From the Visitation Monastery, Lebanon
Environmental and Ecumenical Interviews on the Closure of the “Season of Creation” 2021
Leaders from Different Church Families Highlight the Importance of Preserving the Creator’s Gifts
This report is also available in Arabic.
On the closure of the Season of Creation 2021 in the East and the world, the Middle East Council of Churches called for an Ecumenical Prayer under the patronage of His Beatitude Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and all the East Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al Rai on Sunday October 3, 2021, at the Visitation Monastery, Philokalia Institute and Organization, in Aintoura, Lebanon.
The celebration and Ecumenical Prayer service of the season was marked by the choice of hymns glorifying the Creator, performed by members of the Philokalia Choir. This celebration came to culminate a new season of its kind in a region already suffering from many environmental problems. Therefore, it was necessary to raise awareness on the environmental cause, a main concern of the Church, especially since God has entrusted us with a great responsibility to protect our environment, our common home.
H.E Bishop Paul Rouhana
After the Prayer, the MECC website conducted a series of quick interviews with some Church leaders. Among them a conversation with the Maronite Patriarchal Vicar of Sarba, Lebanon, H.E Bishop Paul Rouhana who represented His Beatitude Cardinal Al Rai. He said: “I am happy that Churches joined hands on the environmental front. The renewal of the environmental cause began with His Beatitude the Ecumenical Patriarch about 40 years ago, to pervade today in the minds of all churches.”
He proceeded: “The Church's role is very important here, because God entrusted it with water sources and mountains... All our Bible Prayers are related to the environment. Our liturgical and spiritual world is a reflection of our relationship with the environment, especially when we talk about God being the shepherd of sheep, the true vine... Believers are intrinsically linked to the environment, so we must not distort it.”
Rouhana called on consolidating the environmental culture in the name of the Church with environmental scientists, for with the Bible, science, and research we can find ways to live in balance and harmony with the environment now and for future generations."
H.E Bishop George Saliba
The Curate of Mount Lebanon Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese HE Bishop Georges Saliba described the “Season of Creation” as a return to the roots and foundations. “If we think about how God created creation and handed it over to Man, we would give thank Him even more for His divine majesty and greatness. God put Man as His successor on earth and through Man God’s name is glorified.”
He added: “Today, we conclude this season in the dear village of Aintoura and in the blessed Visitation Monastery as proof that there is no end to the Ecumenical projects and programs that we can always carry out to celebrate part of the deeds God has blessed us with. We thank the Middle East Council of Churches for following up on these activities and for its tireless work in the path of convergence of hearts and agreement of minds. We congratulate Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, the Executive Committee, and all those who work with love and sincerity for improving the Council and creating programs leading to the glory of God and the service of Man.”
HE Bishop Mathias Charles Mrad
The Syriac Catholic Patriarchal Vicar of Eparchy of Beirut Our Lady of Annunciation Syriac Catholic Cathedral in Beirut HE Bishop Mathias Charles Mrad, commented: “On the closure of the Season of Creation, I thank our Lord for the Prayer that we shared together today. It is very important to rethink that we are the children of this Earth, our mother and common home. This home is a lot like the heart of the Lord, for creation is the work of God's love, who gave us everything. It requires contemplation and self-reflection, or even spiritual retreat to return to our nature."
Mrad called on everyone to pray on behalf of preserving the environment so that it in turn preserves us. If the environment was polluted, Man would be too. Man is responsible and God has given us a gift to preserve. Today, we shall return to the land and the soil from which we were made.”
Reverend Dr. Rima Nasrallah
The Coordinator of the Ecojustice Adhoc Committee at the Middle East Council of Churches Reverend Dr. Rima Nasrallah pointed out: “What rejoices us is that we were able to shed the light on the issue of caring for creation and start an awareness on the magnitude of the problems we face in the world in a short time and despite the circumstances we are going through in Lebanon. What distinguished today’s Prayer was the presence of leaders from different Churches, clergy and believers who prayed and raised their voices loud with us. We hope that God will bless us and accompany us on this path to be able to make a big difference in the Middle East, and the whole world.”
It is necessary to mention the environmental Church initiatives that contributed to the start of the “Season of Creation” around the world, in 1989, when the Orthodox Church took a decision to set September 1, the Church Liturgical year, as a special day for the environment. In 2015, His Holiness Pope Francis also declared September 1 as a day of Prayer for the environment in the Catholic Churches, to then launch his Encyclical "Laudato Si" on the preservation of the common home...
Communication and Public Relations Department