United with the Pope we call for dialogue: Melkite Abp of Aleppo
Aleppo 04 June 2013: "We see only chaos and destruction in a conflict that is against
everything and everyone. In a country disfigured, with the civilian population led
to the slaughter, Pope Francis’ appeal calls for dialogue and reconciliation. Concrete
steps are urgently needed and we hope that the Conference in Geneva is the turning
point for a political solution to the Syrian conflict " said Jean-Clément Jeanbart,
Metropolitan Archbishop of Aleppo for the Greek-Catholic, while speaking to Fides
News agency on Monday. The Archbishop expressed gratitude to the Pope for the words
spoken at the Angelus on Sunday, stating that they give "consolation and hope." The
Pope recalled "the troubled situation of war, death, destruction, significant economic
and environmental damage, as well as the scourge of kidnapping," ensuring "prayer
and solidarity" and urging "the kidnappers to release the victims".
The Archbishop
expressed his concern and sadness "to see a country reduced to rubble," and "to see
so much violence, terrible killings of civilians and children, kidnapping, that scar
the face of the Syrian people", in a sort of "degradation of humanity itself. "With
regards to the two bishops kidnapped and the two priests kidnapped since February
, the Archbishop said: "There is no news, nothing is known and this is a sign of the
chaos. The kidnapped are people who were carrying out humanitarian work, helping people
to live in this tragic situation. It is very worrying. Where will this lead to? "When
faced with terrible suffering, "Our fear is that Christians continue to leave the
country in search of a decent life." "One suffers for lack of goods, fuel, electricity,
sometimes for food. But what makes us suffer most is to see that the future gets darker
and darker.
The future for us Christians and for all Syrians can only be based
on full citizenship, freedom, dignity and respect for others. Otherwise what will
happen to us? "Syria is "a holy land that saw the birth of the universal Church. The
Pope's appeal is precious – explained Msg. Jeanbart - because it draws the whole world
to do something for us. We hope that the forthcoming conference in Geneva is able
to open a real glimmer of peace, to offer real openness towards dialogue and a political
solution. "Yesterday in Syrian churches and communities of the Diaspora, "we prayed
with the Pope at the hour of the Eucharistic Adoration, a very important moment to
pray for Syria and invoke peace," said the Archbishop.Source: Fides