Patriarch Youssef
Pastoral Visit to Venezuela 2011
PASTORAL VISIT OF HIS BEATITUDE
GREGORIOS III (LAHAM) TO VENEZUELA
PROGRAMME
MONDAY 10 OCTOBER
8:00 PM Arrival at Maiquetia of H.B. on AMERICAN AIRLINES flight N° 903. Official welcome at V.I.P Lounge at Simon Bolivar International Airport by representatives of Church and State.
Drive to Caracas: EUROBUILDING HOTEL
TUESDAY 11 OCTOBER
CARACAS
Official Visits.
1:00 PM Lunch: at the Egyptian Ambassador’s Residence
7:00 PM Reception at the Syrian Ambassador’s Residence (Prado Del Este district).
WEDNESDAY 12 OCTOBER
9:30 AM After breakfast at the Hotel, to TURMERO
11:00 AM Chapel of Our Lady of Perpetual Help: Akathist Hymn and laying the Foundation Stone of the “Public Dining Hall” of the said Chapel – Lunch.
3:30 PM Visit to the SAINT ELIAS Old People’s Religious Centre and then to the HOTEL PIPO
6: 00 PM Solemn Mass at the Cathedral of The Assumption of Our Lady, San Jacinto district.
Supper: Syrian-Venezuelan Centre of Maracay.
THURSDAY 13 OCTOBER
MARACAY
10:00 AM To BARQUISIMETO. Lunch en route: Bejuma
7:00 PM Divine Liturgy at La Coromoto Parish, Bararida suburb.
9:00 PM Supper at the Syrian-Venezuelan Club.
FRIDAY 14 OCTOBER
9:00 AM Visit to the sanctuary of “THE DIVINE SHEPHERD”
To Valencia.
1:00 PM Vespers in the Antiochian Orthodox Church of Saint George in the el Prebo district.
Lunch at the Syrian-Venezuelan Club.
Return to Caracas: Eurobuilding Hotel
SATURDAY 15 OCTOBER
10:00 AM Going up El Avila, lunch in Galipan.
Return to the Eurobuilding Hotel.
7:30 PM Reception and supper (private).
SUNDAY 16 OCTOBER
1:00 PM Visit to the Maronite Fathers’ Monastery of Saint Sharbel and Lunch, Eurobuilding Hotel
6: 00 PM Divine Liturgy at St. George’s Cathedral (Montalban II).
8:00 PM Toast for the whole Community.
MONDAY 17 OCTOBER
(Arrival at Maiquetia of the Melkite Greek Catholic Bishops of Brazil, Canada and the United States)
Official Visits.
1:00 PM Syrian-Venezuelan Women’s Union Lunch, (Quinta Esmeralda).
7:30 PM Supper at the Residence of the Lebanese Ambassador.
TUESDAY 18 OCTOBER
Official Visits: Among others, to the Embassy of Palestine.
1:30 PM Lunch at the Residence of the Syrian Ambassador.
4:00 PM Visit to the Antiochian Greek Orthodox church of SAINT ANTONY the Abbot,
el Para?so.
7:30 PM Supper in Saint George’s Church Hall, Montalb?n.
WEDNESDAY 19 OCTOBER
MATURIN
1:30 PM Lunch (private)
7:30 PM Solemn Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of Carmel
9:00 PM Supper in the Arab Home.
THURSDAY 20 OCTOBER
CUMANA
1:30 PM Lunch at the Cumanagoto Hotel
7:30 PM Solemn Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
9:00 PM Supper at the Syrian-Venezuelan Club.
FRIDAY 21 OCTOBER
PUERTO LA CRUZ
Venetur Hotel
11:00 AM Press conference
Lunch and meeting of the Bishops of the Expansion
Subject to be discussed “The New Evangelisation.”
9:00 PM Supper at the Syrian Venezuelan Centre of Puerto la Cruz, offered by the BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
SATURDAY 22 OCTOBER
Breakfast (private)
Visit by yacht to the Isle of Mochima, lunch.
Supper (private).
SUNDAY 23 OCTOBER
11:00 AM Divine Liturgy for the Consecration of the Church of Saint George, Puerto La Cruz.
1:30 PM Lunch offered by the Saint George’s Parish Council.
Supper (private).
MONDAY 24 OCTOBER
Flight to Caracas
1:30 PM Visit to the Armenian Apostolic Church of Saint Gregory, Lunch
4:00 PM Visit to the Apostolic Nunciature.
8:00 PM Visit to the Syrian-Venezuelan Club of Caracas, Supper offered by the BOARD OF DIRECTORS
TUESDAY 25 OCTOBER
12:00 PM Departure of His Beatitude from the Simon Bolivar International Airport.
“Peace in the Middle East is the key to world peace,”
says Patriarch Gregorios III on pastoral visit to Venezuela
Caracas, 10 October 2011
(First report)
The Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, of Alexandria and of Jerusalem, Gregorios III (Laham) on a pastoral visit to Venezuela, declared on his arrival, "Peace in the Middle East is the key to world peace, because the Holy Land must acquire stability and security, for Christians to remain in the region. Christians are the children of peace, messengers of peace, and if long-term conflicts persist, that will affect them directly, which is the biggest challenge that Eastern Christians are facing today."
Patriarch Gregorios III is at the head of a delegation composed of the Superior General of the Aleppine Basilian Order Archimandrite Najib Tobji, the head of the patriarchal summer residence at Ain Traz, Archimandrite Nicolas Hakim and Patriarchal Chancellor Father Antony Dib, B.S. This pastoral visit will include all Venezuela’s regions, where Melkite Greek Catholic faithful have been living since the end of the nineteenth century. They are organised into nineteen regions, among which are many well-to-do industrialists and businessmen.
Gregorios III was welcomed on his arrival at Caracas airport by Bishop George Kahhaleh, the Apostolic Exarch in Venezuela and Bishop Abdo John Arbash, the Apostolic Exarch in Argentina, the representatives of various Christian communities, including Mgr Timothy Hikmat Beylouni, the Syriac Catholic Archbishop, Archimandrite Youssef Dib, representing the Antiochian Orthodox Church, Father Ignatius Saab, Superior of the Monastery of the Order of Saint Charbel of the Lebanese Maronite Church and the parish council from Caracas whose chairman is Mr. Michel Mazloum. Present in their official capacity were Ambassadors Charbel Wehbeh (Lebanon), Ghassan Abbas (Syria) and Ali Mrad (Egypt) and representatives of various Arab communities.
Patriarch Gregorios III’s current visit is very significant for strengthening the links between the expansion, its Church and countries of origin. That is one of the main recommendations of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops held in October 2010 at the Vatican and presided over by Pope Benedict XVI.
During this fifteen-day visit, the Eighth Congress of the Melkite Greek Catholic Bishops of the Diaspora will meet. The various topics on the agenda are to do with pastoral, social, liturgical and spiritual issues.
Caracas, 13 October 2011
(Second report)
Patriarch Gregorios III is continuing his pastoral visit to Venezuela, heading a delegation of bishops and priests of the Melkite Greek Catholic community.
On 11 October His Beatitude answered questions from a journalist of the state channel, “Canal 8,” the country’s biggest broadcaster. This half-hour interview touched on several topics of which the chief were:
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The aim of the trip: His Beatitude firstly emphasised that the pastoral aspect of his visit is to find out the situation of the Melkite Church’s members and encourage them to live their important role in Venezuelan society as witnesses and missionaries of the Church. This visit is also focused on holding the Eighth Congress of bishops of the diaspora on the theme of the “New Evangelisation.”
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The situation in Syria: His Beatitude said that the situation in all Arab countries is difficult, especially as most of these countries are in a state of revolution and calling for regime change. In fact, many of these demands are legitimate and necessary, but there are also many internal and external interests hiding behind these revolutions to divide our Arab world and especially Syria. He added that President Bashar Assad had already begun a series of changes some ten years ago and believes that the situation in Syria is critical, for if Syria splits up, it would lead to the division of several other Arab countries. That is why we ask the international community to give President Bashar Assad the chance to continue with the reforms he has already begun.
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On the topic of change: His Beatitude opined that any change requires three elements for it to succeed: Vision, Evolution and Revolution. He wondered whether there is vision in what is happening at the moment. Is there evolution to prepare for what is to come? He concluded that if these three elements are not realised, revolution will be ultimately pointless, resulting in division and bloodshed, as is currently happening in the Arab world.
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With regard to finding a solution to what is happening, His Beatitude emphasised the need of launching an Arab human rights charter, after having listened to young people’s voices and demands and completed an in-depth study of these demands. We are invited to be first to change these revolutions into positive energy which will help us change and develop our society and realise the ambitions of our young folk, without waiting for initiatives and projects drawn up by the West.
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The Israeli-Palestinian conflict: His Beatitude thought that as long as the Palestinian problem is not resolved, and Palestinians have not received their full right to return, it will be impossible to talk of peace in the Arab world or anywhere else in the world. Europe, which declared the State of Israel, ought to impose peace on Israel and recognize Palestine as an independent state. Whilever the West and the United States of America remain in their current position, the whole world will not know real peace, for sooner or later, injustice will break out sometime somewhere.
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With regard to the role of Venezuela and President Chavez in what is happening at present in the Middle East, His Beatitude believed that Venezuela had hosted very many immigrants from the Middle East, who consider it home from home, giving it much, as they have received much. Venezuela plays a significant role in South (Latin) America and in the Arab world. Its politics are well-known. It has always been against the domination of weak countries by powerful countries and against the exploitation of the formers’ wealth.
On the first day of this visit, the Patriarch and accompanying delegation accepted an invitation from the Egyptian ambassador Mr. Ali Mrad to dinner in his Caracas residence. His Beatitude expressed his joy at being the guest of the Egyptian ambassador, emphasising the role of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church as Church of the Arabs and Church of Islam. “We are not the Church of Islam to evangelise Muslims, but as an Arab Christian, I cannot live my faith without sharing it with my Arab Muslim friend. We, as Church of the Arabs and of Islam, are the pledge of continuing peace between East and West and between Christianity and Islam.”
He continued, “What happened recently in Egypt, the recent massacre of Copts, who are really the founders of Egyptian society, should not go unnoticed as with similar incidents in the past. The killer should be punished. No-one should escape sanctions from now on.” He concluded, “I hope that great Egypt will always be great Egypt.”
In the evening, the Patriarch and official delegation accepted an invitation from the Syrian ambassador, Mr. Ghassan Abbas to an official reception in honour of His Beatitude. Present were twelve representatives of various Arab and South American countries as well as members of Parliament of Syrian origin and very many clergymen and business-people.
Translation from French V. C.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hG7m7lDZO6Y