Orthodox Youth Movement (OYM)
Of the Patriarchate of Antioch & All the East
Raymond Rizk - Summner 2019
The Patriarchate of Antioch
At the time of establishment of the OYM, the Patriarchate of Antioch
was, a “typical example of a dormant Church”[1].
After having lived the traumatic experience of the schism subsequent to the Chalcedonian
Council, it was subjected during centuries to Ottoman domination without real
access to education. It was further weakened in the eighteen century by the defection
of the Melkites (Greek-Catholics) in the eighteen century and the opposition
within its ranks of Greek and Arab bishops. After a revival in the early
twentieth century under Patriarch Gregorius IV (1906-1928), its status was undermined
by nepotism and bishops without real pastoral concerns. Several renewal attempts,
mainly concerned with redressing administrative and financial matters, were
then launched by lay people. They remained
however unsuccessful, and turned into power games between them and the hierarchy.
Founding of OYM
Concerned with the deteriorating situation of their Church, few university
students from Lebanon and Syria[2] met early 1942 and realized
that the solution to the problems of their Church consisted in changing the
people before the structures. They were convinced that any revival in the
Church comes from renewal of the inner self of its members thru repentance and dedication,
prior to improving its institutions. They thought that this can be achieved only
by believers imitating Jesus way of life. They decided to found a movement,
whose sole identity would be the
life in Christ, its sole organization the Gospel translated into fellowship and
service, and its driving motto Christian love, brotherhood and evangelization
concerns. They considered themselves entrusted by God with the responsibility
of calling all
members of the Church community, clericals and laity alike, to such awareness and
have them live their fraternity in Christ. With the benediction of their
bishop, they were to redress the situation of their Church together, and have it recover its mission to be the
conscience of the world. Thus the OYM does not consider itself a movement for laity alone, although the
majority of its members are laymen and laywomen. In fact, many bishops, priests
and monks militate in its ranks[3].
OYM Nucleus & Organization
The basic OYM nucleus has always been small teams, grouping about 10
persons of same age and educational background. Team members make it a point to
participate in common in the Holy Liturgy where the Church comes to real
existence. During their weekly meetings, they pray together and study the Word
of God and Patristic texts, and find how to incarnate Christian principles in
their daily life. They also plan their missionary work towards their folks in
schools, universities, places of work and parishes.
Teams grouping same categories of members form separate entities (children,
teenagers, university students, workers and families). All such entities militating
in the same geographical area form what is called an OYM Center. There are
seven Centers in Lebanon (Beirut, Tripoli, Mount Lebanon, Batroun, Akkar,
Zahle, South Lebanon), six in Syria (Damascus, Aleppo, Lattakia, Homs, Hama,
Tartous), one in Kuwait and one in the United Arab Emirates. These Centers
coordinate OYM activities in over than one hundred villages. The activities of
the Centers are coordinated by a General Secretariat, headed by a General
Secretary who is elected by representatives of all the Centers in a General
Assembly meeting every two years.
Ten General Secretaries have so far been elected, some for more than one
term, during the 77 years of OYM existence. Special mention is to be made to
George Khodr (born in 1923), one of the founders of the OYM, who acted as its General
Secretary for over twenty five years, before being elected bishop of Mount
Lebanon in 1970. He is the major inspirer of the OYM and the one who has
contributed most to its development and influence.
OYM Six Basic Principles
Principles outlining OYM aims were drafted by the founders as follows:
- The OYM is a spiritual movement that calls all Orthodox believers to a religious, ethical, cultural and social revival.
- The OYM believes that religious and cultural revival is achieved by performing religious obligations and knowing Church teachings. Therefore, the OYM seeks to spread these teachings and to strengthen the Christian faith of community members.
- The OYM seeks to spread a culture inspired by the spirit of the Orthodox Church.
- The OYM deals with social issues in the light of global Christian principles.
- The OYM denunciates blind fanaticism as well as political sectarianism. However, it considers that conscious attachment to Orthodox principles is a fundamental condition to strengthen faith and to establish brotherly ties with other Christian Churches.
- The OYM liaises with Orthodox streams on international level, abides by the Orthodox Church Dogmas and living Tradition, and contributes to its ecumenical and humanitarian mission.
Start of OYM Activities
Introduced to Orthodox
spirituality in their weekly meetings, OYM members spread this spirituality in
the community by partaking Holy Communion in each Holy Liturgy, regular
confession, attending Matins and Vespers and respecting periods of lent. From
the early days they established Sunday Schools in parishes. They got trained to
liturgical music and formed liturgical choirs that encouraged people to come to
churches. They were allowed to preach in churches and other places and launched
missionary activities. They organized lectures, published a monthly magazine An
Nour[4]
and engaged in social works. They called others to join their movement to discover
the treasures of the Church and experience a real encounter with Christ. And
they promoted passing from a sectarian approach to Christianity to real
Orthodoxy.
In 1946, the Antiochian Church
recognized the OYM as its official youth organization. In the recognition Tomos,
the Patriarch of Antioch authorized the OYM to act in all Antiochian dioceses
by “assisting in spreading Orthodox teachings,… holding public and private
meetings… issuing periodicals and ad-hoc publications… and taking any measures
aiming at fulfilling these duties”. Based on this Tomos, the OYM that
had started its activities in the dioceses of Beirut and Tripoli in Lebanon and
Lattakia in Syria, extended them to most of the dioceses of the Patriarchate of
Antioch.
Bishops, Priests and Monks
As
a result of these activities, carried out mostly by young people, the situation
in the old Patriarchate changed drastically within two decades. Starting in the
late sixties of the twentieth century new educated and pastoral minded bishops
were elected, ten of whom were members of the OYM. Several zealous educated
priests took charge of parishes. New monastic communities were formed in
Lebanon and Syria[5], reviving
Antiochian monasticism that had practically disappeared. The first two were St
George men monastery in Deir El Harf and Mar Yaacoub women convent, both in
Lebanon and composed of OYM members. Nowadays, the number of active monasteries
and convents has reached 18, in Lebanon and Syria, some founded also by OYM members.
Such as St Michael monastery near
Baskinta, Lebanon, founded by Ephrem (Kyriakos), now Metropolitan of Tripoli,
after having been active in the Beirut OYM Center, and stayed several years in
Mount Athos. St. John the Baptist convent
in Douma, Lebanon was founded by Mother Mariam (Zakka) and Rev. Touma Bitar,
both OYM leaders and disciples of Staretz Sophrony of Maldon monastery. Also the
Mother of God convent in Bloummana, Syria was founded by Mother Hanne (Scaff)
after having been OYM leader in Lattakiah and lived several years in Ormylia monastery
in Greece.
New theological approaches,
first exposed in An Nour Magazine, then in printed books, by means of An Nour
Publications, were also elaborated, leading to a better understanding of the
Bible, Islam, methods of evangelization and meeting the challenges of modern
world.
An Nour Publications
An Nour Publishing House was founded in the late
fifties of the twentieth century. It is now considered one of the largest
Christian Arabic publishers in Lebanon and Syria and the region. More than 400
books have so far been published in Arabic, and very few in French.
These books contains Arabic translations of important Church
Fathers texts (Apophthegmata Patrum, Ignatios Theophoros, John Chrysostom,
Basil the Great, Gregorius Theologian, Gregorius Nyssa, Ephrem the Syriac,
Isaac the Syriac, John of Damascus, Gregorius Palamas, Philokalia of Neptic
Fathers, etc.); Arabic translations of works by contemporary Orthodox
theologians (Lev Gillet, Andre Scrima, Anthony Bloom, George Florovsky,
Nicolas Affanassiev, Vladimir Lossky, Alexander Schmemann, John Meyendorff,
Kallistos Ware, Sophrony Sakharov, Olivier Clement, John Breck, Alexander Menn,
J.C. Larchet, D. Beaufils, Hierotheos of Nafkaptos, etc.).
Other books are written by members of the OYM (Patriarchs
Elias IV and Ignatios IV, Bishops George (Khodr), Ephrem (Kyriakos), Saba
(Esber) and Silouan (Moussi), priests Elias
Morcos, Paul (Nadim) Tarazi, Elia Mitri, George Massouh, lay theologians Cost Bendaly, Raymond Rizk,
Frieda Haddad, George Nahas, Emma Khoury, Assaad Kattan, Christo el Murr, George
Ghandour, Chafic Haidar, George Maalouly, etc.). They deal with Bible
Commentaries, Church history, Sacraments, Ecclesiology, Liturgics, Spiritual, pastoral,
social and cultural topics, Psychology, Leadership, Bioethics, Challenges of
Modern world, Dialogue with Islam, etc.
Social Work
Another main achievement of
the OYM consists in its deep involvement
in social work. Deemed
to be true the incarnation of Christian faith, it is a movement from the “Sacrament
of the Altar” to the “Sacrament of the Brother”, as claimed by St John
Chrysostom, who served as a deacon in Antioch. OYM established Socio-Medical Centers
in several places (Beirut, Tripoli, Mount Lebanon) to offer medical (consultations,
tests and supply of medicines) and social (families follow up, hygiene and
women empowering programs and anti-drug prevention) services to the needy and
underprivileged, regardless of their racial or religious affiliations. OYM
launched also Scholarship programs to ensure schooling to thousands of students
whose families could not afford paying tuitions. There exists also programs for
the elderly that provide them with food, medical care and entertainment. Also
programs for the deaf and dumb. When war started in Syria, displaced
populations and caused poverty and distress, the OYM formed special teams and
funds to help.
The social action of the OYM
is based on the deep conviction that any human being, placed by God on our way,
is our brother and should be treated likewise. The service of the poor and
needy is not one among other Church activities, but its priority service. Not
helping them is just stealing them of their dues.
Fight for Justice and Integrity
of Human beings
Helping the poor cannot be
limited to sustain their material needs, but to try also to eliminate their
causes. Thus, the commitment to fight injustice
and oppression, perpetrated by individuals, groups or states. Defending the
rights and welfare of people is not only a basic component of spiritual life, by
also one of its prerequisites. The OYM issued, in its General Assembly in 1970,
a document on socio-political involvement. It states that such involvement is
deeply rooted in the “Mystery of Incarnation itself… because as proclaimed by
Jesus, the Kingdom of God starts on earth thru the instauration of justice,
freedom and peace amongst mankind… and by active love here and now”. Several
other documents, and even books, dealing with the same subject, have been
written by members of the OYM. They stress that an ethical behavior does not
suffice for true Christian witness. Christians, who are supposed to know that
“no social order can be dogmatized, as it falls under the judgment of God, if
not able to establish justice”, are to engage in the “humanization of the earthly
realm… and work to change structures that favor the exploitation of human beings
by their fellow men”. Many OYM members engaged in the defense of the just
Palestinian cause, without getting involved in direct political action nor give
general guidelines for such action, but sticking to evangelical values of
active love. They made this cause better known by lectures in the West,
extending help in the Palestinian camps, and especially participating actively
in the organization of the International Conference of Christians for the
Palestine that was convened in Beirut in May 1970[6].
This vision led the OYM to take
side for other just causes in the Arab world, and to oppose the outbreak of violence in
recent wars in Lebanon, then in Syria.
Its action was not limited to words, good feelings and help to the displaced
and wounded, but it materialized in prophetical initiatives and gestures. For
instance, “OYM members entered into periods of voluntary fasting to save money
to help the needy of the opposing “camp”,… prayed openly for them and,
considering themselves responsible for atrocities made by their fellow
Christians, even went to call for their
forgiveness”[7].
As indicated in its fifth
Basic Principle, the OYM has always considered that the sectarian system, prevailing
in Lebanon and Syria, causes damage not only to the equality between citizens,
but also to the Church. This system, that regulates nearly everything per religious
affiliation not merit, prohibits also civil marriage. Thus the Churches are
bound per Law to extend the Sacrament of Marriage to all members of their
confessional community, even if they are nonbelievers. Therefore the OYM is
part to all initiatives promoting secularism as means of better national
integration.
OYM and Church Institution
The OYM looks with nostalgia
at the times when Christianity, before its recognition by the Roman Empire in
the fourth century, was called a “fraternity. Its members lived then as equal
brothers, whatever their role in the community. Aware that they were called by
Jesus Himself to enjoy the freedom of sons of God, they respected each other
charismas and put them at the service of the community. The OYM calls clergy
and laity constantly to revive this fraternity, being convinced that all members
of the Christian community are part in the “chosen people, the royal
priesthood, the holy nation, God’s special possession” (1 Peter 2:9-12). This
vision opposes the growing tendency of “clericalism” in Christian Churches that
categorizes believers into clerics and laity, and stipulates total obedience of
the latter category to the first, forgetting that Christian obedience cannot be
conceived without communion and brotherhood. Against this clericalist
temptation, OYM has always stressed on St. Paul calling to all believers (i.e.
bishops, priests and flock) to “submit to one another” (Ephesians 5: 21). As all
members of the Church participate jointly in the celebration of the Eucharist,
and no liturgical service can be celebrated in the Orthodox Church by a priest
alone without the presence of believers, everything in the Church should be
common between clerics and laity. Under bishop’s guidance, they should work
together in harmony for the service of the Body of Christ, according to the
charisma given to each.
This charismatic and communal
dimension of the Church tends nowadays to be affected by the profound mutations
of traditional societies, the weakening of the evangelic ethos of
Church-communion and the intrusion of the spirit of the world in Church
institutions. Nevertheless, the OYM never ceases to “call that the Holy Spirit
be freed from ties imposed by the institution in the Church”. And that each member of the Church be given the
possibility to act according to the Spirit, in communion with his brothers, especially
the bishop, who is the first of them”[8].
This vision prompted the OYM to
help produce a new organizational scheme for the Patriarchate of Antioch that
was approved by the Holy Synod in 1972. It provided that all matters, at the
parish level as well as the diocesan and patriarchal levels, are dealt with by elected
groups of men and women acting under the chairmanship of their priest, bishop or
Patriarch. Unfortunately this scheme was modified by the Synod in 1993 and has not
been implemented in most eparchies.
The OYM is not “a church within
the Church”. However, its conviction remains as firm as ever, that it generated
in the Church and acted always within the Church and for its sake. It considers
itself a prophetic stream within the Church of Christ, moved by the Holy Spirit
who roots it deeply in Christ. And whoever is rooted deeply in Christ is rooted
by Him into His Body, the Church.
Life in Christ
The OYM main concern has been continuously the formation of its members.
They are directed to be aware that they are living in the presence of God, and
encouraged to imitate Christ by searching Him and go to His encounter in all
aspects of His presence. And to be convinced that Christ is always waiting for them
and inviting them to incarnate His love in the service of mankind. OYM is insisting not only on Christ
encounters in His Body, the Church, but also on personal encounters in the
world. The Holy Spirit, who is invoked at the beginning of all prayers in the
Byzantine Church, and who “blows where it wishes” (john 3: 8), directs us to find
Christ, in the partaking of His Body in the Eucharist, in a dialogue with His
Word in the lectio divina, in remembering His life as eye witnesses in
the Holy Liturgy and in repeating incessantly His Name in personal prayers. Christ
can be encountered as well in His friends and those who love Him, and wherever
two or three are meeting in His Name (Matthew 18: 20). He can be encountered
also and served in all “little ones”, poor, oppressed and needy, whom He has chosen
to dwell in. These are often hungry not only for bread, but also for lost
meaning and fraternity. OYM considers that OYM teams and the parishes should be
laboratories of experiencing the search of Christ and fraternal love that
engage its members in the comprehensive service of all.
Reviving Biblical studies
Emphasis is always made in OYM teaching on the necessary conjunction of
Bible Studies and participation in the Liturgical and sacramental life of the
Church. This conjunction is the condition sine qua non to “liberate the
Orthodox community from its social heaviness and transform it into Church of
Christ”[9].
Various OYM publications offer commentaries of the Word of God thru direct
Bible readings or texts extracted from the Bible extensively used in the
Liturgy of the Church. Metropolitan George Khodr commented in most of his
writings and homelies Biblical episodes, and Costi Bendaly (+2013), although
not a theologian or Biblicist, explained the Parables and the Biblical story of
Creation, using modern hermeneutical tools and his vast knowledge of psychoanalysis.
Rev. Paul Nadim Tarazi (born in 1943),
has been active in the OYM since his childhood, became professor of Old
Testament at the St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood (New
York). He produced Commentaries of St. Paul first Epistle to the Thessalonians
and his Epistle to the Galatians, as well as an Introduction in seven volumes
to the Old and new Testaments.
Educational Concerns
Upon the establishment of OYM, catechetical and educational matters were of a very low standard in the Patriarchate. That is why priority was given to them. Detailed programs were elaborated for Sunday Schools and different age brackets. An Nour Magazine is endeavoring to publish articles and data on spiritual life, saints, Patristic writings, problems facing youth, theological subjects and apologetics that serve in the missionary and pastoral work of OYM members. Additionally, OYM organizes in all its centers regular lectures and training seminars on various spiritual and cultural topics. It further organize yearly conferences that are platforms where representatives of most Antiochian dioceses learn to know and love each other.
One of OYM major concerns has always been the education of priests. Several of its members were appointed in the committee that established St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology in Balamand[10], for the formation of priests and the promotion of theological knowledge.
The OYM is also aware that the Church has to contribute in shaping
civilization by developing a way of thinking, an art and a literature that
reflect its views of the world and mankind, and encourage the people to find
“Christ buried in all civilizations”[11].
The OYM is conscious that its Church often fails to do so and call it to
incarnate its beliefs in a manner understandable to the Arab mind and to
participate in the awakening of Arab culture. OYM has contributed to this in
many of its published books, but it is conscious that it did not do enough in
this field and continues to encourage its members to increase their
contribution therein.
Church and Confessional Community (ta’ifa)
All communities in Lebanon have been deeply influenced by the ottoman “millet”
system, whereby the bishops were representing their communities, not only in
the religious field but also in the political and social ones. This influence
is still leading some religious leaders in Lebanon to interfere in the affairs
of the State, impose their views and defend the “rights” of their “ta’ifa”,
i.e. their confessional group of people, even at the expense of other citizens’
interests and of the Church! In return this leads politicians to interfere in
Church affairs. The OYM opposes this amalgam between the Church, Body of Christ
and the “ta’ifa”, a social body, and calls the Church to
evangelize the “ta’ifa”. George Khodr wrote about OYM position regarding
the “ta’ifa”, in his “Explanations of the OYM basic principles”, saying:
“We reject categorically the political aspect of the “ta’ifa”, because we
are fully devoted to Christ, and we prefer to die rather than “take advantage”
of Christ for a political policy, even if it concerns our “ta’ifa”. We
are not an Orthodox organization in the sense of a confessional group meant to
defend the interests of Orthodox people, and promote their stand in the civic
society. We do not act in any way in view of their material profit or their
prestige or their supremacy”[12]. OYM members “cannot be true Christians if they define themselves against
others, or if they accept to live in a watertight partitioned world where each
community entrenches itself and defends its own interests”[13]. Costi Bendali
clarified further the reasons why a Christian cannot accept “ta’ifa” ideas in his book entitled
“The attitude of faith towards Sectarianism” which had a large audience[14].
Being “Antiochian”
OYM is proud of the role that the Patriarchate of Antioch has played several
times in history, as a pacificator and a mediator between belligerents. It
refers often to the attitude of Antiochian Patriarch Peter the Third (+1056)
that tried to calm down the ire of Patriarch of Constantinople Michael
Kerularios in his diatribe against the Latin Christians, praying him to limit
his criticisms to important matters and “leave the beards to the barbers”[15]. OYM sees in this
attitude, and other similar ones, a specificity of Christian Antioch, and wants
it to prevail in relations within the Orthodox Churches that need constant
reconciliation. In fact, members of the OYM, especially George Khodr and Albert
Laham, played several times this role in inter-Orthodox bodies.
Another Antiochian specificity consists in
the fact that Antiochian Christians have not belonged, early enough in their
history, to a Christian nation or empire. They are thus not subject to the
temptation of “philetism”[16] that some Orthodox
Churches fall easily into. At first, the Church of Antioch has promoting the
formation of independent Churches grouping all nationalities in the Orthodox
diaspora, instead of the present system of several different “ethnic” bishops
in one city. Unfortunately this attitude was not maintained, and it established
in recent years its own “Antiochian Arab” dioceses in several western
countries.
Furthermore, Antiochian Christians have
lived from the seventh century onwards in an Islamic and Arab context. Except
times where they were exposed to martyrdom, they generally experienced long
periods of conviviality with their Moslem fellow citizens that entitle them
today to be privileged interlocutors in the dialogue between Christians and
Moslems. OYM Members (more particularly Reverend George Massouh Gaby Habib,
Tarek Mitri and Elias Halabi) have been the first in the Middle East to promote
and enter into such dialogue on behalf of the Church of Antioch. This
specificity of having become Arab Christians tries to rediscover, in spite of
the ups and downs of history and modern declines of the Arab world, the true
values of Arabism, in its Christian and Islamic components. Aware of their
responsibility to witness to Christ in the Arab world, they try to emphasize
the references to Jesus (Issa) and the Theotokos (His mother) in the
Koran and the Arab-Islamic culture, and reflect about God’s design for the Arab
region, and why it is now slowly losing its last Christians. In this respect,
the OYM stands firmly against Christians leaving the region, and Georges Khodr
calls vehemently these Christians instead to “awaken Christ who rests in the
night of religions… and try to decipher His plan towards Islam, and what He
expects from Eastern Christians to do”[17].
Finally, after the fall of the city of
Antioch into the Crusaders’ hands, in the eleventh century, the Orthodox
Patriarchs of Antioch were obliged to leave the city and take refuge in
Constantinople, as the Crusaders replaced them with Latin Patriarchs. Upon their return to their country they
brought with them Greek traditions and had mostly forgotten their original ones.
Early after the foundation of the OYM, its leaders, taking pride that disciples
were first called Christians in Antioch, attempted to retrieve some of the lost
Antiochian traditions. They revived the memory of Antiochian Church Fathers, Martyrs
and Saints, propagated their writings, rediscovered Antioch precious input to
Christianity as a whole and reflected on how to use it to enlighten their
present milieu. As said by Metropolitan George Khodr, during the inauguration
of the Balamand Institute of Theology: “We shall give particular importance to
Church Fathers who lived in this region… By doing so, we will contribute in the
elaboration of an Orthodox theology expressed in the Arabic language and
addressed to the Arabs”[18].
In addition to these specificities, the OYM
has called the Antiochian Orthodox to live the Christian vision, as experienced
in the early days of the Church. Not as a nostalgia of the past, but as a real
desire to revive it, and pass from a Church-museum to a living Church, rooted
in true Tradition, questioning and getting rid of the human traditions it
carried along its history.
Orthodox Unity
Early after its foundation, the OYM oriented its
members to the necessity of enhancing unity among the Orthodox Churches, and
established, to this effect, contacts with Orthodox Youth movements in
Palestine, Greece and the Orthodox diaspora in Occidental Europe. These
contacts led to the foundation in 1952 of Syndesmos, the International
fellowship of Orthodox Youth Movements. This fellowship organizes lectures,
conferences and work camps to encourage youth to engage in renewal in their
respective Churches, and to join efforts to find means to better prepare them
to face the challenges of modernity. The role of the OYM has been often crucial
in the foundation and development of Syndesmos. Some OYM members have long
chaired the organization or acted as its General Secretaries[19]. Amidst sometimes
opposing “Russian” and “Greek” tendencies, they often played a conciliation
role, in the spirit of Antioch specificity.
Early contacts with European Orthodox led
Rev. Lev Gillet (+1980)[20] to live long periods in
Lebanon, starting 1948, and to devote most of his time during several visits to
guidance of OYM members. He used to teach them, by his words and life style,
how to establish a living personal relation with Jesus. Some of his books were
in fact written and published in Lebanon for the benefit of the OYM members
before being republished elsewhere in the world.
Another prominent Orthodox theologian, is
the Romanian Rev. Andre
Scrima[21](+2000) contributed also,
thru long stays in Lebanon, more
particularly in the St. George Deir El Harf
monastery, in linking the newly born monastic community to the main streams of
Orthodox monastic traditions. Some of his books were taught orally in French to
Deir El Harf monks, translated by one of them to Arabic and published by An
Nour Publications, before being translated to Romanian, French and other
languages.
Before it started producing its own
theological and spiritual literature, the OYM relied heavily on Orthodox
publications in French and English, more particularly those of theologians of
the Russian Paris School and others. The French translation by Lev Gillet of
Serge Boulgakov “The Orthodox Church” and the “Mystical Theology of the Eastern
Church” by Vladimir Lossky were the first of such publications.
Rescinding the Chalcedonian Schism
The greatest tragedy of the Christian East was the rejection by
substantial numbers of its Christians of the definitions of the Chalcedonian 4th
Ecumenical Council in 451. This schism created great confusion in most of the
dioceses of the Christian Churches of the region and extended later to Armenia
and elsewhere. It was in fact caused by mere differences of terminology exacerbated
by social and political antagonisms and the violence exerted by the Byzantine
Empire towards the Syriacs, Copts and Armenians, so-called “Monophysite
heretics”. The latest dialogues between
these two families of Churches, Chalcedonian and Non Chalcedonian, have
demonstrated they hold the same faith, using however different terminologies. This unfortunate schism weakened the Christian
East that had to face the progression of Islam divided. The then called
“Jacobite”[22]
and Coptic Christians welcomed at first their liberation from the “oppressing” Orthodox
Empire, before losing large parts of their flock to the Moslem religion mainly
for social and economic reasons. Same happened with the Orthodox who, after experiencing
martyrdom, have lost also great numbers of their “believers” for better
conditions of life within the Moslem ruling community.
In the early seventies of the twentieth
century, and even before the start of the official dialogue between
Chalcedonian and non Chalcedonian Christians, the OYM took the initiative to
convene a meeting at Balamand that grouped representatives of Orthodox and
Oriental Orthodox Churches. The statement[23],
issued at conclusion of this meeting, stressed the unity of faith in spite of
differing terminology. Those who accompanied this event were overwhelmed with
joy, and believed that the schism was resorbed and full communion to be
reestablished soon. The OYM was among those and hurried to establish relations
with youth of the non Chalcedonian Churches, and invited them to be observers
at the assemblies of Syndesmos. Unfortunately, the process of
restoration of communion seems to have been discontinued, stopped by the
ostracism of some Churches, Orthodox and Oriental alike, and carelessness of
others. However, the Antiochian Orthodox and Oriental Churches have authorized
their believers to communicate in each other churches in the absence of a
church belonging to their denominations in their place of living. They have
also worked to unify their catechetical programs.
Towards Christian Unity
Since its establishment, the OYM has been aware of the necessity to work
in view of Christian unity. Few of its leaders formed with Catholic friends[24]
a group called after St. Irénée of Lyon, to promote fraternal exchanges, mutual
recognition and healing of memory (catharsis). In fact, Ecumenism was
not yet “à la mode” in Lebanon. Catholic schools were still practicing
proselytism towards their Orthodox students, and the memory of Occidental
Christian missionaries, mainly Roman Catholics, but also Anglicans and
Protestants, “steeling” substantial numbers of the Orthodox flock, was still
alive in many Orthodox minds.
Later on, OYM members participated in most of the activities of the
Ecumenical Council of Churches, where they often represented the Church of
Antioch. They were also active in the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF)
and exerted executive roles therein. They further helped in the formation of
the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) and headed many of its subsequent services[25].
Nowadays, OYM holds a more and more difficult position between two
trends that divide the Ecumenical movement in Lebanon. It vehemently refuses
the syncretic approach, promoted by some sectors of the Christian milieu. Dissatisfied
with the lack of tangible results after the enthusiasm and genuine longing for
Christian unity in the sixties of the twentieth century[26],
they want to form a common Christian front against growing Moslem
fundamentalism. Their approach claims that “we are all Christians, and thus
already united, despite dogmatic differences that have lost from their importance,
and we have to join forces against all what is threatening us”. This approach
calls for open intercommunion, which is being practiced in many parishes,
Orthodox and Catholic alike, except for clerics and monks, and in Catholic
schools under cover of Eucharistic hospitality”, which is a latent form of
proselytism. OYM rejects this approach, as the real problems dividing
Christians cannot be solved by putting our “head in the sand”, and
convince ourselves that everything is fine and resolved, because this is simply
not true. By opposing fraternal love and Divine Truth, this approach is even
complicating the real progress of Christian unity.
OYM opposes also with the same vigor the rejectionist attitude which
entrenches Christians blindly within their Church, and have them accuse other
Christians, all others, of heresy, and refuse any form of contact with
them. This attitude appears mostly in
some Orthodox circles, influenced by fundamentalist Greek monasteries (in Mount
Athos and elsewhere) and the positions defended by the Old Calendarists[27].
Refusal of any dialogue with fellow Christians rebukes completely the fraternal
love that is due to all, more particularly to believers in Christ.
OYM believes firmly that fraternal love cannot completely disregard the
truth and said truth cannot completely prevail over fraternal love. It calls to
maintain the equilibrium between fraternal love and fidelity to the “faith that
was once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 3). And It encourages dialogue
to search for any possible means to solve dogmatic differences, and joint
service actions and encounters to better know and love each other, and common
prayers to the Lord to help bring Christians to complete unity, so that
“the world may believe” (John 17; 21).
As written by one of its leaders[28],
“the OYM has to refrain from using a double language and ambiguous formulas...
It has to be careful not to minimize Church belonging, and to avoid any unity
that appears “against” something or someone, in the spirit of the Crusades… It
has rather to learn how to recognize real brothers in other Christians, in “the
spirit of the Cross that is the Holy Ghost”[29],
and listen together to the whispers of the Spirit. They shall aim to find
jointly in the Church of the 1st millennium, common grounds to solve what seems
to still divide them. They are also to complement each other to acquire a truly
evangelical life style, reject any proselytizing temptations and join efforts
in the service of humanity. Then, unity will be given from the One He prayed
that it will come, because ‘the walls of separation do not reach heaven”[30]”.
Challenges of Modernity
OYM considers that youth are “the arms of the Church and its ambassadors
to the world and towards modernity”[31].
They are more open than their elders to the changes challenging traditional
ideas and mores. And they are better equipped to find out why the usual
language of the Church is no more understood by their generation. OYM thus
entrusts them with responsibility towards the whole Church for any youth
prevented from discovering Christ due to such language and the systematic
opposition of most Church circles to modernity. It calls them further to look
with serenity and without fear to the western civilization, take advantage of its
positive aspects and find ways and means to meet its challenges. By “inventing
new forms of Christian witness, more accessible to modern man, but respectful
of the spirit that inspired the old ones, … they are to revive the Church Tradition
that is often imprisoned under an abundance of rites, customs and, alas
sometimes superstitions accumulated over the years by obsolete human
traditions”[32].
This attitude of respectful approach to modernity stands opposite to the
predominant trend in fundamentalist Church circles that reject any form of a
fruitful dialogue with it. OYM invites its members to a “listen, love and pray”
approach, open to all, and to avoid hasty anathemas as well as syncretic
amalgams. While entering into a serene dialogue with those who do not share
their ideas or beliefs, they should never forget to assert the sacredness of human
life and its God’s given freedom and evangelical values. They are recommended
to present Christian faith to the world “by promoting gratuity,… asking the
right questions regarding how violence, oppression and injustice affect human
life” and to always try “to humanize the terrestrial realm… and discover God’s
actions hidden in it”[33].
They have to assert further that the accomplishment of the human being can be
achieved only in communion with others. In this respect, words alone are not
able to convince, but life can. So OYM members are invited to offer a living
example of “life soberness, voluntary limitation of needs and acceptance of
some degree of poverty to help the needy. Fasting will thus appear as an
antidote to the consumer society, and nonviolence attitudes… an encouragement
to mercifulness and reconciliation”[34].
By attempting to love their enemies, which is the ultimate witness of
Christianity, they break the cycle of aggression and revenge. Love, to which
Jesus invites humanity, forbids to objectify a human being, but calls rather to
consider him an inalienable person that should ever be manipulated. By being
“good to those who hate (them), bless those who curse (them), pray for
those who mistreat (them)” (Luke 6: 27-28), Christians propose new methods of life
style that could make them say “Come and See” to those who ask them about their
faith. In fact, the loving behavior of the first Christians changed the world
much more than their words. Costi Bendaly magnified that sort of life by saying that “life is far from
being absurd, but it is… a workshop for the Kingdom to come”[35].
Being convinced by the ethical rule proclaimed by the Apostle Paul: “I have the right to do anything, but not everything is constructive” (1 Corinthians 10: 23), OYM does not accept the freedom without limits claimed by some in the West. It wishes to remind that God’s given free will cannot exist when the freedom to do what we want becomes “a stumbling block to the weakness of others” (1 Corinthians 8: 9). So true freedom in Christ, is not freedom to sin but rather to serve one another (Galatians 5:13), and to accept to work jointly with the grace of God, as asserted by the Orthodox Church teaching on synergy [36].
The teaching of the OYM regarding Christian attitudes towards mankind,
the world and modernity can be summarized as follows:
- In a world running always after more wealth and consumables, consider
that everything is a gift of God, and that man is but a trustee.
- In a world professing the death of God, practice what seems useless to
many, i.e. prayer, liturgy, holiness and gratuitous attitudes.
- In a world having lost the sense of celebration, long constantly after
the “great joy” mentioned in Luke (2: 10 and 24: 52) in which Christ invites us
to dwell, which we cannot enjoy it without a thirst for God and the conviction
that He alone is the “Rock” to trust to find a meaning to life.
- In a world losing all sense of guilt and encouraging permissiveness,
be someone who knows that he is a sinner and that he will be forgiven if he
repents.
- In a world overwhelmed by individualism, where family ties cease nearly
to exist, and youth and elderly are nailed down alike on crosses of solitude
and seclusion, and poor and needy forgotten, endeavor to transform the
Eucharistic communities and Church institutions into platforms of hospitality,
communion and true service to the underprivileged. Make them places to experiment
the basic unity of all human beings and the respect due to them. Let people
feel in them a flavor of the Kingdom of God where time meets eternity.
- In a world where violence and wars systematically rage, attempt to
eradicate the cycle of animosity and vengeance thru love of enemies and
opponents and conciliation.
- In a world which has lost the sense of sacredness, where free will has
lost any limit, be conscious that Christians are called “not to be like” others
(Matthew 6: 5). Thru strict control of their life style, respect of others and
their freedom, openness to their differences, forsaking completely all judgment
and condemnation and exercising active love free from interest, they put in
practice that “the greatest should be like the youngest, and the one who rules
like the one who serves” (Luke 22: 26).
- Finally, the Christian should learn how to “keep his mind in hell
without despair”[37], and
be convinced that the Lord stands with him in the Burning Bush of the world,
and helps him overcome obstacles.
Testimonies
Other Orthodox theologians and Christian bodies have written about the
OYM.
Olivier Clement, a prominent Orthodox French lay theologian said: “In
the Middle East, Arab Orthodoxy of the Patriarchate of Antioch has been revived
by the Orthodox Youth Movement, whose action has been mainly apostolic and
socially oriented. Several bishops have come from this Movement, some of them the
most remarkable of contemporary Orthodoxy”[38].
The Right Reverend Kallistos Ware wrote that the OYM is “a remarkable organization founded by a small group of university students in 1942”[39].
The Reverend John Meyendorff wrote: “Arab Orthodoxy experiences a
revival after the second world war due to the Orthodox Youth Movement, whose
leaders are young university students. This Movement represents a big hope for
the future”[40].
The Historical Dictionary of the Orthodox Church states: “Begun in the
immediate post-World War II years in Lebanon and Syria, the Orthodox Christian
Youth Movement has contributed significantly to the renewal
of Arabic-speaking Christianity within the
Patriarchate of Antioch. Encouraging Bible study, the reading of the Church
Fathers and discussion, it has managed to maintain a consistently open and
generous attitude toward both Islam and the culture of Western Europe. Many, if
not most, of the current hierarchy of the Antiochian Church have participated
in it in their youth”[41].
[1] Noted
by H.E. Kallistos Ware, in
L’Eglise Orthodoxe, Eglise des sept Conciles, Paris, DDB, 1964, p.190.
[2]
They were 16. Among them George Khodr (afterwards Metropolitan of Mount
Lebanon), Marcel Morcos (Elias Morcos, Founder and Higoumen of the St. George
monastery in Deir el Harf Lebanon). They were joined a bit later by Deacon
Ignatios Hazim (afterwards Ignatios IV, Patriarch of Antioch) and many others..
[3]
John X, the present Patriarch of Antioch, was an OYM leader when university
student in his hometown Lattakia, Syria. Many bishops and few hundred priests
and monks are also OYM members. The total OYM membership in 2019 is in the
thousands
[4] An
Nour magazine started in the early forties of the twentieth century and
continues to be published nowadays. It is the oldest Christian review existing
in the region.
[5]
The first two were St George men monastery in Deir El Harf and Mar Yaacoub
women convent both in Lebanon. Nowadays, the number of active monasteries and
convents has reached 18, in Lebanon and Syria.
[6]
Gaby Habib, a OYM leader, has been the backbone of this Conference with Georges
Montaron of Témoignqge Chrétien.
[7] “Les Orthodoxes et le drame du Liban”,
R. Rizk, SOP 139 (Service Orthodoxe de Presse), Paris, June 1989.
[8] “Clergy
and laity”, in Arabic, R. Rizk, An Nour Magazine, 7, 2010, p. 382.
[9]. G. Khodr, in a speech on OYM, transmitted by the Voice of Lebanon in 1991.
[10]
In Koura, Lebanon, where there is a monastery, a secondary school, the
institute of theology and the Orthodox university.
[11] George Khodr,
in Le christianisme dans un monde pluraliste, in French.
[12]
Addendum 1 to the “Explanation of OYM basic principles”, in Arabic, An
Nour Magazine.
[13] R. Rizk, “Le Mouvement de la Jeunesse Orthodoxe”,
in Travaux et Jours 19, p.9.
[14] Published by An Nour Publications.
[15] Reference to the grief
raised by Kerularios against the fact that Latin priests were not growing
beards.
[16] Phylestism is the
conflation between Church and nation
[17] Mentionned in Tarek Mitri « Conscience
de soi et rapport à autrui », Thesis, Paris X Nanterre, 1985, p.
288-289.
[18] In «Le christianisme
dans un monde pluraliste», The Ecumenical Review 22/2 (1971), p. 5.
[19] More particularly Albert Laham, Gaby Habib,
Georges Nahas, Michel Nseir and Georges el Hajj.
[20] Rev. Lev was a
catholic monk who joined the Orthodox Church in 1928, and became world famous
for his books on Jesus and Orthodox Spirituality published under the pseudonym “A Monk of
the Eastern Church”.
[21] Romanian Orthodox theologian, Archimandrite and
representative of the Patriarchate
of Constantinople at the Vatican Council II . In 1944,
in communist Romania, he participated in
Antim Monastery to the spiritual reflection group known as the Burning Bush, which gathered secretly to rejuvenate
Orthodoxy through the centuries-old mystical traditions of hesychasm and prayer of the heart.
[22] By reference to Jacob Baradai (+578), bishop of
Edessa who consecrated bishops for the “dissidents” and thus helped organize
the Syriac Orthodox non Chalcedonian Church and ensured its survival despite
persecution.
[23] The statement was published in English in
“Towards Orthodox Unity”, Middle East Council of Churches, March 1972, p. 4.
[24] Mainly Ignatios Hazim, George Khodr, Albert
Laham and Michel Khoury from the Orthodox side, and Oreste Karamé, Youakim
Mobarak, Jean Corbon and Michel Asmar from the Greek-Catholic and Maronite
sides.
[25] More particularly, Gaby Habib played an
extremely important role as General Secretary of the WSCF and later of the MECC
during the several crucial years subsequent to their formation. He was replaced
in the WSCF by other OYM members, namely Tarek Mitri, Michel Nseir, Zahi Azar
and Elsi Wakil.
[26] . OYM members got extremely enthusiastic about
the actions for Orthodox and Christian unity of late Patriarch Athenagoras of
Constantinople and his meetings with Pope Paul VI. An Arabic translation of O. Clement’s book Dialogues
avec le Patriarche Athenagoras that describes these actions was published
recently by An Nour Publications.
[27] Christians, mainly in Greece and Bulgaria, that
have separated from the Orthodox Church when it took the decision to follow the
Gregorian calendar to determine the dates of fixed feasts, i.e. all feasts
except Easter and feasts related to it.
[28] R. Rizk, Le MJO dans les années à venir, in
Arabic, mimeographed text
[29] The words are from Patriarch Ignatios IV in his
speech in the Church of the “Invalides”, Paris, 1988.
[30] The sentence is attributed to Metropolitan
Platon of New York (1866-1934).
[31] R. Rizk, Appelés à faire bouger les montagnes,
SOP 208 (1966), p. 35.
[32] ibidem.
[33] R. Rizk, Les défis du siècle à venir, in
Arabic, An Nour, 1966.
[34] R. Rizk, Trinité et culture du partage, in
Arabic, An Nour 4, 2011.
[35] in Le témoignage de la Communauté
Eucharistique, An Nour Publications, 1992.
[36] Meaning working together.
[37] Words of the Lord addressed to St. Siluan the Athonite, reveled by Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov) in Staretz Silouane, Paris, 1973, p. 43.
[38] in L’Eglise Orthodoxe, Paris, PUF, 7th
Edition, 2002, p. 26-27.
[39] in The Orthodox Church, Penguin Books, 1993.
[40] in L’Eglise orthodoxe, hier et aujourd’hui, Paris,
Seuil, 1995, p. 122.
[41] By Michael Prokurat, Alexander
Golitzin, Michael D. Peterson,
Editor John Voronov Series, 1995.
42 Orthodox Youth Movement: http://www.mjoa.org/;//www.youtube.com/user/mjoamovies/;
https://www.facebook.com/mjoa.org/.