Bishop Hanna Called for Prayer for Returning Security and Stability to Syria
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (ST) _ Bishop Atallah Hanna, Archbishop of Sebastia of the Greek Orthodox Church called for prayers for the return of security and stability to Syria and the return of kidnapped Bishops Paul Yazigi Metropolitan of Aleppo and Iskenderun of the Greek Orthodox Church and John Abraham Metropolitan Aleppo, of the Syrian Orthodox Church as well as all abductees and those who are suffering, grieving and bereaved.
On the occasion of the Week of Prayer for the unity of the Christian churches, which started yesterday in the city of Jerusalem, Bishop Hanna said, “We call on the churches of Jerusalem, which pray this week for the unity of Christians to pray, especially for wounded Syria, for Holy Palestine and the suffering Iraq.”
He stressed that the churches of Jerusalem and the Christians of the Holy Land are required now more than ever in order to devote a speech of love, peace and brotherhood, and to reject intolerance, noting that there is a solidarity activity with Syria, Iraq and the abducted bishops and others, under preparation in the city of Jerusalem.
On April, 2013, an armed terrorist group kidnapped Bishops Yazigi and Ibrahim while they were on humanitarian operations in Kafr Dael village in rural Aleppo.
“It is our duty to stand in solidarity with our brothers everywhere and reject intolerance, hatred and violence in all its forms and colors and seek fraternity and love among Christians and Muslims people of the same nation,” he emphasized, calling for devoting this week to pray for everyone tortured and expelled from his homeland. “
Archbishop Hanna reiterated that Christian presence in the Arab region will not be protected by the West who care about its interests, rather the interests of Christians and maintaining their survival in this region can be maintained by having Christians and Muslims working together to confront extremism, backwardness and terrorism which targets everyone and the culture of brotherhood and national unity among the people of the one nation.
T. Fateh