ONE Magazine March 2021

one

March 2021

God • World • Human Family • Church

Looking

East

Priestly Formation in Iraq • Challenges for the Church in India The Deepening Crisis in Ethiopia • CNEWA at 95

one COVER STORY

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Catholicism: The One and the Many Why we need Eastern churches

by Father Elias D. Mallon, S.A., Ph.D.

FEATURES

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When Truth Dies, So Do People War has millions facing hunger0 in Ethiopia

by Laura Ieraci

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A Letter from Iraq

by Father Ephrem Gilyana Dinkha

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Caring for the Least Among Us: New Challenges in India Mission continues despite new laws

by Anubha George with photographs by Sajeendran V.S.

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Being Family to Each Other Going beyond the basics for vulnerable youth in Egypt

by Magdy Samaan with photographs by Roger Anis

DEPARTMENTS

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Connections to CNEWA’s world Perspectives

by Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari

t A resident at Sneha Sadan, a home for women with physical challenges in India, flashes a smile during lunch.

CNEWA.org CNEWA1926 CNEWA CNEWA CNEWA1926

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION CATHOLIC NEAR EAST WELFARE ASSOCIATION

Volume 47 NUMBER 1

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This Spring, Plant Seeds of Hope Your gift will grow Into a beautiful future For a world in need 24 Front: An Assyrian woman prays at a church in Damascus during a liturgy in 2015 for Assyrian Christians abducted by ISIS. Back: Altar servers at Holy Family Chaldean Catholic Mission in Phoenix attend to their duties during liturgy.

Photo Credits Front cover, CNS photo/Omar Sanadiki, Reuters; Pages 2, 20-23, Sajeendran V.S.; Pages 3 (top), 39, CNS photo/Paul Haring; Pages 3 (upper left), 3 (far right), 10, Petterik Wiggers; Pages 3 (upper right), 28-29, 32-37, Roger Anis; Pages 3 (lower left), back cover, Nancy Wiechec; Pages 3 (lower right), 14-17, Courtesy of St. Peter Seminary archives; Page 4, Bethlehem University; Page 5, CNEWA; Pages 6-7, Abdulmonam Eassa/Getty Images; Page 8, CNS photo/Baz Ratner, Reuters; Page 9, CNS photo/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah, Reuters; Page 11, John E. Kozar/CNEWA; Pages 12-13, Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP via Getty Images; Pages 24-25, Lynsey Addario/Getty Images Reportage; Page 27, Don Duncan; Page 30, Laura Ieraci.

Publisher Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari

12 Editorial Staff Paul Grillo Laura Ieraci Deacon Greg Kandra Michael J.L. La Civita Elias Mallon, S.A., Ph.D. J.D. Conor Mauro Timothy McCarthy ONE is published quarterly. ISSN: 1552-2016 CNEWA Founded by the Holy Father, CNEWA shares the love of Christ with the churches and peoples of the East, working for, through and with the Eastern Catholic churches.

CNEWA connects you to your brothers and sisters in need. Together, we build up the church, affirm human dignity, alleviate poverty, encourage dialogue — and inspire hope.

Officers Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, Chair and Treasurer Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari, Secretary Editorial Office 1011 First Avenue, New York, NY 10022-4195 1-212-826-1480; www.cnewa.org ©2021 Catholic Near East Welfare Association.

All rights reserved. Member of the Catholic Media Association of the United States and Canada.

You can make a difference by Uplifting the poor Supporting seminaries or schools Providing food, health care Or offering a gift where the need is the greatest Contact us today to learn more: Haimdat Sawh Development Officer (212) 826-1480, ext. 511 hsawh@cnewa.org 1011 First Avenue New York, NY 10022 cnewa.giftplans.org

Connections to CNEWA’s world Remembering “Brother Joe” In February, a member of the CNEWA family, Brother Joseph Loewenstein, F.S.C., entered eternal life at the age of 95. In the 1980s, the man affectionately known as “Brother Joe” served as the director of our regional office in Jerusalem. He also served as the first vice chancellor of Bethlehem University and the university’s second president. As the university described him, he was “a permanent fixture [at the university] for most of its existence, educating thousands of teachers, civil society and business leaders, parents, nurses, scientists and church workers.”

Brother Joe has been recognized by many for his devoted work in Palestine, particularly with those living in refugee camps as he spent more than 42 years in Bethlehem. On the occasion of his 90th birthday, in an email to CNEWA, he summed up his life: “My philosophy is ‘helping others’ — be they students, the poor, anyone in need.” It is a philosophy he lived out beautifully and passionately.

May his memory be eternal.

Iraq Trip As this edition of ONE goes to press, Pope Francis has just returned to Rome from his historic apostolic trip to Iraq, 5-8 March, making him the first bishop of Rome to visit what was ancient Mesopotamia, whose diverse peoples today struggle to rebuild their homeland after more than four decades of war, displacement and persecution.

Iraq, Pope Francis is also visiting us — seeing firsthand the loving work that CNEWA has undertaken, along with our partners in the field, to make Christ present in Iraq. In a special way, we share in the excitement and joy of this moment, a moment that bears witness to the Good News so many are hungry to hear!”

The pope’s itinerary included meetings with priests and religious men and women in Baghdad, an interreligious meeting in Ur, the hometown of the prophet Abraham, a courtesy visit with Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Husaymi al-Sistani in the Shiite holy city of Najaf, and visits with the faithful in Mosul, Erbil and Qaraqosh — all of it documented on our blog: cnewa. org/blog.

95 Years of Service March 2021 marks another milestone for CNEWA, as this special agency of the Holy See commemorates its 95th anniversary.

Since its creation by Pope Pius XI on 11 March 1926, Catholic Near East Welfare Association has become the leading Catholic agency for its pastoral and humanitarian support of the Eastern churches in the Middle East, Northeast Africa, India and Eastern Europe.

As CNEWA’s president, Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari, said recently, “In visiting

As CNEWA moves closer to marking a century of service, accompanying

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the Eastern churches in ways that, as our mission statement puts it, “build up the church, affirm human dignity, alleviate poverty, encourage dialogue — and inspire hope,” “we intend to share the stories of the remarkable witnesses of the Gospel who have offered their lives in service to all the people of God through this remarkable agent of good,” said CNEWA’s Msgr. Vaccari.

Bringing CNEWA to You Beginning with the New Year, CNEWA has expanded its family of print and digital resources for donors and readers. “People, Look East,” whether in its email, blog or magazine form, offers readers insights into the world of the Eastern churches, the communities of the faithful that CNEWA is privileged to serve. This series — the magazine version of which is launched in this edition with Atonement Friar Elias Mallon’s

article, “Catholicism: The One and The Many” — joins our newsletter, “CNEWA’s World,” which launched last year and delivers to your inbox a weekly news summary with important developments around the Middle East, Northeast Africa, India and Eastern Europe.

Tigray region in early November. In January, a delegation of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia traveled to Tigray to meet with Bishop Tesfaselassie Medhin of the Eparchy of Adigrat and to assess the situation of the faithful and the local church.

Together with ONE, our website and our blog, these tools provide timely updates that can bring CNEWA’s world into your world.

Visit cnewa.org to see more.

The delegation said the bishops and his priests had been shuttered since the end of November and had experienced “unspeakable intimidations, sufferings, refutations, frustrations and loneliness.” The people have mostly fled their homes for rural areas in search of safety, they said.

Lebanon Update In early February, Lebanon marked six months since the massive blast that devastated Beirut left hundreds of thousands homeless. The Holy See’s Congregation for Eastern Churches has charged CNEWA and L’Oeuvre d’Orient, a Parisbased Catholic charity that has long partnered with CNEWA, to coordinate worldwide Catholic aid for Lebanon.

As of early February, individual benefactors and donor agencies had provided CNEWA with more than $4.2 million in assistance for food distribution, repair to damaged homes, and the rehabilitation of hospitals and clinics. CNEWA has also worked with six congregations to repair and restore 16 facilities damaged by the blast that offer programs and services to families.

The need remains dire, and efforts to help Lebanon recover will continue for years.

“The people of Lebanon are living the experience of Calvary,” CNEWA’s Msgr. Vaccari said. “They cannot be abandoned in solitude.”

Ethiopia in Crisis Ethiopia has been facing a severe humanitarian crisis since violence erupted in the country’s northern

“Many people, in particular children, the elderly and women are in critical need of food supply, medicine, water, shelter and psychosocial support,” said Argaw Fantu, CNEWA’s regional director in Ethiopia. Early estimates indicate that some 4.5 million people in the Tigray region have been affected by the fighting, and that $37.6 million are needed to provide food, water, shelter and medical care.

COVID Aid Distributions In December, the Holy See’s Congregation for Eastern Churches reported that its COVID-19 emergency fund — which included CNEWA’s major contributions — distributed more than $11.7 million in aid, including food and hospital

ventilators in 21 countries where members of the Eastern churches live. More than 3.4 million euros ($4.1 million) were allocated to people and institutions in the Holy Land and included the provision of ventilators, COVID-19 tests and other supplies to Catholic hospitals, scholarships to help children attend Catholic schools and direct food aid for hundreds of families.

In Ethiopia, India, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria, funds purchased rice, sugar, thermometers, P.P.E. and other vital supplies. The fund also helped some eparchies to purchase the equipment needed to reach parishioners remotely with livestreamed liturgies and spiritual programming, after gathering onsite was prohibited due to quarantines and lockdowns.

There is even more on the web

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Visit cnewa.org for daily updates And find videos, stories from the field and breaking news at cnewa.org/blog

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When Truth Dies,

People Die

by Laura Ieraci

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RESPONDING TO HUMAN NEEDS

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he main highway to Adigrat from Mekele, the capital of Ethiopia’s Tigray region, is relatively clear, except for the ruptured tank treads that litter the tarmac. Scorched tanks, damaged military vehicles and expended artillery lie abandoned by the side of the road.

Villages along the way are mostly ghost towns. Buildings, littered with broken glass and bullet holes, tell of the looting and violence that

have taken place. Charred matter remains where some buildings once stood.

“It’s very clear there was conflict there,” says John Shumlansky, country representative for Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the emergency relief and development agency of the United States Catholic bishops, which has played a major role in the emergency distribution of food in the northeast African nation for decades.

In February, Mr. Shumlansky made his third trip into Tigray to assess humanitarian efforts since the region was sufficiently secured for re-entry. He says he counted about 15 burnt tanks and a couple of “bombed out” buses on his return drive south to his home base in Addis Ababa, the nation’s capital.

The Sudanese village of Um Rakuba is host to a refugee camp for some 20,000 Ethiopians who fled the war in Ethiopia’s Tigray region.

Tigray, the northernmost region of Ethiopia, has been under siege since 4 November, when the Ethiopian government mounted a military response against the armed Tigray People’s Liberation Front (T.P.L.F.), a dominant political party that the national government had accused of treachery for attacking a national army base in the region.

And so, the months-long Tigray War began. At the time of publication, lasting peace in Tigray had not yet been achieved.

One of the issues underlying the war is the legitimacy of power. The T.P.L.F., which has long held power in the federal

parliamentary republic, claimed the prime minister was no longer the legitimate leader of the country, after he had postponed federal elections, initially set for May 2020, to an unnamed date in 2021 due to COVID-19. The prime minister, in turn, declared the regional elections held in Tigray in August 2020, in defiance of the federal government, to be illegal and its T.P.L.F.-led government to be illegitimate. An interim government is in place in Tigray currently.

CRS’s John Shumlansky says that while many areas he drove through in February seemed rather calm — including Mekele, where spotty

phone service has been restored and businesses have reopened — other areas are “still a bit tense.”

“There are still reports of some conflict or skirmishes here and there, mainly off the beaten path,” he explains from Addis Ababa during a Skype call in late February.

He shares a text message he received moments before the call, with news that electricity was just restored in Mekele. “That’s a good sign,” he says.

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igray’s civilian infrastructure, including power and water systems, was damaged early in the war, leaving the

People have fled to the countryside for safety, although the refuge they hoped to find has been fleeting. … most face serious food shortages and the threat of ongoing violence.

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The local populations vulnerable.

The damaged communications infrastructure made the assessment of the crisis and the coordination of humanitarian efforts very difficult.

Within weeks, the United Nations warned the situation could become dire quickly due to the lack of access to the region; it reported the region had been severed from food and medical aid. Rising hunger and malnutrition were “extremely concerning” due to the lack of food, exacerbated by drought and locust infestations earlier in the year, the U.N. said.

The international community expressed regret and horror at the level of human suffering reported from Tigray. Within the first week of the conflict, several countries, including Canada and the United States, had urged restraint and a de-escalation of hostilities. Pope Francis, too, appealed for prayers for Ethiopia on 8 November and for “the parties to the conflict to stop the violence, to protect all lives, especially those of civilians, and to restore peace to the people.”

The Interreligious Council of Ethiopia and other religious groups in Ethiopia also called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and for both parties to seek a resolution through dialogue.

However, the appeals were ignored and, months later, both sides have been accused of committing war crimes. As is often the case in times of war, eyewitness accounts of mass killings and ruthless destruction also have emerged.

Since journalists have been unable to verify the information firsthand, having been blocked from entering Tigray by government officials, Nearly 60,000 Ethiopians have sought refuge in Sudan. At left, an Ethiopian man at the Um Rakuba refugee camp displays his tattoo.

Above, an elderly Ethiopian woman sits in a camp in Kassala.

CNEWA Connection

War. Interethnic violence. Refugee crises. Environmental change.

Drought. Locust infestations. The coronavirus pandemic. Ethiopia is confronting enormous challenges even as it lifts out of poverty its burgeoning population.

Although Catholics constitute a small minority in Ethiopia, Catholics worldwide have contributed greatly to the advances made in Ethiopian society since the demise in 1991 of the military junta that once controlled the nation. CNEWA has long focused its efforts in Ethiopia in the support of child care programs, from kindergartens to schools, health care programs to university chaplaincies. In addition, CNEWA has sponsored formation programs for clergy, religious and families, all toward building the leaders of tomorrow, equipping them today with the tools they will need as the country evolves.

Join CNEWA in its support of these initiatives of the church — and more — for the good of all Ethiopians. Call 1-866-322-4441 (Canada), 1-800-442-6392 (United States) or email us at cnewa@ cnewa.org. some dismiss these accounts as fictional.

The number of civilian and military deaths caused by the war is also in dispute. However, the U.N. and the Ethiopian Catholic Church have reported with confidence that the conflict has devastated an estimated 4.5 million people. Of these, more than two million have been displaced within Tigray, a region that was already host to tens of thousands of refugees from neighboring Eritrea.

The small towns in the region now are mostly deserted, the people

having fled to the countryside for safety, although the refuge they hoped to find has been fleeting. The U.N. says most face serious food shortages and the threat of ongoing and unpredictable violence. Tens of thousands of Tigrayans have taken refuge along the western border in neighboring Sudan.

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delegation of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia flew to Mekele from Addis Ababa in mid-January. From there, they drove to Adigrat to visit with the local bishop, Tesfaselassie

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“Numerous church buildings, clinics and schools in the Eparchy of Adigrat — many of them funded by CNEWA over the years — have been damaged and looted.”

Medhin, and to assess firsthand the situation in his eparchy.

Last December, there was widespread concern for the bishop as reports said he had not been seen in public since late November. Church officials later explained he and his priests had retreated to safety and were unable to communicate with the outside world due to the collapse of the communications network.

“Except seeking God’s protection, what can be done?” the bishop told the delegation in January.

He recounted “unspeakable intimidations, sufferings, refutations, frustrations and loneliness” that he, his clergy and people had faced, the delegation said.

Numerous church buildings, clinics, schools and other church property in the eparchy — many of them funded by CNEWA over the years — were damaged and looted,

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namely in the towns of Adigrat, Edaga Hamus and Wukro. Other houses of worship were also damaged. Due to “security reasons and strict surveillance,” the delegation could not travel to areas where the damage was thought to be worse.

The three CNEWA-funded educational institutions that were damaged include the minor seminary and Tsinseta Mariam Secondary School in Adigrat, and St. Mary’s College in Wukro. The latter is a skills training center for young people.

Cardinal Berhaneyesus Souraphiel, C.M., metropolitan archbishop of the Ethiopian Catholic Church and president of the Ethiopian bishops’ conference, responded to the delegation’s report with an appeal for solidarity and for an international response to the grave humanitarian situation across the region.

“Outbreak of conflict and war occurs when truth dies,” he said

in January. “Consequently, people suffer loss of life.”

“Now is the time to respond to the atrocities, at least, to minimize further loss and human sufferings in the conflict-trodden area,” he added.

The delegation estimated it would cost several millions of dollars to restore the various church properties within the Eparchy of Adigrat damaged during the height of the fighting.

However, the needs of those displaced by the war are the primary concern of the Ethiopian Catholic Church at this time, including the need for food, potable water, shelter, primary health care, basic household items and psychosocial support for the “immense and unexplainable” atrocities that people have witnessed.

The bishops estimated these urgent needs at almost $38 million, about a third of which has been

School food programs in Ethiopia (at left) are important in supporting communities. With the war, school closures in Tigray have left more people in the region vulnerable to food insecurity.

pledged by Caritas Internationalis, the international humanitarian aid network of the Catholic Church and a CNEWA partner.

Despite limited access, CNEWA has rushed emergency support to priests in remote areas affected by the violence and to assist the efforts of Tsinseta Mariam Secondary School in Adigrat and the work of the Daughters of Charity in Alitena. As always, CNEWA works in consultation with the leadership of the local church.

A little over one month since the visit of the Ethiopian bishops’ delegation to Tigray, the Reverend Abraha Hagos, who directs the social service efforts of the eparchy that form part of Caritas Ethiopia, says Bishop Medhin is unable to visit his parishes, especially those in the remote reaches of the eparchy, due to security concerns. However, many of his priests are coming to him — some walking for several hours — to share news about the death and suffering of parishioners.

Hearing such news “is very painful for the bishop,” says Argaw Fantu, CNEWA’s regional director for Ethiopia. Earlier, he had called the bishop to extend his “solidarity and prayerful encouragement.” He recalls the bishop’s tone of voice being “quite low, a sign of deep suffering.”

“Amid this situation, the bishop continues to demonstrate spiritual hope and courage,” adds Mr. Fantu.

Father Hagos also confirms that humanitarian aid is beginning to reach the Eparchy of Adigrat, noting that the eparchy has hired two water tanker trucks to deliver water to remote villages, and Catholic Relief Services is distributing food aid in 12 accessible districts out of 92 districts in the area, says Father Hagos.

However, this aid is not enough to meet all of the needs, says Mr. Fantu.

“Looking at the magnitude of the need for food, water and health care — and the number of unreached people in remote areas — all of these efforts are a start, but are minimal at present,” he insists.

“More aid is needed in the coming months for those yet unreached people with dire needs.”

“CNEWA, being on the ground, knows of the suffering and is in close contact with the local church, helping to determine need and coordinate aid,” says CNEWA President Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari.

“Practically, our objective is to respond in three ways: offer immediate support to the work of Caritas through the Congregation for Eastern Churches; continue to monitor, assess, coordinate and offer help through the local church, launching a fundraising campaign in North America; and, when the immediate needs are met and the crisis abates, to remain on the ground, ever available and present in the accompaniment of the suffering throughout Ethiopia.”

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n the meantime, the continued lack of information about the people in Tigray’s remote areas and the inability to get humanitarian aid out to them with the same efficiency is heart-wrenching, says Mr. Fantu. However, he says, the most disturbing aspect of this humanitarian crisis is that it need not have happened at all.

It is difficult to understand “why people who were in administrative positions chose this catastrophic option instead of settling problems or political differences in all possible and peaceful ways of negotiation,” he says, expressing his hope that Ethiopians will learn from this war the important lesson of refraining from partisan divisiveness.

“As people of faith, prayer is very important to console those who

You can offer comfort to people fleeing violence cnewa.org I cnewa.ca have lost their loved ones through this unnecessary crisis,” he says.

“We need to pray for the wisdom of our leaders, for both public and church leaders. We need to pray for the wisdom of our young people, not to engage in destructive acts.

“We also hope that people of good will from across the world will stand beside us with their generous hearts and hands to save lives at this critical moment and collaborate in rebuilding the minds and hearts of people, as well as damaged facilities,” he says.

“At the moment, all focus is on life-saving efforts.” n

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Laura Ieraci is the assistant editor of ONE. Her career in Catholic media and communications has included work for the Archdiocese of Montreal, Vatican Radio, the Eparchy of Parma, and the Rome bureau of Catholic News Service.

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A letter from

Iraq

The formation of new church leaders for a community in flight by the Rev. Ephrem Gilyana Dinkha

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FORMING CHURCH LEADERSHIP

Lighted candles symbolize the martyrdom of Iraqi Christians in the Syriac cathedral in Baghdad in early November 2010.

M.Erumquam unt facculpa sitam ariae plitiae est et pelendanda

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n 2017, we celebrated the 150th anniversary of the establishment of our Major Seminary of St. Peter for the Chaldean Patriarchate in Iraq. It is now the only seminary functioning in Iraq and it accepts all Chaldean seminarians throughout the world. Among our seminarians are those who have suffered at the hands of ISIS, whose families were displaced and lost everything.

Despite these trials, our main goal remains shaping stronger Catholic priests in an unstable and violent environment.

In my experience as rector of the seminary, forming candidates to the priesthood, while it is a lifelong process, should focus on four dimensions: human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral. Giving proper formation in these areas in a country that suffers from the effects of war, terrorism and ethnic conflicts is challenging, to say the least.

However, our reality urges us to prepare future leaders who will transmit the faith to the people in

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this land of persecution and who will be signs of peace and hope.

Our seminarians understand what is at stake and the importance of the Christian witness, and they respond with generosity. In a recent interview for a Catholic publication, one of our seminarians demonstrated this fact, saying he “understood the meaning of mission in a country like Iraq.” Despite the obvious challenges, he went on to urge “young people to undertake the loving service [of a priestly or religious vocation] that our world needs today.”

In our seminary we tackle different aspects of life through our series of weekly meetings with a variety of professors, priests and professionals.

We encourage and teach that human formation must never be ignored or forgotten because it is at the core of who we are.

Through this program of formation, each seminarian has the opportunity to speak privately with his spiritual director to clear his

Chaldean Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil tonsures a seminarian prior to diaconal ordination. At right, Father Ephrem Dinkha prays at the tomb of the martyred Father Ragheed Ghanni (inset) after his priestly ordination in 2007.

mind of any interior conflict, because tomorrow’s priests should be the “living image” of Christ, who is the head and shepherd of the church. The seminarian in his person must strive for the level of human maturity that Christ attained and mirror it to the people and cultures in which he offers his service, regardless of their religious affiliation or ethnic identity.

The seminarians learn to discern the will of God and to grow more generous in their vocation. We emphasize not only liturgical prayer but also growth in personal prayer.

Due to the war and terrorism in Iraq, it is important we have a strong relationship with God, who is our comfort. Without a strong

“To be blunt: The reality of priesthood in a country racked by persecution may result in martyrdom.”

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“In a land devastated by war and filled with grief, trust is the only thing that keeps our community strong.” spiritual life, we cannot bring a sense of hope or the comfort of Christ to others. For this reason, our timetable includes moments for silence and solitude intended to encourage seminarians to reflect upon and learn to embrace this call.

The seminarians are directed also to “set out” and preach the Gospel.

They are encouraged to spend their free time, especially on Sundays, collaborating in parishes, teaching catechism and giving instruction to young people. They are requested to participate ardently in various services in their own communities, especially during the summer break and on solemn feasts, such as Christmas and Easter. Each Friday,

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they teach catechism in local parishes and organize youth activities and spiritual gatherings.

Some of our seminarians assist members of displaced communities that have been affected by ISIS. We try to nurture in each student the compassion of a good shepherd.

This is the ability to assume a conscientious and mature responsibility for the care of souls.

This also requires an interior strength and perception that will allow him to evaluate pastoral difficulties and to establish the priorities in his mission.

To be blunt: The reality of priesthood in a country racked by persecution may result in

martyrdom. We prepare the seminarians for this possibility through the real-life experiences of our very own priests who have died at the hands of terrorists — Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho of Mosul and Father Ragheed Ghanni — and others. Both Archbishop Rahho and Father Ghanni were students at our seminary.

The situation is still difficult. We remind our seminarians always that being Christian in Iraq means to be ready always to face martyrdom.

For this reason, our church is called “the church of martyrs.” Our young people are not afraid. But their families are, fearing their children could be killed if they become priests.

Help us help young men become priests cnewa.org I cnewa.ca Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho, martyred in 2008, ordains Father Dinkha at St. Adday Parish in Karmlesh, Iraq. Opposite, seminarians prepare to receive the ministry of acolyte in the seminary chapel in 2017.

Due to the lack of security, political instability, extremism and violence that increased substantially after 2014, we have been suffering from another dangerous phenomenon as well — “the migration” — that is, the displacement and departure of hundreds of thousands of Iraq’s Christians. For this reason, we look forward to Pope Francis’ visit to our country at the beginning of March as one of comfort and hope. Our hope is that his visit will promote respect for human rights, peace and fraternity, while advocating for an end to war and violence.

Priests in Iraq are required to challenge all aspects of life.

We are priests, but also soldiers, guardians, teachers, comforters, counselors, providers and much more. I remember when ISIS invaded our lands: The people sought refuge in the churches and we were responsible for the safety of our communities. In a land devastated by war and filled with grief, trust is the only thing that keeps our community strong.

I always recall the day of my priestly ordination by the hand of the late Archbishop Rahho, which took place one month after the martyrdom of Father Ghanni.

On that occasion, my bishop said: “We have just lost a priest. Today, we have found another.”

I heed those words in order to take courage and remain always optimistic. It is why I repeat the

words of St. John Paul II to future priests under my care: “Do not be afraid!”

Priesthood, in union with our own experience, is lived according to the will of God as an imitation of our personal Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is a sign of hope for our church to be active during the darkest times. Our seminary is proud of keeping the light of hope lit for our local and universal church. n

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Discover more about how Iraqi Christians are rebuilding their homeland and encouraging vocations at cnewa.org/blog

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Caring for the Least Among Us:

New Challenges in India text by Anubha George with photographs by Sajeendran V.S.

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Residents of Sneha Sadan gather for a photo around the home’s superior, Sister Stella Maria, who stands behind Parvathy Babu, seated in a wheelchair.

mainly based in Kerala, but they have houses in Austria, Germany and Italy, too.

“There are 10 sisters here who help look after the children,” says Sister Dennis, who directs the Home of Faith. “We house 17 to 20 children usually, but quite a few of them are back with their families because of COVID.”

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ister Dennis entered religious life 34 years ago. It was her calling.

“Some of my cousins are sisters; I went to a Christian school. I always felt this life was for me,” she says.

“I don’t think I could have done anything else with my life.”

Home of Faith usually takes children ages 5 to 17. They come from different parts of Kerala and belong to different faith communities.

“We don’t just admit children from Christian families. There are Hindu and Muslim children here, too. Most of them are from very poor families and their parents can’t afford to take care of them,” Sister Dennis says.

Sebin Jose is 10 years old. He has a big smile and bright eyes. Sebin’s father works on a spices and coffee plantation in the high ranges of Pandupara. He has been at Home of Faith for four years. Sebin was born with a spinal defect and as a result is severely physically and intellectually challenged. He had surgery when younger to try to ease his condition, but it was to no avail. Doctors have told his family he will spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

“When you see such suffering, especially in children, it breaks your heart,” Sister Dennis says. “But you realize that Jesus is showing you the way. No matter how difficult the road ahead, his hand always leads you on the right path.”

Sister Dennis says without Jesus in her life, she would be lost.

“Jesus is my friend, my guide. The Son of God is always there to help us, forgive us and give us everlasting life,” she says. “He has chosen this life of service for me and I count on him to be there for me.”

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ome of Faith was founded in 1989. Since then, at least 200 children have benefited from its care. Lijo Joseph came to the home in its inaugural year. She cannot walk and is paralyzed from the waist down.

When her mother passed away, she asked to remain at the Home of Faith.

“I had nowhere to go. My family was just me and my mother,” Lijo says.

The home also offers lessons in tailoring, where its female residents are trained in sewing, stitching and embroidery to help them earn a living. Members of the public can also benefit for a small tuition fee.

“I asked the sisters if I could stay and work at the center. They agreed and I haven’t left,” Lijo says.

She is now a tailoring instructor and has taught hundreds of girls and women since it opened in 2012.

Other than tailoring, all residents at the home go to a governmentrun school for children with special needs.

“Education is important,” Sister Dennis says. “It gives [the children] routine and discipline. Some of the sisters accompany them to school.”

Routine is important for the Johny sisters, Johncy, 14, and Josmi, 9. Both girls are physically and intellectually challenged. Their mother is a daily wage worker and cannot afford to support her two children.

“Johncy and Josmi rely on us for everything,” Sister Dennis says.

“Their education, boarding, singing and dancing classes, medication, food — we take care of everything.

If it wasn’t for a place like this home,

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CARE FOR THE MARGINALIZED

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10-year-old girl sits at her desk, concentrating hard on the page of the book that she has open. She is wearing a red silk dress, bangles, a bit of eyeliner and kohl on her eyelids, having been initiated recently into the joys of makeup, as with most girls her age. She looks up and smiles. Then she gets up to walk away. Meet Anupriya Rajesh Kumar.

Anupriya lives at Home of Faith, a home for boys and girls with physical challenges. Located in Kakkanad, a suburb of the city of Kochi, it is an area known as the Silicon Valley of the southwestern Indian state of Kerala as it is a hub of IT companies and call centers.

Anupriya is the younger of two sisters. Her mother is speechand hearing-challenged. When she was pregnant with Anupriya, her husband was abusive and would kick her in the stomach.

The child was born with physical irregularities in her hands, arms and feet that doctors said were brought about by the abuse her mother had suffered. After the child was born, he abandoned his wife and daughters and went off to live in another city. He does not have contact with them anymore.

Anupriya has been at Home of Faith for four years. The home is administered by the Preshitharam Sisters, a religious community of the Syro-Malabar Church, whose charism is “to serve the poor in Christ.”

The activities of the Preshitharam Sisters include going on family visits, teaching catechism, administrating residences for seniors and orphans, caring for people with physical and intellectual challenges, and educating the poor in the remotest parts of India. The sisters are

At the Home of Faith, Sebin Jose (at left) is assisted by one of the sisters who run the home. At right, Lijo Joseph (seated) is an instructor at the home’s tailoring workshop.

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they wouldn’t have anywhere else to go. That’s the sad state of affairs.”

Sona Sunny wants to be a model.

She is 14, bubbly, bright and kind.

She loves singing and dancing. But Sona was diagnosed with a heart problem when a baby. One minute she is active, and the next, she faints. Sona had attended a public school in the community, but she “had difficulty settling in,” says Sister Dennis.

“The teachers didn’t know what to do when she fainted, sometimes many times a day,” she adds. Sona is being treated for her heart condition at a hospital nearby. Home of Faith helps pay her medical bills. Sona’s father is a farmer in the nearby town of Thodupuzzha.

“His resources are limited,” Sister Dennis explains. “He has two other children to take care of.”

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Home of Faith is funded by the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) and other private donors. This aid gives children and young people, who do not have much, something to look forward to, young people such as 18-year-old Dev Sunil.

Dev is unable to use his legs. Up until two years ago, Dev lived at home with his parents. His father is an auto rickshaw driver, who leaves home early and gets back late. His mother is home, and cares for the other children.

“Dev had nothing to do at home.

His siblings would go to school, father to work and mother had so much to do around the house,” Sister Dennis says. “He was frustrated being at home. Here, he has made friends. He loves music and watching films and is happier now.”

he pandemic has made things difficult. In these times, donations are few and far between.

“We’ve been struggling,” Sister Dennis says. “Usually, people donate money or send over food for the children when they have a baptism or wedding over at the church. But, because of COVID, people haven’t been organizing events or gatherings.”

An official report in 2018 counted more than 9,000 child care homes in India. Of these, 91 percent are run by nongovernmental organizations (N.G.O.’s); only 9 percent are government-run. Many are operated

by Christian communities.

Since the multi-step process of receiving funding from the Indian government can be tenuous and tedious, most of these organizations operate with foreign funds.

However, their work has come under increased pressure in recent years, as the Indian government has sought to regulate foreign funding entering the country.

In 2010, the Indian government passed the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (F.C.R.A.), which regulates how N.G.O.’s, trusts, societies, charitable institutions and nonprofits can receive foreign funding, including dollars from U.S.-based foundations and corporations. The Indian government amended the law in September 2020, making it even more difficult for some N.G.O.’s, depending on their method of operation, to receive foreign funds.

The government says the amendments were necessary to avoid the foreign funding of political activities that could destabilize the country. But critics say placing

The every organization under an umbrella of suspicion puts wellmeaning groups and associations on the back foot and could force them to close, simply because of the complexity of the new rules.

The amendments make it mandatory now for all nonprofits to register under the act in order to receive foreign funds. Registration is valid for five years and is only renewable if the organizations comply with all the government regulations, which include having an account with an Indian bank and filing tax returns annually.

The new rules require foreign funds to go directly to a beneficiary, rather than to a sub-granting agency that works to submit grant applications and manage the funds on a beneficiary’s behalf or through the Indian office of an international organization.

“Many of the social service institutions of the Catholic churches working in India do not have the capacity to raise money or write financial or programmatic reports,” says M.L. Thomas, who directs CNEWA’s activities in India. “They do the real work on the ground,” he says, adding that a number of these initiatives rely on CNEWA to take care of these matters.

Mr. Thomas says the amendments target the poor — who are already “struggling to find their livelihood” — more than any other segment of the Indian population.

“For the poor in India, the small contributions that were donated by common people in foreign countries were used to help in the basic education, higher education and job-oriented training for the poor, the Dalits, and the slum children, and to provide daily living needs,” he continues. “The new F.C.R.A. rules have imposed at least a long halt and a break in these activities, if not fully blocked them.

This is like burning the house to smoke out the rat.”

CNEWA Connection

Combatting fear of the other — particularly the Untouchables, India’s poorest peoples, as well as the sick, the lame and the diseased — is a hallmark of the works of India’s dynamic SyroMalabar and Syro-Malankara Catholic churches. Whether taking on the challenges of leprosy, abject poverty, illiteracy, alcoholism, H.I.V. and AIDS, or special needs, as illustrated in this article, the men and women who proudly consider themselves the heirs of St. Thomas the Apostle have helped transform the subcontinent into a modern state.

Since its earliest years, CNEWA has partnered with these witnesses of the Gospel as they tend to the lowliest, regardless of religious, ethnic or national identity. This is what Christians are called to do out of love for their neighbor.

Help CNEWA continue its works of love in India.

Call 1-866-322-4441 (Canada), 1-800-442-6392 (United States) or email us at cnewa@cnewa.org.

Despite the challenges of the new law, CNEWA’s president Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari has expressed CNEWA’s enduring commitment to the work of the churches in India.

“We are adjusting our program in India to abide by Indian law,” he says, but emphasizes that CNEWA remains “steadfast in its dedication to the process to continue its work on behalf of the marginalized, the seminaries and houses of formation, and all our activities in India.”

Mr. Thomas adds that the new rules will inevitably impact the Indian economy in the long run. “Many international agencies will withdraw

their support because of the stringent regulations,” he predicts.

Mr. Thomas underlines that the Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara Catholic churches, through their social service organizations, have for generations been at the forefront of aid, during and after the country’s numerous natural calamities, and of much-needed care for the poorest and most marginalized of populations.

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lsie Jose sits at a table talking to Sister Stella Maria at Sneha Sadan in Kizhakkambalam, a small town about 30 miles from

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Qui utem a et es velia coribus del ipsam culliatios nestiur, conecte pla ex eos ere si consequosam et laut ad

New rules in India may halt these important works of the churches, “which is like burning the house to smoke out the rat.”

Kochi. Her 33-year-old daughter, Elsmi, has been a resident at this home for women with physical and intellectual challenges for the past 20 years.

“I had three daughters — two of them were born with severe autism.

One of them died a few years back.

The other is Elsmi and she’s here,” Elsie says, wiping away tears as she speaks of her family. “My eldest daughter is married, but her 11-yearold son also suffers with a disability.”

Elsie is a daily wage worker. Her husband is retired.

“It is impossible to look after Elsmi at home because of her challenges,” she says. “When she was at home, she’d keep running

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away. She’s doing much better at Sneha Sadan.”

The Preshitharam Sisters also administer Sneha Sadan; Sister Stella Maria is its superior.

“We house girls, ages 9 to 50,” she says. “After that, they move on to our senior care facilities. The women we have here are severely physically and mentally challenged.

Most are autistic, have Down syndrome or hyperactivity disorder.

They are unable to understand or make sense of anything,” she says.

At any given time, Sneha Sadan takes on 25 residents.

Sneha Sadan, which is served by four sisters and two support staff, is primarily funded by CNEWA.

Sister Stella Maria says she is worried about the new rules for foreign aid that have come in.

“I hope this doesn’t make things difficult for us,” she says. “We also get donations from parishioners and sometimes parents of our residents give us whatever they can,” the nun adds, but most of the women at the home come from poor families.

Although most of the residents are Christian, the facility cares for girls and women of other faiths, too, such as those from Hindu and Muslim families.

“I believe it was my calling to work in homes like these,” Sister Stella Maria says. “I have a sort of

Two sisters serve lunch to residents at Sneha Sadan, a home for women with physical and intellectual challenges under the age of 50.

sixth sense when it comes to the women I look after. That is God’s gift to me, a miracle,” she says.

Serving her faith and community for 21 years, Sister Stella Maria tells of an incident that occurred in the early hours of the morning. While she was sleeping soundly, she had a feeling one of the women had come to some harm. She woke up and walked into the room to find one of them had actually fallen off her bed and was in pain.

“I can’t explain it really. All I can say is that this is the way I serve Jesus. I know and trust he is working through me,” she says.

Kumari Babu’s 29-year-old daughter, Parvathy, was born premature and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Kumari works for her village panchayat, or village council, which ensures her 100 days of employment every year.

She is a widow.

“I have two other children whom I look after and support,” Kumari says. “Parvathy’s been at Sneha Sadan for 16 years now. The way our society is, people don’t like having mentally and physically challenged women around.” Kumari visits her daughter once a month.

Women such as 33-year-old Jo Mol Johny depend on facilities, such as Sneha Sadan, to have a decent life. Jo Mol, who has been a resident at Sneha Sadan for the past two years, was sexually abused by a neighbor when she was 15; it has scarred her since. Her phobia began with a fear of snakes, which she imagined were everywhere.

Then it got progressively worse, until she started fearing people.

“I question God sometimes why this had to happen to my family,” says her father, Johny P.D. “But what can be done?

We take whatever God gives. We are fortunate she’s in a safe place like Sneha Sadan, where she’s being looked after well.”

Sister Stella Maria says all the residents attend the nearby government-run school for people with special needs.

“We accompany them there,” she says. “When they get back, we have other activities for them, such as listening to music or we take them on a walk outside.”

Other times, when there is a birthday, wedding or baptism in the parish, food is sent over to the home where the residents enjoy the feast.

“The kindness of parishioners means a lot to us. It adds value to the life of the residents here,” Sister Stella Maria says.

One of the girls who enjoys these feasts is 14-year-old Malavika S. Nair. Her father, Saju Kumar, visits with her. She showers him with kisses and is very affectionate. But Malavika can only communicate through sounds. The lack of amniotic fluid while her mother was pregnant meant Malavika was born with developmental challenges. She was also diagnosed with epilepsy as a child. Saju is himself epileptic and life at home is difficult.

“My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer and has had chemotherapy and radiation therapy. She’s recovering from that,” he says. As a waiter in a hotel, “I can’t work all hours any more since things at home are difficult.

We also have a son, who’s younger than Malavika.”

He visits Malavika once every two months or so.

“We can’t look after her at home,” he says. “When she gets angry, she starts to bite herself,” pointing to deep bite marks on her wrists and arms.

“But she has a routine here along with the other girls,” he says. “And she’s happy.” n

Your gift brings hope to those who feel forgotten cnewa.org I cnewa.ca

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Read more about supporting children with special needs throughout CNEWA’s world and get a personal glimpse at the challenges of children in India in a video at cnewa.org/blog

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anubha George is a former BBC editor.

She’s a columnist and writer for various publications. She’s based in Kerala, India.

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The One and the Many

By Elias D. Mallon, S.A., Ph.D.

M.Erumquam unt facculpa sitam ariae plitiae est et pelendanda

In Iraq: Farida Pols Matte, 80, sits with other Christians in a church in Ankawa, about 45 miles east of their hometown, Qaraqosh, which they fled after it was seized and destroyed

by ISIS in August 2014.

PEOPLE, LOOK EAST

Catholicism:

Editors’ note: For 95 years, CNEWA has worked hand in hand with the Eastern churches, Catholic and Orthodox, in their native lands and cultures. Part of CNEWA’s mission is to educate Catholics in the West about their sister churches in the East. To accomplish this mission, CNEWA is initiating a series, entitled “People, Look East.”

In this opening piece, we will treat the notion of a church sui juris and the salvific role of these churches within the universal church.

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en years ago, in January 2011, the Middle East changed unexpectedly, suddenly and perhaps forever. Just months prior, in October, the Holy See held a Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops to address the difficulties facing Christians there.

For synod members, the Middle East was a challenging place. However, at the time it was a relatively known and stable, if fragile, entity.

Less than three months later, the so-called Arab Spring had begun, sparked by the death of Tunisian street vendor Mohamad Bouazizi, who had set himself on fire in protest of having been abused

by Tunisian authorities. Antigovernment demonstrations erupted all over the Middle East.

Within six months three national governments had fallen and a civil war had begun in Syria. In this context the Islamic State in Syria (ISIS) emerged. It proclaimed itself to be the Islamic Caliphate in June 2014, with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as its caliph. A persecution was unleashed against Christians and other religious minorities, the likes of which has not be seen since the Mongol invasion of the 13th century.

This attack on Christians catapulted some ancient yet littleknown churches into the headlines

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and into the Western consciousness.

Many Latin-rite Catholics heard for the first time about the Eastern Christian communities, including the Assyrian Church of the East, the Armenian, Chaldean, Maronite, Melkite, and Syriac Catholic and Orthodox churches.

In addition to the increased media attention on these persecuted Christians, the subsequent huge migration of peoples brought an entirely new level of awareness.

Latin-rite Catholics in Western Europe, North and South America and Australia suddenly had Christian neighbors in large number who were quite different. Their new neighbors had different customs, celebrated the sacraments differently — and many were quite insistent of their Catholic identity.

In addition, Latin-rite Catholics were almost totally unprepared for the wives and children of the married Eastern Catholic priests, who came to minister to these newly arrived faithful.

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oth before and after this recent migration, the Eastern churches have often been regarded in one of two ways: either as treasure houses of exotic art, liturgy and customs, or in terms of their relationship to the bishop of Rome, the pope. Worse yet, Eastern Christians in the United States in the 19th century — most of them from Central or Eastern Europe and members of the various churches of the Byzantine tradition — were looked upon at times with downright suspicion and hostility.

While there may be some justification for these two tendencies, both fail to recognize these churches as living, active agents of evangelization. These churches have salvific value and continue to be instruments of Christ in the world. Furthermore, while their relationship to the bishop of Rome is significant, to focus

exclusively on this aspect is reductionist and, hence, theologically inadequate.

Although most Roman Catholics are only peripherally aware of it, the universal Catholic Church comprises 24 churches — one of which, the largest, is the Roman Catholic Church. The other 23 are self-governing Eastern churches, defined as “sui juris,” meaning “of one’s own right.” This Latin juridical term is used in both civil and canon law to describe a person who is not under any legal disability or subject to the authority of another person.

They are fully capable of managing their own affairs and can act on their own behalf.

While “sui juris” is in no way a biblical term, these little-known juridical entities have exceedingly important theological significance.

Their existence and flourishing also have crucial implications for the universal church and its credibility as an authentic witness as the Body of Christ. In sum, these churches are a legitimate and authentic response to the resurrection and mission of Christ in ways that have yet to be recognized fully and appreciated in the West, although worthy attempts have been made.

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ultiple documents of the Holy See, published between 1894 and 2012, have played a major role in helping Catholics understand the Eastern churches. Three will be highlighted here. In this 116-year period, several important events occurred both within the Catholic Church and in the world to impact directly and indirectly the understanding and appreciation of the Eastern Catholic churches.

In India: Shipla Joy provides physical therapy to youth at the Home of Peace, a center run by the Daughters of Our Lady of Mercy for children with disabilities.

In the 20th century, the church saw a significant development in its ecclesiology, expressed in the dogmatic and pastoral constitutions of the Second Vatican Council — “Lumen Gentium” (1964) and “Gaudium et Spes” (1965) respectively. “Lumen Gentium” describes the church primarily, though not exclusively, as “a people brought into unity from the unity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” The church is the people of God on pilgrimage to fulfillment in

God. The biblical and charismatic aspects of the church, previously less emphasized, were put on a level with the juridical. While the council did not deny by any means that the church is a juridical entity, it did insist that it was not primarily juridical.

Relations with the Eastern Catholic churches previously were also heavily weighted with juridical concepts and language. In the document of the Holy See on the Eastern Catholic churches,

Attacks on Middle East Christians catapulted some ancient yet little-known churches into the headlines and into the Western consciousness.

“Orientalium Dignitas” (1894), Pope Leo XIII states that the Roman church “rejoices in (the Eastern churches’) faithful obedience.”

A sign of the catholicity of the church, he writes, is “the sight of differing forms of ceremonies and noble examples of the tongues of the ancient past … rendering their submission to the church.”

Along with these mentions of “obedience” and “submission,” Leo is genuinely concerned about protecting the “integrity proper to the discipline of the Eastern churches” and removing “reasons for rivalry and suspicion.” A great deal of the letter details how the integrity of the Eastern Catholic churches is to be protected against encroachments from overzealous clergy of the Latin rite.

With Vatican II, the Catholic Church enters into dialogue with those Eastern churches not in full communion with it, known as the

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“Culture is not something superficial, something ‘added on’ to what is essential.

It is a central and incarnational part of Christianity.”

Orthodox churches, and an interesting evolution takes place in these documents. The respect that the ecumenical dialogue among the churches at this time engendered could not but influence the attitude toward the Eastern Catholic churches, expressed in the very important conciliar decree on the Eastern Catholic churches, “Orientalium Ecclesiarum” (1964).

At the outset, the decree declares: “The Holy Catholic Church … is made up of the faithful who are organically united in the Holy Spirit by the same faith, the same sacrament, and the same government, who, combining

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together into various groups which are held together by a hierarchy, form separate churches or rites.”

It states that these churches are “of equal dignity, so that none of them is superior to the others as regards rite and they enjoy the same rights and are under the same obligations.” This description of the Eastern Catholic churches as being of “equal dignity” is extremely significant and marks a major shift away from the notions of “obedience” and “submission” put forth by Pope Leo XIII. However, reading the decree almost 60 years later, there is a noticeable awkwardness in the text.

Since the Eastern Catholic churches are full and equal members of the Catholic Church, Vatican II was as much an ecumenical council of these churches as of the Roman Catholic Church. Yet, throughout the decree, the Eastern Catholic churches are referred to in the third person. If the Eastern Catholic churches in the decree are “they/them,” a question arises: Who are the “we/us” of the decree? Nevertheless, “Orientalium Ecclesiarum” is in many ways, a “bridge” document, encouraging the churches to move on to new and deeper levels of appreciation and respect.

In Egypt: The Rev. Boulos Nassif (right) teaches in the Better Life program he founded in Minya for children with hearing difficulties. Opposite, students in a classroom of the Franciscan Sisters’ School in Beni Suef.

Movements in the world at large also influenced the universal church in its response to the challenge Pope John XXIII had presented at the start of the council: to “read the signs of the times.” The 20th century saw the dismantling and discrediting of imperialism and colonialism.

Once the accepted modus operandi of the times — between the rich and the poor, the powerful and the weak — was rejected, attempts were made to install more just political systems in the world.

At the same time, great strides were made in recognizing the rights and values of indigenous peoples and minorities. While these movements may not have impacted

the church’s ecclesiology directly, they effected a change of atmosphere — in the church and globally — that discouraged arrogance, unilateralism and triumphalism, and encouraged greater respect for the other.

In this atmosphere, it was both essential and desirable for the church to go beyond the juridical sui juris status of these minority Eastern Catholic churches, to acknowledge their history and to recognize their role in the mission of salvation as inspired and authentic “incarnations” of the Gospel message within the multitude of cultures throughout the world.

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fter the Resurrection, Christianity moved beyond the Roman province of Judea. Already at the crossroads between Europe, Asia and Africa, the followers of Jesus spread to all three continents within a generation

of the first Easter. Communities of believers — whether Jewish, Gentile or mixed — began to appear in the major cities of the Roman Empire and of the Parthian Empire (247 B.C.-224 A.D.), which extended to China in the east.

Each of these faith communities arose in a particular place, time, language and culture, forming local churches. Their formation epitomized the “incarnation” central to the Christian faith that Pope John Paul II speaks about in his apostolic letter on the Eastern churches, “Orientale Lumen” (1995). The eternal Word of God became incarnate in a concrete and specific time and place — Second Temple, Roman-occupied Palestine — in a specific culture — Second Temple Judaism, possibly Pharisaism — speaking a specific Semitic language — Hebrew or an Aramaic dialect — along with everything that this historical and cultural context

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entailed. In other words, “like us in all things but sin” (cf. Heb 4:15).

Analogously, after the Resurrection, the Christian faith became “incarnate” in different yet specific and concrete places, cultures and languages, wherever it struck root. Also analogous to the Incarnation, these local and specific “incarnations” of the faith are not without universal significance and value.

Paul’s letters, in which he addresses the “churches” of Corinth, Rome, Galatia and others, demonstrate clearly how the Christian faith became “incarnate.”

In one sense, the geographic marker in Paul’s letters is merely that: the city or province where the church existed. It was clearly not a juridical marker. Nevertheless, one notices in the letters that the churches differ among themselves

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in many ways. The Corinthian church, for example, tends to be intellectually contentious and susceptible to factions, while rich in charismatic gifts.

As expressed in “Orientale Lumen,” it is clear in the early church that the unity of Christianity was the unity in faith — the communion — that the churches shared with each other, and not uniformity in cultural practice or jurisdiction.

Culture is not something superficial, something “added on” to what is essential. It is a central and incarnational part of Christianity. It colors how we experience, how we believe and how we express that belief. In the words of “Gaudium et Spes”: “In his self-revelation … culminating in the fullness of manifestation in his incarnate Son, God spoke according

In the U.S.: The Rev. Andrew Summerson of Whiting, Indiana, plunges a processional cross into Lake Michigan to complete the Great Blessing of Water that commemorates the feast of Theophany, or the Baptism of Jesus, in the Byzantine tradition.

to the culture proper to each age … [and] the church has utilized the resources of different cultures in its preaching and to spread and explain the message of Christ, to examine and understand it more deeply, and to express it more perfectly.”

As Christianity grew in disciples and geographic reach, local particularities would strengthen, and differences would become more pronounced. Within a century, certain Christian centers developed, each representing the different

cultures of different churches: Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Rome and later Byzantium (or Constantinople). As centers of Christianity grew, scholars, preachers and saints arose, who helped to articulate the local “incarnation” of the faith. The great theological schools of Antioch in Syria, Alexandria in Egypt, and Nisibis in present-day Turkey are three important examples.

Within this considerable diversity, there was belief in the “one, holy, catholic and apostolic church,” consisting of varied communities of believers. The unity certainly was not juridical and most definitely was not a unity accomplished through the submission of one community or culture to another.

There was precedence given to the churches of the “Pentarchy,” the five ancient patriarchates — chronologically, Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome, Alexandria, and Constantinople — but it was a precedence of honor and respect, not of submission.

Therefore, with “Orientale Lumen” in 1995, we see the most recent development in the Catholic Church’s understanding of the role of the Eastern churches. The document begins with the principle that the “ancient tradition of the Eastern churches is an integral part of the heritage of Christ’s church,” and that “the full manifestation of the church’s catholicity…[is] expressed not by a single tradition.”

In other words, the Eastern Catholic churches are not simply “add-ons” to be tolerated; they are critical to the mission and credibility of the universal church. The message of salvation is so rich and vast that it cannot be encapsulated in any one culture or tradition.

To restrict the manifestation of the Gospel in this way would make the message of salvation less encompassing, less accurate and incomplete.

Noting that “Eastern Christians have their own way of perceiving and understanding,” John Paul II points out in his apostolic letter how the various Eastern Catholic churches and the Roman Catholic Church complement one another in shedding light on issues of faith: “In the study of revealed truth East and West have used different methods and approaches in understanding and confessing divine things. It is hardly surprising, then, if sometimes one tradition has come nearer to a full appreciation of some aspects of a mystery of revelation than the other or has expressed them better.”

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iversity in the Christian life is not a threat to orthodoxy; it is a help to it, and John Paul II recognizes this in “Orientale Lumen.” Recalling the Great Schism between the Eastern and Western churches in 1054, the pope highlights an important reality even for the present, when he laments that the cause for the rift was “a progressive estrangement, so that the other’s diversity was no longer perceived as a common treasure, but as incompatibility.”

This admission is of great importance. In addition to being a refreshing act of theological modesty, it removes one of the dangers that exists in the relationship between the Western and Eastern churches — quaintness. There is a great danger of reducing Eastern churches to interesting, exotic and archival entities, which, for all their quaintness, are irrelevant from a Western Christian point of view. In a real way, this point of view denies the incarnational reality of these churches and their universal significance.

The Eastern churches and their liturgical, spiritual and theological traditions are not ornamental to the church of Christ; they are essential to its catholicity. The Eastern churches are not merely aesthetic treasures, to say nothing of curiosities; nor are

they refugees on the large lifeboat of the Western church. They are critical to the very integrity and health of the entire church, functioning as agents of diversity, correction and enrichment, necessary to the life of the whole church.

The Eastern churches, Catholic and Orthodox, are moving into perhaps the most challenging time in their history, as their members continue to leave their homelands and move into a wider world. The term “diaspora” is inappropriate to describe these faith communities living outside of their original homelands. Diaspora implies a scattering. In truth, the Eastern churches may not be experiencing a scattering as much as a missionary commission.

The challenge the Eastern churches face today is to be faithful to their “incarnational” nature in new countries and places: having arisen in a concrete place, time, language and culture, but at the same time bold enough to develop the universal nature of that incarnation. The challenge is not only to adapt to new situations but to contribute to those new situations in ways both creative for the future and faithful to the past. n

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Learn about the history, traditions and practices of Eastern Catholic churches on our blog at cnewa.org/blog

ABOUT THE AUTHOR A Franciscan Friar of the Atonement, Father Elias Mallon represents CNEWA at the United Nations and in ecumenical and interfaith dialogue groups, locally, nationally and internationally.

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Being Family

to Each Other

text by Magdy Samaan with photographs by Roger Anis

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E M.Erumquam unt facculpa sitam ariae plitiae est et pelendanda

gypt’s official census data reports that among the country’s general population of about 100 million people, some 2.6 million live with physical or developmental challenges. However, the United

Nations estimates a much greater number of Egyptians — 12 million — have special needs.

Homes for children, orphanages, are rather commonplace in Egypt, where child adoptions are not permitted in accordance with Islamic law. Facilities that care for people with developmental and physical challenges are not so common, however. Due to the lack of residences for this population, many people with special needs suffer extreme poverty and end up on the streets, in asylums or die alone.

Children with developmental needs suffer the most, says Bishop Hani Bakhoum of the curia of the Coptic Catholic Patriarchate of Alexandria since 2019.

“Their families are ashamed of them and thus they are treated badly,” he says. “Before they came here, some of them were locked up under stairs or left homeless on the streets.”

In his role of assisting Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac in the general administration of the patriarchal church, Bishop Bakhoum also oversees the development office of the patriarchate. Its goal is to promote the pastoral and social role of the church in society, serving the marginalized. Both houses are included in the works of the development office.

The first floor of Our Lady of Peace House includes a day school for its residents, as well as for students with special needs from the wider community who still live at home with their parents. The classrooms are specially designed for their needs. The school includes a sensory integration room and a speech therapy room, where students can develop cognitive and motor skills and abilities. The (Inset) Sonia Salib, manager of Our Lady of Peace House, leads a conga line with residents and staff during recreation.

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CARE FOR THE MARGINALIZED

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uring a meeting in Cairo, the mother of a child with special needs asked Father Antoun Francis a question that would set in motion a new, lifechanging mission: “What will happen to our children after we die?”

By the end of the meeting, the idea of establishing a center for children and adults with special needs, physical and developmental, was born. With the help of the Coptic Catholic Church and some donors, Father Francis broke ground on a parcel of land in Sheraton Cairo, a neighborhood in the northern part of the city near the international airport. It was around the turn of the new millennium.

At about the same time, Father Bishoi Ragheb, who had served the Coptic Catholic community in Los Angeles for 10 years, had returned to Egypt in response to a personal call to start a home for vulnerable children. Father Francis heard of his brother priest’s intentions — and of his difficulty in securing a stable space — and offered him one side of the complex that was being built.

They worked together, with the help of Father Douglas May, an American Maryknoll missionary in Cairo, who was instrumental in the development of the project in its early years. The building was completed in 2003 and opened officially the following year; although Father Ragheb did not wait for the official opening to receive at-risk children to Good Samaritan House. Today, Good Samaritan House serves 32 children while Our Lady of Peace houses 25 residents with special needs.

The

CNEWA Connection At left, a resident of Our Lady of Peace (seated) learns new skills during a crochet workshop.

Residents and staff of Our Lady of Peace (at right) play a group game while on break from their workshops.

One in 10 Egyptians is a Christian — the largest Christian community in the Arab world. Called Copts, Egyptian Christians are among the most vulnerable people in the country, subject to intense discrimination and hostility for generations, and tempted with rewards for conversion to Islam. Dreams of quality education, employment opportunities and equal rights under the law have driven many to emigrate to the West, where vibrant communities now flourish in the United States and Australia.

The apostolic works of the Coptic churches — Catholic, Orthodox and Evangelical — are many and strive to serve the common good of the country, especially the needs of the most marginalized and vulnerable, Christian and Muslim. CNEWA has long supported these efforts, focusing on initiatives that support at-risk children and those with special needs, such as the programs profiled here.

Help CNEWA continue these important works of the churches.

Call 1-866-322-444 (Canada), 1-800-442-6392 (United States) or email us at cnewa@cnewa.org. older students attend an hourlong class in the morning and then spend the rest of the day, until 2 p.m., participating in one of four workshops: hand-looming, candlemaking, crocheting and sewing.

“The work makes them feel valued, even though what they are assigned is a simple task,” says Sonia Salib, the manager of Our Lady of Peace House. “Putting molds in oil is a simple task, but essential in the production of candles.”

Gina, Michael, Christine and Philip sit at a table in the middle of the room, while Engy Saad,

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who supervises the candle-making workshop, stands nearby, wearing an apron with traces of candlewax.

Behind her is a stove, where raw wax is melting in a pot. In one corner of the room are variously shaped molds into which the melted wax is poured. On the other side of the room, the finished candles sit on a set of shelves.

Each person does work according to their ability: Christine cleans the previously used molds with a scraper. Philp lubricates the mold.

Michael has the more complex task of installing a wick in the middle

of each mold, before Engy pours in the wax. Gina eventually removes the candle from the mold.

“Our primary goal is not to produce, but to use production to teach our students, develop their skills and help them feel valued,” Engy says.

Magda Fayek, 35, is a member of the handloom workshop. She and her sister Nermine, 33, joined Our Lady of Peace House shortly after it opened. Their father had passed away and their mother could not care for them as she, too, had health problems. When their uncle learned of Our Lady of Peace, it became a lifesaver for the family.

In the sewing workshop, Nermine irons a bedsheet in one corner of the room, while Shenouda Zaki, 35, sits at a sewing table.

Like Magda, Nermine has developmental challenges. She was among the first to join the sewing workshop, ironing, cutting and helping Irene Azmy, the workshop supervisor, with the production. She and Magda visit their uncle, who lives in Cairo, on holidays. Nermine is a member of the Our Lady of Peace theater group, which performs at the home’s annual party.

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n the sensory integration room, 17-year-old Amany Zarif sits in front of a water column that changes colors. She watches the floating shapes that move about.

She suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and the device helps to focus her attention when she gets distracted.

Ilham Roshdi, the specialist for the sensory integration room, sits next to her, helping her to focus. She says

To serve well those with special needs requires people who love this kind of work … who demonstrate the spirit of service and giving.

Amany could not focus for more than 30 seconds at a time previously but, with training, her ability to focus has increased.

Ilham has been working at Our Lady of Peace House for 13 years.

As with most of her colleagues, she had volunteered with special needs children at her parish’s Sunday school. She subsequently obtained diplomas in sensory integration and speech therapy.

“When a teacher, who deals with normal children, achieves good results, he is happy,” says Ilham.

“We deal with children who come

to us who often are a blank piece of paper; when we achieve a good result, we feel thrilled.”

Ilham is qualified to work with people with special needs. However, it has not been easy for the house to hire qualified teachers, especially supervisors, whose job it is to assist the residents around the clock.

To serve those with physical and intellectual challenges well, it “requires people who love this kind of work, not just someone who is seeking a job,” says Sonia, the house director. “Therefore, I am careful to choose the workers.”

She explains that she selects her staff mostly from among those who have served people with special needs in a church setting and who demonstrate “the spirit of service and giving.”

Eight supervisors work in the assisted living component of Our Lady of Peace House: five are assigned to the female residents and three are assigned to the male residents. Each supervisor resides with three people and assists them with their daily needs and routines, such as bathing, dressing, and at mealtimes, throughout the day.

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“Sometimes the work is tiring, but I feel that our Lord is very much in this place,” says Rita Fawzi, 36. As a general supervisor for boys and girls, Rita oversees all aspects of their housing.

“I was not sure that I could deal with developmentally challenged people,” Rita says. “But when I began to work and live among them, I began to love them in a way I couldn’t believe.”

Sister Afaf Zarif chats with members of her family — young people of Good Samaritan House — outside their home in Cairo.

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ranciscan Elizabethan Sister Afaf Zarif runs Good Samaritan House, with the help of Sister Awatef Bakheet.

Currently, Good Samaritan houses 18 boys and 14 girls. Nine of the residents are in college, seven are in high school, seven attend preparatory school, and eight are in primary school.

“I found my ministry in this place and this helps me to live religious life better,” Sister Afaf says.

Sister Afaf had collaborated with Father Ragheb, who died in 2010, in establishing the orphanage.

When Father Ragheb asked her to

join him in this new mission among vulnerable children, Sister Afaf had been serving as the director of the Franciscan Nuns School in Maghagha in Minya, Upper Egypt, for 18 years.

“I immediately agreed, and told him, ‘I am ready.’ I had always wished to serve orphans and continue my ministry with them,” Sister Afaf, 66, recalls. She left her position at the school and has been at Good Samaritan House ever since.

The pair announced their plan to open an orphanage in the local churches, and the churches

These are children of the King — Jesus. Giving them a sense of family is part of the mission of this house.

responded by sending them at-risk children in need of care. In a short period, eight children, then aged 2 to 5, were sent their way. Before the current location, the orphanage moved into three places in three months.

“We suffered a lot in the beginning, but providence was with us and many people stood with us,” Sister Afaf recalls.

Maryam Roble, 18, lives at Good Samaritan House. She is in her final year of high school.

Usually, students in Egypt double their efforts in their final year, as it often determines a student’s future career. Maryam wakes up at five in the morning to study and waits for one of her housemates to wake up to go down together for breakfast in the dining hall.

At the end of the day, they watch TV and spend time together as a family.

After the young people complete their college degrees, Good Samaritan House assists them in moving out on their own.

The house helps by placing them in church-run hostels, until they can get on stable financial footing and can move into their own flats.

Romani Ishaq, 25, joined Good Samaritan House at the age of 3.

He left the house in 2019, after completing his studies in computer sciences. That same year, he began his compulsory military service.

On his last vacation during military service, he came to Good Samaritan House to visit his “brothers and sisters,” whom he considers his “first family.” They were happy to see him.

“It was a difficult feeling when I had to leave the house,” he says. “For 19 years, they were my family. You feel here like you’re in the safe zone. You feel the warmth of a family who takes care of your needs. Now I have to face life outside, but I will stay in

touch with my brothers and sisters here.”

Sister Afaf says giving children a sense of family is part of the mission of the house. We want the children to feel that they are staying in their home, “not as orphans,” she says.

“We want them to feel that we are a big family and, at the same time, we want them to live a normal life for children.”

“I say these are children of the King [Jesus], so they must have complete freedom, as if they are with their parents,” she adds. “We do not use the word ‘dar’ [meaning orphanage], but we say, ‘the house of the church.’ ” The two Franciscan Elizabethan sisters, together with Bishop Bakhoum, are family to the children — and vice versa. The bishop took on the management of Our Lady of Peace in 2015, after Father Francis became ill, and then decided to reside at the home while serving as the administrative vicar of the patriarchate at the time. Father Francis continues to reside at the house in his retirement.

“I felt I needed to stay here,” says the 46-year-old bishop. “I needed the feeling that I belonged to a family. When I come back after a long working day, I find a family and children waiting for me.

This takes me out of our priestly difficulties, and integrates us into a family.”

The bishop took on managing Good Samaritan House three years later.

“Taking care of 30 to 40 orphans, from the ages of 5 to 25, is not easy,” he says. “Each of them comes from a different background and reality, and the challenge is how we integrate them to form a family atmosphere.

“We are touching Christ’s blessing in this service,” he adds. “He who provides these children with a service will have blessings in his life.” n

She can face a better future, thanks to you cnewa.org I cnewa.ca

u

CNEWA is supporting many efforts to care for poor and vulnerable youth.

Learn more and watch an exclusive video from Egypt at cnewa.org/blog

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Based in Cairo, Magdy Samaan is the Egypt correspondent for The Times of London. His work also has been published in the Daily Telegraph, CNN, Foreign Policy and other journals.

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Perspectives

by Msgr. Peter I.Vaccari

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Shiite Muslims, Mandaeans, Yazidis and Christians. In this current issue, you will read about CNEWA’s work in priestly formation at St. Peter’s Patriarchal Seminary of the Chaldean Church in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan.

On 11 March 1926, Pope Pius XI founded CNEWA. He placed it under the care and direction of the archbishop of New York, then Patrick Joseph Cardinal Hayes (1867-1938), with service to the Holy See’s Congregation for Eastern Churches. CNEWA’s mission, a fundamental gospel mandate to walk with those people we serve like the crucified and risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus (cf. Lk 24:13-35), is accomplished as a papal agency. The current chair of CNEWA’s International Board of Trustees is Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, archbishop of New York.

This issue also includes features that focus on CNEWA’s efforts to support programs for the care of children in Egypt and India — many with special needs — always in collaboration with the local church and its leaders. In addition, Father Elias Mallon, S.A., inaugurates a new series dedicated to the world of the Eastern churches.

Finally, the issue contains a carefully researched and important piece on Ethiopia by Laura Ieraci. We share the concerns of so many for the violence that erupted in the Tigray region of Ethiopia in early November 2020.

he March issue of ONE magazine is unique!

For it appears in the month in which the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) began.

So, today, CNEWA marks its 95th anniversary! And I ask for your prayers as we move toward our centennial celebration.

As I write this reflection, let us not forget that the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths around the world continues to grow. At this writing, some 113 million global cases have been recorded and more than 2.5 million global deaths. Let us remember in prayer all those in our lives who have been affected by this global tragedy and those who remain unknown to us.

Please remember in prayer, too, our Holy Father, who has just returned from an apostolic visit to Iraq. This was a historic undertaking, making it the first papal visit to Iraq. Iraq, located within ancient Mesopotamia, is so rich in religious history. It is the land of the Tower of Babel, Abraham of Ur of the Chaldeans, the great spiritual conversion of Nineveh, the presence of early disciples in the late first century, and today the home of Sunni and

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In the December issue, I wrote of my intention to develop and offer for prayer and reflection major themes found in the recent encyclicals of Pope Francis, “Fratelli Tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship” (2020) and “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home” (2015). From my perspective, I believe that CNEWA’s papal character and radical fidelity to our gospel mandate will always serve to drive our noble mission in the ecumenical, interreligious and secular settings in which we find our work. It is an opportunity to witness to our basic Catholic identity in extraordinary and heroic ways.

As Pope Francis was writing “Fratelli Tutti,” the COVID-19 global pandemic had exploded. The pope was moved and concerned about the inability of nations to work together to address the horror of this vicious virus. He wrote, “For all our hyper-connectivity, we witnessed a fragmentation that made it more difficult to resolve problems that affect us all.” His desire is to hold

up the dignity of every human person so that we can cultivate “the rebirth of a universal aspiration to fraternity. Fraternity between all men and women.”

Let us pray that nations will collaborate in the dissemination of the COVID-19 vaccines throughout the northern and southern hemispheres.

We cannot go it alone. The human being, created in the image and likeness of God is, therefore, like God — relational! Pope Francis invites us to “dream … as a single human family, as fellow travelers sharing the same flesh, as children of the same earth which is our common home.”

This edition of ONE appears between the Lenten and Easter seasons. I invite you to re-read the story of the crucified and risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus. All the Latin and Eastern churches will listen to that gospel during the Easter season. Let us pray to experience what the disciples who were with Jesus experienced when Luke (24:30) writes that “he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them” — their eyes were opened and their hearts burned with the desire to witness to the world!

Let us dream together, CNEWA, as we move through our 95th anniversary toward our centennial!

With my prayers and gratitude,

Peter I. Vaccari President, CNEWA

Pope Francis is introduced to a religious leader at an interreligious gathering on the plain of Ur in Iraq, 6 March 2021.

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CNEWA a papal agency for humanitarian and pastoral support 1011 First Avenue, New York, NY 10022-4195 • 1-212-826-1480 • cnewa@cnewa.org 223 Main Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 1C4 • 1-866-322-4441 • www.cnewa.ca