A prayer of thanksgiving at St. George’s Cathedral in Latakia after the completion of restoration

A prayer of thanks was held yesterday at St. George’s Cathedral in the city of Latakia after the completion of restoration and renovation work there as a result of it being damaged by the earthquake that struck the governorate last year.

Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All The East greeted in his speech everyone participated in the process of restoring of cathedral so that prayers could be offered there again. He expressed his hope that the injustice and siege imposed on the Syrian people will be lifted and the wars and conflicts in the region and the world will end.

He added that we pray for Palestine and Gaza, which is paying the price for the failure of the international community, and we affirm our support and solidarity with the steadfast people of Palestine.

In turn, the Governor of Latakia, Engineer Amer Hilal clarified that the visit of His Beatitude Patriarch John to Latakia is a waited event by the people for its role in promoting the values of tolerance, unity, and love that this city embodies with its ancient spiritual history and its importance as a center for the Eastern Church.

For his part, Metropolitan Athanasisos (Fahed), Metropolitan of Latakia and its environs to the Greek Orthodox explained that the people of Syria, who are going through difficult circumstances and suffering under unjust sanctions, have succeeded in providing the world with a role model for steadfastness and renewal.

The visit of Patriarch John X to Latakia, which lasts for days, includes several activities including the dedication of St. George’s Cathedral, laying the foundation stone for the new school in the Damsarkho neighborhood, the foundation stone for the new bishopric in the Awaina neighborhood, the foundation stone for a church in Jableh, participation in the celebration of the diamond jubilee of the National Private Secondary School, a visit to Tishreen University and participation in the silver jubilee of the Good Shepherd Choir at the Assad House of Culture.

Souha Suleiman