Middle East Synod - Pre-Synodal Council

The Melkite Patriarchal Secretariat announces:

Two days of meetings were held, 20-21 September 2009, in the Headquarters of the Bishops’ Synod in Rome to prepare the Synod for the Middle East previously announced (on 19 September) by the Holy Father, to be held in Rome between 10-24 October, 2010. These meetings presented an opportunity to make a brief but comprehensive review of the socio-politico-religious situation in the Middle East, in order to prepare the main topics (Lineamenta) to be dealt with in the coming Synod. An Audience with the Holy Father was on the agenda for the morning of Monday 21 September.

Participating in the first meeting of the Presynodal Council were:

1. H. B. Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites
2. H. B. Emmanuel III Delly, Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans
3. H. E. Cardinal Ivan Dias, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples
4. H. E. Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
5. H. E. Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
6. H. E. Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches
7. H. B. Antonios Naguib, Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts
8. H. B. Gregorios III Laham B.S., Patriarch of Antioch of the Melkite Greeks
9. H. B. Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni, Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians
10. H. B. Fouad Twal, Patriarch of Jerusalem of the Latins
11. H. Ex. Mgr. Jules Mikhael Al-Jamil, Archbishop of Takrit of the Syrians, Procurator and Apostolic Visitor for Western Europe
12. H. Ex. Mgr. Ramzi Garmou, Archbishop of Teheran of the Chaldeans, President of the Episcopal Conference of Iran
13. H. Ex. Mgr. Luigi Padovese O.F.M. cap., Apostolic Vicar of Anatolia, Titular Bishop of Monteverde, President of the Episcopal Conference of Turkey

Observer: Rev. Mgr. Alberto Ortega Martín, Counsellor of Nunciature of Second Class, Second Section, Secretary of State

Expert: Rev. Dr. Samir Khalil Samir, S.J.

Members of the Presynodal Council for the Middle East for the whole year are the following:

1. H. B. Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites
2. H. B. Emmanuel III Delly, Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans
3. H. E. Cardinal Ivan Dias, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples
4. H. E. Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
5. H. E. Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
6. H. E. Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches
7. H. B. Antonios Naguib, Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts
8. H. B. Ignatius Youssif III Younan, Patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians
9. H. B. Gregorios III Laham B.S., Patriarch of Antioch of the Melkite Greeks
10. H. B. Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni, Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians
11. H. B. Fouad Twal, Patriarch of Jerusalem of the Latins
12. H. Ex. Mgr. Ramzi Garmou, Archbishop of Teheran of the Chaldeans, President of the Episcopal Conference of Iran
13. H. Ex. Mgr. Luigi Padovese O.F.M. cap., Apostolic Vicar of Anatolia, Titular Bishop of Monteverde, President of the Episcopal Conference of Turkey

NB: H. B. Ignatius Youssif III Younan has designated H.Ex. Mgr. Jules Mikhael Al-Jamil, Archbishop of Takrit, Procurator and Apostolic Visitor for Western Europe to be his substitute.