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In his letter to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the Primate of the Syrian Orthodox Church His Holiness Mar Ignatius Aphrem II expressed great concerns about ‘the magnitude of hardships endured by and coercion exerted on the Orthodox faithful in Ukraine.’

We recall ‘dark episodes of the church history where believers had to pay a heavy price for upholding true faith and safeguarding the holy Traditions and the discipline in the Church. Building on our current experience in Syria, we can testify that politics under the disguise of religion have destroyed the national fabric in Syria and will, unfortunately, have the same impact in Ukraine.”

Patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox Church wrote: ‘We stand in solidarity with all the parishioners subjected to harassment and persecution because of their faith and loyalty to their Church.

‘We will keep Your Holiness, our fellow clergy and all the beloved sons and daughters of Christ in Ukraine in our thoughts and prayers.

‘We believe that God will not forsaken His Church and we are confident in the intercession of the Mother of God to bring a peaceful resolution of the crisis in Ukraine.’