A Patriarchal Circular Message from His Beatitude Gregory III Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, of Alexandria and Jerusalem Excerpts from a message dated – July 21, 2006 |
We had launched an appeal to all our Bishops and Superiors of religious institutions, asking them to receive the war refugees in their monasteries, schools and other available premises. We thank them for responding to our appeal.
We are doing the same in Damascus and its suburbs, in cooperation with several charity organizations, both governmental and private.
We have sent a message to the Holy Father enclosing a list of regions, cities and villages under siege in Southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.
We now join His Holiness Benedict XVI and our Bishops, Monastics and Faithful in holding daily prayers, especially on Sunday, July 23, for peace in Lebanon, the Holy Land and Iraq, as well as for the victims of the tragedy that is affecting our beloved Lebanon and the whole region.
We exhort our children in the homeland and overseas who can afford it, to rush donations to their displaced brothers and sisters no matter their religious affiliation and to support them in this painful ordeal.
Let us pray: O Lord, save your people and bless your inheritance, granting peace to the world.
With my love and blessing.
+ Gregory III, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, of Alexandria and Jerusalem.