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Dec 29th, 2019
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This was forwarded to me by Archbishop Kyrill of San Franscisco: Metropolitan Paul Yazigi of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Aleppo (brother of His Beatitude Patriarch John X of the Great City-of-God Antioch and all the East) and Mar Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim of the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of Aleppo, were both abducted this morning, Monday, April 22nd, while they were traveling together on the road between Antioch (Antakya, Turkey) and the north Syrian city of Aleppo. The driver of the vehicle in which they were traveling was killed in the attack. Your prayers are requested. See: http://www.yalibnan.com/2013/04/22/report-links-kidnapers-of-aleppo-bishops-to-boston-bombers/http://byztex.blogspot.com/2013/04/syrian-hierarchs-kidnapped-driver.html
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The litany sung tonight in many parishes is so fitting:
God Is With Us:
Band together, you peoples, and be dismayed, for God is with us.
listen, all you far countries, for God is with us.
gird yourselves and be dismayed, for God is with us.
And even if you gird yourselves, again you be dismayed, for God is with us.
For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us, for God is with us.
authority rests upon his shoulders, for God is with us.
And he is named Wonderful Counsellor, for God is with us.
Mighty God, for God is with us.
Everlasting Father, for God is with us.
Prince of Peace, for God is with us.
God is with us
Band together, you peoples, and be dismayed, for God is with us
Take counsel together, but it shall be brought to naught, for God is with us.
speak a word, but it will not stand, for God is with us.
Do not fear what it fears, or be in dread, for God is with us.
The Lord of hosts, him you shall regard as holy; let him be your fear, for God is with us.
And I will hope in him and be saved by him, for God is with us.
See, I and the children whom the Lord has given me , for God is with us.
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Statement of the Holy See on the kidnapping released by Fr. Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office:
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"The kidnapping of the two Metropolitan bishops of Aleppo, Mar Gregorios Ibrahim of the Syriac Orthodox Church, and Paul Yazigi of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, and the killing of their driver whilst they were carrying out a humanitarian mission, is a dramatic confirmation of the tragic situation in which the Syrian population and the Christian communities in Syria are living. The Holy Father has been informed of this recent, extremely grave act, which comes on top of the increasing violence of the past days and a humanitarian emergency of enormous proportions. Pope Francis is following the events with deep participation and he is praying for the health and the liberation of the two kidnapped bishops. He is also praying so that, with the support and prayers of all, the Syrian people may finally see tangible responses to the humanitarian drama and real hopes of peace and reconciliation rise on the horizon."
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The one mention of this incident that I heard on TV news was from RT (Russian Television) but all indications are that the bishops were released but the driver, a deacon, was murdered.
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Release Reports False [ antiochian.org] There have appeared many reports in both the Eastern and Western press that the two hierarchs who were abducted yesterday by terrorists in Syria, Metropolitan Boulos Yazge, Antiochian Orthodox Archbishop of Aleppo, and Archbishop Youhanna Ibrahim, Syriac Archbishop of Aleppo, have been released. His Eminence Metropolitan Philip spoke by phone this morning to His Beatitude John X, Patriarch of Antioch and all the East (pictured), who said that these reports are false, and that the release of these two hierarchs has NOT taken place.
We ask you to continue to pray for their safety, and eventual release.
Confirmed updates will be published as soon as they are known. [ syrianorthodoxchurch.org] His Eminence Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim is presently meeting with the State Department in Washington DC concerning yesterday’s kidnapping of both His Eminence Yuhanna Ibrahim, Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of Aleppo and His Eminence Boulos Yazigi, Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Aleppo by terrorist rebels in Syria. There have been many unsubstantiated reports of the release of both Archbishops but nothing has yet been confirmed and the effort for their safe return is still underway.
His Eminence Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim said that the State Department is monitoring the situation as it continues to unfold. The Archbishop is also asking everyone to remain hopeful and continue to pray for the safe return of both clerics. Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim reconfirmed that the effort for the Archbishops release will be ongoing and remains our top priority. [ pravmir.com] Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk: We pray for the soonest return of hierarchs abducted in Syria [ pravmir.com] Kyrie eleison
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No sign of Orthodox bishops' release, fears of political blackmail grow
by Elias Khoury
4/26/2013
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/No-sign-of-Orthodox-bishops'-release,-fears-of-political-blackmail-grow-27766.html
Sources tell AsiaNews they will believe in the release when they can see and talk to the two bishops. Delay is a sign that something went wrong. So far, Christians have not taken sides with either warring party. The pope calls for a political solution to the crisis. Western governments seek to arm the opposition. Accusations of nerve gas use could lead to US military intervention.
Damascus (AsiaNews) - There is no sign that two Orthodox bishops kidnapped four days ago near Aleppo have been released, this despite numerous reports about their liberation. "Nothing; there is nothing; only unreliable reports," a source, anonymous for security reasons, told AsiaNews. "We can talk about their release only when the two bishops are in front of us and can talk to us."
Mgr Yohanna Ibrahim, bishop of the Syriac Orthodox Diocese of Aleppo, and Mgr Boulos Yaziji, archbishop of the Greek Orthodox diocese of the same city, were abducted on Monday in Kafr Dael, 10 km from Aleppo, on the Turkish border. Their driver, a Syriac Orthodox deacon, was killed.
According to information from the Orthodox Church, the two prelates were negotiating the release of two priests, Fr Michel Kayyal (Armenian Catholic) and Fr Maher Mahfouz (Greek Orthodox), seized in February and still in the hands of kidnappers, even though a ransom was paid for their release.
Damascus pinned the kidnapping of two bishops on "terrorist groups". Some sources have blamed Chechen jihadists for the abduction. The Free Syrian Army (FSA), the main armed opposition force, accused instead Syrian troops.
What the case, what is certain is that the two bishops were kidnapped in a rebel-held area and that opposition officials said they would do what they could to ensure their release. "However, the release is taking its time," the source told AsiaNews, "and this is worrisome."
As time goes by, fears are growing that something went wrong. "The more time goes by, the worse it gets," the source said.
Some fear that the abduction might be a way to force the Church and Christians to take sides. So far, only the United Nations and the Vatican continue to call for political talks as the only way to end the civil war.
On Wednesday, as he mentioned the two kidnapped bishops, Pope Francis called "for an end to the bloodshed," for the delivery of "necessary humanitarian assistance to the population" and for a quick "political solution to the crisis."
In a public statement, the Syriac and Greek Orthodox patriarchates of Antioch, to which the two kidnapped bishops belong, stressed that the two prelates are "messengers of peace", as demonstrated by their "religious, social and national work."
On this basis, the patriarchates called on all Churches in the world to reject "all kinds of violence hitting the human beings living in the East."
Similarly, they called on "our partners in citizenship, from all Islamic confessions, to stand hand in hand and work on refusing the misuse of man and deal with him as a product, a shield in the battles or a means for monetary or political bribery."
The abduction of the two bishops comes at a time when Western governments are increasingly convinced that Syrian rebels must be armed and the Central Intelligence Agency is certain that the Assad regime used nerve gas, a conclusion that could push the United States towards military intervention in Syria.
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Turkish president speaks to one of kidnapped Syrian bishops Abdullah Gül has informed the Syriac Orthodox Church that he spoke to Yuhanna Ibrahim yesterday. The two kidnapped bishops are said to be in good health Marco Tosatti rome 4/26/2013 http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/world-news/detail/articolo/vescovi-bishops-obispos-24342/The President of Turkey, Abdullah Gül, has informed figures of the Syriac Orthodox Church that yesterday he had the chance to speak with Yuhanna Ibrahim, one of the two prelates who were recently kidnapped near Aleppo as they were apparently attempting to negotiate the release of two priests who had been in the hands of the rebels for some time. The news was communicated by the Syrian Orthodox bishop, Daniel Kourieh in Beirut. The Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church, Kakka Iwas, was told that the Turkish president had “spoken” to Yuhanna Ibrahim "directly". Ibrahim was kidnapped alongside Bishop Boulos Yaziji, of the Greek Orthodox Church of Aleppo. Kourieh added that some in the Syriac Orthodoc Church are aware that President Gül is keeping a close eye on any development in the situation and is doing everything in his power to ensure the bishops’ release. It is believed the prelates are being held by an Islamic and fundamentalist rebel group. As far as is known, the bishops are in good health and there has so far been no news of a ransom request or any demands for certain conditions to be met before their release can be guaranteed. It appears Gül did not speak to the Patriarch directly. This is according to a statement given to the Voice of Lebanon by the Syriac Orthodox Church’s spokesman, Efram. “Gül spoke to a Syriac Orthodox bishop in Turkey and informed him that Turkey is engaged in efforts to obtain the release of bishops Ibrahim and Yazihi.” The bishops were kidnapped on 22 April in the village of Kafr Dael, about 10 km from Aleppo. It is believed, though not confirmed, that the kidnappers are Chechen jihadists. Thanks to the support given by Turkey, Britain and especially the U.S., there has been an Islamic fundamentalist “foreign legion” operating in Syria for some time now. Its members come from all over the world, including Europe. They are still holding two priests captive: Fr. Michel Kayval, an Armenian Catholic and Fr. Maher Mahfouz, a Greek Orthodox priest, who were abducted last February. In an interview with AsiaNews’ Simone Cantarini, the Greek Melkite archbishop of Aleppo, Jean Clement Jeanbart, stated that the over 1000 faithful that attend the afternoon prayer vigils for Mgr. Ibrahim and Mgr. Yahizi in the local cathedral, were shocked by the conflicting news that has been circulating in recent days about the alleged release of the clerics. "For several months - he said - a dictatorship of" false information exists in Syria that creates confusion and false hopes."" The Western media - the prelate continued - have a great responsibility cannot play with the lives and consciences of the people. There are men and women here who risk their lives to affirm and tell the truth and who will not stoop to bartering with religious groups or rebels or the regime.” The bishop said all Christians, particularly priests and bishops have “the duty to witness to and follow the path of truth in this land troubled not only by bombs, but also by hatred fomented through the lies.”
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We call your immediate attention to the items in this email below and urges all faithful to sign the White House petition urgently asking the United States Government to use all its influence for the release of these two Orthodox Christian Archbishops and to bring a peaceful settlement to this bloodletting Syrian conflict through a negotiated settlement. This is an urgent appeal to President Obama and his Administration for the release of two Orthodox Christian Archbishops, namely Archbishop Paul Yazigi and Archbishop Youhanna Ibrahim, who were abducted by armed rebels on April 23, 2013 in the suburbs of Aleppo, Syria. The driver of the Archbishops was murdered and the Archbishops were forced by the rebels to go to an unknown location either in Syria or in Turkey. Click on this link: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/pe...dox-christian-archbishops-syria/xNskxL1q
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Petition signed. Thanks for bringing this to our attention, Alice. May our prayers continue also.
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