The Church facing Coronavirus (COVID-19)

His Holiness Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Syrian Orthodox Patriarch, celebrated the Holy Qurobo on the occasion of Palm Sunday

On April 12, 2020, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II celebrated the Holy Qurobo on the occasion of Palms Sunday, at St. Georges Patriarchal Cathedral in Bab Touma, Damascus.

During the Holy Qurobo, His Holiness spoke about the entrance of our Lord Jesus Christ to Jerusalem and the crowds who welcomed Him as the King of Israel. His Holiness emphasized that the kingdom of Christ is not from this world, therefore He entered Jerusalem in humility and not to show power. His Holiness pointed out that the children were cheering by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit while they were receiving the Lord Jesus and saying: blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel. He also spoke about the people who think of God as a powerful god in the human sense, while the Lord is teaching us, through His modest entrance to Jerusalem, that He is near His people and that the real power is revealed on the cross by the obedience that conquered death and satan.
Concerning the Corona pandemic that is spreading throughout the world, His Holiness offered his condolences to the families of those who passed away, especially the faithful of our church living in Sweden, Istanbul, Belgium or USA, who lost a dear member of their family due to the corona virus. He prayed asking the Lord to strengthen the patients and to comfort the hearts of those who lost someone due to this disease. He assured them that the church is constantly supplicating and asking the Lord to stop this pandemic; he emphasized that, if it weren’t for the divine providence, we wouldn’t be able to celebrate this feast of Palms’ Sunday.

During the Holy Qurobo, His Holiness was assisted by their Eminences Archbishops: Mor Timotheos Matta Al-Khoury, Patriarchal Vicar in the Patriarchal Archdiocese of Damascus, Mor Anthimos Jack Yacoub, Patriarchal Vicar for the Youth Affairs and Christian Education, and Mor Yacoub Babawi, Patriarchal Vicar for the Affairs of Monks and the Administration of Mor Aphrem Theological Seminary.

Source: Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate