Pope Closes Synod Remembering Chinese Bishops, Christians In India, Iraq

VATICAN CITY (UCAN) - As Pope Benedict XVI closed the Synod on the Word of God, he made special mention of mainland China bishops who were unable to attend and recalled the plight of Christians in India and Iraq.

"A special thought goes to the bishops of mainland China, who were not able to be represented at this synodal assembly," the pope said during the homily of the closing Mass he celebrated on Oct. 26 at St. Peter's Basilica.

"I desire here to make myself interpreter of their great love for Christ, their communion with the universal Church and their fidelity to the successor of the Apostle Peter," he stated.

The 81-year old pope asserted the Chinese bishops as well as "all the faithful entrusted to their pastoral care" were nonetheless present in the assembly's prayers. "We ask the Supreme Pastor of the flock to give them joy, strength and apostolic zeal to guide with wisdom and with far-sightedness the Catholic community in China."

About 240 bishops from more than 100 countries concelebrated the Sunday Mass, which formally ended the three-week synod.

The Vatican had hoped bishops from mainland China would attend the synod, together with the 41 prelates from other Asian countries. But according to Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, "An accord was not reached with the Chinese authorities for the participation of other bishops."

Three Chinese prelates attended -- Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun of Hong Kong, Bishop Jose Lai Hung-seng of Macau and Bishop Peter Liu Cheng-chung of Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Before the synod ended, the Synod Fathers elected Cardinal Zen to serve on the post-synodal council, just as they did at the 2005 Synod on the Eucharist.

"They wanted to show their support for the Church in China," the cardinal told UCA News in Rome shortly after the election.

The synod also elected Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle of Imus, the Philippines, and Archbishop Mark Benedict Coleridge of Canberra-Goulburn, Australia, to represent Asia-Oceania. Similarly they elected three members from Africa, the Americas and Europe.

This council helps the pope write the post-synodal apostolic exhortation, which officially presents the fruit of the synod to the Church, usually about a year later. Afterward it assesses the impact of the exhortation.

The pope appointed three other members, including Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil of Guwahati, India, a choice that analysts interpreted as a sign of solidarity with Christians in India.

In an explicit act of solidarity, Pope Benedict, speaking from his Vatican study window after the closing Mass, spoke of the plight of Christians in India and Iraq.

He referred to an appeal at the end of the synod by patriarchs of Oriental Catholic Churches calling the international community's attention to the tragedy in countries where Christians are victims of intolerance and violence.

"I am thinking at this moment above all about Iraq and India," the pope said, adding that the small but industrious Christian minorities do not demand privileges but only desire to be able to live in their country as they have done in the past.

"Spare no effort so that legality and civil coexistence can be quickly taken up again, and that the honest and loyal citizens may know that they can rely on adequate protection from the state institutions," he appealed to civil and religious authorities in India and Iraq.

The pope said he hopes authorities in all countries, in awareness of their role as leaders for their people, would make significant and explicit positive gestures toward minorities, Christian or otherwise, and make it a point of honor to defend these groups' legitimate rights.

One of the signatories to the patriarchs' appeal was Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil of Ernakulam-Angamaly, India, major archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church. Another signatory was Catholicos Baselios Mar Cleemis of Trivandrum, major archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Church. Both Oriental rites, based in southern India, along with the larger Latin rite form the Indian Catholic Church.