The Patriarchate of Antioch in 1992: An Interview

 Translated from: Service Orthodoxe de Presse no. 168 (May 1992), pp. 10-12.

A Visit to the Orthodox of Syria and Lebanon by Sister Irène and Sister Laetitia

Nuns of the monastic Community of the Resurrection in Conques-sur-Orbiel (Aude), received into the communion of the Orthodox Church in 1989, Sister Irène and Sister Laetitia have just spent almost three months in Syria and Lebanon. Invited by Patriarch Ignatius IV of Antioch, under whose canonical obedience their community falls, they had the opportunity during their stay to visit most of the dioceses and monastic communities found in these two countries.

What impressions did you get from this immersion in the life of the Church of Antioch?

What first emerges from this stay is the joy of having touched the place of our filiation from the Church of Antioch in the person of its patriarch and to have felt, in contact with the bishops and faithful, a deep spiritual affinity, the fruit of the grace of these long years that we have lived the Antiochian tradition [NOTE: the nuns had previously been Melkite Catholics before converting to Orthodoxy], to the point that several people, priests and laity, were astonished to realize that we had the same approach as they did to important problems.

We had the good fortune to meet frequently with Patriarch Ignatius IV and to hear him express his thought about ecclesiastical life. It is always a wonder to approach such a man of God, with such a rich personality: at once capable of prophetic intuition and rigorous reasoning, a man of asceticism and great compassion, a church leader who always has the feeling of being at the people's service, remaining accessible to all.

What's very striking is the great simplicity of the bishops and clergy and their closeness to the people. In several dioceses, we noticed how easy it was for the faithful to come greet the metropolitan and to present their problems to him. It is true that, in these countries governed by personal law, the bishop must also take on an entire social, administrative and judicial role.

Antioch, one of the most ancient Christian churches, founded by Saint Peter even before that of Rome, where, according to the Acts of the Apostles, the disciples of Jesus first received the name "Christians"... How is it now?

One of the things that also struck us was that everywhere one touches Christianity's continuity since the beginning of the Christian era: Damascus, site of Saint Paul's conversion; Maaloula, where Saint Thecla, Paul's disciple, lived and died; in the ruins of ancient churches that go back to the fourth century in Hawran and to the fifth century in Northern Syria; and finally in the permanence of Christianity: the foundation of several current monasteries goes back to the sixth or seventh century. Thus it's a land where Christianity has always been alive down to our own time and where it has known how to keep the integrity of its faith beside Islam. Still today Syria is 20% Christian Arab, the great majority of whom are Orthodox. These Christians, for the most part, are descendants of the first Christians, just like in Lebanon.

We have seen that today these communities are very much alive. The first thing that catches the eye, both in Syria and Lebanon, is that the churches are full, that young people go to them in just as large numbers, if not more, than older people and that the faithful commune in droves. In Syria, the divine liturgy is celebrated in all parishes on Friday (the weekly day off) and on Sunday. There's almost as many people in the church on both days. Nevertheless, the number of churches is doubtless insufficient for the number of Christians.

One also feels the continuity of Christianity in the fierce determination of many Antiochians to preserve the best of the tradition of the Fathers while nevertheless not being closed to new forms that questions of history and the modern world often require of any authentic witness. Due to our ignorance of the Arabic language, we were unfortunately not able to have access to the impressive number of books, magazines, parish bulletins, etc. published by various dioceses, by the monasteries, or by the Orthodox Youth Movement, the MJO, which transmit the thought of this new "School of Antioch", the first fruits of which we can find in the books by Patriarch Ignatius, the articles of Metropolitan Georges Khodr, and some articles already translated or written in French.

This language problem also did not permit us-- especially in Syria but also in Lebanon-- to have the all the contact we would've liked to have had with all the youth engaged in the life of the Church, who know longer know a foreign language, but who in many dioceses are entirely devoted to pastoral or missionary activity.

We have also perceived continuity in this desire to remain in this land, despite the vicissitudes of history, both ancient and recent, and thus, in these ambitious construction projects (Balamand University, new monasteries, churches, many recently-opened schools, hospitals and social centers, etc.) launched by the patriarchate and other dioceses just to help the Orthodox people (and their fellow-citizens) to better overcome the temptation to emigrate which exacerbates the worsening of the economic situation, especially in Lebanon, as well as fear of the future.

How are things exactly in Lebanon? Were you able to notice a real recovery?

We were touched to see the extraordinary vitality of the Orthodox institutions despite the difficult conditions of life (almost no public services, which is to say only a few hours of electricity per day, little or no mail distribution, very poor telephone service, roads in bad condition, etc.). In this context, it is amazing to see the marvels of imagination deployed to find resources and at the same time to innovate in charity work. For example, a workshop for producing uniforms that depends on the Diocese of Beirut and at first worked exclusively for Saint George's Hospital, today has fourteen employees: it furnishes uniforms to various establishments of the city and with its profits allows clinics to be financed.

You have certainly had a lot of contact with the new monastic shoots that are appearing in the Patriarchate of Antioch. What can you tell us about them?

First off, let me tell you how much we felt at home in all these monasteries, received with great brotherly love.

As you say, it's true that new communities are currently appearing in Syria and Lebanon, to say nothing of the monasteries that are a little older such as Saint Jacob, near Tripoli (it's the most important, with 18 nuns) or Saint George at Deir el-Harf. There are young communities that are still small in number, often with no more than three to five monks or nuns. In these beginnings, most of these monasteries were inspired by Athonite monasticism, with a rather marked ascetic character, but which dos not impede these lively and very frequent contacts with the people of God and in particular the youth, among the most engaged in the life of the Church.

The abbots of several of these monasteries do work of real spiritual fatherhood: they receive many and gladly leave their monastery to make regular visits to different dioceses or centers of the MJO in order to hear confessions, lead spiritual retreats or participate in one or another gathering. The abbots of the main monasteries have been regularly gathering together for the past several months and have started to publish a collection of ascetical and spiritual works (two volumes of about 100 pages each have appeared in the past four months).

Although many people are convinced that these shoots that are faithful to traditional monasticism will, in maturing, reveal more and more of the riches particular to Antioch's monastic tradition, many laypeople have expressed to us a desire for another form of religious life as well. Some of them hope for a visible religious presence-- a sign of the physical presence of the Church-- in the Orthodox institutions (hospitals, schools, etc.). Others emphasize the necessity of pastoral activity among women that could only be carried out by consecrated women (several studies and research seem to have been conducted on reestablishing the order of deaconesses). More generally, one feels the need for a monastic witness that is accessible to people and which can help them to live in a Christian manner.

How will your monastery follow up on the contacts established during this visit?

The patriarch envisages a stay in our monastery for young women from Syria or Lebanon who are thinking about the religious life. We hope to be able to help them as much as possible to develop their vocations which they will live out in their own country in the service of the Church.

His Beatitude also hopes that all the Antiochian Orthodox living in France will know that our monastery is their monastery, that despite the current cramped location they will be welcome if they visit us and that we hope that in the future we will be able to expand our welcome, if God gives us the means.

(Interview conducted by Raymond Rizk)

An Interview with Met Isaak (Barakat) about the New Antiochian Monastery in Germany

German original, with pictures, here.

The Inauguration of the New Rum-Orthodox Monastery in Dollendorf: An Interview with His Eminence Isaak Barakat

 

The first monastery of the Antiochian Archdiocese of Germany and Central Europe has recently been established in Dollendorf, a district of the municipality of Blankenheim. The building was inaugurated by the Metropolitan of the Antiochian Orthodox Church of Germany and Central Europe, Isaak Barakat, with a traditional ceremony in the monastery chapel.

Metropolitan Isaak Barakat was born in Damascus in 1966 with the name Abdallah Barakat. After being ordained in 1999 as a deacon and one year later as a priest by Patriarch Ignatius Hazim he took the name Isaak after Saint Isaac the Syrian. For the past ten years, he has been the metropolitan of Germany and Central Europe of the Antiochian Orthodox Church.

The origin of the Rum-Orthodox Church are in Antioch, the modern city of Antakya, where the disciples were first called Christians. Its foundation goes back to the Apostles Peter and Paul. When one part of the Antiochian Christians assented to the Council of Chalcedon, the cornerstone of the Rum-Orthodox community was laid. They professed "Jesus Christ as true God and true man in two natures." The term "Rum" in Arabic stands for "Rome", Constantinople at that time, and also for the Byzantines. The Rum-Orthodox Church is also called the Antiochian Church, the Antiochian Orthodox Church, or the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East.

In the late 19th century, some Rum Orthodox emigrated out of the Middle East for economic and political reasons. Many of them came to Europe from Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq and especially the Province of Hatay. In 1970 the Rum Orthodox finally founded their own parishes. Today the Antiochian Archdiocese of Germany and Central Europe counts around 24,000 members and has its seat in Cologne.

Since 2018, the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Germany and Central Europe consists of 30 communities and now a monastery in Dollendorf.

Ferit Tekbas, the chairman of the Central Committee of Eastern Christians in Germany, spoke in an interview with His Eminence Isaak Barakat about the foundation of the monastery in Dollendorf.

Your Eminence, you recently celebrated the tenth anniversary as metropolitan of Germany and Central Europe, congratulations. What were your most difficult tasks during this time?

Thank you for the kind wishes. In the past ten years, I have dealt with various challenges. During this time, we have achieved many milestones, we have grown and become better known, but perhaps the most difficult task has been that of finding a balanced way to meet the spiritual needs of our diverse community. The balance between tradition and contemporary needs, the promotion of unity in diversity and dealing with social changes have always been challenging aspects of my tenure. Despite the challenges, I am thankful for the communities' support and I view every situation as an opportunity to grow and deepen our faith.

The Antiochian Orthodox Church has acquired its first monastery in Germany. Could you tell us a bit about the story of how the monastery was acquired and where exactly the monastery is located?

For a long time, we had the goal of acquiring a building that we could turn into both a monastery and a center for out communities and faithful. During our search, we came across the building in Dollendorf, Blankenheim. We particularly liked that the building had originally been used as a monastery. Dollendorf is a beautiful, quiet, harmonious place. The church across from it completes the picture.

Thanks be to God, through the support and love of our communities and faithful, we have been able to acquire the building and renovate it appropriately. The renovation is not yet complete, but so far the Monastery of Our Lady of Antioch and the chapel are finished.

We are now in the process of completing the Patriarch Ignatius IV Center, which is certainly a long road and here too we are depending on the love and support of our faithful.

A monastery on the whole is not a simple thing, but it is a necessity and I know that you have been primarily committed to a monastery. Could you tell us the reasons for this?

Yes. My desire for our church has always been to have an Antiochian Orthodox monastery. First and foremost, I wanted a place for spiritual community and deepening. A place accessible both to clergy and to our faithful. Moreover, our church has a rich history and great cultural significance. With the monastery and the Patriarch Ignatius IV Center, we want to maintain this cultural heritage, preserve it, and make it accessible both to our faithful and to the public.

Furthermore, the Patriarch Ignatius IV Center will be used for educational purposes, for theological studies, seminars, and much more.

What condition is the monastery in and does its structure require special restoration in order to better meet the criteria of Orthodoxy?

As already mentioned, the building that we were able to purchase was originally a monastery. Over the course of time, the building was repurposed and used for many other things. It took quite a bit of work to get it into its current condition. At the moment, the monastery and the chapel belonging to it are mostly ready, thanks be to God. They meet the criteria of Orthodoxy. Now, however, we still need to finish the Patriarch Ignatius IV Center. That will require a lot of time, patience, effort and support.

How is everything being financed? Is it being financed though donations or is the Rum-Orthodox Church of Antioch undertaking all the costs?

It is exclusively financed through donations. We were able to complete the acquisition thanks to the great support of our communities. The renovations also require the love and generous support of our faithful. We are still far from finished with the renovations and continue to rely on donations.

What is the significance of a monastery in the Orthodox Christian denomination?

In the Orthodox Christian tradition, monasteries have a special significance. They are places of intensive prayer, of contemplation and of spiritual life. Monasteries preserve the liturgical tradition and serve as spiritual communities where monks and nuns lead a life of devotion. These places are also outposts of prayer for the world, where prayers are made for the church, for people and for the world. Monasteries can moreover hold social activities and are often places of pilgrimage for believers from various regions.

Is there a plan for how the monastery will serve the Antiochian Orthodox community in Germany and Europe in the future and how many monks or nuns will be living there?

The monastery should become a place of transcendent love for God and complete devotion to Him. We hope that we will continue to grow and that our parishes and faithful will associate this monastery with its being a place of calm, relaxation, work, devotion, and above all else, love.

At the Patriarch Ignatius IV Center, we would like to organize conferences, events and similar gatherings for our parishes and faithful.

The monastery is currently a monastery for nuns and we have plans for more nuns to live in the monastery.

What significance has the Rum-Orthodox Church achieved now in Germany?

We are a small church here in Germany, but our origin goes back to more than 2000 years ago. Our church traces its foundation back to the Apostles Peter and Paul, to where the disciples were first called Christians, in Antioch.

Our brothers and sisters came to Germany in the late 60s and early 70s. They founded several parishes full of love, respect and devotion and thus brought our faith to Germany. We now have the status of a  corporation under public law, our communities have grown, as have the number of believers and, thanks be to God, the number of clergy.

We are now better known and we hope that with God's grace we can go further.

How many communities are there now and where are their origins from?

In Germany, the Netherlands and Austria we have a total of 31 congregations and 7 missions, that is, believers who are on the way to becoming a congregation. Thanks be to God.

The origins of our faithful are in Syria, the Hatay Province in Southeastern Turkey whose capital is Antakya, historical Antioch, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Iraq.

What liturgical approaches distinguish the Rum Orthodox?

There is a big difference between the Orthodox Church and other churches. For example, we have the Typikon for the liturgy for the entire ecclesiastical year which ends in August and begins again on September 1.

And in this this Typikon there are prayers for the liturgy for every day. We are the only church that says the Creed at every service. In the Catholic Church, for example, the Creed is not said at every service. But we say the Creed every Sunday, at every liturgy.

Our Byzantine music also distinguishes us. We celebrate the Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, on special feasts the Liturgy of Saint Basil, and during Lent the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts of Saint Gregorius Dialogus. Another special feature is that in our services no instruments such as the organ are used.

Your Eminence, is there anything else that you would like to add to our interview or say to our members and readers?

I am thankful for the interest and love that has been shown to us. I would like to thank you very much for your time, your effort and your interest. I would like to thank your members and readers for their continued support and interest. It is an honor for me to serve my church. I encourage you to continue to be actively involved in our church because together we can continue to grow and inspire each one another. May our journey together be characterized by love, understanding and spiritual fulfillment. Thank you.

New Antiochian Orthodox Monastery in Germany

The Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Germany has recently acquired a former Roman Catholic monastery in the town of Blankenheim (in the Eiffel hills about an hour southwest of Bonn and 90 minutes east of Liège, Belgium), where they plan to establish a women's monastery and retreat center. The property requires extensive renovations and Archdiocese is now raising funds to that end.

For a video about the site, the plans for it and a way to contribute, visit the GoFundMe.

Met Ephrem (Kyriakos): The Monk's Mission

Arabic original here.

The Monk's Mission

The monk flees the world not out of hatred for the world, but out of love for it. He will help the world more with his prayer. We are in dire need today of divine intervention. The monk's basic work is prayer.

God wants us to beseech Him to intervene. The faithful people always go to church and offer a candle with their prayer, while the monk makes himself into a candle that keeps watch through the night and melts into prayer love for Christ and all people.

Preparation in the World

Alongside a spiritual father who loves monasticism, you must repeat the Jesus Prayer and avoid places of entertainment in order to preserve chastity of body and soul.

Constantly read the Synaxarion, the Paterikon and Saint Ephrem. First reform yourself through the path of repentance.

The monk flees far from parties, he always seeks counsel from a spiritual father and pursues prayer. The important thing is for the monk to love devotion (philotimia) and not having possessions.

Leaving the World and Renouncing of Worldly Things

By giving our family over to God, the monk's narrow love for his small family is transferred the large family, which is the Church and the entire world. The greatest love comes to be for Christ.

The choice of a spiritual father is important for the monk. The spiritual father must be harsh only on himself and very loving with others, just as he must love silence and prayer.

The monk avoids worldly luxuries. He must abandon many human comforts in order to receive divine consolation.

He takes off the old, worldly man and puts on the new, godly man and so he says, "today is the day of resurrection."

The monk has died to the world. He rejoices because he lives close by Christ.

The angelic life is in repeating:

"Glory to God for I live close by Christ." At that point, the joy of God's grace carries him on. The monk opens his heart to his spiritual father. He discloses to him everything that is in his heart. He does everything that is asked of him. That is, he obeys him.

The monk is attentive to the issue of visitors. He avoids having guests inasmuch as it involves worldly things. He holds fast to divine longing, especially if he is a novice. The monk loves his cell and sees in it, through prayer and solitude with God, his true consolation. It must be decorated with icons. If he goes out into the world, his chotki never leaves his hand. With it, he uses with others the expression "bless" and "may it be blessed."

In his prayer, the monk seeks repentance before all else. Repentance brings humility. And humility brings the grace of God. Prayer does not tire, but rather brings rest.

+Ephrem
Metropolitan of Tripoli, al-Koura and their Dependencies

Available to Download: Sidney Griffith's Arabic Christianity in the Monasteries of Ninth Century Palestine

Find it on Archive.org here.

The history of Christian literature took a new turn in the 8th century when monks in the monasteries of Palestine began to write theology and saints' lives in Arabic, and they instituted a veritable programme for translating the Bible and other Christian texts from Greek (and Syriac) into the language of the Qur'an, the "lingua franca" of the Islamic caliphate. This is the subject of the present volume. Two key factors leading to this change where that the confrontation with the developing theology of Islam created a direct need for apologetics to face this new religious challenge in its own language; and that as the memory of Byzantine power waned, so too did the knowledge of Greek. Issues of particular interest in this apologetic literature are those of the freedom of the will, a key topic in the controversies between the Melkites and the Muslims, and of the legitimacy of icon veneration, a subject of great contemporary concern at the time of Iconoclasm in the Byzantine Empire.

The Newly-Elected Metropolitan of Zahleh: Younan el-Souri

Arabic original here.

Archimandrite Younan (el-Souri) Metropolitan of the Diocese of Zahleh

On the second day of the Holy Synod of Antioch's session held at the patriarchal residence at Balamand, the members of the Synod elected the abbot of the Monastery of Our Lady of Bkaftine, Archimandrite Younan (el-Souri) as metropolitan of the Diocese of Zahleh, Baalbek and Their Dependencies.

Who is Metropolitan Younan (el-Souri)?

Antoine el-Souri was born in Mina, Tripoli on June 20, 1970. He studied at the National Orthodox School Mar Elias in Mina.

In 1994, he graduated from the Faculty of Engineering of the Lebanese University, receiving a degree in electrical and electronic engineering.

He studied theology by correspondence with the Institut Saint-Serge in Paris through the Diocese of Mount Lebanon. He graduated from this institute in 2006 with honors.

He worked at various jobs before entering the priesthood. On June 24, 2001, he was ordained subdeacon at the church of the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist in Douma by His Eminence Metropolitan Georges Khodr.

On March 20, 2005, he was ordained deacon at the Cathedral of Saint George in Mina by Metropolitan Elias Kurban of thrice-blessed memory.

On July 24, 2005 he was ordained to the priesthood in the parish of Mina. He was priest for the youth in the Diocese of Tripoli and Koura.

On September 7, 2008 he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite during the service of vespers for the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos at the church of the metropolitan's residence.

A member of the Youth Movement from childhood, he was active in the group under the guidance of Costi Bendaly. He held various positions in the Orthodox Youth Movement, including:

2001-2003: Assistant General Secretary to Raymond Rizk.
2001-2003: Responsible for mentoring programs in the general secretariat.
2002-2004: Head of the Mina branch.
2004-2008: Head of the Tripoli center.

He was vice president of Syndesmos, the international league of Orthodox youth movements. He participated in several local and regional conferences.

He was active in the choir of Mina and was trained by the Protopsaltis of the See of Antioch, Dimitri Coutya.

On June 19, 2011 he became abbot of the Monastery of Our Lady of Bkaftine. Since that time, he has conducted significant renovations of its buildings. He prepared a small church dedicated to Saints Anthony the Great, Arsenius the Cappadocian, and Nectarius the Wonder-Worker. About two months ago, he restored the Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos in the monastery.

On June 16, 2012, he received the angelic great schema, taking as his patron the Prophet Jonah, during the divine liturgy celebrated by His Eminence Metropolitan Ephrem Kyriakos.

He collaborated with the publishing house Ta'awwuniyyat el-Nour to publish a documentary entitled "The Monastery of Our Lady of Bkaftine: Holiness and Ancient Roots" about the history of the monastery from its foundation to today and its pastoral and cultural role in the region of Koura.

He is the author of several articles in Majallat el-Nour, including "Youth and Life", "Between Proselytism and Evangelism", "Meditations on Monasticism", "World Orthodox Youth Day", "The Issues of Homosexuals in the Priesthood".

He is the author of theological articles and studies in al-Karma, the bulletin of the Diocese of Tripoli and Koura.

He has taught various subjects, including Old Testament and the Epistles of the Apostle Paul at the department of theological preparation at the Pastoral Center for Orthodox Patristic Heritage in the Diocese of Tripoli.

On October 7, 2015, he was elected by the Holy Synod of Antioch as successor to Metropolitan Spyridon Khoury as metropolitan of the Diocese of Zahleh, Baalbek and Their Dependencies.

Patriarch John X's Speech on Mount Athos

Arabic original here.


The Speech Patriarch John X from Mount Athos
October 27, 2014

"At night when human voices, movements and tumult are clothed in stillness, enlighten every movement of my soul with Yourself, O Jesus, Light of the Righteous. At the hour when you give rest to the weary, O my Lord, let our thoughts of you be intoxicated with the sweetest dream, O sweetness of the saints. At the time of going to sleep, when the drunk repose through temporary artifice, awaken in us, O Lord, that eternal knowledge.

At the start of the day, when all are concerned with earthly things, make us worthy, O our Lord, to enjoy following the heavenly path. At the hour when all remove their nightclothes, remove from our heart, O Lord, remembrance of the world that is passing. At daybreak when sailors set out upon the sea of this world, give rest, my Lord, to souls in your haven. In your mysteries, we embrace you every day and receive you in our body. Make us worthy to feel in our souls the hope that we have in the resurrection. Be, O Lord, wings for our mind, so that it will fly in the gentle breeze until by these wings we reach our true nest."

Brothers and beloved,

I could not have found more beautiful words than these by Saint Isaac the Syrian with which to begin my speech here. I have found none better than them, a sincere prayer that encapsulates the spiritual experience of Athos and describes the state of the human soul caught up in divine love.

These words of Isaac the Syrian, are embodied by people I have known and among whom I have lived, unworthily, as a monk on Athos.

Athos embodies the experience of the Church praying and worshiping before the cross of her Lord, in constant prayer for the entire world.

Athos is incense of supplication before the Sacrificial Lamb for the salvation of the world.

Athos is a candle of prayer before the Virgin's purity, nourished with the oil of obedience and non-acquisitiveness and the wick of virginity. From its well the flame of holiness extends and its light shines out to the world. 

This Athos is the safe harbor of the Virgin in the bottomless sea of this world. The mighty waves of time break before one who is moored with the Virgin.

It is a pleasure to me to send greetings to my brother His All-Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople - New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch from this church, and to light a candle of prayer for him on my behalf and on the behalf of the delegation accompanying me, as he watches over this monastic republic.

I have known this blessed land for over thirty years. I came to know it, and here I came to know theology at prayer.

I came to know it as a school of theology, where all theories melt away in the reality of life. In these monasteries, theology is kneaded with the life of prayer. Here, as in many places, theological knowledge is mixed with piety and all these things come together at the glorious living liturgy.

The mountain is a prayer-rope for the entire world. At the same time, it is an oasis from which Orthodoxy throughout the world drinks. I drank from it myself personally and learned here and in the Athonite Monastery of Saint Paul that this mountain with its monasteries, sketes and cells is the place where the dough of theology is kneaded with prayer. I learned that the theologian is the one who prays and loves. He does not disdain the knowledge that he acquires in school and he does not disdain the piety and prayer that he sees in monasteries. Rather, he arrives at both in the symphony of his life in order to become a being who hymns God Most High, in every resting-place of the Spirit over the course of his life.

In our modern era, the Holy Mountain has had an enormous impact on the Patriarchate of Antioch.

In Antioch today, there are people who have lived and fallen asleep here.

In Antioch today, there are patriarchs, bishops and priests who have passed through and learned from the monks in the Garden of the Virgin.

In Antioch today, there are brotherhoods and monasteries whose founders have drunk heavily of the well of Athonite Orthodox monasticism and have spread life into the stones of her monasteries.

In the 1970s, Father Isaac Atallah came here. He came to you bearing the suffering of Lebanon, which was reeling under the impact of a war that had expelled its children.

Today I come to you asking for your prayers for Syria and for all the Middle East which are being tossed about by the tumult of wars.

I come to you today asking your prayers for the cradle of Christianity, the bride of the Orthodox East, the Church of Antioch.

I come to you bearing the wounds of your family and loved ones in Syria.

I come to you from the land of Ephrem the Syrian and of the Damascenes Andrew, John, Cosmas and Peter.

I come to you from the land of Simeon the Stylite to ask you to pray for the land that was first baptized in Christ's name.

I ask you to pray for people who have been driven from their homes and kidnapped.

I ask you to pray for the kidnapped archpastors of Aleppo and priests.

I ask your fervent prayers for Metropolitan Yuhanna Ibrahim and Metropolitan Paul Yazigi, who is known to the soil of this Holy Mountain, its cells and monasteries.

I ask you to pray for innocent people who are paying the price of cruel days, terrorism and blind takfirism. I ask for these prayers filled with firm hope that the Middle East will return to being a source of light and the homeland of the peace of the Child in the manger.

I ask your prayers for Lebanon, Lebanon which is languishing under a certain degree of unrest, including random kidnappings and a vacuum in its constitutional institutions.

We say this with the hope-- indeed, the certainty-- that Lord hears the prayer of the righteous.

I come bearing to you the prayers of the monks in our country and I bear to you the bells of its love.

I bear to you the love of great and small in Antioch, Antioch which is great in the faith of her children and in the power of her rootedness in her land, Antioch the great which has been smashed against the rocks of her history, the cruelty of days long past and present, Antioch which has anointed the inhabited world with the light of Christ.

It is a great blessing for the Patriarch of Antioch and the Church of Antioch to be here and to join our prayer with your prayer, my brothers, and for us to all cast ourselves before the icon of the Virgin "Axios Estin" and say:

Protect O Mother of God, O hope of the faithful,

From all the harm of this life, those who ask you with certainty

God bless you.

Mother Thekla (Awad) and the Monastery of St John the Baptist

Arabic original here.

Mother Thekla Brings Life Back to the Historic Monastery of Saint John the Baptist in Enfeh through Renovations and Building New Sections

by Zeina Isa

The historic Monastery of Saint John the Baptist is located in the town of Enfeh, on the ruins of a Byzantine church. Nearby are stone crypts that go back to the early centuries of Christianity. Over the years, this monastery has undergone many changes. For many years, the monastery was ruined and abandoned. The people of the village would visit it once every year to celebrate the feast of its patron on July 7. In 1974, work was begun to renovate the monastery by people from the town and zealous youths. Then, in the 1980's, the Orthodox Youth Movement undertook additional renovations in order to turn the monastery into a center for the Movement's gatherings and activities. Between 2005 and 2006 the stones of the church were cleaned and put in order and the icons were restored. This was done by Metropolitan Elias Kurban of thrice-blessed memory.

Father Germanos Abdallah Tadros, who lived until 1920, was the last abbot of the monastery. He was from the town of Enfeh and there still exist prayer books copied by his hand. It is worth mentioning that two of these manuscripts exist at the Monastery of Saint Jacob the Persian in Dedeh, al-Koura. Today, after the passing of many long years, Mother Thekla (Awad) lives there. She herself is a daughter of the town and was assigned by Metropolitan Ephrem (Kyriakos) of Tripoli, al-Koura and their Dependencies as abbess of the monastery. He has also delegated a special committee to oversee the work of restoration, building new buildings and improving and beautifying the surrounding lands.

At the end of last year, during my visit to the town, I met with Mother Thekla, who received me with an eager embrace and spoke to me about her work in the monastery, her future aspirations and her spiritual life. She took me on a tour of the monastery and explained its history. She showed me to a small crypt under the sanctuary that contains three stone sarcophagi. The monastery's reception hall goes back to the Middle Ages, when the Crusaders built an oil press there.

Mother Thekla completed her postgraduate studies in 1979. In that year, she abandoned everything in this world in order to pray for the world. She entered the monastery where she stayed for 17 years and then, by divine providence, she moved to the United States, where for 13 years she undertook missionary activity among the Arab community and other communities. On July 7, 2010 Metropolitan Ephrem (Kyriakos) asked her to return to take over leadership of the abandoned Monastery of Saint John the Baptist in Enfeh and to establish a women's monastery there.

After her return and with the blessing of Metropolitan Ephrem, Mother Thekla set up a workshop for repairs and undertook many improvements, including preparing furnishing a room in the old building for receiving visitors from among the faithful and holding spiritual retreats. Perhaps her most important achievement was building the Saint Elizabeth House for nuns. She hopes, when it is completed, to attract nuns who want to share in life at the monastery so that monastic life will once again return to it. For this work, Mother Thekla relies entirely on donations and so work is being completed slowly, "The plan is being completed with the help of benefactors, one step at a time, by God's providence."

When I asked about her reason for choosing the monastic life, Mother Thekla replied:
"Everything is passing, but Jesus' love remains forever. When I graduated from university and wanted to take up monasticism, it raised a stir in town. Many people wondered why, believing that I was wasting my future and my life. But at  that time I was wondering within myself, 'Married life will give me one family, but monastic life will give me a countless number of families and this is the Lord's will.'"

She added, "The spiritual father Porphyrios would always repeat the saying 'Sanctify the time'. He would pray for us in the monastery and he had three hopes: that a monastery for women be built before his death, that the monastery's bell be rung every hour so that the Lord will be remembered no matter where the nuns are, and-- his final hope-- that the word of the Lord spread throughout the world through the use of new technology, that would allow the nuns to help members of the flock through prayer and advice. I would like to live out these three hopes with the blessing of Sayedna Ephrem, the pastor of the monastery and its spiritual father. We must seek out Christ through the Jesus Prayer which the fathers repeat, 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me Your sinful servant.'"

During her time in the United States, Mother Thekla undertook missionary activities and strove to help members of the Arab community and foreigners spiritually and materially. She felt people's pain and became familiar with their problems, "The Lord Jesus solves problems. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. My strength is perfected in Christ." After returning to Lebanon, she stayed in contact with members of the flock in the diaspora through modern technology, which made it possible for her to help all those seeking spiritual advice and prayers. "Every era according to its own requirements. In this era, we must open the horizons of thought and use the internet to communicate with all who love God and the Church."

Through her hard work and perseverence, Mother Thekla is trying to realize those three hopes. As much as is possible, she tries to knock the simandron every hour, even as she lives alone at the monastery, hoping that the day will come when some nuns will share her life there after the completion of the Saint Elizabeth House for nuns. Mother Thekla does not hide her love for the land and for gardening, since she has a garden with many types of vegetables and trees, including "Olive, for the production of holy oil, rose for the production of rosewater, and lavender." As for the vegetables, they're for the consumption of the monastery's inhabitants.

Since moving to the monastery, Mother Thekla has been searching for a simandron to replace the simandron that had been lost, in order to praise the Name of the Lord every hour. Now, for the first time, there is also a bell at the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist, which was installed on Saturday, November 16.

Today the monastery attracts many faithful visitors from various places, especially on the feast of its patron on July 7, when there are prayers and vigils.

In the Cell of Isaac the Athonite

Arabic original here.



The Cell of Fr Isaac (Atallah): "Heaven on Earth"

On the night of the Feast of Saint Isaac the Syrian (old-calendar), we headed into the deep wilderness of Mount Athos, toward the cell of the reposed Hieromonk Isaac (Atallah), in order to share in the table of prayer, the vigil that goes from nine at night until sunrise the following morning. We were a group of believers, eleven people, several of whom were accustomed to going to this cell on this exact night.

It was seven thirty in the evening. We went up in a bus from a nearby monastery on an unpaved road, like all the roads on this mountain. After about half an hour, we stopped at a bridge and went the rest of the way on foot.

It was very dark. We walked one behind the other, relying on flashlights, the sound of crickets filling the space around us.

At first, we were haunted by a feeling of extraordinary fatigue. How can a person spend the entire night standing and sitting without being overwhelmed by tiredness and fatigue?

In human terms, this might be true, but here is the surprise: If a person from the first moment simply leaves himself in the hands of his Creator, he discovers that he is a "liturgical being", carried on the palms of angels and the saints of this mountain, if he decides to be united to God, the intercession of the All-Holy Theotokos will not depart from him for a single moment.

The beauty begins. A few moments before the prayer starts, rows of ascetics walk into the place, as though they had come down from heaven, one group after another, human shadows as though they had come from another world, walking at a quick and steady pace, one after another. You cannot see them well, because the color of their robes mixes with the black of night. You distinguish them by the flash of their faces and their long white beards, since the cell is completely empty of any modern technology. There is no electricity and cars cannot go on its path. Some kerosene lamps, which do not exceed the number of fingers on a hand, are placed in the corners to help us move.

Upon our arrival, with the guidance and warm welcome of the monks who live there, those arriving take up a simple location for themselves to sit and rest a little before the prayer begins.

The seats are wooden boards supported by stone and mud. Overhead was some wood and straw.

At that time the heavenly hosts pass before you, the elders of the desert, moving briskly among the shadows. They are welcomed with warm voices and receive a blessing from those who preceded them in asceticism. You sense the angelic presence, a peace, calm, and joy that is not of this world.

You look at them reflecting the candlelight and the light of the moon and you behold faces upon which are traced ascetic struggles and prayer, a firmness that is not lacking mercy, wrinkles traced by the fingers of grace and brightness.

Total seriousness wrapped in happiness and joy, giving and sacrifice.

"Commandos" who are completely ready, conscripted under the banner of Christ, alert and seasoned in battle, patience, and victory through God's grace. Just their faces exude a power. They immediately expel from your soul any feelings of laxity, hesitation, or fatigue.

Those among them who are advanced in age surpass the young in enthusiasm. Amongst them is an obedience to the spiritually advanced, extreme humility, and things that surpass all consideration or analogy. A venerable elder receives a blessing from a young priest, while the latter bows before the elder like a son to his father. How not, when he is his spiritual father!

They are really a heavenly presence. They embody Christianity and initiate you in the fullness and profundity of theology without speaking a single word. Their eyes are filled with tears from repentance and consolation, whose shine is the light of the Resurrection and victory. If you embrace them, you are touched by holiness and the sweetness of heaven.

They are great elders, before whom heads bow and under whose feet fall all the false and empty pleasures of the world. You realize that you are truly nothing and everything that you revel in is also nothing, possessions, positions, titles. Indeed, everything in life that you consider beautiful and strive to acquire is "emptiness and void". Man has no glory or honor except in being in the presence of God, as a humble and simple human, but at the same time rich in Christ and in all the gifts and graces that God has given him.

The true Christian is this divine presence that takes prayer as nourishment and struggle as a way of life.

After being briefly received with a cup of coffee and a piece of fasting halva, the simandron is strikes for prayer and the ascetic monks' voices break the night's silence with the most beautiful melodies and tones.

You look around and there the elders have scattered around the cell's church, left and right, with a speed that you're eyes have never seen. They disperse and are undivided, as they make up one body in harmony with Christ, the head.

Each one of them knows what to do and what he must do, as Christ's armies standing at the ready. Their tongues surpass the language of the body, heavenly beings who witness with their eyes the spirit of the One whom they address, to whom  and with whom they pray.

My God, what splendor! It is something beyond description. The cell of Father Isaac has become an open heaven. Here the icons joyfully give praise with those chanting and dance with joy with the angels and saints who have come down from heaven so that heaven and earth may become completely as one, filled with the odor of incense and lit beeswax candles in which one savors a taste of the kingdom. You know longer know whether you are standing on earth or present on high.

In the middle of all this angelic buzz, "geronda" moves about like a shadow, circling around the chanters and readers in silence, gesturing. A single gesture from him is enough for everyone to know what must be done. One book is closed and another opened without you knowing how or hearing any commotion that would disturb the purity and holiness of the place. Despite the small size of the church, it has become more expansive than the seas and oceans. A light dawns in every place and you wish for time to grow longer, for tomorrow to not reach you, but you are compelled to depart.

So, if a moment of fatigue comes to you, you resist it and refuse to close your eyes or to take a "nap", lest any of this beauty, splendor and the charm of the place pass you by. Even if you doze off, the heavenly tones take you and incline you to come back, wake up, and discover that you have arrived in a state of the kingdom that surpasses understanding. Truly you say with the Apostles, "Nothing separates me from Christ." I am in the presence of God.

Compline, vespers, readings, matins, the divine liturgy, all of them make up a single prayer-rope, a complete and integral unity, an open and unending table. You no longer realize how it began.

At any moment that you arrive, it has gone on before you, but at the same time it awaits you and there is a place for you there.

In the final moments of the night before sunrise, the kolyva is placed in the middle of the church and a monk distributes candles to the priests. All of them line up side-by-side in a semi-circle, facing the altar, so that the memorial service for the reposed monk Father Isaac (Atallah) can begin.

Why candles? Because they are a sign of Pascha and the shining forth from the tomb. There is no death in Christ. It is falling asleep and being transported.

The service begins with its most glorious beauty within the church and is completed outside, before Father Isaac's grave.

The black of night changes into the daylight of the Resurrection, so you realize in your soul that Father Isaac is participating with you in the very service. He stands beside you and chants with the choir, singing with those rejoicing.

Yes, you feel that he is alive. You want to talk to him and to bow before him to receive his blessing.

The service ends and you are surprised that it is almost six in the morning, so all can share in the agape table. You say to yourself: how did the whole night pass in a single moment without me getting tired?! Truly, "a thousand years are in the eyes of the Lord are like yesterday which has passed." He is the Heavenly Bridegroom, accompanied by the angels.

This is the cell of Father Isaac (Atallah), who left his earthly homeland of Lebanon to enter into the paradise of the Theotokos, to join the caravan of God's holy ones, and to turn a plot of land on Mount Athos into a heavenly elevator, in which one recovers his true, original identity, which is the kingdom.

This is Mount Athos and this is Orthodoxy, a life lived in struggle and blood.

Truly the kingdom begins now. Its gates are wide open. If you attain the Athonite vigil with good patience, then you attain divine longing, you acquire the "art of arts"-- that is, prayer, struggle, repentance, hope, joy, and consolation. Then you belong to the caravans of those struggling. You praise the Lord in repentance and joy and say to Him, "Amen."


Fr Athanasius (Shahwan)
October 11, 2012
Mt Athos, Greece

Al-Safir on Hamatoura

Arabic original here.



The Monastery of Our Lady of Hamatoura: Firm as an Icon in the Heart of Nature

by Fadia Daboul

The Orthodox monastery of Our Lady of Hamatoura enjoys an outstanding location among the rocks on a mountain overlooking Kousba, standing out like an icon in the heart of nature. It draws the faithful in for prayer and pilgrimage and explorers to immerse themselves in its history, despite the difficulties faced by one aiming to go up the steep trail leading up the mountain.

 The monastery's history goes back to the fifth Christian century. It has remained firm despite the persecutions it has faced in different periods, especially during the Mamluk and Ottoman eras. In the days of the Mamluks, armies plundered the monastery's products and tormented and brutalized its monks. Families from neighboring villages would sneak in young men seeking shelter in the monastery and some families gathered around it and worked with the monks to found the village of Karbaraya, though in the past half-century its residents have moved to neighboring villages for work and education.

In addition to human violence, the monastery has been subject to a number of difficult natural circumstances, including a number of earthquakes, the most famous of which was in 1600, although monks remained there until 1917, when Lebanon was struck by a great earthquake that buried a large part of the monastery. Continuous efforts up to today have only managed to restore ten percent of the monastery's historical size.

 Manuscripts, the oldest of which goes back to the tenth century, testify to the monastery's deep history. A manuscript by a Russian traveller who visited the monasteries of Lebanon affirms that the monastery covered the entire mountain, according to its detailed description of it. The icons on its walls go back to different periods of history. Some are from the fifth and sixth century, but most of them were painted in the tenth century, after the conflict over iconoclasm, which began when the emperor at the time issued an order forbidding icons from being venerated in churches and sent his soldiers to damage and destroy them by various means.

The Monastery of Our Lady of Hamatoura resembles some monasteries in Turkey and others in Palestine with regard to its location and its extent over the entire mountain. From another perspective, it resembles Greek and Russian monasteries which, beside the main monastery, include a number of hermitages, small monasteries, and churches dependent on the one large monastery. Besides the Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos of Hamatoura, it includes a hermitage dedicated to Mar Elias and another to St John the Baptist, a church of St Michael, and a monastery of St George dependent on the abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Pandeleimon Farah.

The number of monks in the monastery approached two hundred, but the number quickly fell following successive periods of persecution. Today there are ten monks. In 1992 a monk came to the monastery from Mount Athos in Greece who attempted to revive it, but he was unable to bear the difficulties of living in it in its ruined state, in addition to its location and the rugged path up to it, transporting things to it on foot or on the back of a donkey. In 1994 Archimandrite Pandeleimon Farah arrived there following a fire caused by candles lit by some of the faithful. He worked to restore it, which has led to the uncovering of icons from the sixth century. The monks had been unable to restore them following attacks by the Ottomans when they were destroyed in 1770, so they covered them with plaster, which cracked due to the heat from the fire.

In 2008, as the monks were completing a restoration project, they came across four bodies buried in the ground. It was clear that they belonged to martyrs who had been beaten, as their bones were broken. The head of one of the bodies was cut off, and it was surrounded by a layer of lime. According to scientists, the presence of a layer of lime on a body can be due to one of two factors-- First, the nature of the soil in which the body is buried, which may include lime. This is not the case with the soil under the church. The second is for bodies to be burned. Thus the monks were sure that one of the bodies belonged to Saint Jacob of Hamatoura, on account of the bodies' presence corresponding to the miraculous appearance of the saint, and the precise history of the martyrdom of the saint, who re-founded monasticism at the monastery during the time of the Mamluks.

AUB Theses about Orthodoxy in the Middle East

So, the American University of Beirut has put online all master's theses written there. Below are links to theses relating to the Orthodox Church. Of particular note are the theses of Amal Morcos and Fr. Boulos Wehbe, as they provide a lot of information about the Orthodox Youth Movement and the monastic revival on the basis of interviews and firsthand accounts.



Tony E. Nasrallah, Rome, Constantinople, and the See of Antioch the ecclesiastical causes of the 1724 melkite schism (2006)

Amal A. Morcos, Greek Orthodox monasteries of Lebanon and their impact on lay communities (2005)

Marwan F. [now Fr. Boulos] Wehbe, The rise, development and stability of the Orthodox Youth Movement: A case study of a single institution (1981)

Nada E. Marmura, The Orthodox community in the Holy Land and the Jerusalem Patriarchate: a study in the relations between the two, and in the internal development and organization of the community from 1918-1948 (1967)

Mary A. Kilbourne, The Greek Orthodox Community of Syria and Lebanon in the Twentieth Century (1952)

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

Met. Ephrem Visits Mount Athos

Arabic original, with more information and pictures, here.

The Greek Orthodox metropolitan of Tripoli and al-Koura, Ephrem Kyriakos, visited Mount Athos in Greece for six days, at the head of a delegation of clergy and laity that included: Archimandrite Antonius el-Souri, Subdeacon Parthenios Abu Haidar, the writer Mazen Abboud, and the engineer Gaby el-Murr. They were greeted with open arms by a number of the abbots of the monasteries that they visited, taking part in liturgies and prayers , and exchanged gifts.

Metropolitan Ephrem first visited the capital of Mount Athos, where he was received by the governor of the Mountain, Elder Barnabas, with whom he discussed matters pertaining to the Mountain and the Church.

He then visited the abbot of the Monastery of Vatopedi, who had  recently been imprisoned  on account of a real-estate dispute with the Greek government after an intensification of the economic crisis in Greece. Archimandrite Ephrem, abbot of the second largest monastery on Mount Athos, received the delegation and remarkable welcome and gave Metropolitan Ephrem a crosier, thanking him for his love and support.

Metropolitan Ephrem presided at the divine liturgy at the Monastery of Saint Paul, along with the abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Parthenios, and a group of priests and deacons. Metropolitan Ephrem thanked the abbot for his invitation and warm greeting.

Metropolitan Ephrem and the delegation likewise accepted the invitation of the Monastery of Simonopetra, Archimandrite Elisha, for them to stay at the monastery. Metropolitan Ephrem met both Metropolitan Kallistos Ware of the Greek Orthodox Church in Great Britain and the head of the Anglican Church, Rowan Williams, there at a breakfast held in their honor.

He then visited the Cell of the Resurrection, where the departed Father Isaac Atallah had practiced asceticism.

Before completing the visit, Metropolitan Ephrem participated in the liturgy at the Monastery of Xenophontos, where he was received by the abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Alexios, on his final day on the Mountain.

Met. Ephrem on St. John Cassian

The Feast of Saint Cassianus at the Monastery of Fervent Intercession, Wednesday February 29, 2012. The Arabic original can be found here.

Beloved, on this blessed evening we celebrate the commemoration of a great righteous saint, Saint Cassianus the Roman, and so we should mention something about this saint who is quite unknown in our country, even though he is considered one of the great saints who carved out a new tradition in the Church, since he set out from the east and evangelized in the west, following the tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church. For this reason, he is considered an important source, who studied with the ascetic fathers of the fourth century who preceded him, especially those who followed the tradition of the father Saint Macarius the Great, who lived in Scetis in Egypt.

He began his monastic life in Palestine, in Bethlehem, where he started to go between Palestine and Egypt, following the tradition of the ancient fathers of the desert. After that, we know that because of historical circumstances he went to Constantinople, and from Constantinople, also because of historical circumstances, he went to Rome. In Constantinople, he became the disciple of Saint John Chrysostom, from whom he received the Orthodox tradition of Antioch. After the persecution of Saint John Chrysostom, he went to Rome in order to participate in his defense, since as you know Saint John Chrysostom was persecuted and exiled time and again. He had the occasion to spend many years in Rome and to transmit this tradition, the tradition of our eastern ascetic fathers, as well as that of our Antiochian Church and that of the Cappadocian fathers. From Rome, he went to France, which at that time was called Gaul, and he settled there in the city of Marseille and established a large monastery for nuns and was the first to transmit the eastern monastic tradition to the west.

Sain Cassianus wrote works in which he expressed the principle of traditional monasticism. Among his famous sayings is that the monk is the one who, as you know, tries to apply the Gospel in its entirety. He said that the monk must first of all distance himself from the pleasures of this world. That is, he should start off in this spirit, the spirit of abstinence. After abstaining from the temptations of this world, he attaches himself to a monastery or to a hermitage in order to struggle there in contstant prayer, in order combat his personal passions.  That is, there is a stage of distancing oneself from the world and a deeper stage in distancing oneself from personal selfishness, from passions and lusts. Then, one can fight these evil spirits, one can control one's passions, one can approach what is called passionlessness. God's grace is active within you and you become holy, glorifying God in your life. This is a quick glance at Saint Cassianus, who wrote many works. We hope to publish these works in our Arabic language. Among the most famous of his works, which sets forth the rules for monks to live by, is the Cenobitic Institutes.

On this blessed feast, which is also the name's day of the abbot of this monastery, Archimandrite Cassianus, we pray that we might receive the intercession of this great saint, that he might bless this monastery and its monks so that they may continue and grow and become and remain a beacon in this environment and in this country. We call for the continuation and the development of monasticism because, beloved, if Christians in the world today or if the world in general does not have this ascetic spirit, , this emptying of the ego and renunciation of all the pleasures of this world, the world cannot continue and grow in truth, and man cannot grow and be glorified and become holy. We ask God to give us this power, so that we can continue in this mission, to the glory of His holy name. Amen.

A Wealth of Arab Orthodox History, for Free!

Parole de l'Orient and its predecessor Melto is one of the most important journals for the study of Arabic and Syriac Christianity. Fortunately, its entire run up to 2009 is available in pdf's free online. Below I have linked to all the available articles dealing with  Orthodox Christianity. Anyone interested in the history of Arab Orthodoxy would do well to browse through this literature........



In English:

Brock, Sebastian- A short melkite baptismal service in syriac (1972)

Makhlouf, Avril Mary- The trinitarian doctrine of Eutychius of Alexandria, 877 - 940 A.D. (1974)


Griffith, Sidney- Free will in christian kalam : the doctrine of Theodore Abu Qurrah (1987)

Sepmeijer, Floris- The book of splendor of the believer by Abdallah Ibn al-Fadl (1990)

Swanson, Mark- Some considerations for the dating of Fi tatlit allah al-wahid (Sin. ar. 154) and al-gami wuguh al-iman (London, british library or. 4950)  (1993)


Griffith, Sidney-  Reflections on the biography of Theodore Abu Qurrah (1993)

Sminé, Rima- The miniatures of a christian arabic barlaam and joasaph, Balamand 147 (1993)

Portillo, Rocio Daga- The arabic life of St. John of Damascus (1996)


Walbiner, Carsten-Michael- Accounts on Georgia in the works of Makariyus Ibn al-Zaim (1996)

Eid Bualuan, Hayat-  Mikha'il Breik, a chronicler and historian in 18th century Bilad Al-Sam (1996)


Sahas, Daniel- Why did Heraclius not defend Jerusalem and fight the arabs ? (1998)

Griffith, Sidney-  The Qur'an in arab christian texts : the development of an apologetical argument : Abu Qurrah in the maglis of al-ma'mun (1998)

Nassif, Bassam- Religious Dialogue in the Eighth Century : Example from Theodore Abu Qurrah Treatise (2005)

Khalifeh, Elia- A Project on the Antiochian Chalcedonian Orthodox Manuscripts : Syriac, Arabic, Cpa and Greek (2006)


Wannous, Ramy-  Abdallah Ibn al-Fadl Exposition of the Orthodox Faith (2007)


Varsanyi, Orsolya- The Role of the Intellect in Theodore Abu Qurrah's On the True Religion (2009)

Righi, Davide-  The Dialog Attributed to Abraham of Tiberias : new Research of his historical Environment (2009)

Nasry, Wafik-  Is there a Relationship between Al-Mugadalah and Gami Wuguh al-Iman ? (2009)
 
Bualuan, Hayat el-Eid-  The Rise of Druzism in Tarih bin Said al-Antaki Silat Tarih Utiha  (2009)

Youssef, Youhanna Nessim-  Melkites in Egypt According to Abu al-Makarim (XII Century) (2009)


Bahkou, Abjar-  Kitab al-kafi fi al-mana al-safi, the Complete Book of the Proper Meaning : the Christian Apology of Gerasimus (2009)


Kaidbey, Naila- Melkites in the Writings of Muslim Historians of Bilad al-Sam (2009)


Walbiner, Carsten-Michael- Preserving the Past and Enlightening the Present : Macarius B. al-Zaim and Medieval Melkite Literature  (2009)



After the jump, articles in French and a few in Italian and German:

Fr. Pandeleimon Farah Remembers Fr. Elias Morcos

The newest issue of the Orthodox Youth Movement's magazine is dedicated to recollections of the recently departed abbot of Deir el-Harf, Fr. Elias Morcos. I will translate a few of them, I think, as together they provide substantial testimony to the profound impact of Fr. Elias and the monastic renewal which he was a part on the contemporary life of the Church of Antioch. Fr. Pandeleimon Farah is abbot of the Monastery of Hamatoura. The Arabic original can be found here.




Blessed is the one You have chosen and accepted, O Lord, his memory is unto generations (Psalm 64:4)


After the repose of the esteemed Father Elias (Morcos), doyen of monks in all of Antioch, I wanted to recall some of his qualities that deserve attention that attracting souls to him so he in turn could draw them to God, like the expert fisherman who understands that his role is to work with God for our salvation.

Thus I will not write about what I heard from people, who are truthful in how they describe him, but rather about what I myself saw and experienced of him, leaving others open to talk about their own experiences. The first thing that attracted me to him was his apostolic simplicity that caused him to flee worldly glories, even though he was of a high station in his society, and to live in simplicity of heart and way of life, with humble clothing, food, and speech, such that he taught with his silence as much as with his words, without affectation or platitudes. He was precise in his analysis. He did not harm the listener, even if he chastised him. He did not exaggerate or use hyperbole, because he spoke in order to comfort and not to dispel hope. His hope was continuous, tied to faith and love.

In his meditations, he was precise, with an enthusiasm that did not allow for boredom. He encouraged his listeners and readers, spreading hope, because the people are our people, children of our Church that we must teach with love, patience, and faith.

He loved all, even at the cost of his rest and his schedule, despite the fact that he was precise and orderly. He loved them and them with patience and joy. This shows his humility and self-renunciation.

His clinging to the lord in deep and ardent prayer manifested itself the most at times of hardship and bitter crises, whether in the Church or the nation. At those times, you would find him calm, inviting you to prayer and reliance on God. He was not proud and made no account of himself, but he bore all in his heart, in imitation of his teacher Jesus, lifting them up in prayer with submission and contentment.

Work for him was first, with prayer and service, then the teaching came to you, "blessed is he who works and teaches" (Matthew 5:19).

He would surprise us with his reaction and response, as though he anticipated what was going through your mind. He always insisted on the connection to Christ, because he was sure in his experience of this two-way motion (as you strive to draw near to Christ, you find yourself being drawn to him. The more you draw near to the other, the more rooted you become in Christ.)

If one day I went to him to complain about some injustice, he would return me to myself to complain about myself instead, and so I was freed and could rest. He very often made us laugh with his habitual wit (a sign of his lively intelligence), replacing of our destructive grumbling with self-examination. Because he relied upon God, he spread within us this hope that is not afflicted with disappointment.

Finally, I will write about his pushing those with talents to work and to employ them in service of the Church. He helped every person to find himself within the Church through work that serves all.

To put it simply, he bore the heritage of the first monks and he honestly epitomized in himself philocalic experiences. I remember an article of our beloved Metropolitan Georges (Khodr) in an issue of our magazine "al-Nour" with the title "What We Need is a New St. Anthony" and there we had this obvious trailblazer answering the call in silence and humility.

I also must extol his graciousness in supporting Antiochian monasticism with prayer and work, and likewise his attracting the youth and children to the Church through his honorable behavior, his writings, his translations, his listening, and especially his simple and cogent solutions.

I call out to the Lord who granted him this qualities and virtues to make his memory to be eternal, joining with the joyous in heaven with abundant truth, and that He will grace us in the Church of Antioch with more like him so that the gift will continue to abound and the harvest will continue to be blessed, amen.

Met. Ephrem's Sermon for Ascension

This sermon was originally given at the Monastery of St. Jacob the Persian in Deddeh on June 2, 2011. The Arabic original can be found here.



In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen.

On this day we celebrate the Ascension of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ from earth to heaven in his glorified body. You have heard about the event of the Ascension from the Evangelist Luke and from the Acts of the Apostles, which Luke also wrote. In Luke, the event is tied to the Resurrection, while in the Acts of the Apostles it comes forty days after the feast of the Resurrection!

In Luke, Christ appears to the disciples risen from the dead after a discussion of how is body is of flesh and blood, but this body that is risen from the dead is separated from them. He leaves the earth after fulfilling his dispensation of salvation. He goes to heaven, upwards, and the disciples return to Jerusalem, as the Gospel says, with great joy. After that, they began to meet in the temple, praising and glorifying the Lord.

What is the purpose of this feast and what is its meaning? Why all this salvific dispensation? The Lord achieved in himself what he wants us to achieve in ourselves. The Fathers say that Christ’s ascension to heaven is also our ascension to heaven. In his letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul clearly says that our true homeland is in heaven with Jesus Christ, who is glorified unto the ages. Our life on this earth is a passing prelude to true, eternal life.

This is the meaning of the Feast of the Ascension. We are called to grow toward the true homeland, which is heaven, that is the Kingdom! Here we live by the Holy Spirit, whom the Church considers to be the pledge of eternal life. This is the meaning of the monastic life.

Why did the monastic life arise? Because the monk always gazes toward his true homeland, to this angelic kingdom which awaits him while he is on earth. He suffers, but he also rejoices that the Spirit of God is within him, the Holy Spirit. He rejoices in having received this pledge from now on. As the Holy Fathers say, we now live in our heavenly homeland. We taste this country ahead of time. We have a foretaste and we wait patiently to go where the Lord Jesus went in glory and sat at the right hand of the Father. And we will live with him forever, amen.