His Beatitude Patriarch John X presided over the Liturgy of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary

This news is also available in Arabic.

His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, presided over the Liturgy of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary in the Maryamiyah Cathedral in Damascus, Syria.

His Beatitude was concelebrated with Their Grace, the Right Reverend Bishops Moussa El-Khoury, Efraim Malouli and John Batash, as well as a number of priests and deacons.

The Divine Liturgy was attended by the new Ambassador of Serbia, Mr. Radovan Stojanovic.

At the end of the Liturgy, His Beatitude congratulated all the children of the Antiochian Church in the homeland and overseas, wishing them good health and well-being, and asked the Virgin Mary to wipe away the tears from all faces, particularly through these difficult times.

He wished that the Lord would grant Syria, Lebanon and the region the blessings of stability and security, and would bestow His mercies upon the human race, with the intercession of the Theotokos (Mother of God).

He said: "We pray for our region in the Middle East, for all our countries in this wounded and suffering East. We pray for Syria, and we ask the Lord to grant us peace and stability in the coming days for all the Syrian people, regardless of their differences." …

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