Appeal of His
Holiness Pope Francis for peace in “beloved” Syria
During the Angelus of
Sunday 25 August 2013, His Holiness Pope Francis launched an appeal for peace
in Syria, which he was pleased to describe as “beloved.”
It was said in this
appeal that His Holiness continues “with great distress and anxiety to follow the
situation in Syria… in a war
between brothers and sisters with the escalation of massacres and acts of
atrocity.”
His Holiness raises
his voice with prophetic boldness, repeating the call that “the clash of weapons may be silenced.”
His Holiness expresses
in heartfelt tones his love and “closeness with prayers and solidarity to all the victims of this
conflict, to all who are suffering, especially the children,” and asks us “to
keep the hope of peace ever alive.”
His Holiness
addresses his appeal “to the
international community to …help … find a solution to this war that is sowing
destruction and death.”
He ends his appeal by
praying to the Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace.
We should like to
thank His Holiness in the name of the Church here in Syria for this very
impressive appeal; or rather we thank him in the name of all Christian and
Muslim denominations of the Syrian nation for his sincere fatherly feeling.
We regret that the
stance of many Arab Eastern and European and Western countries is one of pride,
a bullying attitude, with warning threats, muscle-flexing and sending weapons, and
mercenary fighters.
We regret seeing many
countries, instead of hastening the preparation for Geneva II for peace, scrambling
to raise the tone of threats with more means of war and destruction.
In the face of all this,
we ask you: who drove people in Syria to this so-called “red line”? Who brought
the country to the risk of chemical weapons? Who drove this country to almost
systematic destruction? Those very countries!
We pray for those
heads of state to heed the Holy Father’s voice, and that of the bishops and
spiritual leaders of Syria and all those who are calling for reconciliation,
dialogue and peace in the world.
We ask all our
bishops to disseminate Pope Francis’ appeal by all means, especially in our
parishes and churches.
+ Gregorios
Patriarch of Antioch and All
the East,
Of Alexandria and of Jerusalem