Western Church Debates Do Not Resonate in the Middle East - Cardinal Pizzaballa
- Since the October ceasefire, active fighting has stopped, but living conditions remain unchanged.
- In Bethlehem, things are somewhat different because of Christmas. We celebrated in a normal and festive way, with lights and music, so people could breathe again for a moment.
- In Gaza and the West Bank, however, living conditions remain very difficult socially, economically, and politically.
Ninety Percent of Christian Families Are Confessionally Mixed
- Ecumenism is a pastoral, not a theological, issue.
- We must continue on the path toward Christian unity, knowing that it is a long journey that cannot be rushed.
- We need a common voice on global issues such as peace, justice, and human dignity.
- Perhaps one day we will even share a common calendar, but we must take our time.
- While some priests on both sides tend toward excessive strictness, relationships are fundamentally good.
- Ninety percent of Christian families are confessionally mixed, with Catholics and Orthodox marrying one another. For us, relations between the Churches are a pastoral, not a theological, issue.
A Very Different Reality from the West
- The issues of the German Synodal Path and other Western debates do not resonate in the Middle East.
- We live in a completely different reality; this is not a judgment, but a fact.
- Our Churches are traditional, and we live through the community of the Church. Strengthening relations between the Churches matters most to us.
- For Christians here, harmonious coexistence between the Churches is the priority.
Common Catechetical Books for Orthodox and Catholics
- In Gaza, Orthodox and Catholic parishes work together in humanitarian aid, schools, and pastoral activities.
- They also coordinate liturgical activities to avoid overlap.
- In villages with both Catholic and Orthodox schools, we cooperate closely.
- Because there are fewer Christian pupils, one Church often runs the primary school and the other the secondary, ensuring the same education.
- Orthodox and Catholic schools use the same catechetical books, developed jointly.
- About half the pupils are Christian, though in some schools Muslims form the majority, depending on location.
- In all our schools, the presence of non-Christians is important both numerically and missionally.
Hope for Better Political and Social Conditions
- I hope for better political and social conditions, and that the community preserves its unity, commitment to life, and resilience.
- We must not confuse hope with a political solution.
Picture: Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, #newsQbyohjacrh