Moscow Patriarchate and Catholics join forces to restore Syria’s destroyed churches

After the historic meeting in Havana between the Pope and the Patriarch of Moscow, the plight of persecuted Christians in the Middle East has become the focus of the first concrete act of cooperation between the two sister Churches.

Apr 12, 2016

MOSCOW: After the historic meeting in Havana between the Pope and the Patriarch of Moscow, the plight of persecuted Christians in the Middle East has become the focus of the first concrete act of cooperation between the two sister Churches.

The Department for External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church announced that the Moscow Patriarchate and the Vatican will join efforts to help restore the Christian churches in Syria.

"The need to draw up a detailed list of Christian places destroyed and damaged during the war in Syria and the strengthening of the common Christian witness of the Syrian tragedy have been recognized as a short term priority" the Synodal Department statement read.

This list is the result of  a recent visit (April 6 and 7) of a joint delegation of the two Churches to Syria and Lebanon to investigate a series of initiatives and coordinate humanitarian aid. The delegation included Hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov), secretary of the Department for External Relations of the Patriarchate, and the Archbishop of the Mother of God in Moscow, Msgr. Paolo Pezzi, as well as representatives of the Catholic organization Aid to the Church in Need.

The joint delegation visited some refugee camps, and had meetings with local religious leaders, including Mar Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church, in Damascus.

"Everyone knows that the tragedy in the Middle East, which has caused suffering to different Christian denominations and other groups, and the need to take urgent measures to improve the situation there were the focus of the meeting in Havana 12 February 2016 ", continues the statement of the Russian Orthodox Church, thus confirming that the new ecumenical initiative is part of the program launched in the aftermath of the embrace between Kirill and Francis.

In an interview with Interfax, Hieromonk Stefan described the fact that the two Churches "have started together a project that consolidates the Christians of the Middle East to bring forward practical tasks of a humanitarian nature” as "unprecedented". "This is undoubtedly a result of the agreements reached in Havana," added the Orthodox monk.--Asia News