Metropolitan Herman, Primate of The Orthodox Church in America

Metropolitan Herman expresses deep concern over Middle East crisis to the patriarchs of Jerusalem and Antioch

SYOSSET, NY [OCA Communications] —” As the crisis in the Middle East widens, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman, Primate of The Orthodox Church in America, sent letters of support to His Beatitude, Patriarch Ignatius IV of Antioch and All the East, and His Beatitude, Patriarch Theophilus of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine, in which he shares the concern and prayers of the hierarchs, clergy, and faithful of the Orthodox Church in America.

The text of the letters, dated July 26, 2006, reads as follows.

“It is with deep sadness and profound distress that we watch the conflict in the Middle East escalate to such already devastating proportions. We deplore the continuing bloodshed and violence that afflicts those lands rich in Biblical history and Christian ancestry. And we call upon all persons involved to negotiate an immediate cease-fire and to work together for a just, peaceful, and lasting solution, not only to this present crisis, but also to the many probems that are the source of such conflict.

“We implore all persons of good will to prayerfully reflect upon the evil nature of the violence that continues to plague the Middle East. We urge them to remember that Our Lord, Jesus Christ, never condoned violence or war in any form, but rather calls upon us to ‘love your enemies’ [Matthew 5:44]. And we encourage them to seek an enduring peace, which alone is the final solution to all human strife and discord.

“We join Your Beatitudes and the entire Patriarchates of Antioch and Jerusalem in praying for the innocent people, of all faiths, whose lives are, and will continue to be, torn apart by the untold violence, suffering, and death that are the results of such conflict. And we especially pray for the Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian, and Greek Orthodox Christians, so often ignored by the world community as an insignificant minority. Knowing that every human life is precious in the sight of God, we are asking our faithful to unite all the more fervently in ‘prayer and fasting’ [Matthew 17:21], that this present crisis will be resolved quickly, ending its toll of suffering and death.

“On behalf of the hierarchs, clergy, and faithful of the Orthodox Church in America, please accept from my unworthiness our expression of solidarity and love during this difficult time.”

Archbishop Christodoulos of the Greek Orthodox Church

Greek Orthodox Church warns Israel: ‘Fear God’s wrath’

The leader of Greece’s Orthodox Church, Archbishop Christodoulos, accused Israel on Sunday of “sacrificing innocent civilians” in its bombardment of Lebanon.

“Israel’s actions within its right to self defense have long exceeded any rational limit,” Christodoulos said on Sunday.

“[They are] sacrificing innocent civilians by the hundreds, and creating refugees by the thousands,” he added, telling the Israeli authorities, “Do not provoke our consciences. Do not feed the world condemnation against you. It is not in your interest…Fear God’s wrath.”

The church has played a lead role in sheltering Greek evacuees from Lebanon who have no home or close relatives in Greece.

Philip, Antiochian Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America

Metropolitan Philip’s Appeal

Brother Hierarchs, Reverend Clergy, Esteemed Members of the Archdiocese Board of Trustees, Parish Councils and God-fearing Faithful of our Archdiocese:

Greetings in the name of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I write to you while the bombs are falling on Lebanon. As you have been hearing in the media (i.e. television, newspapers and the internet), Lebanon is being systematically destroyed, both the infrastructure and, more importantly, the people. Everyone agrees that the result is a humanitarian disaster for the people of Lebanon.

As of today, there are close to 400 Lebanese men, women and children who have been killed. The number of displaced Lebanese is approaching one million! We see in the news men, women and children being killed, maimed and burned by phosphate bombs. At the same time, Red Cross ambulances carrying the sick and wounded are being targeted; airports, communications systems, bridges and roads have been destroyed and entire neighborhoods have been leveled. To put things in real and human terms, we were recently informed of one of our faithful from the Archdiocese of Zahle who was driving with his two children. An Israeli bomb hit their car, seriously injuring the father and one child and killing the other, a 15 year old boy. Just yesterday, a family of eight was killed in their home by an Israeli bomb. These are but two stories from among thousands.

My beloved faithful, Lebanon is part of our Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East. So many of the people of our Archdiocese have their spiritual and cultural roots in Lebanon and especially in Beirut and South Lebanon (such as Jdeidet Marj’ayoun) where the majority of the destruction is taking place. Yesterday, I spoke with Metropolitan ELIAS of Beirut and he told me of the deplorable and dire conditions in his archdiocese and the Archdiocese of Tyre and Sidon (South Lebanon). He asked for our fervent prayers and help for Lebanon. I assured him of our unceasing prayers and that we will do our part to help. Therefore, I appeal to you to give generously to help the suffering people of Lebanon.

Finally, as we prepare to begin the Dormition Fast on August 1, let us beseech the most-holy Theotokos to intercede for the suffering people of Lebanon.

Your Father in Christ,

+Metropolitan PHILIP
Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America

Pope Benedict XVI

Angelus Message of Sunday, 23 July 2006

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Thanks to you all for such a warm and cordial welcome. Thank you, Your Excellency [Bishop Giuseppe Anfossi of Aosta], for your kind words, in which you mentioned that last Thursday, in the face of the worsening situation in the Middle East, I had convoked for this Sunday a special day of prayer and penance, inviting Pastors, faithful and all believers to implore the gift of peace from God.

I strongly renew my appeal to the Parties in conflict to immediately adopt a ceasefire, to permit the sending of humanitarian aid and to seek new ways with the support of the international community to begin negotiations.

I take this opportunity to reaffirm the right of the Lebanese to the integrity and sovereignty of their Country, the right of the Israelis to live in peace in their State and the right of Palestinians to possess a free and sovereign Homeland.

Furthermore, I am particularly close to the defenceless civilian populations, unjustly stricken in a conflict of which they are no more than victims: both those in Galilee who have been forced to live in shelters and the great multitude of Lebanese who are once again seeing their Country destroyed and have had to leave everything to seek safety elsewhere.

I raise a heartfelt prayer to God so that the aspiration to peace of the vast majority of the population will be realized as soon as possible through the unanimous commitment of those in charge.

I also renew my appeal to all charitable organizations to convey to those peoples the material expression of common solidarity…