Department for External Church Relations
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His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch calls international community to stop violence in Syria
The Department for External Church Relations has received Pastoral Letter of His Beatitude Patriarch John X, addressed to the archpastors, pastors and all children of the Orthodox Church of Antioch on the Feast Day of the Entry of Our Lord into Jerusalem. The message is dedicated to the situation in Syria and says, in particular:
“… political conflicts storm our countries. As a result, man’s livelihood, dwelling, and even life are at risk. We are tried every day by death or abduction, and our latest plight is the recent kidnapping of our beloved brothers, Bishop Paul Yazigi, Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo, Iskenderun and dependencies, and Bishop John Ibrahim, Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo, and the killing of the Deacon who was accompanying them.
“I share the pain felt by a large number of believers in our Church as a result of these difficult circumstances. I strive with my brothers, the members of the Holy Synod, to lessen the impact of these conditions on our faithful and all citizens. This is an essential part of our Christian witness. We, however, refuse to accept what man is undergoing today. We are working in that our rejection of this situation reflects the tenets of our beliefs. We reject this situation and condemn it. Since we are the children of the Resurrection, we are not afraid of whoever takes violence as a way to achieve his purpose. To be killed, or kidnapped, or to have our institutions destroyed, will not change our resolve to uphold our civil life and our co-existence; to cling to our homeland and to seek the reign of justice and rights in our homelands.”
In his message, Patriarch John X makes strong appeal to the international community:
“I take this opportunity to extend… an appeal to the international community, urging it to do everything it can toward the release of hostages whose absence affects us deeply. The speedy closure of this issue is extremely important in order to avert the risk of terrible consequences that would follow.”
Patriarch
Sermons
24.01.2021
06.11.2020