Prešov, Slovakia, February 11, 2025
Photo: orthodox.sk
The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia met in Prešov on January 28, under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Metropolitan Rastislav. Among other matters, the hierarchs addressed the turmoil in Syria.
The hierarchs took note of the 
Patriarch John and Syrian Christian leaders issue statement calling for national reconciliation and reformThe ecclesiastical leaders called for comprehensive national dialogue across all provinces to address social cohesion challenges and rebuild trust among Syrians.
“>joint declaration of His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East and other Christian leaders in Syria, attached to the letter from the Antiochian primate from January 22, and declared:
We express our fraternal solidarity and support to His Beatitude the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East John, all bishops, clergy and faithful of the Patriarchate of Antioch, as well as other ancient Christian churches of the Middle East. With pain and deep sorrow, we observe the tragic events and continuing violence in this region. We strongly condemn any manifestations of extremism, terrorism and violence that lead to the destruction of sacred places and human dwellings, to the displacement of population and to loss of lives. We consider these acts unacceptable not only out of respect for God’s image in man and the commandment of love for neighbor, but also for fundamental human rights and freedom, as well as the immense value of every human life. We join in prayers for the earliest possible end to military conflicts and the establishment of lasting peace in places that are connected with the life of our Savior, the work of His Apostles and the spread of Christian faith throughout the world.
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Source: Orthodox Christianity
