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CHURCH ASKS CHRISTIANS IN FEAR TO STAY IN SYRIA
Hurriyet Daily News
Aug 30 2012
Turkey
Syriac clerics call on Christians in Middle East, especially those in
Syria, to avoid leaving their homelands amid harsh violence. Justice
in Syria can only be achieved by meaningful dialogue between all
belligerent elements, they say
Pope Benedict XVI waves at the end of his weekly audience from his
summer residence in Rome. Pope will attend a meeting in Lebanon on
September in which all the Christian spiritual leaders in the Middle
East are expected to attend. REUTERS photo
Vercihan [email protected]
The Syriac Orthodox Kadim Patriarchate Synod in Damascus called
on Christians not to leave the Middle East after a meeting the
on escalating tensions in the region ahead of Pope Benedict XVI's
critical visit to Lebanon.
The Syriac Orthodox Kadim Patriarchate Synod met Aug. 24 to discuss
current high tensions in the Middle East and the condition of Christian
communities within the region.
"We refuse all kind of immigration as a response to the recent crisis
in the Middle East and strongly condemn all propagators, instigators
and provocateurs who call to Middle Eastern Christians to migrate,"
the second provision of a seven-provision declaration read. The
declaration, which was issued with the signature of H.E. Mor Gregorios
Yuhanna Ibrahim, metropolitan of the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of
Aleppo, will be presented to Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to
Lebanon in September.
The Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic Churches in Turkey also
backed the call for Christians to stay put. Heybeliada Halki Seminary
Archpriest and Metropolitan of Bursa Elpidophoros Lambriniadis said
the Fener Greek Patriarchate also announced a similar declaration on
their official website though it does not clearly mention the Middle
East. Lambriniadis said they supported the declaration and added that
it was very important for Christians to remain in the region.
"Above all, it should not be forgotten that the Middle East is
the place where Christianity was born. So it has a great spiritual
importance," Lambriniadis said. Likewise, acting Patriarch Archbishop
Aram AteÅ~_yan, the religious leader of Turkish Armenians, outlined
the importance of Christians staying in the Middle East. "If they
presented the declaration to us, we would also support it without
hesitation," AteÅ~_yan said.
Accepting the other
Pope Benedict XVI will attend a meeting called the "Post-Synodal
Apostolic Exhortation of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of
the Synod of Bishops" in early September as part of a program that was
arranged last year. All the Christian spiritual leaders in the Middle
East are expected to attend the meeting and discuss the situation
Christians in the region are currently facing, especially in Syria.
"We reiterate our convection and belief that the only path to
achieving justice, peace and the rebuilding of our homeland is
through the love, co-operation and accepting of the other," the
declaration read. "This can only be achieved by constructive and
meaningful dialogue between all belligerent elements of our country,"
the sixth provision of the declaration read. Christians constitute
10 percent of the population in Syria. However, Armenians, Syriacs,
Chaldeans, Arameans and Greeks are leaving Syria due to the high
tension prevailing in the country. Members of Syria's Armenian
community who have fled to Armenia due to the ongoing violence in
Syria fear the possibility that the Muslim Brotherhood may seize power
there if the regime falls. "If the Muslim Brotherhood takes over in
Syria all Christians will have to leave the country," said Narbey N.,
a Syrian Armenian who recently fled to Armenia.
Refrain from violence
The fifth provision of the declaration addresses all people in Syria
and the Middle East. "We call on all people with conscience to refrain
from all types of violence against their fellow human beings. We also
call for meaningful reform and to stand by and enable law and order,
justice and peace," the provision read. The seventh provision calls on
peace advocates and humanitarian organizations from all over the world.
"We urge all peace lovers and humanitarian organizations to seriously
endeavor to provide all possible means of humanitarian and medical
relief to those innocent Syrians who were caught in the vicious spiral
of violence, badly affected, displaced by the current conflict and
underwent internal and external relocation and emigrations. They are
currently suffering an unprecedented harsh summer temperature and
expected to endure severe winter conditions," the provision read.
Before the patriarchate's declaration Syriac, Assyrian and Chaldean
intellectuals from all over the world also issued a statement in July
about the Christians latest situation in the region.
From: Baghdasarian
Hurriyet Daily News
Aug 30 2012
Turkey
Syriac clerics call on Christians in Middle East, especially those in
Syria, to avoid leaving their homelands amid harsh violence. Justice
in Syria can only be achieved by meaningful dialogue between all
belligerent elements, they say
Pope Benedict XVI waves at the end of his weekly audience from his
summer residence in Rome. Pope will attend a meeting in Lebanon on
September in which all the Christian spiritual leaders in the Middle
East are expected to attend. REUTERS photo
Vercihan [email protected]
The Syriac Orthodox Kadim Patriarchate Synod in Damascus called
on Christians not to leave the Middle East after a meeting the
on escalating tensions in the region ahead of Pope Benedict XVI's
critical visit to Lebanon.
The Syriac Orthodox Kadim Patriarchate Synod met Aug. 24 to discuss
current high tensions in the Middle East and the condition of Christian
communities within the region.
"We refuse all kind of immigration as a response to the recent crisis
in the Middle East and strongly condemn all propagators, instigators
and provocateurs who call to Middle Eastern Christians to migrate,"
the second provision of a seven-provision declaration read. The
declaration, which was issued with the signature of H.E. Mor Gregorios
Yuhanna Ibrahim, metropolitan of the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of
Aleppo, will be presented to Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to
Lebanon in September.
The Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic Churches in Turkey also
backed the call for Christians to stay put. Heybeliada Halki Seminary
Archpriest and Metropolitan of Bursa Elpidophoros Lambriniadis said
the Fener Greek Patriarchate also announced a similar declaration on
their official website though it does not clearly mention the Middle
East. Lambriniadis said they supported the declaration and added that
it was very important for Christians to remain in the region.
"Above all, it should not be forgotten that the Middle East is
the place where Christianity was born. So it has a great spiritual
importance," Lambriniadis said. Likewise, acting Patriarch Archbishop
Aram AteÅ~_yan, the religious leader of Turkish Armenians, outlined
the importance of Christians staying in the Middle East. "If they
presented the declaration to us, we would also support it without
hesitation," AteÅ~_yan said.
Accepting the other
Pope Benedict XVI will attend a meeting called the "Post-Synodal
Apostolic Exhortation of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of
the Synod of Bishops" in early September as part of a program that was
arranged last year. All the Christian spiritual leaders in the Middle
East are expected to attend the meeting and discuss the situation
Christians in the region are currently facing, especially in Syria.
"We reiterate our convection and belief that the only path to
achieving justice, peace and the rebuilding of our homeland is
through the love, co-operation and accepting of the other," the
declaration read. "This can only be achieved by constructive and
meaningful dialogue between all belligerent elements of our country,"
the sixth provision of the declaration read. Christians constitute
10 percent of the population in Syria. However, Armenians, Syriacs,
Chaldeans, Arameans and Greeks are leaving Syria due to the high
tension prevailing in the country. Members of Syria's Armenian
community who have fled to Armenia due to the ongoing violence in
Syria fear the possibility that the Muslim Brotherhood may seize power
there if the regime falls. "If the Muslim Brotherhood takes over in
Syria all Christians will have to leave the country," said Narbey N.,
a Syrian Armenian who recently fled to Armenia.
Refrain from violence
The fifth provision of the declaration addresses all people in Syria
and the Middle East. "We call on all people with conscience to refrain
from all types of violence against their fellow human beings. We also
call for meaningful reform and to stand by and enable law and order,
justice and peace," the provision read. The seventh provision calls on
peace advocates and humanitarian organizations from all over the world.
"We urge all peace lovers and humanitarian organizations to seriously
endeavor to provide all possible means of humanitarian and medical
relief to those innocent Syrians who were caught in the vicious spiral
of violence, badly affected, displaced by the current conflict and
underwent internal and external relocation and emigrations. They are
currently suffering an unprecedented harsh summer temperature and
expected to endure severe winter conditions," the provision read.
Before the patriarchate's declaration Syriac, Assyrian and Chaldean
intellectuals from all over the world also issued a statement in July
about the Christians latest situation in the region.
From: Baghdasarian