Local Initiatives Provide Alternative World Youth Day Experience for Lebanese and Syrian Christians

FACED WITH FINANCIAL AND LOGISTICAL DIFFICULTIES THAT MAKE IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR MOST LEBANESE AND SYRIAN CHRISTIANS to attend World Youth Day (WYD) in Lisbon, local initiatives are being planned to offer participants a similar experience.

As August 1 approaches, hundreds of thousands of young pilgrims prepare for this year’s World Youth Day in Lisbon, which will be attended by Pope Francis. But many young people around the world are unable to make the trip due to financial or practical difficulties.

This year, to ensure they can share the WYD experience, Aid to the Suffering Church (ACN) is funding local events in Syria and Lebanon, which will take place simultaneously with WYD Lisbon.

“Most of the young Lebanese Christians cannot travel to Portugal to participate in WYD, due to the many problems the country is going through,” says Roy Jreich of the Youth Department of the Assembly of Catholic Bishops and Patriarchs of Lebanon (APECL), referring to the rampant inflation and political instability that has left Beirut without a functioning government. “We believe that this event is essential to bring together young people from different regions, equip them with spiritual knowledge and make them aware of their role as future leaders of the nation.”

“This event symbolizes optimism, continuity and joy, along with unforgettable experiences that will allow young people to continue the mission of the Church and develop in different ways,” adds Jreich.

More than 1,000 young people are expected to attend the gathering on Mount Lebanon, which will take place while Pope Francis meets youth in Lisbon and is designed to reflect the traditional set-up of WYD, with a Stations of the Cross, adoration, catechetical sessions and workshops, as well as a grand final Mass, to be celebrated by the Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rai.

“Young Lebanese Catholics suffer from poverty, unemployment and the collapse of their country’s political system. Today, most young Catholics who graduate from college immediately leave the country. Our goal in this project is not only to unite the different Catholic rites – Maronite, Melkite, Syriac, Armenian, Chaldean and Latin – but also to encourage young people as they make difficult decisions and consider their future in a country that is falling apart”, says Xavier Bisits, who coordinates ACN’s projects in Lebanon and Syria.

While young people are meeting in Mount Lebanon, some 1,000 young Syrian Christians will have already started the first meeting of its kind in their country. If travel is difficult for Lebanese, the added complications of the civil war and obtaining a European visa make it almost impossible for Syrians.

The meeting will take place in Saidnaya, which Xavier Bisits describes as “one of the most important Christian pilgrimage sites in Syria, for more than 1,500 years”, and is home to the Saidnaya Monastery, an important pilgrimage site dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

“Given the numerous jihadist attacks on Saidnaya during the civil war, the fact that this event can take place is a small miracle. In fact, for Syrian youth, it will be the first national event of this magnitude in history.”

The aim of the project is to bring together at least 50 Christian representatives from each governorate of Syria, in spiritual groups, training sessions, entertainment and liturgical celebrations. The event will take place between August 2 and 5.

“Most Syrians could only dream of attending an event like WYD. Most young Syrians would be unable to get visas, and would not be able to afford travel expenses, with the local currency collapsing.”

“Although it is an officially Catholic event, young Orthodox Christians are very welcome, and we expect attendees to come from a mix of backgrounds,” explains Xavier Bisits.

By participating remotely in WYD, Syrian and Lebanese Christians hope to show and strengthen their communion with the universal Church under Pope Francis. Some of the main events in Lisbon will be broadcast on the Internet, so that the participants can feel involved, and the Pope Francis has sent a message to the participants in the Syrian meeting.

“I invite the young people of Syria to carry Jesus like Mary and to carry him to everyone, so that they, in turn, can be bearers of his love”, says the Pope. “I also invite you to persevere in your faith, your hope and your love for each other and for your country, and not to lose hope in a better future.”

Pope Francis also encourages young Christians to “remember that Jesus is by their side, and the whole Church is close to them, praying with them and for them, and loving them with their hope, their courage and their solidarity. They will revive your churches and rebuild your country and restore peace and tranquility.”

By supporting these events, ACN is fulfilling its goal of investing in initiatives for young people in the Middle East, strengthening their faith and encouraging them to stay in their homeland and help maintain a Christian presence in the region.

—Felipe of Avillez