April 21, 2014 - Catholic patriarchs in the Middle East, in their Easter messages,
appealed for peace in Syria and expressed hope that the region would experience a
resurrection. Melkite Catholic Patriarch Gregoire III Laham, who was born in Syria,
said his country has "entered upon the fourth year of its way of the cross" but "will
one day soon, we hope, reach resurrection joy." "I want Damascus and the whole of
Syria to live again the joy of (St.) Paul when he met Christ, risen from the dead,
at the gate of Damascus," the patriarch said in his Easter message, issued ahead of
the Easter Sunday, April 20.
On Easter, he visited the ancient city of Maaloula,
Syria, with Orthodox Patriarch John X of Antioch and all the East. "We don't want
any more martyrs," Patriarch Laham said in his message. "We don't want any more orphans!
We don't want more widows and more mothers losing their children! We don't want any
more millions of children traumatized! Enough wounded! Enough handicapped, mutilated
or disfigured! Enough of people haunted by fear, hatred and bitterness! Enough kidnappings
and extortions!" the patriarch said.
He appealed to the world "in the name
of the poor, weak, widows, victims, mortally wounded, mutilated, disfigured, displaced
persons, refugees, homeless, hungry, children, the elderly, pregnant women, handicapped,
all those in despair, pain and discouragement -- such as I often encounter at the
Syrian-Lebanese border when travelling from Beirut to Damascus, or during my visits
to families of victims and disaster-stricken people. They are burdened by fear about
the future and the fate of their families, children and young people. "In the face
of this dark and bloody image of our beloved country, Syria, I turn to the nations
of the whole world and beseech them: Have pity on Syria! Leave Syria to Syrians! That's
enough of your weapons, your fighters, your mercenaries, your armed adventurers, your
jihadis ..." "Love will rebuild Syria, which will be thereby renewed. That is what
Jesus teaches us in his Gospel," he said.
Syriac Patriarch Ignace Joseph III
Younan, who also was born in Syria, said, "Christian communities in the Middle East
are facing today the most fearful challenge, which threatens their very survival in
their own land." "Innocent people, particularly vulnerable and targeted Christians,
continue to suffer in the Middle East and most particularly in Syria and Iraq. They
are suffering because of violent hatred exercised by many militant religious groups
that are often tacitly even openly supported by Western politicians," Patriarch Younan
said in his Easter message.
"Hundreds of thousands among Christians have been
targeted and forced into exile inside their own country or had no other choice than
to emigrate. Many among them are clergy members and faithful who have been abused,
kidnapped or killed because they represent a minority still believing in the Gospel
of love, justice and peace," the patriarch said. He said the violence would not have
happened without people looking for economic opportunism. "Let us hope that one
day, with the prayers, courage and effective solidarity of the silent majority of
our Christian brothers and sisters in the Western world, peoples of the Middle East
(will) rediscover their true calling to spread God's love and reconciliation for a
better world," he said.
The patriarchs and heads of Christian churches in
Jerusalem said they were "acutely conscious of the ravages of violence in places such
as Syria, Lebanon and elsewhere, as well as of the struggles of countless thousands
of refugees who have been displaced from their homes." They expressed thanks for all
the church and church-related groups providing support and said Christ's resurrection
"was the ultimate assurance that transformation by the grace of God is always possible,
even in the apparently most intractable of human situations." They also called for
prayers for peace in the Holy Land, noting, "A peace which does not seek to abolish
discrimination between different communities is no peace at all."
Lebanese
Cardinal Bechara Rai, the Maronite patriarch, appealed for an end to the cycle of
violence and for issues to be resolved "through dialogue, understanding and negotiation."
He offered prayers for people in "Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Palestine and the Holy Land,
and in other countries near and far." "And with them and with the people of these
countries we hold dear, we raise our prayers to God for the innocent victims and the
wounded, and for the families affected and displaced and homeless at home or abroad,"
the cardinal stated in his message. The cardinal called upon the international community
"to put an end to the tragedy of Syria on the basis of truth and justice" and to stop
supporting and fueling the conflict with money, weapons and support, "for private,
political and economic gain." "We ask Christ the victor over sin and evil and death"
to touch the consciences of those responsible, "and stir in their hearts love and
compassion," he said.
Chaldean Patriarch Louis Sako said in his Easter message
that "despite the worrying situation that we are currently experiencing in Iraq and
the challenges facing our brothers and sisters in the diaspora," the resurrection
of Christ "makes the sun rise upon us, the people of Iraq, and all humanity." (Source:
CNS)