“The Patriarchate of Antioch is amid the flames of war. We are in very close contact, we are working together very closely in Syria and in Lebanon, which is essentially the Patriarchate’s second seat. The major issue for us is humanitarian assistance, the protection of Christian populations and Christian monuments. Without the Christian element, there is no Levant, there is no traditional Middle East. The flight of Christians from this region strengthens fundamentalism and every extremist element.
The Patriarchate of Antioch’s role, like that of the other Orthodox Churches in the wider region, is decisive, and we are undertaking a number of initiatives of an international nature, focusing precisely on the protection of Christian populations and monuments. We are naturally working together very closely with all of the countries of the region, we are participating in all of the international meetings, and we are also in very close contact with the European Union and the UN Secretary General.
The Patriarch of Antioch and I also discussed many other issues of common interest – political and ecclesiastical in nature – and the Foreign Ministry will undertake a series of initiatives that will contribute to solving problems that should not be pending at this time.”
October 24, 2014