Meeting of the pastoral councils in the Syriac Catholic Diocese of Homs

Meeting of the pastoral councils in the Syriac Catholic Diocese of Homs: for the Church of Listening and Dialogue

Based on the call of the Second Vatican Council, “On the Mission of the Laity,” to revitalize the life of the parish, and to make room for its various members to cooperate in carrying out their mission, and to organize this cooperation, and after the election of new pastoral councils in all the Syriac parishes of the Diocese of Homs, Hama, and Nabek and its dependencies, they adhere to the internal regulations of the pastoral councils. In the diocese,

 former and current members of the parish councils gathered at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Hamidiya, with the blessing and presence of Bishop Mar Julian Yacoub Murad and the priests of the diocese.

After the starting prayer, there was a written speech by Father Jihad Youssef, head of the Monastery of Saint Musa Al-Habashi and professor of the Holy Bible. He began it with “Christ is Risen,” explaining that the Resurrection is the reality of our faith, and it is the seed of the Gospel planted by the Apostles.

The spirituality of the pastoral councils goes back to the spirit of the early church, the spirit of advice and solidarity between male and female believers.

He added: “What brings us together today is our belief in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, who chose us and loved us first, and our call as pastoral councils is to work on building the kingdom, first in our homes, which must be transformed into churches, and to pray without interruption, unite the heart, and rejoice because our situation today is no better than The situation of the persecuted early Christians, in addition to listening to the Holy Spirit in our encounters, meetings, and decisions

After that, Bishop Murad gave a speech in which he listed the general directives of the pastoral councils in the diocese, enumerating the elements that make up the line of action.

The first of which is commitment to the liturgical life of the church, obtaining faith training by following all stages of formation in Christian education, active participation in the activities of the church institution, and exercising the testimony of faith through ordination that qualifies him for this role in the diocese. The pastoral councils are also concerned with identifying the needs of the parishes and the aspirations of their children, and developing plans and programs that can be achieved. The bishop stressed the principle of participation and constructive frankness filled with love among council members, especially with the priest. He called for preserving parish property and holdings in the church and recording all periodic and extraordinary committee meetings in official minutes designated for them.

  He also called for paying attention to all parish affairs, including prayers, rituals, spiritual exercises, visits to the sick and poor, fraternities, Christian education, training camps, and cultural, educational and recreational activities, in addition to paying attention to endowments and ecumenical relations with other sister churches. He also praised the role of women in the parish and councils, and with regard to economic life, he saw the need to provide accurate and transparent accounts. In conclusion, he called for the establishment of a diocesan council, with a section of its members represented from all the parishes of the diocese, concerned with all the affairs of the diocese, and being the heart of the diocese and the supreme authority in it.

The meeting included an open dialogue with the bishop, diocesan priests, and participants, which included: an explanation of the bylaws of the pastoral councils, the necessity of dialogue and love when addressing the issues raised, the issue of unifying Easter, which requires prayer, the role of Christian education in the diocese and plans for rehabilitation, organization, and rehabilitation, support for the media committee, the role of the St. Elyan for service, relief and development, which includes all segments of society, the economic approach that requires financial transparency, not out of skepticism, but for clarity, which is guarantee and protection.

In conclusion, Bishop Murad thanked all the people who provided their services in the previous pastoral councils, and honored them by giving them a certificate of appreciation and a memorial photo of the Virgin Mary.

The meeting concluded with Bishop Murad’s call to join hands in order to build a church capable of mutual listening, dialogue, and concern for the weak, welcoming everyone, and characterized by the courage to convey the prophecy of the Gospel to all people.