Patriarch hopes Lebanon papal visit will bring peace to Syria

The head of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, said he hopes Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Lebanon in September will bring peace and reconciliation to neighbouring Syria. In a statement sent to Vatican’s Fides news agency, Patriarch Gregorios III said Syrians “need the support of the Pope,” noting that the upcoming trip “will be of special help for Syria, so that the conflict may cease and the country may flourish.” “For this,” he said, “we ask the help of all our Christian brothers in the Middle East and around the world.” Pope Benedict is scheduled to visit Lebanon Sept 14-16, the 85-year-old German pontiff’s 24th foreign trip since his election in 2005. The Lebanon-based Patriarch Gregorios III reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to promote dialogue and reconciliation amid the conflict that continues to cause bloodshed in the Middle Eastern country. He underscored “the credibility, transparency, loyalty and objectivity of the pastors who are in constant contact with priests, monks, nuns and lay people.” The pastors “promote the call for dialogue and reconciliation, the rejection of violence,” he said. “They work to protect the safety of civilians in the ongoing conflict, so as not to expose them to danger, to avoid becoming targets of attacks of one faction or another.” The patriarch also said that there is no conflict in Syria between Christians and Muslims and that the victims are civilians of every religion who are enduring anarchy, insecurity and the increase in violence due to the arms trade.