Patriarch Gregorios III: Appeal on the occasion of recent events in Daraya

Details: Last Updated: 19 February 2013

27 August 2012

As Patriarch and son of the town of Daraya,¹ where I was born, grew up and was educated in a very good Muslim-Christian atmosphere, my heart is bleeding for the many victims who have been killed there.

That is why I am calling for the realisation of conditions conducive to ending the bloody fighting in Daraya and every other region of Syria.

We declare once again that dialogue, meeting, respect for freedom of opinion and the human dignity of every person, are values on which a renewed Syria can be built and thanks to which the atmosphere of love and harmony, which we experienced and in which we were brought up, can return to Syria.

I have great hope that we Syrians, who are all labouring under the weight of this tragic, bloody situation that has now lasted for eighteen months and more, will and must find all together another way than that of violence, weapons, killings and destruction, because with violence there are no winners, but rather, everyone is a loser, destruction continues, people are killed and the scale of the disaster increases, affecting all citizens.

Hence my repeated appeal, with the verse from the venerable Qur’an, “Come to a common word between us and you” (Aal ‘Imran 3:64) and the verse from the Holy Gospel, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9). May almighty God protect Syria and bring these disasters to an end!

I have every confidence that all my brothers and sisters, Daraya’s sons and daughters, so dear to my heart, will heed this appeal! It is the appeal of a brother, friend, and son of our dear town! May this appeal be heard by the officials on the spot and everywhere!

With my affection and prayer,

Gregorios III

1 Daraya lies six miles south of Damascus and is probably the place where Saint Paul (Saul) met the risen Christ.

News

Patriarch Gregorios III: Appeal on the occasion of recent events in Daraya