The Seminar Redemptoris Mater
Founded in Cairo in October 1995, the Interritual International Missionary Redemptoris Mater Seminary has its headquarters in Lebanon since October 1999. Currently under the responsibility of a Cœtus of eparchial bishops - HE Most Rev. Michel Aoun, Maronite Bishop of Byblos-Jbeil and HE Msgr Elie Haddad, Greek Archbishop Melchite of Sidon - this seminar trains young people from around the world to become diocesan missionary presbyters in the Middle East, Sudan, North Africa and Eastern Catholic minorities around the world. Desiring to respond to the wishes of the last pontiffs who have insisted on the importance of the new evangelization, several bishops have already registered in their eparchies presbyters trained in this institution.
In fact, the international and interrelated context of formation fulfills the wish of the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council, expressed in the Optatam Totius decree at No. 20:
"The seminarians will also be carefully prepared to arouse and support the apostolic action of the laity and to promote diverse and ever more effective forms of apostolate. Finally, they will be penetrated by that true apostolic spirit which will accustom them to go beyond the limits of their own diocese, nation and rite, to meet the needs of the whole Church, ready at the heart to preach the Gospel to the ends. of the earth. "
The Redemptoris Mater Seminary is thus a concrete embodiment of the collaboration between the Eastern and Western Churches.
Currently, 17 seminarians from 4 rites and 11 nationalities are in formation. 18 presbyters have already been ordained: 3 Latins (Archdiocese of Khartoum and Diocese of Cosenza for a service in North Africa); 4 Catholic Copts (Patriarchal Eparchy of Cairo); 6 Maronites (Eparchies of Beirut, Byblos, Brazil and Cairo); 2 Syro-Catholics (Eparchy of Cairo), 2 Greek-Catholic Melchites (Eparchies of Tire and Sidon); 1 Catholic Armenian (sent by the Patriarch to serve the Latin American Exarchate in Argentina).