The Suffering Body of Christ

Last updated on: March 25, 2016 at 5:42 pm by Father Pablo Migone

The Suffering Body of Christ 2016-03-25T17:42:19-05:00 Father Pablo Migone

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Before starting the Vigil Mass for Palm Sunday last year I decided to check the headlines on a Catholic news website. My heart almost skipped a beat as I read towards the bottom of the page, “Syrian priest kidnapped as war rages on.” During my time in seminary I became a very close friend of two Syrian seminarians from Aleppo. Throughout the three years that we studied together in Rome I compared the conditions that awaited me in the United States and those that awaited them in Syria. Any personal challenge I foresaw was quickly crushed by considering the challenges they would face by returning to Aleppo. I admired their courage and bravery. I was returning to a sandbox, they were going to a war zone.

I hesitantly clicked on the headline and to my horror saw a picture of Father Michele Kayal in red vestments. My heart sank and I shed a few tears. I immediately emailed my other friend, Antoine, and he responded confirming the sad news. On February 9th, 2013, Father Kayal and a Greek Orthodox priest were taken off a bus by rebels near Damascus and they were never seen again.

On July 2013 I heard from Father Antoine again. Aleppo was under siege by rebels making it impossible to leave the city. Food was scarce and expensive. Factories lay in ruins. He described the situation as “truly difficult” and found it incomprehensible that the United States would want to help the opposition. He expressed his greatest fear was that Christians in Syria would imitate Christians in Iraq and leave their homeland.

After limited contact every few months, I received an email from Father Antoine today. While in Rome taking a brief rest after four continuous years of ministering in Syria, a missile hit his bishop’s residence in Aleppo. Part of the complex was destroyed, much of it damaged, including my friend’s bedroom. Bishop Boutros Marayati confirmed there were no victims.

Recently many rose up against the possibility of the desecration of the Body of Christ at Harvard University where a group announced it would hold a reenactment of a black mass. The response was truly praiseworthy. The faithful recognized a line had been crossed when the Body of Christ would be profaned.

Saint Paul heard these words from Jesus while in Syria centuries ago, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” This led Paul to the realization that those he persecuted were part of the Body of Christ; that every Christian is part of Christ’s Body.

This same body is being desecrated and profaned today as Christians are killed for their faith. A recent figure estimates that 100,000 Christians die each year on account of their faith. All Christians, as part of the same body, must feel the pain of those suffering tremendously. Their pain must be ours. Their sorrow must be ours. We cannot remain indifferent to the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Christ. They are not just a headline or a statistic; they are one with us in the communion of saints. We must stand in solidarity with the suffering Body of Christ. If we do not care about the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Christ, then who will?

Picture: Father Michele at my birthday dinner in Rome, March 5th, 2009

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