Patriarch Aphrem, head of the Syrian Orthodox Church.
ishtartv.com - AINA
2016-06-29
Patriarch
Ignatius Aphrem II Karim of the Syriac Orthodox Church issued a statement on
the assassination attempt on his life last week. On June 19, while the
Patriarch was leading a commemoration service for the Turkish genocide of Assyrians
in World War One, a suicide bomber attacked the service but was stopped by the
Assyrian Sutoro military forces in Qamishli, Syria (AINA 2016-06-19).
Here
is the text of the statement.
The
Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East
Damascus, Wednesday June 22, 2016
After
returning safely to the Patriarchate in Damascus following his pastoral visit
to the city of Qamishly, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Syriac
Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, offered prayers of thanksgiving
and condemned the suicide bombing which took place during His Holiness' visit.
On Sunday June 19, 2016 following the celebration of the feast of the Pentecost
and after the inauguration of a monument for the Syriac Genocide Sayfo which
His Holiness presided over, the faithful were gathered inside the auditorium of
St. Gabriel School to celebrate the 101st annual Sayfo commemoration when a
suicide bomber set himself off a short distance from the place. Two members of
the Sutoro Protection Units fell martyrs and several were injured. This
terroristic act is planned and executed by people who want to spread hatred and
create division among the people of the region. Such acts cause great suffering
to the people and aim at destroying the unity of our beloved country Syria.
His
Holiness gives thanks to God Almighty for protecting him and all the others who
participated in the said event, by His divine care.
He
prays for the souls of the martyrs, especially the two young people who lost
their lives as a result of this act of terrorism, and offers condolences to
their families. He likewise prays for the quick recovery of the injured. His
Holiness expresses his thanks and gratitude to their Holinesses and Beatitudes
the Patriarchs of the sister churches, as well as different governments and
community leaders who offered their sympathies and prayers for His Holiness'
safety by calling or writing. He, likewise, thanks the hierarchy, members of
the clergy, and the entire faithful of the church who offered their prayers and
expressed their concerns through phone calls, emails or text messages.
His Holiness prays the
Lord to bless Syria with peace and security so that these difficult times come
to an end and life returns to normal in this dear country Syria.
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