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Last Updated: 16 June 2015

1- On 8 June 2015, at the invitation of Greek Orthodox Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East, Mar Beshara Boutros Al Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Mor Ignatius Afrem II, Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, primate of the worldwide Syriac Orthodox Church, Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregorios III of Antioch and All the East, of Alexandria and of Jerusalem and Mar Ignatius Joseph III Younan, Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, met at Al Maryamiyah Church in Damascus. The Apostolic Nuncio to Syria, Archbishop Mario Zenari and other Christian bishops in Damascus also took part in this gathering. The following appeal appeared at the end of this spiritual meeting:

To our dear Antiochian sons and daughters in the Lord

2- “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Gal. 1: 3-5)

First of all, we thank the Lord who has allowed us patriarchs to meet, and has entrusted to us the mission of protecting his Christian people in all the Antiochian East and here in Damascus, this blessed city which hosted Paul, Apostle to the Gentiles. From this flourishing Patriarchate, which down the years has always defended just causes, we raise our voices in unceasing prayer to God for you, because even in these dark days, “you lead your life in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ,” you bear witness unashamedly for our Lord Jesus Christ, who has “abolished death and brought life to light,” and you bear difficulties, trusting “in the power of God” and armed with “the spirit of power, and of love and of a sound mind.” We hardly need to ask you, dear children, to pray for us, your pastors, that the Lord may grant us the power to “rightly divide the word of truth” and glorify by our actions his holy name, as we steer the ship, which is the Church, in these historic existential circumstances.

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Last Updated: 17 June 2015

CWN - Most of Lebanon’s people are considering emigration, and 35% are reporting waiting for travel visas, the Patriarch of the Melkite Catholic Church reported as he opened a Synod of Melkite bishops in Beirut.

Patriarch Gregory III Laham said that 60% of all Lebanon’s population is weighing a move out of the country, and Christians account for most of the potential emigrants. Noting that Christians face even more difficult situations in neighboring countries, he asked: “If this is the case for Lebanon, what will happen in countries with less stability?”

The Melkite Patriarch stressed the urgency of finding ways to bring stability and security to the Middle East, enabling Christians to remain there. яндекс

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Last Updated: 15 June 2015

CWN - Chaldean Catholic Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako of Baghdad argues that military action against the Islamic State is justified.

“In these circumstances, making war is legitimate,” writes the Chaldean leader, in a new book, Stronger than Terror: The Christians of the Middle East and the Violence of ISIS. Saying that Pope Francis has recognized the need for action, the Patriarch says: “It is self-defense.”

The Islamic State is dedicated to the eradication of Christianity, the Iraqi prelate writes. At the same time, he assures readers, many Christians are ready to sacrifice—even to lay down their lives—to preserve their faith.

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Last Updated: 12 June 2015

CWN - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met on June 11 with bishops of the Syrian Orthodox Church, and spoke of his determination to resist “a terrorist, extremist though, which knows neither borders nor nationalities.”

The Orthodox prelates, led by Patriarch Ignatius Ephrem II, told Assas of their own hope that Syria will be “a sanctuary for all those those who believe in the true values of humanity, despite the ferocious terrorist war against the country.”

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Last Updated: 12 June 2015

CWN - Syrian Catholic Archbishop Yohanna Mouche of Mosul has called upon world leaders to recover the city from the Islamic State.

If the Western world is unable to oust the Islamic extremists from Mosul, the archbishop said, “then they must open their doors and help us to start a new life elsewhere.”

Archbishop Mouche said that Iraqi Christians would far prefer to remain in their own native land. His first preference, he made clear, was to “free the [territory seized by the Islamic Staet] as soon as possible so the people can come back and live in peace.”

The archbishop said that the current situation is “a nightmare.” The heritage of Christians who have lived in the area for centuries is being destroyed, he said.

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Last Updated: 10 June 2015

risu.org.ua - Ukrainians tend to occupy a prominent place in Europe as a Christian nation and the Christian Ukraine “may become a challenge for the awakening of secularized Europe.”

This opinion was expressed by Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Sviatoslav in an interview with Polish newspaper The Network.

“When we talk about European awareness of Ukraine, we mean primarily certain internal processes in our country,” said the patriarch. “After all, the spark that caused the Revolution of Dignity was the decision of President Yanukovych not to sign the Association Agreement with the European Union.”