The third day of the Conference on Catholic Churches in the Middle East, held in Nicosia, under the slogan: "Deep-rooted in Grace” marking the 10th anniversary of the launching of the Apostolic Exhortation: “The Church in the Middle East" started on Saturday, April 22 with a celebration of Holy Mass according to the Latin rite.

The Holy Mass was celebrated by Prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti and concelebrated by   Apostolic  Nuncios to Jordan and Cyprus Giovanni Poetro Dal Toso and Apostolic Nuncio to Palestine Archbishop  Adolpho Tito Yilana in addition to Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem His Beatitude Pierbattista Pizzaballa.

The homily dealt with the appearance of Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples in the midst of the raging waves in the sea. Archbishop Gugerotti said that we are like the disciples before Christ's appearance to them. Many times we are preoccupied with several things and projects, and when the Lord Christ comes, He shines His light on us, and makes us not forget our projects, but He makes us do them in a more holy way.

 Archbishop Gugerotti pointed out that the churches of the Middle East are not "non-governmental organizations" and that their mission is not dedicated to working for the development of projects. We are rather a community that bears witness to the resurrection of Lord Jesus Who appears in our midst and overwhelms us with joy and light.

On the other hand, Archbishop of Cyprus George III visited the two conferees and delivered an address in which he touched on the challenges facing the Christian presence in Cyprus. He pointed out that extremism threatens the cradle of Christian civilization in this region, noting that several Christians still bear witness of the expropriation of their lands, while other religious minorities need help. According to some statistics, the number of Christians has decreased significantly, due to hostile acts and religious discrimination, and their number is repeatedly declining.

He said: We in Cyprus are witnessing violations of human rights, as the Turkish authorities have claimed the lives of 6,000 people, and made 100,000 Christians leave their region to the other part of the island, thus committing a clear violation of international law. Pointing out that Turkey has expansionist projects, especially in the Anatolia region, he concluded his address by saying: We are still following in the footsteps of Lord Jesus Christ, and we pray for peace to come to Cyprus. We also express our desire as Christians to have peaceful relations between Muslims and Christians, and for Cyprus to remain a crossroads of civilizations.

Prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, had earlier delivered an address welcoming the Bishop of Cyprus while Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem His Beatitude Pierbattista Pizzaballa made a conclusive address thanking the bishop for attending a part of the conference.

In the fourth session of the conference, Dr. Mirna Mazouq delivered an intervention titled, "Christian participation in the socio-ecclesiastical space. Laymen, youth, women and the elderly: Believers and Active Citizens." During the fifth session, Mr. Nadim Aman, from the "ROACO"  which is an assembly of organizations concerned with aiding the Eastern Churches, presented an intervention on "Challenges and Opportunities for Catholic Institutions in the Middle East: Support from the Universal Church".