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In an address entitled “A Living Presence and a Shared Future: Christians of the Middle East. From Survivors to Peacemakers,” Patriarch John X stressed that Christianity should not be regarded as a foreign or marginal presence in the region.
“When we speak about Christians in the Middle East, we should not begin with their disappearance. We should begin with their presence,” he said, recalling that Christianity was born in the Middle East and that the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
For centuries, he said, Christians have contributed to the history, culture, intellectual life and development of the region through their churches and monasteries, as well as schools, universities, hospitals and social institutions.
“The Christian presence is not only about what Christians need from society. It is also about what Christians contribute to society,” he said.
Towards equal citizenship
Patriarch John X warned against reducing the future of Christians in the Middle East to the protection of minorities. While security and freedom of religion remain essential, he argued that the goal must be broader: equal citizenship and full participation in society.
“We should aspire to equal citizenship,” he said. “A society in which Christians do not merely survive, but participate fully. A society in which Muslims, Christians, and people of every faith or conviction stand equal before the law.” Such a vision, he added, is not only a Christian aspiration, but a matter of good governance, human dignity, and social stability.
Addressing the continuing emigration of Christians from the region, particularly young people, Patriarch John X acknowledged the effects of conflict, insecurity, economic hardship, discrimination, and displacement. But he stressed that simply appealing to Christians to remain in their countries is not enough. “We must help create the conditions that make staying a meaningful choice,” he said, highlighting the need for security, economic opportunity, freedom to practise one's faith, and above all hope in a shared future. “What kind of Middle East will we build if its young people no longer believe that they can build their future there?” he asked, emphasising that the question concerns Christians and Muslims alike.
Rebuilding trust and peace
Political leadership and strong public institutions are essential to such a future, Patriarch John X said. Christian communities cannot depend indefinitely on exceptional forms of protection, political patronage or international attention in times of crisis. Instead, he called for “institutions that protect every citizen,” laws applied equally to all, education that promotes respect rather than division, and political systems that enable participation regardless of religious identity. Within such societies, Christians themselves have a responsibility to contribute actively to peace.
“Christians should not be seen merely as a community that needs to be protected. They should be seen as partners,” he said, “especially in the difficult work of rebuilding trust and peace between communities.” “The Christian presence can therefore be part of the solution—not simply a subject of concern.” The central question, Patriarch John X suggested, should consequently be reframed. Rather than asking, “How do we preserve Christians in the Middle East?”, churches, governments and societies should ask: “How do we build a Middle East in which Christians, Muslims and all citizens can flourish together?” “The future of Christians cannot be separated from the future of their societies,” he said. “Defending the Christian presence is not about creating separation. It is about defending the principle that every human being has the right to belong, to participate and to hope.”
Dialogue as encounter with the other
Patriarch John X concluded by calling for churches, monasteries, and Christian institutions to remain active spaces of service, education, dialogue and reconciliation. He expressed the hope that young Christians would be able to say of their countries: “This is my home. I have a future here. And I want to build that future with my neighbours.” He closed his address with a story from the Christian monastic tradition about Saint Macarius encountering the skull of a man who tells him of the torment of hell: people are bound back-to-back, unable to see one another's faces or speak to one another. Drawing the story into the realities of societies marked by conflict and division, Patriarch John X offered a final reflection on the importance of encounter: “For true Hell is the failure to encounter the other, the inability to communicate with them, and the absence of dialogue.”
