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ASIA/SYRIA - THE ARMENIAN CATHOLIC PATRIARCH: THE CHRISTIANS WHO FLED FROM KESSAB HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE EMERGENCY WITH A SPIRIT OF COMMUNION
Agenzia Fides, Italy
March 25 2014
Beirut (Agenzia Fides ) - "There are more than three hundred Armenian
families who have fled from Kessab. They have now found shelter in the
Armenian Orthodox parish in the city of Latakia, an hour's drive from
Kessab. They have sought refuge in the school and church's hall. But
now they fear that the rebels will also attack Latakia, and many are
preparing to flee from there, too". This is how the Armenian Catholic
Patriarch Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni describes to Fides Agency the
uncertain condition in which Christians are forced to leave the city,
mostly Armenians, because occupied by anti- Assad rebel militias at
the dawn on 21 March. Patriarch Tarmouni is in constant contact with
Fr. Nareg Louissian and his parishioners who fled from Kessab and
provides precise details of the assault to Fides: "The Christians
fled at dawn, some of them in pajamas, without being able to bring
anything with them, as soon as they heard the sound of gunfire. The
rebels came from the mountains on the border with Turkey. They were
many and well armed. The formations of the army which garrisoned the
city withdrew, as well as young Armenians of Nashtag (an Armenian
left-wing nationalist movement) that had organized groups of armed
self-defense around the churches".
The Armenians of Kessab were mostly farmers. Peaceful people. The rural
area, so far not involved in the Syrian conflict, holds a symbolic
place in the shared memory of the Armenian people: "In 1915, when the
Armenians left Cilicia after the genocide perpetrated by the Turks",
explains Patriarch Nerses Bedros, "the last Armenian community in
the region remained in Kessab". According to the Patriarch, even the
military strategies of anti- Assad formation respond, at least in
part, to a symbolic order: "Now the rebels are heading for Latakia,
which is not as big as Damascus or Aleppo, but is a stronghold of
the Alawites, the religious community to which Assad belongs".
In dealing together with the emergency situation, the Armenian
Christians - explains to Fides, Patriarch Tarmouni - are experiencing
the spirit of fellowship beyond denominational distinctions: "Last
Sunday, Catholic and Orthodox Armenians celebrated Mass together. I
spoke to our pastor Nareg, and I encouraged him to stay close to all
the faithful, in this difficult moment. I was told that 3 Armenian
Orthodox priests from Aleppo were sent to Latakia, to offer spiritual
and material assistance to refugees". (GV) (Agenzia Fides 25/03/2014)
http://www.fides.org/en/news/35456-ASIA_SYRIA_The_Armenian_Catholic_Patriarch_the_Chr istians_who_fled_from_Kessab_have_to_deal_with_the _emergency_with_a_spirit_of_communion#.UzMyzMaKDIU
Agenzia Fides, Italy
March 25 2014
Beirut (Agenzia Fides ) - "There are more than three hundred Armenian
families who have fled from Kessab. They have now found shelter in the
Armenian Orthodox parish in the city of Latakia, an hour's drive from
Kessab. They have sought refuge in the school and church's hall. But
now they fear that the rebels will also attack Latakia, and many are
preparing to flee from there, too". This is how the Armenian Catholic
Patriarch Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni describes to Fides Agency the
uncertain condition in which Christians are forced to leave the city,
mostly Armenians, because occupied by anti- Assad rebel militias at
the dawn on 21 March. Patriarch Tarmouni is in constant contact with
Fr. Nareg Louissian and his parishioners who fled from Kessab and
provides precise details of the assault to Fides: "The Christians
fled at dawn, some of them in pajamas, without being able to bring
anything with them, as soon as they heard the sound of gunfire. The
rebels came from the mountains on the border with Turkey. They were
many and well armed. The formations of the army which garrisoned the
city withdrew, as well as young Armenians of Nashtag (an Armenian
left-wing nationalist movement) that had organized groups of armed
self-defense around the churches".
The Armenians of Kessab were mostly farmers. Peaceful people. The rural
area, so far not involved in the Syrian conflict, holds a symbolic
place in the shared memory of the Armenian people: "In 1915, when the
Armenians left Cilicia after the genocide perpetrated by the Turks",
explains Patriarch Nerses Bedros, "the last Armenian community in
the region remained in Kessab". According to the Patriarch, even the
military strategies of anti- Assad formation respond, at least in
part, to a symbolic order: "Now the rebels are heading for Latakia,
which is not as big as Damascus or Aleppo, but is a stronghold of
the Alawites, the religious community to which Assad belongs".
In dealing together with the emergency situation, the Armenian
Christians - explains to Fides, Patriarch Tarmouni - are experiencing
the spirit of fellowship beyond denominational distinctions: "Last
Sunday, Catholic and Orthodox Armenians celebrated Mass together. I
spoke to our pastor Nareg, and I encouraged him to stay close to all
the faithful, in this difficult moment. I was told that 3 Armenian
Orthodox priests from Aleppo were sent to Latakia, to offer spiritual
and material assistance to refugees". (GV) (Agenzia Fides 25/03/2014)
http://www.fides.org/en/news/35456-ASIA_SYRIA_The_Armenian_Catholic_Patriarch_the_Chr istians_who_fled_from_Kessab_have_to_deal_with_the _emergency_with_a_spirit_of_communion#.UzMyzMaKDIU