Monday marks the six-year anniversary of the abduction of Greek Orthodox Archbishop Paul Yazigi, the Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Aleppo, and Syriac Orthodox Archbishop Yohanna Ibrahim, outside the then besieged northern Syrian city.
Archbishop Paul is the brother of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, His Beatitude John X.
Last week, the Primates of the Orthodox Churches in the Near East, during a meeting on Cyprus, issued a joint statement over the continued disappearance of the two hierarchs, which read:
“Their Holinesses and Beatitudes expressed their sadness at the indifference of various countries and centers of power regarding the fate of the Archbishops of Aleppo … pointing out that this year, the sixth anniversary of their abduction, coincides with the beginning of Great and Holy Week.”
The statement was signed by the Patriarchs of Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem, as well as the Archbishop of Cyprus.