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On Saturday, hundreds of Syrians enthusiastically met the Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias at the Mariamite Cathedral, the cathedral-church of Damascus. A procession of Orthodox Arab youth (Scouts) accompanied by singing and drumming was part of the formal greeting. The procession included supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad waving Syrian flags and holding portraits of the Syrian president. They chanted slogans of gratitude to Russia and in support of President Assad.
Inside the cathedral, Patriarch Ignatius Hazim of Antioch and all the East and Patriarch Kirill served a molieben, during which they prayed for the welfare of the Syrian and Russian peoples. Patriarch Kirill said, “My prayer today is for the welfare of Syria, and for the preservation of the historical friendly relations between Muslims and Christians. My prayer today is for the Church of Antioch and the Church of Holy Rus to maintain fraternal relations, so together we can turn to God”. He noted that after soon his election as patriarch, he wanted to come as soon as possible to the ancient land of Syria, but circumstances prevented him from fulfilling that desire “as soon as I wanted”. Patriarch Kirill stated that some people said to him, “It isn’t the best time to go to Syria”. However, he emphasised, “Love has no boundaries, and we shouldn’t restrict it to more or less favourable situations. My mission’s neither political nor diplomatic… I go to visit my brother, in the church, which belongs to both of us. Please God, grant that the relations between people belonging to different religions, in particular, to Orthodox Christians and Muslims are always friendly. Now, it’s especially important for Syria and the Middle East”. Shouts of “Thank you, Russia!” punctuated his speech.
The Mariamite Cathedral dates back to the 2nd century, and is one of the oldest shrines in Syria. In 1860, the cathedral suffered damage in a fire that affected the entire Christian quarter of Damascus, but the Orthodox renovated it. Earlier, talking to reporters at the Damascus airport, Patriarch Kirill spoke out, saying, “We can solve any problem through peaceful dialogue. Most importantly, we shouldn’t shed any human blood”. His Holiness pointed up that the history of Syria goes back for thousands of years, it has an enormous cultural tradition, and that Christians and Muslims lived together in peace for centuries. The Patriarch expressed his hopes by saying, “The historical wisdom and the historical memory of the people of Syria will help them in this difficult time, bringing them a peaceful and equitable solution of all the problems that face them today”.
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Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev (1946- ) of Moscow and all the Russias with Patriarch Ignatius Hazim (1921- ) of Antioch and all the East
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Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias urged his compatriots in Syria to be faithful to Orthodoxy and to be calm, noting the need for “positive change”. At a meeting with compatriots on Saturday evening at St Ignatius of Antioch parish in Damascus, which is the MP Podvorie to the Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East, he said, “Today, I pray especially for the Christians of Syria and for all the people of Syria. Please God, grant that the shocks and confusion shall pass without touching the foundations of their national life”. The Patriarch noted that Russia “has gone through civil unrest, its people know how deadly conflicts lead to bloodshed and how dear the cost is for the people involved. Therefore, we’re aware of the need to preserve peace in this country, and we pray for good and right changes in the lives of the people, that people receive a greater opportunity to participate in society and the state, and have their needs met… thus, they’ll be calm, confident, and happy”.
In His Holiness’ opinion, “When some wanted to tear our national life asunder, they destroyed the church, because it had great power, as it passed on immutable and eternal moral and spiritual values, as well as conserving the nation”. For those who live abroad, he said, the role of the church is more important. He urged our compatriots to “preserve the Orthodox faith”. He thought it very important that “this parish be a living community, which leads to a sense of solidarity, manifested in mutual support. Syria and the Middle East are going through difficult times. However, I couldn’t cancel this visit, I couldn’t delay”. Patriarch Kirill thought that the pastor must always be with his flock in the Church, especially during difficult times. His Holiness pointed up that he had repeatedly visited St Ignatius of Antioch parish when he was chairman of the Department for External Church Relations over a span of some 20 years, and, for him, this parish was “very close”. On the same day, he and the Patriarch Ignatius Hazim of Antioch and all the East served Divine Liturgy at the Mariamite Cathedral of Damascus. Hundreds of believers gathered at the cathedral, both Syrians and Russian expats. The hierarchs served the Liturgy in Arabic and Slavonic.
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His Holiness with Syrian Prime Minister Adel Safar (1953- )
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Syrian Prime Minister Adel Safar assured Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias that the authorities seek to preserve Syria’s unity and the peaceful coexistence between the followers of different religions found there. At a meeting with the patriarch at an official government location in Damascus on Saturday, Prime Minister Safar said that Syria could be proud of the peaceful co-existence between believers. “Unfortunately, now, we’re now going through a stage when our country is under unprecedented pressure to destroy this unity”, he emphasised. In his view, the patriarchs prayed for the welfare of all the people. He said, “We, on our part, are making every effort to strengthen our inner unity, to ensure the peaceful coexistence of our citizens”. In turn, Patriarch Kirill said that the greeting that the Syrian people gave him in Damascus affected him, saying, “Through their shouts, the people underlined the ties of friendship between the Russian and Syrian peoples. It was a very sincere and spontaneous expression of deep feeling. It moved me very much”.
His Holiness and the Syrian Prime Minister discussed the situation in the Middle East, the difficulties faced by minorities (including Christians), as well as their opposition to extremism. The Patriarch emphasised that the Orthodox Church is the oldest religious community in Syria. He said, “As believers, we’re convinced that the people can find the strength to end the fighting”. His Holiness urged that we should resolve all problems through dialogue and he wished success to the authorities in their efforts to achieve civil peace and to consolidate society. He remembered that when President Dmitri Medvedev visited Syria in 2010 he awarded the Order of Friendship of the Patriarch Ignatius Hazim of Antioch and all the East. On his part, Prime Minister Safar said that Syria has respect for the Russian people and the Russian Church. In his opinion, the religious leaders of Syria support peaceful interaction. Safar pointed to the destructive role played by some extremist groups, they use pseudo-religious slogans, and he expressed concern over the problem of religious extremism in certain Middle Eastern countries. He believes that it’s important, along with Russia and other countries, to oppose extremists who operate under the cover of religion.
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Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias urged Syrians to build an open and peaceful nation, strengthen national unity, and resolve all their internal problems through dialogue. On Sunday, in a sermon after serving Liturgy together with Patriarch Ignatius Hazim of Antioch and all the East at the Mariamite Cathedral in Damascus, His Holiness said, “With all my heart, I sincerely wish you success in building a new Syria… open to all and a peaceful state, which would respect religious freedom, in which Muslims and Christians live in peace, as is the custom here”. The congregation responded to Patriarch Kirill’s words with applause and shouts of “Thank you, Russia!”
Vladyki Kirill said, “Today, when the Church of Antioch and the people of Syria are undergoing serious trial, I couldn’t just sit in Moscow, I wanted to be with you, that we might pray together, maybe only in weak words, but spoken with power”. He expressed his hope by saying, “I wish that the Lord would condescend to bestow His mercy upon the people of Syria and to the Church of Antioch, to bring peace and justice, so that the Syrian people themselves could resolve their own internal problems. God forbid, that ever be inter-religious strife on this earth. I hope that it won’t happen”. He noted that he brought “the love of the Russian people” to the Syrian people, and he pointed up the terrible ordeals that Russia experienced in its history. His Holiness said, “One of the most severe tests was the Civil War of the 20th century. Our people divided themselves, killing each other in the name of a better life. We weren’t able to build a happy life based on spilt blood. Only when we just gave up civil confrontation, when the people joined forces, when we reconciled with each other, then, there was hope for a renewal of national life”.
He gave liturgical items decorated with precious metals and jewels as gifts from Russian people to the Syrian believers… a cross 0.5 metres (20 inches) high, a tabernacle, and two ripidy (liturgical fans with images of the six-winged seraphim). The cross is in the Greco-New Roman style modelled on Athonite crosses form the beginning of 17th century. The shaft of the cross has a silver covering; its decorations consist of precious and semiprecious stones, gilding, and wood carving. The tabernacle (a receptacle to hold the reserved Holy Gifts), also richly decorated, is modelled on the Tabernacle of Anastasia, which is considered a masterpiece of Antiochian religious art of the 10th century. As a memento of his visit to Damascus, Patriarch Kirill personally gave Patriarch Ignatius a pectoral cross and two Panagias (pectoral images symbolising the episcopal dignity). In turn, Patriarch Ignatius awarded Patriarch Kirill the highest order of the Patriarchate of Antioch.
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Russia Today video giving the TRUE Russian stance on Syria… Syria, Yes! NATO, No!
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Chief Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun (1949- )
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Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias and Chief Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun (Ahmad Badr Al-Din Hassoun), the top Sunni cleric in Syria, agreed at a meeting on Sunday in Damascus, that they’ll work together to combat extremism through religious education. Speaking to the Sheikh and Mohammed Abdul Sattar, the Syrian Minister of Awqaf (Religious Endowments), His Holiness said, “Orthodox and Muslims live in peace in Syria, there’s much tolerance in society, there aren’t any religious conflicts, and the state respects the rights of religious minorities. I’m looking at the current situation in the Middle East and North Africa with some anxiety. We’re very concerned about the persecution of Christians in countries where there’ve been radical changes. In light of these developments, I’d especially like to emphasise the peaceful and tranquil coexistence of the religions in Syria. This is certainly an achievement of your country and your society, both Muslims and Orthodox Christians contributed to it”. He emphasised the important role of Mufti Hassoun, whose appeals have “in many ways formed this inter-religious peace”.
Vladyki Kirill said that he’s convinced that the development of relations between the Muslims of Syria and Russia, and the dialogue between Muslims and Orthodox Christians in these two countries “can and should be an important factor in building inter-religious harmony and peace. Of course, all of us have concerns about extremism with supposed religious motivations… one of the reasons for this phenomenon is that there’s not enough religious education of your young people. People aren’t knowledgeable about their faith; they lack an intellectual basis for the perception of their faith, so they easily succumb to distorted messages that lack any foundation in the fundamentals of the faith”. His Holiness stated that the MP advocates the teaching of the fundamentals of religion in schools, saying, “It’s necessary to give an authentic witness of Orthodox principles to Orthodox students, and of Islamic principles to Muslim students, so as to leave no room for extremist interpretations of our religious doctrines. The second problem that faces both Orthodox and Muslims is the moral state of modern man. This concerns problems involving young people, marriage, and personal and family ethics. In this, Muslims and Orthodox Christians have much in common… we both strive for a worldview that enables people to strengthen the moral principles in their lives”.
Mufti Hassoun, in turn, noted that Christianity spread throughout the world out of Syria (through the missionary work of Apostle St Paul). He said, “The Orthodox Church continues to keep true to its roots. The Church of Jerusalem won’t give up one metre of its patrimony, even though they’d been tempted to sell off part of it to the Zionists. It’s a timely message to Israel… Christianity’s in the region to stay. We must rethink our teaching in our mosques and churches so that we can give our young people a basic defence against extremism. Islamic, Christian, and Jewish extremists are out there; for instance, there are Muslims who try to inspire us to establish a religious state”.
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Chief Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun with Catholicos Aram Keshishian of the Great House of Cilicia (1947- ) of the Armenian Apostolic Church
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Chief Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun (Ahmad Badr Al-Din Hassoun), the top Sunni cleric in Syria, warned Russians about the possible dangers from the Arab world if Islamocist régimes take over the region. On Sunday, at a meeting in Damascus with Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias, the Mufti said, “There are those in the Western world who seem to wink at the removal of Christians from the region, to give over power in the Arab world to religious extremists. If they carry out their plans here, of necessity, they’ll turn to you next… in Chechnya and Tajikistan… I know what ideas they’re exporting to that region now, and how they’re trying to artificially create a climate of hostility towards Russia”. According to Sheikh Hassoun, today, there are more than a million dead, four million orphans, and two million widows in Iraq. “The circles I’ve mentioned plan to provoke and incite the states bordering Russia”, he added. He expressed the hope that President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin “would come to Syria post-haste” in order not only to protect Syria, but also to protect Russia. “If Syria falls to pieces, then, they’ll start the same thing in Turkey, and, ultimately, they’ll move towards Russia. NATO seeks to implement a plan to create so-called religiously-backed states”, the Mufti said. Sheikh Hassoun gave a copy of the Koran to Patriarch Kirill, crafted under the express order of President Bashar al-Assad. In return, the Patriarch gave Sheikh Hassoun a bowl made by Russian master craftsmen.
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His Holiness with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (1965- )
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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has high expectations from the visit of Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias Kirill to his country. In a meeting on Sunday in his residence in Damascus, President Assad said, “I’m confident that your visit will help strengthen relations between our countries, and to promote dialogue between different cultures and different world religions. Russia and Syria have much in common, both at the religious and at the national level. From the very beginning, we knew that Russia was firm in protecting the interests of our Arab peoples”. Patriarch Kirill, in turn, remembered that when he was still a Metropolitan and the head of the MP Department for External Church Relations, he visited Syria many times, and he knows the country and its people. He said, “We’re especially pleased by the level of dialogue, cooperation, and harmony between the followers of the different religions”. The Patriarch gave President Assad a gift as a memento of the occasion, a bowl made by Ural craftsmen {probably Bashkir masters in Ufa, a heavily-Muslim region in the Urals: editor}.
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His Holiness with Patriarch Ignatius
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Patriarch Kirill Gundyaev of Moscow and all the Russias expressed his concern about the future of Christianity in the Arab world. At a press briefing on his arrival at Beirut from Damascus on Monday, in reply to an Arab journalist’s question about the recent decision on the Syrian issue by the Arab League, he said, “My main concern with what’s happening in the Middle East is how the situation affects the Christians there”. His Holiness believed that Syria was an example of “peaceful, quiet, and friendly coexistence and interaction between the Muslim and Christian communities for many years. Naturally, we’re concerned at what might happen. We saw what happened in Egypt and in Iraq. We saw violence against Christians, and we see a growth of anti-Christian ideologies, which destroy relationships that aren’t easily rebuilt once they’re gone”. His Holiness said, “I hope that nothing like that occurs in either Syria or Lebanon, or in any other country in the Middle East, North Africa, or anywhere in the world. The topic of inter-religious relations is very important for Russia, too. We’ve arrived at a special modus vivendi between Orthodox Christians and Muslims, and we’ve come to attach much importance to it. We believe that inter-religious harmony is our only hope of securing peace on our planet”.
14 November 2011
Interfax-Religion
http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=43027
http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=43028
http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=43030
http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=43031
http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=43036
http://www.interfax-religion.ru/?act=news&div=43037
