I wonder if we Christians here can muster up the courage of those in Syria. We are being persecuted by Big Buggery; they are being persecuted by religious fanatics. What links us to them is this: both our enemies and theirs are financed, supported, organized and equipped by the same people. We forget this at our peril.
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Damascus, SANA - Christian denominations in Syria, who follow the
Western calendar, celebrated Easter, with celebrations limited to
prayers and masses due to the circumstances in Syria and in honor of
martyrs.
In the Roman Catholic Patriarchate in Damascus, a huge mass was held,
led by Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and All East Gregory III
Laham, assisted by a group of priests.
Patriarch Laham affirmed during the sermon that Christians of the
East are unified despite the suffering visited on them by terrorists,
adding that they are determined not leave their homeland.
The Patriarch called for bringing an end to killing, displacement and
suffering in Syria, also making reference to Palestine which he said
“must return”.
He called for moving ahead with dialogue and reconciliations among the Syrians.
“With these hopes of resurrection, we send heart-felt wishes from
Damascus to the entire world on Easter…the feast of crossing from death
to life…from slavery to freedom …from humiliation to dignity and from
war to peace,” he added.
The Patriarch implored God to protect the Syrian people, Army and
leadership and to help bring the kidnapped back to their families,
particularly the bishops Yohanna Ibrahim and Paul Yazigi.
In the National Evangelical Church of Damascus, a mass headed by Rev.
Peter Zaaour was organized. In his sermon, Zaaour said that for the
fifth consecutive year, the Syrian people are facing the “cruelest forms
of aggression in history.”
“Syria is a model of love, harmony, civilization and national
firmness, that’s why powers of darkness in the world seek its
destruction”, Zaaour added.
Meanwhile in the Armenian Orthodox Archdiocese, Primate of the Armenian
Church of Damascus Bishop Armash Nalbandian urged in his Easter sermon
the Syrians to pray to God “to bless our beloved homeland with peace,
brotherhood and prosperity.”
Meanwhile in other provinces, the celebrations of Easter in churches
which follow the Western calendar in Syria were limited to observing
The clergymen elaborated in their sermons on the meanings of the Easter, which represents love, tolerance and sacrifice.
The heads of Christian sects implored God to bless their homeland
with security and safety and to bring to an end the suffering of the
Syrians at the hands of terrorists, stressing that co-existence that
distinguishes the Syrian people will enable them to achieve victory over
their enemies.
They also hailed the unbreakable bonds binding the Syrians, pointing out that Syria will remain the homeland of love and peace.
In this regard, Christian denominations who follow eastern calendar
in Syria performed prayers and masses on the occasion of Palm Sunday.
In the church of Mar Elias in Doil’a neighborhood in Damascus a mass
was held led by Greek Orthodox Patriarch John X Yazigi of Antioch and
all East.
Patriarch Yazigi called on the Syrians to pray for their country and to prevail peace in Syria and the whole region.
A mass was also held in the Syriac Catholic Church, headed Mor Dionysius Jean Kawak, the Archbishop in charge of the Patriarchal office in Damascus.
On his sermon after the mass, Kawak prayed to God to protect Syria and its Army and to achieve victory against terrorism.
And more Christian courage from Syria:
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