Churches meet to reflect on faith amid persecution

Conference participants at Saint Bishoy Monastery

Source: World Council of Churches

As part of the two-week immersion in the curriculum of the in-person phase of the World Council of Churches' Global Ecumenical Theological Institute (GETI), participants gathered on 15 October for a plenary session exploring the theme 'Memory and Mission: Churches Responding to Persecution and Genocide.'

The session invited participants to reflect on the church's role in remembering suffering, bearing witness to hope, and responding to persecution with resilience and faith.

Keynote speakers included Prof Dr Grace Al-Zoughbi, Professor of Theology at Bethlehem Bible College, and His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Al-Zoughbi's presentation examined the fragmentation, displacement, and enduring faith of Middle Eastern Christianity within the broader context of global Christian memory.

"Once vital contributors to the region's pluralistic ecclesial and social life, these communities now face erosion that threatens not only their ecclesial continuity but also the broader stability of Middle Eastern societies," she said. "Christianity in the region, deeply rooted in a rich historical and cultural heritage, is increasingly marked by dispersion."

For the Palestinian theologian, the decline of Middle Eastern Christianity represents more than a demographic challenge - it is a theological wound that weakens the Church's capacity for rootedness, pluralism, and continuity.

Al-Zoughbi called for renewed education as a primary tool for reconstruction - "locally to preserve heritage, regionally to deepen solidarity, and globally to reintegrate these forgotten voices into Christian consciousness."

Speaking via video message, Cardinal Pizzaballa welcomed the news of a first step - "an important step" - reached between Hamas and the government of Israel. While acknowledging that the situation, especially in Gaza, remains dire, he emphasized the importance of rejoicing in this moment of relief.

"We realize that we needed this. I know we are here to talk about theology, but theology should also be incarnated in the reality we are living in," he said, underscoring that even small progress can mark a beginning in overcoming hatred and exclusion.

Reflecting on the long history of conflict and the destructive impact of hateful rhetoric, the Cardinal warned against the "teaching of contempt," which fosters division and dehumanization.

The plenary discussion was moderated by Rev Sally Azar of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, and Rev Dr Graham Gerald McGeoch, Mission Secretary of the Council for World Mission.

GETI is taking place in Egypt, alongside the Faith and Order World Conference, hosted at Saint Bishoy Monastery in Wadi El Natrun - a historic centre of Coptic monasticism located southwest of Alexandria.

Watch the full video message from Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EX5-R7cnMA