Oct 242015
St. Paul describes Jesus as “he who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in his flesh the enmity…[He] came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.” (Ephesians 2:14, 17) This description corresponds to the desire of all people in the Middle East. Our appeal responds to the injunction of St. Ignatius of Antioch in his Epistle to the Romans, “Remember in your prayers the Church in Syria.” (Romans 9)
Every day brings more news of atrocities and horrific, inhuman crimes, carried out by the variously-named godless groups, while the world remains divided on how to combat this apocalyptic terrorism and criminality, which are sowing terror and causing the global scourge of continual migration, displacement and dispersal in different directions.
Pope Francis referred, in his 2015 Lenten Message, to the problem of a “globalization of indifference.” Today we are facing a kind of third world war: let us now therefore work together towards global solidarity.
The present crisis, which has been building up over the last five years, has now spread beyond Syria’s distress and tragedy to become a regional disaster, with repercussions all over Europe and indeed the whole world.
Through this situation each and every human being in the Arab Middle East is threatened:
- Co-existence between the peoples of the region is threatened!
- Prospects for future generations and their faith values are currently threatened!
- The future of the whole region is in danger: religiously, culturally, educationally and economically… all are threatened!
- The influx of weapons to all sides must be stopped.
- Syrians of all parties and confessions must be in the vanguard of the peace process.
- Human rights, dignity and religious freedom ought to be guaranteed according to international standards.
- Support the governments of those countries that have been fighting terrorism and fight alongside them to achieve victory together, and after that, the peace and security of the whole region.
- A comprehensive peace agreement to end the war on Syria.
- Justice for Palestinians (i.e. a resolution of the Palestinian Arab-Israeli conflict.)
+ Gregorios III
Patriarch of Antioch and All the East,
Of Alexandria and of Jerusalem
Patriarch of Antioch and All the East,
Of Alexandria and of Jerusalem