Fifth day – many diverse voices at the Synod

On the fifth day, the Greek Catholics animated morning prayer with the participation of the Pope and Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregorios III Laham. After the prayer, the different delegates from the non Catholic Churches and communities began their addresses to the Synod. The first to address his words was the Greek Orthodox Bishop of Kenya, representative of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria. After him, Archbishop Georges Khoder from Lebanon, a renowned theologian in the Arab world and representative of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, addressed the assembly. He emphasized that the element of unity is the celebration of the Eucharist which transforms the Church into a holy nation and a kingdom of priests. He was followed by the Syrian Orthodox Bishop of Aleppo, delegate of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch, the Armenian Bishop of Damascus, representative of the Armenian Patriarch in Armenia, the Armenian Bishop of Aleppo, delegate of the Armenian Patriarch in Lebanon, the Anglican Bishop of Exeter, delegate of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Assyrian Bishop of Baghdad, delegate of the Assyrian Church of the East Patriarch in Chicago. The Syrian Orthodox Bishop of Aleppo also read a message from the Secretary General of the World Council of Churches. All the delegates praised the initiative of the Synod and identified fully with its objectives.

On this day, a major part of the discussion was devoted to the situation in Iraq. The Chaldean Patriarch described a relatively calm reality but many other bishops seemed to disagree. A strong and emotional voice was that of Ms. Anan Lewis, a consecrated virgin who is professor of English literature in Baghdad University who called on the Church to be closer to the Christians in Iraq who are struggling to survive. Chaldean Bishop Jacques Ishaq from Iraq described the institutions of higher learning and their role in the country and pointed out that 12 young men had been ordained to the priesthood in the past year.

A particularly emotional moment was when Syrian Catholic Father Corep Sag from Turkey described the situation of the Syrian Catholics who still remained in Turkey after most of the community has already disappeared. He was unable to speak, his voice choked with emotion, as he mentioned the historic centers of the Church in Mardin and Tur Abdin.

On this, the fifth day, the long list of speakers reached an end and in the coming days the Synodal fathers will begin to discuss the propositions and final statement which will be issued at the end of the Synod.