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Photo: Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I embrace.
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CWN - Patriarch Kirill of Moscow has declared the support of the Russian Orthodox Church for a Palestinian state.
The Russian prelate said that the Palestinian people should have their own state, "in implementation of UN resolutions." He made this statement during a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is visiting Moscow.
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Damascus 12 April 2015
- Patricharate of Antioch and All the East of Alexandria and of Jerusalem for the Melkite Greek Catholics
- Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East for the Syric Orthodox
- Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East for the Greek Orthodox
Paschal Message
“Christ is risen! He is risen indeed.”
This sacred phrase brings to you the most beautiful good news of resurrection from the dead, dear spiritual sons and daughters, who by the power of your hope in the Lord strengthen us and renew our spiritual force.
We greet you in the Lord who is risen and has raised his creatures. We greet you with the bells of our churches that have not stopped pealing their proclamation of the Lord’s resurrection.
This year, we have chosen to have one message read in all churches of Antioch to confirm that the Christians of this land are remaining united despite the severity of the crisis, and intense pressure will not silence their hope or stifle their presence in their ancestral land. And addressing you in these words, we invite you all to pray at the Feast of the Resurrection for world peace and security, especially in our beloved East, and we assure you that we are with you in your suffering and your pain, and are doing our utmost in order to alleviate this suffering.
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CWN - Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, the head of the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches, has issued his Easter message to the Russian Orthodox faithful.
“When spiritual heroism becomes the substance not only of the individual but of an entire people, when in striving for the celestial world the hearts of millions of people are united, ready to defend their homeland and vindicate lofty ideals and values, then truly amazing, wondrous things happen that at times cannot be explained from the perspective of formal logic,” the 68-year-old patriarch wrote.
“The nation acquires enormous spiritual strength which no disasters or enemies are capable of overcoming,” he continued. “The truth of these words is evidently attested by the Victory in the Great Patriotic War [World War II], achieved by the self-sacrificing heroism of our people. We shall mark the seventieth anniversary of this glorious date in the current year.”
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CWN - Syrian rebels fired rockets at a Christian neighborhood in Aleppo, the nation’s largest city, on the night of April 10-11.
The Syrian Observer reported that 11 Christians perished in the attack, while the Virginia-based Barnabas Fund, an evangelical Christian organization, put the number at 29.
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CWN - The chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace Committee has welcomed the adoption of a framework by the United States, its allies, and Iran in addressing Iran’s nuclear weapons.
“The alternative to an agreement leads toward armed conflict, an outcome of profound concern to the Church,” Bishop Oscar Cantú of Las Cruces stated. “We encourage our nation to continue down this path. Now is the time for dialogue and building bridges which foster peace and greater understanding.”
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CWN - Chaldean Catholic Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako met on April 11 with Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who voiced his concern about the “difficulties” facing Christians in the country, and said: “There is no Iraq without Christians.”
The Chaldean Patriarch welcomed the premier’s statement of support, and underlined the importance of working to establish a “culture of openness” in Iraq. He said that a visit by Pope Francis should bring “new hope” to people who are still living in “tragic” circumstances.
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