Met Silouan (Muci) on the 6th Anniversary of the Kidnapping of Met Paul (Yazigi)

Pastoral Letter of
Metropolitan Silouan of Byblos, Botrys and dependencies
on the 6^th Anniversary of the Kidnapping of
His Eminence Metropolitan Paul of Aleppo

April 22, 2013-2019

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The "Master of Eloquence and Silence"
Between the Silence of Man and the Silence of God
“God finished on the seventh day His work, which He had done:
and He rested on the seventh day of all His work, which He had made”
(Genesis 2:2)

“Metropolitan Paul of Aleppo is on an ecclesiastical mission.” This is an expression that occurred to me in the first days after Monday, April 22, 2013 (the day he was kidnapped), an expression that opened a window through which I have tried to explore the mystery of that great day, a day of God's work in the history of humanity.

Arriving at the threshold of the seventh year of this invisible “ecclesiastical mission,” we notice that infertility and drying up are encircling us; the infertility of hope and the drying up of inspiration.  Consequently, you believe that time is uprooting hope from you, while you have no inspiration regarding how to defend the work of God within us and in us. In that case, how can you possibly defend your hope and your faith, and what may you say regarding this matter? An answer comes to you: “Keep silence!” But how could you manage, with silence, to defend your hope and your faith in this “ecclesiastical mission?”

In seeking a satisfactory answer to this question, you rejoice that the Bible reveals to you the work of God the Creator, when, at the end of the six-day work of creation, It tells us, with majesty and modesty, that “on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made” (Genesis 2:2). This fact makes you dive into the work of God the Creator, as we are on the threshold of the seventh year of that great day, while contemplating, with reverence and perspicacity, the mystery of the work of God Himself in us, since He says, “My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I too am working” (John 5:17) -- and how this work has manifested itself in a paradoxical way, both in expression and in the absence of expression; both in revelation and in the absence of revelation. It is, in fact, the secret of “silence” that appeared on the seventh day, when God the Creator rested from all His works, a silence that the author could not express -- and how could he? Indeed, the expression, “God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:4; 10; 12; 18; 21; 25) accompanies us from the first days of creation, as well as the expression, “that [it] was very good” (Genesis 1:31) at the end of these days.  However, the sacred “silence” of God is present on the seventh day as a blessed seal appended on His words of the previous days.

This biblical reality introduces you to the dynamic of the Bible where the “silence” of God confrontsthe man who meanders in the paths of life, so as to provide him with hope, abundant hope. In this regard, man´s difficulty resides in his lack of forbearance towards such a silence, especially if this silence is prolonged in our eyes, and if we are not sufficiently imbued with the Holy Spirit.  God be praised that His silence is not sterile. Likewise, he who is filled with the Spirit, his silence is not sterile either.  It is clear that the source of this silence is the same one of which the Sacred Scripture spoke to us at the beginning of creation, when It revealed to us the presence of the “Master of Silence,” if it is permissible to speak like that.  This is the Holy Spirit.  “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” (Genesis 1:1-2). And we realized that He is also the “Master of Eloquence” because He is the one who inspires and gives the speech, as the Lord, in circumstances similar to those we are talking about, explained to us: “Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit” (Mark 13:11).

Is it possible that you are angry and disgusted with silence, the silence of the sterile man, a silence that we are accustomed to describe as the “silence of the grave,” when we refer to this great day? Or is it possible that you rejoice in the silence of God, a silence that turns out to be most eloquent, a silence that is the “language of the age to come,” according to Saint Ephraim the Syriac, a language that comes to you from the age to come, from the One who is Himself “the Master of Silence,” who was hovering over all creation since the dawn of its creation, and which feeds its existence and gives him the ability to speak, to listen and to understand His work in this creation so far?

In fact, on the threshold of this “seventh day,” or rather of the seventh year, you must behold yourself in reverence before the work of God the Creator during these past six years, and watch the manifestation of His work in His repose of all works, which took place in a remarkable silence that cannot be decoded by any word we may say. It is rather a silence that speaks in the hearts of those who accept the “Master of Eloquence and Silence” within them, in an act of prayer, faith or service; in a situation of life or death; in a state of suffering or liberation; in a desperate wait or a quick response; in an absence cruelly felt but that is counterbalanced by a stronger and more eloquent presence than the absence itself.

The difficulty of the seventh day is the “silence” that surrounds it and the length of the duration that accompanies it.  In this case, we cannot do better than rely on the one who became the “master of eloquence and silence” to guide us in our passage through the silence of man and this silence of God concerning this “ecclesiastical mission,” invisible to men's eyes, but alive in the spirit of God and His providence for us.

I thank the Lord for allowing me to write these lines, which I wrote “from here,” “from very near” (for some people), while in the past I have written them from “there,” “from far” (for some others), while praying to the Lord to confirm us all together in the work of the Spirit who unites us in times of adversity and trials, so that He may be glorified in us, and that, consequently, the one who became the “master of eloquence and silence” is present among us.

Patriarch John X Celebrates Christmas in Aleppo

Arabic original, with pictures, here.

His Beatitude Celebrates Christmas in Aleppo

His Beatitude Patriarch John X arrived in Aleppo on Saturday, December 24, 2016 to celebrate Christmas with the children of this steadfast diocese, who are wounded by the absence of their shepherd, His Eminence Metropolitan Paul.

His Beatitude entered the church in a solemn procession to the beat of a brass band that played and to the great joy of the faithful. He served matins and the divine liturgy at the Cathedral of the Prophet Elias in Aleppo, assisted by Bishop Nicholas Baalbaki; Archimandrite Mousa al-Khasi, Metropolitan Paul's vicar; Archimandrite Alexei Shehadeh, director of the Patriarchate's Department of Ecumenical Relations and Development; and many priests and deacons from the diocese.

Archimandrite Mousa welcomed His Beatitude with the following speech:

"Our master, Your Beatitude the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East John X, more than five years have passed of our beloved country of Syria's suffering, more than four years have passed of our beloved city of Aleppo's pain, more than three years have passed of the bleeding wound of our Diocese of Aleppo and Alexandretta with the kidnapping of our shepherd Metropolitan Paul, and today, amidst this suffering, the Lord visits us with divine consolation, the consolation of your presence among us, and your blessing for us at this Feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus.

The nativity of Christ is the inauguration of a new stage in the life of the human race. God created man to live with Him in intimacy and in communion of love. Man chose to separate from God and to fall into sin, but God's love did not leave him to his inevitable fate. Christ became incarnate in order to bring back this intimacy and to inaugurate a new stage of human life, the stage of the human race's rebirth and resurrection. On this year's Feast of the Nativity we experience this sense of rebirth and resurrection.

Today, our city shakes off the dust of harsh circumstances from her shoulders as she inaugurates a new stage, a stage of rebirth, a stage of healing and building. Today, the Diocese of Aleppo and Alexandretta begins in Aleppo the path of healing from her wounds, despite the open wound that remains in her heart, the absence of her shepherd. But this Diocese of Job has learned that the pain of wounds does not mean that she must surrender to them, but is rather a constant reminder to continue along the path of healing.

Our children of this diocese have suffered daily in Aleppo, Idlib and Tabaka from their lack of physical safety and they still suffer the impact of difficult living circumstances, as well as displacement and alienation with all the suffering and hardship that they bring, along with their brothers in Alexandretta, Mersin, Arsuz, and every corner of the world. The question today, with the start of this new stage in the life of Aleppo, is: has the time come for us to rest? Yes, Your Beatitude, the time for rest has come, but we have learned that rest is not in momentary relaxation, but the soul's rest is in striving to seek the resurrection with its redeemer. Therefor, we the children of this diocese make a pledge before you today, Your Beatitude, before our absent-yet-present shepherd, and before the entire Church, from this place, from the Church of Saint Elias in Aleppo, which has not abandoned her children and whose children have never abandoned her, despite the dangers and frightful hardships: we shall not rest except in resurrection. We shall not rest except in rebirth. We shall not rest except in healing. We promise you that the blessing of your presence among us will be the inauguration of the rest of this healing.

When Aleppo was passing through the greatest dangers and the darkest circumstances, two great men entered, challenging all these dangers and circumstances: her pastor, Metropolitan Paul, who refused to not celebrate the Resurrection with his children, so he was kidnapped as he was on his way to them, but his way continues on the path into their hearts, since day after day he is more present in their hearts, their prayers and their hopes; and her patriarch, John X, who, by being present in 2014 to celebrate Christmas with his children in Aleppo, epitomized all courage, daring and sacrificial love. Today, on Christmas 2016, you have come, Your Beatitude, to inaugurate for us by your presence among us this new stage, the stage of striving and hope-- striving for work and building and hope that your blessed presence among us will be an earnest of a presence that will bring our shepherd together with his children always, to celebrate Christ's resurrection and theirs.

I hope that you will permit me to offer you in all humility, in the name of the diocese of Job, her shepherd, priests, parish councils, and faithful, this mosaic icon made by Aleppan hands lifted up for the glory of your patron, Saint John the Theologian as he stands before the cross of our Lord, in the hope that just as John the Beloved once rested on the breast of his Beloved at the Mystical Supper and prayed with Him on the cross, that you will bear us in your holy prayers whenever you celebrate the Church's mystical supper at the divine liturgy and you pray before the cross of our Lord Jesus.

Many years, master!"

In his sermon, His Beatitude spoke explaining the significance of the feast and Christ's incarnation for the salvation of humankind. He wished that this feast will bring peace to Aleppo, in union with the soil of the entire Syrian nation. He stressed the resolve of the people of Aleppo, their steadfastness and their dedication to their land and their nation, and his hope that we will celebrate it in the presence of Metropolitan Paul very soon.

The service of prayers for the feast was attended by the governor of Aleppo, the president of the city council, and a delegation of officials. The divine liturgy was followed by a festival in the churchyard, after which His Beatitude went to the church hall where a cake was cut and the faithful who had come to receive His Beatitude's blessing and to congratulate him on the feast were welcomed.

His Beatitude will continue the schedule of his visit to Aleppo during the coming days.

The Situation of the Orthodox Church in Aleppo

Arabic original, posted November 29, here.

Archimandrite Mousa al-Khasi to Telelumière:
Our Diocese in Aleppo Deserves to be Called the "Diocese of Job"

"He established in our Archdiocese of Aleppo, Alexandretta and Their Dependencies a good seedling and institutional activity without peer. In his absence, just as in his presence, the deposit of this good seedling flourished. What we see today in terms of clinging to the land and the Church and holding fast to the faith and values is the result of the nurturing that members of the diocese received at the hands of our pastor, Metropolitan Paul Yazigi and his approach will continue, as we hall hope for his return."

With a lump in his throat, with great hope for the return of Metropoltian Paul Yazigi, his vicar Archimandrite Mousa al-Khasi spoke to the television channel Telelumière from the offices of the Greek Orthodox diocese in Aleppo, saying, "Our diocese has been subjected to tragedies and great hardships, to such a degree that it deserves to be called 'the diocese of Job'. The first of these tragedies was in Tabaka, from which around 180 families fled. Then the tragedies reached Idlib, with the same suffering in terms of destruction and forced expulsion, but the apex of these tragedies was in the city of Aleppo, where we lost ninety percent of our properties, which were subject to vandalism and destruction. And the great pain remains the kidnapping of Metropolitan Paul and his absence from his diocese."

Archimandrite al-Khasi continued, "In addition to losing a large proportion of our properties, fifty members of our diocese have been killed due to the security situations to which Aleppo has been subjected, not to mention the difficulties of social life, the deterioration of infrastructure, the lack of electricity and its constant interruption, and the lack of drinking water, medicines and other necessities of life."

He adds, "On account of this standard of living, we are confronted with a harsh pain, the emigration of members of the diocese to places outside Syria and the exodus of many of them to more secure regions of Syria, to the point that the proportion of those who have left has reached forty-five to fifty percent," explaining that the original number of the church's families in Aleppo was around 4300, of which only 2200 remain on account of the tragedy in Aleppo. "Despite the shrinking number of families due to hemorrhaging emigration, we have on the other hand we have the steadfastness in faith of those remaining, the attachment of the youth to their church and the activities that they undertake, like a hive of bees ceaselessly working day and night to fulfill the mission of their pastor Metropolitan Paul Yazigi. They have not lost hope for his return. The tangible things that we are seeing now make us feel that he is present. We are working so that he will be present and the good seedling that he planted is a deposit for us that we will pass on even better."

Regarding the church's institutional situation, Archimandrite al-Khasi states, "We have six churches in Aleppo, a diocesan council, a youth group, a choir, the St Elias Scouts, various brotherhoods, Sunday schools, and the al-Mashriq Model Schoool,which was looted and pillaged. Faced with this vast amount of tragedy, the Church did not stand idly by, but rather was distinguished by a tenacious will and resolve and made plans and established church institutions in order to deliver a message, which is that the fierce winds will not be strong enough to erase the culture of values and to uproot it from its roots. Therefore our father Patriarch John X has not abandoned Aleppo for a moment. It is at the heart of his daily spiritual and institutional work and for this reason our diocese, despite the absence of its pastor, has not been an orphaned diocese, but rather a diocese flourishing even in moments of weakness, receiving  attention from our father the patriarch and from the fathers of the synod who have embraced this diocese spiritually, morally, and materially."
 
He added that, with the blessing of Patriarch John X and through the Department of Ecumenical Relations and Development of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, he has prepared a range of projects and programs that provide job opportunities for people so that they can work and live with dignity, starting with a charity dispensary that he established with the support of the Nour el-Ehsan Association, which provides medical necessities at nominal prices. The church also has a charitable committee that helps with difficult surgical operations in addition to distributing medicines through the Department of Ecumenical Relations and Development and the Red Crescent.

Archimandrite al-Khasi continued, "There have come to be needs at various levels, including the issue of education and strengthening cultural development. We launched the 'Good Seed' program and opened the Mar Elias Kindergarden, which is a largely free kindergarten."

In closing, Archimandrite al-Khasi thanked the delegation from Telelumière for their work and praised the channel's role and the delegation's courage in presenting the Christmas activities that the diocese in Aleppo will undertake, including Christmas concerts and exhibitions, the proceeds from which will go to support needy families. The archimandrite stated that, "Despite the difficulties, our God is present among us, in our faith, and in our hearts."

Carol Saba: Return, O Paul, so that Aleppo may once more...

Arabic original in an-Nahar here.


Return, O Paul, so that Aleppo may once more be a Place of Diversity and Encounter!

Master, you who are a prisoner for Christ and yet released while even still in captivity, the first year passed and then was followed by the second and the third has passed while you are still absent and hidden with your companion Metropolitan Yuhanna Ibrahim somewhere in this Middle East in forced imprisonment by worldly hands that have no pity and do not comprehend the profundity of spiritual fatherhood and its implications. We and Aleppo still wait for you. Although you are bound, your freedom remains. You journey between earth and heaven, set free, soaring like an eagle in the heights whose freedom cannot be bound by worldly bonds or human chains.

Aleppo the Gray, master, Aleppo the white city, still waits for you. Aleppo, the meeting-place of religions, cultures and civilizations that have followed one after the other, still waits for you. She does not forget that every civilization that has tried one way or another to swallow her, Aleppo herself absorbed with her accustomed cleverness and opened to it heart and mind together. Aleppo drank from them and they drank from her vineyard and the vineyard of her good character, so Aleppo became a place of unity in diversity and diversity in unity. Aleppo-- the strategic eastern crossing by land, the inescapable open passageway, from inside the Middle East, from outside, and to it-- still waits for you. Aleppo-- the rallying-point for rising influences coming eastward from the Mediterranean and westward from the Syrian interior, the deep Middle East and Mesopotamia-- still waits for you. Aleppo, the sweetheart of culture, the colors of thought, the art of speaking and speech-making; Aleppo, the diverse Middle-Eastern Music, poetry and figures that raise the spirit a magic lever, still waits for you. Aleppo-- the mental geography for the art of eating well, where foods and cuisines, perfumes, spices and aromatic herbs are wed-- still waits for you. Aleppo, director of trade along the Silk Road and meeting-point of industries in the present day, still waits for you. Antiochian Aleppo-- intrinsically bound to the geography of Antioch, the Great City of God, where Christians were first called Christians, which became Christianity's passageway to the world and the world's to Christianity-- still waits for you. The Aleppo of Simeon Stylites and his beautiful cathedral, the finest masterpiece of fifth century Byzantine architecture, the Aleppo of Simeon Stylites, father of the stylites east and west, who tied earth to heaven and was also, like you, a traveler between earth and heaven-- still waits for you. The Aleppo of Nizar Qabbani-- who regretted his great mistake "when he did not put her on his poetic map," before admitting in front of God and man that "she was always on the map of his emotions" and that "she was hiding in in his arteries like kohl hides on a dusky eye"-- still waits for you.

All Aleppo in her numerous numbers, in her churches and mosques, in her muezzins and bells, in her narrow streets and neighborhoods, in her ancient markets and green spaces, all of her, master, still waits for you, longing for you and missing you. Her torrents of tears have become a sea watering the rivers of tormented Syria. Aleppo, master, standing resolute and silent in woundedness and suffering, waits for your return so that she may forget the time of trial and suffering, so that she may forgive and cast aside and shake off the dust of years of separation. She has not grown accustomed to your separation ever since you were joined to her, through thick and thin, since 2000, when you ascended he throne of her episcopacy in Christ. At that time the Lord yoked you together and you received her as a woman to care for, protect, preserve and honor like a wife, for you to nurture her in youth and old age. She received you as a guardian angel, a protector of the Lord's land in her. Aleppo, whom you loved "just as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for her," as your patron the Apostle Paul wrote to the people of Ephesus (Ephesians 5:25),  is still waiting and longing.

My friend and master, you must know in one way or another, of the passing of your mother Rose, mother also of His Beatitude our father and beloved Patriarch John, to the heavenly abodes to encounter the Face of Faces, the Lord of Lords, the Master of Masters. The entire Church, visible and invisible, present and hidden, was in attendance in the coastal city of Lattakia, adjacent to the sea and what lies beyond it, in the Cathedral of Saint George the Dragon-Slayer. You were the greatest absence and the one who was most present at that prayer that accompanied to the house of the Father the one who offered Him her own flesh and blood as servants of His holy altar and His holy word. She has departed and she is also a traveler between earth and heaven. Her heart weeps and bleeds. Her wounded heart hopes and knows the prayer of ceaseless hope, the hope of seeing you return safe and sound, hale with many days to rightly divide the word of truth, hope that you will return to your flock, your Church, your diocese. Your absence was like a sword drawn at her heart over the past three years. Though she has passed to her Lord, this sword has not dared to pass into her heart and our hearts. Her hope was stronger and so too is our hope. Her wait is still our wait and we still stand firm in hope, waiting for you.

Carol Saba to Met. Paul Yazigi: "Return to us, so that our joy may be complete"

Arabic original here.


Will Our Joy be Completed by Your Return? We Still Await You, Sayedna Paul

On a day like this last year, right around the time of Lord's going up to Jerusalem to be crucified and to rise, you were taken away, beloved Sayedna Paul. Even if you are absent from eye and ear, you, "the pilgrim between heaven and earth", are present in your absence, ruling over hearts, minds and hope. There is no fear for you in my heart, you who have meditated on 'the places of the heart's ascent' in the prophetic words that say, "Blessed is the man whose victory is from with You; in his heart he has purposed to go up the valley of weeping, to the place that he has appointed."  This is my third letter to you. My hope is that it will be the last before your return, when we will speak to each other face-to-face at the Lord's  resurrection.

I will not write 'about you', beloved Sayyedna, but like usual I will write 'to you' and each of us will be the one addressing and the one addressed. We will not address you as one absent, since you are the most present of those who have been made absent. Presence is not only in the body,  just as listening to another is not merely hearing.  My words will go over to you through the power of faith, they will reach your ear and land at the places of the heart's ascent, to tell you of my faith and my longing to meet with you once again. Yes, my faith in seeing your face that lights up screens throughout the world, from east to west. According to the Apostle to the Gentiles, your intercessor Paul, we understand faith to be "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).

You who said that living words are kneaded with the dough of faith and the leaven of hope, do you not set off and cross distances and way-stations visible and invisible? Do you not challenge bonds and chains, obstacles no matter how high? Do you not soar high above and land unseen in the places of the heart's ascent, of which you have spoken and have experienced?

I will not speak to you of the state of the universal Orthodox Church. The challenges are still immense and the gap is still enormous between the worldly engines of the Church and the engines of the Church that strive for the kingdom in brotherhood, boldness and intelligence.  I will not speak to you of the evangelical revolution being carried out by Pope Francis, who is trying to shatter the many worldly and institutional chains with which the Catholic Church has bound herself and which have caused her to lose the ability to address the modern world spiritually.

I will not speak to you of the conditions of Middle Eastern Christians. Today they are fractured, battered by every storm. They are still unable to rise up and escape from this sectarian, minoritarian thinking that has gradually cast them into insularity. They are holding on to existence, while what is needed of them is to be leaders and to surpass the challenges-- all challenges-- in order to tirelessly work within their Middle Eastern societies to be an active presence, so that they may bear witness to humanity-- to all humanity-- to their freedom, to their legitimate rights as citizens, and to the foundation of living with dignity.

I will not go into examining the crises of today's globalized world. Speaking of this would go on and on and I want to adress you specifically. You have always dwelt on proclaiming the Gospel in today's world, searching and inquiring about the means to develop evangelism and to expand its scope, so that the Church can address the world's modernity, its questions and its suffering. In bold and intelligent evangelism, the believer in the Lord Jesus is transformed into a meteor of spiritual fire and light, indicating his citizenship in the kingdom starting in this age, and so he does not fall under the warning of punishment that the Lord explicitly declared to us in the Book of Revelation: "Because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth" (Revelation 3:16).

Indeed, apathy and the results of relativism are evils that threaten the Church because they attack the evangelical witness within her and turn her into an administrative institution and overwhelm her with all kinds of new Pharaseeisms. The challenge of our Antiochian Church today under the wise leadership of our father Patriarch John-- the challenge of the path of revival and renewal that he prepares for her despite all the storms, calamities, and suffering that plague her and threaten the boat from every direction, both from within and from without, since the time of his election and enthronement-- is for us to once more take stock and gather together clerical and lay leaders, not only to approach systematically all the internal and external difficulties with vision, transparency, boldness and modernity, but also so that we may be a church of pioneering leadership and living, life-giving witness in this Arab world and throughout the world.

Along this path, the first inklings of which will emerge at the First General Antiochian Meeting to be held this June at Balamand Monastery,  we need you. You are the one whose concern has always been to take every earthly thing that the Lord has placed in our hands and to transform it into the flame in the burning bush, which enlightens but does not burn, radiates but does not consume. Are you not the one who wrote to all the faithful and said, "You bear upon your brows the Seal of the Lamb. Your mouths are trumpets of the Word and your legs are harbingers of peace. Redeem the time, for the days are short and one who puts his hand to the plow does not look back"? Come, Paul, you who put your hand to the plow, return to us, so that our joy may be complete, so that we may rejoice together in the resurrection of the Lord and bear witness to Him with boldness, peace and intelligence.

Why were the Kidnapped Bishops not Released along with the Azaz Captives?

Like any news, this should be taken with a shaker of salt, but it's consistent with a lot of what was said during the last few days of the negotiations to acheive the release of the Lebanese Shi'ite pilgrims kidnapped last year in Azaz, on the Turkish-Syrian border. The Arabic original can be read here.

What Prevented Metropolitans Yazigi and Ibrahim from Returning with the Lebanese Captives?

by Maher el-Khatib

Despite the great joy that spread over all regions of Lebanon at the return home of those kidnapped in the Syrian city of Azaz, following the considerable efforts of the Director of General Security, Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, and the minister of the interior in the caretaker government, Marwan Charbel, this joy was not complete because of the continuing captivity of Metropolitans Boulos Yazigi and Youhanna Ibrahim, at the hands of armed groups of Syrian rebels.

In this context, Gen. Ibrahim was clear at the time of his arrival at Beirut International Airport in the company of the nine people who had been freed, where he announced that his mission will not be complete until the two metropolitans and other victims of kidnapping in Syria are released. This confirms that the director of General Security is the one basically delegated with this case, which was established during the negotiations which took place over the last few days.

In a related development, informed sources revealed to el-Nashra that the release of the metropolitans had been expected to take place as part of the deal that led to the release of the Lebanese captives. This did not occur at the last moments, because of certain obstacles that continue to prevent it, although it is hoped that they will end in the coming days, through renewed negotiations.

The informed sources explained  that the basic obstacle is the demand on the part of the Turks for the release of Turkish intelligence officers along with certain members of the Syrian opposition who are detained by the Syrian government to coincide with the release of the metropolitans. It is noteworthy that the Syrian government has agreed to do this and has confirmed its readiness to do so during the negotiations. However, the Turkish side insisted that this take place in secret, something that the Syrian side refused, insisting that it take place openly.

The sources suggested that the Turkish demand was in order to avoid embarrassment, seeing as that the public release of Turkish intelligence officers would confirm Turkey's role in the events in Syria, while it appears that the Syrian side wants to send a message to world opinion by doing this.

Within this context, the sources stressed that this matter will be pursued in a significant manner in the coming few days, especially given that there is a favorable atmosphere in terms of the regional and international situation. They pointed out that this factor was fundamental to the acceleration of negotiations for the release of the Lebanese captives. This evokes the words of the Minister of Labor in the caretaker government, Salim Jarisati, who stated that the Lebanese side seized the appropriate moment.

The sources explained the approaching date for Turkish elections will press Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to offer more help, in order to achieve the release of the intelligence officers, especially given the longstanding difference in orientation between political and military authorities in Turkey, in addition to the emerging role of Qatar, which provided the greatest assistance during the negotiations for the release of the Lebanese captives.

Official Statement from the Meeting of the Holy Synod of Antioch

This is the official English version of the statement, published on the Patriarchate's Facebook page, here.


Statement by the Secretariat of Holy Synod of Antioch
 
Balamand, October 17, 2013

The Holy Synod of Antioch held its second session from October 15th through 17th, 2013. His Beatitude Patriarch JOHN X presided over the meeting, with the participation of Their Eminences, the Metropolitans and Fathers of the Holy Synod of Antioch: Spiridon of Zahleh and its dependencies; Georges of Jbeil, Batroun and their dependencies; Yuhanna of Lattakia and its dependencies; Elias of Beirut and its dependencies; Iliya of Hama and its dependencies; Elias of Tyre, Sidon; and their dependencies, Damaskinos of Sao Paulo and Brazil, Saba of Hawran and all Jebel al-Arab; George of Homs and its dependencies; Antonio of Mexico and Venezuela and their dependencies; Sergio of Chile; Silouan of Argentina; Basilios of Akkar and its dependencies; and Ephrem of Tripoli, al-Koura, and their dependencies. His Grace Bishop Ephrem (Maalouli), Patriarchal Vicar and Secretary of the Holy Synod, and Economos Georges Dimas, Record-keeper of the Synod, also participated in the meeting.
 
Their Eminences Metropolitans: Philip of New York and North America; Paul of Australia and New Zealand; and Constantine of Baghdad and Kuwait and their dependencies gave their regrets for not being able to attend. Metropolitan Boulos (Yazigi) of Aleppo and Alexandretta and their dependencies was present in the prayers and invocations of the Synod Fathers, despite his absence caused by his captivity.
 
After prayer and calling upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, His Beatitude opened the meeting by hoping that the Lord God may shower His blessings upon all the participants, so that they may rightly divide the Word of God’s Truth to the believers and to all those who are thirsting for hope.
His Beatitude gave an account about the Pastoral Visits that he made to the Archdioceses of Lattakia, and to the city of Tartous in the Archdiocese of Akkar, and to the German section in the Archdiocese of Europe. He had the opportunity to meet the faithful, their pastors, and the various archdiocesan committees. His Beatitude expressed the joy which he felt upon seeing the believers abiding on the rock of faith, and living in the love of the Church and Her Master. His Beatitude thanked the Archbishops of these archdioceses for their wise and loving care towards their parishioners. He emphasized the importance of giving continuous care to our good people, through love, thoughtfulness, and vision for their growth in Christ, and steadfastness in their Church and land, and their continuous witness to Jesus Christ wherever they reside.
Also, His Beatitude briefed the members of the Holy Synod about his recent visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to participate in the conference on “The Challenges facing the Arab Christians,” and to meet His Majesty Abdullah II, the King of Jordan. In his meetings, His Beatitude expressed the position of the Church of Antioch concerning the events that are taking place in the region, stressing the need to work for peace, freedom and human dignity of the Arab people, and indicating how Christians are well rooted in their homelands, their commitment to their countries’ causes, and how they have interacted with their Muslim brothers throughout history.
Also, His Beatitude briefed the Synod members on his visit to the Vatican, where he met His Holiness Pope Francis I, and participated in the conference organized by St. Egidio Community about "Courage and Hope, Religions and Cultures in Dialogue," where the position of Antioch regarding the issues raised was clearly presented, particularly the suffering of the Syrian people and the role of the Christian witness in the Middle East. The visit was an opportunity to review the prospects for cooperation between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, in order to make more effective the witness of Christians in the Middle East and in the world today, for the dignity and nobility of human beings, and to consolidate the values of freedom, justice and peace in the world.
 
The Synod Fathers reviewed as well the reports submitted by the delegations that participated in the one thousand and twenty fifth anniversary of the Baptism of Russia and the one thousand and seven hundred commemoration of the Decree of Milan. The Fathers congratulated the Russian and Serbian Churches, lifting up the prayers to God to send them His many graces and embrace their parishioners with His Light, Peace and Love.
 
The Synod Fathers discussed some issues of concern for the universal Orthodox Church. They stressed the need for continued coordination between all Orthodox Churches in order to promote the Orthodox presence in the world and for a living testimony of Christ for contemporary man. In this regard, the Fathers stressed the need for cooperation between the Orthodox Churches to show the unity of the Church of Christ in a more effective way, and to facilitate the meeting of the Great and Holy Orthodox Synod.
 
The Fathers discussed the crisis caused by the election of the Church of Jerusalem an Archbishop on Qatar. They sadly contemplated the persistence of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem’s violation, in spite of all the initiatives and mediations conducted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Government of the Hellenic Republic in order to resolve this crisis in accordance with the ecclesiastical laws and in a peaceful spirit. The Synod Fathers reiterated their desire to give priority to the peaceful solution over other solutions. However, they stressed the need to find a solution to this crisis in no later than two months from today’s date. They delegated His Beatitude, in the event of lack of response from the Church of Jerusalem to the rightful demand of the Church of Antioch to remove the aforementioned violation on its canonical territory, to take all necessary measures including severing of communion with the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The Synod also decided to suspend the Church of Antioch’s participation in all the Assemblies of Canonical Orthodox Bishops abroad (in the Diaspora) until the removal of the violation of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
 
The Synod Fathers discussed the state of the Archdiocese of Europe which became vacant by the election of His Beatitude to the See of Antioch. They recognized that this Archdiocese has a growing number of parishes, a widespread territory a multiplicity of languages used within its territory, and the increasing number of parishioners. All these factors require the reconsideration of its territorial boundaries in order to have an effective pastoral care. They decided to establish three new Archdioceses and a Patriarchal Vicariate in Europe as follows: the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of France, Western and Southern Europe; the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Germany and Central Europe; the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of British Iles and Ireland; the Antiochian Orthodox Vicariate of Sweden and Scandinavian countries.
 
They elected the following Metropolitans: Ignatius (Al Houshi), Metropolitan of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of France, Western and Southern Europe; and Isaac (Barakat), Metropolitan of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Germany and Central Europe. They also delegated the Patriarch to appoint a Patriarchal Vicar over the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of British Iles and Ireland, until a Metropolitan is elected.
 
The Synod Fathers listened to a report about the St John of Damascus Institute of Theology presented by Deacon Porphyrios Georgi, the Institute of Theology Dean. Deacon Porphyrios gave a presentation about the current progress of the Institute, its vision and mission. The Fathers thanked the Dean for his presentation and blessed his efforts, giving him their proposals for further growth.
 
The Synod Fathers looked into the suffering of Syria and its people because of the violence plaguing the homeland, destroying the country and causing the killing and displacement of its people. They stressed that the language of violence and murder is a language alien to the traditions of the Syrian people who aspire to live in freedom and dignity in their own land, under one state, in which everyone is involved in upholding and in consolidating the values of democracy, freedom, justice and coexistence based on respect for others regardless of differences, and the need to follow the logic dialogue and a peaceful solution to overcome all the crises.
The Synod Fathers appealed to their parishioners to abide in the hope “that does not fail," and by the evangelistic values, which calls on them to renounce violence and respect the image of God in every person, wipe away the tears from the face of all the sufferers in the earth, and remain in their own lands, and not give it up in whatever hard circumstances they encounter, because the Lord wants them as witnesses in their homelands. They implored them not to give away their land to solve the current material problems, because this land is mixed with the soil of saints. This land will remain throughout time their only refuge. They encouraged them to intensify their prayers for peace in Syria and in the whole world, and the collaboration among them to mitigate the impact of the crisis, especially on the most needy among them. In this area, the Synod Fathers send their gratitude to the churches and organizations, associations and individuals for their cooperation with the Patriarchate for the relief of the needy brothers. Also the Fathers thanked their parishioners who responded to the call of the Patriarchate and gave generously to support the relief work in the Patriarchate, through their bids on the occasion of the Day of Solidarity of Antioch in order to support the relief work set by the Holy Synod on September 15, 2013. The Fathers remembered their parishioners in the city of Aleppo, which misses its Metropolitans, and asked them to remain firm in the hope, because the ashes of various trials will not conceal the face of the ever Beloved One.
 
The Fathers addressed the international community, hoping they turn to the pain of the Syrian people and agonies , and take off the fueling of war, and contribute to consolidating the values of peace, justice, and democracy, and invest in spending on rebuilding what was destroyed and develop the potential of the Syrian people, rather than invest in iron and fire. The Synod Fathers urged the international organizations and non-governmental organizations, and all bodies concerned about the displaced, to secure the essential necessities of life for those on the doors of winter, so that they may spend their time and live in dignity while awaiting their return to their towns and villages.
 
The Synod Fathers reiterated their condemnation of the terrorist operations that affect the peaceful citizens and destruction which does not exclude places of worship, in addition to historical and cultural monuments witnessing to the nobility of the Syrian civilization. They sadly pointed the vagueness of the issue of the kidnapped bishops, Paul Yazigi and John Ibrahim. They called on the Arab and international communities to assume their responsibilities in this regard to establish the truth and to uncover the fate of both bishops and all kidnapped people and their safe return to their families and loved ones. The Synod Fathers prayed for the divine mercy on the souls of the innocent martyrs who died during this devastating war, especially the priests who died while soothing the wounds of their parishioners.
 
The Synod Fathers turned to Lebanon, and its citizens who are suffering from a severe economic crisis and a deep concern over their fate as a result of the persistent state of the disabling of Lebanese governmental institutions. They appealed to all parties and officials carry out their responsibilities in order to save Lebanon and the advance of its citizen. They encouraged them to maintain the values of democracy, freedom, and the devolution of power that has long characterized Lebanon, and calling them to fortify Lebanon and spare it the risks encompassing it from every direction, through getting over their narrow interests and overcoming their current differences and return to dialogue in a spirit of openness and reconciliation, and national and historic responsibility, through forming a national unity government that is able to ward off risks and maintain stability in order to avoid falling into the vacuum, in preservation of civil peace.
The Synod Fathers discussed state of national activities undertaken by their parishioners in Lebanon, stressing respect for their political diversity and reminding at the same time that the Church, although does not dictate to her parishioners uniformed political positions, but She remains, through the Holy Synod and its head, the Patriarch, the official reference that expresses the position of the Orthodox Church in all that would clarify, in the light of the Gospel, the way for Her parishioners in their commitment to the affairs of their homelands .
 
The suffering Iraq has not gone unnoticed to the concerns of the Holy Synod Fathers, as well as the wounded Palestine. Let us pray that the Lord God confirm Iraq and Palestine and all the Arab countries on the road to stability and peace. They stressed the need to find a just and comprehensive solution to the legitimate Palestinian issue.
 
The Synod Fathers asked their parishioners to face the challenges posed by their societies and our contemporary age, in order to test it on the light of the values of the Gospel. They also asked them to work for political, social and economic peace, wherever they are, and to renounce sectarianism and abhorrent racism in all its forms, and to coexist in a sincere way with their co-citizens, and to work for human dignity and freedom, and to stop the bloodshed and commitment to the affairs of the suffering on earth, whom Christ united Himself with.
 
The Synod Fathers concluded their session by reminding their parishioners about the words of St. Paul to the Corinthians: "Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you” ( 2 Corinthians 13:11 ).

as-Safir on the Kidnapped Bishops

UPDATE: as-Safir has published a much-expanded version of this article, which has been translated into English here.


Arabic original here. Thanks to a reader for passing this article along to me. Naturally, the information should be taken with a serious grain of salt, but the political analysis is good.



Two disappeared bishops or two martyred bishops. And what is the connection of Father Paolo Dall'Oglio and his mission of mediating with the "Islamic State in Iraq and Syria" in Raqqa in order to clarify their fate, his disappearance, and perhaps his murder?

There are two hypotheses about what happened to the metropolitans of Aleppo, Greek Orthodox Boulos Yazigi and Syriac Orthodox Youhanna Ibrahim, though there has been no material evidence until today that would confirm one hypothesis and eliminate the other.

Information from sources independent of each other leans toward the second hypothesis, that that two bishops were killed before the end of last May, a month after their kidnapping near Aleppo. The source of the information is inquiries made by elements of the "Free Syrian Army" close to the "Ninth Division" in Aleppo, formerly called "Ansar al-Khilafa" [Supporters of the Caliphate] and another inquiry conducted by Arab security agencies via Turkish intelligence.

According to Syrian opposition military sources, the kidnappers killed one of the bishops a few days after the abduction, while the second was killed in May. However, the Arab security source says that during a meeting two months ago with officials from Turkish intelligence to discuss the nine Lebanese hostages, the question of the kidnapped bishops' fate was raised and the Turkish security official tersely replied that they had been killed.

Over the past day, discussion of the two bishops has intensified in the media, when the Turkish foreign ministry itself was forced to deny the presence of the bishops on Turkish territory. The Turkish followed a letter last week from the Syriac Orthodox patriarchate in Damascus calling on all sides to clarify their positions regarding the two bishops, who had been kidnapped some hundred-odd days earlier, without intervening parties from any of the sides being able to find even the start of their trail or any intermediary leading to the kidnappers.

Attention has focused on Turkish intelligence because of their proximity to all the kidnapping operations-- every one of which has taken place within a few kilometers of their crossing the Turkish border into Syrian territory, whether they are Lebanese, Syrian, European, or of any other nationality.

Numerous sources agree that the group "Jund al-Khilafa" [Army of the Caliphate] led by Abu Umar al-Kuwaiti carried out the bishops' kidnapping last April 22, minutes after their passing through a "Free Syrian Army" checkpoint in Mansoura, three kilometers from the northern entrance to Aleppo.

According to experts on Syrian jihadism the kidnapping group, made up of eight Chechens, belongs to  Abu Umar al-Kuwaiti's group, which until a few months ago was known as "Jund al-Khilafa" before changing its name to "Liwa' al-Muslimin" [Banner of the Muslims]. Abu Umar al-Kuwaiti leads a group of foreign fighters, including 200 Chechens. Al-Kuwaiti is of Shi'i origin, but his father converted to Sunnism. His real name is Husayn Lari and he has pledged obedience to Muhammad al-Rifa'i, one of the leaders of "Afghan Jihad" residing in London, as caliph of the Muslims.

What happened before the kidnapping and did the bishops fall into a trap that had been prepared for them? Had the trap been prepared for Metropolitan Youhanna Ibrahim alone and not for Metropolitan Boulos Yazigi, since Yazigi's presence in the silver Kia Cerato  beside Metropolitan Ibrahim had not been decided until a few hours earlier, and that purely by chance? In the case of Metropolitan Youhanna Ibrahim, his presence in the area was normal within his network of connections.

The issue of the bishops has not received a serious inquest that could lead to negotiations with the kidnappers. Instead, from the very beginning it followed the path of political accusations without any evidence, first against the regime. This allowed ransom profiteers to start attempting to make contact with the kidnappers ahead of the Church, the Syrian National Committee, or the Free Syrian Army.

One of the ironies of this affair is that statements have been issued by all sides with the exception of the "Islamic State in Iraq and Syria" which has kept silent and has not responded to any of the calls from the opposition Syrian National Council or from activists in Northern Syria to clarify the fate of the bishops and of the other kidnapping victims.

In a statement to the Italian news agency Aki, assistant director of the Vatican press office Father Ciro Benedettini denied any knowledge on the part of the Vatican of Father Dall'Oglio's having been killed, expressing his hope that "the issue will be resolved positively in the quickest possible time."


In related news, the London-based, rebel-connected Syrian  Observatory for Human Rights claims that Fr Paolo Dall'Oglio, an outspoken supporter of the rebels, was killed by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, the local al-Qaeda franchise. Read about it here.