Archbishop of Cyprus is at the Patriarchate in…

Archbishop of Cyprus is at the Patriarchate in Damascus

22 July, 2016

His Beatitude Archbishop of Cyprus Chrysostomos II arrived to Damascus. He was received at the Mariamite Church by His Beatitude John X Patriarch of Antioch and all the East and a gathering of people.

His Beatitude arrived first at Beirut airport, and received, on behalf of His Beatitude, by Metropolitan of Beirut Elias Aude and Metropolitan of Tyre and Sidon Elias Kfoury and bishops Luke Al-Khoury and Costa Kayal with priests and faithful and Mr. Ali Abd Al-Kareem the Syrian ambassador in Lebanon.

When arriving at the Lebanese-Syrian borders His Beatitude was received by His Eminence Ephraim and Dr. Adnan Al-Aphiouny the Moufty of Damascus, and the manager of Minister of Awqaf's office Dr. Nabeel Soulaiman.

At His arriveal, a prayer of thanks was held at the Patriarchate.

Patriarch John welcomed His Beatitude and expressed His appreciation for the visit and its importance to show the true image of what is happening in Syria, and He assured that the Church of Antioch prays always for the Church of Cyrprus in order to reach a solution for Cyprus issue that guarantees the unity of the island. At the end, He welcomed the visit of His Beatitude in the name of the Antiochian Church and the name of Syrian People reassuring that Syria is one family regardless of the multiplicity of religions and doctrines, considering that what is going on in Syria is terrorism and strange of its past and its present.

On His part, the Archbishop expressed His joy of being in Damascus wishing to restore peace as soon as possible in Syria denouncing all forms of terrorism and extremism in the Middle East, and hoping to see the faces of the faithful full of happiness after overcoming the war.

After the prayer, the faithful took the blessing of His Beatitude.

The visit of His beatitude will last till 26 July, and He will celebrate the Divine liturgy with His Beatitude John X at the Holy Cross Church in Al-Kassa- Damascus.