COMMUNION and LOVE Kreim Modern Printing Jounieh - Liban
COMMUNION AND LOVE Kreim Modern Printing Jounieh - Liban PATRIARCH OF ANTIOCH AND ALL THE EAST COMMUNION AND LOVE THE FIRST PASTORAL LETTER BY HIS BEATITUDE BECHARA BOUTROS RAI PATRIARCH OF ANTIOCH AND ALL THE EAST TO THE BISHOPS, CLERGY, RELIGIOUS TO ALL FAITHFUL, SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF OUR MARONITE CHURCH, AND ALL PEOPLE OF GOOD WILL. ON THE OCCASION OF THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF HIS INVESTITURE FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION TO THE VIRGIN MARY MARCH 25th 2012 BECHARA BOUTROS RAI BY THE GRACE OF GOD PATRIARCH OF ANTIOCH AND ALL THE EAST TO OUR BROTHERS BISHOPS, THE CLERGY, AND RELIGIOUS, TO OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS IN THE MARONITE CHURCH TO ALL FAITHFUL, AND PEOPLE OF GOOD WILL. PEACE AND APOSTOLIC BLESSING INTRODUCTION 1. “Communion and Love” is the motto of my patriarchal ministry, which I chose the day I was elected as Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, by the Synod of Bishops of our Maronite Church headed by His Beatitude the Patriarch Mar Nasrallah Boutros Cardinal Sfeir, father and head of our Maronite Syriac Antiochian Church, on the morning of Tuesday March 15th, 2011. I drew this motto from the ambiance of prayer, brotherhood and renewal that dominated the Electoral Holy Synod, and from the need of our Lebanese, Eastern and Expansion societies for greater unity and love, I was as well, 5 inspired by the Synod of Bishops’ Special Assembly for the Middle East, held in Rome from October 10th till 24th, 2010 under the title “Communion and Testimony”. I proclaimed my motto during the thanksgiving prayer, which followed the electoral session in the presence of a large number of clergy and lay faithful who fled to the Patriarchal See as the announcement was heard.
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