“We need Church leaders to come to our Country, we need them witness the life of the Churches in Syria, to speak with ordinary people in order to understand the situation on the ground.” It’s the appeal to the Churches of Europe launched by His Holiness Mor Ingatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox Church, during a meeting with Italian journalists in Novi Sad. Commenting on the Day for reflection and prayer on the tragic situation in the Middle East in Bari on July 7, called for by Pope Francis, he remarked: “It isn’t only an spiritually inspired initiative, it’s also a powerful sign for Christians in the Middle East that will make them perceive the closeness of world Churches. We feel abandoned by the international community, for various reasons. I welcome this initiative that I am planning to attend.”

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