Coordination of Aid in Rome
The formation of Eastern Catholic clergy and the church in Eritrea, Iraq, Israel, Palestine and Ukraine were among the subjects discussed in Rome from 20-23 June by Catholic donor agencies serving the Eastern churches.
The semiannual meetings, called ROACO (Reunion of Organizations for Aid to the Oriental Churches), are convoked by the Congregation for the Eastern Churches to plan and coordinate aid.
Pope Benedict XVI received participants, which included CNEWA Secretary General Msgr. Robert Stern, Associate Secretary General Chorbishop John Faris and Assistant Secretary General Father Guido Gockel, M.H.M., in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace on 23 June.
“It is more than ever necessary that Christians offer a testimony of a solidarity that crosses all frontiers, in order to build a world in which everyone feels welcomed and respected,” Pope Benedict XVI told the group.
Knights Gather
Msgr. Stern participated in the annual meeting of the North American lieutenants of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem held in New York from 19-21 May.
The meeting – which also included the leadership of the order, Governor General Pier Luigi Parola, Vice Governor General James Miscoll and Master of Ceremonies Msgr. Juan Dorronsoro – focused on the order’s mission, work and internal life. Msgr. Stern serves as a consultant.
In New Orleans on 28 May, Msgr. Stern spoke to the Lieutenancy of the Southeast United States about the work of CNEWA in the Holy Land. He was joined by Bethlehem University President and Vice Chancellor, Brother Vincent Malham, F.S.C., who provided an update on the situation in Palestine and Israel.
Iraqi Church Leader Visits CNEWA
Chaldean Patriarch Emmanuel III visited CNEWA’s New York office on 10 June, part of his first pastoral visit to the United States and Canada. The patriarch, who resides in Baghdad, said that while Iraq lacks security, peace and stability the Chaldean community remained full of hope for the future.Edward Cardinal Egan, Archbishop of New York and President of CNEWA, hosted a reception and luncheon for the patriarch, attended by representatives of Eastern Catholic and Orthodox churches in the New York area.
The following day, Patriarch Emmanuel joined Msgr. Stern and senior staff members in a teleconference with European funding agencies to discuss the coordination of Catholic aid to Iraq.
Elected patriarch by the bishops of the Chaldean Church in December 2003, Patriarch Emmanuel leads a worldwide community of nearly 400,000 people.
World Mission Conference
De La Salle Brother David Carroll, Under Secretary General, represented CNEWA at the Conference on World Mission and Evangelism, organized by the World Council of Churches, held in Athens from 9-16 May.
Brother David was a member of the Holy See’s delegation to the conference, led by Bishop Brian Farrell, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
Brother David met with Metropolitan Ignatios, the new ecumenical officer for the Greek Orthodox Church, and discussed church unity as well as Orthodox complaints about alleged Protestant proselytizing, a controversial issue at the conference.
Catholic-Orthodox Dialogue
Chorbishop Faris participated in two theological consultations in June. Catholic and Orthodox understandings of conciliarity and primacy were the subjects of the semiannual dialogue of the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation held in Crestwood, New York.
The relationship between the Oriental Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic churches in the United States and Catholic policies regarding proselytism were discussed during the annual scholarly dialogue of the United States Oriental-Orthodox-Roman Catholic Consultation in New Rochelle, New York.
ONE Awarded
Members of the agency’s editorial staff received the awards at the association’s annual convention, held this year in May in Orlando, Florida.
ONE also won a first-place award for best cover; second-place for best single color photo and two honorable mentions for best personality profile and for best investigative writing.