Statement of the Solidarity Meeting in the Archdiocese of Beirut
August 11, 2020
His Beatitude John X, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East for the Greek Orthodox Church called for a Solidarity Meeting in the Archdiocese of Beirut, in response to the huge catastrophe that befell Beirut and its inhabitants due to the terrible explosion. The meeting was headed by His Beatitude Patriarch John X, and, along with His Eminence Elias Audi, was attended by their Eminences: Elias (Tyre and Sidon), Silouan (Byblos and Batroun), Basilios (Akkar), Ephrem (Tripoli), Antonios (Zahleh and Baalbek), His Eninence Reverend Niphon (Saykali), Patriarchal representative at the Antiochian Metochion of Moscow, as well as His Grace Bishop Constantine Kayyal.
First: The Meeting Attendees expressed their deep pain and grief over the victims who were killed as a result of this explosion. As they sympathize with their families and relatives, they ask God to ease their souls with his mercy and the light of his countenance, granting their relatives strength and succor, consoling their hearts, and bestowing his joy. They expressed their solidarity with the families of the missing, whose fate is not yet known. They appealed to the Lebanese state to make all the necessary speedy efforts to uncover their fate, hoping that they would return to the care of their families well and unharmed.
The attendees brought to remembrance the thousands of wounded, with the hope that God would relieve them of all hardship and danger, granting them the strength to face pain and a speedy recovery.
Second: The attendees focused on the extent of the destruction of civilian homes, institutions and properties, resulting in the displacement of hundreds of thousands from their homes and a catastrophe to people’s livelihoods in the most difficult economic conditions.
Facing this painful reality, and having discussed ways to help alleviate the pain and wounds, the attendees put all the capacities of their dioceses at the service of the Beirut diocese, and its Pastor, Metropolitan Elias. They also praised the initiatives of the Lebanese youth and the ecclesiastical and civic associations to contribute, in one way or another, in wiping out these wounds, putting all the capabilities of their archdioceses at the service of Beirut, and Metropolitan Elias.
Third: The attendees were informed by the Pastor of the diocese of the severe damage and destruction that befell the Beirut Archdiocese and all the affiliated churches and institutions, especially the Saint George Hospital Medical Center that was much destroyed and stopped its medical and educational functions for the first time since it was established, almost a century and a half ago. Most painful, it lost four nurses from its staff, as well as some patients and their families. The attendees thanked God that the Pastor of the Archdiocese and all the priests and workers in these institutions were kept safe. As they expressed extreme grief over so many victims, they communicated their support to His Eminence in everything that serves the consolation of hearts and the restoration of the buildings and institutions of the archdiocese and of all the city to its previous position and service.
Fourth: His Beatitude Patriarch John X informed the assembled leaders of the solidarity messages which he had received concerning what befell Beirut, its people, its diocese and its institutions, especially from His All-Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch and all our brothers the Patriarchs and Archbishops, Prelates of the Orthodox Churches and leaders of states. As they witnessed this extent of solidarity and the willingness of those who sent the messages to provide any possible relief and support to the Church, the attendees expressed their thanks to the Lord for the amount of love, fraternal zeal, and unity that were manifested through these messages, expressing their deep thanks to all those who sent a message or called.
Fifthly: While stressing on the unwavering hope in the Lord and the confidence in the ability of the Lebanese in general, and Beirut and its people in particular, to shake off the repercussions of this disaster and rise again to play the human and civilizational role which is the legacy of this city, and being certain that this pain, which adds to the many sufferings of the Lebanese, will be a catalyst for a new stand-up, the attendees stopped at the declared reasons for the catastrophe. As these may be equal to the horrific results of the catastrophe, they assert the necessity to do all what is required to address the causes of this disaster in terms of accountability and responsibility, without any complacency, elusion, nor smugness, to avoid its repetition in any way. This requires exposing those responsible within the required speed and prosecuting them seriously, out of faithfulness to the Lord and a sense of justice, as they cling to any confidence still nurtured by the Lebanese in their country and the future of their children. The attendees saw it as an occasion to remind all the Lebanese leaders and officials that His Beatitude Patriarch John X, His Eminence the Metropolitan of Beirut and the rest of the bishops, had been calling out for the demands of the Lebanese people, who have the right for a decent life, a better future to be fulfilled. They had also called to preserve their plundered rights and to endeavor to free their country from any corruption.
While declaring their solidarity with all the injured and suffering, the attendees affirm that the Church has the responsibility to preserve every means of justice and truth in Lebanon, so that the Lebanese youth cling to their country.
They stress the need for everyone to cooperate in healing the wounds of the citizens and raise constant supplication and prayer, by the intercession of the city Patron Saint George, for every martyr, wounded, missing, and harmed, may Lebanon and its people find their way to salvation.
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