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Receiving the Secretary-General of the Department of Religions at the Greek Ministry of Education

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Patriarch's Homilies

The Homily of Patriarch John X At the Funeral of the Martyrs of St. Elias Church

We pray, dear ones, for our martyrs, our wounded, and their families. We pray for our country and for the entire world. We pray that the future Syria will be the homeland every Syrian dreams of.
This criminal entered the church, being armed and carrying explosives. Our young men—Jiries, Bishara, and Boutros, whom I know personally—saw him. They pulled him back, pushed him away, and threw themselves on him. They willingly accepted to be torn apart, and they were, so they could safeguard those inside the church. This is our people. They are our heroes. They were torn apart to protect, as I was told, 250 people inside the church.
Before this heroic Christian people, I affirm boldly: we do not fear, and we press onward in our journey.
In the presence of the magnitude of this scene, I conclude by affirming that they would have acted likewise to protect those around them, even if they had been in a mosque.

The Antioch Patriarchate Index 2025