THE
APECL: An Overview
Historical
notes
The
Second Vatican Council, recommended to different Church hierarchies, with
a jurisdiction on the same territory, to exchange their opinions in periodic
meetings and promulgate an infrastructure with a common interest.
Consequently,
in 1967, the Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon, established the
Assembly for Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon (APECL).
The
Statutes of the Assembly were adopted in February 1968 and on the 18th
of November 1990, the Holy See promulgated the Cannon for the Oriental
Churches. Thus confirming its previous recommendations and inviting the
church authorities in their country to constitute this type of assembly
in order to unify their policies in view of their common interest and to
unify their efforts in order to develop common activities for the benefit
of the church and reinforce policies to include beneficial common interests
.
The
special Assembly of the Bishops held a Synod in Rome in 1995. It called
to constitute structures of coordination between churches in a definitive
way, and to develop them under the authority of the APECL.
During
the ordinary session of 1996, the APECL renewed its statutes.
Name
The
Patriarchs and Catholic Bishops in Lebanon constituted an Assembly called
"Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon (APECL)".
Personality
This
Assembly enjoys the moral personality of its goals, structures, prerogatives
and activities. It acts while safeguarding the rights of the Synod of Patriarchal
Church Bishops and their prerogatives.
Seat
The
Assembly has its seat at the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke. it may also
hold sessions outside Bkerke if its President agrees.
Goal
1.
The goal of this Assembly is "to unify forces for the common benefit of
the Churches", thus sustaining their activities, strengthening their religion
and observing their ecclesiastical constitution.
2.
This will be achieved by the following means :
-
The
Catholic Churches in Lebanon will remain as a community of believers on
the basis of their faith, spiritual heritage and state of mind, while maintaining
their personality, distinctions and own statutes
-
Assist
in the coordination, opinion and decision of the spiritual, temporal and
social mission of the church while keeping the peculiarity and status of
each church.
-
Coordinate
relations in order to strengthen ties between the mother churches and the
faithfuls of the Diaspora in the world.
-
Consolidate
relations of friendship and cooperation among the catholic churches and
other sister churches, the ecclesiastic communities and the spiritual families.
-
Safekeep
Lebanon as a country for all its sons, residents or migrants, protect its
plurality, its human rights and principles and civil code that the church
teaches and hopes to achieve; to protect traditions and customs that fortify
the coexistence in a country under the aegis of a strong nation that assures
the rights of individuals and communities.
-
To
promote social justice and equality.
-
Collaborate
with the civil authorities in solving problems which are caused in various
educational and social sectors, while safeguarding the rights of the church,the
nation and the citizens.
Structure
The
Assembly, whose president is the Maronite Patriarch, is comprised of:
1.
The Patriarchs of the catholic churches, resident
in Lebanon or that have a residency.
2.
The bishops of catholic dioceses in Lebanon.
3.
Auxiliary bishops in Lebanon.
4.
The apostolic or patriarchal vicars of vacant dioceses.
5.
Patriarchs and bishops, ex-members of the Assembly, in retirement or resigning,
resident in Lebanon.
Attend
to meetings of the Assembly regularly, with the right of vote:
-
Superior
Generals of Religious Orders and Congregations during their mandate.
-
Two
Superior Generals delegated by the "Council of Superior Majors in Lebanon"
for three years during their mandate.
-
Five
Superiors delegated by the "Council of Feminine Community Superiors in
Lebanon" for three years during their mandate.
Certain
specialists of clerks or laity attend to meetings of the Assembly in exceptional
ways to give their opinions or participate in the debate.
Infrastructure
The
following bodies emanate from the Assembly, :
1.
Permanent Presidency Council.
2.
Executive Council of eleven members.
3.
Eighteen Episcopal Commissions.
4.
Ad hoc committees. .
5.
General Secretariat.
6.
Financial Management of the Assembly called, in these Statutes: "Finances
of the Assembly" and the common finances: "Common cash".
Institutions
formed or supervised by the Assembly.
The
Assembly supervises:
-
a)
The institutions that it founded.
-
b)
The national management of institutions and worldwide management of the
church.
-
c)
Local or worldwide chaplaincies of institutions working in Lebanon.
-
d)
Chaplaincies of jails and others.T