LEBANON Amid the winds of war in Lebanon the ordination of the secretary for the Eastern Churches

During the night, Israeli aircraft killed a commander and three Hezbollah members who, in response, fired dozens of missiles towards the Golan and Tiberias. Meanwhile, in an ecumenical ceremony held in Bkerké, Father Michel Jalakh became the first Maronite to hold this important position in the Vatican. Even the Shiite movement (despite its disagreements with Patriarch Rai) “praises” the new Lebanese bishop.

Beirut () – The Maronite Church celebrates its annual synod, scheduled for June 10 to 15, but on the southern front of Lebanon the dangerous escalation between Hezbollah and Israel continues, with a fierce exchange of missiles during the night and the death of a commander of pro-Iran Shiite militias. The Star of David air force raid hit Taleb Abdallah, better known as Abu Taleb, a field leader of the Lebanese movement who was killed along with three other fighters late at night near the town of Jouya. The funeral will take place this afternoon, while the militia’s response was immediate: during the night, Hezbollah fired a barrage of dozens of missiles and rockets from southern Lebanon towards the Golan Heights and – for the first time – also towards the Tiberias area. A climate of growing confrontation triggered by Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which risks becoming an all-out war also in the north against “the Party of God.”

With an eye on the winds of war blowing in the region, the Maronite Church recently celebrated the episcopal ordination of Father Michel Jalakh, monk of the Antonian Maronite Order (OAM): the prelate was appointed secretary of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches on February 15 and elevated three weeks later by Pope Francis to the rank of titular archbishop of Nisibi of the Maronites, in Turkey, on March 8. The ceremony, presided over by Patriarch Beshara Raï, took place at the patriarchal headquarters of Bkerké, in the presence of card. Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of a papal dicastery who knows the Eastern Churches and their needs well. The episcopal ordination of Monsignor Jalakh, sources explain, was necessary “to allow him to address his interlocutors on an equal footing and issue an impartial opinion on his suitability for the ecclesiastical office.”

ecumenical ceremony

The ordination took place in the presence of Patriarchs Youssef Absi, Melkite Greek, Ignace Youssef III Younan, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI, Ignace Aphram II, Syrian Orthodox. Present along with the primates of the different Churches were the Apostolic Nuncio in Lebanon, Mons. Paolo Borgia, and Mons. Chahan Sargasyan representing Catholicos Aram I. The ceremony had a marked ecumenical character, also because the destiny of the Christians of the East It depends on their unity of action, beyond particular confessions, whether Catholic or Orthodox.

In his homily, the Maronite Patriarch gave an account of the tasks and prerogatives of the new archbishop, emphasizing that the Pope had chosen him to “help him in his apostolic service”, a task in which “you will undoubtedly live up to his expectations.” Finally, the Patriarch praised the “monastic and priestly virtues” and the “knowledge acquired during the many years spent in Rome: as a student, specialist and accredited member of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches for five years, then as secretary general of the Council of the Churches of the Middle East (CEMO) for five years, and finally as rector of the Antonine University.

a first time

It is the first time that a Lebanese (and Maronite) has been appointed to this position since the creation of the dicastery in 1917, observers note. Many believe that with the experience he has accumulated over the years, both internally and at the ecumenical and interfaith levels, Monsignor Jalkh’s appointment seems appropriate and could prepare him for higher positions in the near future. In his acceptance speech, the prelate stated that he carried all causes in his heart, starting with “that of my homeland, Lebanon.” Without forgetting, he added, that of “the populations suffering the horrors of war, from Ukraine to Gaza.”

Speaking of the country of the cedars and the decline of its institutions in this phase of its history, the new bishop then stressed that “what we Lebanese lack to rebuild this unique nation with its human solidarity, its spiritual solidity that encompasses its diverse identities and is distinguished by its social constitution based on family and its values, it is a bit of asceticism, humility and self-denial. The ecclesiastical source asked by about this added that “these last words are addressed more to the various Churches than to the political and ruling class.” People close to Card. Claudio Gugerotti, Italian archbishop specialized in oriental languages ​​and liturgies and former nuncio to Georgia and Armenia, have confirmed that he “carries Lebanon in his heart” and that he considers it a “cornerstone of the Christian presence in the East.”

Hezbollah’s “praise”

The appointment of the prelate was also widely reported among members of Hezbollah, to the point of meriting an editorial published in the newspaper Al-Akhbar, notoriously close to the pro-Iranian Shiite movement: “Before turning 60, Monsignor Jalkh has achieved what no other Lebanese or Maronite has ever achieved,” the article reads. This allows him to act “like a man who wants nothing for himself”, with the “independence” that this guarantees him. Because, the text continues, “he owes the appointment to no one other than Pope Francis and his friend (Cardinal) Gugerotti, who does not tie him to any network of interests, and allows him to achieve a lot for the Christian communities of the region, if he reconciles his vision with the capabilities of the Vatican. Regarding the newspaper’s words, it must be noted that, unfortunately, this “beautiful” tribute has been overshadowed by a “political” interpretation of the ordination. In effect, it is seen as “a current or future censorship of the work of the current patriarch.” A target, that of the Maronite primate, against whom the daily emanation of Hezbollah does not stop firing.