Patriarch Gregory III, "The Year of Faith is the Year of Reconciliation"

October 09, 2012: "The Year of Faith is for Syria Year of reconciliation is the hope of Christians and all the Syrian people," he declares in an interview with Fides, on the eve the opening of the Year of Faith, the Melkite Patriarch of Damascus, Gregory III Laham, now in the Vatican to attend the Synod on the New Evangelization.

"We Christians in the Middle East - says Gregory III, Pastor of the greek-catholic community in Syria has over 150 thousand faithful - we feel an integral part of the Arab world and in this time of trouble and fear, we have greater need to strengthen our faith, to be bearers of the Gospel. Presentation of the values o​ffaith, made the Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in the Middle East is very impartante is up to us to make this our heritage - that of religious freedom, coexistence, citizenship, rights, solidarity, love - to make a program ad extra. Christians have always played a key role in the Middle East for the culture, art, education and social work, and intend to continue to be a leaven in society. "

Direct expression of faith is, for the Patriarch, the proposal of reconciliation in Syria: "Reconciliation - warns - is the only way possible: otherwise Syria went to his death. During the conflict that continues in Syria, the triumphs and chaos There are answers. Nobody has neither the government nor the opposition, nor the international community. Us in the dark and, in this situation, faith is the answer and reconciliation is our proposal. "

In such a state of political stalemate, the Patriarch supports the proposal of a "new diplomatic initiative to implement the Pope's appeals", launched yesterday by Fides, from Mar Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim, Metropolitan of Aleppo Syrian Orthodox. "Benvenga any initiative that promotes reconciliation: the word reconciliation - known Gregory III - has been a constant, has always been present in any even small intervention of the Holy Father in his last trip to Lebanon. Reconciliation is the salvation of Syria and of 'future of Christians who, as St. Paul says, we do' everything for everyone '. The Church is not for or against the regime, but it is a community that wants to give a testimony of love and wants to save Syria. "

The Melkite Patriarch refers, finally, its own special initiative: "I asked the President of Lebanon, Michel Suleiman, to send the speeches of the Holy Father, the recent trip to Lebanon, the leader of the Arab world as a message of peace and coexistence that Lebanon radiates throughout the Middle East. This is the response to the Arab revolutions. And President welcomed my proposal. "