Patriarchs Kirill and Yohanna X’s appeal at Geneva 2
Moscow, 28 January 2014: On Sunday, January 26th Patriarch of Moscow, Kirill and the
Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, Yohanna X Yazigi made a joint appeal to the "Geneva
II" international Conference on the Syrian conflict, which is currently underway in
Switzerland, in order to invite all participants at the summit to "reject extremist
demonstrations" and to put an end to "intolerance and political ultimatums". Only
free and fraternal dialogue within the Syrian community - say the two Patriarchs in
the letter - can pave the way to a peaceful solution of the crisis.
At the
heart of the message of the two Orthodox Primates there is also the fate of Christians
abducted during the conflict, from the two Metropolitan Bishops of Aleppo, the Greek
Orthodox Boulos Yazigi , the Syrian Orthodox Mar Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim – kidnapped
last April –to the nuns kidnapped at the beginning of last December from the convent
of St. Tekla in Maalula. "We" write Kirill and Yohanna "call on all parties to show
humanity and mercy as a sign of their desire to restore peace in Syria". The message
of the two Patriarchs also contains an appeal to "stop the destruction of the priceless
cultural and religious heritage" that enriches Syria, and whose destruction is "a
crime against future generations". Source: Fides