In preparation for the Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Biblical Federation in April 2023, we invite all members and friends of our Federation to pray for God’s blessing, the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and the intercession of Mary, the Mother of the Word, for all its regions and their activities.
The intention for this month you can find here:
This region of the Catholic Biblical Federation brings together primarily Arabic-speaking countries of the Middle East and Northern Africa. Historically, these countries were the birthplace of the Bible itself, while Christians living there are, in some manner, the descendants of biblical characters. Complexity and diversity of the Bible is reflected in a great diversity of Christian rites and denomination present in the region. This diversity accounts for the richness of the region, but also poses a significant challenge in the area of diversity and dialogue, not least a dialogue with Islam. The beginnings of this region date back to 1985 when the first meeting of 20 exegetes and ministers of the Word in the Arabic speaking countries of the Near and Middle East took place on the island of Cyprus. The second Cyprus Meeting in February 1988 focused on the topic “The Reading of the Bible in our Middle East context”. This meeting paved a way and provided direction for the biblical apostolate in the entire region.
Presentation of the Region
Prof. Daniel Ayuch is Professor of New Testament at the St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology at the University of Balamand, where he teaches courses in the field of New Testament studies.
Dr. Johnny Awwad Associate professor of New Testament Near East School of Theology
On the way towards the CBF Plenary Assembly we've presented the reality and future perspectives of the Middle East Region in the interventions of some representatives of the institutions that compose it.
© CBF General Secretariat