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Photo: Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I embrace.
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vatican.va - This morning the Holy Father Francis received in audience H.E. Mr. Saad Rafic Hariri, Prime Minister of Lebanon, who subsequently met with His Eminence Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by H.E. Msgr. Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States.
The discussions, which took place in an atmosphere of great cordiality, enabled the examination of various aspects of the situation in Lebanon and the latest developments in the Middle East. Satisfaction was then expressed for the strengthening of stability in the country, in the hope of increasingly fruitful collaboration between the various political powers to promote the common good of the entire Nation. Appreciation for the welcome Lebanon has given to many refugees was reaffirmed, and the parties focused on the need to find a just and comprehensive solution to the conflicts that plague the region.
Furthermore, the importance of intercultural and interreligious dialogue was highlighted, as well as the value of collaboration between Christians and Muslims to promote peace and justice, taking into consideration the historic and institutional role of the Church in the life of the country and the importance of the Christian presence in the Middle East.
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risu.org.ua - As part of the plenary session of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, held in these days in the Vatican, Patriarch Sviatoslav delivered a presentation on the ecumenical mission of the Eastern Catholic Churches.
“The experience of the last two centuries clearly shows that in restoring the unity or communion of the Churches, Christians have fallen into two categories: those who seek unity and those who oppose it,” the Head of the UGCC stressed, summarizing up his appeal to the participants of the plenary session.
“If there is a desire, there will always be the necessary means for its realization. Instead, if there is no such desire, a number of reasons will be put forward – of historical, pastoral, canonical nature – to avoid this unity, "the Head of the UGCC noted.
In the opinion of His Beatitude Sviatoslav, true ecumenism demands humility, but at the same time the courage to forgive and ask forgiveness: “The arguments of the historical past should be involved only in order to avoid the sins of the past in our future.”
In his report, he also presented the ecumenical activities of the UGCC and proposed some particular steps towards ecumenical dialogue, the Department of Information of the UGCC reported.
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(ugcc.org.ua) - From Monday, September 18 through Thursday, September 21, the priests and deacons of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia gathered with Archbishop Stefan Soroka, Bishop John Bura and Bishop Andriy Rabiy at the San Alfonso Retreat House here for their annual spiritual retreat. The retreat director was Rt. Rev. Mitred Msgr. Martin Canavan, a priest incardinated in the Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma, who presently is spiritual director at St. Basil’s Seminary in Stamford, Connecticut. Msgr. Canavan, a priest vocation from the first Ukrainian Catholic church in the United States, St. Michael’s parish in Shenandoah, Pa., for many years was incardinated in and served the faithful of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia.
During the retreat, Msgr. Canavan offered reflections for spiritual renewal with inspirational conferences based upon Scriptural passages from the Old and New Testaments, emphasizing the beauty of the entire creation of Almighty God. He stressed how each individual is a unique creation of God.
The clergy participated in daily liturgical services, including matins, vespers and the Divine Liturgy. Bishop John Bura, Bishop Andriy Rabiy and Archbishop Stefan Soroka were the main celebrants during the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday Divine Liturgies respectively.
On Thursday, as is tradition, a panakhyda for all the deceased hierarchs and clergy of the Philadelphia Archeparchy was sung following the Divine Liturgy.
After the panakhyda, Father Robert Hitchens, on behalf of the clergy, thanked Msgr. Canavan for serving as the retreat director and the clergy expressed their gratitude to him with the traditional singing of “God Grant Him Many Years.”
Metropolitan Stefan also expressed his gratitude to Msgr. Canavan and also to all the clergy for their wonderful participation throughout the week and particularly to Father Robert Hitchens and Father Wasyl Kharuk, for coordinating the retreat and for their preparation of all the texts for the liturgical services. He also thanked Father Walter Pasicznyk and Father Roman Sverdan, who served as sacristans during the liturgical services.
Often as priests absent themselves from their parishes for this time of spiritual renewal, well-intentioned parishioners may say “Enjoy your vacation” or upon return inquire “How was your vacation?’
However, a retreat is not a vacation, but a necessary and even obligatory requirement for clergy to withdraw from the daily routine of normal parish life for a time of prayer, reflection and spiritual renewal.
This concept of withdrawal for spiritual renewal can be found in the life of Jesus Christ, where the evangelists Matthew, Mark and Luke relate how Jesus, after his baptism by John, withdrew into the desert and fasted for forty days and nights.
In the 1520’s, St. Ignatius of Loyola developed his Spiritual Exercises. These spiritual exercises greatly influenced the development of retreats, especially for clergy, as a way of deepening their spiritual relationship with God.
Rev. John M. Fields, Director of Communications
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Cairo - A priest was killed and a second injured after they were attacked by a man in Greater Cairo, the Coptic Orthodox Church said in a statement on Thursday.
"In an unfortunate incident, archpriest Samaan Shehata of St. Julius’s church in Ezbet Girgis in El-Fashn, along with priest Beymen Moftah, of El-Malak church in Matay, were assaulted while in El-Salam City,” read the statement.
El-Salam City is a satellite city north-east of Cairo.
"Priest Samaan was transferred to hospital after he had passed away," the statement added.
The statement did not indicate any motive behind the attack.
In a different statement, Bishop Astafanous of Fashn, Biba and Samasta said the attacker was an "extremist" with a criminal record, and named him as Ahmed-El Sonbaty.
The bishop said that police have arrested the attacker.
The interior ministry has not yet issued a statement on the incident.
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CWN - Pope Francis visited the Pontifical Oriental Institute on October 12, for a celebration of the 100th anniversary of its founding.
The Pope met with students, faculty, and staff of the Oriental Institute, then proceeded to the basilica of St. Mary Major (which is just across a piazza from the Institute), where he presided at a Mass of thanksiving. In his homily the Holy Father recalled that the Institute was established by Pope Benedict XV at a time when World War I was shaking Europe. He praised the achievements of the Institute in encouraging greater understanding of the traditions of Eastern Christianity.
In a message to Cardinal Leonardo Sandri—who is the chancellor of the Oriental Institute as well as the prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches—the Pope urged all teachers to “remain open to the Oriental churches, considered not only in terms of their ancient configuration, but also in their current diffusion and at times troubled geographical spread.” He said that the Oriental Institute still has “an ecumencial mission to pursue,” seeking full communion with all of the Eastern churches.
“On the other hand,” the Pope continued, “the task of the Institute is also to make know the treasures of the rich traditions of the Oriental churches to the Western world.” He continued:
With the collapse of the totalitarian regimes and of various dictatorships, which in some countries has unfortunately created conditions favourable to the spread of international terrorism, the Christians of the Oriental churches are experiencing the tragedy of persecutions and an increasingly worrying diaspora. We cannot close our eyes to these situations.
The Pope said that Catholic bishops of the Latin-rite dioceses around the world should be aware of the pastoral needs of “the geographically dislocated oriental faithful without their own hierarchy.”
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ahram.org.eg - A priest was killed and a second injured after they were attacked by a man in Greater Cairo, the Coptic Orthodox Church said in a statement on Thursday.
"In an unfortunate incident, archpriest Samaan Shehata of St. Julius’s church in Ezbet Girgis in El-Fashn, along with priest Beymen Moftah, of El-Malak church in Matay, were assaulted while in El-Salam City,” read the statement.
El-Salam City is a satellite city north-east of Cairo.
"Priest Samaan was transferred to hospital after he had passed away," the statement added.
The statement did not indicate any motive behind the attack.
In a different statement, Bishop Astafanous of Fashn, Biba and Samasta said the attacker was an "extremist" with a criminal record, and named him as Ahmed-El Sonbaty.
The bishop said that police have arrested the attacker.
The interior ministry has not yet issued a statement on the incident.
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