Patriarch john X : Violence exacts heavy price, freedom is about reaching out to the other
22/4/14
Yazigi: Violence exacts heavy price, freedom is about reaching out to the other.
Damascus, (SANA) Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All East, John X Yazigi hoped that it will become clear enough that violence exacts a much heavier price than peace.
Yazigi, who led an Easter mass at the Greek Orthodox Mariamite Cathedral in Damascus on Monday, called on the Syrians abroad to show support to their fellow citizens inside Syria “during tough times”.
“Syria, the birthplace of alphabet, deserves to remain so, not to be a hotbed of extremism, takfiri and terrorism,’’ the Patriarch added.
Speaking about the Greek Orthodox and Syriac Orthodox bishops of Aleppo who were kidnapped by an armed terrorist group, Yazigi said that the kidnapped bishops did nothing wrong to deserve such a dismal fate “but [the bishops] have been messengers of peace.’’
“If the freedom means for some taking out churches’ Crosses and exhuming tombs, our own is based on reaching out to the other to heal the wounds of our homeland,’’ he said.
The Patriarch also prayed for Iraq which is rocked by deadly blasts, for Lebanon, Egypt and Palestine.
The crisis in Syria has cast a shadow over Easter celebrations for the third year in a row, which were limited to prayers and masses at churches and worshipping places.
