Mission
Hot Topics
Hate crimes against Christians in Europe are on the rise: these are the facts
Vatican to Host Global Summit on Children’s Rights: A Bold Call to Action
Israeli victims of Hamas attacks meet the Pope
Pope Francis announces when Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati will be canonized
Church is not against Iran’s government, Pope tells Muslims at Vatican
What are the charisms of the Holy Spirit? This is the Pope’s answer
USA: bishops’ assembly: synodality, new Bible and beatification causes
Swiss Catholic Church faces a record exodus of desertions
This is the date and time when the Vatican Christmas tree will be lit 2024
‘Greatest manuscript discovery of modern times’ will return to the U.S. for the first time in almost a decade
Día

diciembre 3rd, 2013

Following an increase in violence in the country and the abduction of Orthodox nuns, the Greek Melkite patriarch of Antioch and All the East has reiterated the Church’s determination to remain in Syria.

"We are determined to remain in this blessed land even at the cost of martyrdom and martyrdom of blood,” Patriarch Gregory III Laham said in message to Fides News Agency Dec. 3rd.

He recalled this had already happened to some of the Melkite faithful, and paid tribute to three slain men from Maaloula: Michael Taalab, Antonios Taalab and Sarkis Zakhem. “They are true martyrs killed for refusing to renounce their faith," he said.

The Damascus-based patriarch issued the comments after news that armed Islamist militants had re-entered the Christian village of Maaloula, terrorizing the population and taking hostage 12 Orthodox nuns from the convent of St. Thecla.

Gregory III said that in Syria there are 9 million displaced persons. Over 1.2 million Syrians have fled to Lebanon, among them about 42,000 Christians. Overall there are 450,000 Christians (of various denominations) who have emigrated abroad. According to figures provided by the Patriarch, among the Syrian Christians there are about 1,200 deaths, including civilians, soldiers, nuns and priests. At least 60 churches have been damaged.

In his message, the Patriarch remembered with joy the meeting last Saturday of pilgrims from the Melkite Church with Pope Francis: "Together with the Holy Father, we invoked the flame of hope so that it would not extinguish in our hearts,” he said. “Helped and sustained by the Pope’s prayers, concern and prophetic, bold and evangelical initiatives, we wish to stay in this blessed land, cradle of Christianity".

The Patriarch asked the Pope to "help the Syrian Christians to remain in the Middle East" and launched an appeal: "We, Christians and Muslims, can and want to stay together, to witness the Gospel and build a new world and a better society and future for our young people,” he said.