We proclaim it to the world…and all shall hear it
Professor Dr. Michel Abs
Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)
Before the doorway of the altar of the King of Glory stood His Beatitude John X, Thirteenth among the holy apostles, to speak words suited to both the place and the time, at this era of great transformations through which the Antiochian Levant is passing.
The Patriarch addresses history, and the first people he speaks to are his own: the people of the Levant, all the people of Syria, whose population is experiencing some of the most dangerous changes in its modern history.
He recalls the roots; he says to near and far alike: “We Christians are from the soil of Syria and from the cedars of Lebanon; from the majesty of Qasioun Mountain, the expansiveness of Homs, the legacy of Aleppo, the waterwheels of Hama, and the gushing springs of Idlib, from the sea of Latakia and the Euphrates of Deir ez-Zor.” His Beatitude affirms that we hail from the very essence of this land and its foundational civilizations, adding, “We are not guests in this land, nor did we come to this land today or yesterday. We are from the ancient roots of Syria and as old as the jasmine of Damascus.” He also emphasizes the universality of our mission by saying, “We are from Apostolic Antioch, from this land that has adorned the world with the name of Jesus Christ.”, for the holy apostles fulfilled the Lord’s command: “Go forth, preach to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Holy Trinity,” starting from the hills of al-Sham and the coasts of Phoenicia-Canaan to all the world.
In this same vein, His Beatitude addresses all the nation’s children, stressing communal unity and shared living. He says: “My Muslim brothers, between the ‘we’ and the ‘you’, the ‘and’ falls away, leaving only ‘we you’ and ‘you we’. He continues, “Together, we are the bearer of a shared history with all its ups and downs, and our destiny is one.”
His Beatitude thus settles the stance he has always proclaimed and made it a foundational principle of his national values. He removes this separating ‘and’ that distinguishes ‘we’ from ‘you’ by merging them so that ‘we’ are ‘you’ and ‘you’ are ‘we.’ In the conscience of the Patriarch—the Patriarch of the Arabs—there is no room for division, discrimination, or destructive fanaticism. Instead, there is the safeguarding of distinct identities within one unified national crucible.
He then reaffirms that Syria is a land of national unity and that it will remain “one and unified by the oneness of its soil and, above all, by the unity of the hearts of its people.” He stresses the importance of interaction and dialogue among all components of the nation, affirming that Christians always extend their hands for a handshake towards a promising future for this nation.
Within this context, and because the country is witnessing great transformations, the Patriarch deems it necessary to share with everyone his vision for the nation’s future and to present what he believes is required to ensure stability, partnership, and progress for a people who continue to suffer greatly from the injustices of history and the world. His Beatitude puts forth these ideas and proposals out of a concern to safeguard the country and prevent it from falling into the traps laid for it.
In his view, Syria must be “a civil state, a state where all are equal in rights and duties,” and “a state of citizenship, where we do not seek our citizenship as a favor from anyone,” and “a state of
coexistence and civil peace, where we extend our hand to everyone,” and “a state of law and respect for religions,” and “a state of respect for collective and individual freedoms—responsible freedom,” and “a state of democracy where sovereignty belongs to the people, the law is the arbiter,” and “a state of respect for human rights ensuring the independence of the judiciary and equal opportunity for all its citizens.” For him, “the ultimate guarantor for achieving these aspirations is the constitution. Therefore, the process of drafting the constitution must be a holistic and inclusive national endeavor. He clarifies this with no room for ambiguity: the necessity that national partnership be embodied, first and foremost, in the drafting of the constitution that will safeguard the future of our people, our family, in the Levant—the soil from which we were fashioned.
Because the Patriarch is fully aware that in the country, as in the world, there are many who “fish in troubled waters”, who incite discord, and who seek scoops at any cost, he warns that “Christians are not to be used as material for media exploitation. It is essential to be mindful of how to handle media and social platforms, especially regarding the many rumors they spread irresponsibly.” He does not want the national journey we are about to embark upon to become a media or political commodity that leads to dire consequences, making Christians its fuel.
And because he is a Patriarch of wisdom as well as love, he stresses “we stress the importance of distinguishing between caution and prudence on one hand, and fear on the other. We do not interact with our fellow Syrians in fear, for love is the bond that unites us all.”
Following in the footsteps of the great Patriarchs of Antioch, and with a new approach suited to the current era, His Beatitude Patriarch John X stands to give lessons to history—lessons drawn from past experiences and a keen vision of the future. His concern is to preserve the ‘salt of the earth,’ where they were called Christians first, so they may remain the leaven of goodness for a world lost in the depths of modernity and within the halls of merciless interests.
May the Lord guide your steps, Your Beatitude, and the steps of all the noble spiritual leaders, to lead this nation to a safe harbor.