Met. Paul Yazigi on Saints Peter and Paul

Arabic original here.

As is well known, the classic icon for this blessed feast portrays the two holy apostles embracing and kissing each other. This apostolic kiss is has been explained by many people in various ways. For some, this kiss means the reconciliation of the two apostles after they had disagreed in Antioch. For others, this kiss represents the meeting of the East (represented by the Apostle Paul) and the West (represented by the Apostle Peter). Yet others see in it a symbol of the fate shared by the two apostles who were martyred in Rome, the first by beheading and the second by being crucified like his Teacher.

However much these theories vary in precision, some of them—especially the last—offer a sound and constructive solution. In any case, it is clear that the two apostles represent two distinct worlds, or to put it better, they present to us two very important biblical personalities. Each enjoyed particular virtues with which they especially shined.

The Apostle Paul was especially distinguished by a trio of virtues and the Apostle Peter was equally endowed with another trio of virtues.

Starting with the Apostle Paul, we easily notice through the texts of the New Testament that the Apostle Paul was distinguished by three characteristics that fundamentally helped him in the success of his mission and labors.

1- He was a Roman citizen. This meant that he possessed unique civil and political rights. He repeatedly took advantage of them whenever the need arose for this. For example, we can point to the incident of his being freed from the jail in Philippi once he announced that he was a Roman citizen.

2- The Apostle Paul was adept in Greek language and philosophy. For this reason God saw him as “a chosen vessel” and sent him to the gentiles. By means of the Greek language, the Apostle Paul was able to capture the great and civilized Greek world of that time for Christ. He put into the service of God’s Word the power of philosophy and linguistic knowledge as a means for dialogue, encounter, and communication. Here we may contemplate the role of knowledge and philosophy.

3- The Apostle Paul possessed a third characteristic, his Jewish, Hebrew religion. He was one of the Jews of the diaspora. He himself took pride in being a Pharisee who had studied with Gamaliel.

Here we turn to the question of religion.

On the other hand, we notice a trio of virtues with the Apostle Peter.

1- Jesus named Peter as a shepherd. When Peter responded in the affirmative to Jesus’ question, “Do you love me?,” Jesus sent him to tend the sheep. So love is pastoral service. Here we may pause at the question of “shepherding.”

2- Peter confessed to the most important truth. The most important and defining event in the life of Saint Peter was his startling confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” This is the truth that the Lord considered to be the rock upon which His Church would be built.

3- Peter was distinguished by zeal in love. We easily notice in the texts of the New Testament that Peter always wanted to demonstrate his zeal for the love of Christ more than the other apostles. This zeal caused him to promise Jesus that he would follow Him even to death, to cut off the ear of the high priest’s slave, to immediately cast himself into the Sea of Tiberias in order to meet Jesus first when He had risen from the dead. So the Apostle Peter was distinguished by righteous zeal.

Indeed, these two trios complement each other when we combine each of them. Yes, authority must be pastoral, philosophy true, and religion burning zeal.

It is true that the true meaning of authority is to shepherd people. “Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all” (Mark 10:43-44).

Indeed, true philosophy is Christian truth, just as true knowledge is found in the Christian faith.

Truly, religion without the zealous flame of love loses its vitality and becomes simply dead, formal, static Phariseeism.

Indeed, “the way” is shepherding in authority, “The truth” in philosophy, and “the life” in religion. This is what is symbolized in the image of the embrace of Peter and Paul. That is, authority with Paul embraces shepherding with Peter. The sciences with Paul meet the truth with Peter. Finally, religion with Paul is realized in zealous love with Peter.

The embrace of Peter’s virtues and Paul’s virtues, when these two worlds are intertwined and the characteristics of each saint meet, Jesus’ rock is realized in practice:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

The Feast of Saints Peter and Paul in Antioch, 2012

Arabic original here.

Celebrations for the feast of Saints Peter and Paul were held in Antioch with magnificence and strong participation from the faithful. They were distinguished by the attendance of the Maronite Patriarch Mar Beshara Rai who was visiting the Maronite congregations in Turkey.

The liturgy was presided by the shepherd of the Archdiocese of Aleppo, representing His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatius Hazim. His Eminence talked about the meaning of the feast, as represented in the icon "Peter and Paul's Kiss", which demonstrates the virtues of each of these saints. All of the priests of Hatay participated, as did a number of priests who were visiting for the feast.

The church choir and a choir from Sweden chanted in Arabic and Turkish and all participated in an agape meal after the divine liturgy.

His Beatitude Patriarch Beshara Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch, attended the divine liturgy along with his accompanying delegation, the papal nuncio in Turkey, the Maronite Metropolitan of Aleppo Anis Abi Ad, the Metropolitan of Anatolia, and the superior of the Antonin monks, as well as accompanying laymen and journalists. Metropolitan Paul Yaziji welcomed the guest and his delegation. He relayed to the Maronite patriarch the love and greetings of Patriarch Ignatius Hazim then he spoke about the history of cooperation and common thinking between the Orthodox and Maronite Patriarchates of Antioch for the sake of caring for the Christian presence in the Middle East and making its role and witness effective in the Arab world. His Eminence pointed to the role of Patriarch Mar Beshara in establishing the work of the Church in cooperation and love and in establishing her witness to the divine Word. This is clear from his work in establishing church institutions such as universities and developing media for the sake of explaining and spreading the Word.

Afterwards, Mr. Fadi Khoury, president of the Antioch Society spoke, welcoming the patriarch and pointing to the role of the parish of Antioch today in preserving Christian life in this historically important Christian city, whose name is carried by the patriarchs of the Middle East. He offered the patriarch and the accompanying delegation commemorative gifts.

The Maronite patriarch continued his visit to the city of Antioch, which began with a visit to the Turkish authorities Thursday afternoon, where he expressed his desire to establish a patriarchal center for Maronites in Antioch and he spoke of the importance of the history of dialogue and shared life between Muslims and Christians in the Middle East, in Turkey, and especially in Lebanon and Syria. He then visited the Church of Saints Peter and Paul and the Antiochian congregation where the feast was celebrated.

On Friday Morning, the patriarch will celebrate the divine liturgy in the historical cave of Saint Peter.

The shepherd of the [Orthodox] Archdiocese [of Aleppo] visited the parish in Alexandretta where he joined in prayer with the members of the parish and a meal was held. Metropolitan Paul met with priests and members of associations in Alexandretta, Mersin, and Antioch over the course of regular meetings to discuss administrative, endowment, and pastoral matters.

The shepherd of the Archdiocese of Aleppo congratulated in the name of His Beatitude Patriarch Hazim all the clergy and members of our Antiochian parishes in the region. He likewise congratulated in their name His Beatitude the Patriarch and all the bishops of the See of Antioch and all Antiochian parishes wherever they are found on this general feast of the Holy See of Antioch.

Fr. Georges Massouh on Islamism and Human Rights

Arabic original here .


Divine Right and Human Rights

In his book General Freedoms in the Islamic State (Markaz Dirasat al-Wahda al-Arabiyya, 1993),Sheikh Rached el-Ghannouchi dedicates an entire chapter to "the Islamic conception of freedom and human rights". After affirming that Islam is "a comprehensive revolution of liberation," he places limits on human freedoms, saying, "what must be understood about freedom in the usual sense of the word is that it is merely permissibility or permission. In the logic of rights, it does not appear that the liberating mission of Islam can be active... that God permits you to do what you want-- no! The rallying cry of this mission is completely the opposite of that. God, your Creator, forbids you from following your inclinations and your ignorance and He commands you to follow-- fully conscious and with sincere intent-- the path that pleases Him for your life. Only there lies your happiness and your advancement, in this life and the next."

El-Ghannouchi curtails human freedom with Islamic dogma and law, "Man is granted vicegerency by God, and within this covenant of vicegerency-- Islamic law-- fall all his rights and responsibilities." He likewise considers that "the theory of human rights in Islam is based on permitting individual freedom in all things that do not conflict with right or with the common good. If it goes beyond this, it becomes an offense that must be stopped and curtailed." We believe that by "right" el-Ghannouchi means "divine right".

The problem with these words begins with determining who decides about a given behavior and whether it conflict with "right". El-Ghannouchi believes that "the highest legitimacy in the state belongs only to God as represented in His law and that the nation is granted vicegerency-- not an individual or an institution." He himself believes that "the authority and highest legitimacy of the text prevent there from being a religious authority in Islam (a church), just as they prevented the ruler from being the shadow of God on earth."

The words of Sheikh el-Ghannouchi, leader of the Nahda Party that took power in Tunis, gives reason for us not to be surprised at the restriction of general freedoms that is occuring in that country and the limitation of freedom of expression. From the assault on the television station because it aired a film that "offends the Divine" to the strike by professors in the faculty of arts and letters in Manouba, to the attack on an art exhibition in Qasr el-Abdaliyya that some considered to "violate holy things".... All of this makes us wonder about the degree of openness that the Islamists have with regard to general rights.

Despite what el-Ghannouchi says, it appears that "religious authority", the "church" (as it was in the Middle Ages), is present in force and imposes its opinion on people and society, deciding what is and is not permissible to do.  If divine right is an absolute right that cannot be discussed, the human reading of that right remains relative, governed by the political whims and narrow interests of those responsible for the state. It is not right for any party to havea monopoly on "divine right", since in doing so they make themselves into partners with Him, equal to Him in ruling people and their intentions.

No to any commandment from a religious authority that imposes itself on society. We say this out of our fear that the infection will spread from Tunisia to every country where Islamists come to power, and out of fear that the Arab Spring will become an Autumn were the leaves of freedom fall and are trampled upon.

Things Get Worse in Syria

First, two news items that show the nature of the "Free Syrian Army" and the lengths they go to manipulate the western press, followed by a few articles about the worsening situation for Christians in Syria.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung now reports that the massacre in Houla was in fact perpetrated by Sunni rebels against a family in the village who had converted to Shi'ism. German article here. Google translate here:


According to the eyewitnesses, the massacre occurred during this period. Almost exclusively families from the Alawite and Shi'ite minority were killed in Hula, which is more than ninety percent Sunni. Thus, several dozen members of one family who had converted from Sunnism to Shi'i Islam were slaughtered. Members of the Alawite Shomaliya family were also killed, as well as the family of a Sunni member of parliament, because he was considered a collaborator.  Immediately after the massacre, the perpetrators filmed their victims, portrayed them as Sunnis, and spread the videos over the internet. 


In the Guardian, here, a journalist for British Channel 4 TV tells the story of how his team was led by Syrian rebels into a dangerous situation, so that their deaths could be blamed on the regime.


Alex Thomson alleged a small group from the Free Syrian Army deliberately guided the vehicle in which he and his Channel 4 News colleagues were travelling into what he described as a "free-fire zone" on a blocked road near the city of al-Qusayr, because "dead journos are bad for Damascus".


Further expulsions of Christians are occurring in the Homs region, this time in the town of Qusayr, as reported by Agenzia Fides, the Vatican news agency here.


Exodus of Christians in the west of Syria: the Christian population has left the town of Qusayr, near Homs, following an ultimatum from the military chief of the armed opposition, Abdel Salam Harba. This is what local sources of Fides report, indicating that, following the outbreak of the conflict, out of the ten thousand faithful who lived in the town, only a thousand have remained, who have now been forced to flee in haste to fury. Some mosques in the city have re-launched the message, announcing from the minarets: "Christians must leave Qusayr within six days, which expires this Friday."


 Also from Agenzia Fides:

"The desolation of Homs and the war of information ": the words of a greek-catholic Bishop
 The picture for us – he continues - is utter desolation: the church of Mar Elian is half destroyed and that of Our Lady of Peace is still occupied by the rebels. Christian homes are severely damaged due to the fighting and completely emptied of their inhabitants, who fled without taking anything. The area of Hamidieh is still shelter to armed groups independent of each other, heavily armed and bankrolled by Qatar and Saudi Arabia. All Christians (138,000) have fled to Damascus and Lebanon, while others took refuge in the surrounding countryside. A priest was killed and another was wounded by three bullets.

Christians kidnapped: after Houla, they are possible target for revenge
A [Syrian Greek-]Catholic family, who arrived in Lebanon from Qusayr, told Fides that he left the village because of fighting between the army and rebels, but especially for the plague of kidnappings: Many Christians are picked up by masked men, some with a local accent, others no. The kidnappers ask for huge ransoms. One of their Christian relatives - tell the refugees – was killed, kidnapped and tortured because  [they were] "non-aligned with the revolutionaries."




Finally, a report from a Christian living in Wadi al-Nasara, posted to Joshua Landis' Syria Comment here. 


Over 40 young men (including a couple of doctors) from the Wadi area, we’re killed by the bearded men who are eager to give us democracy. In a few of these killing, they decapitated the bodies and severed limbs. In one occasion, they gave the body back to the family but kept the head and put it on top of a hill. They stood about a couple hundred feet and challenged anyone to come pick it up. Finally a guy drove his pickup truck in high speed and picked up the head under fire.

Here is another one: at one point, Crac de Chevaliers became a multinational hub of Afghani, Libyans and Lebanese bearded men. The Afghanis were actually non-threatening. But the two Arab groups had an argument as to which sheikh should rule the castle. There was a Libyan sheikh and a Lebanese one. A fire fight erupted, and a few martyrs died. Now the castle was finally cleaned up by the army. It turned out that the Lebanese sheikh was actually wanted in Lebanon for commuting several murders. He was caught alive. 

… This is the sad truth. The good news is that the security situation is steadily improving. The hope is that the refugees will return to their homes and start the rebuilding process…..

Most of them settled in Tartous, Latakia, Aleppo or Damascus. My sister made new friends from Homs, who only had their clothes and left everything behind. A few who are well to do rented shops and started their businesses (or clinics) there.

Another story:  my first cousin’s sister in law fled her house in bustan al deewan because of daily harassment by the militants from Baba Amr and al-khalideeah. A few weeks after she left, she called her own home number. A guy answers the phone. She asked who he is. He gave a name. She asked “what are you doing here”.  He said he lives there. She told him “but this is my house”.  He said “the priest of the local church gave it to me”.

The militants constantly drive through the area, and either fire shots in the air, or show their weapons. They have essentially settled in the empty houses. They only leave when the government forces kick them out, only to return later when the cat is away from the rat.

Churches are demolished inside. Anything of value is stolen. Things of little value are thrown on the street and destroyed.

A distant relative of mine (in his seventies) was shot in his leg. When his family tried to take him to a hospital, the long-bearded men didn’t allow them to touch him. He bled to death. He was from marmarita living in Homs.

Orthodox Monasticism in Modern Syria, a Dissertation

For those of you who read French, here is a very recent dissertation that focuses on Orthodox monasticism in Syria, written by Anna Poujeau. It is entitled "Églises, Monachisme et Sainteté: Construction de la communauté chrétienne en Syrie" and can be downloaded here. It contains a wealth of information about how Orthodox monasteries function in Syrian society and is a very valuable resource for understanding the contemporary Patriarchate of Antioch. 



The English synopsis:

Churches, Monasticism and Holiness. Construction of the Christian Community in Syria

This thesis focuses on the social, political and symbolic inscription of the Christian minority in the Syrian national territory, more specifically, on the monastic revival which has been taking place in this country over the last three decades. It is indeed a revival, in spite of its late manifestation, as this contemporary process, including its local representations, falls within the scope of a history which goes back to the origins of Christianity. Which are then the motives of this phenomenon? How and why monasticism reappears in Syria today? How must this “return of the monks”, who had been considered as saints during the first centuries of Christianity, be interpreted? What kind of relation may be established between monasticism and holiness? This thesis attempts to answer these broad questions which place it, at the same time, in the field of the anthropology of Christianity and that of the study of monasticism. They refer to the contemporary modalities of construction of the Christian community of Syria, where its three dimensions, the Churches, monasticism and holiness are closely related and seem to structure its universe. Considering the relations this community maintains with its Churches and the question of holiness, Christian monasticism in Syria, the main pillar of its construction, is analysed in this study in all its scope, that is through its historical, symbolic, religious, social, economic and political dimensions.


Table of Contents:

Introduction générale..................................................................................................p.1
Première partie
Affirmer l'antériorité chrétienne du territoire syrien............................................p.19
Chapitre I Histoire nationale et reconstruction
de l'histoire syrienne par les chrétiens.....................................................................p.20
1. Construction d'une histoire nationale ......................................................................p.21
2. Reconstruction de l'histoire par les chrétiens ..........................................................p.29
La quête des monastères par les pèlerins ..................................................................p.30
Discours sur la temporalité et le territoire.................................................................p.35
Les multiples usages du terme dayr..........................................................................p.38
Dualité: chrétiens versus musulmans........................................................................p.41
Chapitre II Pouvoir politique, Églises
et construction de la communauté chrétienne ........................................................p.51
1. La renaissance de l'Église grecque orthodoxe d'Antioche et de tout l'Orient..........p.52
Évolution de l'Église grecque orthodoxe d'Antioche au XXe siècle.........................p.53
Églises et pouvoir politique p.57
2. Renaissance du monachisme grec orthodoxe .........................................................p.61
La création des Jeunesses orthodoxes.......................................................................p.62
Monachisme et pouvoir ecclésiastique .....................................................................p.65
3. Construction d'une histoire passée au présent .........................................................p.72
Redécouvrir et rénover les ruines..............................................................................p.80
Construire les monastères pour les saints .................................................................p.83
Construire des vestiges..............................................................................................p.87
Deuxième partie
Les femmes de Dieu...................................................................................................p.93
Chapitre III
Le monastère grec orthodoxe de Sainte-Thècle......................................................p.94
1. Le monastère dans l'histoire : fondation et exégèses...............................................p.95
Maclûlâ : un village araméen.....................................................................................p.95
Terre d'accueil d'une sainte .......................................................................................p.99
Des monastères en compétition...............................................................................p.102
Un sanctuaire féminin .............................................................................................p.103
2. Espaces partagés, espaces réservés :
investissement contemporain du lieu de culte.........................................................p.108
Les pèlerins .............................................................................................................p.110
Sous le regard des nonnes .......................................................................................p.114
Des visites pluri-confessionnelles...........................................................................p.117
Occupation réelle et symbolique de l'église............................................................p.123
Lieu de vie des nonnes ............................................................................................p.125
Le tombeau et la grotte de Sainte-Thècle................................................................p.126
Ramener la baraka ..................................................................................................p.130
La sainte démultipliée ............................................................................................p.132
3. Les rythmes de la vie monastique .........................................................................p.135
Les femmes d'une communauté ..............................................................................p.135
Les prières ...............................................................................................................p.139
Les tâches quotidiennes ..........................................................................................p.143
Chapitre IV La vocation monastique :
une vie tendue vers l'extra-mondanité...................................................................p.148
1. Tarah)aba : quitter le monde pour adorer Dieu ....................................................p.149
Fuir le père ..............................................................................................................p.149
Visites de la famille au monastère ..........................................................................p.151
Le temps du postulat ...............................................................................................p.152
L'intention du coeur et la vocation..........................................................................p.154
Le Postulat : sous l'arbitraire de la Mère supérieure ...............................................p.162
Le temps du noviciat ...............................................................................................p.166
2. Une vie sous le voile : filles de sainte Thècle .......................................................p.169
Oublier sa propre personne : devenir la sainte........................................................p.170
Fiancées et épouses du Christ .................................................................................p.173
Les mariages mystiques ..........................................................................................p.175
Chapitre. V
Dans le monastère : Cheminer vers la sainte ........................................................p.182
1. L'autorité au monastère .........................................................................................p.183
Relations à la sainte.................................................................................................p.185
Relations à la supérieure .........................................................................................p.190
2. La volonté de sainte Thècle...................................................................................p.194
Les moniales, la supérieure et la sainte...................................................................p.194
Ordre monastique et mise à distance de l’autorité ecclésiastique...........................p.199
3. Sainte Thècle, la partie et le tout ...........................................................................p.203
Troisième partie
Des shabâb et des saints...........................................................................................p.210
Chapitre. VI
Les jeunes hommes dans les fêtes...........................................................................p.211
1. La fête de la croix..................................................................................................p.211
Exégèses et représentations.....................................................................................p.211
Les shabâb et la fête................................................................................................p.214
Des jeunes guerriers ................................................................................................p.217
Les shabâb face à l'autorité ecclésiastique..............................................................p.224
La croix et le feu .....................................................................................................p.228
Les multiples scènes du rituel .................................................................................p.235
Un rituel pour la baraka..........................................................................................p.239
2. Shabâb et sainteté ..................................................................................................p.249
La baraka des shabâb .............................................................................................p.250
Dédoublement symboliquement de la figure des shabâb .......................................p.258
Chapitre.VII
Verser les larmes des yeux......................................................................................p.260
1. Les funérailles de jeunes .......................................................................................p.261
Annoncer la mort d'un jeune ...................................................................................p.261
Prendre en charge les jeunes défunts ......................................................................p.264
Pleurer les jeunes morts ..........................................................................................p.272
Les kbâr...................................................................................................................p.281
La baraka du jeune défunt ......................................................................................p.282
La sanctification du jeune défunt ............................................................................p.284
Conclusion................................................................................................................p.286
Bibliographie............................................................................................................p.292

Fr. Pandeleimon Farah's Sermon for All Saints' Day, 2011

Arabic original here.


Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages, amen.

Today we commemorate all the saints who are throughout the world. We commemorate all those who shone, east and west, north and south, as well as those who will become saints. Holiness is not limited to a time or to a certain number of people but rather it spreads like light that disperses the darkness. In this way, Christ's grace spreads among humankind, and those who approach it possess holiness. The saints do not belong to a long-lost time that has passed. They are present now in our era and they will also be present after us. There is no limit to sanctity, so we commemorate them all in order to know that we are not limited by the feasts of saints whom we know and the dates of whose feasts we know and so celebrate at certain times. Rather, we commemorate all the saints as a result of giving glory to God, who gave us the grace of holiness.

This is an opinion that we must adopt and a teaching that we must follow in order to know that we are also called to holiness. Did we not receive this grace at baptism?! So we must cause it to bear fruit and be serious, as the Apostle Paul teaches about those whom he remembers in today's epistle, how they suffered, asking us to patiently struggle. This is what is asked of us, to be patient in our struggle, to be patient in or sufferings and our temptations. When we are patient, we will inevitably be victorious, because God, who arranged for us to undertake this struggle, is with us, struggling with us, sanctifying us, and ministering to us, so that we might be victorious and He might be pleased with our struggle.

In this way He looked upon the struggles of Saint Anthony in the desert. After being exhausted from toil and worn down and wounded by many blows from the devil, Anthony asked the Lord, "Where were you? I I called upon you often, and you did not come to me?" He said to him, "O Anthony, I was with you, rejoicing in your struggle and now I will appear to you in order to confirm to you that you are in a righteous struggle and on the true path." Do not ask for a miracle immediately. God is with you, so be patient in your struggle. When He sees your patience, He will help you even more and will reveal victory to you.

So let us struggle in patience and let us be persistent. What is the point of this life that we live, if it is not training for us to arrive at holiness? What use is it? It has no use, if it does not lead to holiness and the kingdom. This is the valley of the shadow of death, where man toils and grieves and sheds much sweat, but God will crown his patience with victory, holiness, and the life of the kingdom.

So struggle, especially early in life, because in this way you will become accustomed to following this path. When someone becomes accustomed to loose living and distances himself from the Lord, it is hard for him later to follow this path, just like with sports. If you have trained every day from your youth, then in adulthood and old age you will persist, because you have become used to this regimen. But if you come to train after seventy years of relaxation and immobility, then you will not move at all. So struggle while you are young in order to arrive at victory starting now. Then you will become accustomed to being victorious and evil will not overcome you. Do not be careless and do not allow yourself to submit to the temptations that come your way, lest you become negligent and in your negligence you will not be victorious. But in your struggling and your patience in the suffering, difficulty, and temptation,  that you go through, you will be victorious and your reward will stick to Christ and in this way you will become holy.

If you want to know more, you should read the lives of the heroic saints that the Church has announced, not in order to say, "we have many saints" but in order to say to your, "these are the guiding models, you should emulate them and walk in their footsteps." Then, in your familiarity with the righteous, you can come to Christ and in your daily prayer and reading of the Bible, you will be upright and set limits in your life, so that you do not deviate into sin. In this way you will preserve yourself through discipline and you will struggle with patience and steadfastness and so receive the great reward of being with Christ in the kingdom.

So let all the saints intercede for us, those whom we commemorate in every country and place. Notice that the Church is not limited to local saints. She seeks their intercession, but she commemorates and rejoices in all saints in every place, because they also bear the grace of the Lord and possess this grace in order to sanctify and enlighten us. So by learning from their biographies and their lives, we emulate them and are also filled with their graces, abundant blessings, we are made holy, strengthened, and advance in our struggle. May they bless us on this blessed morning and may they make our life story be in imitation of their story and their holiness, so that we too may receive blessed victory from the Lord. May His name be holy in us, amen.

Archimandrite Pandeleimon (Farah)
Abbot of the Monastery of Hamatoura
June 22, 2011

Antiochian Department of Ecumenical Relations and Development

I only recently discovered this excellent website for the Patriarchate of Antioch's Department of Ecumenical Relations and Development. Unlike most Patriarchate of Antioch websites, it is visually very nice and everything is available in English as well as Arabic. It has a substantial amount of information about the Patriarchate's charitable activities and ecumenical relations. Of course, its info for making contributions are only aimed at the Middle East and Europe....


Go see it now here!

Fr. Georges Massouh on a Politician's Funeral

Originally published in an-Nahar. The Arabic original can be found here. I'll translate Met. Georges' sermon sooner or later.


A Prophet of this Time


Metropolitan Georges Khodr's sermon for the funeral of the late deputy Farid Habib is a study in political ethics,which perhaps will find attentive ears and responsive hearts. The speaker addressed his words to those present, and especially to the politicians among them, and not to the one who is departed. He preached to them the Word of God within the contemporary context. As for the departed, he only has prayer and supplication, that mercy and tenderness will come down upon him from God. Metropolitan Khodr wanted his sermon to be "a reminder" about the task of politicians and their lofty mission. "    So remind them, you are only one who reminds.You are not a dictator over them" (Surat al-Ghashiya: 21-22).

Metropolitan Khodr addresses the reposed the departed deputy by saying that the Lebanese people had entrusted him, "as it appears, to be in parliament. However, in the joy that we anticipate, we chose you for truth." With these words, he wanted to direct the attention of the members of parliament who were present to the fact that they will be judged according to the measure that they were faithful to the truth in their task of representing the people in parliament. So Christ "wants us to have a pure and sublime political presence." Then Metropolitan Khodr criticized the "Lebanese deceitfulness," which "those who have mastered it have no fear of God and are thus not our representatives for the truth."

It is as though Metropolitan Khodr wanted to put those reponsible for the state before the divine reckoning that is forgotten by most people, especially since he did not rely much on the Lebanese people's reckoning for their representatives, since he said in this regard, "I do not know if the Lebanese are prepared to realize this, or if they know it but do not want it, because this will does away with the interests and the pacts of liars." These words are not a declaration of despair over the power of the Lebanese to choose "pure and righteous men" so much as it is a call for general repentance by the Lebanese, and chiefly by those responsible for the state.

In these circumstances that the Arab countries, including Lebanon, are going through, as religious and sectarian strife rears its head in every direction, come the words of Metropolitan Georges Khodr. It is a prophetic voice, crying out in the wilderness of this country. It is a prophetic voice that does not fear authority and is no respecter of persons. The prophets were not government intellectuals of sultans' secretaries. They were not court priests. They were the voice of God and spoke His will, however high the cost of declaring it and calling for it to be applied was. What is meant here by the prophetic voice, according to Christian theology, is when God reminds the Church and society through the voice of one who fears Him of their responsibility toward each other and towards God.

We may say that the spirit of Isaiah, of Elijah, of John the Baptist, the prophets who proclaimed the truth, was within then metropolitan when he called upon those responsible for the state to work for the sake of truth, and for the repentance, peace, and compassion that result from it... This requires putting an end to the satanic deceitfulness that dominates politians and has caused continuous sectarian strife for the past hundred and fifty years.

Those Khodr says, "Lebanon is not a political structure. It is a project of love." Love alone-- and love is the name of God in Christianity-- will put an end to deceitfulness.

Within the Orthodox Church, especially at the Russian tsar's court, there was a type of saints who were "fools for God" who would stand before the tsar and princes, castigating them for their sins and their negligence in serving the poor and needy. These fools for God were the nation's prophets in their time, since they did not fear what other people feared: speaking the truth in the face of unjust authority. Metropolitan Khodr, a fool for God, is the prophet of this time. May God grant you many years, beloved master!

More by Fr. Touma (Bitar) on Poverty

From 2006. Arabic original here.


Poverty

Theoretically, the purpose of politics is to bring about equality among people in rights and responsibilities. In practice, this is not possible. There remains victor and vanquished. The reason is greed! There is no treatment for greed-- not with laws and not with power. As long as there is greed, there is tension. There are struggles and wars. There is exploitation. There are revolutions, to no avail. There is the clash between rich and poor, of the rich among themselves, and of the poor among themselves. So people seek to kill, murdering and martyring along their way, out of greed for more, for themselves and for their group, without any rest in their souls, for money, for possessions... Greed is idol-worship (Colossians 3:5) and all that binds the human will (according to St Isaac the Syrian)! A greedy person cannot be satiated, even if he eats Egypt and drinks the Nile! Equality cannot be realized unless everyone willingly demands it. The treatment-- every treatment-- is given in the divine words, "Love your neighbor as yourself!" Love! The initiative comes from you. There is no power in the world, however great, that can compel you to change your heart. The most that power can do in you is to cause to you pretend, to make you act like an imitating animal. Authority is not capable of changing people. Authority arranges people's outward behavior. However, deep down, it warps them. It turns them into instruments in accordance with the imagination of the one who holds the reins of power. It turns them into monsters. This is why the commandment was: "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant" (Matthew 20:25-26). As much as you twist him and as much as you exploit him, a human being is a heart. And so equality is not embodied by politicians, but by saints. Political authority is not a divine domain. It only plays with feelings and issues slogans. Its outside shines, but its profound reality is nothing at all. This is very difficult-- indeed, it is impossible-- for someone who believes in God to be a successful politician in the world. Politics, for those who have hope in it, is a mirage. Equality is not on the level of masses but on the level of individuals. It is only if people act justly and make others equal to themselves in everything they look at. "Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12).

True equality as exemplified by the above commandment is the scope of the Church in the world. You will encounter it in a limited number of groups, here and there, which, here and there, are known as "the Church." The pattern for this is what is found in the Acts of the Apostles, that "Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common... Nor was there anyone among them who lacked... they distributed to each as anyone had need" (Acts 4:32-35). When oases like this are found in the world, the Church is well and witness to God is salt that seasons the universe. When such is not found, the name of God is blasphemed on account of you among the nations (Romans 2:24). "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men" (Matthew 5:13).

The issue is one of a living faith that is active in love (Galatians 5:6). This alone takes the form of equality between people. How? By accepting voluntary poverty! Only when a person is voluntarily poor can he be a believer in the true sense of the word. In faith, there is no more or less. It is either there completely or it is not there. If "it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13), then God is the one who gives faith. Faith is one of the spiritual gifts. But only those with purity of intention and soundness of conscience can obtain it. And so, there is a totality to faith or it does not exist. The word about perfection is that "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me" (Matthew 19:21). You do this once or you do it every day by being existentially extended toward those who are in need of what you have, whether money or mercy. One who believes trusts in God, relying on Him completely. Whenever he relies on something other than God in any matter, his faith is made vain. And so, voluntary poverty is necessary. It is not like love of possessions, which denies faith in God. "You cannot serve God and money" (Matthew 6:24). It is not like money, which can take the place of God in people's hearts. Then, "the love of money is the root of all evils". So this means that every passion and evil desire is connected to the love of money. So if you do not cease to rely on your possessions and you do not hand your affair completely over to God, you cannot believe in Him. Indeed, the deepest and most basic expression of belief in God is to seek poverty with the very same zeal that people of the world seek riches. This means being willingly cast aside, surrendering yourself to the living God. Only then will you experience a new reality, in which there is all newness, the reality that the Apostle expresses when he speaks of himself being, like the Apostles, "as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things" (2 Corinthians 6:10), "perplexed, but not in despair... struck down, but not destroyed" (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).

And so, the second commandment "love your neighbor as yourself" stems from the first and greatest commandment, "love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength". Poverty toward God does away with the need for anything in the word. "The eyes of all," then, "hope on You and You give them food in due season." "I want you to be without worry." "Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you."

The answer to greed, then is faith. It is trust in God. It is giving oneself over to God. This alone brings peace among people. In the world you will have troubles. When you renounce everything, you gain everything. There is no longer a space for tension or for wars. The kingdom of heaven is more realistic than Plato's imaginary virtuous republic. The kingdom of heaven is within you, here and now. The saints of God are the earnest. God and God alone is capable of realizing the kingdom within us from this moment and forever, as long as there remain those who say, "let it be to me according to Your word." "This is from the Lord and it is great in our eyes."

However, "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth"?!

Archimandrite Touma (Bitar)

Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Silouan the Athonite- Douma

September 10, 2006

New Book-- Georges Khodr: Bishop of Arabic

Arabic original, from al-Akhbar, here.

The Beacons of Georges Khodr: 
The Metropolitan who Humanized God

by Hala Nahra



"On June 5, 1967 I chose Arabism because on that day I saw that Jesus of Nazareth had become a Palestinian refugee," said Metropolitan Georges Khodr, examining his wound-- our wound, trying to create a solution for the modern Arab, finding a balance between the spiritual and the rationalist, starting from the history and the cultural and geographic space that he always avidly represents. His view of God and religion is penetrating and open to our common humanity. The enlightened metropolitan inclines toward humanizing and rationalizing God sometimes, so that man may be partially divinized, even if in the monotheistic religions God represents the absolute and the universal intellect. Rationalizing religions is a lofty call to develop what is common, to interpret and explain and to be liberated from dogmatism and the literalistic reading of texts, in order to make the essence of religions overtake their external shell. Here lies the importance of Georges Khodr, who knows that the values of Christianity manifest themselves in regard for the other, in the relationship with the other first of all, and that in Christianity love is not understood as complacency or cheeriness, but rather that it is tied to firmness and human dignity. He is someone who dared to say that he is "from a certain perspective, Marxist by inclination" and that "people will one day come to terms with Marxism in the shadow of the increase in savage capitalism."

Those who are eager to know Khodr's thoughts and the voices that echo them in the Lebanese cultural scene can read the book George Khodr: Bishop of Arabic (Antonine University Publications), where thinkers and researchers examine several aspects of his cultural, philosophical, intellectual, political, and theological output. With simplicity that reveals profundity, Fr Germanos Germanos, president of the Antonine University, defines the metropolitan's exceptional personality, emphasizing the tie between "Arab theologians" and "the contextual theology that gives a leavening role to the presence of Christians in the Middle East." The researcher Antoine Fleyfel shines light on the first places which influenced Khodr's vision and thinking, the identity Orthodox metropolitan's theology, the salient problematics in Lebanon and the Arab World, current and historical, that he touches upon, such as Christian-Muslim dialogue, his method for laying a foundation for theological and political preaching on the conditions of Christian Arabs, especially the issue of Palestine, Arabism, Sionism, sectarianism and secularism... Fleyfel mentions that the Arabism for which Khodr calls is cultural Arabism (arabité), not political or ideological Arabism (Arabisme) and that it represents "the sole domain in which it is possible for Muslims and Christians to live their historic and existential encounter." He repeats Khodr's admonition to Christians that they should not fall (again) into the trap of isolationism and that it is necessary to realize their cultural affiliation. In this sense, "Arabism represents a challenge to Middle Eastern Christians, who are faced with the prevalence of opposing ideas," the most prominent of which is sectarian nationalism. This is one of the most important things proposed by Khodr, who realized that "Sectarian nationalisms help Zionism, which holds that it is impossible for there to be political harmony between religious groups in the Middle East." Thus Khodr's Arabism is humanist, rationalist, critical, and pluralist. As for secularism, he considers it to be a solution to the Palestinian problem and "the nation's liberation from the oppression of sects, the liberation of faith from politics entering into it." Fr Basem Rai treats the topic of the local transition "from historical romanticism to the democratic state" which, according to Khodr, strengthens freedoms and causes pluralism to not be in contradiction with the unity of Lebanon. The metropolitan points to the distinction between religion as a means to realizing goals that nurture political sectarianism and religion as "a wellspring, an inheritance unto life, and a private identity," which requires "re-orienting religion toward its divine basis instead of changing it into a purely sociological affiliation." If we desire to arrive at a common national identity and culture, we must re-read history at a distance from ideologies and "criticize the memory of both sects and the nation, in order to build a state for tomorrow that comes from the will of society."

The monk Michel Jalkh elucidates Khodr's vision of culture and knowledge which cannot be independent from reality and wisdom, touching on the Crusades which targeted Eastern Christianity, as much as it targeted Muslims. Ahmad Baydoun points to Khodr's tendency to compare Christianity and Islam in order to highlight the differences between the two on the level of political theology and theology of the state and in order to demonstrate what he considers necessary in order to create a mutual understanding between the two religions, in order to arrive at "a single flame." For Khodr, the endeavor for peace is attributed to mysticism. The most important thing in Baydoun's study is his realization that the conditions for the (spiritual) revival for which Khodr calls and which the Arab world needs have not yet been met. Pascal Lahoud ably compares Georges Khodr and Emmanuel Levinas, starting from their criticism of Western rationalism, while the papers written by Yusouf Kamal el-Hajj, Amal Dibo, Nada Abu Mrad, Elham Klab, range between the influence of Khodr's language, personality, and presence. Mr Hani Fahs expresses his feeling "his heavy and illuminating presence when Khodr writes his Christian text" and so "the other is realized in the realization of the self." Georges Khodr, the man of letters, the thinker, and the bishop is a singular man in the nation and in history who illumines the word as a candle in the obscure Arab present, and a world that grows in darkness, misery, and division.