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By
Doreen Abi Raad, October 11, 2017
HARISSA,
Lebanon (CNS) — Syriac Catholic bishops meeting in Lebanon for their annual
synod lamented the suffering of the Syriac church and other sister churches and
the “grave threat” to the future of their presence in the Middle East.
In
their final statement for the Oct. 3-7 gathering, the bishops said they studied
the current situation in the region and “the suffering of the Syriac church and
other sister churches as a result of the terrible crises and conflicts in Syria
and Iraq, the instability and disturbances in the Holy Land, and the tragedies
of Christians in Egypt.”
“These
situations cause pain and persecutions that lead to forced displacement and
uprooting from the land of parents and grandparents, with a grave threat to the
future of our presence in the East and the continued martyrdom of God … in this
part of the world where we were born and God wanted us to be,” the bishops
said.
Pointing
to Syria, the prelates expressed their satisfaction with a “gradual return to
security and stability after more than six years of war imposed” on the
country. They called on the international community “and all those with good
will to make efforts to achieve a just political solution and to accelerate the
return of displaced persons to their homes,” so they can contribute to the
reconstruction of their country.
Discussing
Iraq, they expressed joy at the liberation of Mosul and areas of the Ninevah
Plain from the Islamic State. They also said it was important to show unity “to
advance the homeland and rebuild what has been destroyed by terrorism and
extremism.”
The
bishops also affirmed their support “for the efforts of reconciliation and
unity among all factions of the Palestinian people, their right to establish
their state and the return of Palestinian refugees to their land according to
the U.N. resolutions.”
As
for Lebanon, the bishops noted that the country continues to suffer from
political, economic, social and security crises and “the burden of 2 million
refugees, which increase annually by tens of thousands.”
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