Department for External Church Relations
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In Syria a terrorist attack was carried out during the consecration of an Orthodox church built with the help of Russia
DECR Communication Service, 27.07.2022.
On July 24, in the terrorist attack carried out during the consecration of an Orthodox church built with Russia’s help, two persons were killed and twenty injured, Sedmitza.ru reports with reference to fides.org. The missile blow damaged the new church erected in the Al-Suqaylabiyah village near the Syrian city of Hama.
His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East, during his telephone communication with the Orthodox Bishop of Hama called the blow at the church at the moment of its consecration ‘a cowardly act of terrorism’, reports the news website abouna org. His Beatitude called people to pray for the souls of those who were killed and for a speedy recovery of the wounded.
Before the war, there were in Al-Suqaylabiyah about 20 thousand Orthodox Christians. The small church was built for the spiritual needs of the local Greek-Orthodox community after the likeness of the ancient Byzantine Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Turkey. The construction began two years ago with the approval of the Syrian leadership and with the support of representatives of Russia. According to local sources, among those who contributed their labour and material assets were Russian military stationed at a base near Latakia. Among the participants in the construction was also Nabel al-Abdullah, the leader of the so-called self-defence forces recruited among local Orthodox residents.
Official Syrian sources ascribe the missile attack on the participants in the consecration of the church to ‘unknown terrorists’. It is assumed that the missile was launched from a drone.
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