Balamand, Lebanon, October 19, 2023
Photo: Facebook “Palestine is crucified because of the self-interests of nations,” said the Antiochian primate in a recent talk.
“Palestine is bleeding with the Nazarene on the calvary of tyranny… Peace cannot be formed on the bodies of children and slaughtered men,” His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch continued.
His remarks came during the opening speech of the international conference, “The Orthodox Church of Antioch from the Fifteenth to the Eighteenth Century: Towards a Proper Understanding of History” being held in Balamand, Lebanon.
Read His Beatitude’s full remarks about the present situation in the Holy Land:
As we stand here in the vicinity of the eternal Cedars, we must say a word of truth about what is happening in occupied Palestine. Palestine is crucified because of the self-interests of nations. Palestine is bleeding with the Nazarene on the calvary of tyranny. We support the Palestinian right to its land and to the effective establishment of its state. We stand by the side of these displaced people who are suffering from bitterness and siege, imprisonment, murder, and displacement. Peace cannot be formed on the bodies of children and slaughtered men, nor is it imported by shedding innocent blood. What is happening in Palestine is the result of the violation of human dignity, the contempt towards international law and all resolutions, racial discrimination policy, and the persistent imposition of the logic of oppression. Hence, our call is for the immediate cessation of the war on Gaza. The people of Gaza are paying the price of the suffocating siege with much blood. Our call also for us, Muslims and Christians, to see in Jerusalem a way up to the mercies of the Father of Lights. We ask the Holy Lord to send down His divine justice and mercy, and His peace which surpasses all human peace, a peace that cannot be established by blood and fire.
His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem and the heads of other churches in the Holy Land have also condemned the violence many times.
To help those suffering in Gaza, please consider donating through the Holy Order of St. George’s Gaza fundraising campaign:
https://www.paypal.com/giving/campaigns?campaign_id=U94UASLK6LDX2
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