As peace continued to reign “reluctantly” in the region, TA members in Holy Land moved forward.
A very warm welcome awaited our revered speaker and friend of the Teresian Association, Bishop William Shomali, the General Vicar and Patriarchal Vicar for Jerusalem and Palestine, whom we invited to give a talk about Synodality on June 18 at Jerusalem, Holy Land.
In this capacity and in his varied, enriching experiences as priest and pastor, as general administrator, Professor of Liturgy, Prefect of Studies in Philosophy and Theology at the seminary and the former Rector of the Latin Patriarchate Seminary in Beit Jala, we looked forward to hearing his perspectives and updates about synodality in the Holy Land.
To recall a bit of history, between October 2021 and August 2022, the diocese of Jerusalem sent out a memorandum and an invitation to all its faithful, especially issuing out a questionnaire, adapted to our realities in the Middle East, soliciting the participation of one and all – including the migrants - to form, and have a basis for reflection of the Synod that took place at the Vatican in 2023. We were asked to take time to reflect the role each one plays – consecrated and laity, men and women, young and old, those distant from the Church and those close to the Church – in building up the Mystical Body of Christ. The TA group in Jerusalem had a session replying to the questionnaire with members of the Bible Study group with the guidance of our Jesuit priest-friend.
All our responses have been collated and sent to the Assembly of Catholic Patriarchs of the East and the Conference of Latin Bishops of the Arab Regions. A second stage took place with these proposals merged with those of other dioceses in the Middle East that were eventually sent to Rome to be used for the October 2023 in the Vatican.
Almost three years now, in 2026, we asked Bishop Shomali what results did these meetings have and its implementation, if any in our respective contexts? How has our journeying together, in the synodal way, been here, in the Holy Land?
An atmosphere of openness and transparency prevailed during the bishop’s talk. His sharing was truly down-to-earth inviting those present to dialogue with their pastor who knew and shared facts on the ground – not necessarily perfect for many evident reasons (including the effects of war). Efforts toward promoting participation, hindered by the challenges clericalism presented, emerged; and reinforcement of pastoral charity especially toward Gaza was visible and a sign of hope that the Church cared for the poor. There continues to be a strong call for co-responsibility, transparency, walking together, and shared discernment, among serious issues to be tackled.
The Talk of Bishop William elicited an enthusiastic applause from the attendees (staff and students from the University, Christian family members as well as friends and supporters of the TA), that eloquently expressed their appreciation for such informative activities that touched their daily lives as Christians and drew them closer to the pastors of the Catholic Church.
TA - Holy Land.
Published in News