President Al-Assad congratulates Christian denominations on Christmas

DAMASCUS, Dec.25, (ST)-Today, President Bashar Al-Assad congratulated Christian denominations on Christmas.

Secretary General of the Republic’s Presidency Mansour Azzam offered the congratulations to the bishops and metropolitans on behalf of President Al-Assad, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

Azzam conveyed the President’s greetings to Patriarch of Antioch and All the East for Greek Orthodox, John X, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East for Syriac Orthodox in the World Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East for Melkite Catholics Youssef Absi, the Syriac Catholic Archbishop of Damascus Mar John Jihad Battah and to the Armenian Catholic Archbishop of Damascus George Asadorian.

Mr. Azzam also conveyed President Al-Assad’s congratulations to the President of the Evangelical Synod in Syria and Lebanon, the spiritual chief of the National Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Damascus, Father Boutros Zaour, the Archbishop of the Maronite Diocese of Damascus, Bishop Samir Nassar and to President of the Latin community in Damascus, Father Firas Lutfi and to the pastor of the Chaldean Church in Damascus, Father Jamil Yashua.

For their part, the patriarchs, bishops, and fathers asked the Secretary-General of the Presidency to convey their good wishes, thanks, and appreciation to President al-Assad for his generous gesture and congratulations.

They prayed to God to protect Syria, its people, and its army, to have mercy on its martyrs, and to grant President al-Assad success and to help Syria in restoring its security and stability. They stressed that Christmas comes this year amid pain in the hearts of the Syrian people because of the crimes of genocide being committed by the Zionist enemy in the Holy Land of Christmas, Particularly in Gaza.

B.Q.