Gregorios III: Peace, living
together and Christian presence in the Middle East
Continuing his
European round-trip of episcopal conferences and European political
institutions, H. B. Gregorios III, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, of
Alexandria and of Jerusalem began his talks in Great Britain by a meeting with
H. G. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, H. G. Vincent Nichols,
Archbishop of Westminster and with a representative of the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office. Afterwards, he gave a talk at Heythrop College, University
of London. Among those present (c. 60 persons) Ukrainian and Coptic Orthodox
bishops, university teachers, monks and nuns and lay-persons. Mr Anthony
O’Mahony of Heythrop College introduced His Beatitude. After the talk, the
Principal of the College, Michael Holman SJ invited the Patriarch to lunch. For
all these meetings, the Patriarch was accompanied by Rev. Dr Shafiq Abouzayd, priest
of the Melkite parish in London and Ms Valerie Chamberlain, liaison officer for
the trip to the U.K.
On Sunday, 11 March, (the
third Sunday in Lent) His Beatitude celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the parish
church of St Barnabas, Pimlico meeting parishioners. In the afternoon, His
Beatitude met the Lebanese ambassador to Britain, H. E. Inaam Osseiran at a
meal offered by Father Shafiq and members of the parish council.
As in Berlin on 5 and
6 March and in Paris on 7 and 8 March 2012, Gregorios III emphasised the
relationship between peace, living together and Christian presence in the
Middle East, which is a reservoir of Christians and a cultural reservoir of the
region. This region, and Syria especially, needs to regain its tranquillity, thanks
to a dialogue among all the parties concerned. He asked European leaders and
Church leaders to call for a cease-fire and dialogue and reconciliation.
V. C.