Prot. 408/2013D
Damascus
29 August 2013
The Wisdom of the Attitude of His Holiness the Pope
and the Vatican
to the Syrian Crisis
When we disseminated His Holiness Pope Francis’ call for peace in Syria, made after the recitation of
the Angelus on Sunday, 25 August, we added some personal
comments, expressing our gratitude and that of Syria for his heartfelt appeal.
We read with interest the remarks of our friend
Archbishop Silvano Maria Tomasi, the Holy See’s permanent observer to the
United Nations in Geneva. Speaking on Radio Vatican on 22 August, he expressed
his views on the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
Archbishop Tomasi warned against rushing to pass
judgment about which side may be using chemical weapons, without clear and compelling
evidence. That was the responsibility of the UN monitors mandated to work in
Syria to shed light on the matter.
Archbishop Tomasi emphasised the importance of engaging
in dialogue, rather than violence which fuels conflict, and recalled the position
of Pope Francis, who stressed that violence cannot lead us to any solution.
“That is why dialogue must begin, so that we can
arrive at Geneva II, where representatives of all parts of Syrian society can
be present and try to create some kind of transitional government.”
This wise attitude can save the region from further
destruction and displacement, disasters and suffering.
We thank His Holiness the Pope and Archbishop Tomasi for
these constructive stances. This corresponds to what we have always advocated
and still do: that the Holy See should set out a plan specific to the Pope and
the Vatican with regard to the Syrian crisis. We have even proposed that there
should be a special team at the Vatican focused on dealing round the clock with
the Syrian crisis. It would help to provide sound advice and strengthen the
Vatican’s influence on global policy with regard to the Syrian crisis and the
question of Palestine, which is associated with the Syrian crisis.
We shall remain in contact with the Vatican and the
Catholic Episcopal Conferences around the world, in order to support the
process of reconciliation, dialogue and understanding for the
service of our beloved Syria and the future of all its sons and daughters from
all its constituent parts. We have been and will remain one Syrian family, working
as one, for a renewed Syria, one country for all its children.
+ Gregorios III
Patriarch of Antioch and All the East,
Of Alexandria and of Jerusalem