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Patriarch Sfeir - Australia
July-14-08
Maronite Catholics gather in Sydney for Mass, youth forum.
SYDNEY, Australia (CNS) -- More than 20,000 Maronite Catholics gathered in Sydney for a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Nasrallah P. Sfeir, patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church, and 12 Maronite bishops from around the world. The July 13 Mass in Parramatta Stadium was one of the largest gathering of Maronite Catholics outside of Lebanon. Australia is home to approximately 150,000 Maronites, many of whom recently have emigrated from Lebanon or are descendants of Lebanese immigrants. Of approximately 5.5 million Maronite Catholics throughout the world, approximately 1 million live in Lebanon. Applause lasting for 10 minutes greeted the 88-year-old patriarch at the stadium. In his homily, Cardinal Sfeir said that "every kingdom that is divided is condemned," and "people can only be reconciled through understanding and charity." He commended Australia's Lebanese for their efforts to preserve their Maronite traditions and ancestral values. The Mass followed the first Maronite Catholic International Youth Forum July 9-12, the first intercontinental gathering of 150 Maronite young people.
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