV, governs a church with approximately 750,000 faithful.

This multiplication of titleholders does not yet end. During the first half of the seventh century, the Arabs had not recognized any Melkite patriarch. In order to fill the void, the monks of the Monastery of St. Maron elected their own patriarch. The Maronite Patriarch of Antioch, Nasrallah Peter Cardinal Sfeir, today resides in Bkerke (a suburb of Beirut, Lebanon) and heads a church of four million followers.

In the 17th century, through the efforts of Latin Catholics, members of the Melkite Orthodox community embraced full communion with Rome. Eventually, it became difficult to differentiate between Catholic and Orthodox Melkites; members from both communities were elevated to the episcopate.

In 1724, Cyril VI, a Catholic, was elected as the Melkite Patriarch of Antioch by Melkites, Orthodox and Catholic. Although he had been elected with the intention of being the patriarch for all Melkites, Orthodox rivals were soon elected.
Rome was at first reluctant to recognize Cyril as the Catholic titleholder to Antioch, but eventually did so in 1729. In 1772, the authority of the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch was extended over the Greek Catholics residing in Jerusalem and Alexandria. Today, Gregory III, who was elected in 2000, governs the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. He resides in Damascus.

Outside the house of St. Ananias, who baptized Saul/Paul, Damascus, Syria

Some attribute the establishment of the Syriac Catholic Antiochene Patriarchate to the elevation in 1662 of Andrew Akhidjan, who had been ordained a bishop by the Maronite patriarch in 1656. Akhidjan’s death in 1677 brought an end to the Syriac Catholic Patriarchate. The enthronement of Syriac Catholic Michael Jarweh in 1782 re-established this patriarchate. Today, Ignatius Peter VIII governs the Syriac Catholic Church, with its 138,000 faithful. The previous Syriac Catholic patriarch, Ignace Moussa I Cardinal Daoud, is today the Prefect of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches.



Presently, there are five titleholders to the See of Antioch: one is Syriac Orthodox, one is Greek Orthodox and three are Catholic. While all take pride in the title “Patriarch of Antioch,” it is ironic that none resides in the city from which the title is drawn.

Reunification movements. The wounds of division caused by the dismemberment (and the consequent multiplication of titleholders) of the Patriarchate of Antioch have not yet healed. Yet, there are signs of hope. One of the great legacies of Vatican II is the ecumenical movement, the desire that all those baptized in Christ be one.

Quite often the ecumenical movement is understood as a dialogue between the Church of Rome and the various Orthodox churches. Such dialogues are attempts at establishing full communion between the Church of Rome and one of the Eastern non-Catholic churches. However, ecumenical dialogue also takes place in the form of a dialogue among the Eastern churches themselves.

This form of dialogue is a manifestation of the desire to reintegrate the patriarchate itself. For example, a few years ago the synods of the Melkite Greek Catholic and the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch signed an accord. Although this effort met with serious objections, the fact that it was even attempted reveals the desire of the Antiochene churches for full communion.

Another more practical example of the pursuit for full communion is the construction of the Church of St. Paul at Doummar, near Damascus. This parish church, built with financial help from CNEWA, serves as a place of worship for both the Melkite and Orthodox communities.

The glories of imperial Antioch have long since faded. The faith of Peter’s spiritual descendants, however, has not.

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Annual Knights of Columbus Dinner Held April 17 in Vanier

The Head Table at the KofC Archbishop's Dinner, Vanier, April 17, 2010

On Saturday evening, the Archdiocesan KofC held their spring dinner in which, by tradition, they present the Archbishop of Ottawa with a donation for his charitable works. Well over 300 Knights, Ladies, Deacons and Priests were in attendance, especially as the Knights wished to honour the priests who serve them so devotedly. A wonderful evening, at the close of which, besides a cheque, the Knights presented me with a white chasuble and stole.

The new KofC chasuble

Some additional photos courtesy of Paul Lauzon:

Hamming it up with Father Tim Devine, CC

Greeting the KofC membership, guests

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This evening at 7:30 PM, I will preside at a memorial Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica, Sussex Drive, for the President of Poland Lech Kaczynski who was killed in a plane tragedy along with the First Lady Maria Kaczynska, many senior state officials, members of the Polish delegation and the plane crew.

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Tomorrow morning, April 21 at 10am at St. Patrick's Basilica, I will preside at the concelebrated Funeral Liturgy for Father Gerald Gahagan.

Papal Anniversary of Election 2005-2010 - Peter's First See: ANTIOCH - CNEWA Visit to HOMS

"Dear brothers and sisters, after the Great Pope John Paul II the cardinals have elected me, a simple, humble worker in the Lord's vineyard... The Lord knows how to work and how to act...the fact that the Lord can work and act even with insufficient means consoles me." -- statement of Pope Benedict XVI on his election to the papacy five years ago today on April 19, 2005

Happy Anniversary, Holy Father!

Yesterday at the end of his pastoral visit to Malta, Pope Benedict spoke to young people about the significance of St. Paul's experience of the Risen Christ to their own seeking. I believe it speaks to every age and condition of Our Lord's disciples in our day:

Saint Paul, as a young man, had an experience that changed him for ever. As you know, he was once an enemy of the Church, and did all he could to destroy it. While he was travelling to Damascus, intending to hunt down any Christians he could find there, the Lord appeared to him in a vision. A blinding light shone around him and he heard a voice saying, “Why do you persecute me? … I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:4-5).

Paul was completely overcome by this encounter with the Lord, and his whole life was transformed. He became a disciple, and went on to be a great apostle and missionary. Here in Malta, you have particular reason to give thanks for Paul’s missionary labours, which spread the Gospel throughout the Mediterranean.

Every personal encounter with Jesus is an overwhelming experience of love. Previously, as Paul himself admits, he had “persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it” (Gal 1:13). But the hatred and anger expressed in those words was completely swept away by the power of Christ’s love. For the rest of his life, Paul had a burning desire to carry the news of that love to the ends of the earth.

Maybe some of you will say to me, Saint Paul is often severe in his writings. How can I say that he was spreading a message of love? My answer is this. God loves every one of us with a depth and intensity that we can hardly begin to imagine. And he knows us intimately, he knows all our strengths and all our faults. Because he loves us so much, he wants to purify us of our faults and build up our virtues so that we can have life in abundance.

When he challenges us because something in our lives is displeasing to him, he is not rejecting us, but he is asking us to change and become more perfect. That is what he asked of Saint Paul on the road to Damascus. God rejects no one. And the Church rejects no one. Yet in his great love, God challenges all of us to change and to become more perfect.

Saint John tells us that perfect love casts out fear (cf. 1 Jn 4:18). And so I say to all of you, “Do not be afraid!” How many times we hear those words in the Scriptures! They are addressed by the angel to Mary at the Annunciation, by Jesus to Peter when calling him to be a disciple, and by the angel to Paul on the eve of his shipwreck. To all of you who wish to follow Christ, as married couples, as parents, as priests, as religious, as lay faithful bringing the message of the Gospel to the world, I say, do not be afraid! You may well encounter opposition to the Gospel message.

Today’s culture, like every culture, promotes ideas and values that are sometimes at variance with those lived and preached by our Lord Jesus Christ. Often they are presented with great persuasive power, reinforced by the media and by social pressure from groups hostile to the Christian faith. It is easy, when we are young and impressionable, to be swayed by our peers to accept ideas and values that we know are not what the Lord truly wants for us. That is why I say to you: do not be afraid, but rejoice in his love for you; trust him, answer his call to discipleship, and find nourishment and spiritual healing in the sacraments of the Church.

Here in Malta, you live in a society that is steeped in Christian faith and values. You should be proud that your country both defends the unborn and promotes stable family life by saying no to abortion and divorce. I urge you to maintain this courageous witness to the sanctity of life and the centrality of marriage and family life for a healthy society.

In Malta and Gozo, families know how to value and care for their elderly and infirm members, and they welcome children as gifts from God. Other nations can learn from your Christian example. In the context of European society, Gospel values are once again becoming counter-cultural, just as they were at the time of Saint Paul.

In this Year for Priests, I ask you to be open to the possibility that the Lord may be calling some of you to give yourselves totally to the service of his people in the priesthood or the consecrated life. Your country has given many fine priests and religious to the Church. Be inspired by their example, and recognize the profound joy that comes from dedicating one’s life to spreading the message of God’s love for all people, without exception.

I have spoken already of the need to care for the very young, and for the elderly and infirm. Yet a Christian is called to bring the healing message of the Gospel to everyone. God loves every single person in this world, indeed he loves everyone who has ever lived throughout the history of the world. In the death and Resurrection of Jesus, which is made present whenever we celebrate the Mass, he offers life in abundance to all those people.

As Christians we are called to manifest God’s all-inclusive love. So we should seek out the poor, the vulnerable, the marginalized; we should have a special care for those who are in distress, those suffering from depression or anxiety; we should care for the disabled, and do all we can to promote their dignity and quality of life; we should be attentive to the needs of immigrants and asylum seekers in our midst; we should extend the hand of friendship to members of all faiths and none. That is the noble vocation of love and service that we have all received. Let it inspire you to dedicate your lives to following Christ.

AP Photo

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The Significance of ANTIOCH

As the CNEWA tour unfolded, we saw our visit to the ancient Christian churches in Lebanon and Syria as one of mutual encouragement. It was also an exploration for us of the meaning of the Church of Antioch in the development of the early community in which the disciples of Jesus were "first called 'Christians'" (Acts 11:26). In this and subsequent postings, the association of various patriarchates in succession to Peter's leadership.

Along with this backgrounder by Chorbishop John D. Faris here are some photos from a meeting in HOMS (Syria) with Christian leaders (Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant) who strive for a spirit of cooperation among a majority Muslim community, with which they also live in cordial relations.

On our arrival in Homs, we concelebrated Mass (in the Latin rite) in the Melkite Cathedral

Peter’s First See - The Evolution of the Patriarchate of Antioch

For most people, the phrase “See of Peter” refers to Rome. Rome is the site of the martyrdom of St. Peter and it has been, ever since, the See of Peter. The term see may be unfamiliar. It is derived from the Latin word sede, meaning chair or seat, and refers to a seat of government, which in this case is the city of the bishop. However, there is another city of the ancient Roman Empire that can also rightfully claim to be the See of Peter.

Apostolic foundations. One way in which the early Christian communities established their legitimacy was to cite their apostolic origins. Because no apostle was more pre-eminent than Peter, many of the early churches took pride in their links to him. Rome, the capital, claimed prominence among all the churches because it was in this city that Peter led the church and was eventually martyred.

Constantinople (founded as New Rome) took pride in the fact that Andrew, the elder brother of Peter and the first-called among the apostles, is buried there. Alexandria, in Egypt, a city second only to Rome in the Roman Empire, claims its apostolicity because it was evangelized by Mark, a disciple of Peter. But Antioch can rightly be called Peter’s first see because he served there for seven years before going to Rome.

Archbishop Mario Zenari, Apostolic Nuncio in Syria and Jordan (left), drove from Aleppo to greet us; also pictured: Cardinal Foley and our host, Homs Melkite Archbishop Isidore

Unfortunately, little of the ancient glory of Antioch remains in the modern city of Antakya, in southeastern Turkey. Its 100,000 inhabitants make a living by trading and processing the fruit, olives, wheat and cotton grown in the surrounding countryside. Only archaeological remnants survive as testimony to the glories of the ancient city of Antioch.

In 301 B.C., Seleucus I Nicator, a general in Alexander the Great’s army, founded a city near the mouth of the Orontes River (today known as the Asi). Seleucus intended this city to serve as the capital of the Seleucid Kingdom and named it Antioch, in honor of his father, Antiochus. Because of its strategic location at the crossroads of caravan routes, the city flourished and became a center of commerce.

The Roman general, Pompey the Great, conquered the region in 64 B.C., making it a Roman province with Antioch as its capital. Already renowned for its wealth and luxury, Antioch was to become the third largest city in the Roman Empire, after Rome and Alexandria, with a population of over a half million. Antioch, while always retaining its Greek character, was also home to Macedonians, Syrians, Phoenicians, Jews and Romans. At the time of the apostles, Antioch was a center of government, commerce and culture.

Like the Seleucids before them, the Romans committed large sums of money to adorn the city with temples, statues, gardens, aqueducts and public baths. Even in the 11th century (when the city had already fallen into decline), Eleanor of Aquitaine, the mother of Richard the Lionheart, did not want to leave the elegance of Antioch for the mud of Paris.

Christian community. Urban dwellers – perhaps because of their contact with numerous strangers passing through or taking up residence – more readily accept new ideas. In the time of the Romans, it was the people of the large cities who were open to the news that a Jew who had been executed by the Romans had risen from the dead. For this and other reasons, the apostles at first restricted their preaching to the cities. Christianity was so identified as a religion of the cities that the term pagan (derived from the Latin word paganus, meaning rural) came to identify one who did not believe in Christianity.

Antioch was a naturally fertile ground for the new religious movement. The Acts of the Apostles tells us that the Gospel was taken to Antioch by disciples from Cyprus and Cyrene, who fled the persecution of the Jewish authorities (Acts 11:19-20). These disciples did not restrict their preaching to the Jews living in Antioch, but expanded the audience to include Greeks. Their efforts met with success. Soon the Church of Jerusalem sent Barnabas and Paul to continue the work. Eventually the community of believers achieved an independent identity: “It was at Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians” (Acts 11:26).

Peter himself went to Antioch around A.D. 44 and directed the life of the church in Antioch for seven years before going to Rome (Galatians 2:11).
The success of the evangelization of the Greeks, being non-Jews, eventually became the cause of the first great controversy facing the church. The Christians of Jerusalem of Jewish origin held the position that anyone who became a Christian first had to submit to the Mosaic Law in such matters as circumcision and diet.

The new Christians of Antioch – led by Paul and Barnabas – disagreed, asserting that circumcision and the other prescriptions of Mosaic Law did not oblige Gentiles who desired to become Christians. Eventually, the Council of Jerusalem accepted the position of the Antiochene Christians in 52.

As a center of government in the Roman Empire, Antioch was ideal as the hub of evangelization, even more so after the fall of Jerusalem in 70. For centuries, Antioch thrived as a Christian city, with numerous churches in the city itself and monasteries in the surrounding region. Its liturgical traditions influenced those of all the surrounding churches.

Numerous martyrs (Ignatius, Asclepiades and Babylas) attest to the vibrant faith of the city. Great men such as Flavian, John Chrysostom and Theodoret all came from Antioch. On the negative side – again perhaps because of its comfort with new ways of thinking – it was in Antioch that the heresies of Arianism and Nestorianism originated. (to be continued)

Christian leaders welcomed us to Homs and shared with us their spirit of solidarity

"It Is the (Risen) Lord", John 21:7 - Olive Press CNEWA Project - A New Blessed in Spain

The Third Sunday of Easter (Year "C") - April 18, 2010 "JOY COMES WITH THE MORNING" [Texts: Acts 5:27b-32,40b-41 [Psalm 30]; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19]

Today's responsory is taken from Psalm 30, an individual's thanksgiving to God for rescue from some life-threatening experience, possibly a major illness. But the superscription, probably attached much later, attributes it to David and describes it as 'a song at the dedication of the temple'.

We see here how an individual's prayer--predominantly praise for personal deliverance--is applied to a communal situation. This helps one see how scripture composed in another context can fittingly be applied to new circumstances. Reference in the psalm to the person having come very close to death then recovering ('O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit') gets applied, by the Church's use in the Easter season, to Christ's resurrection.

The dynamic movement of the poem, as in many other psalms, is from the individual's experience to the community's. The psalmist invites others to share his prayer of gratitude, 'sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name'. The affliction is seen to have been a temporary one, just as Christ's death was immediately followed by His resurrection ('weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning').

The transition from mourning to rejoicing is a sub-theme of the story of Jesus' encounter with seven disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias after the major city on the lake. It is found in the dialogue between Jesus and Peter over the latter's love for his Lord. Readers have found Jesus' three questions, 'Do you love me (more than these)?' as an opportunity for Peter to undo his three denials.

Earlier, at the Last Supper, Peter had boasted to Jesus that he was ready 'more than these' to lay down his life for Jesus (John 13:37). On the night when Jesus was handed over, Peter denied Jesus three times near a charcoal fire (18:18). Now, near another charcoal fire (21:8), Peter affirms his love for Jesus without comparing himself to the others ('Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you').

The rehabilitation of Peter touches on his personal relationship with Jesus, but Christ decides that their relationship will touch many others, 'Feed my lambs..., tend my sheep..., feed my sheep'. There is a sense that the abundant love of Jesus and Peter for each other overflows to embrace many others.

This theme of superabundance typifies the miracles Jesus worked in Galilee and, in the case of the great catch of fish, became the catalyst for the beloved disciple's recognition of Jesus ('It is the Lord!')

At the beginning of Jesus' ministry, the miracle at Cana--of water transformed into wine--caused the disciples to see Jesus' glory (2:1-11). As well, the miracle of the multiplication of five barley loaves and two fish (6:1-14) to feed a crowd of 5,000 evokes the declaration by the evangelist that 'from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace' (1:16).

To a Lord who is so lavish, Peter responds with willing acceptance of the call to pasture Christ's flock. He even willingly receives Jesus' prediction that he will glorify God by his coming death.

Commentators have puzzled over the number of fish caught, 153. While some say it is a recollection of an eye-witness who counted them, Augustine is one of many interpreters who read the number symbolically. He noted that 153 is the sum of all the integers between 1 and 17 and so suggests completeness, the totality of the church.

The symbolic tie between the miraculous catch of fish and the mission of the disciples is underlined by the words used to describe Peter's hauling in the net. The verb "to haul" is the same one used in 6:44 to describe those God brings to Jesus ('No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me') and in 12:32 to speak of the saving effects of Jesus' death ('And I, when I am lifted from the earth, will draw all people to Myself').

The verb hints that the disciples join God and Jesus Himself in drawing people to Jesus. The catch of fish extends God's and Jesus' work into the disciples' or church's mission.

* * * * * *

CNEWA Olive Press Factory (Kobayat)

On April 9, between our visit to Byblos and crossing over into Syria, the CNEWA delegation visited an olive press project, then joined the cooperative members for a luncheon in a nearby restaurant.

Located in the northern part of Lebanon, at 700 meters above sea level, and about 140km from Beirut, the village of Kobayat is considered the main hub for agricultural activities in the upper Akkar area. The agricultural lands of Kobayat are located in two areas; a mountainous area cultivated with apples and fruit trees and a valley cultivated with olive trees.

CNEWA – Pontifical Mission has been working in Kobayat for more than eleven years in upgrading and developing the community infrastructure that affects the agricultural productivity and the local environment. Plenty of effort was placed in supporting sustainable economic opportunities and enhancing agricultural productivity of farmers through the construction of agricultural roads, a vegetable market and a cold storage room, a cattle farm etc. as well as an olive press factory.

As part of its policy to create income generating projects, and upon a request received from the agricultural cooperative of Kobayat, CNEWA - Pontifical Mission decided to construct and equip an olive press facility. The system recommended by the cooperative was the semi-automatic press that extracts oil using hydraulic presses and separate oil from water without heating. The capacity of the press installed is 1000 kg of olives per hour and can be easily increased in the future.

The total cost of the project was $139,000 of which CNEWA’s share was $113,000 and the remaining $26,000 $ was contributed by the cooperative. This project produces a constant yearly income (estimated to be around $20,000) for the agricultural cooperative (164 members) that will help improve the agricultural status of the farmers and creates7 job opportunities for the villagers.

The cooperative charges the farmers lower pressing fees than other private facilities. It also provides free transportation of olives to the facility through the cooperative tractors. An estimated $7 reduction in the pressing cost of every 20 liters of olive oil is achieved thus increasing the profit of the farmers.

Moreover, constructing an olive press in the upper villages of Akkar eliminates the need to pack the olives in bags two or three days before pressing, transporting them long distances under the bad effects of weather, and waiting in turn to press them. All these factors increase the acidity of oil and affect its quality.



Now that the olive press is operating in Kobayat, farmers are producing high quality of olive oil at a lower production cost and a higher margins of profit.

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BLESSED Bernardo de HOYOS, S.J.

Today in Valladolid, a young Spanish Jesuit will be beatified. It seems that the Society of Jesus is on its way toward a fourth “boy saint.” Fr. Bernardo de Hoyos, SJ (1711-1735), considered the first apostle of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Spain, will join the ranks of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Stanislaus Kostka, and St. John Berchmanns, all of whom achieved notable holiness while still in Jesuit formation (unlike the others who were unordained scholastics when they died, Bernardo was ordained a priest and was completing his tertianship, the final stage of Jesuit formation, when he died at the age of 24).

Why is he important? Well, he'll be counted among the saints and blesseds who spread the devotion to the Sacred of Heart of Jesus and the Lord's desire to give bountiful graces. De Hoyos' heavenly companionship will be with the likes of Saints Gertrude and Mechtild, Saints Theresa of Jesus (Avila) and John Eudes, Saints Margaret Mary Alacoque and Claude La Colombiere, and Saint Faustina.

Father de Hoyos was commissioned by the Lord Himself to spread devotion to His Sacred Heart in Spain on May 4, 1733. We can infer that the Lord wants the devotion to His Sacred Heart spread throughout the world.

Blessed Kateri Headed for Sainthood? Scenes from Middle East Travels

Today in Canada the liturgy allows for the optional memorial of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, the Lily of the Mohawks.

During the recent CNEWA familiarization tour, Archbishop Alex J. Brunett of Seattle shared with us the news that a miracle undergone by a young man in his region, and attributed to the intercession of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, seems to have passed all the medical and scientific tests as being inexplicable.

This information was recently sent to Rome for study and, if determined to be a miracle by the Congregation of the Causes of Saints and confirmed as such by the Holy Father, could lead to her canonization. This would be great news for the Native Peoples of not only the United States and Canada but also for all the indigenous peoples of the Americas and elsewhere. The Church in the United States celebrates her feast on July 14 and the Canadian Bishops have asked to move her feast day out of the Easter Season (perhaps to late June) so that it could be solemnly observed every year.

O God, who, among the many marvels of Your Grace in the New World, did cause to blossom on the banks of the Mohawk and of the St. Lawrence, the pure and tender Lily, Kateri Tekakwitha, grant we beseech You, the favor we beg through her intercession, that this Young Lover of Jesus and of His Cross may soon be counted among the Saints of Holy Mother Church, and that our hearts may be enkindled with a stronger desire to imitate her innocence and faith. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, pray for us.

From the Kateri website: www.kateritekakwitha.org:

The oldest portrait of Kateri Tekakwitha is an oil painting on canvas 41"x37" painted by Father Chauchetière between 1682-1693. It hangs in the sacristy of St. Francis Xavier Church on the Kanawaké Mohawk Reservation on the south bank of the St. Lawrence River, near Montréal, Québec.

Father Pierre Cholenec, a witness at her deathbed, states that at the time of her death Kateri's face "... so disfigured and so swarthy in life, suddenly changed about fifteen minutes after her death, and in an instant became so beautiful and so fair that just as soon as I saw it (I was praying by her side) I let out a yell, I was so astonished, and I sent for the priest who was working at the repository for the Holy Thursday service. At the news of this prodigy, he came running along with some people who were with him. We then had the time to contemplate this marvel right up to the time of her burial. I frankly admit that my first thought at the time was that Catherine could well have entered heaven at that moment and that she had--as a preview--already received in her virginal body a small indication of the glory of which her soul had taken possession in Heaven.

Two Frenchmen from La Prairie de la Magdeleine came to the Sault on Thursday to be present at the service. They were passing by Catherine's cabin where, seing a woman lying on her mat and with such a beautiful and radiant face, they said to each other, Look at this young woman sleeping so peacefully and kept going. But, learning the next minute that it was a dead body, and that of Catherine, they returned to the cabin and went down on their knees to recommend themselves to her prayers. After having satisfied their devotion for having seen such a wonderful scene, they wished to show their veneration for the dead girl by constructing then and there a coffin to hold such cherished remains."

[From a translation by Fr. William Lonc, S.J., of Father Pierre Cholenec, S.J., Catherine Tekakwitha, Summer 2002, p. 50.]

Kateri, orphaned, half blind, scarred by illness and of little worth in her own world, was destined for a greatness of the spirit that spans the centuries and reflects the landscapes - North American wilderness, world of the Iroquois, the Europeans, the mystical realm - in which she existed for so brief a time. These landscapes would collide, confound and torment, eventually robbing her of life, but they would also mold one of the most remarkable, hidden human beings to ever walk the trails of early America. She has been called the Lily of the Mohawks, but perhaps another title should be given to her as well: "Mystic of the Wilderness."

[Kateri Tekakwitha - Mystic of the Wilderness, Margaret R. Bunson, Our Sunday Visitor Publ., 1992, p. 31]

Another and more important title should be "Flower of the Algonquins" since it was her Christian Algonquin mother who instilled in her daughter her Christianity, her Catholicism.

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Syria and Lebanon?

Archbishop Timothy Dolan has a write-up on his weekly blog entry on our CNEWA trip (for the whole entry, cf. http://blog.archny.org/). Here are a few snippets:

Syria and Lebanon?

Hardly two countries I would have pictured visiting after Easter! I have to admit that was my first reaction upon hearing the proposal from Monsignor Robert Stern, one of our great priests of the Archdiocese, who serves as Executive Secretary of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA), a most respected organization assisting our Eastern Rite Catholics in the lands of the Bible of the Mideast.

However, since as the Archbishop of New York I now serve as the president of this splendid agency, I thought I had best accept the invitation … and am I ever glad I did!

So, on Easter Wednesday I departed New York, to fly to Beirut, the beautifully stunning city of the Mediterranean Sea from where I now write you back home.

Where precisely are we?

It will take a while to sort through some impressions of the last week, but let me at least try to share with you the profound appreciation I have gained for the venerable Christian Communities of Syria and Lebanon.

They are ancient! We have been inspired by the deep sacred roots of these churches, places and people so much a cherished part of the story of our redemption.

So we have prayed “on the road to Damascus,” where Saul became Paul; at the house of Ananias on “Straight Street” where the shocked and blinded Paul came to be baptized: and at the church on the spot where St. Paul was lowered in a basket to escape persecutors.

So we have been embraced by the Patriarchs of the historic churches that trace their origins to Antioch, where we were “first called Christians,” and where Peter himself served as first bishop for seven years before he went to Rome: the Melkite Greek Patriarch Gregory III Laham; the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius IV Hazim; the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch, Cardinal Moran Mar Ignatius Zakka I Iwas; the Maronite Patriarch of Antioch, Cardinal Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir; the Syrian Catholic Patriarch of Antioch Ignace Yousef III Younan; and the Armenian Catholic Patriarch of Cilicia Neres Bedros XIX Tarmouni.

So we have bent to enter caves where monks have lived in penitential, prayerful seclusion and silence since the earliest Christian centuries, and prayed at fifteen century-old shrines to our blessed mother and St. Thomas the Apostle in the mountains outside Damascus and Beirut....


The fruit at the bottom, which was in season and delicious, proved a grand topic of conversation in terms of identifying it; it is called nespola in Italian, nefle in French, English: medlar (who knew?)

The Ecumenical and inter-religious climate, especially in Syria, was warm and gracious. They long for unity and in many ways have achieved it. And Lebanon is an example of a country where religious cooperation is necessary for survival itself. In the words of Pope John Paul II, “Lebanon is not just a nation but a message.”

They suffer! Yes, the destruction of past wars and violence are still obvious; Christian refugees from Iraq cried as they shared with us their anguish at a center offering food, clothing, and healthcare run by the Melkite patriarch as funded by CNEWA; and pastors told us that weekly their faithful people leave these biblical lands to emigrate to countries offering more hope; and Catholic Palestinian refugees in Beirut, in a camp where CNEWA is present, told us of their near hopelessness after over sixty years of exile.

Thank God for those brave souls, who remain, committed to these honored, historic Christian communities! Thank God for organizations such as CNEWA that brings support and encouragement to these inspirational people....

Over and over again we heard them exchange the old Easter greeting: “Christ is risen!” “Christ is truly risen!”

Do they ever mean it!

Syrian variations on a souvenir theme

The Revised CNEWA Itinerary - Two Archaeological Gems: Byblos and Krac des Chevaliers

Happy 83rd Birthday, Your Holiness! Ad multos annos!

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CNEWA ITINERARY

This itinerary will help situate the visit made between April 9 and 13 in the Middle East:

Friday, April 9: 9AM Bus to Byblos, visit the historic citadel, then to Kobayat (Akkar); visit an olive press (CNEWA project), luncheon in Kobayat; bus (AFTER crossing into Syria at Bokayaa) travel to Krac des Chevaliers, crusader fortress; bus to Homs and check in at Safir Hotel; visit with Archbishop Mario Zenari, Apostolic Nuncio to Syria at residence of Archbishop Isidore Bhattikha; Mass in his cathedral (presided by Archbishop Dolan); reception and greetings with Christian religious leaders of Homs (and Aleppo), then dinner in downtown Homs.

Saturday, April 10: Check out, bus to Damascus; in Damascus, Mass at the church of St. Paul on the Wall, walk along Straight Street, visit to house of Ananias; bus to Kashkul to visit the Iraqi refugee program (CNEWA project), bus to the Dedeman Hotel, lunch; bus to “Bab Sharki”: visit with Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East Ignatius IV Hazim; further visit to the Old City, return to hotel for free evening (visit from the Canadian ambassador Glenn Davidson).

Sunday, April 11: Check out, bus to Dar el Fatwa for visit with representative of the Grand Mufti of Syria Sheikh Hassoun and visit to the Great Mosque; bus to Saydnaya and the Shrine of St. Thomas (Divine Mercy Sunday) for Divine Liturgy celebrated by Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregory III Laham hosted by Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, followed by luncheon with local Catholic bishops; visit to the monastery and seminary of St. Ephrem the Syrian and meeting with Syrian Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East Moran Mar Ignatius Zakka I Iwas; bus to Lebanon (crossing into Lebanon at Jdeidet Yabous); check into Notre Dame du Puits convent.

Monday, April 12: Mass at the shrine church of Our Lady of the Well presided by Archbishop Dolan, breakfast, travel to sites within Greater Beyrouth: bus to Bkerke, residence of Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Cardinal Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir and bishops; bus to Harissa and visit with the Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, then brief stop at National Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon; bus to Ain Warka, an orphanage of the Blessed Sacrament Sisters (CNEWA supported institution); bus to Jounieh for seaside seafood luncheon; bus to Ashrafieh for visit with Syrian Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and All the East Ignace Youssef III Younan; bus to Raboueh and St. Anne’s Melkite Greek Catholic Major Seminary (CNEWA supported institution); bus to Notre Dame du Puits convent: CNEWA Pontifical Mission Presentation by staff, dinner with Catholic and Orthodox Bishops and CNEWA staff.

Tuesday, April 13: Mass at the convent chapel presided by Archbishop Brunett, breakfast, bus to Dbayeh UNRWA camp for Palestinian refugees and Little Sisters of Nazareth; bus to Ashrafieh Armenian Catholic Patriarch of Cilicia Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni; bus to downtown Beirut, luncheon at Place de l’Étoile; to Beirut International Airport for Rome departure (Cardinal Foley, Archbishop Dolan, Msgrs. Brouwers and Lyons and Fr. Cruz); bus to Saida (Biblical Sidon): Providence Home, technical school and orphanage (CNEWA project), Saint Élie home for the elderly (CNEWA project); bus to Maghdousheh and visit the shrine of Our Lady of Mantara; return to Notre Dame du Puits convent.

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BYBLOS is one of the top contenders for the "oldest continuously inhabited city" award. According to Phoenician tradition it was founded by the God El, and even the Phoenicians considered it a city of great antiquity. Although its beginnings are lost in time, modern scholars say the site of Byblos goes back at least 7,000 years.

Ironically, the words "Byblos" and "Phoenicia" would not have been recognized by the city’s early inhabitants. For several thousand years it was called "Gubla" and later "Gebal," while the term "Canaan" was applied to the coast in general.

It was the Greeks, some time after 1200 B.C., who gave us the name "Phoenicia," referring to the coastal area. And they called the city "Byblos" (papyrus" in Greek), because this commercial center was important in the papyrus trade.

Today Byblos (Jbeil in Arabic) on the coast 37 kilometers north of Beirut, is a prosperous place with glass-fronted office buildings and crowded streets. But within the old town, medieval Arab and Crusader remains are continuous reminders of the past. Nearby are the extensive excavations that make Byblos one of the most important archaeological sites in the area.

History: About 7,000 years ago a small Neolithic fishing community settled along the shore and several of their monocellular huts with crushed limed stone floors can be seen on the site. Many tools and weapons of this stone age period have been found as well. The Chalcolithic Period (4,000-3,000 B.C.) saw a continuation of the same way of life, but brought with it new burial customs where the deceased were laid in large pottery jars and buried with their earthly possessions. Read the rest of the story of Byblos at this website: http://www.middleeast.com/byblos.htm

Byblos on the coast between Beirut and Tripoli is 7000 years old, with 17 different civilizations discernible, was a seaport exporting papyrus for books (biblia, our "Bible"); it formed a scenic backdrop for the first of many group photos

In the citadel at Byblos, Seattle Archbishop Alex J Brunett and CNEWA-USA program director Mr. Gabriele Delmonaco

Some artefacts in the Museum at Byblos, established with financial assistance from the Government of Quebec

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KRAK DES CHEVALIERS is a Crusader fortress in Syria and one of the most important preserved medieval military castles in the world. In Arabic, the fortress is called Qal'at al-Ḥiṣn, the word Krak coming from the Syriac karak, meaning fortress. It is located approximately 40 km west of the city of Homs, close to the border of Lebanon, and is administratively part of the Homs Governorate.


First impressions of the citadel are of its imposing mass

The castle is located east of Tripoli, Lebanon, in the Homs Gap, atop a 650-metre-high hill along the only route from Antioch to Beirut and the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of many fortresses that were part of a defensive network along the border of the old Crusader states. The fortress controlled the road to the Mediterranean, and from this base, the Hospitallers could exert some influence over Lake Homs to the east to control the fishing industry and watch for Muslim armies gathering in Syria.

Krac des Chevaliers, Syria

Krak des Chevaliers was the headquarters of the Knights Hospitaller during the Crusades. It was expanded between 1150 and 1250 and eventually housed a garrison of 2,000. The inner curtain wall is up to 100 feet thick at the base on the south side,[2] with seven guard towers 30 feet in diameter.

The Hospitallers rebuilt it and expanded it into the largest Crusader fortress in the Holy Land, adding an outer wall three meters thick with seven guard towers eight to ten meters thick to create a concentric castle. The fortress may have held about 50-60 Hospitallers and up to 2,000 other foot soldiers; the Grand Master of the Hospitallers lived in one of the towers. In the 12th century the fortress had a moat which was covered by a drawbridge leading to postern gates.

Between the inner and outer gates a courtyard led to the inner buildings, which were rebuilt by the Hospitallers in a Gothic style. These buildings included a meeting hall, a chapel, a 120-meter-long storage facility, and two vaulted stone stables which could have held up to a thousand horses. Other storage facilities were dug into the cliff below the fortress; it is estimated that the Hospitallers could have withstood a siege for five years.

Left to right: Msgr. Robert Stern, director of CNEWA, New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, Board Chair of CNEWA and Msgr. Hans Brouwers, Chancellor of the Equestian Order of the Holy Sepulchre

In 1163 the fortress was unsuccessfully besieged by Nur ad-Din Zengi, after which the Hospitallers became an essentially independent force on the Tripolitanian frontier. By 1170 the Hospitallers' modifications were complete. In the late 12th and early 13th century numerous earthquakes caused some damage and required further rebuilding.

Saladin unsuccessfully besieged the castle in 1188. During the siege the castellan was captured and taken by Saladin's men to the castle gates where he was told to order the gates opened. He reportedly told his men in Arabic, the language of his captors, to surrender the castle, but then told them in French to hold the castle to the last man.

In 1217, during the Fifth Crusade, king Andrew II of Hungary strengthened the outer walls and financed the guarding troops. In 1271 the fortress was captured by Mamluk Sultan Baibars on April 8 with the aid of heavy trebuchets and mangonels, at least one of which was later used to attack Acre in 1291. However, to conquer the castle, Baibars used a trick, by presenting a forged letter from the Crusader Commander in Tripoli, ordering the defenders to surrender the castle. Otherwise, this immensely strong castle would probably never have fallen. Baibars refortified the castle and used it as a base against Tripoli. He also converted the Hospitaller chapel to a mosque. King Edward I of England, while on the Ninth Crusade in 1272, saw the fortress and used it as a model for his own castles in England and Wales.

Local children pass the visitors from other continents

Post-Crusades: The fortress was described as “perhaps the best preserved and most wholly admirable castle in the world” by T. E. Lawrence. This fortress was made a World Heritage Site, along with Qal’at Salah El-Din, in 2006, and is owned by the Syrian government. The fortress is one of the few sites where Crusader art (in the form of frescoes) has been preserved.

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R.I.P.

Reverend Gerald Gahagan (born April 10, 1931, ordained June 5, 1965, entered into eternal life April 16, 2010)