I thank the Lord, who by his unfailing grace has gathered us together in the company of our guests for the opening of this Convention. I especially thank all those who have worked without ceasing, and, who have persevered for so long in the preparation of the Convention despite the many difficulties encountered along the way. In particular, I am grateful to Fathers Samir Haddad, Fady Salameh and Edward Ibrahim, and my personal assistant Mrs Sue Nabaki-Norris and the members of the various committees who assisted them.
I also pay tribute to the Aboriginal People, the first inhabitants and traditional custodians of this country. I pray that together with them, all Australians, as one Nation, will continue to enjoy the manifold benefits that this land lavishes upon us.
In 1891, 118 years ago, a priest-monk from the Basilian Chouerite Order, who had been born in Ras-Baalbek, arrived at Port Jackson in Sydney. Father Silwanos Mansour stayed with his relatives, the Mansour family, who lived in Redfern. This inner Sydney suburb was home to many of the Melkite Greek-Catholics who had first migrated from Lebanon and later from other Arabic countries. The earliest Lebanese migrants arrived in 1860, seeking refuge from the war that had broken out between the Christian and Druze communities. Following the opening of the Suez Canal in 1896, Middle Eastern migration continued and increased.
These migrants worked with Father Mansour to establish the first Eastern Church – Catholic or Orthodox – in Australia. Building commenced in 1893 and the completed Church at Waterloo was consecrated by His Eminence, Patrick Cardinal Moran, in 1895.
From that time the church of St Michael became a focal point for those pioneering migrants who journeyed to Australia, leaving behind all that was dear and familiar – their kinfolk, their villages and their towns. Gathered around their new church in Sydney, they strived to preserve ecclesiastical, liturgical and cultural heritage which they had experienced in their homelands. Central to their world-view were church and family, community and patriotic gatherings, and, the celebration of the liturgical feast days.
Many of our early Australian Melkites often had little choice but to follow the Roman Latin Rite for several reasons:
1. The geographical distance from the church and the lack of transport. This became increasingly a problem as the community moved in to the outer suburbs.
2. Many found employment in rural areas. These often became quite isolated from their church and community.
3. The priests – migrants themselves – were unable to speak English.
4. Confusion because of our name. In our homelands our church was simply referred to as the Catholic Church. In Australia, Catholics are the Latins who belong to the Western Roman Church.
And to this we might add that very few Australian Catholics – clergy or people – would ever have heard the word "Melkite.” It is well known that our forebears in the Melkite church suffered much and struggled to preserve their rite and traditions, their heritage and customs. Our gathering here today must honour first their efforts, and we must acknowledge the invaluable legacy they have bequeathed to us.
It is a great joy for me to be with you today. With the gifts of God’s grace, you have become the pillars of your parishes, playing a vital role in their administration, their many spiritual and social activities, and, working to increase the temporal goods of the church. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I will endeavour to explain to you the current state of our Eparchy and to share with the vision for the coming years.
I. Current State of the Eparchy:
You will doubtless agree with me that, during the past ten years, we have made great progress, especially after the first convention that assembled in Wollongong in November 2005. We have dedicated our time and increased our efforts to realise the recommendations of that convention on matters related to the Youth and the Family.
First there are certain difficulties that must be openly and clearly discussed if you are to be aware of the daily experiences that our Church encounters in Australia.
a. Language – Most of our priests and deacons were born outside Australia. Our clergy generally make every effort to communicate with the Australian born Melkites. However, for the majority of them the English language was most often not a part of their education. Regretfully, this places them at a distance from most of the young people. Our youth are educated in Roman Catholic schools and feel more familiar with the English language forms of worship and prayer available in these schools. On the other hand, the parents and grandparents of a very large number of our young people prefer to pray and to attend the Liturgy celebrated in Arabic. For them English is not the natural language of prayer. Unhappily, it is difficult to convince many of our priests that the future of our Church in this country is linked to the native born youth and their future children and grandchildren for whom English is and will continue to be the first language. Like many of you, for me, the Arabic language is at the very heart of my self understanding, however, if I may adapt the words of St John the Baptist – We must decrease, that they might increase.
b. We have endured much, and, continue to do so, as we strive to keep or parishes and churches thriving, open and relevant. The problem is that we lack sufficient cooperation from our people – for example, the monthly envelopes are generally ignored. Those who do return them are less than 5% - the contribution of the Faithful in this regard is not worth mentioning. It is sad to say, but most of our sons and daughters have not yet received the grace of generosity. This unfortunate situation has forced the priest to become coordinators of hafles, collectors of money, beggars and financial administrators – and all this before we even consider the purpose for which they were ordained, - to be the Eucharistic and sacramental celebrant for their people, to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, to be men of prayer, to be good and faithful pastors, to be the spiritual father of the families of the parish, the children, and, the youth
c. Some parishes are neither able to meet their current expenses or to provide their levy to maintain the ministry of the Eparchy. This leaves the priest to survive on a minimal and totally unfair stipend, which in the case of the married clergy must also support his family.
d. Unfortunately, parish councils have not yet grasped the importance of their contribution to the support of the Eparchy. They seem not to understand the ever present financial hardships faced by the Eparchy. It seems that some think that the Eparchy has inexhaustible funds and abundant monies, and that the financial responsibility of the parishes rests with the Eparchy.
e. We still face difficulties in selecting suitable lay persons to be spiritual leaders and to cooperate closely with the priests in building up the House of God. Perhaps the clergy have not given them the opportunity or perhaps we do not have the educational or spiritual programs to prepare them for this task.
f. By insisting on Arabic as the principal language in our liturgical prayers and hymns, we have closed our doors to the wider Australian community. Thus, the majority of the Australian Catholic community is unable to discover the beauty and richness of liturgical rites and ecclesial traditions. Slowly but surely, we are becoming a closed community, a ghetto church, a museum exhibit. We are in danger of forgetting that we share in the commission the Lord Jesus Christ gave the entire Church to proclaim the Gospel.
On the other hand, the Eparchy has enjoyed many positive outcomes amongst, which we might note:
a. Most of our prayers and hymns have been published in English. You heard today Psalm 103 "Blessed is our Lord…" chanted for the first time in English to a Byzantine melody, similar to that in Arabic. We hope that this is the first of many more.
b. After three years of consultation with the Melkite bishops of the United States and Canada, and, our community in the United Kingdom, we have completed a common English translation of the Holy Liturgy.
c. Most of our parishes have a Youth Committee. Sometimes the members are a little shy or hesitant. However, we must say that some groups are noted for their commitment and enthusiasm. Given the difficulties of growing up in any modern society it is for us to nurture them and support them. It is our hope to work closely with them, and, to assure them that the Church - their Church - needs them, and greatly values their contribution to our ecclesial life in this country.
d. This year we have published the Eparchy Statutes. This document is an important resource for all clergy and laity working in the Eparchy. With these Statutes, we have made great progress towards a unified approach in our common endeavours throughout the Eparchy.
II - Our Vision for the Future
a. We Melkites in Australia, as in the other countries of the Diaspora, are living in a state of internal or psychological conflict - by this, I mean that we are, at the same time, both Eastern and Western. First, we are Easterners because we are members of an Eastern and Byzantine Church with our roots in Orthodoxy and the Arab world. Second, we are Westerners because we have entered into full communion with the Holy See in Rome.
It is true that our ecclesial union with Rome was a great benefit, however, this must not prevent us being honest in saying that we sometimes find ourselves in a difficult situation. Our mission must be clear to us - and that is to bear courageous witness to the possibility, and indeed the necessity, of the reunion of the Undivided Church of the first one thousand years. We must be proud to be Melkite Catholic, Eastern and Western at the same time. Although we are but small Church, it cannot be denied that we have brought to the West that which is positive in the Eastern Church. Likewise, we have been the means by which the worthwhile in the West has been made available to the Christians of the East.
b. Our honesty and courage in preserving our Eastern Christian heritage, and, our refusal to be latinised, are invaluable contributions to the evolution of the Dialogue of Love, the ecumenical encounters between the Churches, and, the progress towards Christian unity.
c. This is why I appeal to you to be faithful to the tradition of our Melkite Church. May we be ever worthy and grateful heirs of the legacy bequeathed to us by forebears in the Faith – our parents and grandparents, and the priests who struggled to preserve and safeguard our Church in Australia.
d. With great appreciation, we must acknowledge that the Latin Church in Australia, and especially the Conference of Australian Catholic Bishops, has played a vital role in the protection of our eastern Catholic heritage and traditions. Today, I think of each of these worthy bishops, both those still with us and those who have reposed in the Lord, who have shown on every occasion the greatest fraternal empathy with us. It is my fervent prayer to the Lord to watch over the Catholic Church in Australia as it continues, as always to proclaim the love of Jesus Christ, risen in glory from the dead.
e. One of our urgent priorities for our church is that we provide our youth with every opportunity to enter into the life of the church, the life in Christ. The first step in this process is for them to experience the beauty of our liturgy, our fascinating services and the richness of our traditions. We must help them to overcome the many challenges they face, and, which make them, in most cases, prisoners to this secular society.
f. We desire that the lay people take a more extensive and a more important role in the life and administration of the Church. The lay people, Christ’s Faithful, are the most important component in the Church. Together with the clergy, they are responsible for the preaching of the Word of God, and, they share in the commission to proclaim the Good News, especially to those who are at a distance from the Church. It is our wish that the priests cooperate lovingly with the people, and, to do so in trust accepting them as real partners in pastoral work. We hope for an ever increasing bond of mutual understanding and support between clergy and laity as we work hand in hand for the building up of the Church, the one Body of Christ.
g. In our pastoral endeavours, we must concentrate on educational programs in spirituality and religious knowledge. This must be emphasised in every sector of our community, lest the present generation of Melkite children grow up knowing nothing of their faith and tradition.
h. We need to instil and develop within our people, the grace of generosity towards their church. In the Holy Bible, both Old and New Testaments, the offering is marked as ten percent. If we were to achieve this target, our priests would cease to be preoccupied with hafles and other fundraisers, and, be freed to preach the Good News and only the Good News.
i. We are in need of priests who both grew up in this country, and who are immersed in the traditions of the Christian East, and especially our Melkite Church. Such priests can then become apostles to the Australian community, bringing to it the spirituality of the East.
j. We need to encourage the role and contribution of women in our pastoral work. We must not forget that it was the women disciples who first announced the Resurrection of Jesus. In the Church today women must be given appropriate and significant pastoral responsibilities, and, for which the parish priests must provide suitable and adequate formation. It is good for us to remember that in the Byzantine Churches, certain women, including the early women disciples, are called, "Equal-to-the-Apostles.”
Last, before all of you, I confess that our Church in Australia is facing many obstacles- we are small ecclesial community brought together from variety of a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. I compare it to a mosaic – if carefully put together, it becomes a balanced composition, a thing of unique beauty. However, this mosaic, our Church, is not man-made, it is the work of God, "the vineyard planted by his right hand.”
We are also a poor Church, lacking the wealth and influence of some. However, it is the poor and the weak and the needy who are closest to the heart of God, simply because we are in need of his help and grace.
Today, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Good and Faithful Shepherd, speaks to our hearts. Today, once more, he entrusts his Church to us.
I have many questions in my mind, and, as I conclude, I would put some of them to you -
• Are we aware of the heritage of our Church?
• Are we conscious of being disciples of our Church in Australia?
• Do we feel a shared responsibility for the life of our Church?
• Are we happy to be a part of this mosaic which is our Church?
My dear Brothers and Sisters
Always ask yourselves – do I bring sufficient to God and to his Church? There is no need to doubt the relationship of the Church to you. However, it is good for us to reassess our relationship with the Church.
With all this, and, with great joy I announce to you the opening of the 2nd Convention of our Melkite Catholic Church in Australia and New Zealand with the theme, "Together we build our Church.”
Glory be to God for all things. Amen.