Thursday, April 25, 2013

A Communique from the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate, other small news items

Arabic original, here.


On the morning of Thursday, April 25, 2013, His Beatutide Patriarch John X Yazigi of the Greek Orthodox made a fraternal visit to His Holiness Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I Iwas of the Syriac Orthodox at this patriarchal residence in Atchane, Lebanon. They discussed the latest information relating to the two kidnapped metropolitans, Paul Yazigi and Youhanna Ibrahim and once more condemned the fact that they have not yet been released, despite the efforts being expended. On this occasion they renewed their call for their release and called on the international community to make every effort to acheive this, to stop all forms of violence in Syria, and to establish peace through dialog and a political resolution. They likewise emphasized the symbols of coexistence, tolerance, and national unity. They agreed to take appropriate steps if the two metropolitans are not released in the coming hours, in the hopes that they will be in their dioceses by Palm Sunday so that we and our people may rejoice in them.




Arabic original here.

Maronite Metropolitan of Aleppo to an-Nahar: The Kidnapping of the two Metropolitans is very Disturbing for Christians

Maronite Metropolitan of Aleppo, Joseph Abi Ad said that, "the kidnapping of Metropolitans Boulos Yazigi and Youhanna Ibrahim has lead to a state of great anxiety among the people of Aleppo, especially the Christians.

Abi Ad stated in his talk with an-Nahar that "the people of the city do not know anything about what happened and no one in the city was expecting this to happen or had threatened the metropolitans, especially Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan Youhanna Ibrahim, who had extensive relations with all political and partisan forces in the region and who is known for his openness to all without exception."

He added, "Metropolitans Yazigi and Ibrahim were going together to secure the release of the priests Michel Kayak and Maher Mahfouz, who had been kidnapped last February on the Damascus-Aleppo highway by an armed gang, during the visit by Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai to Damascus, and they wound up in the ranks of those kidnapped."

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Links:

 A petition to President Obama on behalf of the kidnapped bishops

A Statement by the Holy Synod of the Assyrian Church of the East

English coverage by SANA, the Syrian state new agency
 
Get Religion on the awful quality of coverage in the western media and again here




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