The Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate remains in Damascus
Damascus, 06 August 2013: The See of the Patriarchate of Antioch of the Syriac Orthodox
remains in Damascus, "and there is no intention to move it to another place", noted
a resolute statement issued on Sunday, August 4th by the secretariat of
the Patriarchate. The allegations that spoke of a possible transfer of the patriarchal
See in Turkey as an obliged result of the tragic situation of civil war that has been
tearing apart Syria for 28 months are denied. In the statement sent to Fides Agency,
it was confirmed that in the eyes of the bishops and of the Syriac Orthodox believers
the transfer of the patriarchal See would mean the danger of "extinction" of the Syriac
Orthodox Church and its spiritual heritage through a "fusion in melting pot of other
communities and other nationalities". "We are interested in not only the survival
of the See of Antioch in Syria", reports the statement, "but also the permanence of
our people in every part of Syrian territory" together "with our Muslim brothers and
other Christian communities". The statement also said that "Patriarch Mar Zakka
I Iwas is in good health" and reject with disdain speculation circulated in recent
days that crept possible intra-ecclesiastical rivalry among the causes of the kidnapping
of the two Archbishops of Aleppo Mar Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim and Boulos al-Yazigi
, of whom there has been no news since April 22. Source: Fides