His Beatitude Receives His Eminence Sheikh Ali…

 

His Beatitude John X, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East warmly welcomed His Eminence Sheikh Ali Al- Khatib, Deputy Head of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council during a meeting at the Patriarchal Residence in Balamand. Accompanying His Eminence were the Mufti Sheikh Hassan Abdullah, the Mufti Sheikh Abdul Amir Shams al-Din, Special Advisor to His Eminence Dr. Ghazi Qanso, and Media Advisor Mr. Wassef Awada. Representing the Antiochian side were His Grace Bishop Moses Al-Khosi, Rt. Rev. Archimandrite Georges Yaacoub, Abbot of Our Lady of Balamand Patriarchal Monastery, Rt. Rev. Archimandrite Jack Khalil, Dean of the Saint John of Damascus Institute of Theology at the University of Balamand, and Consul Mark Ghorayeb, the Honorary General Ambassador of Albania in Lebanon.

The meeting delved into the historical bonds uniting both sides and underscored the significance of dialogue and interactions as a mean to promote Lebanon specifically and the broader East. The participants also discussed the current situation in Lebanon, emphasizing the urgency of selecting a president for the republic. Additionally, the gathering addressed the overall regional context, with both parties expressing their solidarity with the just cause of the Palestinian people. Furthermore, they jointly condemned the ongoing genocide in Gaza, fervently appealing for an immediate cessation of the killings and the siege.