From 8-13 of this month of April 2018, the Visitors that make up CEVIM (Conference of Visitors from Europe and the Middle East) met in Beirut (Lebanon) to hold its annual Assembly.
Although Sunday, the 8th, was not part of the program of the meeting as such, it was, however, a good prologue, because the Visitors accompanied Archbishop Georges Bou Jaoudé, CM, Maronite Prelate of Tripoli (Lebanon) and former Visitor of the Province of the Orient, in the celebration of his 50 years of priesthood. A Eucharist was celebrated in the Maronite Rite at the Church of the Miraculous Medal in Achrafié, Beirut.
Thirteen Visitors participated in this CEVIM meeting, as well as the Executive Secretary; Father Javier Álvarez, Vicar General; and Father Miles Heinen, Assistant General. In addition, five translators collaborated with the simultaneous translation in Spanish, English, French, Italian, and Polish.
The meeting was structured into two aspects, the CEVIM topics and the formation topics, properly so-called, without forgetting other complementary dimensions such as cultural, religious, and Vincentian visits.
In the first part – the CEVIM topics – a wide range of important issues were studied; for example, initial formation in Europe and the Middle East; the Interprovincial Internal Seminary in the Mediterranean area; the Scholasticate for Europe; the Solidarity Project among the Provinces of the Congregation of the Mission; the CEVIM website; the European meeting of students of the Congregation of the Mission in Villebon (France), scheduled for 24 August of this year; the appointment of the CEVIM Delegate to the UN in the person of Father Abdo Eid; and, finally, the election of the new president of CEVIM for the coming years, which fell to Father Ziad Haddad, Visitor of the Province of the Orient.
The second part – that of formation – dealt with “the Islamic-Christian Relationship in Europe and the Middle East.” A series of speakers presented, with depth and great knowledge, topics such as: “Eastern Christians and the Challenges of Living Together. Dialogue and Mission in an Interreligious Context”; “Trends in Contemporary Islam. New Theological Approaches in Islam”; “Islam, Extremism, and Islamophobia”; “The Presence and Work of the Congregation of the Mission in the Middle East. Role of the Vincentian Missionaries in the World of Islam.”
Among the visits, the most outstanding were those made to the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See in Beirut, the Druze Muslim Community of Chouf, the San Charbel Sanctuary, the historic Phoenician city of Byblos, and, of course, visits to Vincentian Works: Center for Migrant and Refugee Children in Beirut; College of the Congregation of the Mission in Antoura; remodeling of the house that will be a center for Islamic-Christian Studies of the Congregation of the Mission in the Middle East.
Our warmest thanks to the Province of the Middle East for its welcome, hospitality, and affection, especially to Father Ziad Haddad (Visitor of the Province of the Middle East), Father Toni Fayad (Treasurer of the Provincial House), and Father Abdo Eid (polyglot interpreter).
