Vatican City, Oct 2, 2010 / 16:18 pm
The Vatican's upcoming Synod for the Middle East aims to give "maximum visibility" to the situation of the Church and Christians in the region, said the synod's organizer in an interview this week. He spoke of some of the main issues up for discussion, emphasizing that trust in God's presence in the Holy Land reassures the Church that the region will not become a mere "archeological dig" for Christianity.
Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, the secretary general of the Synod of Bishops and organizer of October's Special Assembly for Middle Eastern bishops, described the background and expectations for the upcoming synod to Terrasanta.net. In an article published in its most recent newsletter, the archbishop said that the event in itself is the highlight.
Because of the "special place" the Holy Land holds for the universal Church, he explained, the two-week synod is important for everyone, not just people in the Middle East. This universality will be evident in the synod, in which, in addition to patriarchs and bishops from the Middle East, delegates from bishops' conferences that have the most active presence in the region, Orthodox Christians, Muslim and Jewish representatives will also be participating.
Three hundred people, including 150 bishops and patriarchs from Middle Eastern countries are expected to take part in the synod. Pope Benedict XVI himself will join deliberations during the morning and afternoon general congregations.