Department for External Church Relations
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His Holiness Patriarch Kirill sends condolences to the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Antioch over terrorist attack on Church of Prophet Elias in Damascus
DECR Communication Service, 22/06/2025
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia sent a letter to His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East, expressing his condolences over the terrorist attack on the Church of Prophet Elias in the Syrian capital. The text of the message is given below.
His Beatitude John X
Patriarch of the Great Antioch and All the East
Your Beatitude, beloved in the Lord Brother and Concelebrant at God’s Altar,
I have been heart-stricken to learn of the terrorist attack on the Church of Prophet Elias in Damascus, in which many innocent people were killed and injured.
Falling victim to the bloody atrocity instigated by the Archfiend were civilians – the Orthodox Christians praying on Sunday in the church of God. Once again, Christians’ blood has been shed in the streets of ancient Damascus.
On behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church and on my behalf, I extend my sincere and deep condolences to you and to the plenitude of the Antiochian Church the Martyr. It is my hope that every possible effort will be made to bring to justice those who organised that crime.
May God of peace and Father of mercies give rest to His murdered servants in the heavenly dwellings, and may He grant recovery to the injured and consolation all the afflicted.
With brotherly love in the Lord and prayers for you and your Holy Church,
PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUS'
Patriarch
Department Chairman
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