Pope Leo XIV says Christians in the Middle East offer a ‘precious testimony for the entire Church’

ROME (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV on Sept. 3 praised the “precious presence” of the small Christian communities who “make Christ present” in the Middle East.

In a speech to the members of the Conference of the Latin Bishops of the Arab Regions (CELRA) at the Vatican, the pope told the bishops “not to be afraid of your smallness” because the fruitfulness of the Church is not measured in numbers or resources, but in “fidelity to the Gospel.”

“Your mission is not simply to maintain a Christian presence, but to make Christ present,” the pope said, by proclaiming the Gospel, celebrating the sacraments and recognizing the Lord “in every person placed under your care.”

“You are not called to solve all the problems of your lands, but to be faithful to the Gospel and to the people entrusted to you,” he added. “Do not seek success or recognition first: Seek fidelity. Be voices of truth, justice and peace.”

The Conference of the Latin Bishops of the Arab Region includes bishops from Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Cyprus, Djibouti, Somalia and the countries of the Arabian Peninsula.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, currently serves as the president of the conference.

Pope Leo recalled the witness of martyrdom of Catholics who gave their lives for the faith in recent years in Iraq, Syria, and other parts of the Middle East scarred by violence. He also highlighted the witness of Blessed Leonella Sgorbati, a Consolata Missionary sister who was killed in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 2006, and the Missionaries of Charity killed in Yemen in 2016 while serving the most vulnerable.

“Their names may not be known to the world, but they are well known to God,” he said. “Their fidelity to the Gospel remains a light for your communities and an invitation not to give in to fear or resignation.”

The pope encouraged the bishops not to lose heart when results are not immediately visible, reminding them that “the sowing belongs to you; the growth belongs to God.”

“No gesture done in the name of Christ is useless: A prayer, a word of consolation, a family supported, a child educated in the faith, a poor person welcomed — these are the seeds of a new future,” Pope Leo emphasized.

“Dear Brothers, continue your journey with confidence. You are not alone,” he said. “The universal Church looks upon your communities with affection and recognizes in their perseverance, in their faith lived through trials and in their courage in service, a precious testimony for the entire Church.”

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