News
Byzcath.org News provides news focusing on the Christian East from varous sources and offers links to other sites dedicated to providing the news about the Church.
Churches and organizations that provide news about the Eastern Churches are invited to submit their news stories to us for publication here (use the contact page for submission)..
Materials from the Vatican Information Service, Zenit, CWNews.com and other sources are published here with permission of their owners but may not be republished further without the permission of their original publishers. Please visit these sites to obtain additional general news about the Church. In addition to these sources EWTN News also provides a good general news summary.
Photo: Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I embrace.
- Details
CWN - Maronite Catholic Patriarch Bechara Boutros Rai met on November 9 with Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun, to confer about the country’s political crisis.
Last week Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri shocked the country by announcing his resignation, while on a visit to Saudi Arabia. Hariri—who is a Sunni Muslim, and had been seen as a friend of the Saudis—has not been seen in public since that time, and some rumors suggest he is being held by Saudi authorities.
The Maronite Patriarch had been scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia before the current political crisis arose. In his meeting with President Aoun, the two likely discussed whether the visit should be postponed, or whether the Lebanese prelate might act as an intermediary in talks with Saudi officials.
Further information:
- Details
Beirut (Agenzia Fides) - Following the sudden resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, "there must be vigilance and full awareness against any sabotage plot or scheme aimed at undermining stability in the country". This is how Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Rai voiced regret over Prime Minister Saad Hariri's shock resignation while on a visit to Saudi Arabia, warning of the destabilizing effects that this choice might have on the fragile national balance. In his homily during Mass celebrated on Sunday November 5, the Primate of the Maronite Church invoked everyone to support the appeal launched by Lebanese President Michel Aoun to protect and strengthen national unity, showing patience and discernment in the choices to prevent that the Country of Cedars sinks in the spiral of conflict which continues to torment the Middle Eastern scenarios. Lebanon - added Patriarch Rai during the homily - should not be dragged into "regional or international axes that do not befit its nature, values and role as an element of cooperation, stability and coexistence in its Middle Eastern region".
Lebanese Premier Saad Hariri announced his surprising resignation on Saturday November 4, while on a visit - for the second time in five days - to Saudi Arabia. The resignation announcement was given by the same Lebanese Sunni leader with a speech broadcast from al-Arabiya satellite TV. In his speech, Hariri harshly attacked the Lebanese Hezbollah Shiite movement -linked to Iran - accusing him of "targeting his weapons" against the inhabitants of Yemen, Syria and Lebanon, and highlighted the fear of threats to his life. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah responded to allegations claiming that the resignation of Sunni Hariri was an "imposed" decision by Saudi Arabia, and that the resigning Premier's speech "was written by the Saudis".
A few days before the new Lebanese crisis, the official invitation to visit Saudi Arabia was delivered to Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Rai by Walid Bukhari, Saudi Chargé d'affaires. The visit to Saudi Arabia – said Bukhari himself - should have taken place in the coming weeks, and Patriarch Rai would have also met King Salman and Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman. But now – said to Agenzia Fides Maronite priest Rouphael Zgheib, National President of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Lebanon, new developments make it very unlikely that the visit will take place. "A Patriarch's trip to Saudi Arabia, at the moment", explained Father Zgheib, "risks looking like a field choice, and this was certainly not the intention of the Patriarch who had already stated that he was willing to visit Arabia Saudi Arabia to open new bridges to all". (GV) (Agenzia Fides, 6/11/2017)
- Details
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church of St. Andrew in Parma, Ohio, celebrated the half-century anniversary of its founding.
According to the church’s Facebook page, the celebrations took place on October 7-8.
“50 years have passed since the day when the cornerstone was laid and consecrated in the basis of the structure of the temple of the UGCC dedicated to St. Andrew the First Called, where the name of the Lord has been praised for half a century and the Holy Gospel has been preached for the salvation of souls,” reads the message of the church administration.
- Details
PYLYPIVKA (ADVENT) PASTORAL OF THE UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC HIERARCHY OF THE U.S.A. TO OUR CLERGY, HIEROMONKS AND BROTHERS, RELIGIOUS SISTERS, SEMINARIANS AND BELOVED FAITHFUL
Glory to Jesus Christ!
“Pylypivka” or Philip’s Fast that begins on November 14th is upon us. It is a time of preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are once again called to embark on a journey to welcome Emmanuel among us! In a short forty days we will celebrate the Feast of Nativity of Our Lord. At the Matins of the Nativity we will sing:
“Christ is born, let us glorify Him. Christ comes down from heaven; let us go out and meet Him. Christ lives on earth, let us exalt in joy. All you faithful sing to the Lord, for He has been glorified.” Hirmos 1, Canon Matins of the Nativity of Our Lord.
How can we prepare ourselves to welcome God among us? How will we glorify Him? Can this Christmas season be a profound and spiritual experience for me?
In order to properly prepare to meet Christ on His feast of the Nativity, Mother Church is giving us forty days to challenge ourselves to live our Christian calling and vocation: to deepen knowledge of the Word of God, to live a life of community and personal prayer, and to perform acts of charity and mercy both in the church, and in the world. In these three points, we can describe our vocation as a Christian, as well as the vocation of the entire Church.
If every parish is called to be a place to encounter the living Christ, then Christ the Teacher must have a central place in our lives and our parish life. Now is the time to daily set aside time for reading the Sacred Scripture and to meditate upon it. We are also called to learning of Divine truth, the truths of the Christian faith
and the foundations of Christian life.
Gathered together “at the breaking of the bread”, that is at the Eucharistic Sacrifice, we are mystically united among ourselves, and are also united with Christ’s sacrifice, offered to God the Father for us and by us. The Eucharist is the center of the Christian life. The parish – the community gathers for the “breaking of the bread”, that is for the Eucharistic service. The Eucharist is at the same time the culmination of the parish life and also the source of all its spiritual blessings. Let us invite a friend or neighbor to join us for the liturgical services in our parish community.
During these days, we are called both personally, and as a member of the community to pray, for oneself, and for others, to offer one’s self as a sacrifice to God, to forgive others and to ask God for forgiveness, to bless God and to be a blessing for others.
What is most important: all of us together are called to strive for holiness, to be a truly holy people. What does this mean? In parish life, every liturgical service and all of our liturgical practices and prayer life is to promote the sanctification of the time and the place where we are, and we ourselves become sanctified as well, as a gift consecrated to God. That is why during the time of preparation for coming of our Lord we should guard oneself from sin, and strive to grow in the virtue of moderation, purity of body and soul, according to one’s state in life.
We are also called to look beyond ourselves and be of service to others, especially the less fortunate among us. During the Philip Feast let us look at our community and find those who need our help and assistance. We can visit the sick, assist the poor, give food for the hungry, care for orphans, support those who suffer injustice, promote peace, and offer comfort for those grieving. We can perform all of this in our community where we live and work, as the needy live among us.
Let us start this season together! Let us pray, meditate upon the Word of God, sacrifice for one another and trust in God. Then with joy we will be able to welcome God among us!
+Stefan Soroka
Archbishop of Philadelphia for Ukrainians
Metropolitan of Ukrainian Catholics in the United States
+Paul Chomnycky, OSBM
Eparch of Stamford
+Benedict Aleksiychuk
Eparch of St. Nicholas in Chicago
+ Bohdan J. Danylo (author)
Eparch of St. Josaphat in Parma
+John Bura
Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia
+Andriy Rabiy
Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia
Pylypivka 2017
- Details
Beirut (AsiaNews) - Maronite patriarch, Card. Bechara Raï has announced that he will visit Saudi Arabia within the next two weeks, responding to the official invitation from Saudi king Salman and the hereditary prince, and number two in the country, Mohammad bin Salman.
This is the first historic visit by a Lebanese church leader to the ultraconservative Wahhabi kingdom, which has recently launched a series of economic and social reforms, including the opening up of sports arenas and driving to women, as well as the first attempts at emancipation from the fundamentalist view of Islam.
In an interview with Lebanese State TV, Card. Raï confirmed the invitation from the highest Saudi authorities, pointing out that "no special conditions were set for the visit" which "will last one day". "My role - added the Cardinal - is not political and everyone knows who the Maronite patriarch is."
The Lebanese Christian leader remembers that in the past, in 2013, he had received an invitation to visit Riyadh from the former monarch, King Abdallah. However, this trip was never possible, he adds, "for a variety of [non-defined] issues."
In the last period, the Saudi kingdom has initiated a series of reforms, forcefully taken by the hereditary prince, in the context of the "Vision 2030" program that invests in the social, economic, cultural and religious sphere. Historians and analysts recall that Card. Raï’s will be "the first visit of a Christian religious leader since... the time of the Prophet's ". In the past the Cardinal had already made an official trip to Qatar.
An official source of the patriarchate reported that "the invitation was issued by word of mouth" in recent days to the Cardinal by the Saudi business agent in Lebanon Walid Boukhari. A historical visit, the sources emphasized, which once again raises the role of the Land of the Cedara as a "message of pluralism for the East and the West," as Pope John Paul II repeatedly referred to it.
The Maronite Patriarch and Lebanon propose their role as a “bridge" to an Arab world that opens to modernity in a regional context marked by wars - Iraq, Syria - and tensions (Iran and Saudi Arabia, Countries the Gulf and Qatar).
During the flying visit to Riyadh, Card. Raï should also raise the question of Jerusalem and peace in the Holy Land, a decade-old and unresolved problem that gives rise to all the other crises that characterize the region. (DS)
- Details
vaticah.va - The Holy Father has appointed as eparchial bishop of Mar Addai of Toronto of the Chaldeans, Canada, H.E. Msgr. Bawai Soro, transferring him from the titular see of Foraziana.
H.E. Msgr. Bawai Soro
H.E. Msgr. Bawai Soro was born on 3 March 1954 in Kirkuk, Iraq, and was baptized (with the name of Ashur Soro) in the Assyrian Church of the East. In 1973 his family left Iraq, and following a few years in Lebanon, they transferred to the United States of America in 1976. He was ordained a priest on 21 February 1982 in Chicago, United States of America, and appointed as pastor of the Saint Mary’s Parish in Toronto, Canada.
He was elected bishop of the new Assyrian eparchy of Western United States, based in San José, California, United States of America, on 21 October, and received episcopal consecration in California, with the name of Bawai Soro. From 1995 to 1999 he was bishop of Seattle, after which he returned in 1999 to the see of San José. The prelate was one of the most active promoters of dialogue between the Assyrian Church and the Catholic Church.
He studied at the Catholic University of America, Washington, obtaining a master’s degree in theology in 1992, and at the Pontifical Saint Thomas Aquinas University in Rome, where in 2002 he obtained a doctorate in sacred theology.
In June 2013, the Synod of Chaldean Bishops received him as a member and on 11 January 2014, the Holy Father Francis assigned him the titular see of Foraziana. He has served the eparchy of Saint Peter Apostle of San Diego of the Chaldeans, United States of America, as protosyncellus until the appointment of the current bishop, H.E. Msgr. Shaleta, on 1 August 2017.