Christmas Celebrations in Syria Limited to Prayers

DAMASCUS,(ST)_ Christmas celebrations  of the birth of Jesus Christ, messenger of love and peace were limited to  prayers ,  due to events Syria undergoes  and  in honor of the martyrs, Christians and Moslems in Syria carried out  together Masses and prayers on this occasion in churches and places of worship .

Damascus  cathedral of the Roman Orthodox held yesterday a  large mass presided over by Patriarch John X Yazigi , of Antioch and All the East for the Greek Orthodox .

Patriarch Yazigi  stressed  the sublime meanings of  Christmas , pointing to the tragedies experienced by the Syrian people from the effects of the  imposed brutal attack.

He appealed to the  God Almighty to protect   Syria , President Bashar al-Assad  , for the safe return back of  hijacked Pelagia , nuns and orphans and the  two kidnapped  bishops John and Paul unharmed , the displaced to restore back  their homes and to heal the wounds of all Syrians and viewed with pity to Syria and its people , Muslims and Christians and quench the spirit of sedition  and disseminate the spirit of dialogue and reconciliation among the Syrians  .

Meantime, a huge religious service was held in  the Cathedral of  Sayedet Alnayah  for the Melkite Catholics presided over by Bishop Joseph al-Absi, during which  Bishop Absi delivered a sermon in which he referred to  Christmas meanings  in bringing together  people of different affiliation  .

Bishop Absi called for reconciliation in Syria, and to change the thinking, feeling and  the behavior , noting that  celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ urges us to give birth to a new Syria , a process which “we are able to do “.

In Tartous a large memorial mass was held  in the Church of Virgin Mary  Dormition and the  Archbishop of the Roman Orthodox where Bishop of Tartous Athanasius Fahd  stressed in his sermon  the need to inspire the meaning of Christmas and be  ambassadors of peace against  those who are destroying holy sites in Syria.

In press statements,  Bishop Fahd  pointed to need  to that the Syrians as celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ to remember the values of love and peace,  because they were born on the  holy  and blessed land ,  of prophets, ,stressing the need to strive to maintain this cultural heritage  and to make  of their country a place for the dissemination of  peace not fear, and promote the building of a good society and all befitting humanity .

 T. Fateh