Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Ras Al Khaimah (Agenzia Fides) - The Assembly of the Conference of Latin Bishops in the Arab Regions (CELRA) began yesterday, September 29, and will continue until Thursday, October 2. This year the meeting will be held at St. Anthony of Padua church in Ras al Kaimah, in the United Arab Emirates. During the meeting, the Bishops will discuss pastoral issues related to the family - the theme of the Extraordinary Synod which is about to begin in Rome - and on the pastoral care of immigrants in Arab Countries for work reasons.
The pastoral care of migrant communities is at the heart of the mission of pastoral workers present in the countries of the Arabian Peninsula. The same United Arab Emirates, which hosts the assembly of bishops, is predominantly a Muslim Country with a higher percentage of Christian presence in virtue of the fact that the foreign labor immigrants account for 70 percent of the 4 million residents, and among them more than half are baptized. Catholics alone - mostly Filipinos and Indians - are around one million.
"In our meetings - reports to Fides Agency Archbishop Maroun Laham, Patriarchal Vicar for Jordan of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem - we will also discuss the contribution that the local Christian communities may offer in the future path of reconciliation in the Countries of areas disrupted by conflicts, wars and ethno-religious cleaning, starting with Syria, Iraq and the Holy Land".
St. Anthony of Padua church was consecrated on 14 June 2013 by Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (see Fides 14/06/2013). On that occasion, addressing the faithful present for the consecration, almost all foreigners, the Cardinal said: "You come from different Countries. The variety of your cultures testifies the richness and variety of your origins, but the harmony of your voices expresses the unity of your faith. The mystery of the Church lives in you". (GV) (Agenzia Fides 30/09/2014)
