Posted on 04/22/2013 11:08:17 PM PDT by Cronos
Two Syrian Orthodox bishops have been kidnapped on the outskirts of Aleppo. While both clergymen are believed to be alive, their driver was killed during the attack.
Syriac Orthodox bishop Yohanna Ibrahim and Greek Orthodox Archbishops of Aleppo Paul, who also happens to be the brother of Patriarch John of Antioch and All The East were abducted en route to Aleppo from a town on the Turkish border where they were carrying out “humanitarian work.”
As they neared the city, they were met with an armed group in the village of Kfar who forced them out of the car. The driver, who was also a deacon was killed during the attack.
The bishops are believed to be alive and efforts are ongoing to secure their release, NNA reports.
The Greek Orthodox diocese of Aleppo declined to comment on the incident. The Russian orthodox church has condemned the act.
Earlier, Metropolitan Hilarion, the chairman of the Department of External Church Relations, noted that his close contact with the bishops of the Antiochian Orthodox Church, made him believe that “in those places where the authorities are replaced by the rebel groups, Christianity is being exterminated to the last man: Christians are expelled, or physically destroyed,” quotes Itar-Tass.
He recalled that “Syria has taken more than two million Iraqi refugees, thousands of whom are Christians.” But now the Metroplitain says “thousands of militant extremists under the guise of opposition forces unleashed a civil war in this country. Extremist groups armed and trained by means of foreign powers are deliberately killing Christians, ” Metropolitan Hilarion said.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the act but member of the National Coalition, Abdulahad Steifo, told Reuters that the clergy were abducted on the road to Aleppo from the rebel-held Bab al Hawa crossing with Turkey and that “all probabilities are open” as to who could have kidnapped the bishops.
In North America, where Patriarchate of Antioch has about 250 parishes and 400 priests, Bishop Basil, Secretary of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America has asked for prayers from the followers.
In May 2011, International Christian Concern group suggested that the Christian minority in Syria are more afraid of the opposition forces than of the government, because under the Assad regime there has been tolerance towards religious minorities.
Abductions have become common in Syria as the country is locked in a two-year internal conflict. Ten days ago the home of bishop Paul was attacked by rocket fire.
Syria's 10 percent Christian population is particularly vulnerable to such attacks especially from the opposition groups as they have remained largely neutral or supportive of the government.
And we are assisting the side that is eradicating the Christians, and cannot WAIT to unleash airstrikes on their behalf.
Yes and I think that we need to find a way to approach @MarcoRubio etc to include in immigration bill amnesty for persecuted Christians and NO MORE ISLAMIC immigrants
Our US tax dollars at work.
Prayers....
Wonderful idea. But i cannot imagine anything that would enrage -the party- more.
(it really makes little sense anymore to pretend like Repub and Dem are anything more than 2 wings of the same movement)
Amen.
What the headline should have read:
Two Orthodox bishops kidnapped [by the Religion of Peace] in Syria
We need some kind of a translation that makes sense. That Christians are under attack is obvious. Who, though, are these mysterious groups doing the attacking. The Russian/English translation isn’t clear.
I don’t speak Russian, but I do speak liberal. Here’s an approximate translation:
armed group = Muslims
rebel groups = Muslims
militant extremists = Muslims
opposition forces = Muslims
extremist groups = Muslims
foreign powers = Muslims (perhaps the United States and it’s allies)
“all probabilities are open” = “it was Muslims”
the government = socialists (Baathist Party)
the Assad regime = Alawite Muslim minority, hated by all Muslims (& now the US and its allies)
internal conflict = Muslim civil war (sponsored by “foreign powers” see above)
rocket fire = Muslims
Use the above rough translation and this article will make complete sense.
I have a client who is part of the Syriac Orthodox Church http://sor.cua.edu/Pub/BrockHPearl/index.html As a protestant, I feel somewhat annoyed so much history is left out because we don’t get the Catholic history. It’s been really an honor, to learn more about them, these past few years.
I’m sure the site I gave is outdated, but if anyone is interested, it’s a place to start.
Could this be the excuse Russia needs to send in troops? To save these bishops from Terrorists? It wouldn’t take much to back the tyrant -—
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