His Beatitude Patriarch John X, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II and His Beatitude Joseph I Al-Absi with the Heads of the Churches in Syria
Issue a Joint Appeal: Lift the Embargo on the Syrian People
Following the earthquake which struck Syria and Turkey, at dawn on Monday 6 February 2023, His Beatitude Patriarch John X, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, and His Beatitude Youssef Al-Absi, Patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church of Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem, with the Heads of the Churches in Syria, issue a joint appeal in which they demand to lift the embargo on Syria, which was severely affected by this earthquake.
You can find below the full text of the appeal.
Lift the Embargo on the Syrian People
Following the earthquake which struck northern Syria on Monday February 6, 2023, thousands of Syrians lost their lives, many churches, institutions and homes were destroyed and a large number of families were displaced.
This natural disaster adds to the ordeal of the Syrian people, who continue to suffer from the tragedies of war, crises, disasters, epidemics, and the harsh economic hardships resulting from inflation, the absence of indispensable materials, medications, and daily basic necessities needed in order for people to survive and live in dignity.
We, the three patriarchs with the heads of churches in Syria, demand from the United Nations and the countries imposing sanctions on Syria to lift the embargo and the unjust sanctions imposed on the Syrian people, and to take exceptional measures and immediate initiatives to secure the delivery of the much needed relief and humanitarian aid. We also appeal to the conscience of all the people of good will to advocate on behalf of the Syrian in order to put an end to their misery and enable them to live in dignity as envisioned by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
We pray for the victims and their families, asking the Lord to grant rest to the souls of the departed and recovery to the wounded. We, likewise, pray for all those working in the fields of relief, rescue, and hospitalization. We appeal to the governments, international organizations, NGOs, charities, and peace advocates everywhere to expedite the support of relief and rescue efforts, irrespective of any political consideration.
Damascus, February 7, 2023
His Beatitude Patriarch John X Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and all the East
His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church
His Beatitude Youssef Al-Absi Patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church of Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem
And the Heads of the Churches in Syria
This appeal was originally published on the Facebook Pages of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II 's & the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate.
