The Courage To Be Ourselves

The Courage to Be Ourselves is a Christmas 1970 pastoral letter of Melkite Catholic Archbishop Joseph Tawil of the Eparchy of Newton. The address defines the raison d'etre for the existence of diasporate Eastern Catholic Churches and their traditions.

Tawil was assigned archbishop of the Meklite Catholic church in the United States in 1969. Many Eastern Catholic churches had adopted Latin practices, and many Melkite Catholics had abandoned their religion. Tawil authored the pastoral letter to address these concerns.

Archbishop Tawil used the letter to lay out four major points on the current state and future direction of the Melkite Church in America.

However, he urged that the faithful resist the temptation is to slip into anonymity through assimilation and to hold fast to their religious patrimony.

The pastoral letter served as a catalyst for profound changes in the Melkite church in the United States and for other Eastern Catholic eparchies located in the West. The most noteworthy influence was the de-Latinization of churches in the United States and a re-establishment of Byzantine traditions. Publication of the letter also facilitated ecumenical movements including conversations with the Orthodox Church of Antioch.

During his retirement, Tawil expanded the pastoral letter into a small book. However, he took ill and died prior to editing and publishing the work.

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