|
|
 |
|
CNS Story:
|
AUSTRALIA-SFEIR Jul-14-2008 (260 words) xxxi
Maronite Catholics gather in Sydney for Mass, youth forum
By Catholic News Service
SYDNEY, Australia (CNS) -- More than 20,000 Maronite Catholics gathered in Sydney for a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Nasrallah P. Sfeir, patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church, and 12 Maronite bishops from around the world.
The July 13 Mass in Parramatta Stadium was one of the largest gathering of Maronite Catholics outside of Lebanon. Australia is home to approximately 150,000 Maronites, many of whom recently have emigrated from Lebanon or are descendants of Lebanese immigrants. Of approximately 5.5 million Maronite Catholics throughout the world, approximately 1 million live in Lebanon.
Applause lasting for 10 minutes greeted the 88-year-old patriarch at the stadium.
In his homily, Cardinal Sfeir said that "every kingdom that is divided is condemned," and "people can only be reconciled through understanding and charity."
He commended Australia's Lebanese for their efforts to preserve their Maronite traditions and ancestral values.
The Mass followed the first Maronite Catholic International Youth Forum July 9-12, the first intercontinental gathering of 150 Maronite young people.
In a final statement issued after the youth forum, Cardinal Sfeir said "the Maronite collective identity is one of the real problems which the church must face with courage."
"We have to put in perspective the danger that the Maronites are facing in their new cultures," the cardinal said. These cultures often are "based on material consumption that distracts the youth and keeps them away from experiencing a profound relationship with Christ," he said.
END
Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
CNS · 3211 Fourth St NE · Washington DC 20017 · 202.541.3250
|
|
|
|
