STATEMENT OF PATRIARCH OF ANTIOCH JOHN

 

Antioch Patriarchate 

Statement of His Beatitude John X
August 7, 2020

Today, we came directly to Beirut, to this honorable house, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Beirut, after this painful tragedy and the huge explosion in Beirut.

We can say that we left everything and came directly to be next to our people in Beirut alongside our brother His Eminence Elias - may God prolong your life - but we do not say that we came to Beirut because we all carry Beirut in our hearts, in the heart of our holy Antiochian throne and in the hearts of all the children of this Holy Antiochian See, wherever they are, in the homeland and in the countries abroad.

Our presence today is to tell His Eminence Elias, and through him to all our children, that we and His Eminence Elias are at your side.

We are with you, we share your pain, and that is why we wanted to express this unity. We are one family.

I seize the occasion, Your Eminence, to announce to everyone that all the Orthodox Churches of the world have contacted us. In the past two days, their Beatitudes and Holinesses all without exception, contacted us either by phone or by sending messages: His All-Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch, the Patriarch of Alexandria, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, the Russian Patriarch, the Roman Patriarch, the Patriarch of Bulgaria, the Archbishop of Cyprus, the Archbishop of Greece, the Archbishop of Albania, and all Orthodox Churches expressed with their kind words their love and support in this tragedy that afflicted Beirut and our Archdiocese in particular. Moreover, Russia and Greece contacted us personally, and everyone knows that these two countries have taken direct measures by sending some aid and assistance.

I was also personally contacted by the Greek Foreign Minister on behalf of the Greek Prime Minister to express solidarity. A little while ago, His Highness the Emirati Prince Sheikh Al Nahyan also called to express heartfelt sympathy, love, and wishes for safety to all, so that things return to the right track.

In this Archdiocese, we declare standing by His Eminence, along with our people in Beirut.

Those who know history also know that His Eminence Elias has built this diocese with all its churches and institutions and everything that was destroyed by the civil war in Lebanon.

Therefore, Your Eminence, we realize how you accompanied every soul in Beirut and in this diocese, and every stone that was placed in every institution, in every church. We sympathize with and share your pain. I say this in the name of our Antiochian Church.

Your Eminence Elias, I remember the days of the civil war in Lebanon, and Patriarch Ignatius Hazim of Thrice Blessed memory. Ehen they asked him about the war at the time, he said this famous sentence and repeated it continuously, - this was your speech, your effort and your work: If some people want to destroy and separate, we are destined to build and to survive.

Despite this tragedy and despite all these aftermaths, we are certain that our kind people who have been donating through generations for the building of all these institutions and churches, the Roum Hospital, and everything that belongs to the Archbishopric, will not leave his church nor the faithful, and will not leave Beirut. Everyone will gather together to support each other and restore everything.

I remember in particular, from the beginning those who were martyred and those who left us to heavenly chambers due to this painful occasion and pray for them.

We remember the wounded and injured, praying for their recovery and their safe return home. We remember their families and close ones, and all our families in Beirut, asking the Lord for their condolences and safety. We do not forget all the missing, those affected, all those who were displaced, and whose homes were destroyed.

We pray that the Lord will strengthen us, have mercy on us, and support this nation.

We also hope that Beirut will remain a symbol of peace, love, culture, and generosity, playing its role at the local, regional and global levels.

Therefore, as children of this land, we will survive it despite the so many difficulties.

I say to His Eminence: As you built this diocese, I accompanied you and saw how you built it from under the rubble, of slaughter, destruction and war.

We are at your side, with you in particular, and with all the people of this good city.

As children of this land, we remain steadfast and rooted as the oaks and cedars of Lebanon.

We are rooted in this country and remain with the mercies of the Lord, as messengers of truth, peace and love. We give this testimony no matter how many difficulties, wars and suffering, praying that they pass, as well as the current pandemic that kills people all over the world.

We pray for world peace.

May God grant you many years and protect all the people of Beirut and Lebanon, and the whole world, for He is the Blessed Amen.

When asked about rebuilding institutions, His Beatitude replied that the Orthodox Church will discuss the details after a meeting of the bishops in Beirut, where they will deploy all their efforts and ecclesiastical capabilities to help.
“We are now recovering the wounds”, he said.
We are at the side of our people. Our presence alongside our people is what we want to express in this country
There is pressure but it is essential to let people feel that the church is at their side.