Damascus, SANA – The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, John X, held a special prayer at St. Elias Church in the Douweila, commemorating the souls of the victims who died in the terrorist bombing that targeted the church yesterday evening.
A number of their Beatitudes, Eminences, and Christian clerics from Damascus participated in the prayer. The Patriarch announced that a collective prayer for the bodies will be held tomorrow afternoon at the Church of the Holy Cross, calling on everyone to unite in prayer for the repose of the martyrs and for peace in Syria and the world.
In his speech, Patriarch John X emphasized that what happened in Douweila does not represent Syria and is not harmonizes with the morals of its people. He described the terrorist act as rejected by all religions and human principles, emphasizing that Christians and Muslims in Syria “form a single social fabric that cannot be torn apart.”
“These acts will not undermine our unity,” and that “the presence of everyone today in this prayer carries a message of support and consolation to the families of the victims and to all Syrians.” He also called for steadfastness in faith and not fear, citing the words of Jesus Christ: “I am in the midst of the Church, and it shall not be shaken.”
For his part, Father Youhanna Shehadeh emphasized the Church’s adherence to the principles of love and peace, calling for prayer for those suffering everywhere, and emphasizing that what happened will not change Syrians’ deep faith in the values of humanity.
A number of attendees and citizens expressed their deep sorrow over what happened, affirming their solidarity with the families of the victims and their absolute rejection of such acts, which they described as alien to Syrian culture. They called for adherence to the spirit of love and national unity in the face of pain.
Amer Dhawa
