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amalthomas
Guest
Patriarch Kirill asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to intervene in the case of the kidnapping the Syrian Bishops.
arabic.ruvr.ru/2013_04_23/111583025/
arabic.ruvr.ru/2013_04_23/111583025/
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amalthomas
Guest
Greek-Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, His Beatitude John X Al-Yazigi visited Syriac Orthodox Church His Holiness Ignatius Zaka I Iwas and discussed the developments of kidnapping the Metropolitans of the both Holy Church.
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https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd....x480/318746_10151419667993786_828362704_n.jpg
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amalthomas
Guest
Turkish President Abdullah Gul informed officials in the Syriac Orthodox Church Thursday that he had spoken with Yuhanna Ibrahim, the Syriac Orthodox bishop who was kidnapped in Aleppo earlier this week.
Bishop Daniel Kourieh of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Beirut told The Daily Star he was informed by Patriarch Zakka Iwas that Gul “personally spoke” to Bishop Ibrahim.
Ibrahim, along with Aleppo’s Greek Orthodox Bishop Boulos Yaziji, were kidnapped Monday by armed men en route from the Turkish border.
Kourieh quoted a bishop in the Syriac Orthodox in church based in Turkey as saying Gul was closely following-up on the kidnapping and exerting efforts to secure their release.
He said the kidnapped bishops were in good health, adding that the captors have not made any demands or requested a ransom.
Habib Efram, president of the Syriac League in Lebanon, denied local media reports that said Gul spoke to Iwas.
“Gul spoke to a bishop in the Syriac Orthodox Church in Turkey and informed him that Turkey is exerting efforts for the release of bishops Boulos Yaziji and Yuhanna Ibrahim," Efram told the Voice of Lebanon radio station.
Read more: dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2013/Apr-25/215009-gul-says-spoke-to-kidnapped-bishop-source.ashx#ixzz2RYr3eoNJ
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: dailystar.com.lb)
Bishop Daniel Kourieh of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Beirut told The Daily Star he was informed by Patriarch Zakka Iwas that Gul “personally spoke” to Bishop Ibrahim.
Ibrahim, along with Aleppo’s Greek Orthodox Bishop Boulos Yaziji, were kidnapped Monday by armed men en route from the Turkish border.
Kourieh quoted a bishop in the Syriac Orthodox in church based in Turkey as saying Gul was closely following-up on the kidnapping and exerting efforts to secure their release.
He said the kidnapped bishops were in good health, adding that the captors have not made any demands or requested a ransom.
Habib Efram, president of the Syriac League in Lebanon, denied local media reports that said Gul spoke to Iwas.
“Gul spoke to a bishop in the Syriac Orthodox Church in Turkey and informed him that Turkey is exerting efforts for the release of bishops Boulos Yaziji and Yuhanna Ibrahim," Efram told the Voice of Lebanon radio station.
Read more: dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2013/Apr-25/215009-gul-says-spoke-to-kidnapped-bishop-source.ashx#ixzz2RYr3eoNJ
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: dailystar.com.lb)
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paglione
Guest
Amalthomas, the Archbishops remain in my thoughts and in my prayers for their safety and for immediate release. The violence in Syria MUST END now. The murders, kidnappings, bombings, sufferings of innocent civilians are EVIL and entirely goes against God’s will.
Peter D. Aglione, Hawthorne, NY, USA (Latin rite Catholic)
logged in as: paglione
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ntjoseph16
Guest
Here is an update on the issue:
Update on the Kidnapped Bishops Issue
As we approach the fifth week of captivity of Archbihop Yohanna Ibrahim and Metropolitan Boulos Yaziji, we wanted to apprise you of several activities undertaken this week to help secure their release. Much more can and needs to be done and your prayers are most important to secure their release, but below is a quick update.
At the urging of the Orthodox community in the United States including our own Syriac Orthodox Church, six Members of the United States House of Representatives on Tuesday circulated a petition seeking their colleagues’ signature to a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry asking him to prioritize the release of the two kidnapped bishops in their discussions and international deliberations about Syria. The text of the letter was initiated by Congressman Brad Sherman, Democrat of California, and Congressman Gus Bilirakis, Republican of Florida. We are happy to advise you that, in only four days and thanks to your phone calls to your congressional representatives, we secured 72 signatures. Numerous Congressman from Maryland and northern Virginia including Representatives Jim Moran, Frank Wolf, Gerry Connolly, Dutch Ruppersberger and Chris Van Hollen signed the letter. Seventy-two Members is quite a fantastic accomplishment, especially in only 4 days and with Congress exceptionally busy with many legislative activities during this time of year.
The letter was delivered Monday morning to the State Department in advance of Secretary Kerry and Ambassador Robert Ford’s meeting with the Syrian National Coalition (SNC), the main opposition umbrella group, this week in Amman, Jordan. We expect that they will likely raise the issue again with, and request the assistance of, both the SNC and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) with whom the U.S. government has periodic contacts. This intercession with the State Department was preceded by several meetings and phone calls His Eminence Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim had with the Department as well as a joint conference call with Metropolitan Philip Saliba and Ambassador Ford during which both prelates urged Ambassador Ford to work feverishly to secure the release of the two archbishops.
His Eminence traveled to Washington twice this week to seek support for the release of the archbishops. On Tuesday he met with Turkish Ambassador to the U.S. Namik Tan where His Eminence briefed Ambassador Tan about the bishops and urged the Turkish government’s assistance in securing their release. He also urged Ambassador Tan to ensure that the issue of the kidnapped bishops is raised during the week’s bilateral meetings between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan and President Barack Obama. Ambassador Tan assured His Eminence that the issue will be raised, and then invited His Eminence to a private reception on Friday at the conclusion of Prime Minister Erdogan’s official visit to Washington. His Eminence drove to Washington again on Friday to attend the reception in honor of Prime Minister Erdogan. At the reception at the ambassador’s official residence, His Eminence had a brief meeting with PM Erdogan to urge him to use his good offices to determine the status of the archbishops, the identity of their kidnappers, and to seek the Turkish government’s efforts to ensure their safe and prompt release. His Eminence also delivered a private letter to the Prime Minister about what we believe to be relevant facts surrounding the kidnapping and potential whereabouts of the archbishops. The Prime Minister, through a translator, said that only criminals and terrorists would even think to kidnap holy men and agreed to work toward their release. He then clasped the hand of His Eminence for a few minutes and added, “Inshallah” they will be released soon.
Please be sure to keep Archbishop Yohanna Ibrahim and Metropolitan Boulos Yazigi in your thoughts and prayers.
God bless you,
Jay Ghazal
(Archdiocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church in N America)
Update on the Kidnapped Bishops Issue
As we approach the fifth week of captivity of Archbihop Yohanna Ibrahim and Metropolitan Boulos Yaziji, we wanted to apprise you of several activities undertaken this week to help secure their release. Much more can and needs to be done and your prayers are most important to secure their release, but below is a quick update.
At the urging of the Orthodox community in the United States including our own Syriac Orthodox Church, six Members of the United States House of Representatives on Tuesday circulated a petition seeking their colleagues’ signature to a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry asking him to prioritize the release of the two kidnapped bishops in their discussions and international deliberations about Syria. The text of the letter was initiated by Congressman Brad Sherman, Democrat of California, and Congressman Gus Bilirakis, Republican of Florida. We are happy to advise you that, in only four days and thanks to your phone calls to your congressional representatives, we secured 72 signatures. Numerous Congressman from Maryland and northern Virginia including Representatives Jim Moran, Frank Wolf, Gerry Connolly, Dutch Ruppersberger and Chris Van Hollen signed the letter. Seventy-two Members is quite a fantastic accomplishment, especially in only 4 days and with Congress exceptionally busy with many legislative activities during this time of year.
The letter was delivered Monday morning to the State Department in advance of Secretary Kerry and Ambassador Robert Ford’s meeting with the Syrian National Coalition (SNC), the main opposition umbrella group, this week in Amman, Jordan. We expect that they will likely raise the issue again with, and request the assistance of, both the SNC and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) with whom the U.S. government has periodic contacts. This intercession with the State Department was preceded by several meetings and phone calls His Eminence Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim had with the Department as well as a joint conference call with Metropolitan Philip Saliba and Ambassador Ford during which both prelates urged Ambassador Ford to work feverishly to secure the release of the two archbishops.
His Eminence traveled to Washington twice this week to seek support for the release of the archbishops. On Tuesday he met with Turkish Ambassador to the U.S. Namik Tan where His Eminence briefed Ambassador Tan about the bishops and urged the Turkish government’s assistance in securing their release. He also urged Ambassador Tan to ensure that the issue of the kidnapped bishops is raised during the week’s bilateral meetings between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan and President Barack Obama. Ambassador Tan assured His Eminence that the issue will be raised, and then invited His Eminence to a private reception on Friday at the conclusion of Prime Minister Erdogan’s official visit to Washington. His Eminence drove to Washington again on Friday to attend the reception in honor of Prime Minister Erdogan. At the reception at the ambassador’s official residence, His Eminence had a brief meeting with PM Erdogan to urge him to use his good offices to determine the status of the archbishops, the identity of their kidnappers, and to seek the Turkish government’s efforts to ensure their safe and prompt release. His Eminence also delivered a private letter to the Prime Minister about what we believe to be relevant facts surrounding the kidnapping and potential whereabouts of the archbishops. The Prime Minister, through a translator, said that only criminals and terrorists would even think to kidnap holy men and agreed to work toward their release. He then clasped the hand of His Eminence for a few minutes and added, “Inshallah” they will be released soon.
Please be sure to keep Archbishop Yohanna Ibrahim and Metropolitan Boulos Yazigi in your thoughts and prayers.
God bless you,
Jay Ghazal
(Archdiocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church in N America)
M
malphono
Guest
Jay Ghazal:
This could could just as easily involved Mor Anis Abi-Aad, Maronite Archbishop of Aleppo, so we are one in praying for the safe return of both kidnapped Archbishops. Indeed, they remain in my prayers.
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paglione
Guest
Thank you, Jay Ghazal, for that update on the kidnapped bishop and the Metropolitan. I will continue my prayers for the immediate release of these holy and innocent people. We here in the Western Latin Church pray fervently for our brother priest and bishop for we are all One. Soon we will be brought together in holy Unity as Christ has commanded.
Peter D. Aglione, Hawthorne, NY (of the Latin rite as well as the Byzantine rite)
23 May 2013
Petradom737@aol.com
Peter D. Aglione, Hawthorne, NY (of the Latin rite as well as the Byzantine rite)
23 May 2013
Petradom737@aol.com
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