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Photo: Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I embrace.
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CWN - The Moscow Patriarchate has issued a statement on the Umpqua Community College shooting in Oregon.
“What makes the tragedy even graver is that the killer consciously chose to victimize young people who confess Christianity,” stated the Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations. “This glaring inhuman act confirms once again that Christianity has become the most persecuted religion in the world.”
“The Moscow Patriarchate again and again calls the world community to pay attention to the importance of protecting Christians against terror,” the statement continued. “We hope that the authorities of the United States of America will take measures to prevent such tragedies and ensure a peaceful and safe life for Christians and people of other traditional religions.”
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CWN - The Latin-rite Catholic Patriarchate of Jerusalem has released a statement calling for the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, to counter a new rash of violence.
“Once again the flames of despair, fueled by hate, represent a serious threat in this Holy Land,” the statement said. The patriarchate called upon “Israelis and Palestinians to act with courage and return to the negotiating table.”
The statement from the Jerusalem patriarchate was prompted by new clashed around the Temple Mount. Tensions have spread, and violence has flared in other locations nearby, including Bethlehem.
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CWN - The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church called for a less cautious Vatican diplomatic strategy in reacting to Russian aggression in Ukraine.
“I would have expected a lot more involvement by the Vatican – the time for cautious diplomacy is at an end,” said Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, according to a Catholic News Service report.
“The fact that 70% of Ukrainian army regulars fighting against separatists and Russian soldiers have Russian as their mother tongue shows the unity of our people and our army,” he added. “What we are seeing is a foreign invasion of Ukrainian territory by Russian troops.”
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CWN - A Syrian bishop has reacted strongly to Senator John McCain’s claim that Russian planes are bombing US-backed rebel forces, saying that McCain’s statement is “a blatant admission” of American involvement with Islamic militants.
Speaking to the Fides news service, Archbishop Jacques Behnan Hindo said that Russian air strikes were targeted against positions held by Islamic militants. He went on to say that McCain’s statement reflects the “Western propaganda” that the US has been providing support for “moderate rebels, who do not exist.”
The admission of US support for Islamic radicals is disturbing, the archbishop said. “What does it mean? Al Qaida is now a US ally, just because in Syria it has a different name?”
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CWN - The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has lent his support to Russia’s military intervention in Syria, the Interfax news agency reported.
“The Russian Federation has made a responsible decision on the use of armed forces to defend the people of Syria from the sorrows caused by the arbitrariness of terrorists,” said Patriarch Kirill of Moscow. “We believe this decision will bring peace and justice closer to this ancient land.”
“We pray for this tough local conflict not to develop into a major war, for the use of force not to lead to the death of civilians, and for all Russian military [personnel] to return home alive,” he added.
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CWN - The head of the Russian Orthodox Church met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on September 24 while the latter was in Moscow for the opening of Europe’s largest mosque.
“Good Orthodox-Muslim relations create an atmosphere for both Muslims to live calmly here and for the Orthodox to treat Muslims with respect, tolerance and brotherly feelings,” said Patriarch Kirill.
“Therefore, when we say that Russia is a unique country in which there are no inter-ethnic conflicts, we speak the truth,” he added. “But we also understand that to a considerable extent these peaceful good relations prevail because radical Islam, by God’s mercy, does not extend to the territory of Russia.”
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